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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You are so very welcome. We're all cheering you on so don't hesitate to ask about anything OK? Have a great week!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Awesome!
Give her some time to build up her strength in the one back leg and get confident in her balance and I bet she will be going up that ramp again.
It's great that she will use a ramp. I built 3 ramps for Tri-pug Maggie over the years and she would not go near them. She was little so picking her up was usually not a problem, but being able to get up on things when she wanted seemed like it would be an incentive.
Good job Maggie and pack!
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
Love reading these good updates!
Yeah, nothing like joining the Tripawd Family for invaluable first hand experience! The vets send you home with a pre printed general list of instructions (not even that sometimes) that don't even begin to cover the reality of the ups and downs of recovery.
Our gratitude to a dog named JERRY is timeless
We're all cheering for sweet Maggie! So glad you are able to recognize, even in the middle of recovery, what a great decision you made WITH Maggie! Yeah, Maggie let you know she was ready ntonget more loving and spoiling and treats!
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!
What a great update. Happy to hear it! Go, Maggie!!!
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
Maggie continues to improve and yesterday was a big up but maybe a little down. I was with my mom most of the day for a medical procedure for HER. I called to check on things and my wife told me the great news that Maggie was lying on both sides! That was huge for us and I thought she'd now be a little more comfortable. However, she slept pretty much all day, whereas the previous days she was pretty restless, but then slept well at night. Last night, I guess she had had enough sleep and was up a lot. Also, her appetite, which had been back to normal, was way down as she really didn't want much dinner. Yesterday was day 5, so maybe a little "crash"?
She's also having a very hard time walking. She manages, but I have to coax her to go out for potty breaks. She's in a big hurry to get back and lie down. Still, we're very happy with her progress. I'd like to wean her off of pain meds but not sure if it's too soon.
Hooe your mom is doing okay. Send her our well wishes, okay?.
Mag may well be experiencing a bit of a somewhat expected crash. Of coirse, if you have any concerns check with your vet. Make sure she doesn't have a fever.
The meds can mess with their tummy. Does she appear nauseous at all? Have you tried some really yummy foods....aybe some mac and cheese, a drive thru cheeseburger, cheese pizza and, of course, tasty chicken.
What meds is she on and how often and dose amount? It may be that (with vet approval) you could possibly reduce them a bit..OR...It maybe that you actually need to increase them some...either give them a bit more frequently or up the dose. A true "catch 22"! My unprofessional opinion is it is too early to reduce pain meds, especially for a big dog. Restlessness and lack of appetite could mean she's in pain. Again, talk with your vet.
Her energy will pick back up. Shesw doing EXACTLY what she needs to do right now...rest and potty...not much else. She's a very smart girl! I knkw it seems like recovery will last forever. We've all been in that frame of mind. Her sparkle will come back slowly but surely!
She laid in ner amp site already? YAAAAAAAAAY FOR MAGGIE!!
Update us when you can.
Hugs to all!
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!
Not a vet, but what you describe is very much my own experience. It is a bit early to reduce pain meds - Otis continued on Tramadol into week 3, with tapering beginning when the staples came out on day 10. Day 5 you should still expect a lot of sleeping. Keep her fed and hydrated by bringing small amounts of food and water to her if she isn't interested in getting up herself. Get her outside when she needs to go - I kept a log book so I knew how much time had passed and when an outing was truly necessary - but otherwise, let her sleep. You will see her energy and activity pick up - for many of us, we saw a huge improvement once the staples came out, and it only got better after.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Ditto on the previous insight. I would add that you should try not to think about sleeping as being "down" but rather as healing. Sleep is medicinal right now, it's powerful stuff and the more she can rest up, the better off she'll be when you start to reintroduce exercise into her life. You're both doing great, keep it up!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Guilty admission. I loved how much Sadie slept during her recovery. 1) I was also exhuasted and just slept along next to her. 2) Now that she's past that stage she's back to jumping up on me and smakcing me in the face with her paw, only now with her weight behiond one paw, not two. I've given up trying to cover up the scratches on my neck and chin. I look a little like I took a rose bush to the face.
A quick thread hijack: Terrie! LOL!! My adopted front legger tripawd Frankie uses that remaining front leg of his like a 600 lb. lead pipe!! All my dogs "paw me" for various ways of telling me what they want (usually..."pet me"!). But you are so right, when front leggers use that one paw with such force, you stay scratched up and bruised! A Badge of Honor though!
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!
Another long day with mom yesterday. Got a call that Maggie was leaking from her incision. Wife called the vet who suggested I bring her in "when I could", and didn't sound terribly concerned. I took her in when I got home and her doctor wasn't terribly surprised. Thought it was probably leaking due to Maggie turning over from side-to-side and trying to use the missing leg. Told me I was free to bring her in today if I was concerned but he said she would be fine unless the wound starting leaking at a greater rate. Temperature was fine and everything else still ok. Her belly redness has gone away also. Vet wants me to keep her on her meds.
Much better appetite yesterday and she seems great. The issue now is potty. It is quite a struggle for her to get to her area. She's very reluctant to walk out there. Last night she peed and came in, I thought for the night. But, she became very restless and whiny. I decided she needed to poop, because I knew it had been a while. I helped her out again (I find it's helpful if I help her walk with a sling), and she pooped as soon as she got to the grass! Got her back in and she slept great. She still hasn't wanted to go yet today, but I'll help her out in a bit and I'm sure she'll at least pee.
I AM glad when she rests and sleeps. The first couple of days, she was up and down a lot, I think from discomfort, but that has subsided.
Today is one week since surgery so I know (thanks to all of you) that we have another week or two, at least. Can't wait for her to be comfortable walking. She gets up and down very easily and walks around her little "play pen" area, but seems afraid to do more than that.
Sounds like you are doing everything right. You will start seeing improvement, probably within a matter of days, and should see real improvement when the staples come out (day 10 or so). For now, continue to help her get outside, and let her be your guide in terms of her activity level. You are still in the phase where rest is best. She will get her confidence back and start moving around more - just let her take her time.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Glad you got some reassurance from the vet in the incision. You are a great advocate for sweet Maggie.
Maggie IS walking, pooping, peeing and eating!
Try gentle massage up and down her spine and neck and gentle leg massage and stretching before going out. She is doing EXACTLY what she needs to do...rest and potty. You can start to SLOWLY stimulate her to maybe take a few minutes to sniff around when she's outside. Maybe put a couple of treats in the grass close to her so she can relate being outside as a good thing!
You might also try something" that makes it .ore "exciting"'to get up and walk outside other than just potty. Does she have a friend that she really likes who could come over, act all excited, strong and confident and upbeat and bring her a cheeseburger and have Maggie follow her outside for it? Also, some dogs feel hindered and somewhat hesitant when using a sling. When she's walking in the house it's without the sling, right? You're there and you know your dog best. So if you feel she needs the sling for safety reasons, by all means continue using it.
Be assured, slowly but surely, Maggie is getting through this recovery!! We can see it!
Hugs to all!
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!
Some oozing is not uncommon. You can keep the incision clean with plain water, or boil some water then let it cool to room temperature and use cotton balls (or those round cotton make up remover things). You don't want to use peroxide. The drainage is probably just from the extra fluid build-up, it should look clearish or clear/bloody. If the drainage starts to smell, look yellowish or thick, then I would be concerned.
It sounds like Maggie is doing great! 
And so are you 
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Well, we've passed the one-week mark and I can say we're quite pleased. The redness is completely gone from her belly. The oozing has stopped. Maggie continues to roll over from side-to-side and seems to be feeling much better. She still acts like she wants some help getting outside, but the help is minimal. I kind of just guide her to get her started and she ambles out to do her stuff. Staples come out Tuesday, so we're looking forward to that. Thanks again, everyone.
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