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 - just wanted to introduce myself and ask some newbie questions. I am mom to Dixie, a 10 year old St. Bernard/Red Heeler mix who is the center of my world. Last week I learned the reason behind Dixie's limp was not arthritis or a strained ankle after all.... She's having surgery Thursday morning to amputate her right rear leg. I am fortunate to have found this community of supporters - the website and the book "Three Legs and a Spare " have already been so helpful. Yet I am a total wreck. I fully support Dixie's amputation - heck, I'd take another off if I knew it would "cure" her. But I guess that's the one question I can't get an answer for, yet it's the only question that sticks in my mind every moment of the day. I have a few other questions in the hope that you guys can help me get through these next few days:
I am staying home from work until she's functional again - but how long should I expect? My vet says a few days, others say two weeks!
I just borrowed a sling and also got a new ortho bed, one of the harnesses recommended on this site, bella's pain relief pack and raised food/water bowls. Anything else that you found to be of help during the two hell weeks of recovery - be it assistive devices or things I can do to help Dixie cope?
Any general advice? I know to stay positive, especially in front of Dixie. It's harder than I thought.
I'm sure that I'm asking the same questions that all the new tripawd parents are asking - thanks in advance for being patient and taking the time to help me out!
Welcome Dixie's mom!
So glad you were able to make the post!
I'm so sorry to hear about Dixie. It's so, so, so, so hard on us (and not so much on our furbabies)! We totally understand. So, in that respect - you are a normal mom!
I'm sure that I'm asking the same questions that all the new tripawd parents are asking – thanks in advance for being patient and taking the time to help me out!
That's okay! Just because we have experience, doesn't mean you do!
Recovery is usually 2 weeks. Some dogs do great after a few days but most take 2 weeks. I hope Dixie's is just a few days but count on a couple of weeks! And nothing against what your vet said, but we see amputations much more often here and so we have collective experience unlike patient experience your vet has. It's kind of like textbook vs. experience.
The good news about amputation is the days get better and the restrictions are up to how each dog is doing. Dixie may be revved up the day after from all the medications but will probably crash a bit when the pain starts setting in from the healing. Ice packs are really good for pain. And your vet will give you some meds. Anti-inflammatories and Tramadol is the standard for pain. Tramadol does tend to make them goofy...so don't panick if Dixie doesn't act herself.
But don't worry....we'll be here to guide you through each hurdle! Just come over and ask!
Others will come over and give you really good advice about recovery. I didn't personally go thru an amputation since mine was born with a deformed leg. I've only done knee and hip surgeries.
Sending you lots and lots of healing wishes!
AND LET US KNOW when she is out of surgery, okay?!!
HUGS to you during this ruff time!
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.
Hi Dixie's Mom,
Welcome! My 5 yo Irish wolfhound, Fergus, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma on 9/20/11. We had his right rear leg amputated on 9/22/11. He came home the following day. My first suggestion would be if your vet suggests a second night stay, I would do it. It might be hard to leave her another night but she may be more comfortable. When she comes home she may not be the dog you remembered when you dropped her off. This WILL change. She will be on pain meds which may make her loopy, restless, pant alot, whine, etc. Just stay positive and comfort her. She will get used to the feeling of the meds and she should be on reduced levels within a few days. The first 2 weeks can be rough and you should anticipate being a little sleep deprived. But, every day she will get better. She will be a happy, active dog again.
In preparation for her coming home, here are some suggestions. Locate the easiest room in the house for Dixie to have access to outside. She will have trouble with stairs in the beginning. I had to build a 4' x 11' ramp to get Fergus up and down the stairs from my back deck. Also, I kept him confined to the family room to limit his acitivty. You may want to gather up lots of old sheets and towels. I covered his dog beds to protect them from the draining. You might not have issues with this, but we did. In the beginning, she may have trouble with hardwood floors and linoleum. Also, be careful when her feet are wet on slick floors. We put a lot of runners down on the deck and the hard wood floors. I highly recommend Pill Pockets for giving meds. Fergus was taking 17 pills a day in the beginning (he is a big boy) and they were the best way to get him to take them. I would jam a few bills into the capsule size pocket. Be sure to have an ice pack. It can be soothing to her in the beginning. Also, prepare yourself for the incision, it can be a little shocking when you first see it.
I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, but if you have questions, post them and someone will surely respond. Good luck and remember you are making the best decision for Dixie. The first few days are tough but every day will get better.
Take care,
Tara & Fergus
Hi, and welcome to our Tripawds Family. You've been given some great advice, so don't really need to add anymore. To prepare myself, I looked at pictures of a dog post amputation so I wouldn't freak when I picked up Skyler. When the time came, I just looked in her eyes, and didn't look at the site for a few hours. I needed to prepare myself mentally for it.
Make sure that you also get lots of rest. The next 2 weeks will be rough. Let us know how you are all doing, and ask any questions you may have.
Cathy
Hi Dixie's mom,
Welcome to Tripawds. You have lots of good advice already.
I fully support Dixie's amputation – heck, I'd take another off if I knew it would "cure" her. But I guess that's the one question I can't get an answer for, yet it's the only question that sticks in my mind every moment of the day.
Does Dixie have osteosarcoma? I am assuming that since you said she was limping. Unfortunately, amputation does not often cure OSA. But without amputation there is only one ending- preceded by increasing pain, the possibility of a fracture, poor life quality. But what it does is give Dixie a pain free life- and hope. We have had some pups here who far outlived those stats- Queen Nova is going on three years. And no matter what amount of time you have it will be quality time, and that is what is important.
There is a lot of experience here to draw on, and lots of shoulders to cry on when needed.
Good luck with the surgery on Thursday.
Karen and the pugaplooza
Hi Dixie's mom - what a beautiful girl you have! Welcome, you've come to the right place.
As others said, it's about 2 weeks in general of recovery time. I don't know that you would need to take that whole time off work though. Others might have some suggestions about that. For me, I work from home, so was there anyway, but they do sleep a lot during recovery. Could you work reduced hours? I know it would probably be nerve-wracking to leave her alone fora full day.
Try to get a good night's sleep tonight. Everything seems worse during recovery if you are massively sleep deprived - and you very well could be, as you'll likely be listening for every little sound during the first few nights.
You have a good headstart if you've already got the 3 legs and a Spare book! I wish I'd had our copy BEFORE the surgery. I was not prepared for how big her incision would be. You will already be prepared and you already know to be positive for your girl. Sometimes it's hard, but you can do it.
Once you get through the recovery (the pain meds really mess with their little personalities) you'll see your old girl come back and she will begin to amaze you. It's great to be Tripawd Mama! You'll see!
Be sure to come here when you have more questions or just need some support. Let us know how surgery goes!
All the best,
Jackie, Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Hi Dixie's Mom,
We are sorry you had to find us but are glad that you're here and asking such great questions! Everypawdy here has offered such wonderful advice, and since you've read our book (thank you!), I think you're set!
What kind of cancer does she have? Do the docs know yet? Like Karen said, if it's osteosarcoma, amputation will not cure it. But it WILL take the horrible pain away.
Oh, be sure to have some super tempting foods on hand for when she gets home. She may not want to eat for a few days after surgery. That is completely normal. But tempting foods will help.
A Saint-bernard and Heeler Mix? Wow! If she is physically as large as a Saint, post-recovery may be more of a challenge. Heeler-sized dog, no problem. Either way, remember that it's super important to keep her weight down. it's really important for a Tripawd to be thin to prevent spine and joint problems.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi again, thanks for all the kind responses! To answer some of the questions - no I don't know what kind of cancer it is, but I'm under the assumption that it's osteosarcoma. I'm sure the vet will fill me in more prior to the surgery tomorrow morning. She's not as physically large as a Saint, but still larger than a heeler -she's around 75 pounds. She has gained weight over the past couple months from her new favorite "Bob-a-lot" toy (it dispenses treats when she knocks it around) but I have stopped putting treats in it and have started her on Iams large breed weight control food. I am looking into the raw or BARF diets but don't know very much about them yet. Tempting foods - I'm thinking chicken and rice? Should I lean toward food that is gentle on the stomach? Or just anything she wants to eat?
These suggestions are really helpful and I'm in the process of tracking down old sheets/towels and arranging my living room into a "recovery room" -it's close to the door and I can keep an eye on her. With this being the last day she's a quadruped I am taking her to the woods for a leisurely stroll/sniff session (nothing too taxing) and then we're calling it a night around 8pm.
Hey Dixie's mom. Glad you found us! Def sounds like you're well prepared - it will still be difficult, but you'll get the hang of it quickly. The most valuable thing you can have is a positive attitude and looks like you have that covered - I know you're prob a wreck like most of us on the inside but showing Dixie you're ok will do wonders. The only other things we found so helpful for us were the petloader stairs. We have a truck and Sam is a big dog so they made us mobile again....there was no other way we would have been able to get him in the truck.
Regarding the time home, while we were overkill, we stayed home with Sam for 3 weeks - we were lucky. Both my husband and I have the ability to work from home in a pinch, so we did. We both stayed home the first week and then each took a second week. Looking back, it was more for our peace of mnd than for Sam's needs. Once his staples were out, we could have left him....but until then, I was worried sick about Sam's brother knocking him over or something like that.
On the tempting foods...I think most of us land in the "anything" category. It's normal and it may take some work to find what will trigger her appetite...we started with good intensions of gentle, but after a while it was "game on" and we tried everything.
Good luck tomorrow....we'll be thinking of you! xoxo Sue and Sammy
Hey Dixie's Mom,
For Chili Dawg, we used hot dogs, chicken, and lunch meat for tempting foods. He pretty much wanted nothing to do with his own regular food the first couple weeks, and I hand fed him quite a bit just to get food and his meds in him. Basically until he showed an interest in food we used whatever we could to entice him to eat.
Get lots of rest tonight, just like everyone said, the first couple nights are tough, but you found the best community 🙂
Jenna & Spirit Chili Dawg
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.
Hi again - nope, don't really know what Abby is. They said "Collie mix" when we adopted her. Guessing she is smooth-coated collie and some sort of shepherd - maybe Anatolian or Australian, maybe some husky cuz of her crazy curly tail and energy.
She actually looks a lot like (and acts a lot like) a chinook (which we'd never heard of before getting her). http://greatmou.....oks.com/ I don't think she really is one, because chinooks are rare, but they basically are husky/shepherd mixes, which is what she looks like. And she loves to pull! (Chinooks are sled dogs.) We call her "schnook" for her nickname.
Abby and Dixie do have similar faces! Abby is quite tall and skinny though - only 45 lbs.
As for tempting foods - we treated Abby w/ a burger (just the patty and cheese) the 2nd night after her surgery. That was her one big splurge and it was a big hit. Other than that, I got her some Newman's Own organic grain-free canned food. They have this beef and liver flavor which is pretty gross looking but she dug it. She enjoyed that while she was recovering.
Best of luck with the surgery. Let us know how it goes!
Jackie
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Hi Dixie's Mom.............the most important thing for Shelby, and now for my old man foster boy, was to put rubber *runners* down everywhere as someone already mentioned. If you go to Home Depot, they have huge rolls of the stuff......I think it sells for $2 per foot. It's washable, it's slip proof and it has made a world of difference!
Hang in there, friend....we've all been where you are. You're going to be amazed at how well Dixie does!
Well, first of all, best of luck to you tomorrow. I was a wreck the night before so you are in my thoughts tonight. Lots of good advice already so I mainly just wanted to welcome you to the Chicago Area Chapter (not that we really have chapters...) Anyway, we meet at Montrose Dog Beach occasionally on Sunday mornings and would love to meet you and Dixie when you are ready. We're meeting this Sunday but I think you'll be busy spoiling your girl!
Here's a day-by-day account of Tate's first week, maybe it will be helpful: http://tate.tri.....puversary/
Feel free to PM me if you need to talk.
Jan & Tate
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
wow sounds like you're on top of things. Do you have an area you can confine her if you do need to leave her alone for a short time? We used an x-pen, 6 sided/open topped pen you should be able to find at most pet stores. I got the big one and ended up sleeping in it with Kess more than once. It was to hard for Kess to get in and out of a crate.
Ditto on the rugs if you have smooth floors. Our house looks like a freakin' turkish bazar with all of the rugs around here.
Kess was able to walk right away but was really unstable for about the first 3 days. Also takes them a bit to figure out where to stick the reamaining hind leg to balance for potty.
Sounds like you're going to do great. I made a video of Kess recently that goes month by month for her recovery.
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