Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Today I am in surgery for my front left leg to be amputated. I had severe elbow dysplasia and we had tried EVERYTHING. My owner struggled with the decision, and I think drove about 4 vets nuts with trying to "unturn every stone" as she said. we tried every med and acupuncture. Finally it was time and my mom knew it. But you know who knew it best, my 9 year old best friend Amelia. Mom said, "It's so hard, because he has these good days and then you don't know what to do." Amelia said, "Yeah mom but right now he has good days and bad days, and after the surgery all of his days will be good days."
I will keep you posted on how I do, any support for my mom will be welcomed=!
Scout
lauren
Best wishes for Scout's speedy recovery! Sounds like he's in good hands with a strong, well-balanced pack leader like Amelia! 
With displaysia being the cause, you all should have a very long happy life together. Thanks for sharing your story. We look forward to hearing more.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Best wishes Scout! Soon you'll be up and about and you'll be pain free and enjoying life to the max 
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
Woof woof!!! Scout, best wishes going your way. You will soon discover that being without pain is the best deal in town. Also that being a tripawd will not slow you down a bit. I still keep amazing my pawrents as to how well I have bounced back and how well I deal with being a tripawd and loving it!!! Lots of licks your way!!!
Kellie
Here is too a better quality of life... pain free. Speedy recovery!!
KIM&BUSTER
Kim & Angel Buster
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
–Anatole France
Hey Scout...if your recovery is anything like mine, you'll be a bit groggy for a few days after surgery (reassure your mom that is normal because mine drove me crazy with all her worrying when all I wanted to do is sleep it off)...all the love, attention and fussing is great (I'll have to give you tips on how to continue working that one as you get stronger) and when I got the bandage off - YIPPY - home free - I was ready to go. The best part? Instant pain relief and we seem to have this amazing ability to adapt quickly to life on 3 legs - you just wait and see!
Once piece of advice for your mom...make sure she gets as much rest as she can...the worrying takes a toll and from what I saw, it's inevitable that your mom will worry...and lastly...remember life for a limb...it's well worth it.
Love ya buddy!
Keep us posted....
Zeus
Heather and Spirit Zeus - Our life changing journey…from the earth to the heavens…one day at a time…always together
Hi everybody!
thank you for all the well wishes! So far so good, the doctors hae been so nice to me and things are going well. they say I am adjusting to three legs very well(truth is I hadn't used that bum leg in almost a year anyway so I was already doing the 3).
today, i get to come home yippee!My family i heard went out last night and did the house up right for me. Rugs on all the hardwoods, nice and clean floors, and Amelia made me a new fleece blanket. Boy do I feel special! Mom found a great thing, shelf liner, she put it on all the treads of the hardwood stairs to help with that slip thing.
All the pictures you guys have posted have helped Amelia know what to expect, especially with the bandages and stuff, but I just know she loves me so much no matter what.
well guys gotta go, in just two hours mom is coming to get me. thanks for telling her I would be woozie, she is a worrier to the extreme. I will write when I get home.
Scout aka Mr. Cutie Pie
lauren
Welcome home buddy - glad to hear that you're doing well.
One more thought that helped me a lot...I don't know if you have a deck with stairs, but I did and the stairs had an opening and when I first started trying to go up them, my left front leg went right through it and my chin hit the stair...OUCH - and boy did that make mom sad - so a friend had a great idea...outdoor carpet for the deck and the stairs and we covered up those gaping holes in the stairs...now I fly up and down them with no problem. Mom says it looks nice too 🙂
Get some rest pal and tell Mom you're gonna be just fine
Paws forever!
Zeus
Heather and Spirit Zeus - Our life changing journey…from the earth to the heavens…one day at a time…always together
I am home! Now that was exciting. On the ride home in the car I tried to do everything I used to, stand up all that, but mom told me to sit down! I came home and did really well going up the stairs to the front house. i walked right in and ate a bowl of fodd and drank tons of water and then settled in for a long nap.
They didn't even need to "towel" me or nothing. Guess it's because I really already knew how to walk on three legs. Amelia left me note before she went to school on my bed telling me how cuteI am and that she loves me. she will be home soon and I can't wait.
Mom is worried, they only sent me home with tramadol and metacam, and she sees all these other guys came home with patches and other meds...will this be enough for me to stay pain free?
BTW, mom asked all kinds of questions at the hospital, and they were like all, very casual, mom said, am I overthinking all this and they said yes, it is a big deal, but relax becasue I'm fine.
And I am.
later, we will post how kids deal with all this and tips on helping kids with it, my mom is a kid psychologist so she helped amelia a lot...
Thanks,
scout
Scout
lauren
Hey Scout - hope you had a nice nap and fun doggie dreams. I came home with tramadol too (and nothing else) - it was plenty for the pain - just make sure you take the doses right on time and finish the medication. I didn't like the pain meds...it made me drink a lot more, I was a bit anxious and panted a lot which made Mom really nervous because she knows that I pant when I'm not feeling well...but it's all part of the process and as soon as I was off the pain medication, I felt more like myself. I was also a little out of it when I was taking the meds - pain medication affect us like humans in a way - woozy.
Do you have a bandage wrap?
They were pretty casual at the hospital too and Mom was afraid that she was missing something or they were just too lax about the whole thing, but they are specialists and unfortunately, this type of procedure seems to be more common than we ever knew and it's a healing process that time takes care of just like with humans...but unlike humans, I think we rebound a lot faster.
Hope all this helps - I'll check in later to see if you have any more questions.
Hang in there wonderdog...you'll be A-OK
Zeus
Heather and Spirit Zeus - Our life changing journey…from the earth to the heavens…one day at a time…always together
Hey Scout! Welcome home.
Forget about all those heavy meds. I only got Tramadol, and my people started to ween me off that after about ten days. I didn't even get a bandage.
We hear alot about new tripawds that whine and moan, and believe this is often due to over-medication. I believe us dogs can handle the pain better than we can take the wierd feelings those heavy duty medications cause.
I bet you'll be fine. All you need right now is time and rest. Tell Amelia she's the best for being so good to you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Well guys, it's going great. I actually slept tons yesterday and pooped for the first time today. Last night I came up the front stairs two at a time, walking faster and stairs two at time is my thing, but mom is watching that I don't overdo.
mom is looking online at rehab places. Do I need rehab? She is worried about making my other three legs as strong a possible and such. Any thoughts?
I'm whimpering a lot today, but I think it's just the drugs weirding me out. we dogs take our duty to protect our families seriously, and when we feel compromised, it makes us just well, uncomfortable and ill at ease.
Bandages come off today, any tips on pulling that big sticky thing off painlessly?
Scout
lauren
scout the wonderdog said:
mom is looking online at rehab places. Do I need rehab?
Scout
Heck, the only one that needs rehab is Lindsay Lohan! Oh and Britney.
But seriously . . . I wonder how many dogs went through rehab after amputation? I didn't, but there may be others out there who have. Anything helps of course, but maybe you Mom wants to wait a few weeks before sending you, just to see how your improvement goes. We are sure she'll be amazed at your progress.
About that band aid. . . well, a lot of us dogs don't like their people to mess with the bandages. Read what Ben's Dad, Knut, had to say about it (it's the comment on 4/28 at 2:36pm).
You're so right about the whimpering! We've never heard it put that way, but it's true. We just don't like feeling like our pack is compromised in some way.
Woof! Scout, you're doing great! Two steps at a time? Wow!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Guys,
Need some help, mom is freaking out. My wound looks good, but my general mood and abilities have nosedived. I went down two stairs yesterday and did fine, when I stood at the bottom i let out this huge yelp, something really hurt but mom can't figure out what it was. I didn't eat all day yesterday and my back legs are shaking now when I walk. I won't even try the little stairs that i was doing. I drank some and had a good long pee this am. Mom thinks it's the equivelent of just sore muscles, like you all get when you go the gym hard the first day. But we don't want to miss anything, any thoughts? I did do one crazy thing yesterday, mom gave me a pizza bone and I buried it with one leg and my nose! It was in a pot on the deck, she turned around and i did this thing one dig hop up one dig hop up bury, nose all the dirt back over it. But still I was acting weird even before that acrobat.
Scout..still the wonderdog but not feeling so wonderful this am
lauren
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