Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

… so glad to hear that Otis is feeling better!  The recovery really is the hardest part!  A short while after surgery I was worried about Murphy's back legs because it seemed like he was walking really stiffly…

…really obvious how much he enjoys it.   

Your pack sounds similar to ours ... our cats often rub up against the dogs.  Max actually nibbles on Daisy and she rolls around meowing, walks away, then comes back & rubs up against him again lol

Donna

….....d-dog-hop/

Others with experience in this area will chime in but to answer your questions:

Has the TPLO had any major impact on recovery in terms of the new gait, and does/has it affected stamina because of it? Is there anything i'm not aware of that i *should* be aware of in terms

…Three Legged Dog channel to see the videos. Somehow the original channel disappeared, and I have just recently been trying to reconstruct it. The recovery and rehab videos are back up.

Speaking of rehab, if you have a certified rehab vet available to you, I would highly recommend a visit to her/him…

…once Sylvan is cleared to start exercise again. Ours made a world of difference for Murphy.

You can also search this,site for Daisy's story. She was also a rear amp who had cruciate surgery.

Please keep us posted.

Kathi and the Turbotail April Angel...and the Labradork

…of course.

And Benji, I'd growl to if I hurt and someone tried to move me! Hang in there sweet pup...your humans will get you on tne road to recovery!! A d go potty...even if it's in your bed...you'll feel better!

A d DEFINITELY, like Jerry said, check out Murphy and Daisy!

Sending

…. Forgive  me, on my mobile so I have to be brief for now, but first; get another opinion preferably from a  board certified orthopedic vet. Yes recovery isnt easy but not impossible for a larger Tripawd. We've had members like Daisy, Murphy and others do it, look 'em up. 

I will have more later so

…you and Molly have to be here but, under the circumstances there is no better place to be!

As always, you've gotten great advice from Daisy and Jerry. You know Molly best. As stange as this may sound, have a "talk" with Molly. Let Molly "tell" you what she wants to do! Is she…

…loving, spoiling, treats, tummy rubs, sunbathing, ice cream snd deer poop!

I had to try....I had to give her a chance at pain free QUALITY!

Recovery was no picnic and I second guessed my decision for two or three weeks! But once recovery was over and I saw her slarkle come back bigger and

…you go! Some real life experiences from Kerry, Daisy and Murphy to help take you out of the panic zone and into the "We've Got This" zone!!

Surgery is scary regardless of the reason and recovery is

…am so glad that Cinnamon is recovering well. My Daisy was the same way after her amp.  I wanted to help her around with the sling but she would have none of it.  Wanted to do it all on her own.  Is…

…off your stairs so she doesn't try ascending them at least until she is recovered? If that is where she is used to going she will probably try. My Daisy did that too .. didn't even get a chance to stop her.

Four days is still pretty early so don't be surprised if Cinnamon has a period of time…

…in the beginning because of the pain medications. It took us about 3 weeks to really start getting back to normal.

Keep us posted on Cinnamon's recovery.

Marla, Biscuit and Spirit Daisy

…remaining rear leg and did awesomely. Of course it took him longer to recover but recover he did. As I recall his mom posted quite a bit about his recovery process, and she was dedicated to his rehab so check out his blog by clicking on his name above. She also posted in the forums about him. Just do a…

…Another Leg Surgery

Bionic Ajax is home and hopping around…

ACL/CCL Surgery for Ajax … tips from Tripawds who have had ACL surgery welcome

Daisy Update

Hope this helps and keep us posted!!

xoxo,

Codie Rae and the Oaktown Pack

…protective bubble we can put our tripawds in so nothing else can harm them!!!

At least this is fixable! Check out the site for MURPHY. and DAISY also. Both of these are tripawds who, although the "cause" was different, each had to deal with very limited use of their three legs...which…

…Kasey has to go through this. It sounds like you're in good hands with this vet... Is Kasey on any pain meds? Take it one day at a time and recovery will be here before you know it.

PLEASE keep us posted.

Lots and lots of treats for Kasey!!!

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry

…your heart!

I questioned my decision to ampute for al.ost three weeks...and that was WITHOUT "other" issues....just a slow up and down recovery!

And yes, Daisy. Alonf with many others have had all sorts of "other leg issues. Hopefully Murphy's mom and Lexie's mom will see this and…

…much better knowing dogs can do very well with the right treatment and balance of low dose p as in meds.

As Marla said, this is still early in recovery and muscles are sore with all thereadjustment issues. Teddy should still be just going out for short potty breaks and pretty much tak i ng it easy…

…

You may ask the vet about switching vrom the patch to Tramadol or Gabapentin. I think the patch can mess with their appetite too.

I KNOW this recovery process is scary and full of uncertainty and doubts and sheer fear. We understand like no others can! We also understand that Teddy WILL get…

…cooking..chicken andmacaroni and chesse...yum!!

Hang in there!!! We are all here for you!!! It will get better!!! Every dog's recovery is different!!!

Please keep us updated, okay?

Hugs to all!

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!

…Jill & Teddy!  Sorry to hear about Teddy's accident.  My Daisy is also a front leg tripawd (left elbow joint destroyed by arthritis) with bad hips (dysplasia and advanced arthritis).

12 days is still…

…pretty early in the recovery period.  Daisy wasn't back to being her normal self until 4 weeks.  They can tend to get pretty sore as they are using their muscles in different ways than before…

…could be the fentanyl patch or just the pain from his tight muscles.  It's hard to know since crying and whining can be caused by both.

Since Daisy suffers arthritis pain she takes Deramaxx once a day and Tramadol twice a day.  I always put a little topper of canned food on her kibble to hide…

…Tramadol in.  That pretty much works for us.  Sometimes she fishes the pills out so I keep pill pockets on hand to put them in.  During her amp recovery she didn't have much of an appetite either so I kept hotdogs on hand to hide pills in.  Basically that was all she ate for the first few weeks --…

…on her kibble/canned food.  Maybe you could try hotdogs?

Being a tripawd with issues like dysplasia and arthritis does make it harder on them.  Daisy had her amp in Dec. 2011 and her mobility was not particularly affected at that time but now she struggles to get around because of the pain in her…

…you made the wrong decision.  I think we all have questioned ourselves while they are recovering if we did the right thing!

Marla and tri-dogs Daisy & Biscuit

…DARN CUTE HE IS!!!!! Tyke.would.be.soooooo.lucky.to.have.his forever home.with you and.Daisy!!!

Would petitions.from.the.entire.Tripawd.Universe.help? It aonly.seems.right that.his forever.homenis.with.someone.who knows…

…how to prepare for.allnhis.specialness! I.mean, these "other" people.don't.know.how.to deal.with recovery...they don't.k m ow.about.tra c ti i n...they don't.know.about.strengthening.his core muscles!. Ohhhh.I know we all want.to write

…Biz's dad.  Sorry to hear about your big guys hip problems.  My Daisy is a front left amp (with bad hips, too) who blew a knee almost a year ago.  She had lateral suture stabilization surgery on her right knee in…

…two steps into the house every time she had to go in and out to potty.  I didn't think she would be able to use her back leg at all.  My vet kept Daisy hospitalized a few extra days since she is a tripawd.

I was almost in panic mode the morning I was to pick her up (ok I was actually in panic…

…about it).  I was so relieved when the techs brought her out to me -- she was able to bear weight on that knee with the help of a sling.

The recovery was not easy and much more difficult than the amputation recovery.  She was on strict bed rest for 8 weeks.  Only got to move around to go potty…

…so you should check out Murphy's story.  He was a rear amp that had a total hip replacement.  Jerry provided you a link above.

Marla and Daisy

…agree with Amy.  It is still really early in the recovery period.  My Daisy didn't start eating "real" food until 3-4 weeks post amp.  She lived on boiled chicken, hotdogs and treats.  I figured as long as I was getting…

…like nothing ever happened.  In the short term I wouldn't worry to much about what Silas is or isn't eating.

I can't speak to the chemo since Daisy is not a tripawd due to cancer but antibiotics have always made my dogs sick for a least the first couple days.  So it could be that or like you…

….

I know it can be overwhelming.  I'm single too and worried myself sick on how I was going to handle an 80-lb. three-legged dog during recovery before I even picked her up post surgery!  But together we muddled through it and after 4 weeks she was back to her normal self.  My real meltdown…

… or eat CHOCOLATE!!  or BOTH!!  It WILL get better I promise.  And you and Silas will be stronger for it.

Hugs to you and Silas.

Marla and Daisy

 

 

…sorry to hear Ajax tore his knee.  Nothing is worse than something happening to one of the remaining good legs!  Last May Daisy had a complete rupture of her CCL in her right knee (she's a left front amp).  I had to use a sling to get her out the door to do her business and…

…after the rupture she had lateral suture stabilization surgery.  She was the first tripawd my vet performed knee surgery on, too.

For us the recovery was rough.  Made her amp seem like a breeze.  It was a LONG 12 weeks before she was back to her more normal self and I was able to quit using the…

…the sling. That was ok since she was limited to leash walking only.

Hang in there -- you WILL get thru this!  Keep us posted ok?

Marla and Daisy

 

…the diagnosis but so glad they figured out what's going on! Ajax is invincible, he will do fine!

Fear not, others have gone through it and a full recovery is definitely doable. It won't be a cake walk but you can do it.

Here are some search results that may help prepare you:

http://tripawds..

…cried tears of joy when she walked into the waiting room, wigglng and a waggn' the day after surgery!

We have many dogs here...Murphy...Daisy...and many more whohad "other leg" issues in addition to the need for amputation.

Read all of Jerry's books and downloads so you can feel better…

…? You may want to consider building a ramp. Goingup and down stairs, jumping on beds, etc......you want to prevent that especially during recovery.

Recovery is no picnic..-some dogs recoer faster, some slower. But boy oh boy! Once recovery takes place and the sparkle comes back you

… years...Shooter at thirtteen and Frank n' Farter (yep, that's his name!) who was 13 1/2! And they both recovered very well!

Murphy and Daisy...both younger and amputations for various reasons, vut they all had "leg" issues while also dealig with just three legs and they are doing great…

…!

Recovery can be rough and this is major surgery, so there are risks. It seems as though Spike has already been through a lot of surgeries and would probavly

…said

Well the day finally came and you made it. Yay!

It's great that the surgeon is optimistic about Roo's chances for a good recovery. As you can tell by Marla and Daisy's story it is definitely possible to successfully deal with recovery on a Tripawd. You obviously have the…

…the kind of attention and care that he needs during and after. Whatever we can do to help make it easier just holler.

 

 

Marla and Daisys story is truly inspirational and I know that Marla must have bust her guts with the sheer dedication and skill with the care she took. Their story

…the day finally came and you made it. Yay!

It's great that the surgeon is optimistic about Roo's chances for a good recovery. As you can tell by Marla and Daisy's story it is definitely possible to successfully deal with recovery on a Tripawd. You obviously have the

…tough as it is at least now you know what you are dealing with.  My Daisy is a front left amp due to arthritic destruction of her elbow joint.  About 1-1/2 years prior to her amp she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and…

…bad hips.

In May she had a complete rupture of her right knee.  We too had to have surgery.  Do you know yet which procedure Roo will have?  Daisy had a lateral suture stabilization since it was the least invasive of the procedures and the one I was most comfortable with.  It's kind of…

…frightening having a surgery on one of their only 3 remaining legs!  Recovery for us was pretty rough.  It was tough for her to manage on just two legs with me assisting her with a sling.  But we did it and so will you and…

…Roo!

Best of luck and keep us posted on how he is doing.

Marla and Daisy

…re not crazy!  We've all been there and tend to get crazed over every little thing during the recovery process.  In hindsight I was fortunate as Daisy's recovery was pretty uneventful, but at the time I panicked at every little thing.  She hopped out to greet me when I picked her up the day after…

…surgery.  I think she was still hopped up on the good drugs they had been giving her.

Daisy was sent home with tramadol and Deramaxx for pain and inflammation.  She had already been on the Deramaxx since she was 5 y.o. for her arthritis.…

…

I couldn't get Daisy to eat her regular kibble or can food.  I had to hand feed her boiled chicken and hot dogs.  I figured that was ok because at least I was getting…

…something in her.

Austin will just continue to get better and better and before you know it he'll be back to his usual self.

Marla and Daisy

…m so glad to hear Cotton is home!  Now starts the tough part.  I don't have any experience with seromas as Daisy didn't develop one but they say to watch for it to get oozy and smelly -- a sign of infection.    My vet sent Daisy home with a compression…

…came home with nothing at all so I don't think there is one norm for wrapping vs. not.  Could be the location of the amp that determines that.  Daisy lost a front leg.  Daisy did have some pretty nasty looking bruising (deep red and purple) but it actually went away fairly quickly.

Daisy is…

…had to bring it to her.  She had lots of boiled chicken and hot dogs.  Only things I could her interested in eating.

Best of luck with Cotton's recovery!

Marla and Daisy

 

…know this is in the Ask a Vet forum but I thought I would jump in here anyway.  My Daisy is a left front amp.  She ruptured her right ACL the end of May after 7 months of conservative management for a tear.  She had lateral suture…

…stabilization surgery on her knee 2 weeks later.   I have to admit that recovery from the knee surgery was way tougher than her amp but we got thru it and if you go that route you and Little Bear will get thru it too!

My…

…is also a certified rehab vet and I agree with Kathi and Jerry that you should see an ortho and/or rehab vet on where to go from here.

Marla and Daisy

…had a full hip replacement in his remaining back leg.  And I know others have gone through knee surgeries with tripawds.  One that comes to mind is Daisy- she is a front amp but recently had knee surgery.

My quad-pug Obie had knee surgery in February for a torn ACL and a luxating patella.  I won…

…t lie- it was a much longer recovery and rehab than Tri-pug Maggie went through after her amputation.  I think it might be a little easier with little dogs like ours, but I found it

…nbsp;

So glad to that Jag's surgery went well.  We will all be here to support you along the way.  I echo what the others said about pain meds.  Daisy was also in the hospital for 2 days and the first few days home went quite smoothly.  However once the injectables wore off, we had a week of hell…

…dramatically. I wish I had been more forceful right off the bat but live and learn.  The other thing that I feel made a big difference in her recovery was K9 immunity
.  Although our oncologist, Dr. David Vail, is more of a traditionalist (and I have to admit I'm also more of a proponent of…

…giving them (and was confident they wouldn't harm her).   I truly believe they helped her bounce back from surgery.

 

Alicia and Angel Daisy

…are awesome for fostering Jonty for his surgery and recovery.  Being he is so young he will probably bounce back quite quickly.  The pen is a good idea to keep him from trying to overdo it too soon.

I…

…after surgery but you probably won't need that either.  Most pups hop right out of the vets office after surgery!

The biggest thing that helped Daisy was having carpet runners so she would not slip on tile or wood.  It was funny because she avoided them at first till she figured out she had better…

… on them.  Now she won't move around the house without walking on them.

Good luck with the surgery and let us know how it went.

Marla and Daisy

…all just our two cents worth vut we just want to share ur experiences, which no two are exacty alike, that's for sure!

Snoop Dakota Dawg, Jerry, Daisy and myself and others here all understand and we are here for you We support you. You are ot alone.

In fact, I'm gnna post mething under …

…"Treatment, Recovery....." Hck ' I've forgotten the title.....but it will pull up the thread....'Six days after rear leg amutation and scared I made wrng

…and Purdey.  Purdey just had her surgery two weeks ago correct (Aug. 13th if I read the previous posts correctly)?  If so she is still in the recovery stage.  Daisy's worst week post amp was her third.  Most dogs will go thru a period during their recoveries where to us they seemed depressed but…

…it is a normal part of recovery.  I still had to hand feed Daisy boiled chicken at that point.  She had no interest in getting up to eat/drink and all she would do is sleep.  I could only get her up to go outside…

…to do her business.

Please don't give up just yet.  Some dogs can take up to a month before their sparkle and personality come back.  The recovery is actually a lot harder on us people than our dogs.

Marla and Daisy