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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It's only been 8 weeks since we noticed our 6 year old Lucy had a slight limp. She is a very active/hyper lab/border collie mix and we thought it may have happened during one of her crazy runs around the yard or something similar. After a couple visits to her vet, a referral to an orthopedic vet, a mix up over the holiday we finally saw the vet specialist. She was surprised at Lucy's muscle atrophy on her right side and the lack of trouble not found on xrays. While she suggested a bone scan and then an MRI, we decided to have an MRI first. It was the vet's suspicion of a tumor on a nerve that lead us to that decision. Unfortunately the films from the MRI seem to be inconclusive. The radiologist performing the MRI found a "spot" in Lucy's right armpit but convinced herself it was just a vein. Her colleague was on vacation so she sent the films to one of her old professors. He concluded this was a tumor. After a few more discussions with the orthopedic doctor we determined Lucy needed to have her right leg amputated. The vet believes the tumor has not yet made it to the spine, which is a really good thing! However, in just 8 weeks, Lucy's walk has changed considerably. We had to stop our weekend walks at the park and she takes breaks just hanging out in our yard. I am so grateful to have found tripawds.com, you have given us invaluable information and it's great to read other's stories. We prepared the house this weekend and made some recommended purchases. Lucy is in good spirits but struggling with her right leg all weekend has made us more certain we are making the right decision.
Lucy's front right leg was amputated 12/19/11. Thankfully there was no tumor, but her nerves were found to be degenerative. Life as a tripawd is Lucy's new adventure!!
tripawds is a wonderful place to get support and advice.. we are sending pawsitive thoughts your way for Lucy and hoping for a complete and speedy recovery for her
Coopsdad/ Kenneth Blackburn
http://cooper.t.....ipawds.com
the monkeydogs only THINK they have invaded the tripawd state
Welcome to the site nobody wants to join but everybody is glad they did. I hope all goes well with Lucy's surgery and that she has an uneventful recovery. Please keep us posted and be sure to come here if you have questions!
All the best to you and Lucy,
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!
Hi Mary and Lucy,
Thanks for sharing your story here. You didn't say when the surgery is scheduled- is it this week?
We have another new member here who will be having surgery soon for a nerve sheath tumor- Happy. You can find their posts HERE.
Good luck with the surgery and keep us posted on Lucy's progress.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Everyone, thanks for the support! Surgery is today… I can't sleep, thankfully Lucy is. I'll check out the other member's postings. Thank you!
Lucy's front right leg was amputated 12/19/11. Thankfully there was no tumor, but her nerves were found to be degenerative. Life as a tripawd is Lucy's new adventure!!
Welcome Mary and Lucy!
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
Welcome Lucy and Mary! We have our paws crossed that surgery goes well. Keep us posted OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome. I am very new here, also, so I do not have much in the way of advice for you as I am still scouring this site myself and absorbing all of the information. I will say that you have found a wonderful and caring group of people to help guide you through this process. May Lucy be blessed with a quick and uneventful recovery!
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
Welcome, Lucy & Mary! I hope the surgery goes well for Lucy. Please keep us posted on her recovery. Make sure you get lots of rest, as the next 2 weeks can be very stressful!
Sending you many golden hugs,
Cathy
Hope everything went well with Lucy's surgery. This stuff comes at you so fast you hardly get a chance to take a breath. Keep us posted on her recovery.
Marla and Daisy
My Two Tripawds...Biscuit 
and Spirit Daisy 
All thank you for all the well wishes. What a long long day. I woke up exceptionally early and couldn't go back to sleep. Lucy's dad couldn't fall asleep. We took her in at 7:30am and by 1:30pm we couldn't wait any longer. We called and they had some emergencies in the morning so Lucy's surgery was pushed back. We were assured she was in surgery and doing fine. We received a call from her vet at 2pm letting us know she was out and did just fine. However, no tumor was found. ???!!??! What happened? She said right now all they could tell was severe muscle loss and a bad grouping of nerves. They removed the leg and the lymph nodes and some nerves and sent them to the lab. I tell you we are/were confused, relieved and stunned. The vet said she still believes we did the right thing. At that moment I was happy to know she was out and seemed to be doing well. Lucy's dad and I were both at work today. We had several phone conversations before and after the surgery. We're both happy it may not be a nerve sheath tumor, those seem so bad and hard to know where and when they return.
We did some more reading and found severe nerve damage is not repairable and would require the loss of the limb. Does anyone have information on this? What would cause this? How did this happen? Lucy is our ADD child so it's possible we were not aware but how?
I called tonight and she's still on a "high" but sitting up, stumbling, not quite ready to walk. I had to cry some more….
Tonight we finish preparing the floors for Lucy's return and mentally prepare for the next steps.
Lucy's mom – Mary
Lucy's front right leg was amputated 12/19/11. Thankfully there was no tumor, but her nerves were found to be degenerative. Life as a tripawd is Lucy's new adventure!!
Oh my goodness - what a rush of different emotions you must be feeling. I don't know anything about nerve damage (we have a bone cancer girl...) but it sounds good that there was no tumor, right? And still sounds like you did the right thing? Hope you get more info soon and all is well.
I hope Lucy has an easy-peasy recovery. For now - the great news is that she made it through the surgery!! Get some rest tonight. Sleep can be in short supply the first few days after they come home because you are up listening for every sound (whether they need you to or not...)
Hang in there - it gets better and it's pawesome to be a Tripawd pawrent!
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!
Abby's Mom- I don't know, was it the right thing? So many many things to be thankful for, she's recovering from her surgery and they said she's doing well, there hopefully is no nerve sheath tumor and she'll be back with us soon!! We love her no matter 4 or 3 legs or whatever this crazy journey brings. We now have more questions.
Some of the heaviness that was weighing on us this morning is gone. I don't know if it's because the surgery is over, no known cancer yet or that we hear she's doing well. Whatever it is it will hopefully bring some sleep tonight.
We're exhausted and yes, we'll be up "listening" the next couple of weeks.
Thanks for listening!
Lucy's mom - Mary
Lucy's front right leg was amputated 12/19/11. Thankfully there was no tumor, but her nerves were found to be degenerative. Life as a tripawd is Lucy's new adventure!!
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