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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My german shepherd Kaiserin is scheduled to have a rear leg amputated tomorrow. She has a soft tissue sarcoma by her ankle that was removed once. She had radiation but it grew back only 2 months after radiation. We tried low dose daily chemo but it still continued to grow. It even burst open a couple of days ago. She still walks on it but doesn't put full weight and sometimes lifts it and hops on 3 legs. They can't remove it a second time since it is so aggressive. We did get good news yesterday that her lungs are clear and no sign the cancer has spread! I booked the amputation for tomorrow. I am so panicked and scared. It feels so horrible to have this happen to my dog (who I love more than anything in this world). I see perople saying their dogs do fine on 3 legs but I am still having trouble believing it. Did anyone here have a last minute panic that they didn't want to do it? ......Natasha
Wow what a beauty she is! Welcome to both of you. We are so sorry about the diagnosis but you are in good company, we totally understand your worries.
Sounds like she is good to go and I'll tell you, German Shepherds handle amputation and life on three legs like nopawdy's business! They are such amazing dogs as it is (OK I'm biased, I'm mom to Wyatt Ray and our Jerry was Tripawds founder 😉 We have also had many, many German Shepherds join our community through the years and they did really, really well.
Everyone here has questioned their decision to amputate, guarantee it. Usually during recovery. It's not always easy but as long as her pain is managed well you should do fine. Remember, attitude is everything and as long as you do your best to project confidence and optimism, Kaiserin will soak it up and follow your lead. She wants to know YOU are in charge and in control, so be that leader OK?
And in the meantime do check out Jerry's Required Reading List and the Tripawds e-books library if you haven't already. You'll find lots of answers to your questions there, and of course here, and you can also call the Tripawds Helpline if you want to talk.
Stay tuned for more feedback from others!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Kaiserin and family 🌸🐾
Well, I didn’t question surgery because vet, surgeon and oncologist explained clearly how aggressive osteosarcoma is and how much of the essence it was to remove the leg ASAP!
Luckily your girl does not have osteo but still amputation is what needs to be done and she is already using three legs at times so her “new normal” won’t be totally new to her.
I know it is terribly scary to face what is to happen but you can rest assure your girl will adapt and she will surprise you at how well she will do on three!
Please bare in mind traction is crucial when she is back home, so if you have hardwood or slippery floors you should get carpet, rubber underlay or even yoga mats to create paths for your girl to hop on, she should instinctively stick to those not to slip.
I would also point out losing a rear leg is much easier than a front one as most of the weight rests in the upper part of our pups bodies.
Managing pain medicine during recovery is also crucial so follow your surgeon’s schedule religiously.
Please never hesitate to come back to us with any questions, big or small, we are here 24/7 to help you and your girl during recovery and we are also here to celebrate her many ampuversaries, photos and videos of her happy life on three!
Sending 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 :-)
Well, consider my doggie went in last night for his amputation, I can tell you that YES, I had some major freak out moments. I picked him up about 4 hours ago from the vet and I'm sitting here right now wondering "What have I done to you?". I don't know what's to come over the next few days or weeks, but I can say that I'm actually a little optimistic. See him up and walking around (on only 3 legs) just hours after coming out of surgery was incredible! It gives me hope that I made the right choice.
A last minute panic??? How 'bout this one? I was so scared and panicked I actually cancelled my Happy Hannah's scheduled surgery at first! To be clear, I had NOT found this site yet and I was scared out of my mind!
After I finally kept the appointment, my first post here was day six i to her recovery. Something along the lines of "Six days after amputation and I fear I've made a horrible decision!!" I could not believe I had done this TO my dog. Those first days and nights were just awful!
Well, this wonderful community threw me a lifeline, surrounded me with support and information. and educated me on what to expect during those first couple of weeks of recovery.
It took me abput three weeks, but I could finally say I did this FOR my Happy Hannah and not TO her! And let me tell you, it was the best decision I could possibly have made to give us the most gloriously spectacular extended quality time for more loving and spoiling!
So hang onto the lifeline we just threw you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! We've gotcha'.
Update us when surgery is over. And YAY for good xrays!!! For now, deep breaths and lots of chocolate. Lots of it. Lots of chocolate!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS......And YAY for BeeBoo's homecoming!
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!
Thanks for all the encouragement. I am feeling a bit calmer now. I just changed her bandage (the skin broke and it now looks like the tumor is growing on th eoutside iof her body, it looks horrible). Made me more confident this is the right choice. I guess it was hard because although it is cancer, it is not in the bone and less urgent so technically I could wait a few weeks or maybe months. But the limping and open wounds don't make for a great quality of life. The metastasis rate I was told is 15-20% - which they call low risk. Still, if 15 out of 100 dogs have it spread to their lungs, I want to make sure we are not one of the 15! And it isn't like it was a decision to amputate or not amputate, more a decison to do it now or wait a bit. So we go first thing tomorrow morning!
Welcome. Sorry that these circumstances have brought you here but the support you will het from this website will be one of the best things for you and your dog. Remember you are not “doing this to your dog” ..... you are “doing this for your dog”. You are getting rid of her pain and saving her life. It is a good thing that she does not have aggressive Osteosarcoma but cancer is cancer. Getting it out of her body is the best thing for her. If it is just a matter of time for amputation then it is better to do it sooner. You dont want to wait until she is in severe pain and it becomrs an emergency amputation. Do it now while she is strong and will have the best chance to fight. I agree that a back leg is easier than a front leg. Pain control is the most important thing post op. Drinking is important and eating will come with time. If she has an accident or two in the house dont worry about it. You will be surprised how well she will do. As a nurse I see humans recover from surgeries and amputations and let me tell you ...... humans are big babies compared to dogs. Traction is also bery important. Do you have rugs for her to walk on? It is a rough journey when you are going thru it and you will question you decision when you are having a bad day or night, but then months will go by and you will realize that you gave your dog a fighting chance and that the worst is behind you and you can just enjoy her everyday. My thoughts are with you 🐶
beeboo said
I'm sitting here right now wondering "What have I done to you?"...
You are not alone. Many members have expressed the same concern here over the years.
The best way to manage this sort of stress is to re-frame this type of thinking....
You are not doing this to him. You have done it for him.
Listen to the Be More Dog podcast for more information and other helpful tips.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hope everything went well with your beautiful Kaiserin and that she is now recovering.
Sending you two tons of love and healing thoughts.
Belle & her mum
Her surgery is over and they tell me it went well and there were no complications. I feel happy she got through it ok but worried what happens next. I am not sure if she will come home tomorrow or stay another night. They told me the incision will not be bandaged when I pick her up. I thought it would be covered. They said it is often very shocking and disturbing to the owners so I am very worried. They didn't take her hip - it was what they call a mid-femur amputation so she still has a hip and a very small stump. How bad will this be to see?
Hi, so happy to read her surgery is over and that it all went well.
My girl had her front limb amputated on Thursday and they kept her until Sunday to be able to manage pain better through iv.
What I can comment about checking the stitches from someone that would faint over a few drops of blood. We were told to be prepared, that it can be shocking, etc. so i didn't even want to peep but since its important to be able to detect any infection or issue with the healing we do have to check it a few times a day and nothing scary.
Sending healing thoughts to Kaiserin for a speedy and easy recovery 
YAY FOR KAISERIN!! SURGERY IS DONE!!!
It's not unusual at all for the dogs to stay more than one night at the Vet, so no worries about that, okay?
She's feeling no pain right now and high as a kite on some good meds. So now is when you need to get some rest, knowing she's in good hands.
Yeah, rear leggers aren't usually "wrapped". Frontleggers sometimes are (easier to stay on), but it's really just the preference ofmthe individual surgeon.
As far as the incision, and this is just me, but when you go pick her up, don't even draw any attention to it. Kaiserin just needs to see you smiling at her and happily telling her what a good girl she is!! It wasn't until several hours later after I picked up my Happy Hannah that I quickly glanced at her incision. I never let her see me "study" it or focus any real attention on it. I will tell you this though, the amount of fur that the clipper happy surgeons shaved startled me a bit, moreso than the incision site itself.
To me, the incision represented a pain removed and a chance at a good quality life.
Do you have any questions as far as prepping your house for her homecoming? Do you have nonslip scatter rugs for traction if you have hardwood floors. Let us know if we can help, okay?
Keep some yummy food on hand. Sometimes their appetite can be off for several days. Thus, pooping may be delayed too. Drinking and peeing are important though.
We'll look forward to your update tomorrow. Remember, we're here with you every step of the way!
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!
I'm glad the surgery went well and Kaiserin is on the road to recovery.
My Pug Maggie had a mid-femoral amp due to a mast cell tumor. The way the surgery was done the incision wasn't that easy to see (Mag was pretty low to the ground though) since the femur piece the was wrapped with muscle, the incision was kind of under her belly. I will say that it was very unsettling to see her with three legs. She also had black fur and dark skin so for us any bruising wan't really visible. She never had her incision wrapped and it healed just fine. It is pretty difficult to keep a wrap on the back end of a rear amp Tripawd that doesn't get in the way of peeing/pooping. If you want to cover the incision when you get her home you could try boxer shorts- the tail goes through the fly.
You might want to look at some photos in our Gallery- scroll down to the Surgery and Treatment Pics.
In my opinion it is a good thing that they did a mid-femoral amp. My current Tripawd Elly had her entire femur removed after she was hit by a car. Maggie, with the little piece of femur left, had a much more stable base to sit on and her Tripawd gait was smoother. Elly has trouble sitting on hard surfaces and and has less balance in her back end- that part is kind of hard to explain. Elly has a sort of cork-screw rotation in her back end when she hops. She also has more trouble keeping her balance when pooping- and she is nearly 3 years post op.
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
Hi Natasha and Kaiserin 🌸🐾
So glad surgery is over and your girl is well ☺️
If they offer to keep her at the hospital for two days I would say yes because it will be easier for her to be looked after by professional people in the first days after surgery.
The incision is on the big side but you will get used to it before you know it and once the hair grows back you won't see it anyway.
She will need lots and lots and lots of rest when she is back so don't expect her to be moving around much, it is all normal and part of recovery.
Scheduling the meds is crucial so keep a close eye on that.
We are, of course, all here to guide through recovery so do not hesitate to reach out to us anytime.
Sending 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 :-)
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