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 everybody,
The dog's story I want to share with you started on 13th (sic!) August. I was coming back from my grandma's who lives in a country side when I saw a dog lying on the pavement across the road. I pulled out and drove to the other side of the road. The dog was in shock - his front right leg was totally crashed. I called the people from the local shelter from homeless animals, where I voluntee, and in some 30 minutes they came and the dog was given treatment. He stayed at my place for two days, in the meanwhile it turned out that his right hind leg is broken... The dog was taken to the vet to had the front leg amputated and the hind one screwed. Since I live on the fourth floor and the dog is a mid-sized one, he is staying at the house a befriended woman from a local pro-animal ngo till the hind leg is cured. I visit him as often as I can and bring moisture absorbing mats, food, vitamins.
My huge concerns is this hind leg - the vet decided that the metal parts will be left in it. I would like to keep the dog, but I am afraid hopping up and down 4 floors might have a negative effect on the bones and I won't be able to carry him 🙁 So waiting when he gets more "photografable" and will start looking for a foster home for him, in a house or on a ground floor.
Does anyone of you had or has an animal like that - with front leg amputated and back one fixed?
Thank you in advance for your feedback and all the best to you and your tripaws!
Paulina
Welcome, and bless you for saving this pup! What's his name?
Be sure to bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List for lots of links to the best recovery and care tips and advice.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I don't have any advice as our pup was "just" a front leg amp and we do not have to deal with stairs at our house, but I wanted to say welcome and you've come to the right spot. And also hooray for you and the shelter and your friend for all working together to save this sweet pup!
All the best,
Jackie, Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Wow, that poor guy had a rough start, kudos to you for stopping and helping out.I'm kind of surprised the building doesn't have an elevator. If you would move to the U.S., you could probably file for disability for him and get it, and if your building isn't handicap accessible, I'm sure if you file the necessary paperwork, they would fix that also!!!! OK, enough of the jokes ( although there is probably more truth to it than we would like), There is a harness several here have used, that might help you out alot with the steps, I'm sure someone who has used one will give you advice on that, or your idea of a ground floor house might be a wise choice also. Good luck, Paws up, Spirit Gus and Dan
My buddy Gus had a left front amputation on April 7, 2010 and lived a great life until July 26,2010
Hi,
Thanks for the welcome greetings!
The guy's name is Kosma (just read that in greek it stands for "order" and "beauty", hmmm...) and he's no puppy, the vet said he's around 10 years old... But quite a fighter, he survived two operations! Very lively and curious dog, though I am sure he hates us now - until the screws build into the bones and muscles he can move around as little as possible, so most of the day he is kept in a cage, and taken out for a pee and the other thing 🙁
"Djbockman" - you mentioned the harness, any idea if it can be bought in Europe?
Please keep your fingers crossed for the hind leg!
Take care.
Paulina
pollypolly said:
...the harness, any idea if it can be bought in Europe?
Unfortunately, Ruff Wear will not drop-ship overseas for us. But you will find a list of other online retailers here.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'm sure any number of people here would buy and ship the Ruffwear harness to Kosma. I would. Are there any on the angel exchange at the moment? Paulina, you can always (unless Mr. Admn. says you can't) post and ask if someone will get the harness to you. Reimbursement can always be handled. Do you happen to have a Paypal account? That's one way.
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
Hello Paulina & Kosma -
Your story brought tears to my eyes....Poor guy, I so hope Kosma does ok....
My Riley, a front leg tripawd who just recently passed away had stairs to contend with and I will tell you stairs are tough on a tripawd dog - and its more the going down than the going up....and for her it was all about thundering up and thundering down which probably wasn't the best idea - but everything was done her way 
.
I have a large harness, and I would happily send it to you - but I think the shipping would be more than double what a new harness would be if you could find one there....(I am an importer / exporter of wine so I have a good idea on freight costs) .
Actually, how big is Kosma for starters?
Hi Paulina! Welcome to tripawds!
You are an angel for helping and rescuing Kosma!
To answer your question...YES! I had a dog with a deformed front leg and she had her back knees go out. (both back knees went out within 2 years of each other). She had screws and a metal plate in her back knees.
The most important thing is to keep the Kosma from using the leg. Bones take at least 8-12 weeks to heal enough to bear weight but usually it takes up to 6 months to feel completely comfortable.
It's a hard recovery especially for a three legged dog. I carried my Comet during the first knee surgery and kept her crated and confined. She was around 38lbs. When the second knee went out, my husband made a rolling crib so we could roll her to be with us everywhere. It was so much easier for us.
It is a super hard recovery but it has to be done to avoid any complications. He sounds like a fighter and you are an angel...so I know you'll get through it!
Keep us posted on what is happening with Kosma! In the meantime, I'll be sending you positive and happy healing thoughts across the miles!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Welcome Paulina & Kosma to Tripawds. I can't offer any advice either, but wanted to say hello & that I think you are wonderful for taking care of Kosma. Please keep us posted, and share some pictures when you can.
Sending you many golden hugs...
Cathy
Hi again and thank you a lot for sharing your experiences. Visited Kosma today while he was having some good time chewing on a shop-made bone outside the cage. The scar from the amputation is getting nicer, looks quite neat. As for the fixed rear leg, the part where the wire was sticking out (it's shortened now) is unwrapped to let the air quicken healing of the wound. Now he weighs some 13 kilos (29 lbs) which is not much for a middle-sized dog, but he's got quite an appetite, and looking healthier every day.
I am leaving on a long awaited holidays (ticket bought in March) on Friday, back on 24th, hope to share with you Kosma's progress in recovery. I'm leaving him in the best hands possible, so I am sure he will be fine.
Take care and thank you agian for your warm feedback.
Paulina
pollypolly said:
By the way, how can I insert photos here?
Here are instructions for adding pictures to forum posts. If you don't already share photos somewhere online, the easiest way may be to start a blog so you can upload them to your media library.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Still no tree 🙁 Ok, will send you a private message to avoid making an idiot of myself in public...
Paulina, hit the "post new reply" button, below. Start to type, and when you get to the middle of the page (the one I am typing in now), you will see a little green tree. To the right of it is a piece of movie film, then something with a "T" on it. So right about the middle, directly over your first line of type, will be the tree. See it? In my post here, where I'm typing, it's directly over the word "to" in the phrase "start to type." See if that helps.
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
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