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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Hello everyone new to the group! My sweet 8 year old Husky Juneau is going in for amputation tomorrow morning and I am a mess 🙁 In February we noticed she was limping a little after slipping on some ice. After a couple weeks of her still limping we took her into the vet. The symptoms were pointing towards ACL so we put her on some pain meds and anti-inflammatories to see if it was just an stain as opposed to a tear. She started showing signs of improvement so we thought nothing of it and then her limping came back and started getting worse. At the beginning of June we took her back to the vet because of muscle atrophy and mine noticing of pain in her hip and not her knee. Our vet was totally unsure as there was some movement in the knee but not a lot, after a 2nd opinion we chose to call the surgeon. The surgeon saw some weird spacing in her back and determined it was a herniated disc. She went in for an MRI and the surgeon found a nerve sheath tumor on the left sciatic nerve. She will be having surgery to remove her left hind leg, possible part of her pelvis and they may have to go into the spine a little depending on how far the tumor has traveled along the nerve. The MRI was inconclusive on if there was tumor into her spine or if it was just edema.
We are unsure of what to expect from all of this and any advice or tips to help her recovery would be greatly appreciated.
I'm so sorry yiu have to be here. Under the circumstances though, there is no better place to be for infor.ation and support. We understand the intensity of this journey like no others can.
Husky dogs are so resilient, so "forever young"! I was owned by one once and we have several Husky members here.
Like many dogs here, Juneau's diagnosis took awhile. You at least now know what you are dealing with and you are .moving forward to remove his painful leg and give him a chance at lots more loving and spoiling!
Recovery is no.picnic. This is major surgery, plus they need to adjust to mobility issues, etc. Depending on how extensive the surgerynis, recovery .ay take a little longer and Juneau made need pain meds a little longer. Now, what does "longer" mean? Not much! Every dog is different and every recovery is different! For the first three weeks I coukd not believe what I had done TO my beloved Happy Hannah. After that when I saw her sparkle come back bigger and brighter than before, I knew I had done it FOR my Happy Hannah!
THE most important lesson on this journeynis learning to Be More Dog ...be more Juneau. Live in the moment, live in the now and not worry about a thing! Let nothing rob you of your time together. Do not let that stupid liece of crap disease interfere with you and Juneau continuing to enjoy your jiurney together. Make the most out of each day.
Specifics for recovery.....if you have hardwood floors, place non slip scatter rugs around for traction . Raised food and drink bowls help prevent straining. Probably your vet will give you Tramadol, Gabapentin, Rimadyl, and an a antibiotic. Give the lain meds on a consistent basis. It's nard to catch up if pain gets a head start. Some dogs sleep a lot...some whine a lot and are restless...some you have to make s@ow down...some barely move at all for many days.
The incision can have swelling and bruising and a little bit of seepage. The vet will advise you what to look for should any infection start to shown up.
STAY CONNECTED TO US! This can all be so daunting and scary! I felt like I was stuck in a nightmare until I found this community (after day six). YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Take @ots and @ots kf deep breaths and eat tons of CHOCOLATE! You will feel better!
Whe. Juneau's sparkle starts to come back, a d kt will, you will just get on with living life to the fullest with Junea! Juneau nas a lot of living to do and a whole lot of spoiling to absorb!!
Check in with us after surgery is ove...or anytime inbetween! We are here with you!
Sending lots of @ove and hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too y
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 amp day, my best advice is to keep yourself busy getting the house ready for Juneau to come home. Channel all those worries into positive action!
Sally has given really good advice. Rugs or some sort of non-slip surface is crucial. We even stapled some carpet treads to the outside steps. Prepare yourself mentally for some ups and downs. Stay ahead of the pain. Be there for her. She'll be looped out on pain meds when she first comes home, but she'll know your voice and if you are calm, it will help her be calm and to heal.
Denise and Bill and Tripawd Angel Ellie.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
I hope you are doing OK this morning. Today will be rough. Even though it was over 3-1/2 years ago I still remember Daisy's amputation day like it was yesterday. I was just a ball of nerves and couldn't concentrate on a thing at work till the vet called. Just try to keep yourself busy -- I know that is easier said then done!
Also, don't get discouraged but the next couple of weeks will most likely be a lot of ups and downs. We will all be here to give you whatever support you need.
Good luck. We will be thinking of you and keeping all fingers, toes & paws crossed!
Marla, Biscuit and Spirit Daisy
My Two Tripawds...Biscuit 
and Spirit Daisy 
Thanks everyone! She should be out of surgery soon. Trying to get the house ready for her and explain all of this to our 6 year old daughter and almost 3 year old son. Trying to corner off an area of the living room so she can be a little mobile if she chooses but can have her own space away from the kids and our other dog. I am so glad I found this site seeing all of your beautiful pups helps but I am still sitting her numb and cannot wrap my head around what is happening...feels like a bad dream. She is our first baby got her when she was a little shy of 8 weeks old. I cannot wait for her to have her spark back, she was in so much pain. She hasn't been using her leg much at all which I hope will help with her adapting to not having it.
Thanks for the advice on the hardwood floors, steps and food/water dishes.
We took some family pictures yesterday before surgery but not sure how to post one here.
Look at those blue eyes! My Jake was part husky, and he had a nerve sheath tumor also. The good news about those tumors is that they don't tend to spread other than the fingers that reach out. I'm praying the surgeons are able to get good margins! Keep us updated!
HUGS
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
huskymom23 said
Thanks everyone! She should be out of surgery soon. Trying to get the house ready for her and explain all of this to our 6 year old daughter and almost 3 year old son. Trying to corner off an area of the living room so she can be a little mobile if she chooses but can have her own space away from the kids and our other dog. I am so glad I found this site seeing all of your beautiful pups helps but I am still sitting her numb and cannot wrap my head around what is happening...feels like a bad dream. She is our first baby got her when she was a little shy of 8 weeks old. I cannot wait for her to have her spark back, she was in so much pain. She hasn't been using her leg much at all which I hope will help with her adapting to not having it.Thanks for the advice on the hardwood floors, steps and food/water dishes.
We took some family pictures yesterday before surgery but not sure how to post one here.
Oh gosh just wait, Huskies are SO resilient! You will be amazed!
We'd love to see photos. Here's how to post pics in the Forums. Holler if you'd like assistance.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
She is out of surgery and we can go visit in an hour or so. Here are some pictures from yesterday.
The kids howling with our big girl.
Beautiful photos! 🙂
Best wishes for her speedy recovery, please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
YAAAAAAAAAY OUT OF SURGERY!!!!
Pretty sure she'll be zonked out and seeing funny pink elephants, but she will definitely know you are ther!
Love these family photos! And your kids singing the Husky howl with Juneau...PRICELESS!
What's the sweet fluffy white doggy's name? Not only was I owned by a Husky (Karloff...and he looked soooo much like Juneau), I was also owned by a fluffy whie dog names Lydia for fifteen years!
Thanks for the update and great photos!
Stay connected!
((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Keena is our other fur-kid. She is a Mini American Eskimo also 8 years old. The dogs are only 1 month and 1 day apart. She is a bit lost without her big sister at home 🙁
I'm so glad that Juneau has made it through surgery. Since you're going to see her today she will still be pretty loopy from all the good meds that the hospital has given her. Seeing her without her leg may be a bit shocking for you so just remember you did this FOR Juneau and not TO her. I know Tripawds has a photo gallery of other pups showing the incision you may want to take a look at to kind of prepare yourself. She's still your same sweet girl just without the painful leg.
When Juneau is more aware and sees you for the first time try to be as upbeat as possible. Our pups can pick up on our emotions and if you're feeling sad about the surgery she won't understand.
Anyway, wishing you all the best for a safe and speedy recovery. We're here to lend support and answer any questions that may come up.
Sahana and her Angel Leland and Lucian too
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!
We got to see her. She was whimpering a lot because she was still coming out of the anesthesia but stopped as soon as I sat down next to her kennels and she nuzzled into my neck. The kids pet, kissed and hugged her as did my husband and I. It was hard to leave and she wasn't too happy either. The incision looks pretty rough and my daughter had a hard time with it but we showed her pictures last night to help prepare her a bit. They unfortunately had to take part of her pelvis because the tumor was bigger than the scan had originally shown and they took the nerve up into her spine so they could get clear margins. They are sending the biopsy out. We are going back to visit before the office closes and she should be coming home tomorrow.
The kids are very sad, our youngest is napping in her dog bed and our oldest wrote a book to read to her when she gets home. Took Keena for a walk because she is a bit lost without her big sister.
Thank you for all of the support and advice!
huskymom23 said
We got to see her...The kids are very sad...
Glad to hear Juneau is recovering!
FYI: There are various reviews of books to help children cope with this in the Tripawds Amazon blog . To chear them up, show them some of the Tripawds Videos with Jerry, Wyatt and many other dogs Loving Life On Three Legs !
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
admin said
huskymom23 said
We got to see her...The kids are very sad...Glad to hear Juneau is recovering!
FYI: There are various reviews of books to help children cope with this in the Tripawds Amazon blog . To chear them up, show them some of the Tripawds Videos with Jerry, Wyatt and many other dogs Loving Life On Three Legs !
I will do that, thank you so much.
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