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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Today my great dane/mastiff mix and german shephard/lab mix escaped the backyard (this is not uncommon for them) and before I was able to locate them wandered a mile south of our house to a farm. The farmer reports they were "attacking" his cattle which I suspect was actually them barking and running around trying to play as they have with my dad's cattle in the past, so he shot them. Sammie our lab/shephard was killed, and Lucky our 'big boy' suffered a debilitating wound to his left front leg just below his elbow (not sure if this is the accurate anatomical name on a dog). We rushed him to the vet, but with his open, commuted fracture, there is not a chance of repair, and she recommends an amputation at the shoulder. He weighs 120 pounds and I am worried about his prognosis. Am I being selfish in wanting him to survive knowing he will be sad not having his companion around? My house requires him to go up and down several stairs to go outside and use the bathroom---will he be able to maneuver this? I want to do what is best for him but I am struggling on what is the best decision. Sammie was our first family pet and the loss of her is tremendous. We have had Lucky for about a year (we rescued him), and while we love him very much too, it won't be the same without her. Any insight as to how an amputation will affect his quality of life is greatly appreciated!
Hello and welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm so sorry for your loss of Sammie and the injury to Lucky. What a terrible day for your family.
We have many large and giant breed dogs here who do well on three. You can start by looking through the Required Reading List for information on what you could expect with amputation and recovery.
If you do choose to amputate then after Lucky heals up I would think he would be able to do the stairs just fine, most dogs are able to do at least a few stairs.
Hopefully some members with large dogs will stop by soon.
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
Online
I am so very, very, very sorry to hear about the loss.of your beloved Sammie. My heart breaks for you. And now to be dealy with the challenges facing your big boy Lucky...so sorry you are going through this.
You are being given a horrific "forced choice" under horrifying circumstances. Trying to wrap your head arou d everything is overwhelming...all while in the midst of grief.
I know you've had no chance to do research. You've absolutely come ro the best place for information and support.
I'll just sort of "cut to the chase" as I'm sure you're in an urgent poi t where a decision has ro be .made.
Yes,dogs grieve. They also pick up the energy lf their humans. As you heal, they will heal. They also have a "sixth sense" to know that Sammie's energy is srill present, srill watching over her pack.
Lucky sou ds like a rough dog who has a will to live and get on with living life ro the fullest without that lai ful leg. And it must be so painful right now!.
As far as Lucky's size, we've had dogs much larger handle amputation just fine! My own beloved Happy Hannah, a somewhat "fluffy" Bull .astiff, weighed 125 lbs at rime of surgery. She, like .most all dogs, was up and walking within 24 hrs. of surgery.
Recovery is no picnic for about two weeks, give or take. It has lots of ups a d downs. During this time dogs just need short potty breaks and rest. Lucky will be on pain meds during this time. Sometimes they can make them a bit lethargic...sometimes not.
One thing for certain, once Lucky's recovery is over, you will be sooooo glad you did this FOR Lucky. He will adjust quickly!
As far as stairs, ost dogs handle them just fine. My Happy Hannah, a rear legger, could go down, had a harder time going up. Check out our gear blog and the harnesses available to help on the stairs shouldLucky need help at first.
I gjess the vottom line ks..NO...bek g a tripawd does NOT Interfere with quality at all!! You will be so proud and amazed!
STAY CONNECTED!! We are right here with you, okay? Please keep us posted. Again, so sorry to hear about Sammie.
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!
How horrible. I am so sorry that this has happened to your family. My Otis was 106 lbs before amputation, and an older dog with mild arthritis in his hips. Tomorrow will be 6 weeks post amputation (front leg) and he is doing great. The first two weeks are a challenge - lots of meds to juggle - but Otis was able to go outdoors to do his business, get to his food bowl, and move himself from dog bed to dog bed. Once the staples came out, he was up on the sofa! Our walks are much shorter now, but he does fine on his own in the backyard (two steps in and out). Sounds like Lucky might be younger than Otis, so if there is nothing physical arguing against amputation, he will probably do great. (I have a forum post which details a lot of what we went through from day 5 on, and have posted some photos on a blog which shows Otis just being a dog after his amputation).
We have ordered one of the Ruffwear harnesses to see if it will help him get upstairs - haven't tried to let him up yet, wanted the security of the harness for the first time. I know a lot of members have used them - there is a video of Jerry going up and down 18 stairs with his harness, but I also know a lot of dogs have done stairs without the harness.
You will all be sad without Sammy, especially since it was so senseless. But, Lucky can still be happy with his family, even with just 3 legs! Saving his life is not selfish, especially if there is no medical reason to believe that he will not have a good quality of life.
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.
Short answer: he'll be able to do stairs, especially if it is only a couple. Once they get the hang of it, stairs are not usually an issue, though you might always want to be 'on hand' if it is a full flight or especially steep.
He will be sad without his companion, of course. And amputation is no picnic, but it is also not nearly as devastating as everyone's first reaction. He's a big boy, and while the big guys and gals can have a rougher recovery, they generally do just as well once they've built up some strength. He won't be dealing with cancer at the same time so that is something definitely in his favor. He can still have a life full of doggie joy---chasing squirrels, laying in the sun, getting belly rubs etc.
I'm so sorry too about the loss of you Sammie. I'm sure it hurts to have her taken from you like that.
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
Oh my gosh I'm really, really sorry and so sad for your pack. What an awful day.
Yes, Lucky can go on to live a great, happy life. Many front-leg Tripawds have been much larger. Look around our Size and Age Matters Discussion Forum topic and you'll see lots of examples of living a great life on three legs. Check out Louie the Masiff's blog, he'll inspire you too and there's a great video of him in his last post.
Be sure to check out Jerry's Required Reading List and this recent post about pain management so you'll have a good idea of what to expect before and after surgery.
You're coping with so much right now, and it's understandable to feel upset, confused and worried. That's why we're here, so don't be a stranger OK? Let us know what you decide.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Jamie, I'm heartbroken for you.
I don't know what you've decided for Lucky, but wanted to add another vote to the "giant dogs can do great as tripawds" side of the question.
My 6.5 year-old Anatolian Shepherd, Koda, lost his front left leg to cancer March 4th -- 20 days ago. He was about 150 lbs pre-op.
Two days after his surgery, he hopped out to the car and up into the back seat of our SUV with almost no assistance. About a week later, we found him napping on the guest bed after someone left the door open. Last week, he started going up and down the stairs because he missed sleeping on his human sisters' beds.
Most of us are here because our fur babies lost limbs to cancer -- bone cancer (osteosarcoma) in Koda's case. For these tripawds, the average life expectancy post-amputation (with chemo) is about a year. Even in cases where their time was much shorter, I'm not aware of anyone who felt amputation was a mistake.
Assuming Lucky is otherwise healthy, there's no reason he couldn't live a long, happy, nearly-normal life on three legs.
When Koda's big brother passed a couple years ago, I read somewhere that dogs tend to grieve for about six months. That seemed about accurate. The grief -- whether we have 2,3 or 4 legs -- is real. You'll always love and miss Sammie, but the pain will fade in time.
I hope you'll check in to let us know how you're doing.
Hugs,
Julie and Koda
Mom of Koda, 150 lb male Anatolian Shepherd age 6 1/2 (DOB 10/4/09).
TPLO both knees - one 11/2012 and the other 2/2013;
Underpants-ectomy (a/k/a blockage removal) 8/2013;
Osteosarcoma in front left leg diagnosed 3/1/16;
Joined Tripawd Nation 3/4/16
Forever missing Koda's big brother, Sully (a/k/a James P. Sullivan), our first Anatolian and the Original Big Man (tm), who passed at age 10 1/2 from degenerative myelopathy on 6/27/13.
I apologize for my late arrival on this post, but how horrific! Your story just breaks my heart. For those of us who live in the country, making sure our outside fur-babies stay safe is always a forefront fear. Whether from wild animals, hunters, traps or neighbors, there's so much "trouble" for them to get into.
Bless you and your pack and I so, so sorry for your loss.
I would love to know any updates you have on your sweet Lucky.
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
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