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
Hi Jill, those few bites Nilla takes need to have lots of good calories. Does she like liver?
Sending positive thoughts for your precious girl!
Belle & Yael
I haven't tried liver. In all honesty I have been trying foods that do not need to be cooked that we use in the house (deli meats, cheeses, rotisserie chicken from the supermarket). I had previously tried cooking food for her (eggs, meatloaf, hamburger), and ended up throwing it away because she wouldn't eat it. My patience and my pocketbook are getting a little strained trying to get food into her. And our experience has been that something she eat one day (hamburger for example) she will not eat again. I have tons of tupperware in my fridge with Nilla options, but nothing that has been a success.
Sorry that she still isnt eating....I had a refrigerator full of stuff that Nitro wouldn't eat either - so I somewhat feel your pain. Are there any treats she really likes? May not be the most healthy option, but better than nothing. Did anyone mention Prednisone? I can't remember. The peeing side-effects suck, but that does increase appetite too. Ice cream? LiverWurst? You must be almost at your wit's end, I feel so bad for you. Prayers that this can be overcome, and she starts eating again.
Paula and Warrior Angel Nitro
Nitro 11 1/2 yr old Doberman; right front amp June 2014. Had 6 doses carboplatin, followed by metronomic therapy. Rocked it on 3 legs for over 3 years! My Warrior beat cancer, but couldn't beat old age. He crossed the Bridge peacefully on July 25, 2017, with dignity and on his terms. Follow his blog entitled "Doberman's journey"
"Be good, mama loves you".....run free my beautiful Warrior
One of her stitches opened up last week and immediately got infected. We have had to keep her on two different antibiotics (Clavamox and Batril) as well as tend to the wound, which was pretty ooey-gooey and oozy for several days. The vet called me this morning and told me to stop the Clavamox (based on the culture results), which is good, because Clavamox may be making her queasy. The oncologist does want to start her on steroids as a preventive cancer drug, and they will also help with appetite, but we cannot start steroids until the wound is healed, as steroids interfere with healing. We see the oncologist on Wednesday to get her stitches removed, so we're hoping that the wound is healed enough by then to start steroids.
I wish there was a treat she would eat. She literally turns her face away from any and all foods, snacks, treats, etc that are offered to her. We're thankful that she is getting a teaspoon full of peanut butter when we shove pills in her mouth. That is the extent of her nutrition.
I'm not sure if the vet can "prescribe" the CBD but they are usually all for it and it is 1 drop per 5lbs of weight, we get ours at the local feed store for about $50(it lasts a couple months at 16 drops a day on the spoon, bacon flavor she loves it!). The mushroom pill is to keep her immune system strong since she has had chemo and other treatments, I find that one a day is fine although it says 2x a day but her stool gets soft so I dial back to one when that happens(make sure your vet thinks it is good with whatever meds Nilla is on now) ours was prescribed by a holistic vet that worked in conjunction with our oncologist.
Try small cuts of the seedless watermelon, it may be something different and cooling to the mouth. Marlee gets about 3 or 4 cubes on days she is not interested in her meals. Something will work for her and most of all don't forget to take time out for you! Nilla needs a positive happy mommy and you can do this!! 
https://hostdef.....y-capsules Here is the link to the mushrooms we use
Lots of prayers and positivity to you both!
Ember
When TriPug Maggie developed kidney issues her eating food was very sporadic. I also had quite a selection of foods in the cupboard and fridge that she would eat once then usually not again. One memorable moment was when I offered her chicken, her favorite food in the world, which she turned down, then she ate some turkey.
Try not to be too stressed when you try and feed her. Once with Maggie I was so tense about what she would or wouldn't eat that she took one look at me and went outside to get away.
I finally had to resort to feeding her with a syringe. I liquefied canned dog food in the blender and squeezed it into her mouth, sort of like feeding a baby bird. She didn't want it at first but most of the time once I got a little into her she was game to eat more.
Getting her off the antibiotics should help, they can really do a number on the digestive system. My dad has a chronic health issue which required periodic doses of antibiotics and when they give him strong ones he doesn't want to eat.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Karen you are so right about not being stressed out when its time to get them to eat.....I experienced this with Nitro near the end. I'm sure he sensed this - and he would also get up and hop away from me. So frustrating! I started sing silly little songs to him as i'm spooning food down his throat. Kind of brings a smile to my face now, but then? Not so much.
Paula and Warrior Angel Nitro
Nitro 11 1/2 yr old Doberman; right front amp June 2014. Had 6 doses carboplatin, followed by metronomic therapy. Rocked it on 3 legs for over 3 years! My Warrior beat cancer, but couldn't beat old age. He crossed the Bridge peacefully on July 25, 2017, with dignity and on his terms. Follow his blog entitled "Doberman's journey"
"Be good, mama loves you".....run free my beautiful Warrior
Do you have Chick-Fil-A?
When Rocky got picky with his food, grilled nuggets from CFA always worked. And when Baxter was sick and wouldn't eat, they did the trick again. Just a thought.
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.
Just like Karen did, I had to resort to feeding Eurydice with a syringe for a while during recovery.
i would leave dry food soaking in water overnight and then get it in the syringe and place it on the side of her mouth and squeeze.
I also had to do the same for her to drink water ...
It did the trick and eventually she started eating again by herself.
You might want to try this with your sweet pup.
Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
I don’t know if I’m imagining things but about two hours after giving her a dose of cbd oil, she perked up tremendously. She walked around the kitchen while we were cooking dinner, showed slight interest in veggies, and ate about 6 rice chips (she hasn’t eaten anything in four days). I don’t know if cbd oil works that quickly but her overall behavior tonight seemed different (better) than the last few nights. We’re seeing the PT and acupuncturist tomorrow.
great news! It may be the CBD oil, or maybe it was time for her to start eating again - either way, YAY! We had good luck with acupuncture for my Dobe Nitro. Can't wait to hear how your visit goes tomorrow....Nilla, you keep eating for your mom, you hear?
Paula and Warrior Angel Nitro
Nitro 11 1/2 yr old Doberman; right front amp June 2014. Had 6 doses carboplatin, followed by metronomic therapy. Rocked it on 3 legs for over 3 years! My Warrior beat cancer, but couldn't beat old age. He crossed the Bridge peacefully on July 25, 2017, with dignity and on his terms. Follow his blog entitled "Doberman's journey"
"Be good, mama loves you".....run free my beautiful Warrior
Yay Nilla!!! Happy to hear and glad you’re trying the CBD 
keep us updated on progress!
Ember
Marvellous 👍🏽 so glad to hear Nila is eating again, even if only small quantities for now.
Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
YAY NILA!!!😁 As Paula said, whatever it is...she's eating!!! And as Teresa said, several small meals a day.
One victory at a time!!!
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!
Hiya my Pom is now just over 3 weeks post surgery she also had her rear leg amputated.
She was ran over in May 2 operations lots of cage rest and it just didn’t work so amputation was the only option.
she had her last stitch removed I want to say it over and no more vet visits but I just can’t believe it yet
tomorrow is her last antibiotics then she has no medication to take that’s a first since May. So slowly she is becoming herself as she’s spent most of the last 3months in her cage and sleepy
Poppy still has her cone on for another week just to stop licking as she was doing it on the sly and caused an infection the start of the week.
im still taking her on her lead in the garden as we have two steps to get up before we get to the grass which she does but it’s the wall I don’t want her to jump down this
She rather smelly and matted at the moment but I can get past that for a few more weeks as the vet has adviced me not to wash her with soap or shampoo till the end of September
1 Guest(s)
