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
Pofi is just over 6 weeks post op, front left leg. Every dog's journey is different and Pofi has done very well, in no small part because his type of cancer had rendered that leg useless before diagnosis and surgery. So he was a virtual Tripawd before the amputation and all his vets and rehab consultants predicted he would do well.
Confession: against all common sense and his doctor's express orders, Pofi the Obstinate insisted on going up the stairs and onto our bed the first night home and has been going up and down stairs form that moment on (with supervision initially, of course). We never even needed a harness. I still will be looking to improve his core strength and that remaining front leg as well as monitor and hopefully improve stamina.
I did share this video in our blog as well, but as it seems like Forums are more perused by new members considering amputation or in the throes of their pet's recovery, I thought this might offer some hope for what "can" be.
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
He's so graceful doing those steps. I'm sure many new Tripawd parents will be amazed seeing this! Pofi, you are rocking three beautiful boy! Thanks for sharing these you are giving help to many by sharing your journey!
Hugs,
Linda, Riley & Spirits Mighty Max & Ollie
Thanks for sharing! 😎
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
He looks great! So balanced and strong.
And those stairs are certainly adding to his core strength!
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
Glad you posted over here as well.
What I didn't realize (or remember anyway), was that OBSTINATE POFI handles all those stairs on his first day home!!! OMD!!! You are ine amazing strong and determined doggy Pofi!! 🙂
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!
yaaaaay! He looks steady going up the stairs. Notice how his back feet carefully take each step one by one. He put so much thought into it and when he was done he was so proud of himself! I am too, he looks great. Thanks for sharing this!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
OMG .. he looks so great!!! He's doing so well! I love it!!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Thanks, all. He has always been pretty strong and agile and that seems to be serving him well.
Summer has always featured plenty of deck time for Pofi. My husband posted this video to FB for friends who were curious about how he was doing on 3 and one of the comments he made was, "Pofi will not be denied summer." Indeed.
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
That's a great mantra for Povi! POFI WILL NOT BE DENIED SUMMER! 🙂
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!
Lisa,
This is so awesome!! Go, POFI! I hope Oliver can follow in his literal pawsteps 
hester said
"Pofi will not be denied summer."
LOVE THIS!!! No one should be denied summer ... no matter how many legs!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
mom2shelby said
LOVE THIS!!! No one should be denied summer ... no matter how many legs!
Word.
And thanks for all the love, peeps!
We 
you back!
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
Pofi is soooooo gorgeous, me and Eurydice are totally in love with him
Great job to go up the stairs, he is so precise, what a good job 
Would it be possible to post him coming down as well ?
Eurydice has not gone up and down stairs yet, she had to negotiate a raised step once and going up was ok but coming down was a disaster as she hit her back legs, being so huge is a real problem ...
Sending you hugs and cuddles to the gorgeous fluffies
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 :-)
Wow that is truly amazing! I have to show Pofi to my family. This gives me hope that Max will be able to adapt also. How old is Pofi? I am calling the surgeon's office today to ask more questions based on my conversation with Sally and after seeing your video and other on the Tripawd website.
Thank you so much!!!!
Theresa & Max
1 Guest(s)
