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 name is Titan (well my mom calls me handsome) I am a 5 and half year old bullmastiff. My amputation is scheduled for tomorrow to take my right leg. All of your stories have inspired my mom and I. It is important to share and help each other with these diffcult decisions. My mom has been thinking about this non stop. She decided she knows I can do it and will be supporting me 100%. And with your stories that has confirmed it to her. Keep my mom, dad and me in your prayers.
Titan and Heidi
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Hi Titan! We know you'll do just fine tomorrow. It's a lot of stress and worry, we know, but as you can see, we dogs are so resilient. If you or your pawrents have any questions whatsoever, please write, we're all here to support eachother.
Good luck my friend! Keep us posted.
-Jerry
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We know you will do just fine Titan. This forum has been wonderful for us and Jerry and others are there for you if you have any worries.
We're thinking of you Titan, mom and dad...you WILL get through this and mom and i are so happy that you're part of the tripawd family here on jerry's site...I know that mom wouldn't have been able to get through this without jerry and everyone else on here.
Paws forever - we're waiting to see how you're feeling. Make sure you get a lot of rest the first couple weeks ok?
lots of love and licks
Zeus (mom too)
Heather and Spirit Zeus - Our life changing journey…from the earth to the heavens…one day at a time…always together
After being a nervous momma all day I finally got the call at 4:15pm that Titan's surgery went well. The surgeon said it was alot of work since he is so big but Titan was solid through it. I am hoping to see my boy tomorrow and take him home. I took the idea from you guys and got a toddler bed for him. Thanks for all the support
Titan's mom
Yeay! That is so wonderful to hear. We were thinking about you today, thanks for letting us know.
I'm sure Titan is sleeping really well right now, feeling pretty good and soooo hoppy to be out of pain. We hope you do get to take him home tomorrow.
One paw at a time, things are going to be O.K. While it's a big surgery, we know that Titan will come through this like a champ.
Keep us posted.
Love,
Jerry
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
yeah titan!!!
Thank you for taking the time to update us...we've been thinking about you all day. Try and get some rest tonight, the next couple days will be difficult, but as jerry said, he is PAIN FREE now - yippie!
Prepare yourself for tomorrow - he will be a little awkward and it will be very, very hard to see him that way at first...look into his eyes and you will see the boy that you love very much and it will all be OK.
Lots of love ~
Zeus and Mom
Heather and Spirit Zeus - Our life changing journey…from the earth to the heavens…one day at a time…always together
Thank you. I bought some tshirts today so I can put them on him so we can get used to the sutures and stuff
Thinking of you all. Hugs...
Anne, Butch and Faith... (Gem and Tiny in our Hearts)
Well Titan came home tonight. He did good coming from the vets but not so good when he got home. At the vets he hopped and was wagging his tail. When we got home he pretty much he refused to try to walk. My husband and I used a quilt as a stretcher to get him up about 3 stairs on our farmers porch, then into the house. Let me tell you it took an hour and a half. Titan was just dead weight. He tried to get up a couple of times from the quilt but fell. I think a stitch was on the end of his incision was pressing and dripped(well more than dripped) blood. I was so discouraged. He has been sleeping for a couple of hours. I am trying to stay positive.
Titan's mom 🙁
Titan's mom, you need to do exactly what you said: stay positive, upbeat. He is home, and it is time for pampering.
Titan is groggy and tired, and highly under the influence of the medications.
After such a major surgery, many new amputees would just want to sleep for hours and hours. (At that time, I was worried about Genie doing the same thing, and I actually went checking on her every hour to make sure she was still breathing!)
Don't worry, it is not uncommon.
He probably was so excited to see you at the vet that he used all his might to welcome you!
As far as the blood dripping is concerned, if it still not looking good tomorrow morning, call up the vet. If it dries up later tonight, then it should be fine.
Here I wish Titan have a speedy recovery.
Hi there Titan's Mom,
Thanks for letting us know how it's going.
Please don't be discouraged. Titan just had major surgery, and I'm sure he's still really dopey and coming down from the medication and trauma of having a big body part removed.
While dogs generally do make great recoveries from amputation surgery, it doesn't happen overnight. He'll sleep and be very tired the next few days, but more than likely he'll be hopping around within the next week. The first times he tries to go potty, you might be scared, but I'll be you'll be more scared than he is.
Offer him plenty of fluids while he's laying around, to get him to go urinate. When you take him outside, be sure to use the old towel-under-the-belly trick to hoist him up and help him walk outside, with you walking on the side of his missing leg. When he attemps to go pee and lift his leg, he may fall over. Don't worry, that's natural. He'll figure it out, if not the first time, then the second time when he really has to go.
Try not to worry about the incision area. Remember, there's a lot of fluid that goes to a leg, and when the leg gets removed, it takes a while for the fluid/blood to get redirected to go somewhere else. If the area gets really puffy and swollen, then it's probably a seroma , which is a minor post-surgery issue that can be resolved by the vet if it doesn't go away in a few days. In the meantime, you may want to keep a cold pack on the area to reduce swelling.
You're doing everything right. Keep Titan calm, in a confined space, and allow his body to heal on its own timetable. It'll happen. Keep the faith OK? We're all thinking of you.
Love,
Jerry & Co.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks for the encouraging words thats why I wrote a post. You guys rock! It seems to be a oozing drip at the top of his incision. It is on top of the end stitch closest to his neck. I think him trying and stressing to get up on the make shift stretcher put pressure and made the blood flow more there. I have been checking on it. It seems to be s very slow drip now. They did tell me he had a few drips. I have been trying to get him to drink, but he doesn't seem too interested. He has eaten a little so I know that's good. We have to go back Thursday to the vet for them to change his bandage. There are some staples on the bandage to hold it all together so I feel better then they can look at it. He has been sleeping so I am happy he is getting some rest.
P.S. At least when he goes potty he doesn't like to lift his leg...
Hi, We're new to this forum. I'm Jane and my gorgeous dog is called Charlie. He has had his right rear leg amputated only 9 weeks ago and has had (today being his 3rd) 3 lots of chemo sessions. He's doing really well although sometimes forgets he's only got 3 legs and falls over! He's 12 years old and being very brave - braver than me. I get very upset thinking he might not be with us much longer but concentrate on making what time he does have with us happy and comfortable. It is good to have others to share our experiences with. I wish all your dogs comfortable, pain free and happy lives. Jane and Charlie
Hi titan - we don't have anything to add to what genie and jerry said...they're right on.
We are thinking about you and sending you lots of love and prayers. He will and you will get through this. I lived it literally one hour at a time when it was to difficult to manage and think about...in other words, try not to worry and just focus on now and letting him do what he needs to do to rest, heal and adjust.
lots of love
Heather - zeus too.
Heather and Spirit Zeus - Our life changing journey…from the earth to the heavens…one day at a time…always together
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