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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WOOOHOOO! Truls continues to show us all that he is such an amazing kitty!
I would go with your kitty mama instinct and leave the incision alone. When that cone comes off with the vet's approval, Truls will take care of the rest.
Today is the day.
Going back to the vet for Truls first post op visit. Today is removal of the stitches and a new blood test.
Frankly I'm excited and nervous.
I'm very sure that the incision has healed nicely. There is no redness, no ooze or nasty fluid and no smell.
As for Truls behavior, I was pleasantly surprised today to hear him scream again. xD Lols. To clarify, scream as in meow very loudly. I don't think I've heard him do that since before he got sick.
He wants food, I'm not allowed to feed him until he comes back home. So he is telling me how hungry he is.
Anyways, I'm a bit nervous for the blood test. His red blood cells have been quite low in the past, but then he had cancer and an infection. The blood test today should show that is much better! But I'm a bit like....what if it's only a bit better. What if he still has some underlaying problem.....
I know, don't speculate. We did almost every test in the book and the cancer and infection was all we found. Think positive. 🙂
Looking at the facts, how is Truls. Definitely eating like a champ! Wants to clean himself, but the "evil" cone is in the way. Toilet is all normal.
As for his behavior, definitely cuddlier! 😀
He has attempted to escape his confinement and nearly succeeded twice, so he definitely craves freedom.
I am curios how Truls will be after today, with the stitches and the cone gone. I guess it will be like a learning curve, he will discover that he can jump. Just has to learn how to do it.
Here we are, back from the vet. I am over the moon! 😀
Might be to soon to say this, but...Truls has defeated cancer! The incision looks great, the stitches are removed. But the biggest news, huge mega relief! His blood values are a looot better! His white blood cells are normal and his red blood cells are almost normal. WOOPIE!
Truls may have lost a paw, but he is like....healthy. Like 90%. The incision still needs to heal more, he needs to gain some more weight.
Next step is rehab in two weeks or so.
"Unfortunately" for safety's sake Truls will have to keep the "evil" cone on for another week. Just to be sure that he does not poke the incision, so it really gets to heal. That area probably itches a bit more now since the stitches were just removed.
I am sooooooo darn relieved!!!!!!!!!!
I know some cats react poorly to amputation, only go downhill after the surgery. I am so glad Truls is not like that, he is only getting better.
I am so freaking happy right now, thank goodness!
Now no more medicine. Just need to keep an eye on the incision, clean it once everyday. Watch Truls general state, make sure he is only getting better. Continues to eat well, behaves normally etc.
Now I am so glad we made this decision.
I was unsure if amputation was the right call, but now it definitely seems like it was the right choice.
So this will be me and Truls for the next week. Until he is completely recovered I guess. Watch him like a hawk.
SIPER LOUD YAAAAAY. FOR. TRULS 🔊🔊🔊 Doing hoppy dance and celebrating the wonderful news👏👏
You turned fear and uncertainty and took action! You knew you had to give him a chance nd that clearly is what he wanted too!- Good job-!!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie 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!
Well that is GREAT news! 
Truls is another example of how life on three can be just fine even for cats. We are over the moon at the great news about beating cancer too!
WHEEEE!
Just a couple more weeks of the cone, you guys can do this!
Today is the day, hehe again. 🙂
Going to remove the cone later today. I will watch Truls carefully afterwards, just to make sure he doesn't get up to any mischief. I'm more worried he will lick his healed incision obsessively. But it should be fine, been a week since they took the stitches, should be mostly healed.
Ohh a question. Now that Truls has healed (mostly) and the cone is removed today. Should I also end his confinement? Or should I slowly allow him into other rooms? Been pondering that quite a bit. Like stairs, should I let him try those? When I remove the cone he will probably try to jump up on things again. I'm unsure what I should let him try, where I should allow him to go.
Or should I keep him confined until after his first visit to rehab?
Otherwise he is doing great! Super cuddly, very talkative hehe. He is a happy guy. 😀
EDIT/UPDATE:
Hmmm upon reflection, nope. :/
Truls had a few cone free hours today...hhmmm nah. He licks the incision. Not a crazy amount, but enough to make me uncomfortable. Although my bar is really really low. But I am not going to take any chances. He is finally healthy again, not gonna risk any infection or such.
Sorry Truls, cone stays on for a couple more days. Rather safe than sorry.
To clarify, the incision itself has healed. But there are still these small wounds from the stiches, they have yet to fully heal. Unfortunate that you can't tell an animal "don't touch that, it's for your own good" and they just go all "okay, I will leave it alone."
Well it's for Truls best that the cone stays on. At least he got a few hours to finally clean and groom himself. Imagine how good it has to feel to take a shower after almost a month without one hehe.
Otherwise he's fine. 🙂
Truls is so lucky to have you making sure he continues healing. I agree that if there is any kind of scabbing or healing that needs to happen on the incision, it's good to be safe, especially if he's not making a fuss about the cone. BEST CAT EVER!
As for allowing him more freedom. I'm of the school that it's OK to do it gradually. Give him a little more freedom around the house and see what happens. Yes he will jump and he will probably try to do things that make you cringe! But as long as you've Tripawd-proofed your home with things like more steps that make it easier for him to step/jump up to higher places, you've done a great job. Whether or not he uses them going down is another matter, but the more time you spend training him to use them, the better.
Cats really are tricky when you are first getting into this new way of being. You can do everything right to make their life safer but they'll still go wild when they feel like it.
If you allow him more freedom and he shows signs of tiredness, like extreme napping and that sort of thing, then it's possible he overdid things. Then you can scale back the freedom, and try again with a little less allowance around the house. Hope that makes sense!
Hello again.
A update on Truls, perhaps the final update. Why? Because he is doing great. 😀
We have been to rehab, they said Truls didn't need to come for any more rehab visits. His leg has healed up great, he moves well and can somewhat jump. He is learning how to get around.
He still wears the cone on occasion. But that is to prevent any excessive licking, like at night when no one is watching him. It was recommended by the rehab doctor that Truls gets supplements with his food, so I'm giving him those. Joint assisting supplements, since one leg has to do more work.
Overall Truls is fantastic. 🙂 He behaves like his normal self, happy as ever, purring as loud as ever hehe. The fact that he has one less paw doesn't seem to effect him at all.
We are going back for one more vet visit, just a blood test. To make sure that he is staying healthy.
So here is another Tripawd success story!
Man this has been a bumpy ride, I had doubts and so many times I was uncertain about Truls future. I didn't know if he would make it to his 14th birthday, that was a month ago.
Now I hope he just stays healthy. I hope he sees his 15th birthday, I'd really like if Truls made it to his 20th birthday, that would be amazing! 😀
Thanks for all the support and advice.
TRULS,THETRIPAWDSUCCESSSTORY! 👏👏👏
Absolutely thrilled to read this update on precious Truls! You both hung jn there, stayed strong and now het to enjoy Truls being Truls again!!! I know hearing him purr is the most beautiful sound you could ever want!
And we look forward to celebrating many, many, more birthdays!!!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie 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!
WOOOHOOO! Oh wow this is such a great bit of news, we all love knowing that he's overcome the recovery journey and is now living life to the fullest again. WHEEE!
You did so great too. Never underestimate what you are capable of doing to help your sweet boy. Together you two can conquer anything!
Thanks for making our day. Stop by anytime, we always love celebrating our heroes like Truls!
Yeah Truls!!
Not sure why I say that, because with a cat like him (and his owner) there was no other possible out come!
Just keep on doing what you are doing and most importantly, love and enjoy the heck out of every day. Also, while at times you might feel a bit sorry for him and give that chin and ear on his missing leg side and extra scratch, know you are doing it because he is so adorable and cuddly, not because he needs it. I remember it was about 2 months after Tuxedo lost his leg, (and tons of scratches later), I caught him curled tightly scratching that ear with his other leg. He was doing it from the front angle instead of the back like most do. Just another way how cats are super smart and can learn/adapt to being on three. And we already know Truls is super smart.
Here is to celebrating your future 20th birthday Truls!
-Dawna, Tuxedo, Lilly, and Angel Dazzle
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