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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Hello everyone... I'm new here. I could really use some advice... and a lot of reasurance. My poor old girl Sasha just had a back leg amputated May 13. She had a large cancerous growth on her hip... amputation was the only choice. She's still such a strong and happy girl, I couldn't put her down.I've gotten her up and moving a little. She only really gets up for water and food... please help me help her. I've never had to get a pet through anything like this before. I need to do right by her. She can't afford to have me fail her. I've found a hydrotherapy place to take her once things heal. I'm just not sure what I need to be doing until then.
Your post has been approved. Now you will be able to find the support and reassurance you need from members who have been where you are.
Here's a link to help give you some I formation about what to respect after surgery, recovery, etc
https://tripawd.....to-expect/
Just the fact that Sasha is eating and drinking and apparently able to get up is something to celebrate this early on. We know this is scary trying to figure out what's normal and what's not. Keep in mind that Sasha is a senior girl who just had major, major surgery just two days ago. A human would still be in the hospital on a morphine drip.
Couple of questions for you. How much does Sasha weigh in what does her pain protocol look like? What is the dose, the frequency and what are the meds she is taking?
If you have hardwood floors you'll want to put down non-slip scatter rugs for traction . Avoid any jumping, running etc. A slow and easy is the pace Sasha needs right now.
As far as what recovery looks like, keep in mind that every dog is different in every recovery is different. However, first week is usually the roughest and sometimes going into the second week. The first two weeks you just want her to get lots of rest and they only activity she should really have at this point is just to go out and potty and come back in and rest some more she may be off food a little bit because of the meds, but drinking is important. She may not poop for a couple of days but urinating is important.
Please know you absolutely are doing right by sasha. You have removed that horrible lump and our freeing her up from the pain of that bum leg.9
You have come here for support and we are here to answer any of your questions. Yes, checking into a rehabilitation specialist for a consult after she gets a little further along in recovery is a great idea. And the Tripawds Foundation will pay for the first appointment.
We know it's really hard watching our dogs go through recovery, but it sounds like Sasha is doing very well. Try to be patient and just put yourself in her position if you had to recover from major surgery, be on pain meds etc.
Let us know any questions you have and stay connected. You are not alone!!! We are right by your side to help you navigate through recovery and on to a quality pain-free life full of more spoiling and loving for Sasha.
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!
Hi Natasha,
I'm so sorry that Sasha had to have her leg amputated, and I'm so glad you found us! We are here to help. Sally's questions are spot-on and I don't want to overwhelm you, so I'm eager to see your responses. I'll be back later with some feedback. Hang in there, you can do this and you are definitely not failing her.
Thanks for the info and encouragement folks. Sasha really is doing well, all things considered. She's able to get up with assistance, she's been eating and drinking, and she's able to make the trip outside for bathroom breaks. Sasha actually just had her first poop this morning. I've never been happier to see the old girl use the bathroom in my life.
To answer your questions about Sasha Benny, Sasha is a 50-55 pound shepherd husky mix. She's on Meloxadin and Gabaspentin. She gets one 22.5kg dose of the Meloxadina day, and 2 of the Gagaspentin twice a day. Her pain looks to be well managed. She'd be letting me know real fast if the wasn't OK. She's a big old baby when it comes to any kind of pain.
I've already got some non-slip rugs, and plan to get more later. I'm wondering what the opinion on toe grips is? Are they actualy worth it? Are the the paw pad grips I've seen better?
Oooooh that face! I'm glad you got her photo uploaded, she is beautiful! And you're right, Husky dogs are so vocal and expressive, she will let you know when she's in need of more pain. But, you can definitely stay ahead of it by watching for pain signals . By the time a dog is vocal about expressing pain, it's usually really bad so you don't want it to get that far. Otherwise it's even harder to control.
Toe Grips are pawesome if Sasha doesn't mind you messing with her feet. You do need to super glue them on (just a little dab) so they don't pop off (Tripawds have an odd gait that causes the grips to come loose if you don't). I like them much better than those paw pads, because they don't interfere with your dog's sensations of the ground, which is very important for them to know where their feet are in space. Extra important to a Tripawd! Plus, they tend to fall off (we've tried them, and give them an F).
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