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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thanks for the advice on gentle massage, we just spent around 40 mins with him lay on his side while i alternated from stroking his belly to just gently massaging around the scar and he was very calm and fell asleep throughout and gave me chance to ensure there was no swelling etc.
when hes had the pain today he has been heavily panting in spells and occasioanlly drooling or having a drippy nose as opposed to making audible noises more than whimper. i assume that sounds normal?
Wow you're right, it's been quite a week for you, thanks for finding the time to post an update. Sorry you were having trouble uploading images, we were indeed doing a lot of work on the back-end of the website all week so you may have tried to do it just as we went offline here and there. If you ever have problems just Private Message me OK?
The photos are great and he does look good! That incision is healing too. And I love that you put carpet runners down and raised his bowls. Good job!
As for the pain....the panting, and possibly drooling, are one of the many pain indicators dogs can give so I would keep an eye on that, you may need to adjust his meds. Let your vet know and see if there's a way to fine tune his medication timing and dosages.
I hope the weekend is going well and he's getting better and better.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
He looks pretty good and the incision looks great.
he was discharged with 5 days of meloxicam 1.5mg 22kg dose (2kg down now hes missing a leg!) 300mg gabapentin 1 tablet twice a day with food 8am and 8pm, and codeine/paracetomol half a tablet 3 times a day, 8am 2pm 8pm.
Do you mean you have only five days of all of the meds? Most pups here are on pain meds for 10 to 14 days, some longer. My Pug Maggie was on pain meds for 14 days although we were tapering the last couple of days.
Another thought- you might try alternating the gaba and codeine dose times so there is better coverage. Maybe give the gaba at 10 am and 10 PM and the codine at 8, 2 and 8. Of course discuss with your vet- but I know many here have had good results with that strategy.
With such a big surgery there may be some discomfort but managing the pain meds should keep him out of serious pain.
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
yes i only have 5 days of the meds as it was overlapping with what i already had so i have another 7 days meds from today which will take us up to staple removal and a medication review. hopefully we will know more about the results from the excised limb and next steps for treatment. they will provide more meds at that point as required.
its a good point RE: med timings, hes been getting the meloxicam, codeine and gaba all with his main meal at 8 and 8 with just codeine around 2. i think ideally i will hold back the evening gaba until bedtime as he was again very unsettled last night and that seems the window that needs the most additional support. ill report back my findings, huge thanks again to you all for your continued support, this place is literally a god send!!!!
OMD!!! Look at that happy dog smiling in his dreams. Love it!!😁 GREAT PHOTO!!
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!
Great pic!! Keep them coming.
My pups both have that under-bite (Pug and PugMutt) and when I see one it always makes me smile.
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
Well it sounds like you guys are on a parallel path to myself and my lovely border collie, Ollie. Ollie had his bone biopsy done on 26 April and it was confirmed as osteosarcoma by Wednesday last week. I had spent those intervening days asking fellow Border Collie facebook group members about their own experiences with both osteosarcoma and amputation. A couple of members had been through the process with their pups and provided some great advice and support which helped me make up my mind to go ahead with the op for him. Now bear in mind that Ollie is a 12yo border collie but has been extremely active right up until his diagnosis. I adopted him from the RSPCA only 2 years ago when he was 10 and he has become such an important part of our family. The idea of having his leg removed was completely abhorrent to me but the idea of watching his pain increase and him going down a palliative path just wasn't an option. So, armed with advice and reading we have gone ahead. He has had his op today. He is in hospital tonight and - hopefully - will be discharged tomorrow. Having the opportunity to read your experiences and your first few days with Ronnie at home post op has been great, it's started to prepare me for what we can expect. I'm going to read a through a whole lot more blogs and hopefully feel better (and a lot less guilty) when Ollie comes home tomorrow 🙂
Hello Ollie-s hooman! You made the BRST DECISION for your Ollie! You are getting rid of his pain and giving him a chance at a painfree QUAILITY life full of spoiling and loving! Borders are a ruff and tuff breed and, after recovery, you will see Ollie get all his sparkle back.
We would. love for you to start your own thread on Ollie so we can follow hiis story and celebrate all his victories....and we woild .love pics! Regardless, stay connected, especially during recovery, and let us know any questions you may have.
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!
Its good to hear you made the right choice for ollies overall quality of life and i hope it all goes well!
Well it's good and so-so news so far today for Ronnie.
He had his first night where he seemed more relaxed and slept through, even to the point where i had to get him up in the morning much later than he usually would. We came downstairs he went straight out to pee, no issues there, then plopped himself down to sleep while i got meds and food together. Once food was out he came straight over and devoured it as usual, but last 2 meals the hasn't cleaned the bowl as ive come to expect from him. he had Gabapentin around 9:30, codeine around 10:30 and then didnt move off the chair in and out of sleep for 5 hours until i made him go outside just to stretch and see if he needed the bathroom which he didnt.
He had afternoon codeine around 2:30pm and again went back to sleep and hasn't moved? he seems to be so lethargic in the last 24 hours. however 'visible' pain has all but passed, no episodes of standing in pain like before. I've done the usual wound checks, its dry, no seepage although still very swollen and hard in the upper area as it has been throughout. Nose is warm but wet, not dry, paws and ears are warm but not particularly hot, gums are pink. the only thing i have't' done is check temperature but i have a thermometer on the way shortly.
I suppose this is me reacting intensely to any outward change in behavior as i haven't left his side in 5 days so i've observed everything. When he sleeps he is snoring away happily its just hes doing it so much comparatively to the 4 days post op before today. I suppose also tomorrow will be 7 days post op so it's really early still, but i went a bit 'google happy' about post surgery infection and sepsis and have worked myself up into panic as i'm sure many can relate to!!!
Yes, 'Dr. Google' can be a detriment to our mental health sometimes 
Lots of resting is good at this point (assuming no issues). Remember too that just getting around is exhausting for new Tripawds, it's not uncommon here to see what is perceived as a crash 3 to 5 days post op. Pain meds can be sedating too, but again, in my opinion it's not a bad thing at this point.
Never be afraid to call the vet either if you are concerned, they are there to help!
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
well ronnie and i took our friendship to a new level earlier as he got a thermometer up the pooper. We didn't make eye contact and agreed to never speak of it again! came out at bang on 100 degrees which is right about perfect so thats set my mind at ease.
Also after not moving an inch all day guess what? as soon as mum showed up with the thermometer he got his lazy ass up and hopped into the front room with his tail and ears up all ready to greet her!
I think after 5 straight days he's just sick of the sight of my face.......
audreyg said
Well it sounds like you guys are on a parallel path to myself and my lovely border collie, Ollie.
I'm sorry that you found yourself coping with this diagnosis Audrey, and hope the amputation goes well today. Please do start a new topic in Treatment and Recovery, so that we can help you better OK? We'll wait for you over there, thanks!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
ronniethepuggle said
well ronnie and i took our friendship to a new level earlier as he got a thermometer up the pooper.
Bhahaha! That made me smile, a funny description of a most unpleasant situation for both. I'm sooo glad things are good with him though, I got scared reading your earlier post.
Yes, we tend to become hyper-vigilant during recovery. That's OK, better safe than sorry.
You've knocked out the first week, now on to the second. At about the 10 day mark my guess is you will start to see a major difference in his personality, for the better. Keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Was just getting ready to say ditto to Karen's post, when I saw your thermometer up the popper friendship post!🤣😂🤣😂
Glad to hear temp is good and you saw some sparkle come back! So hard to be patient. Five days seems like an eternity during recovery. Based in what you've said though, Ronnie seems to be well within the "normal" range this early in recovery.
Keep on keeping on Ronnie! You are a smart boy to be taking it slow and easy with lots of rest. We hoomans forget sometimes adjusting to three legs during recovery can be exhausting!
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!
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