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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We've started a new YouTube playlist specifically to show pawrents what life is like just before, and after, amputation surgery. Yeah, life isn't easy the first few days, but as you can see from our other "sportier" tripawd movies, things do get better!
Please help us prepare pawrents by showing them what life is like just before and after coming home from the hospital. Post your short clips here, and we'll add them to the playlist as they come in.
We're happy to kick off this thread with Boinks' video of hopping around right after surgery:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
A new video of Great Dane Hori, 20 days post amputation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Here is Raven, a nine year old Rottie who had a very ruff time after surgery but is doing better.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
2nd try
One of the top thoughts on my mind during the surgery and recovery thus far has been trying to get lots of pics and videos. Not just to document for my records this new chapter in our lives, but to try and get material to post here to help new pawrents see how our strong pups recover. This isn't much, but this was Mercy's first steps less than 18 hours postop. Now I can hardly keep her still once she figured out that she can do it!
Looks like I can't embed it the way I have it currently from facebook. Sorry! I'll work on it ASAP! And getting more videos.
See this tech support topic for help embedding movies here in the forums, or to ask related questions.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I am not sure if this applies to "just after surgery", but it was taken 9 days post-amp. And Raven had a real rough time prior to this and then finally took a turn for the better. I wouldn't have believed it only a few days earlier. He's still draining a lot. And only goes for these little "walks" (more like a Rocking Horse Canter) once or twice a day. Mostly I am keeping him in the house still until the draining stops and the wound closes up.
And if this embedding doesn't work (I read the directions, but don't see a place to toggle HTML and "preview" the post to check?), here is the link:
Dawn and Raven
 Rottie Raven, osteosarcoma at 8-1/2 years old, amputation in October '09 and in February '10 due to liver mets he went back to heaven where he came from.  raven.tripawds.com
Now I have Miles, rottie mix amputee from a shelter and traveled 1500 miles to find his way here through the Rescue Railroad thanks to tripawds.com. Â miles.tripawds.com
dsimas said:
And if this embedding doesn't work (I read the directions, but don't see a place to toggle HTML and "preview" the post to check?)
Dawn, when you want to post a movie, you can embed the video using the Filmstrip icon in your editing toolbar. The video previews in the box that pops up once you click on the Filmstrip and add the video URL. Hope this makes sense.
Adorable clip of Raven. And sure, 9 days is still very soon after surgery. She looks fantastic!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
He's just the cutest thing ever!!! He'll be back to running marathons in no time 🙂 Thanks for the video - i love posting them, and I love watching the ones that others post. More Please!!!
<3 Laura and Jack
Admin,
How do I find an "editting toolbar"? I can't seem to do a preview either. I just have a window to write text in, and a "Math Required" Post New Reply button... Only other thing on this screen is a BBCODE in a box, don't know what that is?
 Rottie Raven, osteosarcoma at 8-1/2 years old, amputation in October '09 and in February '10 due to liver mets he went back to heaven where he came from.  raven.tripawds.com
Now I have Miles, rottie mix amputee from a shelter and traveled 1500 miles to find his way here through the Rescue Railroad thanks to tripawds.com. Â miles.tripawds.com
Hmmm ... sounds like your post editor has been changed. Click your profile button at the top of this page and check to see that you have Rich Text (TinyMCE) set for your preferred editor under personal options. If you have additional questions, please ask them in the Tech Support forum.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I tried to post these on his blog, but am doing something wrong I guess. So, figured I'd post them here...
Here he is going out with his bulldog buddy Betty to the yard. I hope you can see his little stubby tail is wagging. 🙂 Sorry the video is so dark, not the best camera:
He's learned to chew his bone without the 2nd foot to hold it up:
In this one he is actually *digging* with one front leg, too cute. Sorry, I had to shoot it through the window screen, he’d stop if I went outside. This is his favorite dirt spot to sleep under the tree.
I hope these show up! They show up in the preview window....
Dawn and Raven
 Rottie Raven, osteosarcoma at 8-1/2 years old, amputation in October '09 and in February '10 due to liver mets he went back to heaven where he came from.  raven.tripawds.com
Now I have Miles, rottie mix amputee from a shelter and traveled 1500 miles to find his way here through the Rescue Railroad thanks to tripawds.com. Â miles.tripawds.com
Hi Raven and Dawn
Not to get too personal but how much does Raven weigh? I am curious because I met (via email) someone in town here who has a Rottie and thinks her dog is too heavy to do the surgery (no, Raven does not look fat, I just thought she'd like to see your videos since they are both Rottie's).
Amazing that dogs can continue their bad habits - digging up the yard - after they lose a leg. I bet that makes the dogs happy!
dsimas said:
I tried to post these on his blog, but am doing something wrong I guess.
You weren't doing anything wrong... just hadn't yet read about videos and supporter blogs yet. Thanks for sharing them here. Raven is beautiful – it's great to see big dogs recuperating well!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Tazzie,
Raven was 120# before surgery. And not fat, I am careful to keep his weight good, he's just tall and big. He's now 108# post-amp. That's apparently what his leg/shoulder weighed, because he's not losing weight since surgery, he's got a great appetite. 🙂
I was concerned about his weight, but got a lot of anecdotal stories about large breeds doing fine, and sure enough, he is too. I just have to probably take precautions that smaller dog pawrents don't have to worry so much... Raven likes to sleep on the bed and couch and I put steps to the couch, and lock him away from the bed (it's antique and very tall). I treasure that remaining shoulder and wrist like gold and we need to take good care of it for long term. He will definitely be wearing a harness full time so that I can reduce the impact when stepping down off things. And I'm considering a wrist brace that Dogleggs sells...
Tell the rottie owners their dog should be fine! Oh, and Raven OFA'd "Excellent" hips and shows no arthritis for his age (almost 9), so those were things to think about that we are very lucky to have good ratings on.
Dawn and Raven
 Rottie Raven, osteosarcoma at 8-1/2 years old, amputation in October '09 and in February '10 due to liver mets he went back to heaven where he came from.  raven.tripawds.com
Now I have Miles, rottie mix amputee from a shelter and traveled 1500 miles to find his way here through the Rescue Railroad thanks to tripawds.com. Â miles.tripawds.com
Raven
Thanks for the info. There are no oncologists in town here, so people are probably just left to their own vet's experience, which may be a lot in some cases and not in others. Hopefully she will look into it further to see there can still be some great time left, for I heard she is really bonded to the dog, who is 8 yrs old (same as Tazzie). I went to our clinic today to pick up 'treats' (pills and pill pockets, oh joy). The tech said 'too bad you weren't here 15 mins ago', because some people just visited their Sharpei 1 day post-amp. So I gave them the name of the website to pass along tomorrow when they pick up their dog. Maybe there will be a couple more dogs joining from this neck of the woods.
I sent an email to the Rottie person and mentioned what a great four months this had been for us. Later I realized how not so great the first two weeks and even 4-6 weeks had been in our case (I was slow to figure out whether or not I regretted the surgery). Things started to gel around 5-6 weeks. But my memory of the time I have had with Tazzie since the surgery is quite wonderful. Hopefully he feels that way!
I'm sure it would be different if we didn't have you folks with this in common. A friend commented how depressing this website must be. But that is exactly the point. We see the good side. It is depressing when you go to the park and people ask "did they get it all" or "how long does he have". It is not depressing to share the good, and bad, times as they unfold.
Speaking of Tazzie . . . gotta run,
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