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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Aww Deb, Lexie will get there! I haven't met a Tripawd yet who's lost their enthusiasm for squirrels!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you so much for everyone's support:)
Fetchon3: It was very nice to meet you last night and I'm so happy for you and Jackson! Give him a hug for me:) The first week has definitely been up in down with Millie's recovery. The last 3 days she has not been herself and her back legs seem to really hurt her. You could tell she didn't really want to walk anywhere unless she absolutely had to. The vet recommended taking her off the Tramadol yesterday and her mood has picked up since then. She seems to be doing better today. While I was at work my mom said she saw a squirrel and chased it and seemed like the old Millie!
The surgeon was recommended by our vet. Dr. Bruns from Tampa Bay Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Care Center. We have only heard good things but the jury is still out for me...everything has happened so fast.
Thanks again for the support:)
Karma: It was very nice meeting you last as well! Funny, Miss Millie is what I call her all the time:)
Give Addy a hug for me!
bcullom: I'm going to try my best to make everyday count! Thank you:)
Rene: I'm starting to learn how to navigate my way around here...were about to find out if I have completely figured out the picture thing yet or not:)
Thank you for all that you and Jim do!
mom2shelby: I am so sorry for your loss. I read your recent post before I posted...I am a lot more familiar now with what you must be going through. Just live your life like Shelby would want you to. I know that the ten years Millie has been by my side she has made me the man I am today and the best way I can honor her is to always be that man:)
Thank you so much for your support!
4myty: Thank you! Hope to post much more:)
penny4weims: Thank you! Just a slight correction...she is actually a German Wirehaired Pointer! She just doesn't have as much hair as most GWP's have:) I live in St. Petersburg Fl...thank you so much for the support! I love Weimaraner's too...I have always thought about getting one. The pointers have my heart for some reason:)
Benny55: I see you all over this site! Thank you for all the support! I appreciate everything you wrote.
trituck: Thank you Linda and Tucker! I just can't wait to see her swim again...that is her favorite. When I see her do that again I know it was all worth.
debva: Thank you so much for your post and support. Yes, everything has happened so fast but I realize how much I need to educate myself in the coming weeks and months.
rica55: Thank you so much for your post...you guys all make us feel so welcome and hopeful.
She is looking good in those pics. She has an infectious smile...sweet girl.
Adelaide is a young tripawd Husky, from an injury. Her amp was on 10/1/12. She has 4 sisters, Aissa (a senior border collie/chow), Maggie May (a puppy Great Pyrenees), Mathilde and Morrigan and 1 baby brother, Bagheera. We are all watched over by our angel Brendol, who was dx with OSA 1/30/13, amp on 2/6/13, and left us on 8/20/13.
You can read their stories at http://adelaide.tripawds.com and http://brendol.tripawds.com
She looks great!!! Thank you for sharing ... and yeah, those drugs make them looney! Shelby didn't do well on Tramadol on her 3rd surgery so we eased her off it. We also gave her some trazadone for anxiety issues (she became literally psychotic)... the first few weeks were hard but we found our groove and you will find yours!
Hugs!
Alison & her Shelby fur-ever in her heart
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Adorable! The picture of her and you on your backs is hysterical!! Looking good Millie!
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”
Hi Elizabeth,
That is actually my girlfriend but I made sure to tell her that people think she looks like a man! 
Oh what sweet photos! You got it! Would it be OK if I posted one in the gallery?
Those recovery days for us are so challenging, but we learn so much at the same time. I look back on ours and I'm just awestruck, they were such a learning experience and I'll always treasure those times. I'm glad to see the smiles in the pics!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome! I'm not sure why I missed this yesterday. Millie looks like she has the Tripawd stance down already, nice triangle form!
Tramadol can really make pups wacky! Just be sure she is not in too much pain, dogs really hide pain, and meds can make the healing process faster and easier. There are some pups who get through without, maybe Millie is one of those lucky pups! My little Tri-pug Maggie tended to get very agitated on tram, however my other two pugs handled it fine. In fact quad pug Obie was on tram for 5 weeks after knee surgery last year without any issues.
Your life with Millie May change a little bit, but you will be amazed and inspired by how she copes with her new normal. I made the mistake after Mag's surgery of mourning and missing the things she couldn't do anymore, I focused on what we lost. It didn't help that Mag was a stubborn pug who didn't deal well with any change in her routine. I thought for awhile that I had made a mistake with surgery. Eventually Mag came around, and while I was still missing what we used to do she was figuring out ways to do everything she wanted.
I hope her recovery goes smoothly.
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
Rene, of course you can! Millie isn't shy:) More pictures to come!
Krun, thank you for those words. They couldn't be more timely...I was thinking about the things I will miss about Millie that I took for granted or downright annoyed me. I thought about how she will never do that again, but you are right. There really is no point in any of that. What matters is what matters now:) Thank you.
Hi Millie's dad. It's a great thing to find this forum. It was a great help to us when our Gussie had her leg amputated. It's been 3 weeks and 4 days now and although the first couple of weeks were hard for her and us, seeing her so low and confused, she's doing really well now and is up to 2 30 minute walks a day. I'm sure with your continued love and support Millie will do well too. Millie is absolutely beautiful, by the way.
milliesdad said
Rene, of course you can! Millie isn't shy:) More pictures to come!Krun, thank you for those words. They couldn't be more timely...I was thinking about the things I will miss about Millie that I took for granted or downright annoyed me. I thought about how she will never do that again, but you are right. There really is no point in any of that. What matters is what matters now:) Thank you.
I had that same feeling after Shelby lost her rear leg (she used to sit up and look like a little circus dog) - she could really manage that anymore but her core was SO strong and she adapted so well and she could still do a many of the other things that I loved about her (like sit on my lap, she was 24#), give snuggles, and shake. And that Shelby was happy w/out that painful leg. You'll get through this and be amazed! Keep the photos coming! BTW - I could sort of tell that was a girl doing a roach pose w/Millie!
And thank you for your kind words earlier in this post about Shelby and my loss... I do miss her very much BUT I have no regrets ... she had the best life with me. Like Millie has with you! It's a gift!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Pawesome, thanks! I've added Millie to our galleries.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
OMD!! These pictures are delightful!! Mille has jumped into my heart bigtime!! She's a beautiful "mature" girl who is jist lovely and so gentle lookng!
And yur GIRLfriend does NOT look like a man!
She DOES look like a human trying ro imitate a dog "doing a roach"
And just an aside n the pain meds. And this is just my 2¢, nothing more. This is MAJOR painful surgery, especially for a large older dog! And while the pain meds may make them a little loopy, you can reach a pretty good balance while keeping them on Tramadol. I do hope yor vet will co sider a lower doseage, or maybe Gabapentin. And being in pain can definitely interfere with recovery.
The first two weeks can be full of ups and downs It is so very, ery hard to see your loved ne not feeling "chipper". Millie will get al her sparkle aback...and then some!
And yeah, it's not about what is perceived as "lost".....it's all about the d soul deep depth of love, joy, connection that you just gained! And Millie jist "ganed" more spoiling and snuggling than she ever dreamed possible...-along with a good ole' squirrel chase every now and then!!
YAAAAAAAAAAAY MILLIE,!!! Good job everyone!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Thank you again everybody!
Two full days off the Tramadol and obviously 2 more full days of recovery, Millie had her best day yet!
Something new: Maybe others have experienced this, I thought it was interesting. I'm kind of an amateur dog trainer(aren't we all?) and Millie, not to brag, is an extremely well trained dog. She is healthily submissive and has complete trust in me. She is staying at my mom's house right now with a small female terrier mix who is not well trained and very dominant towards Millie. We also have Jerry which is our new black lab we adopted in February, he is a rescue and is becoming a well trained doggy:) He is not very dominant just straight forward!
Starting about 3 days ago Millie wouldn't start eating until one of us held her bowl, we have a stand up food and water bowl so having to bend down wasn't the issue. Today I gave all the dogs a bone to chew on and Millie would not take hers...which is crazy even in her condition!!!. At first I thought she just wasn't feeling well again but then I had a hunch. I laid down on the ground with the bone and called her over to lay down next to me. She started chewing on it immediately! I realized that if you thought about the household as "our pack" Millie feels unable to stand her ground when it comes to food on her own at this point and would rather avoid any confrontation. She has complete trust in me and knows that if I'm there I will naturally keep the other dogs at bay for her just by my presence.
I just thought that that was neat and I'm sure as she gets stronger and learns to cope with this dynamic things will change. I have already started slowly moving the bowl to it's place as she eating from it in my hand and then walking away. Did anybody else with multiple dogs experience something similar?
A few more pre-amputation pictures...including pre-beard amputation for me:)
Sara wanted me to post this picture so people knew she wasn't a dude!
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