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 everyone,
My big baby Jake, a 10yr old golden retriever, was just diagosed with an osteosarcoma after a pathological fracture of his right proximal humerus. Before the fracture, he was healthy, and full of life. Except for his white face, you would never know he was a senior! He's a big couch potatoe, loves to swim and play, and loves to get lots of hugs and kisses. We adopted him when he was 5yrs old and he's been a huge joy to our lives ever since! We also have another dog (his baby 'brother' and best buddy) Wolfie, a 4.5yr german shepherd, who is constantly at his side.
After alot of research and consulting with several vet friends, we decided to have his leg amputated this Thursday, Sept 17. We are very nervous about the surgery and recovery, but feel that it can give him some more good quality (pain-free) time, before the cancer eventually metastasizes.
I am so happy to have found this forum, athough I really wish I didn't have to... I have read several posts and blogs already, and it comforts me to know that there are so many of you out there that I can get support and information from. Also, seeing that several of your doggies have passed the predicted average survival times after amputation. It definitely gives me and my hubby some hope for Jake!
We've already purchased a sling for Jake from Foster and Smith, to help out before and after his amputation surgery, and will probably be purchasing the Ruffwear harness as well. I will be taking a week off from work to help nurse Jake right after his surgery. Any advice you can give me would be much appreciated!!
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
Hi White-faced Jake, Welcome. We'd all rather not be here, but there are some pretty fantastic dogs on this sight, and maybe their human companions aren't so bad either.
It sounds like you have great advice. I recall reading that dogs that were essentially 3-legged pre-surgery had an easy time adjusting, so that is in your favour. This has not been the best week for tripawds as you may have noticed. A few larger dogs, or dogs that were middle-aged or older, had complicating issues that were not evident before the surgery and this week some of those issues become obvious or the dogs passed. Very sad.
So, I guess it is fair to say, given you have a dog closer to the senior than to the junior category, that there is the possibility that medical issues that lie dormant might become more visible post-surgery. But lots of old and large dogs are part of this group and do fine. I guess when it came down to my decision, there really is no alternative to amputation, is there?
Susan & Tazzie 2
Hi Jake's Mom, welcome!
My Cemil is a large dog, but young. He is a left-front amputee, and my biggest concern was how slow he was to get back to speed. Really, he has not gotten back to the way he was, even after 7 months. But he does play with the other dogs, gets around fine and seems happy. The first two weeks were tough on him because of the surgery, the pain meds and adjusting to moving in a different way; tough on me watching him suffer and wondering if I'd made the right choice for him. Now, I'm convinced that I did. Had I not opted for amputation, he'd be long gone, and I love having him around.
So, know that for most of us, things got better after the first couple weeks. For a few, they didn't. No one knows how it's going to turn out. Jake will need a lot of sleep; you may have to bribe him to get him to eat, and you may worry that he doesn't potty right away. Those things will probably resolve as he recovers and gets off the pain medication. Keep asking about the things that concern you and I'm sure you will find a ready supply of previous experience.
We'll be thinking of you Thursday--let us know how it goes.
Mary
Cemil and mom Mary, Mujde and Radzi….appreciating and enjoying Today
Welcome to the Tripawds family Jake. We hope you'll consider starting a blog to share your pawesome recovery story with the world!
Like we said in your other post in Treatment and Recovery, you're in good hands here. If there's anything you need at all, just drop us a line OK?
We'll be thinking of you on the 17th, and sending lots of pawsitive love and energy your way. Keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We just brought Jake home about 2 hours ago... Even though I thought I was so prepared after reading everyone's posts for the past week... my heart just sank when I saw him in recovery... with his compression bandage and missing his leg. His chest looked so small! The vet and his techs put him on a stretcher (he was still too dopey to walk) and helped put him into the SUV. I'm a certified vet tech, though I no longer work in that field, and the vet felt comfortable sending Jake home with us tonite. When I arrived at our house, my husband came out to bring him in. He burst into tears when he saw him... OMG! What have we done?!! That is also what so many others have said, but when we saw it for ourselves...
So, my husband carried Jake into the house, and laid him on his bed and pillows. Then we let our other dog, Wolfie, out... and he ran to him and started smelling and licking him all over. He missed him so much! About 10 minutes ago, Jake tried to move a bit, and started to cry... He's asleep again... but it's killing us. We don't want to see him in pain... but we know it will take several days for him to feel better after the surgery... It is heartbreaking... but we have to keep remembering all the videos of the other Tripawd members, showing their dogs walking/hopping around just days after their surgery. We hope and pray that Jake does as well as they did!
We had ordered a sling for Jake from Foster and Smith a few days ago. The delivery confirmation said it was coming Saturday or Monday, but it was at our doorstep tonite. That was good news. I am off work tomorrow, but my husband has to go in. I hope that I am able to take him out to do his peeps and poops on my own. He is on ampicillin and buprenorphine. I don't have to give him his first doses until tomorrow morning, since he got all the injections during/after surgery.
So now the first horrible part of his journey (surgery) is over... and he survived that. Now it's time for the recovery period. I'll keep you all updated on Jake's progress...
Jake's Mom
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
Jake update:
He slept like a rock through the nite, but this morning he was still very dopy and had alot of difficulty getting up. Got to use our new sling from Foster & Smith... and slowly lifted him up and made him walk to go outside and pee... But he just stood there wobbling... so we brought him back in. About an hour later, he tried to get up on his own, so we took him outside again.... nothing... then my hubby (who decided to stay home from work afterall) took off the sling, and Jake immediately started to pee! I was so excited that I took a picture! But then he lost his balance and started to fall over. I never saw my husband run so fast! We brought him in and let him lie down on his bed in the kitchen. He was definitely tired from all that! He's been sleeping most of the time since then... He's already drank some water and icecubes... got his pain meds and antibiotics that morning...
Did any of your doggies have problems with constipation the first week after surgery? I know how pain meds can constipate you (personal experience!)... and was wondering if anyone used stool softeners to help prevent it?
On Monday morning, Jake goes back to the vet to remove the bandage and check his incision... I hope and pray that he is feeling a million times better by then!! I will sign up for a blog soon, so I can start posting pictures and videos of Jake's journey...
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
jakesmom said: ... Did any of your doggies have problems with constipation the first week after surgery?
You'll find this is a common concern throughout the forums. We've heard from some dogs taking up to a week to go #2. In addition to the side effects of pain meds, some dogs just have a hard time getting accustomed to the new awkwardness of doing the doody. As Jerry's vet told us, when they need to go, they'll go.
Looking forward to following Jake's blog! When you're ready, just make sure you are logged in and visit the signup page or just type jakesdesiredblogname.tripawds.com in your browser to see if it is available.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Marguerite,
It's great to hear Jake is through the surgery and on the road to recovery. My Peanut had her surgery the day before Jake had his, so I appreciate what you are going through right now.
You asked on my post which meds Peanut was given.... She's taking carprofen, cephalexin, and tramadol. She's been eating and drinking normally, and was mobile the day after her surgery. Of course, she's not completely steady, and she tires easily, but she's getting around much better than I expected at this early stage. At the moment, her sling is a canvas bag that I slit up the sides. She wasn't bandaged, so I've been keeping an eye on the incision site. She does wear a tee-shirt, though.
And no... she hasn't pooped yet. 🙂 She pees when I take her out, though. And she's managed to figure out her new pee squat just fine on her own. I expect she'll adjust to a new poo squat, too. Ha! I imagine she'll poo soon enough, since she's been eating normally.
We'll send good vibes your way. Looking forward to following Jake's progression along with Peanut's!
Take care,
Melanie
~*~*~ Peanut is strength, love, and happiness. ~*~*~ 11/30/03 – 12/26/09
Hi Jake's Mom,
It sounds like Jake is pretty much on track for this time in recovery. Some dogs recover really quickly, other's take much more time and Jake seems pretty much in the middle!
Even though you were a vet tech I am still surprised that they let you take Jake home while he had to be taken to the car on a stretcher. Yours is not the first post where I have read that yet it surprises me everytime. It is different when it is YOUR dog on the stretcher, doped up and missiing a leg. Although you have experiene taking care of dogs the emotional part of seeing your dog dopped up and hurting is different.
Jake and Peanut will have to encourage each other and you Mom's will have to compare notes. (Keeping in mind all dogs recouporate at different rates.)
Keep us informed. Jake is in my prayers.
Debra & Emily
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
Newsflash: Peanut pooped this morning! This was the third morning after her surgery.
We're wondering how Jake is doing. I assume it's harder for a male dog to re-adjust to peeing on one leg after an amputation. For that reason, I thought since Peanut was ok peeing, she'd be ok pooping. But she had a rougher time with it. She normally scratches at the gorund before pooping, but she can't now when she needs her one front leg to stabilize herself. Instead, she nosed at the ground!
I don't know if this helped or not, but I gave Peanut a tablespoon of pumpkin with her dinner last night. I was hoping the fiber would make her poop sooner. I'm not sure if it did the trick, or if she would've pooped by now anyway. BUt I figured I'd mention it.
-Melanie
~*~*~ Peanut is strength, love, and happiness. ~*~*~ 11/30/03 – 12/26/09
Thank you so much for all the advice and encouragement! I started a blog for Jake (Jake's Journey) and it's so comforting to read all the wonderful supportive comments from friends, family and my new Tripawd family! You can check it out as I write more details each day, and include some pictures. Maybe even some videos in the near future!
Today is day 2 post-op for Jake… and it was a million times better than yesterday! He has peed and pooped… even chewed on his favorite flavored raw hide bone… He's gotten up by himself several times, but is really too wobbly (pain meds?) to walk without the sling yet. His appetite has been great (Jake always loved food!)… He is unstable on his feet, and seems to slide alot more on the floors when he walks (front and hind legs), compared to before his surgery when he was limping around with his broken leg. His pain meds are different after surgery, so I'm hoping it's because of that.
I think I'll take Melanie (and Peanut's) advice and add some pumpkin to Jake's diet. He finally pooed yesterday… and it was huge… with some diarrhea. But nothing today… just pee.
Monday Jake goes in to have his bandages removed. I can only imagine the horror we will feel when we finally see the incision! I'm sure it won't be pretty… but I will take pictures anyways!
I still have moments where I wonder if we made the right decision for Jake… But except for when he has to get up to walk… he seems his usual happy self.
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
jakesmom said:
... I started a blog for Jake (Jake's Journey)
Great Photos! 
Jake looks like a sweetheart.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
This morning we got up later than usual, and Jake had started to chew off his bandages... so we removed them. He was going to have them removed by the vet tomorrow anyways. His incision looks good... no funky smells or weird discharge. He gets to wear a T-shirt now!
Later this afternoon, we caught Jake licking away at his T-shirt over his incision... Out came the E-collar!! Guess we'll have to put it on him whenever we leave him for a few minutes, or go to sleep. It must be starting to itch him as it heals.
He is still unstable on his feet... especially on the ceramic floors in the kitchen. It's strange because he seeming to be walking alright before on 3 legs, when his other leg was broken... but maybe he was using that leg for some balance. I have this paranoid feeling that his remaining front leg is going to snap from the extra weight. Haven't heard about that happening with any other of the front leg amputees here... but I still worry. Is that stupid of me?
Has anyone added any supplements after amputation, to help strengthen the bones in the remaining legs?
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
Last nite I hardly got any sleep… Around midnight, Jake started whining and whining. I thought his e-collar was bugging him too much so I took it off, but he went right to the incision to lick and chew… so I put it back on. Then he kept sitting up and started to scratch his incision with his back leg. Again I flew out of bed to stop him, imagining him ripping all his staples out! The whining and scratching and me jumping out of bed went on til 3 am. Then I put his harness on and took him out… He peed… Maybe that's what he wanted after all, even though we took him out to pee when we went to bed at 10:30… He was real tired from all that and finally fell asleep (without his e-collar), but then I heard him wake up an hour later trying to lick it again… back went the collar. Guess it's going to stay on all the time now.
Even though I'm not going to work this week, I still had to get up with hubby at 6, since he does have to work this week… but I was exhausted with hardly any sleep. Jake peed again and took his meds. I took off his collar to give them to him… but as soon as he was done, he went for his incision again. Man he's fast!
So the T-shirt and e-collar are going to prevent his licking and chewing… but how to I control him scratching at his wound with his back leg?? I'm taking Jake to the vet later this morning to have his incision checked. He was going to remove the bandages then, but thanks to Jake, we already had to remove them yesterday morning. Hopefully the vet will have some good advice about the itching and scratching…
Have any of you had the same problem with your front leg amps and scratching? How were you able to keep them from ripping open their incision?? HELP!!
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
I just posted in your other topic, but I forgot to mention something - around day 3, my dog started whining/screaming. Turns out he was having some phantom pain . Seems to me that the whining combined with the fussing at the incision site may show that Jake is thinking he has pain where his leg was? You could ask your vet about gabapentin to see if he/she thinks it may help 🙂
<3 Laura and Jackers
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