Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello!
My name is Cameron and my partners and I have a beloved 11 year old German Shepherd Mix Gabriel who is facing a front left leg amputation due to Osteosarcoma.
We got the diagnosis only a week ago and have been streamlined through the process quite fast, so there have been a lot of emotions, mm and now we are facing this next big step of Gabriel sadly losing his leg. Right now we are both quite nervous about it, Gabriel is not a down dog, and for an 11 year old he is in wonderful shale outside the osteosarcoma in his leg. He has a few small issues that we found during the CT scan like a bulging disc and a bit of arthritis in his back. But according too the vet and all his other care givers he is 11 going on 6. Gabe is however a somewhat low key dog, he's always been relatively quiet and not a hyper pup, though he is a fan of walks and really loves getting outside.
My partner and I are understandably nervous, with Gabriel being an older dog for his size and that he is somewhat low energy. But the surgeon and our Oncologist deem him a good surgery candidate, but we only have 5 days to his scheduled surgery and it's been 5 days since the diagnosis, it all feels like it's moving along very fast, which I know can be a good thing when fighting osteosarcoma.
I have been reading stories and going through the surveys on this site, and reading all the info I can before we need to do this, just being able to prep as much as possible for Gabriel is good and only seems fair to him!
Feel free to leave tips or links to other forums on here maybe about recovery, prep, and whatever else might be useful for a 80lb Shepherd mix who is going to become a Tripawd.
Thank you so much
Hi Cameron, Gabriel and family. Welcome! Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.
Gabriel sounds like a real sweetheart, and a young-at-heart dog too! It's great your vets all think he's a good candidate. As you can see, dogs of all sizes and ages can do great on three legs. And yes, you're moving along quickly, it's enough to make your head spin! But as you already know, it's good to just get it done and over with once all the diagnostics are done.
I'm curious, what did they say about the bulging disc? Did they do any workups on it? I ask because when a dog loses a leg, their body compensates in all sorts of ways and puts stress on other areas that don't normally feel it. That new movement can put pressure on that disc. Not always, but I can think of one member whose dog had bulging disc issues after surgery. I don't want to worry you, and it's probably not a big deal at all, but you may want to get another opinion about that disc, perhaps with an orthopedic surgeon.
Meanwhile, have you seen our What to Expect articles ? Or Jerry's Required Reading List ? There's lots of reading there.
Also, do your floors have plenty of traction ? That's the #1 thing you can do to ensure his mobility in your home. Raised feeders are good too. And if you have stairs, we love the Ruffwear Flagline harness for dogs. It's an incredible help going up and down stairs and getting into and out of cars.
I hope this helps! Stay tuned for feedback from others and keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
11 going on 6!!! Love that description for your Gabriel!!
Yes, we sure do get all the emotions involved. The uncertainty, the fear, the mental and physical exhaustion and on and on.
You are making the right decision out of love fornyour Gabriel! You are givi him a chance and an extended life of pain free quaility full of more loving and spoiling and tummy rubs and walks out in nature.😎
Recovery is no,picnic for the first week or two. Every dog recovers at their own pace in their own way.
Check out the links Jerry gave you. Also download Loving Life On Three Legs . And STAY CONNECTED!!! We'veall been through it, the uos and downs, the joy when the sparkle starts to co e back and normal routines resume,
He may not poop for a few days and may be off food a bit. Dri and pee are important though.
Oh, and when you do go to pick him up from the Clinic, don't even bother to look at the incision or draw attention to it. Gabriel just wants to see your smiling faces tell him what a good boy genuis and he's going home!! Put forth a strong, confident, upbeat energy and he'll feed off of that.
Let us know as any questions arise, okay?
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!
Thank you for the kind words, so the Surgeon already gave us approval for the surgery, and Gabriel already goes to see physiotherapists once every few weeks for maintenance and then most recently for his limp (which turned out to be Osteosarcoma). They didn't notice any bulging disc but that he was tight in his lower back
As for the bulging disc they have given us approval for the surgery and the orthopedic surgeon believes he would be a good candidate, and I was corrected on this by my partner and by the vet notes. As the Bulging disc is minor at this time.
We plan to bring him to physio before the surgery and then continue after surgery, where we plan to ask them about assisting and healing that bulging disc, as well as looking into a prosthetic for him or front leg wheelchair options to assist the transition.
As for the floors, we have all hardwood but we have been getting some carpets and runners for areas Gabriel goes throughout the house, and we thankfully only have 2-3 stairs going in and out of the house both front and back. That we have some grips on, but might get some smaller runners or better grips put on for him
I will take a look at the links you sent me now!
Gabe is going in for his Amputation tomorrow morning, my partner and I are quite anxious for this as it does cut off some alternative avenues of treatment for us, such as vaccines and some clinical trials, but Gabe's pain is becoming too much too quickly. So we needed to proceed with the amputation to help him have a better quality of life.
From reading on the forums here and on Facebook and more we are really bracing for a few tough weeks ahead. Gabriel is in great shape, and the physio confirmed his suspected bulging disc is in good order and is not bothering him at all, and we place to work on that in the future!
We have began collecting yoga mats, runners and grippy surfaces and loads of blankets for him to have soft and grippy surfaces all over while he gets better, I will try to update everyone with how this all goes with Gabriel and how his recovery goes, we anticipate he will be at the vet for 1-2 nights potentially!
Today, he found us a rare bird that we had never see. (we are avid birders and he signalled too us there was a birs nearby)
It felt like a beautiful moment, getting to enjoy this bird with Gabriel on his last 4 legged walk!
Thanks for the update.and it's great to hear he's all set for surgery so that painful leg can be gone!!!! You are making the right decision! One that is definately in Gabriel's best interest! He is now going to proceed with a pain free quaility life so he can point out more bea birds to you!!
That was such a lovely story how he showed you a bird you had not seen. He's clearly ready to move on and show you more of what nature has to share.
You sound very prepared in the way you are setting things up. Good job!
And yes, some recoveries are rough, some semi rough and some seem unbelievably smooth! We try and share all scena6 so, ifmitmis a rough one, people will be prepared (somewhat) and not panic. Gabriel will recover at his own pace aqnd in his own way. Good pain management with some tweaking every now and then is the key.
Rest, rest, rest, short leashed potty breaks and more rest. Drinking and peeing are important. Eating and pooping may be off for a few days, no worries.
Make sure his bedding is firm enough so he can go to sa sit or stand posit without slipping.
When you do go to pick him up, don even bother looking at the jncision or drawing atte tion to it. Just look I to in Sparky eyes tell him he''s a really good boy and he's going home!!
Update when you can. We're all right jere to help you navigate thru recovery and o to more bird watching!
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!
Oooh how did surgery day go? We have our paws crossed for good news!
I love that the birds came to visit all of you. What a good sign, all the earth's creatures are looking out for Gabriel. Just curious, what kind of bird was it?
When you are able let us know how things went. You have everything you need for recovery, including your excellent attitude. What a great job! 
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We just got home with him now and he is resting well, the surgery went off without a hitch and they said he did fantastic.
We got him a ramp to get into our van, and he didn't like that and decided he didn't need it and hopped right in the van, and wanted to stand all the way home! He is doing really well, and when we got home he wanted to go pee in the yard and he had no issues doing that as well so really we are off to a good start.
He was a bit picky with some of the food we were giving him before he went in for amputation and we thought maybe it was due to pain in his leg from the Osteosarcoma, but now since we got home we realized he just doesn't like his new Keto diet!
He ate for the vets at the hospital twice, and pooped already as well, he is obsessed with the vet canned food and that was probably what he was getting so now our healthy food is not a good!
Id say so far he is doing very well, I went to help him out of the van and that did hurt him a little bit, I think getting out of the van will require the ramp perhaps. Or he might want to just hop out on his own while I hold him via a sling. After that incident he was a bit apprehensive to walk and his
Honestly, he is doing really well so far, hes pooped, ate, peed, and jumped into the van and is drinking water as well
Right now he is getting a bit of heat on the area before bed and then tomorrow will be a good day of rest and relaxation with perhaps a small walk
The bird! It was a Black-backed Woodpecker, we had been looking for one for nearly a year and kept finding alllll the other woodpeckers but never this species before! Of course when we found it I had only a small 50mm lens, rather than my usual 500mm lens because I was taking some video's of our walk with Gabe!
Thanks for checking in so far, Once I figure out the photos part of this I shall get some up of Gabe during his recovery.
HOORAY for Gabriel! He's really showing you he's got this recovery thing down. Between the no-go on the ramp and the diet, sounds like Gabriel's showing you that he's all about keeping things as normal as they were before all this started. Smart boy!
Yeah, lots of dogs hate ramps. They have depth perception issues which makes ramps scary at times. You both have a good handle on what he wants and doesn't want, follow his lead and you'll enjoy more frustration-free days.
Keep the walk super short outside. Right now he shouldn't be doing anything but leashed potty walks to the yard.
Thanks for the bird info. What a gorgeous critter! I love the yellow and the patterns on them. With that 500mm lens you are a serious birder my friend. We could learn lots from you here.
Oh this is how adding images to the Forums works. Can't wait to see Gabriel's gorgeous selfies!
- Upload pics to a photo sharing site like imgur.com or your own Tripawds blog (https://tripawd...../supporter). Pictures and video have to be hosted (live) somewhere other than in the forums.
- Once the photo is uploaded somewhere, right click and copy the Image URL or just copy the image if you’re on a phone
- Return to your Tripawds Forum post and paste the image URL (or the image itself) in your post. It should automatically appear.
If you’d like help figuring out the process let me know. Hope your day and weekend is smooth sailing. Keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Keep on rockn' this recovery Gabriel! Eating, peeing, pooping, drinking and mobile! YAY!! You're doing great (and we knew you would)!
And yeah, eating good stuff from the Bet for now will do jist fine. And a few trearts for being such a good boy.perfect!. Keto may have to wait a little longer😉
As Jerry said, slooooow and easy for now.
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!
Yeah slow and easy for sure, since getting home Gabe started out really good. But now he has kind of stopped wanting to eat, we are trying to figure out if one of the pain medications might be causing some loss of appetite, because when be ate after coming home he had just been started back on Percocet, and now since giving him that he doesn't trust his cheese snacks and doesn't really want to eat much now.
Just don't want to have the pain creep back in, he still is drinking and peeing and will get up to go outside and at times to a different bed.
Need to also remind myself we have had home home for just over 24 hours so it's not a rush to have him back up and running completely.
Yesterday we sat outside for nearly 5 hours in the beautiful Canadian sun (a balmy +8)
Such a handsome boy♥️
Yes. Definately keep reminding yourself (and we'll help remind you too😉), this is very rearly in recover from MAJOR SURGERY, all while adapting to three- Hoomans would still be in the hospital on a morphine drip!
Sogs are so smart and stubborn! Once they figure out you are trying to hide plis in a goodie they will shy away. Just make sure you don't try and trick him with food you are trying to get him to eat as a meal. It's not j usual at all to be off food for a few days, especially once all the hospital meds have worn off. And a antibiotics can mess with their food eating habits sometimes too.
You may have already posted, but what does his daily pain management look like?
And tha ks for the pocture. It made us smile seeing him all snuggling in his comfy bed kn the sunshine.
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!
On the bright side we did get him to eat a bit this morning, he had a bit of his breakfast and I cooked him an egg which he really liked.
As for pain management we were given Gabapentin 300mg x 3 daily and Gabapentin x1 daily.
We had Percocet at the house from when he was struggling with pain from the osteosarcoma (OSA), the first night we had a bit of an incident where I went to help him out of our van and caused him a bit of pain.
He was also restless from pain the first night so we called the vet and asked if Percocet would be alright to give as well, because we had been giving it too him before alongside all the meds listed above while he was managing the OSA pain.
They approved that for 5mg OXY / 325mg Acetaminophen 3x daily. But we realized right after that he lost his appetite. So now we are backing off that to maybe 2x daily only if needed, this is in addition too the GABA and Galliprant above
So far he's past the 13 hour mark and he's more alert, interested in food and his snuffle mat and also is begging a bit. No yelps or whining from pain either so far.
I just don't want to under-do the pain medications as I heard getting the pain back under control but perhaps the Percocet is too much for him and maybe we can advocate for an alternative that he agrees with more if we notice the pain is getting worse.
Oh good! Glad he enjoyed a bit of breakfast this morning. Yeah, whatever it takes at this point food wise.
Don't have any insight into the Percocet, other than I don't recall seeing it used here....or very little maybe? So just pit that in the FWIW category. But it certainly seems, based on what you've said, it could be causing an upset tummy.
Be sure and celebrate each "little" improvement! During recovery "little" improvements are HUGE VICTORIES!!!👏
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 handsome boy! Oh my gosh I'm in 
Well I'm not a vet but I think your instincts are spot on about the Percocet. It's a pretty strong narcotic and I do recall some new Tripawds members giving it to their dogs. It will definitely dull appetite. As long as he stays hydrated I wouldn't worry too much at this point since it's so early. Also check out these appetite tips to see if he starts not wanting to eat again.
Based on your last update it sure sounds like things are on the upswing?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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