Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
There's a groomer at our vet clinic. He seems to do a good job. I want to say it was only like $7 for the dremel. We had a groomer I really liked, but she retired and moved away a couple of years ago. I miss her.
I realized I never answered Sally's question about my parents dogs. They're both doing relatively well. Ripple turned 14 and Tigger turned 13 earlier this fall. Among his many health issues, Ripple has a heart condition. It seems to be worsening a bit unfortunately. My parents got a scare with Tigger earlier this year with something the vets initially thought was cancer. It turned out to be something else and whatever it was is now gone.
David and Rocky (and Baxter now too!)
Rocky had his right front leg amputated on Valentine's Day 2017 after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
He joined the September Saints on September 3, 2017.
He is the toughest, bravest, sweetest and best friend I'll ever know.
Rocky's dad said
I realized I never answered Sally's question about my parents dogs. They're both doing relatively well.
Awwww, so glad to hear Ripple and Tigber are hanging tough, all things considered!..I know they are getting the best care possible and tons of love. Next time you go visit, you know we need pictures👍👌
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Well that turned out to be quick and easy.
Baxter was in with the vet for literally about a minute before they brought him back out. The vet wiggled the suspect dew claw and it fell right out. No pain for Baxter and no blood. So the vet thinks it must have broken a while back. I'm kind of wondering if maybe he broke it in two spots last April and it finally grew out where the second break was noticeable. I don't know.
David and Rocky (and Baxter now too!)
Rocky had his right front leg amputated on Valentine's Day 2017 after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
He joined the September Saints on September 3, 2017.
He is the toughest, bravest, sweetest and best friend I'll ever know.
Well that's great new!! And obviously your Vet knows dew claws!!! Leave it to Baxter to have such a unique "situation ". Glad it's easily resolved now!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
WOAH! I had no idea that kind of thing could happen.
Well that's pretty cool, one less thing to worry about and no surgery or stitches. It doesn't get any better than that!
P.S. can you imagine a human walking around with a broken digit for that long, not saying a word? Um, like never!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
That is fantastic news! No blood, infection, whew. Maybe you will both get lucky and the nail won't be able to grow back, lol. Then instead of a dewclaw he will just have a cute little dew toe 
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Well, the vet said the claw is already growing back. He said there is a procedure to take care of it once and for all, but at this point it would be akin to amputating Baxter's thumb. I said I'd like to avoid that, and the vet said Baxter would appreciate it if we avoided doing that.
I guess I'll get his nails trimmed a little more frequently now and maybe we can avoid another tear in the future. Or I can try to get him to stop chasing squirrels up a tree. Yeah, option 1 is probably more doable.
David and Rocky (and Baxter now too!)
Rocky had his right front leg amputated on Valentine's Day 2017 after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
He joined the September Saints on September 3, 2017.
He is the toughest, bravest, sweetest and best friend I'll ever know.
Ok now I learned another thing: dew claws grow back, digit and all? What the?!
And yeah, one amputation in a person's pet parenting days is bad enough. I'm with you to avoid that situation. Baxter is also in agreement I'm sure.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hahahah! I vote option 1 too! 😁
The dew 'claw' itself is a nail just like all the others, yours, and mine. If the matrix (like the root?) if the nail is too damaged, it may stunt regrowth. Most of the times the nail grows back, sometimes it grows back funky. My husband slammed a finger about 500 years ago and to this day it grows back with a little line in it.
So, his little dew 'thumb' is so small they would probably have to just amputate it and honestly, I'm with you there. I would just leave it and try to keep it trim.
I was kind of hoping it wouldn't grow back but that's ok.
Jerry, the digit never left, just the nail fell off 😊 If he had ripped his thumb off he would have bled like crazy and it would not have grown back. It might have been ugly 😳
Whatever was left would have just healed up and stayed that way ❤
Bo almost has thumbs, lol! He actually uses them like a raccoon to hold on to things 🙄
Hugs💘💘💘
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Yeah, it's kind of like his thumbnail, I'd guess. So far, it's grown back every time.
Here's the Baxter story for tonight: Took him for his walk. There's a long entry way into a neighborhood we walk through a lot. No houses, just trees and bushes lining the sidewalks next to the road leading into the neighborhood. He's on his leash when he suddenly jerks behind me and to the left. I thought he found a new scent he needed to mark over. Then I hear a squeak and Baxter comes back with a squirrel in his mouth. I never even saw it. Poor little squirrel.
David and Rocky (and Baxter now too!)
Rocky had his right front leg amputated on Valentine's Day 2017 after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
He joined the September Saints on September 3, 2017.
He is the toughest, bravest, sweetest and best friend I'll ever know.
Rocky's dad said
Then I hear a squeak and Baxter comes back with a squirrel in his mouth. I never even saw it. Poor little squirrel.
YIKES! 
Oh my dog! I would have flipped! What happened to the critter? Is Baxter OK? He is one quick dog!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
paws120 said
Jerry, the digit never left, just the nail fell off 😊 If he had ripped his thumb off he would have bled like crazy and it would not have grown back. It might have been ugly 😳Whatever was left would have just healed up and stayed that way ❤
Bo almost has thumbs, lol! He actually uses them like a raccoon to hold on to things 🙄
Hugs💘💘💘
Oh my dog! DUH. Shows you where my head is at these days. NOW I get it!
As for Bo and his raccoon thumbs, well, you'd better keep him away from Baxter or he'll start to hold onto squirrels too!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I imagine the squirrel didn't do well, but that's just a guess, lol.
Lots going on right now, hard to take time to breathe and reflect.
I find myself reading over stuff now more than ever. Then I re- read and think im losing it. I think this is just the way of the times right now.
❤❤❤
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Let's just say Baxter came out way ahead of the squirrel in that "battle" (it wasn't much of a battle).
I'm still not used to having a hunter. Rocky and I would play ball in the backyard and sometimes there was a rabbit sitting about five feet or so from where the ball would wind up. Rocky would go full speed toward the rabbit and it wouldn't flinch because Rocky's only focus was on that tennis ball; he didn't care a bit about the rabbit.
David and Rocky (and Baxter now too!)
Rocky had his right front leg amputated on Valentine's Day 2017 after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
He joined the September Saints on September 3, 2017.
He is the toughest, bravest, sweetest and best friend I'll ever know.
Well Baster, I can't say that this thrills me about the poor squirrel. But I have to say, that was quite an Olympoan feat to catch it, and while on a walk too.
So take some lessons from Rocky and only catch valls...not critters!👏👏👏
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
1 Guest(s)
