Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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joey said:
The vets said he thinks our biggest problem will be keeping our little firecracker quiet for two weeks.
Indeed, confinement is key to safe recovery. Please do keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Well, I dropped Joey off this morning. He is in surgery now. In addition to his back leg, he is having a couple of corns/ warts? removed on his front paw pad. That will be bandaged up after. He is going to have a tough time of it after but the warts had to be removed because they were making him limp on his front foot pretty badly. That just popped up in the last week or so to go along with the cancer. No fun. Tonight we will be putting throw rugs and runners all over the house and we should get him back tomorrow if all goes well. Then we camp out at home for the next week or so and nurse him back to health. To put it bluntly, this really sucks....
To put it bluntly, this really sucks….
This thought will cross your mind many times on this journey, but the truth is, after the recovery period things will begin to level out and then you only have the roller coaster events to deal with.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Make sure you get some non-slip backing or use tape for any throw rugs you put down. Best wishes for a perfect procedure, we'll be thinking of you and Joey. And we know it's hard, but try to reframe the whole "this really sucks" idea. Joey needs you to be strong balanced pack leaders showing him that everything is fine, and he will pick up on any negative vibes and follow your lead. Never underestimate the power of pawsitive thinking!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'm still hoping for no roller coasters afterward but then again, I never thought I would be amputating a leg either. One day at a time... He is a strong guy. Hoping we can be as strong for him without going overboard on hovering over him every second.
Oh I always keep my mind clear and happy around him. This isn't about me, it's about him and what he needs. It's the times, like now, when you sit alone and think about what he has to go through that bums me out. The next few days will be tough for him and we are here to help him not bring him down. I have watched enough Dog Whisper to know that how I feel is how he feels.
All the rugs we have bought so far are all rubber backed and the rest we buy will be as well. We are just going to cover all his paths with rugs for now and see how it goes in the future. My concern is taking him out to go to the bathroom. I imagine it will be tough for him to have a bowel movement until he gets used to his new situation and I am worried about picking him up to bring down the stairs to go out. I don't want to hurt him. I'm sure the vet will have some advice on lifting him. We also bought some boxer briefs to cover his wound if need be. We want to avoid the dreaded collar. He has enough problems.
Just wanted to say hello and check on Joey to see how the surgery went.
If you don't have any canned pumpkin in your arsenal - I might suggest it - works wonders on the constipation problems that will occur about 4 days post op. from all the pain meds. 
Keep us posted on Joey's progress...
KaCee & Riley
Sending lots of healing wishes to Joey!
To help with pottying:
Some people take a canvas shopping bag (you can buy them anywhere) and slit the sides so you can use it as a sling.
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.
Those are both great ideas! The tote bag thing, I would have never thought of. Brilliant! I do use pumpkin off and on with my Kees but am out right now. I will pick it up on the way home. Never thought about the pain meds binding him up. Thank you both so much.
Joey did well with the surgery. His heart did have a reaction to the anesthesia but they got it under control, with no lasting effects. He has a few of those warts/corn things on his front toes but they only removed the one giving him problems. We will have to watch the others closely in the future. Hopefully he doesn't have problems with those. That could make life tough for him. We will be getting him this afternoon. Thank you for all the kind thoughts and advice.
Wishing you and Joey a smooth transition after you bring him home. So glad that he got through the surgery ok!! Keep up your positive attitude! 
Glad that he got through surgery okay! My husband had to carry our then 80 lb golden down the stairs (he's since slimmed down to 75lbs) once after his amputation. I don't think Ryan hurt him, it's hard to say, as Chili is usually fairly stoic with pain, but after that one time, Chili was bound and determined to do the stairs by himself no matter how long it took him. I just kept one hand on his back and reminded him to go slow as we went down the stairs. The first few times he had to sit and take a "breather" but after that he did fine. We also kept the stairs to a minimum the first 2 weeks- only at bedtime and in the morning until he was off his meds and not as "loopy". We weren't smart enough to think of the canvas bag as a sling (but I'm so putting that in my arsenal of ideas now!), we just used a beach towel to help him out.
Diagnosed with OSA: 5/2/2011 Ampuversary: 5/11/2011 OSA returned in hip: 8/26/2011
Chili Dawg crossed the Rainbow Bridge on 8/30/2011 & is now pain free. He was my heart dog, and I miss him every day.
The Doctor decided Joey should stay another night for better pain management . They took him off morphine but put him back on because he was in a lot of pain when it wore off. He has managed to walk and is eating and has gone potty all by himself now that he is back on it. We miss him but this is what's best for him. They can manage his pain round the clock better than we could. Hopefully tomorrow will be the day. We could have gone to see him but we didn't want to wind him up or upset him.
Sounds like a good choice and a wise decision to stay away tonight, as hard as it is to do that. Dogs get really wound up when their folks see them in the hospital, it can't be really great for recuperation IMHO.
Get well soon Joey! We are thinking of you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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