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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Hi, I am new to the site. I am going to get a consult Wednesday morning at my vet's office. I have a puppy that is only 11 weeks old & was born with a "deformed leg." That is Trey in my profile picture! 
He only had the upper 1/2 of his leg develop & then a partial paw/pad with 2 toes on it. We took him to the vet on day #2 of his life as we thought it was club foot & could be corrected. We were told that he would have to come back when he was older to have it amputated as it was not club foot. I wanted to know if there are any specific questions I should ask the vet when I go Wednesday as this is all new to me & I am scared.
Welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
He is a beautiful boy!
Sorry, I don't have time to stay to long this morning, but I wanted to get your post approved so other members could chime in. I'll check back this afternoon.
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
Trey is just so adorable...he's definitely a precious pup!!!
I can't think of any specific questions you should ask the vet. I would think Trey should do wonderfully as a Tripawd since he's so young and I don't think he's probably had much use of the leg thus far. Puppies seem to adapt a little easier from what I've read but also since they are usually pretty high energy you'll have to be extra vigilant during the recovery period.
Also, since the amputation is due to a deformity and not cancer there won't be the added stress of worrying about that and further treatments (ie chemo).
I'll be keeping you and Trey in my thoughts and that things go well at the vet's office.
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
Hi Trey's family!
What a cutie! Do you need a dog sitter? I volunteer (Kerren not Mona, she's a cat).
First, Trey will adapt well to 3 legs, mostly because that 4th one isn't particularly useful. The tri-dog families will give you lots of great advice on how to help him adapt.
Mona, my kitty had her leg amputated in June. The diagnoses/treatment was determined on a Thursday and amputation the next morning. I was in shock, numb and could not plan or think. Now that I've been through it, this is what I'd like to know in advance:
- when will he come home. Emergency phone numbers.
- pain medications she'll be on. How often, side effects to watch out for, and how to open the bottle, how to measure, etc. When it was time for Mona's pain meds, she was going nuts and I couldn't figure out how to open the bottle of Medicam.
- how will you know the pain meds are working, what does pain look like in a dog?
- type of food
- how to help go to the bathroom
- set up in the home, I set up a room to keep Mona in and worked and slept in there.
- will there be a drain? If so how to care for it.
- will he need a cone? If so, options available.
- what to watch out for in the staples, stitches
- can you choose the surgery day that will work best for your schedule?
- if the vet is keeping Trey overnight can you visit Trey after the surgery when he is awake? That meant a lot to me. My vet was taking Mona home (to his home!) for one night or maybe even the weekend. They let me know when I could go in and hold her after surgery. If this is possible for you be prepared because he could still be on an IV and won't be very alert.
I know the vets give a lot of this information after the surgery when you'll take Trey home but I find that is not the time that my brain works too well so information in advance is better for me.
The dog amputee folks will chime in with their input because, yes, dogs are different than cats. They will also let you know about bowl set up, runners on floors, stairs, etc.
Trey's lucky to have you!
Kerren & Mona
Welcome to Tripawds. You couldn't have come to a better place. Even though most of the tripawds are recovering from cancer, we have had recent members come in with puppies that were born tripawds or that became tripawds very early in their lives. As soon as I joined, there was a german shepherd puppy named Serge that had his rear leg amputated, and recently a golden retriever puppy with a very similar case to your Trey became a member.
Perhaps the biggest difference between puppies and adult dogs is their energy. Front tripawds are easier to take care of because it is harder to lick and bite off the stitches or staples. In this sense you are lucky.
In your case it will not be an emergency surgery, so you can make plans to be with him in his recovery. It is hard, the first week is hard and tiresome, and ideally he shouldn't be left alone. You will find tips on how to adapt your house for post-op recovery.
Keep posting and let us know how we can help.
Daniela & Johnnie
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.
Welcome! Glad you got logged in, if problems persist please send a PM with as much detail as possible about the issues you encounter.
The Tripawds e-books library has 5+ pages dedicated to questions to ask your vet before suregery, and more questions to ask for assessing the facility and surgeon, and to ask after the surgery.
One of the most important things is to ensure they have overnight care. Ask for complete details about pain management . Will they use staples or stitches? Will the scapula be removed? What diet, medication or supplement changes should be made to current nutrition plan?
Best wishes, please keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Awww what a sweetie!
By the way we are in the chat room now if you want to stop by. Saw you were in there but you didn't say anything. Remember you have to scroll down and wait for the chat box to load.
One more thing you might want to consider; if he has that much of a stump you might want to consider a prosthesis. He could be a good candidate and if you have the financial and time commitment ability to pursue one, it could potentially be an option. These OrthoPets interviews tell more.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you so much everyone! I will have my list of questions ready when I go! Very much appreciate all of the information and all of the kind words! 
What a cutie! What you will find out that dogs are truly amazing, they adapt extremely well. I wish you and your sweet puppy the best!
Melissa
So we just got back from the vet consult. Trey is now scheduled for surgery on September 25th. They gave me a form to fill out & I had some questions about a few of the items which they consider "add-on costs" that we can request or decline. I wanted to know what others think & if they are necessary or not. Here they are: Pre-anesthetic blood testing (to make sure there are no problems with the kidneys or liver), IV catheterization and fluids (they say in case of emergency during surgery) and laser treatment (postoperatively to decrease swelling, pain & healing time after surgery). Please let me know your experience or opinions on these things.
That's nice to hear your vet is giving you a comprehensive estimate. In my own opinion, I would definitely do the first two, pre-anesthetic blood testing and the IV catheterization, and if the laser was in the budget I would do it. Others have indicated it helped and a lot of vets say it does. I have no personal experience with it but the feedback on its use for post-op incision healing is really pawsitive.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
No insight into your specific question...just want you to know we are al k cheering for you and Trey! He is ADORABLE,!!!
Sally and 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!
Getting nervous! Trey's surgery day is this Thursday, September 25th. I take him in at 8 am. What should I expect when I go & pick him up and bring him home? He has not been staying at my home yet. He is still with his litter mates but I will be bringing him home for good when the surgery is over.
Awwwww! This is a BIG week for y'all!
Have you seen Jerry's Required Reading List or our Tripawds e-books yet? Lots of tips about bringing home baby in those resources. Other things to expect:
- His incision will be a bit overwhelming to you, but to him it's going to be nothing at all to be concerned over. Look in his eyes, tell him how much you love him and how handsome he is, and that's going to go a long way!
- He'll likely be hard to keep calm, puppies usually are. Stock up with interactive games like these to keep him entertained while he recuperates.
- The first few nights he may be restless. Stay on top of his pain medication, follow dosages exactly as prescribed and if you think he needs more or less, ask your vet to adjust them.
By the way, just curious, which of those optional surgery add-ons did you decide on, if any?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I can definitely attest to how helpful the Tripawds e-books (Three Legs and a Spare and Loving Life On Three Legs) were extremely helpful in outlining what to expect and how to help Leland after his amputation. I even went through and printed them off and placed them in a binder so I could review them whenever.
I hope all goes well for Trey on Thursday. I'll be keeping the little guy in my thoughts and sending him well wishes for a safe surgery and speedy recovery!
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
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