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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WOOHOO for the potty dance! That's wonderful, what a great way to start your week. She's getting the hang of things, time to celebrate that milestone. It's funny how this really makes you appreciate all of those previously 'ordinary' things doesn't it?
Where do I even find liverwurst in the grocery store? Any other ideas if she doesn’t like that?
You'll find it in the lunch meats section usually. Other ideas include:
Best Pet Products at BlogPaws, Part 2 (Earth Balance Pill Paste rocks!)
Also was wondering if stairs will ever be an option for a front leg amputee?
You bet! We had 17 steps to go in and out of our home when Tripawds founder Spirit Jerry lost his leg. Using the Ruffwear Webmaster harness helped tremendously. Here's how we did it:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you Jerry for all that great info!! That video of the stairs is really motivating - there is light at the end of the tunnel. We only have 7 stairs so I am know she can conquer them. I will definitely keep using the harness until she gets used to them and is not scared anymore. Like the way that he kept against the wall going down for support.
Thank you so much!
Lisa & Xena.
You are so welcome! I never could have guessed that a three-legged dog could do the stairs like that until Jerry figured it out. He always leaned on the wall too, it was adorable.
We look forward to watching Xena's progress!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We have serious stairs in our house--it was one of my biggest concerns with Charlie's amp. We did try too early--so be sure to wait until your pup is truly ready. But once he was ready...it was one of my favorite memories. He was so proud! 
You'll get there. Here's a link to the video on his FB page:
https://www.fac.....38;theater
Heather
Charlie, our English yellow lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2014. He became a tripawd on February 24th, with clear lymph nodes and lungs, but that didn't last long. After three doses of Carbo, in May 2014, x-rays showed lung mets. We briefly tried Palladia, which went well. Unfortunately, Charlie developed unexplained complications in his hind limbs. We said a reluctant farewell on June 11, 2014. Still miss our boy each and every day.
Just want to say a wuick "hi" to Heather and John. Please know we are here for you and we miss sweet Charlie too! But boy oh boy, he sure made an impact on us and we'll never forget him!
Hugs and love!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle
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!
Heather -Charlie did great! That was excellent, thank you!
We bought a stretcher online and it came yesterday so we were able to get Xena in it and carry her upstairs. She loved being upstairs and you could see her perk up right away. It was awesome. It's rough for me and my husband to carry 119lb dog up the stairs while trying to be careful as not to hurt her, but it is well worth it. We will continue to do it that way until she gets her staples out on the 26th. I just ordered the ruffwear harness and look forward to helping her with the harness on, then eventually she can do it herself.
Xena continues to do great. When she goes to get her staples out we will discuss with the vet, the chemo options and the way forward.
Question - after the amputation, how long were your dogs on pain meds? I picked up more meds from the vet yesterday and asked about what the specialist vet directed for home care - all the meds end this Friday. Shouldn't she be on something, at least one pain med for a little bit longer? The vet that she normally sees was off yesterday but she is supposed to call me today. Just can't see her coming off all the meds on Friday??
Thanks again for all your advice and support!!
Xena & Lisa
My pug Maggie was on pain meds for two weeks after her amp although the last couple of days we tapered off. Every dog is different and you should go with how Xena feels. How long has it been since surgery?
I don't like stopping pain meds cold after my pups have been on them for awhile. I like to back off on the dose, see how they react then adjust accordingly. I was able to taper Maggie off the tram after her amp surgery without having to go back up. When my quad pug Obie had knee surgery I tapered down a couple different times only to have to go back up because he was clearly uncomfortable.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
The vet prescribed Johnnie pain meds for 10 days, and antibiotics for longer - 15 days. My strategy was the same as Karen´s with Maggie - I started reducing the dosage of the pain meds to see how he fared, didn´t just stop. It´s true that he was also on antiinflamatories, which also have an analgesic effect.
Daniela
Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet. Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues. Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle. October 17: started having seizures. Taking fenobarbital for seizures. April 18: started prednisone.
Good morning, Xena and Lisa!
I have been reading your posts and it took me right back to Lily's diagnosis and the trials and tribulations of the first few weeks. Got me a little teary-eyed I am so happy things are going so well for Xena! They are just going to continue to do so every day and you will share many moments of joy with your family as she conquers new hurdles.
Lily came off of Tramadol after two weeks and I was really worried about how she would do. But it actually seemed like she felt a lot better! The Tramadol made her act like a zombie and we felt like we finally got our Dane back. She did still take Rimadyl so I imagine that helped with any residual pain. It's now been four months and my almost 9 year-old Great Dane is back in full swing....finished carboplatin treatments last week and is now on daily mets. She is now chasing squirrels and at full speed you would swear she's got four legs!
Best wishes as adorable Xena continues to recover!
Lily and Kerry
Lily the Great Dane (she was actually a lot more than just "Great") joined our family as an ornery puppy on December 20, 2005 and changed our lives forever. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in early May of 2014 and her right rear leg was amputated on May 8, 2014. She sailed through 5 rounds of Carboplatin and 15 weeks of Pallladia. She hopped on 3 legs like she was born to it and continued to fight cancer with grace, valor and an abundant sense of humor...and always a *giant* smile on her face. Lily had two small nodules on her lungs but was brought short by a brain tumor in late December, 2014. Lily earned her wings on December 28, 2014 and we miss her terribly every day. http://lilyt.tripawds.com
LILY AND KERRY! Great to see such a positive update on Lily! YAAAAAAAAAY!
XENA! And you are being treated like a Princess...because you are! LOVE the stretcher idea!!!
My Happy Hannah did take n pain meds for THREE weeks.....like almost everyone here....my vet tole me I could take her off at two weeks......NOT....I put her back on...it was probably a reduced dose, but my big Bull Mastiff needed to be on pain pills a little longer than some. You really just have to monitorXena and see what works best for her...tapering is definitely a good middle of the road way to go.
HUGS TO ALL!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle
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!
Charlie came off meds quicker, but I agree that it's quite variable. Part of the reason he came off sooner was because, for Charlie, Tramadol was the devil and he was so much more himself and happy once he came off. Not all dogs react the way that he did, but he never went back on.
Gabapentin was great and he stayed on that longer. Good to note that Gabapentin is more for nerve pain and there's a lot that's going on in nerves getting sorted out after amp.
As mentioned before, tapering is good. You know your dog better than you think you do and you'll be able to tell.
Charlie, our English yellow lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2014. He became a tripawd on February 24th, with clear lymph nodes and lungs, but that didn't last long. After three doses of Carbo, in May 2014, x-rays showed lung mets. We briefly tried Palladia, which went well. Unfortunately, Charlie developed unexplained complications in his hind limbs. We said a reluctant farewell on June 11, 2014. Still miss our boy each and every day.
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