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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Glad to hear Gabbriel is doing so well! Cheering for that sweet boy!
Did not know about that "gene" that shows up in the DNA test. Thanks for posting that (and to Jerry for ''splainin' " it). Very interesting.
And agree with Jerry, most likely Gab has had active dreams all along, but this crazy journey makes us hyper aware of every little thing!
I'm owned by sweet Merry Murtle who became blind very quickly a couple of years ago. I'm sure she always had active dreams but my awareness heightened after she went blind. She "runs" she , "barks", she wags her tail. It always makes me hapoy because I feel like in her dreams she can "see" and "seeing" makes her happy🤗
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 we got multiple DNA tests now's showing he doesn't 😂
Gabe has always had active dreams! I just notice now he's having a bit more "violent" active dreams now? (Violent is t probably the best term, but he's moving more in them now!)
But like you both said, I'm being very cognisant of them because I worry he has dreams chasing squirrels and then wakes up again to 3 legs And cancer. I always remind myself, if we didn't take that leg off he might not even be alive now.
As for Gabe! He's been quite good, he often wakes up at night and just stares at us, we suspect Nausea as when we wake up he isn't tooooo interested in much food, until we give him his Cerenea for the Nausea from the Chemo. Other than that though Gabe's been doing so well with his Chemo. Has anyone else has this experience with their dogs after they received Carboplatin? Or heard of any others with dogs that would wake during the night and stare?
He is still tender on his stump area, but he did take a bad fall in the car while driving yesterday so it could be bruising perhaps from that. He insists on standing in the car a lot of the time which can be bad on 3 legs.. I was not there when it happened but my partner told me about his fall.. poor boy. On this note, he isn't on any pain killers and it is now 21 days post amp! Here he is recently!!
Look at that tail wagging so happily. He definitely loves the snow😎
And no, we can categorically say Gabe does NOT think about "three legs and ,cancer" when he wakes up from a dream chasing squirrels. Nope, ,not in his thought process at all (may be what his hoomans thi k about) He may wake up feeling proud of himself for chasing those squirrels though.
And yes, chemo can cause a ,bit of na6 sometimes. As far as him waking up and staringasaside effect of chemo........he probably senses you staring at him😁
Thanks for the pocture and video. Seeing him so Happy and engaged in the "snowball fight", just precious.
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!
Twenty one days later and look at that wiggly butt go! What a beautiful thing to see him joyfully running around in the outdoors 
I hope you'll post more!
. Has anyone else has this experience with their dogs after they received Carboplatin? Or heard of any others with dogs that would wake during the night and stare?
Does the behavior seem like anxiety to you? Jessee's mom reported something similar after her chemotherapy sessions. Interesting.
Poor buddy, sorry he fell. In time he'll get his balance in the car as he regains strength. Trying to stand upright in the car is a tough core-strengthening exercise believe it or not. Does he have any bruising?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My dog Harley just had his second chemo TX about 14 days ago. The Oncologist prescribes Zofran (Ondansetron) for Nausea to give twice a day for 4 to 5 days after each treatment. He has not had any issues at all with nausea or appetite. The Zofran is a fair bit less expensive than the Cerenia which is probably why they can prescribe a twice daily dosage for 4 to 5 days. It would be cost prohibitive with Cerenia. My dog is a Lab though and appetite has never been a problem for him.
mcmahod5978 said
My dog Harley just had his second chemo TX about 14 days ago.
Thank you so much for sharing! Go Harley! Keep on kickin' butt!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Gabriels appetite has not really returned since his Amputation, we are going on 3.5 weeks and he is sti quite picky with his food. Even when taking the Cerenea he was picky about what he wanted too eat.
He seems to be not interested in food in the mornings and then in the evenings his appetite is voracious and he follows you around the kitchen when we are making his food.
He has been doing physically well, with his running around and movement. The main thing is he is still not back to himself when it comes to appetite. We have heard of cases with dogs on Chemo that their palate changes and they don't like the same foods as they used too.
Honestly could be that he just doesn't trust his food because we went a little to hardcore with supplements when we first found out about the cancer.
Does anyone else have experience with a dog who just doesn't "Trust" their food anymore??
Cameron Hunter said
Honestly could be that he just doesn't trust his food because we went a little to hardcore with supplements when we first found out about the cancer.
Does anyone else have experience with a dog who just doesn't "Trust" their food anymore??
Ohhh yeah. Our Jerry was the exact same way! It took much food brands experimentation and less heavy-handed supplements use to get him to eat. And he didn't have chemo.
Three weeks is not that long of a time. So don't lose hope, things do get better.
I would get Gabe a new bowl to make sure there is absolutely no residue from old supplements or meds (even if you run pet bowls through the dishwasher, they can still smell what was in it afterward!).
Or, try feeding him on paper plates to see if that helps. Hand feeding is another thing to try when there is an issue like this. When you hand feed meals, you can build (or re-build) trust. It's also a nice way to spend time together.
Also try interactive brain games . Feed him that way, and see if it get him excited about food.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
He's now about 5 weeks out!
And be has been eating more consistently, though be is often not too hungry in the mornings and is hungry at night time now.
He used to eat multiple times a day but we are contemplating doing maybe 1.5 meals a day now or mainly focusing on a single evening meal and small snacks and such in the morning.
We have tried the snuffle mats and interactivity based feeding, he doesn't care for the interactive feeding but he does love his snuffle ball. So we have been switching treats for pieces of his Ziwi peaks food that we mix with his dinner, so he isn't just eating liver treats😊
Yesterday Gabe did a good 2.5.hour walk, and he was tired after but he did really amazing on the walk, was digging and having a fantastic time, not dragging his feet and acting tired. So that was a big win.
Gabe's still getting the occasional phantom pain , but I have been doing lots of stimulus around the amputation site and lots of massage. But he still does have a few yelps here and there, typically when resting. We have felt all round and massaged the area and he never helps from that so I still suspect some phantom pains are happening.
Does anyone have experience with the EMF blocking blanket? And if it helps?
Thanks!!
Just wanted to say what a handsome boy you have and happy to see Gabe doing so well. I live how he attacked the snowmen!
I use to try and hide meds in Brownie's bowl. When he discovered what I was doing he would take his nose, tip the bowl over and hop away. So, I changed bowls and that did the trick. They are so clever!
Just live seeing. Happy Tripawd❤️
Jerry, I know you are in love with this boy....
My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019. With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer. I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud! He will live forever in my Heart!
04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020
"March Saint"
How cool you found something that gets him excited about eating! What's a snuffle ball? I've seen blankets but not balls.
Gabe's still getting the occasional phantom pain , but I have been doing lots of stimulus around the amputation site and lots of massage.
Great job! That's really helpful to keep it managed. As for Farabloc , hop over to the product reviews page, and also here are some other posts:
https://gear.tr.....in-relief/
https://gear.tr.....-amputees/
Farabloc is like anything when it comes to non-pharma pain relief. It works great for some, but may not do anything noticeable for others. Overall the majority of folks who we have heard from report good results, and human customers too, both on our site and Farabloc 's.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I will take a photo of the snuffle ball!
Gabriel's old dog walker makes them and she uses them in her training classes for some positive stimulus. She gave it too us when she can.e to visit Gabe awhile back.
We have mats, but the ball Gabe loves even more as it moves around a little and he can interact with it while he lays down a bit.
Okay, Gabe's been mainly getting the random pains when laying still.. very seldomly when he moves. I will for sure take a looks into the Farabloc a bit more here. I'm hoping working with the different stimulus actions found here, https://vitalve.....amputation
I found lots of good info here!
Going to try the ice here and maybe begin inquiring about some of the Phase IV stimulation!
And thank you Brownie! They are so smart, Gabe has began to know the routine and thankfully accepted pills in Cream cheese now 😊
Hello!
It has been a while since I have shared about Gabriel, we have been wrapped up in life and getting back out to do Gabe's favourite things.
I never did take a photo of a snuffle ball for anyone here as promised. I will do my best to get that.
Gabriel recently did his 4th round of Chemotherapy and is doing well.
This was the first round of chemo where he had his full dosage, and he did fairly well, with only a bit of Diarrhea and some nausea. But we have noticed this time he has been slower to recover, He always starts to feel better in the last week before his next treatment. Then he gets Carboplatin again and starts to feel crummy.
He has been Swimming again recently, and he seems to love it, we noticed he seems to not tolerate the heat as well as he used to and needs to relax in the shade more and swim more often to stay cool.
We really hope this most recent Chemo just took the wind out of him, and that nothing more sinister is creeping up, we are getting Chest Xrays at his next treatment here just to confirm any suspicions.
Overall he has been such a trooper fighting this Cancer and coping with 3 legs, though he may not be able to do all the itching he used too on his one side, we are always there to scratch his back.. Literally.
Here is a video of Gabe swimming recently!
https://photos......WZUoj1CY46
Hey it's so good to hear from you and Gabriel! Thanks for stopping by to update. He looks soooo happy being out in the water! What a hearty pup, I imagine it's still kinda cold where you live?
So it sounds like other than the chemo he got his appetite and mobility back? YAY! How long did it take? No more phantom pain issues?
I'm sorry the chemo was harder on him last time. It's hard not to think the worst, we all worry! Recovery from anything is a lot of work, he's likely just feeling the effects of the multiple sessions and needs a little more time to rebound. How was his labwork before chemo? All good and no irregularities? I'm guessing not since the vet proceeded with the sessions.
Yes, we'd still love to see him playing with his snuffle ball, and well, just being Gabriel! He's a handsome pup and so loveable! 
Loooove the video of Gab in the water. A very happy boy👍
Since the chemo was a larger "dose", it doesn't seem al that unusual he' s a bit "off" As Jerry said, the culmination of multiple sessions can impact recovery time. Discuss it with your Onco and maybe a happy medium can be reached on dose amount, etc. to keep side effects to a minimum.
It is indeed tiring to hop on three. One thing I found with my Happy Hannah is that she just enjoyed being outside and sniffing all the scents on the breeze. It wasn't about how much or how long she was waking, it was about being outside with me and just enjoying "being" And I love that Gabriel is enjoying being Gabriel. That's why we do what we do.
Thanks for the update. Anf I do know what a sniffle is😎
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!
2 Guest(s)
