Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

Amy,

We actually aren't really sure how Maggie broke her leg.  Someone came to the door and my boyfriend picked her up to answer the door so she would stay calm (hyper puppy syndrome lol) and then set her down to close the door.  She ran across the kitchen tile away from him, turned our backs and she was screaming in pain.  So she either lost her footing and hit the wall at the wrong angle, or maybe the baseboard heater.  We sadly aren't sure. 🙁  They ended up amputating her entire front leg (scapula and all).  She broke the elbow joint basically into itty bitty pieces so putting it back together would have been close to impossible and overall more painful for her.  Stitches come out today, yay! lol  She has been wearing a sweater to cover the stitches and keep dirt out, she loves to lay in the lawn in the sun.  She really is just so uncomfortable though, and it may have something to do with losing the whole limb instead of part.  I know there are large nerves like where your funny bone is and such but nto sure what they do with then when they amputate the limb.  I tried last night to take her sweater off so she will get used to air and movement with the area again and she really just hates it.  She is eating just fine (as being part pug she has that appetite luckily lol).  We have had to switch her to only eating canned and raw food for now though, no interest in kibble.  I hope yours stays comfortable as well and hopefully it is much easier once the stitches are out!! 

Question for everyone as well!  We live in a tri-level house, so we are living in baby gate hell right now. lol She is just fine going up stairs but I fear her falling if she goes down.  Is it something they avoid on their own or something we need to protect her from so she doesn't fall?  I worry that she has no fear and will go down them and then fall and hurt herself.  What do you all think or have experienced?

Thanks!

Margo

Hey all!

So yes she got her stitches out, and was cleared to come off pain meds!  She is doing much better even though the meds are still coming out of her system.  I'm glad ot hear that others have experienced the uncomfortable look they give too!  It's just awful! Much less of that now, being more of herself.  Actually sat at the table and begged for food last night which she has not done since the injury! 

My maggie is the same way in reguards to wearing things, and has probably been more traumatized by that than anything!  She doesn't have to wear a sweater or bandage anymore though so is much happier!  I probably gave my Maggie too many pain meds too, could have come off of them earlier but I feared pain so much for her!  No phantom pains yet so hopefully those stay away as well.

I have tried the ice thing and it actually works really well!  She seems to really like it.  She also go a bath last night which made her feel much better (was all itchy from where the bandage was and hair is growing back in)

We have 2 flights of stairs that are carpeted (60s style tri-level house).  She seems to think they are just fine but it worries me that she will fall and hurt herself.  She has never feared anything and goes 150 mph through life, which is how she actually hurt herself, falling down nothing. 🙁  Plus if she were to fall and break something else, she only has 3 left! She is more Boston sized, has the taller legs of a Boston vs a Pug.  We put our bed on the floor last night (like we are in college again) so it is closer to the floor and she can use a dog bed to jump up and down.  This seems to be working well, and the stairs don't scare her at all.  I just want to make sure it's not my phobias but actually something she should be restricted from doing. lol  We will be looking at moving into a ranch style house but our lease is not up until September. We are restricting her to only going up stairs but she thinks it is punishment that we stalk her! lol

Thanks all!

Margo