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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Bravo! You did it! Here's to making some major steps.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Today, my dad helped me get the gates up on the stairs. I still need to put carpet runners in the living room, but as she's still confined to limit her activity, I have time.
I am guilty of doing the bad thing. I let her run around the yard for about 30 secs when we went out for poopies. I know she's not supposed to yet, but it made her so happy, when confinement and the cone have had her rather depressed. Also did me good to see her move so easily.
Oh yay on the gates. Tell Dad we said thanks!
Learning how to manage activity is a trial and error thing for us humans. It's hard to keep them quiet, we all get it. As long as it's not a regular thing she'll do fine.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Online
So glad you were able to see how easily she's adapting to three legs! It did BOTH of you good!
As you can see, her sparkle will continue to come back slowly p, but surely!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
It also helped me to know I was right on the fact that she could have never handled the 8+ weeks that surgery to repair the break would have required, even if there hadn't been any complications.
Today was my first day back at work since the accident. I was, obviously, nervous and counted down the minutes until I got home. Sadie, of course, was fine. She continues to be a stinker dog, though. I came home to find she'd somehow managed to take her cone off! She's never shown any interest in her incision thankfully, and wears a t-shirt to help protect it, but I could tell she was licking the scrape on her remaining front leg, because the sleeve of the shirt was damp. Her message is quite clear. "Clearly, I need an odd number of legs, because I'm just odd." (Fun fact, she also has an odd number of nipples, which just happens in a small number of dogs).
terrie said
Today was my first day back at work since the accident. I was, obviously, nervous and counted down the minutes until I got home. Sadie, of course, was fine. She continues to be a stinker dog, though. I came home to find she'd somehow managed to take her cone off! She's never shown any interest in her incision thankfully, and wears a t-shirt to help protect it, but I could tell she was licking the scrape on her remaining front leg, because the sleeve of the shirt was damp. Her message is quite clear. "Clearly, I need an odd number of legs, because I'm just odd." (Fun fact, she also has an odd number of nipples, which just happens in a small number of dogs).
So glad to hear she did good on your first day at work! I know that was so hard for me, we have security cameras in our house so I pointed one at his crate and watched him (sleep) all day. But I was still a nervous wreck! I'm happy she is doing well for you and feeling good! 
Well, getting the cone off was no fluke. She had it off again this morning. From what I can tell, she lays down on her right side (side of the amputation), and then puts her front left leg on the cone and uses her leg and the floor to pry it off.
Sadie!! You are one smart cookie!!
Okay, not cool that you keep taking your cone off though! I was very lucky in that my Happy Hannah never had to wear her cone and never messed with her incision at all.
It's a good sign that Sadie is comfortable enough to lay on her amp side already! My Happy Hannah took a looooong time to do that...five weeks!
Lots of hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
She's been doing amazing well from a pain management viewpoint. She's had no problems laying on that sied since about day three or four.
That's one smart girl - First the baby gate and now the cone of shame ! Guess she is telling you quite clearly how your household is supposed to function!
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Sadie continues to progress in what has been an amazing smooth recovery. I'm almost a little paranoid waiting for something to go wrong. 
As she gets better and better, I am more comfortable with the decision to amputate. I'll probably never not feel guilty about the accident, but I don't feel guilty about the decision I made. I really think it was the right one for her.
I'm letting her go without the cone now, since hse can take it off and hasn't touched her incision. We're basically counting down to when her harness arrives, whenever that may be, and when the staples come out on Monday.
You DEFINITELY made the right decision! To go through all those other suregeries, possible infections, lots of recovery time, to TRY and save a leg...nah...Sadie is sailing through recovery as a tripawd and doing great!
She still needs to take it slow for awhile though! So glad she's able to go without the cone.
Would love to see pictures...hint!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
Forgot the other major milestone we're waiting on -- for her hair to grow back! They seriously get clipper happy, don't they? They shaved half her neck and it just looks so odd.
Awww good girl Sadie! Everything is going so great, try not to worry Terrie. She's a rock star and so are you 
As for the clipper cut....well just think if she was a long-coated doggie! Those dogs always look like someone went Edward Scissorhands on them!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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