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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I'd like to introduce you all to Hamlet, and if you haven't noticed, she's a cat. Am I in the right place? Do you deal with only dogs here?
Regards, Rosemary
rjcoole said
Am I in the right place?
Of course. We have a growing number of Tri-Kitty bloggers!
Tripawd Kitty Bloggers Sharing Their Feline Amputation Tales
Welcome, we look forward to learning more about Hamlet. Your future forum posts will not require moderation
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
PS: You've posted in the Presentation and Diagnosis forum. Please tell everypawdy about Hamlet's amputation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you for your kind welcome. Hamlet has not had her amputation yet. I'm trying to prepare myself for what is upcoming.
Five years ago when she was a kitten, she chose Jim, my partner and followed him home. She's an indoor/outdoor moggie and the terror of every mouse and vole in the neighbourhood. She even caught a bat once and bought it home as a special treat for us.
Just over two weeks ago, I noticed she had a limp on her right front paw and isolated her from the other resident cats. I thought it might be a simple muscle strain or sprain. She continued to limp the next day and I kept her in the spare room to give it time to heal. When I checked the next morning her paw had swollen to twice the usual size and we took her to the vet. The initial diagnosis was a abscessed toe. Under anesthetic, they cleaned it up and administered antibiotics via i.v. We came home with pain meds and more antibiotics and returned every third day for a bandage change and reassessment. Last week, our Vet was not happy with the lack of healing and we started an additional course of antibiotics. At that time he stated that the toe might have to be amputated. Yesterday, we had another follow-up visit and the Vet suggested we should be considering amputation of her leg as he suspects cancer.
Hamlet is scheduled for a biopsy on Wednesday and those results will give us the information we need to make the appropriate decisions and how to progress.
Like everyone here, I don't want to make those choices for my wee girl and am terrified for her. And I guess like everyone here went online trying to search for answers and information.
Regards, Rosemary
Welcome Hamlet! Yes indeedy...a tripawd is a tripawd famiy member regardless!
As Admin said, we have lots of kotties....we've got Miss Jill, Miss Steve (yes..."Miss"), Misty, Fang,, Salem (an Angel now) and many more!
Would love to hear ore avojt your Hamlet. His avatar icture is very handsome!
WELCOME!
Sally and 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!
Rosemary and Hamlet, we are so glad you're here. You are most definitely welcome! With more and more kitties joining us every day we are slowly incorporating more cat-centric imagery and such here, so thanks for taking that leap of faith and jumping in with us.
Be sure to check out the kitty blogs that Admin referred you to, you'll find lots of great info there and you won't feel so alone or hopeless if you have to go the tripawd route. I hope the biopsy comes back with good news, keep us posted OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome to you and Hamlet. Actually I hope you don't have to join the Tripawd ranks, but if you do this is the best place to be for information and support. I hope you have looked at the blogs admin guy suggested. It is a scary thing to contemplate, but most all dogs and cats do just fine on three legs. That doesn't make the decision easier, and it doesn't make you worry any less, it's what we do as humans!
Good luck with the biopsy on Wednesday.
Oh, and I have two black pugs named Titania (Tani) and Oberon (Obie). My tripug was named Margaret but I always called her Maggie.
Karen and Spirit Maggie
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Hamlet aren't you just gorgeous!! We don't care that you are a kitty, we have quite a few on here. A tripawd is a tripawd and their family is ours as well 
. Welcome!! Keeping paws crossed for you, please keep us updated!
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
Hi Rosemary!
Welcome to you and Hamlet. My Jill is one of those kitty tripawds! Her cancer actually started in her toe as well. She had her toe amputated in June 2012 and was diagnosed with Giant Cell Osteosarcoma (bone cancer). At the time, they got great margins and thought she would be ok, but this is a very rare type of cancer in kittys, so I was told to keep an eye on her since there was really no precedent to predict outcome and unfortunately the cancer spread in her leg and we had to amputate her leg 6 months later in December 2012 followed by four rounds of IV chemotherapy.
It's now almost 2 years since her initial diagnosis and almost 18 months since her amputation (right rear leg) and she is doing fantastic. She runs around like any four legged kitty and she is healthy and happy. Kittys do really really well as tripawds, especially since they are small. The ONLY thing she cant do now is scratch behind her ear 
Please do check out her blog, if you go all the way to the beginning I have tons of videos and pictures throughout her entire recovery. (her blog is jillsjourney.tripawds.com)
Please do let me know if you have any questions at all. I know how scary it can be at first, I was absolutely terrified to amputate her leg, but in the end it was the best decision I've ever made!
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
Thank you for your support everyone. Tomorrow is biopsy day and I'm hoping for the best. She's getting cranky being isolated in the guest room even though I bring her out several times a day for petting and loving. She hates being a conehead, but without it she can get a bandage off in less than a New York minute. Even with the cone, one day I had to make 3 return visits to the Vet's office for bandage replacement. I was ready to wrap her up in duct tape to keep it on. lol
At this point, I just want the anticipation to be over with and be able to move on. Think of us tomorrow morning please.
regards, Rosemary
Yes, sending you al sortsof pawsitive thoughts.
Rememver, Hamlet is living in the present and not worrying avout a rhing! She doesn't' care avout anyole' stupid diagnosis, statistice or any f that stuff!
She just wants that cone off her heard and to get al the spoiling and lovng she can weasel out of you.....and I think that's a whole lot!!
Grab yourself a bag of Hershey Kisses and eat it! It works great for stress reief!
Love and Hugs!
Sally and 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!
We'll be thinking of you for sure. Be strong, the cone of shame is the worst but so necessary as you know. You can do it!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'll be thinking good thoughts and looking for an update.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Welcome...what a pretty kitty. We'll be thinking good thoughts for tomorrow!
Deb and Angel Lexie* Diagnosed at age 13. Tried radiation first; wish we had amputated upon diagnosis (even with lung mets). Joined Club Tripawd April 2014 & Lexie loved life on 3 legs! Advice: Start physical therapy as soon as your vet clears it, especially hydrotherapy if available :-) See Lexie pics here.
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