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 all, so pleased to have found this forum.
our 8 year old Cocker Spaniel is having her hind leg amputated tomorrow 😥
she has a tumour in soft tissue around her knee joint, vet is unsure if it cancerous so advised amputation, apparently a biopsy would be extremely tricky and this could lead to wrong result if not enough cells or correct ones removed. Her limb will then be sent for biopsy and fingers crossed its nothing serious.
at the moment she's on Tramadol 3 times a day and hasn't put hind leg to floor in over 2 weeks, so we know amputation is probably best option.
my concern is how I'm going to get through this?? That sounds selfish I know but she's my baby and going to collect her after op is worrying me as I'm sure I'll take one look and be in bits.
how did you all cope with initial post op? Any tips on keeping myself together?
thank youÂ
Hi and welcome, we're glad you found us too! On my phone now so I'll be brief till I return but just want to recommend you check out Jerry's Required Reading List for some answers to your questions. Hang in there, we are sending our best to you both on surgery day. Oh what's you dog's name?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome and so sorry your diagnosis has brought you here. Â You've found the best place on earth for love and support to get you through this journey. Â Know you are doing this for her not to her. Â And if she's not using that leg already she's getting herself ready to be a tripawd. Â She may well be ahead of the game. Â Before you bring her home make sure you have non skid rugs in the traffic areas so she'll have good traction in getting through your home. Â Try to be strong for her and a strong pack leader. Â I learned to take each day as it came and look to celebrate each success we had. Â If I panicked Max panicked and if I stayed calm he stayed calm. Â He totally fed off my emotions. Â This journey will teach you so many life lessons about living each moment you are in just like a dog does. It doesn't pay to worry about what may come tomorrow because it robs me of joy today. Â You will get through this. Â We will help you every step of the way. Â If you have questions post away and we'll be there for you. Â I'll be sending tons of healing thoughts to you and your girl tomorrow. Â Stay close and connected to us there is a wealth of knowledge here and we've all been exactly where you find yourself so we know where your head is at. Keep us posted on your girls surgery and recovery. You CAN do this!
Hugs!
Linda & Max
Hello and welcome,
Although my cat is the one who needed the leg amputation, I can relate to the feelings you are having. I completely lost it when we got our cat home the day after surgery and opened his carrier door. He slithered out of it pathetically, like a worm, and I cried and cried and told my husband we did the wrong thing by getting the amputation. Then, like a day or two later, he was walking around and even going down the stairs by himself (we were naughty and let him out of confinement for a bit every day).Â
My vet promised me my cat would be fine and adapt (he has three, three legged dogs at home) but I didn't believe him until I saw it with my own eyes. My cat adapted quickly and seems even happier now that he is pain free. Every pet is different though, and just because my old man cat recovered quickly, others take more time. I think it's most important to just try your best to conceal your fear around your pet, because they can and do feed off your emotions. I had my one breakdown right away, then realized it was only going to make him uneasy, and perhaps impede his recovery. Treat your dog as "normal" as possible - it's still going to be your beloved dog, just with one less leg and hopefully no more pain.
Looking forward to seeing pics and reading an update soon!
Hattie & Jerry
Hugs,
Hattie and Jerry Cat (right front leg and scapula amputation due to chondrosarcoma at age 14, lived 2 1/2 years post amputation, succumbed suddenly to suspected lymphoma at age 16)
10/2001 - 10/9/2017 R.I.P ~ Love you always
Hi there,
You've gotten some great advice so far. If surgery is today (?) then try to channel all that worry and energy into getting the house ready for her. Non-slip rugs if you have hardwood floors or tile are essential. Set up a quiet place for her to recover. Consider arranging your schedules so that she's not alone for the first few days (she'll need regular meds etc). Have some raised food and water bowls, which are so much easier for a tripawd. She's probably not that big, so you might not need a sling or harness (and the hospital might send you home with one anyway).Â
I know you say you're worried that you'll go to bits when you see her. I don't know how to tell you to prepare for that but honestly I don't think it was a bad as I expected. Ellie came hopping out to see us, she was alert and very ready to go home! Your pup (name?) might surprise you too, especially if she's been dealing w/ a painful legs for a couple of weeks.
The initial post-op period can be pretty rough. Some pups have it easy, some have it rough. There are sure to be ups and downs so don't get discouraged if she acts different from day to day. We've pretty much all be through it too, and we're here to help!
Denise, Bill and Angel Ellie.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
You jave DEFINITELY come ro the right place for suppprt, information AND u understanding from people who can relate better than anyone!!
Omay, at first y ou feel like you are stuck in a nightmare, frozen in fear and overcome with worry and uncertainty! Probably can't eat or sleep on top of all that!
Take some deep breaths right now. REALLY! Inhale deeply...exhale slowly.....B R E A T H E.......B R E A T H E........B R E A T H E......
YOU ARE. NOT ALONE!
You are doing what needs to be done to get your beloved pup out of pai !! She's been limping and holding her leg up...she hurts!! And your vet is right about the biopsy. While some do it, many do not for the reasons he stated.
You can browse the site and see pictures of the incision to give you an kdea what to expect so it won't be such a shock. I can tell you o e thing that worked for me when I went t to pick Happy Hannah up. I didn't even look at the site... lt even a glance. I just looked straight I to her happy eyes and kissed her and told jer what a good girl she was and just basked in the joy that surgery was over and that painful keg was gone!
Recovering from major surgery is no picnic for a couple of weeks. We are here to support you through thst. Always remember you are doi g this FOR her... not TO her! It took me about three weeks before I coukd say, "Yes! I did thid FOR my Happy Hannah!" Every dog is different. Every recovery is different. Some adapt to three kegs quickly, some take a it longer. Probably your pup will adapt quickly as she already is using three legs.
You'll wa t to jave non slip scatter rugs down if you jave hardwood floors. Not jumping up a d down on couch, no stair climbing, etc. for awhile. Your pup will need rest, rest, rest, potty breaks and that's it for the first two weeks or less...or. ore....again, every recovery ks different.
Your vet will probably send you home with Tramadol, Gabapentin Rimadyl and an antibiotic. Managing the lain on a consistent basis is tricky sometimes, but crucial to healing.
Is your pup spending the first night at the vet? Are you consulting with an Oncologist at this point? Is your regular vet doing the surgery?
We have a Tripawds Helpline number....PLEASE feel free to call if you need some support getting yourself "off the edge" and back onto solod ground! We will helpyou keep it together!
Remember, your pup isn't worried about a thing! He's living in the moment and soaking up all your loving and spoiling! Stay strong and confident! That kind of energy will help him recover.
Okay, are you still doing those deep breaths?? B R E A T H E......EAT LOTS OF CHOCOLATE!! Yep, chocolate really does help! Stay connected! You've got this! Your love is so strong for your pup, you will be a spectacular caregiver! And when her sparkle comes back bigger and brighter than before you will be astonished!!!
Pictures and nsme!!
Love and 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!
Well, it took me so long to type this, I see other great team members have already chimed in and I'm just being redundant. It's good to know though that we all get it and to remind you of all the support you have!
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!
Hi Sonya
What's your pup's name?
The initial post-op period is tough but you can do this! Your dog is already used to walking on 3 legs. That part will be easy. Just make sure the pain control is adequate. I did Tramadol 3 times daily and Neurontin twice daily for 2 weeks post-op and then stopped on day 14. He has not had any pain issues since.
I slept in my bedroom basement with Buddy - he had his right hind leg amputated on Oct 30,2015. I was a bit horrified when the vet brought him out but once he saw me and gave me love I felt better. I had some rough days. Kept thinking I made a mistake but it got better each day. I did call the help line when I felt overwhelmed and Sally really talked me through it so that I was able to come to terms.Â
Once your pup is recovered from surgery, the pain is gone! You just have to get through those first few days that are difficult. Be a strong pack leader. Your dog will take cues from you. Spoil that pup!!!! Reach out to us if you need anything.Â
You will be surprised how resilient they are. We will be saying prayers for you and your pup for an uneventful surgery and speedy recovery. Please keep us posted!!
Best,
Julie and Buddy
Howdy and welcome!
Bless your heart! Your post was nearly the exact thing I posted when I first joined this community. So much great advice here and great, great, loving friends.
From my own experience, I took the advice here and looked at all the post-surgical images in the gallery to de-sensitize myself. It worked like a charm, but there is something else that happens when you pick up your fur-baby. It's the whole motherly instinct that tells you to be strong and take care of business. It's an unselfish thing that you will do in order to console and take care of your fur-baby. Yes, eventually, we fall apart, but we do it after-the-fact, not during.
When the hub-a-dub broke his leg, I instinctively knew to get him help. I fell apart while he was in surgery. Afterwards, I was prepared to take care of him without all of the emotion, but it was important that he not see my despair as it's equally important that your fur-baby be protected from yours.
I hope this makes sense. Yeah, I know. I just compared the hub-a-dub to a fur-baby.
We're here for you!!
pam
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
Thank you all for such a fantastic response and advice 😄 it's helped me so much.
my cocker spaniel is called Phoebe she's 8 years of age and such a character, bosses our 2 Rottweilers around.
i did have second thoughts yesterday so rang vet for a chat, this did calm me enough to go ahead.Â
Phoebe has had op and is doing well but the saddest thing is the tumor had actually broken through her femur in the last few days which meant she was in agony.
limb has been sent for biopsy to see which type of cancer it is. So now a waiting game but at least no more pain.
we've been told her average life expectancy is 5 to 6 months but I refuse to give up, I'm unsure how they can inform me cancer terminal without biopsy results? How do they know it's spread?
i do realise I maybe in denial but while there's hope I'll keep fighting as long as Phoebe isn't suffering.
i will be posting pictures of my gorgeous girl as soon as I can.
vet isn't prescribing any pain meds when I collect her tomorrow only antibiotics, he said he doubts she'll feel pain more a relief having leg removed which was causing her agony. She will have some Metacam which should help.
thank you all for great advice and I'll keep you posted on how we're doing.
what a brilliant forum this is 😄
I've happy for both you and Phoebe that she's out of surgery! And it is so sad that she might have been in such pain prior to the amp. I I do agree w/ the vet that once she recovers from the surgery she will be in less pain, so things are looking up for the poor thing. However, I'm not so sure that she's going to be able to manage w/o additional pain meds, at least short term. It is major surgery after all! Think of what a human would be given if they had an arm or leg amputated (and they'd probably also be in the hospital for a week too).
Our Ellie came home w/ a Fentanyl patch (morphine), Tramadol and Gabapentin (for nerve pain). Those seem to the the most typical combination (along w/ antibiotic). Even if you are comfortable coming home w/ no pain meds, I'd certainly make sure w/ the vet that she would be prescribed something if she appears to be in pain. You don't want to be caught on the weekend having no access to pain meds!
You also asked about how they know it is 'terminal'. If it is osteoscarcoma (OSA) then typically by the time it is found, there are tiny little tumor cells which have already spread. They typically go to the lungs first, but they're too small to detect w/ X-rays. Since OSA is so painful (it destroys the bone, like happened to Phoebe), amputation at least gets rid of the pain. It doesn't "cure" the cancer.
Some folks opt for chemo too, in the hopes of killing any cancer cells that have spread. Our Ellie had 6 rounds of chemo (carboplatin) which she tolerated quite well.Â
Denise, Bill and Angel Ellie.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
Welcome, and I'm glad Phoebe came through the surgery OK. The vet may be assuming osteosarcoma since it was in the bone, thus the short expectancy. But we have seen here that a prognosis is a guess based on years of statistics, not on Phoebe and her tumor. My pug Maggie had mast cell cancer and after her amp her prognosis was 6 to 9 months with chemo. She lived almost 4 years and did not pass from that cancer. You never know, you have to stay positive until there is a reason not to be.
Also- I don't think metacam is enough after an amputation surgery! Maggie had a mid-femoral rear amp and came home with a fentanyl patch and tramadol and an something else I don't remember. Did she have a mid-femoral amp or did they take the entire femur (upper leg bone)? It is old school vet practice to not give pain meds. If they won't give you any tomorrow then keep a close eye on Phoebe and call the vet as soon as she shows some pain symptoms. She will fell better with out the bone pain, but that does not mean there won't be any pain.
When you are ready Here is How to Add Photos to a Forum Post.
Keep us posted on her progress, looking forward to pictures.
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
Â
        Maggie's Story          Amputation and Chemo
Oh my no pain meds? Â Keep a close eye on your girl panting, restlessness, ears back & crying all signs of pain. Â Most dogs come home with tramadol, gabapentin & rimadyl for pain control. Â If you see her distressed please don't hesitate to call your vet and insist on them. Â Plus using those new muscles to accomadate their new gait can also make them hurt. So let's add not wanting to move to the above pain symptoms. Â Keep us posted on her. Â Right now she'll still have some of the surgery meds in her but once those wear off she may need something more. Â Hugs,
Linda & Max
No pain meds?? Dang, the post op pain is real. I would continue using tramadol.
If Phobe is panting she is probably in pain.Â
I was told 5-6 months for Buddy and I elected to start Chemo. He just had round #2 of 5 and he's doing great. I also refuse to give up on my special boy.
I'm glad surg went well but watch that pain and call the vet like Linda said!!!
xoxo
Julie and Buddy
Alrighty, Phoebe is out of surgery! YAAAAAAAAAY FOR PHOEBE! Getting rid of that painful leg was definitely the right decision!!!
Okay, I apologize for being so...hmmm...blunt! To ditto everyone else...INSIST YOU BE GIVEN AIN MEDS PHOEBE!!!! To think that there are some vets who still don't understand the need for pain meds asrounds all.of us here. Clearly your vet is an excellent vet...it's just that to not prescribe pain meds for MAJOR AMPUTATION SURGERY is nt the norm by any stretch of the imagination!! As Donna said, a human would be in the hospital for weeks and probably in a morphine patch!!! I certainly hope this vet never has to endure major surgery without pain meds!!
Okay, while I'm still on my soap box...and apologizing yet again for...hmmm...being so blunt! Statistics don't mean crap around here!!! Phoebe does NOT have a timeframe stamped anywhere on that cute little Cocker Spaniel butt of hers! Really! Take a look! Do you seen an expiration date?? Didn't think so!!
For now, just keep things chunked down. Get her home and get her through recovery and then you can discuss treatment plans, whether it's chemo, holistic, or a combo of voth, or another route. Try and get some good rest tonight. You may not get much sleep for a few days.
STAY CONNECTED and update when you can!
Sending love and 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!
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