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.
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SO we went and got the second opinion at a wonderful very caring vet! Salem goes on thursday to have the leg amputated. Any pre/post surgery information and advice is greatly appreciated! 
<3 Kendi
Mommy of furbaby Salem Bynx
came to my home in 2007
Lost his leg due to cancer
Left us Dec 2013 :(
wonderful that you found a great vet! What did she say about the other mass?
Kitties do GREAT as tripawds - if I remember correctly, Salem will be losing a front leg? I encourage you to check out my Jill's blog, but as a front leg amputee, definitely check out Fangs blog! If you go to the very beginning of both blogs, we both have tons of videos and pictures documenting the entire kitty amputation experience. Jill was definitely wobbly for about a week, maybe two but she got the hang of it REALLY quickly. Some cats just really want to be left alone right after amputation, it really depends on how they react to the drugs and their personalities. If Salem just wants to be under a bed, just let him be...he'll find his way! Don't be nervous if he doesnt eat or poop right away, that's the meds messing with his system. Let me know any questions you have! Salem's amputation is just one week shy of Jill's one year ampuversary!
Here is Jill's blog: http://jillsjou.....pawds.com/
and Fang: http://cldavis......pawds.com/
and you can always reach me through Jill's facebook page:
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
WOOOOOOOOW! Talk about a 360!
Good! You've got a plan! You're giving Salem a chance and you're doing everything out of love! That's comforting on all levels!
So what did the vet say?? Will Salem spend the night? Any follow-uo treatment suggested...holistic or otherwise?
Pre-surgery...hug, love spoil.......post surgery...hug, love and spoil!!
Recovery is rough for a few days.....our tripawd JILL will fill youin on the particulars of "kitty recovery"! They recover faster than dogs.
Okay!! Rest up! Fill us in on more when you can and DEFI ITELY let us know how we can help duri g the recovery! Salem alreadyhas mastered walkingon three legs, so that won't be too mich of a problem.
Keeping all tripawd paws crossed for you!
Sending lots and lots of hugs to you! sSo glad you have a caring vet!
Sall and Happy Hannah
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!
Thanks guys!!! I even already set up a blog for myself so I can have a way to document and communicate. This has been hard on ME since Ive been told so many different things, have people telling me to just put him down etc.
This vet was amazing. Im going to actually move all of my pets to them. She was wonderful. She was kind and thoughtful and listened to everything thought and concern I had. She was SHOCKED I had no blood work ever taken. Thats right, no other vet ever did it. His blood work came back crystal clear. SHe was shocked by that too. She believes the mass MAY still be cancer. But it might not. Either way its not affecting him right now. Just the leg. SHe'd love to do a biopsy but its too close to the ribcage and she feels its way way too risky. I agree. She thinks that by removing the leg and him getting some meds we will atleast get more months together as opposed to what could have been days as the leg has gotten pretty bad. She was afraid he would just drop one day. I do not want that to happen to him.
Right now he goes Thursday AM, she will call me around noon to let me know how it went. He will then stay at least for the night. She wants him to use the litter box on his own before letting him go home. He's pretty good at that so Im hopeful he will keep it up. I think I'm more worried about him not being home than the surgery. Hes never been away from home.
Who knows what will happen, but right now I have a little bit of a silver lining Ive been looking for. 🙂
<3 Kendi
Mommy of furbaby Salem Bynx
came to my home in 2007
Lost his leg due to cancer
Left us Dec 2013 :(
About being worried about him being away from home - someone gave me this tip the night before Jill's surgery and I have since passed it on many times and it helped me with that a LOT...I wore an old shirt that I didn't care about to bed the night before Jill's surgery so it had my scent fresh on it. I gave it to the nurse when I dropped Jill off for her surgery and asked her to put it with Jill when she was waking up from anesthesia and when she was recovering. I have no idea if it really comforted Jill (she was very drugged up at that point!) but it made me feel a lot better!
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
thats a wonderful idea!!! He sleeps with me every night maybe it would be a great idea for him!
<3 Kendi
Mommy of furbaby Salem Bynx
came to my home in 2007
Lost his leg due to cancer
Left us Dec 2013 :(
Oh good! Thanks for the additional info. I know this has been so stressful but it sounds like yo are n really good hands now!
You have HOPE now and that's the best medicine!!
As far as being away from home, he'll be very drugged up after surgerh and wn't know too much anyway....other than e's high as a kite and feeling o pain...and riding pnk elephants!
Be sure and checkout JILL's videos! You'll love them!!
I'm gonna hop over to your blog now.! Relax, get some rest and load up on chocolate!
Hugs!!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Hi Salem's Mom
So glad you went for a second opinion with a vet who clearly cares about her patients - feline and human!
Erica (Jill's mom) has given you lots of great advice about the amputation process for cats - take time to read the blogs she posted.
Now - hug Salem a lot and try to relax! And when he comes home - take the cues from him...he will let you know what he needs.
Hugs
Linda and Tucker
Aww yay! Isn't it amazing how one good vet can just turn your whole world around for the better?
You're in good paws here, especially with Jill and Erica, who can offer TONS of experience with cat amputation. My best advice is to keep calm and know that life does get better. Also, Fang's Mom wrote this great post about feline amputation, which has tons of insight:
The Difference Between Cats and Dogs (and Humans)
If you feel like giving a shout out to your new vet in our Veterinary Referrals Discussion Forum Topic I know others would be grateful later on down the line.
Good luck this week! We will be thinking of you and ready to help.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you everyone!!! Im so overwhelmed by the amount of support. It is so very needed right now. I also love I can write a blog, wow its great to be able to just vent away Im really just afraid he will not wake up. She did a test and said it showed hed do great when put under, but I'm still very nervous about that. I just lost a kitty to renal failure so I think I am just thinking the worse all the way around 
<3 Kendi
Mommy of furbaby Salem Bynx
came to my home in 2007
Lost his leg due to cancer
Left us Dec 2013 :(
Oh we're so happy you want to write a blog. I guarantee you that folks do read Tripawds blogs looking for hope, so thank you for participating and sharing your story there.
Your emotions are not uncommon, all of us have felt that. Just try to stay strong and know that things WILL get better.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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