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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We rescued Wolf as a 4-month old pup with a severe injury which is beyond repair and he is scheduled for a front leg amputation next week above the elbow. We are so sad to see this little guy go through such a major surgery but after reading some of the stories on this site I feel grateful that he doesn't have to battle cancer as well. (We had just euthanized our 15 year old dog with inoperable cancer before finding Wolf). So we are a bit overwhelmed and not sure how to prepare for him coming home. I see harnesses on dogs in the pictures - is that recommended? What about rehabilitation? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
welcome wolf!! future posts won't require moderation. usually the recovery period is about two weeks, and it can be rough, with the pain meds, the stitches, etc..but you guys will get through it fine. gayle lost her right front leg to a soft tissue sarcoma - the ruff wear harness was a great tool to help her in and out of vehicles, up/down stairs, etc. you want to wait until the stitches are out and the incision is healed before putting a harness on wolf. you might want to use an opened up cloth grocery bag to wrap under wolf's belly and help him get in and out during the first couple of days. it won't take long for him to find his new normal... also, putting a t-shirt over him will help him leave the stitches alone, and might make wearing the cone of shame a less necessary evil.
once home, he will be better served with raised food and water bowls, and if you have tile or hardwood floors, you might want to invest in some rubber backed rugs to help him have traction throughout the house.
we'd love to see some pictures of your boy!!!
charon & spirit gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
Oof! I'm going to let someone else point you in a good direction to answer your questions. My only advice is to get the Three Legs & A Spare http://download.....tion-help/ book --- loads of information in that, plus links to so much help here on tripawds.com. It helped me so much.
I'm sorry your poor Wolf is going through this, but you found the right place for help! I'm sure Wolf will do just fine as a tripawd. 🙂
Jack - adopted with a crooked leg at 4 months old, managed for six years, and now much-happier Tripawd as of 5/24/2012!
Wolfgang Amadeus Dog said
...he is scheduled for a front leg amputation next week above the elbow.
Sorry to hear about Wolf, but glad you found us. Why are they recommending a partial amputation? Every dog is different but vets have told us some may develop spinal or posture issues down the road after trying to use a shorter leg. And we have had at least one member report how they ended up doing a second amputation to remove he entire limb after the partial amp wouldn't heal.
The Ruff Wear Web Master is the most popular harness we recommend for most tripawds once they are healed. Many canine amputees never need a harness but they sure come in hand for providing assistance, especially if you have stairs or a large vehicle.
Regarding rehabilitation, be sure to watch all our three legged dog rehab video interviews and read the posts about CARE.
Be sure to bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List for lots of links the the best advice too.
Hope this helps! Please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My vet said that an amputation that included the shoulder is actually better for the dog...That said, if your dog had an injury, he's probably been limping or not using the bad limb for quite a while, so amputation will be like nothing to him (except for the pain in healing that the vet will give you pain killers for). Keep him quiet for the first few weeks and before you know it, he'll be doing just fine.
Hi Wolfgang! We are glad you're here. What kind of dawg are you? How cool that you found such great people.
So I too am curious why the doc is doing a partial amputation? We've had a lot of discussion here about it, which is why I ask. These search results have some great info.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
You've come to the right place Wolf for advice. Welcome. Can't wait to see pictures of you.
Heather & Spirit Shadow
Welcome, Wolf! We are crossing our paws for a speedy recovery and happy life.
Wolf's parents, hang in there. It may be a rough couple of weeks, but you will be astounded by how quickly Wolf rebounds.
Beth, Spirit Smilin' Sammy and MB Wiggly Wrigley
Smilin' Sammy, March 16, 2004 – Dec. 5, 2011
Golden retriever, diagnosed with osteosarcoma in September 2010 — right front leg amputated November 2010. He fought valiantly to stay with us; but a second diagnosis of osteosarcoma, this time in his left front leg, was more than our golden warrior could overcome. He loved his pack — and everyone else he met.
We loved him even more.
Thanks for the pennies, Sammy. They helped.
Welcome Wolf and family!
Oh gosh, I know it's hard to put them through such a major surgery. But Little Wolf won't even remember he had that extra leg since he is so young! He'll do great!
Now post some pics so we can Oooh and Ahhh!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Welcome Wolf and pack, Sorry you had to find us here, but you won't be sorry you did. The young pups seem to recover pretty quick. He should do really well as a Tripawd. It's great that you aren't having to deal with cancer. I would also recommend the 3 Legs & A Spare book!
Keep us posted!
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Welcome to Tripawds Wolf!
Your pack is awesome for adopting- and not giving up on you even though you have a bad leg.
You have lots of good advice. Wolf is young, not dealing with cancer, and already probably limping or hopping. That mix usually makes for a quick recovery- I hope it works that way for Wolf.
Don't get discouraged if he has some down time after surgery- as others have said the first couple of weeks can be rough. Hopefully Wolf will sail right through.
Let us know how the surgery goes.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Welcome Wolf and family! I know this is a very scary time. We have all been there so we understand. Most Dogs do really great with amputation. The healing process is the worst part with the first few days being the hardest. You'll need to get some extra rest beforehand because once you bring Wolf home you may have a few sleepless nights. It's hard to see them that way and you may be worried about every little thing. So that's where Tripawds comes in. It is very stress relieving to type out all of your worries, fears, thoughts and feelings. Make sure your floors are nonslip so if you have hardwood or tile you will need to put down some nonslip runners or rugs to prevent your new Tripawd from slipping. The first few days or week they could be somewhat unsteady on their feet as they learn to adjust to their newly remodeled bodies. But even after they are healed Tripawds still seem to slip easier especially if they get excited. They also do alot of sleeping the first couple of weeks and may not seem like themselves. Usually around 2-3 weeks after the surgery they get the are off the meds have the stitches out and they have learned to balance better and they start to feel a whole lot better. A little at a time they build up their strength and they get right back to their normal silly selves. They can do most things that they did before but they may get tired faster. Pay attention that your Tripawd does not keep any extra weight on because that makes it harder for them. Hoping that the surgery goes perfectly and Wolf will have a smooth uneventful recovery so he can get back to being a happy healthy puppy.
Thanks to all for the responses and the advice - we will certainly do everything suggested. As for the surgery - I will find out if they are indeed taking the shoulder - we have already seen so many vets, I may have missed that in the shock. So, we just broke the news to my 10-year old daughter, Cameron, and she's pretty upset. Are there any kids out there that can reassure Cameron that her puppy will be the same as before? I will let her ask some questions:
Is he still going to be able to run, swim, jump, and play? I want Wolf to be a fun dog.
Are other kids in my courtyard going to like him? I don't want them to think he's creepy. Can he be the same (and cooler) dog as before?
- Cameron
Dear Cameron,
Wolf will be able to do all of things you asked — swim, jump and play. You will be so proud of him! And, your friends will not think he is creepy. They will think he is sweet and cute. They will be very interested and amazed by how well he runs and plays. Wolf will show all of the kids how to deal with the tough things that sometimes happen in life.
When we took Sammy places, many people stopped to ask us what happened to him and marveled at how beautiful and "normal" he acted. We've made lots of new friends because of him, and you may, too.
Don't be scared, Cameron, when he isn't himself for the first few weeks. He will heal quickly and you will love him just the same — perhaps even more. Tripawds rock!
Beth
Smilin' Sammy, March 16, 2004 – Dec. 5, 2011
Golden retriever, diagnosed with osteosarcoma in September 2010 — right front leg amputated November 2010. He fought valiantly to stay with us; but a second diagnosis of osteosarcoma, this time in his left front leg, was more than our golden warrior could overcome. He loved his pack — and everyone else he met.
We loved him even more.
Thanks for the pennies, Sammy. They helped.
At first, the incision might be a little scary to people. (I kept a tshirt on Abby until she was fully healed up.) But after Wolf is all healed and recovered, people will most likely be very impressed by him. That was our experience. Strangers would come up and tell me how cool she was, or how impressed they were by her. It's awesome to have a Tripawd in the family, and your daughter will soon see that.
You might get the odd person who will say something stupid, but just ignore those folks and concentrate on the friendly ones.
Jackie
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
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