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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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What should I expect and what can I do to help?
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Member Since:
9 November 2009
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9 November 2009 - 6:51 pm
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My dog will be losing his left foreleg later this winter or in the spring. Due to a gunshot injury the leg will never be usable without stabilization surgery and our vet can't give us a prognosis if we were to have pins and stabilizers put in. Rather than spend an extra $500 for a maybe we're going to have the leg amputated once we've saved up the money.

As it is we live in an apartment on the second floor. We have to carry him up and down the stairs because he refuses to not use his bad leg even though it has buckled underneath him before. I'm sure his good leg is not used to the strain and tires out quickly, so stairs are difficult for him right now. Once the leg is gone, though, how can we work him up to being able to handle a flight of stairs with only one front leg? I've heard 3 legged dogs do well, so can I expect him to become quite mobile once he recovers from the surgery? Without the burden of a permanently broken leg will he find movement easier than he does now?

The injury is below the elbow. Will the vet be removing the leg from below the elbow or from the shoulder? Which would be better for Shadow in the long run? I'm worried that if he takes a spill he'll smack his elbow and we all know how that feels. On that same token if the leg is removed at the shoulder there's no chance for a prosthetic in the future if we decide we'd like him to have one.

He'll be 11 years old on Christmas Eve and has been a working sled dog almost all his life. Since the average life span of an alaskan husky is 10-15 years he could theoretically keel over next week or live to a ripe old age of even 16 or 17. I'd like to keep him happy and comfortable for his last remaining years. If the leg is amputated below the shoulder would a prosthetic provide comfort and ease of movement when these things seem to be more difficult for him to achieve in the future or would the pressure on his poor little stump just cause soreness and pain?

Thanks for any advice anybody can offer. 🙂

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18 May 2008
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9 November 2009 - 7:15 pm
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Dear Jasmer,

Our Abbey could run our stairs two at a time within several weeks of her front right leg amputation. She was also 11 but her amputation was because of osteosarcoma, not an injury. I would encourage you to amputate as soon as possible. Jasmer will be so glad you did because right now the leg is not doing anything but causing him pain. Our vet took the leg at the shoulder but left the shoulder blade. I was amazed how quickly she healed and was running within two weeks.

You may want to read more on forums about Hopping Around and I'd encourage you to get one of the harnesses to assist him too. There's tons of info and encouragement on this site! I'm so glad you found it. I stumbled across it myself am so glad I did!! Abbey lost her fight to the cancer a year ago last month, but I continue to visit and read and post. It does my heart so much good to encourage you to go for it. You won't regret it. I sure don't.

love, joy, peace,

diane and spirit abbey

Mesa, AZ
Member Since:
27 April 2009
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9 November 2009 - 7:21 pm
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Hi Jasmer,  you've come to the right place for information on amputation.  There are some blogs with great information and try searching the forums also.

Try to remember that when you do have the leg amputated, the first two weeks will be the worst.  After that, things will get easier for all of you. 

Our dog Chuy lost his front left leg at 4 months old due to a car.  He does better without it than he did when the leg was of no use to him.  His leg was amputated at the shoulder.  The vet felt that leaving part of the leg would just open him up to further injury if he landed on it wrong.   I'm sure your dog will do fine without a prosthetic, most of them do!  As for getting him up and down stairs, you may want to get a harness that you can help support him instead of having to carry him.  The Ruffwear harness is great for that, it is sturdy and durable, Chuy loves putting his on.  Check out this blog:   http://gear.tripawds.com/

We do have both the Ruffwear harness and the Blue Dog as Chuy also had FHO surgery on his left rear leg last May.  Chuy runs and plays just like any other dog now. Big Grin

Keep us posted on how you are all doing.

Chuy & Eleanor

Chuy, showing everyone that Tripawds do everything 3 times better than regular dogs!

Chuy's Short Stories

Member Since:
20 May 2009
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9 November 2009 - 7:25 pm
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I think you can expect Shadow to feel better and get around better after the amputation then he does now.  Stairs can be a problem so you might want to get a harness like the Ruff Wear harness so you can help Shadow by holding some of her weight.  Good luck getting the money together for the amputation.  It is expensive.  Keep us posted.

Debra & Emily

Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.

dixiedog
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9 November 2009 - 7:26 pm
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Our dog Dixie (Australian Kelpie mix, 55lbs, approx 7yrs old) had a soft-tissue cancer and only had the slightess limp before her amputation—no pain. She had her front left leg amputated 11 weeks ago. She snuck up and down my parents stairs (carpeted) within a week of surgery.

When we are out, we use the Ruffwear Harness. We really only need to help her up and down super steep stairs.

Mesa, AZ
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9 November 2009 - 7:26 pm
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I forgot to tell you to check out these forums for more info:

Treatment & Recovery

Ask A Vet

Hopping Around

Beyond Cancer

You'll find a ton of information in those.

Chuy, showing everyone that Tripawds do everything 3 times better than regular dogs!

Chuy's Short Stories

Arizona
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28 September 2009
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9 November 2009 - 7:54 pm
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Our dog had her front left leg amputated almost seven weeks ago due to cancer. She had a problem getting a proper diagnose for 3 months when she first started limping, by the time she finally had her surgery she could no longer use the leg. She adjusted fairly easy to being a tripawd due to the fact that she was really only using three legs anyway. My husband met a couple that had a dog that the Dr. left a stump and they were sorry that he didn't take all the leg off, they felt it hindered his balance.

Tasha 8 years old, First cancer diagnosis 6/26/09, Last cancer diagnosis 9/26/09, Amputation 10/01/09, Loving our girl moment by moment.

Tasha lost her battle and became my Angel on May 4 2011. Forever in my heart….

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9 November 2009 - 10:07 pm
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Emilysmom said:

I think you can expect Shadow to feel better and get around better after the amputation then he does now.  Stairs can be a problem so you might want to get a harness like the Ruff Wear harness so you can help Shadow by holding some of her weight.


I have to totally agree with Debra.  They constantly amaze us with their ability to adapt, and I believe that once the left fore-leg is removed Shadow will totaly adust.  As it is now, that leg is not reliable and he probably does not know how much he can trust it.  Cherry is a front-left amputee and she gets around very well.  Going down stairs is much harder than going up but in either case the RuffWare harness is a great help.  Also, Cherry turned eleven the day before her amputation and that was nearly one year ago.  In spite of the poor prognosis due to the cancer, Cherry is doing better today than she has since her original diagnosis.  As you get closer to that actual surgery, there are a number of "standard" suggestions that Cherry and I share in an attempt to help.

Good Luck and keep us posted regarding your schedule.

Bob & Cherry

Kirkland, WA
Member Since:
2 June 2009
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9 November 2009 - 10:25 pm
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Jack was doing stairs within 3 days of his amputation (he also had a front leg amputated).  However, this proved to be too much activity for the little guy and he ended up back at the vet on mandatory bed rest.  BAH!  Just a  side note, learning to go UP was a ton easier than learning to go DOWN.  Jack only went down when he was following his brother outside and forgot about the whole amputation thing.  Oh, we also lived in a third floor apartment.  You will have to carry Shadow up and down for the first 2 weeks, but re-learning should be no problem 🙂

<3 Laura and Jackers

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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9 November 2009 - 10:27 pm
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Thanks for joining Jasmer, welcome to the tripawds community! Be sure to check out Jerry's two-part blog post with answers to the top ten amputation questions we've received. Others have mentioned the Ruff Wear harness , which really helped us help Jerry navigate stairs and get in/out of our truck. We even made this product demo video, and have a couple other helpful harnesses to choose from with videos coming soon.

Too many times we hear from peopl who have put their dog through multiple painful surgeries, only to proceed with amputation anyway. You are doing the right thing. If you search for prosthetics in these forums, you'll read that the jury is still out on that one. Personally, I believe dogs deal much better with one less leg than an awkward contraption attached to one.

Before you know it, you pup will be proving to you how he was born with three legs and a spare! Just prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Best wishes for a complete speedy recovery.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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9 November 2009
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10 November 2009 - 8:11 am
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Well shoot. I had a huge reply and lost it because I forgot to log in. ' class='wp-smiley' />

We're having his leg amputated as soon as we can afford it, rest assured. The only reason it's still attached is because we cannot pay the entire fee up front as per the vet's payment requirements.

I think that since he's getting around so well already even with the distraction of a useless leg then having the leg removed at the shoulder may be a better idea. I'd wanted to leave the option of a prosthetic open but the chance of him smacking his elbow if he falls and potentially injuring it worries me too much. To be honest I'd wanted to get a peg leg and a pirate eye patch for him. If getting up and down becomes difficult as he gets older then I'll invest in a harness to help him. I'm hoping the vet's standard procedure is at the shoulder or hip, and not at the lowest joint available. If the price he quoted is at the elbow then the shoulder may cost more money which will mean waiting for one more paycheck. smiley2

We're saving up for the basic $760 amputation fee, $100 catheterization and IV fee, and 4 days in ICU at $86 a day. This should pretty much cover everything we need as well as antibiotics, pain management , and one of those fashionable cones.

Shadow's learned to avoid using his leg altogether while moving about and is learning not to rely on it while relieving himself, as well. While the break isn't particularly painful for him anymore it is still sore and tender and if he tweaks it too badly he will experience jarring pain. The bone has absolutely no structural integrity anymore and just buckles underneath his weight. You can see it when he sits as he uses the leg habitually for support and it bows backward at the break. Very nerve wracking to see but he doesn't seem to mind it, or he wouldn't do it. Of course, he's still on his pain medication so that's probably giving him a false sense of painlessness. So while the leg clearly needs to come off, it's something that can wait until we come up with the cash, and that's exactly what the vet told us. It isn't an immediate threat and could technically be left alone entirely, but all of us are more comfortable just removing the risk of further injury altogether. ' class='wp-smiley' />

Since I live in northern Idaho and winter is approaching along with snow and ice I'm going to invest in a set of boots for him. He should be fine in the snow but when we take him on walks around town the sidewalks can easily become slick. The RuffWear grip trex boots are what I was looking at. Their customer service told me they should perform better on the ice than his bare feet alone. What do you guys think? I want him to have as much traction and stability as possible because he IS a husky, he does have a ton of energy, and he does need at least one good daily walk but usually gets two or three. There's an empty lot out back that we usually let him run around but once it snows his bad leg will be dragging through two or more feet of snow. I want to minimize contact with cold as much as I can so he'll be spending the winter on a leash on the sidewalk instead, I think.

Thank you all for your advice, it's very much appreciated.

Also, if I were to get a harness to help him up and down the stairs, which one would you recommend for a 55 lb dog?

Kirkland, WA
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2 June 2009
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10 November 2009 - 10:47 am
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As far as I'm aware, the only thing that some vets disagree on is whether to take just the leg itself off, or the leg AND the scapula.  I don't think they usually leave any part of the leg dangling there... (although you could put bells on it and Shadow would be quite a popular holiday dog!).  I would assume the estimate was for taking the whole leg.  Jack was about 45 pounds at the time of amputation, and the ruffwear harness works great.  I think it works better for front leg amputees since they don't need their back end supported (i can't remember if Shadow has a front leg or back leg problem...gah!).  I would think that with a 55 pound dog, you should be fine using the handle of the harness of Shadow needs assistance.  If it is his back leg with the problem, there were recently a couple reviews posted about different harnesses that support the back end (perhaps someone knows the link?!Whatever)  Best Wishes!!!

<3 Laura and Jackers

Harrisonburg, Va
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29 July 2009
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10 November 2009 - 10:48 am
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The doctor will know how much to amputate but usually they don't leave a big piece hanging out, it'll probably be all the way to the shoulder.  I would get a sling to use right after surgery and then once Shadow heals I'd get a Ruff Wear harness like the others have mentioned.  I don't know if you're interested or if Shadow would fit it but I have a free post-op sling available on the Angel Exchange forum–if you'd like it it's yours.  I used a towel slung under my dog to help him go up a step and it worked pretty well. 

On The Road


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24 September 2009
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10 November 2009 - 10:51 am
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jasmer said:
…harness to help him up and down the stairs, which one would you recommend for a 55 lb dog?


Based on our experiences with Jerry (65± lbs), I highly recommend the Ruff Wear harness for all dogs unless the need the extra rear end support of the Help 'Em Up (rear stump required), or the extra strength and support of the Get A Grip (for heavy or immobile dogs).

For the Grip Trex, be sure to measure the feet very accurately and watch your dog carefully upon first use. We hear mixed stories from different dogs. Jerry would simply not have anything to do with them. They work great on Wyatt, however (review and video coming soon). On some dogs they tend to slip around, causing them to trip. I think the optional socks help! And it seems the Skyliner boots from Ruff Wear have less tendency to slip around the foot, though they may offer less traction .

Hope this helps… 

PS: Dogs often do better physically if most of the leg is gone so they don't have a tendency to try and use the remaining limb, causing misallignment of the spine over time.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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10 November 2009 - 2:38 pm
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My husband will be bummed to hear that the vet will most likely remove the entire leg, but it gives me some comfort knowing a fall is less likely to cause injury after he's healed.

Shadow's pretty good about letting people do pretty much whatever they want with him. When I first got him I could hardly get near him without being bitten. Now I can tug on him, pick him up, roll him over, dyed him green for St. Patrick's day a few years ago, dressed him up as a girl for Halloween once, and can trim his nails and give him a bath AND a vacuum dry at the groomer's without a complaint from him. Well, nail trimming rarely happens because he stubbornly tries to pull his feet away. He let the vet tweak his leg and bend it with no more complaint than a flinch. He doesn't like his feet touched but he'll leave the boots there once they're on. I plan on getting the liners to ensure a proper fit and will be measuring each foot individually in case I need to buy one in a different size.

I'm also going to buy a fleece dog jacket from Orvis if it's still chilly out when he has his surgery. After he heals I will go ahead and get the Ruff Wear harness . Until then we'll try using a soft towel or something to help him get around if he needs it.

I can believe a dog would do better if the entire leg was out of the way. There's a cat in our neighborhood that's missing a rear foot but he still tries to use the stump when he walks, resulting in a really odd limp. If there's enough left for Shadow to move and wiggle around then he may very well habitually position himself as though he was using it and cause back strain because there's no real physical support there.

I also read an article on this site about phantom pain in a siberian husky amputee, so I'll keep an eye out for it with Shadow and try some of their techniques to alleviate it if it's there.

Thanks again for the help. I'll probably be back with more questions once it's closer to surgery time.

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