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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Sorry to hear about Maggie.
My boy Princeton is twelve years old. He is a farm dog, taking an active part in the day's activities. His eyes are bright. His hearing good. And he has a desire to keep going. I will not deny him that. Three weeks ago he had is leg amputated, and he now runs around. Last week he had his first round of chemo, and it's now a distant memory for him. If Maggie still has the desire, then let her carry on. No matter what the time left, cherish every moment. Throughout my ideal with Princeton I've learned that it's the dog that makes the decision.
Don't worry about the amputation. She'll do absolutely fine.
Terry
Welcome to the family. You've gotten good advice already. A to be aware of after surgery, don't be surprised if Maggie looks really good when you bring her home and she crashes a day or so later, very normal. She may not be herself for awhile, appetite may not be the greatest, not much ambition, it's all part of the recovery. You wil be amazed at how well she will look by the third or fourth week. These guys all heal a little different, so Maggie maight bounce back quicker than you expect, or may take a few extra days to get back to her old self. Keep us posted, 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
Hello lovely Maggie
Calpurnia was 12 when she was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarc on her front leg. She was a lead dog on our sled team at the time and we worried about her life after amputation and forced retirement. She did great with the amputation, largely due to her activity level, and was back running on the sled in a few months. She was not ready to retire.
Cali lived to see her 16th birthday and passed away from old age. She was happy, and I would not hesitate to make the decision to amputate again.
Good luck to you and Maggie. Cali will be cheering from above.
you guys are a great comfort to me...thankyou.
Maggie is doing good. She had her operation today. Everything went real well. She will most likely not need chemo as it was very local and not the kind to mastasize. I am going through some emotions that maybe some of you can help me with. I am thinking that she must feel abandoned there at the hospital. I want to go visit her but she is so attached to me that i don't want to upset her when i have to leave. Also, my son had asked me if i was ready to see her without a leg and i didn't even think about that. What were some of your feelings when you first saw them after their operation? Should i go visit her? I would love to. Thanks for your help guys.
my first feelings when I saw my boy with three legs... he was never more beautiful! And I was sure ready for a dog hug and to take him home!
Coopsdad
Coopsdad/ Kenneth Blackburn
http://cooper.t.....ipawds.com
the monkeydogs only THINK they have invaded the tripawd state
Laurie, first of all it's great to hear that Maggie tolerated the anesthesia and surgery and is doing well. That's the first hurdle.
As for going to see her, it has to be your call. I will tell you what the surgeon told me, and then you can either think about it or throw it out. She said that dogs on the pain meds after surgery are loopy and confused and really messed up. She told me that seeing Dakota would probably add to his distress because he would know enough to want a "rescue" but be messed up enough for that to really be unfair to him. I didn't want him to have a fit when I left him (if I went to see him) so I chose not to go at all.
As for how she will look and how you will react, have you looked at the amputation photos here to be ready for that? I advise it. They are not pretty, but it all goes away. If Maggie were a human who came home from war lookiing like that, you would thank her for her service and tell her how proud of her you are. Well, pretend your Maggie is a soldier! Don't lose it around her because you are the pack leader. She will take her cues from you. Love her and tell her how happy you are that she's with you, and make sure to smile. Use the happy voice!
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/
I think you will cry with hoppiness when you see how relieved he is after getting rid of the pain. It's always a bit of a shock but the relief of being past that first big step is so great!
But I recommend not seeing him so soon. Some people do, but most dogs tend to get confused and wonder why they can't go home with their peeps. Hang in there, he'll be home soon enough.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
So glad to hear your Maggie is done the surgery and it went well! As someone else said, one BIG hurdle over!
As to your possible reactions to when you see her...prepare yourself ahead of time with photo's of others, etc. I didn't find Tripawds.com until 3 months after my dog's amputation...but thankfully, I had my sister with me, who is a Vet Tech at another practice. When I first saw Maggie I cried my eyeballs out...mixed emotions..feeling badly for my Maggie but also happy tears at the same time. I was not so sure she was doing all that great but my sister assured me she was doing great and looked fabulous......as we were walking her around the vet hospital in a sling and it took two of us to do so. Scarey times for me for SURE. Have a support system around you. You will most likely go thru lots of emotions from now until she recovers.. At least I did...but I'm also here to say I'm DAMN happy that we went thru it all!!!! It was all worth it.
Oh, and I did visit my dog in the hospital each day for many hours...the vet/surgeon allowed me to stay with her. By the second day, however, Maggie did NOT want to stay another minute in the hospital....so it may not have been a good thing but I'm not so sure I could of stood staying away from her that long after all she'd been thru.
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Glad to hear your Maggie made it though surgery.
Visiting is really up to you- you know how Maggie will react.
I chose not to visit my Maggie after surgery. She really hated the vet and I thought if she saw me, then I left her there again it would be hard on her. Hard on me too... I had to console myself with the fact that she was under great care, and the hospital was staffed 24 hours a day. I knew I did the right thing when I did go get her- she clung to me and wouldn't let go (she was a small pug). If she had done that to me the day before- and I had to pull her away and leave her there... well it would have been harder than not seeing her was.
As far as how she looked- my Maggie was a rear amp, and as I said a small pug. It was a little startling to see her, but the surgeon had done such a good job, the incision was really clean. She also had dark pigmented skin so the bruising was not so evident.
You should look at some of the photo galleries to prepare yourself. Remember- you need to be a strong pack leader for her so she knows everything is alright.
Karen and the pugapalooza
My dear Laurie,
Having the surgery for Maggie was the best
decision you made and it was out of your love for her... Never once regret it!
She will have a tough couple of weeks, mainly due to the pain meds and possibly
nerve pain meds too. They are not themselves until their mind is clear. They
adjust so very fast to their 3 legs. They do what they have to get around...
With your love & encouragement and praises...she will do better and better
every day!
The day of surgery, the technician at Tufts
Medical sent me a photo of Indiana with a blanket over his surgery sight and another
without the blanket. I was fine with the first & covered my eyes &
peaked at the second. There looking at the camera was the love of my life -
still my Indy - still so very handsome - my new tripawd. They advised us not to
visit the first night. He was in 3 more days. We visited him the 2nd day and my
husband had them cover him with a blanket because I started to cry moments
before going in to see him. The minute I went in & saw my sweet Indiana, I
sat down, gave him a big hug & kiss and took the blanket off. I was just
fine. He was crying - but because of all of the meds he was on...and of course,
being in a strange place…
The next day they brought him out hopping to see
us & we visited in a private room. It was the day after we took our boy
home... Indy & I cried all the way home...Indy from the meds, me - because
I still had my boy to love and I was starting a journey - a brand new journey
of love, hope and one filled with many challenges...
I was one of the lucky ones to have had the
blessing & miracle of having him beat the odds for 17 months. Although the
cancer came back to his lungs after 1 year, he still lived another 5 months...(even
when they said a few weeks) ~with much happiness and so much love...No matter
how big or small your miracle is - it is still is a miracle. We had the surgery
knowing that we may only have 4 months with him - and that was well worth it to
us!!
May you have many happy moments and much joy
with the blessing of Maggie!! We are all here for you!
Much love from Indiana's mom ~~Carol~~
♥ I was blessed with the Miracle of Indiana ~ my sweet and loving Siberian husky♥
♥ He beat the odds against osteosarcoma for 17 months with so much happiness and love ♥ ♥ Indy was a true tripawd hero and an inspiration to all ♥ ♥ I prayed for just one more day… and we had many ♥
♥ His legend gives much hope for those just starting their journey ♥ May you all have a miracle – whether it be big or small ♥
♥ Forever in our hearts ♥ ♥ Until we meet again my love ♥ ♥ I will love you forever ♥
Please visit his blog http://indianas.....pawds.com/
In our case, Gus came home the next day. As far as my first reaction, he came out wagging his tail with that big happy face, AND, he was a front left, he was able to jump up on the counter to see what was going on behind, end of worry. My guess is Maggie will be wagging her tail when she sees you. I think one reason some get queasy is they shave so much hair, and of course the incision is pretty good, but a good vet can stitch them up and you can barely tell its there. If she is light colored, you may see some bruising Don't worry, the feeling of having her home and well will take over very quickly, the onbly reason you may have trouble is letting yourself get caught up that she only has three legs, trust us, once she heals the only difference you will notice is she will hop instead of walk. Paws Up to a successful surgery, 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
going to see maggie tonight. She is not eating which is really strange for her. They said it is loud where she is kenneled and she is afraid of other dogs. They are going to stick me in a room for a couple hours with her and i know she will eat then. Hopefully she will be coming home tomorrow morning. I dont want to upset her but ithink it is more important that she eats. She was getting too thin to begin with. Maggie had stomach surgery a couple years ago and that did not stop her appetite one bit. thanks for the support guys.....god knows i need it.
When I went to pick up Bo the day after surgery, I was nearly in tears in the lobby. Then, Bo came running out through a door toward me, literally dragging the vet behind him. So then, I had happy tears! Bo lifted his front leg into the back seat of the car before we could stop him. I knew that he was feeling no pain.
I am finicky when it comes to stitches and medical issues... It took me a good week before I really took a good long look at the incision. I was hesitant to even touch that area on him until I saw our vet just scratch all around it for him. She said of course it's itchy and he's being such a good boy to leave it alone. Slowly I would touch and look at it. I don't remember at what point it just all became so very normal and natural, but it did.
Just give your baby lots of love and listen to her cues. You will know what to do. Her face reminds me so much of my Bo!
Laurie, I hope Maggie eats for you but do not--do not--worry if she doesn't. She is whacked out on pain meds, she is in a unique and (maybe) scary environment, and she is learning how to re-balance her body. Her stomach surgery from before didn't cause the balance issues, and I think that is enough to bamboozle any dog, no matter how well-adjusted they are. She will eat when she gets home if not tonight. Some dogs take literally days to get their taste buds back. Breathe deeply and be patient. I know it's hard. Just try. You're in good company here.
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/
The suggestion of taking deep breaths is one we have to tell new ones all the time, it's good advice. Remember, you are just starting the next chapter of a new normal, and there is going to be a period of adjustment. Some more advice, if you get a chance to sleep, take it, you may not get much the next couple weeks, it goes with the territory, and after a few days of not much sleep and alot of worry, little things become huge, so try to stay grounded. Don't beat yourself up about everything, the meds play games with these guys, sometimes you have to make adjustments, Gus didn't get along with Tramadol, it's just something you will have to watch. Not much appetite, another thing that some dogs have after surgery, they are all different, heal different, and react different, so just go with the flow. Good luck and take one day at a time, 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
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