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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My 2 year old broke her leg, and after a series of failed plate surgeries, it looks like amputation is our best option. The house is somewhat set up with first aid kits and cones from everything else we have been through. The surgeon I just visited with states that other than needing the cone and a 2 week follow up, that's about it for post amputation. I have had issues with her getting out of the cone. Her neck is so long. So, I customized a comfy cone to attach to her harness. She won't be able to wear that harness this time. Any advice? Thanks. Juneau's Owner.
Hi and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm sorry to hear about your girl Juneau. I am guessing since you said she can't wear a harness that it is a front leg that is broken?
Here are a couple of good resources for you:
Required Reading List has lots of links to info on this site with what to expect with amputation and recovery.
eBooks from the Tripawds Library are also available to download.
Have you talked to the vet about the harness? Some vets have allowed front amps to wear a harness right after surgery with a tee shirt underneath to protect the stitches. Here is a link to some cone alternatives- maybe something there will work.
So there is a tad more to think about than a cone... traction is huge for tripawds, especially new ones, so if you have slippery surfaces you will want to use some throw rugs or yoga mats. A quite place for recovery is good, maybe a blocked off room without furniture that she could try and jump on.
The first couple weeks after surgery can be bumpy- sometimes enough to make you doubt your decision to amputate. None of my vets told me that... so I thought I had made a huge mistake when my pug Maggie had her rear leg amputated. She has new balance to learn and meds to deal with.
You might also want to look at some post-op pictures in our gallery so you know what she will look like. It can be quite startling so its best to be prepared.
Do you have a surgery date?
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Thank you for the response. I'm glad to find this site. Juneau broke her leg 4 months ago on Thanksgiving, and the plate surgery did not take. A screw popped out of the skin, then the plate. The plate was removed very prematurely. 5 surgeries later the bone is badly refractured and atrophying. Basically she has been on 3 legs for four months anyway with the bone deteriorating in the endless succession of splints. So we have had yoga and gym mats all around the fenced off area we have been living in for some time. She can definitely get out of a cone, so my biggest concern is her getting to stitches. I will talk closely with the vet and see what we can rig up for her.
I have a lot of awful photos of screws and the bone plate coming out of my dog's leg, so I hate to say we are somewhat prepared for gruesome. I want my dog's suffering to end. The surgeon says this will end the ongoing issues with what is now a somewhat unsalvageable limb.
I'm sorting things out with the vet's schedule and work, aiming to pick the date in the next couple of weeks. Fortunately, a good friend went through this a few years ago, so she will be giving me some insight. I am a single dog parent, so I am admittedly very afraid to have to go to work at all post-surgery. She will be in her crate when I do.
I will be scouring these pages for insight.
Front leg? A t-shirt worked to keep Otis away from his staples. His surgery was a Tuesday, he came home on Wednesday after work. I took Thursday and Friday off, so that he wouldn't be alone, and had a friend sit with him for a couple days the next week. Thursday night (week 2), with encouragement from others on the site, I left him alone for an hour. And thereafter, he was ok during the workday with pop-ins. We never used crates - we tried with Tess during her cruciate repair and she tore her way out of it. Otis was really good at self-regulating his activity, although we did keep the sofa blocked off. (He got up in week 3).
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
HOLY MOLY!!! You and Juneau have really been through some rough times.
Good for you for getting in with the amputation and giving Juneau a pain free life with no more surgeries! I guarantee, after recovering from the surgery itself, Juneau will feel soooooo much better with that painful leg gone!!
You already have dirst hand experience with recovery from surgeries, etc. You've gotten great advice and links from Karen. You are more prepared than most of us!
Maybe you can arrange Juneau's surgery date so you can bring her ho e on a Thursday take off Friday) a d have the weekend to stay with her. Do you have any neighbor who can co e check on her for a few days once you go back ro work? I also am a "single pawrent" and jad zero help with my Happy Hannah AND had not found this great website yet! I was very lucky in that my Happy Hannah never bothered her stitches and didn't need a co e.. With good planning, you should be able to jandle things just fine.
Stay connected and let us know how we can help. This surgery probably can't come soon e ough for zjunea!
Lpve to you both
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!
Awe so sorry you and Juneau have been through so much already. Welcome to the best place on earth for support! If it's a front leg as others have said a t shirt works great. I believe some have also used a thunder shirt? I'm not familiar with those but maybe others can chime in on if that would work or not. I have a hunch Juneau is going to be a happy girl once she's recovered not to have that ole painful leg anymore. I'm sure you will be amazed at how well she does since she's already almost a tripawd now. Please keep us posted on her journey.
Linda, Ollie, Riley & Spirit Mighty Max
Murphy had his front leg removed and never once wore a cone. We used an old t-shirt of my son's to keep the incision clean and really, Murphy never tried to bother it much. Murphy also only spent 1 night at the hospital & came home the next day. Our adult son lived at home at the time, and I work 3 days a week, so between the 3 of us we were able to manage his care. Make sure you keep up on her pain medications. Murphy came home on Rimadyl, Tramadol & Gabapentin. A lot of vets seem to miss the Gabapentin, but it works well for the nerve pain. Some also come home with antibiotics; they also sometimes use a fentanyl patch for pain.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Drats, sorry about all you've been through. But after all that, amputation recovery will be much easier. I know it's hard to believe but that's what members have told us. As for the cone, this one might be of interest to you, especially because you have some time before surgery and can order it in the Tripawds Amazon store.
You've been given excellent tips here. If there's anything else we can do please let us know OK? Keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
The surgeon had mentioned that letting the leg go and seeing what happens is an option. I know the leg is badly malformed at this point, but I'm starting to seriously be concerned that if I leave her with one front leg it will only be a matter of time before she rolls on it and breaks this one also. This is about as tiny an Italian greyhound as I've ever seen. A friend with a tripawd told me his dog would land on her face coming down stairs from time to time, a larger hunting dog. My other friend showed me pictures of her tripod running on the beach - but that is a pit bull that had cancer. Those are big dogs. This is such a rare case, and everything we have done has not just gone wrong but gone terribly wrong. I really need to think this through.
The surgeon had also told me we could wait and amputate whenever, so I'm going to check in with the clinic and see what that really means.
My fragile pup is snoozing in my lap right now!
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