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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Hi Emily, here are some highs and lows from our recovery: Jackson was operated on by an ortho specialist. That was very comforting. He got an epidural, which isn't common, and I wonder WHY?! If my leg was coming off, I'd want the whole pharmacy in me! Anyway...then he spent the night at the rural hospital, where the vet lives - albeit next door. I don't think he had someone watching him every hour. On pick up, sure I looked at his incision. How could I not! But, really, I was focused and amazed at his happy, talk waggin', enthusiastic, HOPPING response to me! He was moving so well and SO HAPPY to see me. It really was as though he hadn't any procedure done. Upon arrival home, he peed and drank A LOT of water. I made up rice and chicken to add to his kibble, as I read here some pups dislike their kibble for a period. I wanted to keep him enthralled. For the next hours, he drank a lot of water. I'd take him out to pee and he would. He pooped, too. I slept on the floor with him the first night, near the door as he had consumed so much water, I knew he'd need to pee many times during the night. The worst part was the damn Comfy Cone. Yes it is more comfy for them, but with hopping about, a Christmas tree to navigate, pain from his stump, and drugs on board, that cone was very disorienting. We took it off. In fact, it was off more hours and nights then on. I was able to work at home and monitor. There were times he'd lick, and the cone would go on. I was a light sleeper, so I'd actually wake to his licking! Truth is, he was drugged enough to just pass out at nights. As I mentioned before, his pain meds were great - it made him comfy and sleepy enough to not notice much. We had some special people come over about a week after to perk him up. He was sad, or tired, or stressed, or depressed, but when Chuck and Jen come over WITH a toy! OH BOY!!! The times we had to leave him, we'd bring his bed downstairs to the front entrance and cone him. He always likes to sleep nearest the front door, but with a flight of stairs and that cone, I wanted him comfy when we left. We'd make sure he was comfy on his bed, with cone, down the stairs, and at the door before leaving. Then, about an hour later, my neighbor would peer thru the door and confirm Jackson was sound asleep or resting in his cone at the door. About two weeks post amp, stitches came out and IV chemo started. He was back to normal! OH, and the day we let him do the stairs and helped him onto the couch...bliss. Oh man was he happy and proud! He wanted those things so badly, that when he finally did them, you could see his road to recovery just got a lot shorter! It was so special. The one trick we learned was that with his newly cut nerves, if he bumped his stump they'd fire in all directions...but to nothing. It was clearly very painful or disconcerting to him. We'd rush over and just cup his stump, gently. It gave his nerves something to focus on. Something to do. Or that's what we think. Regardless, cupping his bumped-stump worked wonders. He loved it. And to this day, he's a huge fan of stump rubs - the harder the better!
~Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
I think your fears are totally normal. I can only speak to our experience, but we got our diagnosis on Wednesday, dropped Sam off for surgery on Thursday, and brought him home Friday afternoon. I went back to work as normal the following week. I only had Saturday and Sunday at home. Our biggest hurdle was keeping him from trying to do more than he should be doing (in particular...the stairs). Mind you, Sam was elderly, and arthritic, so not exactly a spring chicken...but it didn't make him any less stubborn or determined to do what he wanted 
Hugs to you, and good luck and best wishes for a speedy, uneventful recovery <3
"Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all."
-Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
"May I recommend serenity to you? A life that is burdened with expectations is a heavy life. Its fruit is sorrow and disappointment. Learn to be one with the joy of the moment."
-Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Keep this in mind: if you've been through knee surgeries with your pup, amputation recovery is a breeze. Seriously! That's what folks here have often said.
Your fears are totally normal but keep in mind that being overprotective when he's at home can hinder his recovery, as the good folks at CARE tell us:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi there!
Welcome to you and Brooklyn - I am so sorry you have to join us here, but you've come to the right place!
I know how scary this decision can be. I did not want to put Jill through the painful surgery either, I was very hesitant about doing it as well. However, once you get through recovery, they REALLY do so well. Recovery can be tough, but for most its really not that bad!
I TOTALLY hear what you are saying about not being there to comfort him after surgery - I had that EXACT same feeling and even made that comment in my blog. Someone replied to that comment with an amazing idea that I have since passed on to every future tripawd parent. This tip helped me tremendously:
The night before Jill's surgery, I slept in an old T-Shirt that I didn't care about so it had my scent fresh on it. When I dropped Jill off the next morning, I gave it to the nurse and asked her to make sure Jill had it while she was waking up from anesthesia. I have no idea if it really comforted her (I believe it did!) but it made me feel a lot better). When I went to visit her that night in the hospital, she was all snuggled up on the shirt. It really gave me a lot of comfort.
Let us know whatever you need leading up to the surgery - I know it's a scary time, I remember it well! Jill is now one year post amputation (also for osteosarcoma) and doing great.
xoxo,
Erica & Tripawd Kitty Jill
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Brooklyn had his biopsy Tuesday and today he trotted to get the mail with me when he was supposed to walk slowly. My neighbor came over to say hello and while we were talking Brooklyn attempted to sneak a piece of cat poop. I'm thinking he's feeling more like himself or those are some pain meds. I just looked at him and can't help but think this dog has so much more fight let in him. He still acts like a puppy!
Brooklyn hates those plastic cones. After each knee surgery he would attempt to run head first into my closet doors because he wanted the cone off and almost had a spooked look in his eyes. I am going to order the comfy cone, in hopes it will be more pleasant for him. Thank you for making me aware of the nerves when he bumps his stumps. How long does that last for? Do you think it would be beneficial to put like a sock over it? Or I even saw Emma's Hot and Cold Pack, which essentially was an ice pack/warm compress for dogs.
Thank you for you well wishes!
I'm at chat...
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Remind me, which limb? There's no way a sock would fit on a rear legger, that is if the amp is done high enough. Jackson probably has 4-5" of femur, but it's nicely tucked up, so isn't not hanging down. His sensitivity there lasted probably just under 3 months. I think it took him maybe 2-3 weeks to rest on his stump. It's tender! And really weird, new sensations for them there! We did put a pair of boxer shorts on him, secured with a safety pin, but that wouldn't stop him from licking if he wanted to. Only the cone does that. Other folks have used a clear, see through cone, rather than the opaque ones. That may help Brooklyn? Other folks have also been able to use an inflatable ring that fits over their head. But I think those rings are best for front amps? Maybe?
During recovery and for probably 5 months afterward, J got more protein in his diet, to help him build more muscles. Boiled chicken was easiest, but he also enjoyed liver!
I was shocked at how fast an amputee is! He still is fast. Hopping is easiest with momentum, so if Brooklyn has a good trot going, I wouldn't slow him down. Our walks are a speed walk for me, sometimes a slight jog. When J does pause, I let him pause and rest. It's hard work!
~ Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Sam was a front amp, and while he did get caught licking a time or two, it wasn't a big deal with him, and he did not need a cone at all. (He had stitches. No staples, no drain, and no pain patch.) So, you never know...it may be the case that Brooklyn doesn't either.
As for the nerve sensitivity...again, that varies. Sam slept on his stump right away, and we did not have issues with any phantom limb pain.
Every dog or cat will have his or her unique set of challenges, I think. Sam didn't have some of the issues that seem fairly common...but he managed to find his own problems.
"Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all."
-Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
"May I recommend serenity to you? A life that is burdened with expectations is a heavy life. Its fruit is sorrow and disappointment. Learn to be one with the joy of the moment."
-Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
It's his left hind. I'll have to research to see if there is some type of fabric I can put over it to protect it a little. I am going to looking into the inflatable ring as well. I think Brooklyn just isn't too keen on having something around his neck that blocks his vision. I think the Comfy Cone might be just that- more comfortable for him. Good suggestions on the high protein diet. I love these suggestions and ideas. Keep them coming! I want to try to make this transition as smooth, pain free and comfortable as possible and it really helps hearing others advice/stories.
My quad pup Obie had knee surgery about a year ago, fairly invasive as he had a torn CCL and a luxating patella. My experience is in two different dogs, but Maggie recovered from her amp waaaaay faster than Obie did from knee surgery! Maggie was off pain meds and free to do what she wanted in two weeks. Obie was on pain meds for almost 5 weeks, and was on activity restriction for months.
Obie is a rescue and has some abuse in his history- he freaked with the cone. I used a comfy collar on him and it worked well. I also made him some pants to keep the incision covered so he couldn't get at it. Some rear amps have had success with boxer shorts, the tail goes through the fly. Maggie was also a rear amp but with her Buddha belly and short nose she couldn't reach her incision.
I have a large inflatable Pro Collar that a friend gave me for Obie. A nice gesture, but seriously? He's a pug! Anyway, the website says it is for neck sizes 13 to 16. I can send it to you if it would fit Brooklyn and you want it. I can get it in the mail today- PM me your address.
Here is the collar: http://www.drsf.....atid=15678
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
eac0927 said
Thank you so much for your insight! I am leaning in favor of the amputation option but think I am battling the reality of Brooklyn's longevity. My uncle is my vet and feels the amputation is a good choice, which is comforting because I know he wouldn't steer me in the wrong direction. How was the initial pain after the surgery? What was the recovery like? Did you do chemo after the amputation? I've been reading mixed reviews about chemo.
Dexter is 7 days post amputation,he seems to be sleepy, panting a little at times but is moving about okay. He is eating and going to the toliet. He has an infection in the stitches thatis awaiting confirmation on what it is so that is our setback atm. It's early days for us so I cannot comment on recovery time. For a few reasons (pm me if you would like to know our reasons) we are not doing chemo but we are trying a different diet no grains, omega 3 oils, high protein like chicken and turkey, natural yogurt to replace bateria lost through antibiotics and Artemisinin plus supplements. The immune system helps alot so make sure you boost his immune system too.
With OSA I don't think we have many options tbh, and if you are going ahead it's best to do it whilst lung mets are not visably present as some vets don't amputate after mets have set in.
I was worried about Dexter staying overnight, but they are so drugged up they don't really know whats going on, we saw Dexter the day he had his surgery and he was comfy surrounded by pillows! He didn't really know we were there and we picked him up the next day and he hopped his way out! Remember dogs pick up on your anxieties and as hard as it is for me also we have to put on a brave positive face and say right this is what we need to do, what is the next step.. As my vet said they live in the now, all he is thinking is my leg hurts, after surgery he will be on meds so the pain will be gone and with adequate pain relief post op he will continue to be comfortable:)
Can I just add you say it's his left hind leg? Hind leg amputees tend to fair better I think than front leg ones like Dexter as the front leg bears all the weight, so I think he will do just fine! I know your worried about putting him through invasive surgery, but the tumour is very invasive that is what drove me to take it away, next time you have regrets just think of that tumour and the damage it is doing to the bone.x
Karen, it's nice to know that the amp surgery recovery rate could be faster than the knee as we have been down that road twice. Thank you for offering the inflatable Pro Collar! I just measured Brooklyn's neck it's a whooping 22 inches. I really appreciate the offer.
Glad to hear Dexter is doing fairly well with his recovery. Nice to know that Dexter was surrounded by comfy pillows post surgery. I read your post about chemo and can sympathize. That decision for me will be a mental battle as well. I've heard the hind leg amputation is more favorable but I worry about the right knee baring all the rear weight due previous ligament tear.
I have to say all the people on this site that I have encountered are incredible. Anyone can own a dog but those who love their dogs as much as we all do possess good natured qualities that are rare in today's world. It's absolutely refreshing!
Hi Emily and Brooklyn
I'm a bit late but welcome to this wonderful community. While none of us would have chosen to be here - it has been a godsend for all of us who are here.
It seems you have decided to go ahead with the surgery! As everyone has warned you - the recuperation period can be a bit rough but then you will be so glad you decided to alleviate the pain that Brooklyn's cancer has been causing him.
Tucker is three months post-amp - front right leg - and I had some concerns initially too! Tucker weighed 102 pounds pre-surgery and he is a nine year old chocolate lab - would he really be able to adjust???
Needless to say - Tuck has adapted beautifully and is enjoying life to the fullest.
I did not have to investigate chemo options as Tuck's cancer was localized and for that I feel truly blessed.
Good luck to you and Brooklyn in the days ahead - give him lots of snuggles and take care of yourself too
Linda and Tucker
And one more thing........don't know if Brooklyn has a history of scratching at her stitches from her other surgies or not, but I never had to put a cone on Happy Hannah as she jjust never went for the incision......sooooooo......just maybe Brooklyn won't even need it...maybe?
HUGS and don't forget to eat your chocolate!!
Sally snd Happy Hannah
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!
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