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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we are new to this site as we just found out last week our 5 year old black lab has cancer in her left rear leg. After meeting with surgeon and oncologist last week, they are recommending amputation of leg as the best course of action to remove the cancer. They did X-rays and abdominal ultrasound to make sure the cancer hadn't spread to organs. We were relieved to hear it is contained in the leg. So removing the leg is best option to get rid of the cancer. The surgery is tomorrow and we know it's for the best but I just feel awful and feel she will hate us. Prayers appreciated for Kono and us.
Hi Kono and family, thanks for registering as a member, your future posts won't need approval so post away. I saw you were in the Tripawds Chat room earlier, sorry we missed you. But you'll get lots of feedback here from others too so we're glad you found your way to the Forums.
I know it's hard not to feel guilty over this but I promise you that Kono will not hate you. She will thank you for getting rid of that bad leg! And when you see how much better she is doing without it, you will be glad you made the decision. It took us getting through recovery before we could feel that way, but it happened!
Have you seen Jerry's Required Reading List yet, or the Tripawds e-books library? I encourage you to go there to learn more and put your fears at ease. Always remember that animals aren't burdened with the same kind of emotions we have. They live in the now and will not regret or mourn the loss of their leg, and Kono will not blame you at all, promise. Try to Be More Dog as you go through this journey, because it's our emotions that set the tone for recovery. Be pawsitive and happy, look toward a brighter future, and Kono wil feel that and reflect it right back to you.
Stay tuned for feedback from others and remember we're here to help! Let us know if you have any questions.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Kono and family 🌺
Ditto to Rene, dogs don't think like us humans!
Your boy will adapt to 3 legs and will master his "new normal" as soon as recovery is out of the way!
As difficult as it is for us to look at them and not have a tight heart remembering we removed one of his limbs, we must concentrate on the fact we had no option!
We all did it here to provide our adored babies with a pain free, happy life.
It is no life to live in constant pain, you can bet Kono will thank you for taking his pain away so he can enjoy each day to the full.
And we are all here to guide and help with anything you need, anytime.
Sending you a big bear hug and tons of cuddles to your gorgeous boy 😘😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
I felt the same way - had a hard time wrapping my mind around it and worried she'd be miserable with just three legs. For what it's worth - I was wrong and not only is she NOT miserable, she doesn't even seem to notice she lost a leg!
Prayers for you and your girl tomorrow. Read up and make sure you come on here and ask questions as you go thru recovery. The people on this forum saved me several times over!
Bobbi & Maddie a/k/a ManiacMads
Front leg amputation 10/17/17 due to Osteosarcoma
She's Madeline, She's Madeline
Hello and welcome to you and Kono.
What type of cancer are you dealing with?
I hope you have read here that the first couple weeks after surgery can be bumpy- so don't be surprised if Kono isn't herself. Don't get discouraged either! You have made the best decision for your girl and are giving her a chance at lots of additional, quality time with you.
Kono won't hate you- in fact she will be looking at you to be a strong pack leader so be sure you are positive around her, she will follow your lead. Look everyday for a glimmer of 'normal' and before you know it she will be on with her life and living her new normal!
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
Ditto everyvody!!
I was so scared for my Happy Hannah I cancelled the first scheduled surgery appointment! I didn't find this wo derful site until six days after her amputation (yeah, I finally rescheduled it). She was miserable. I was exhausted and scared out of my mind. This wonderful site threw me a lifeline of support and information and pulled me through the rough recovery.
IIt took me about three weeks before I coukd say I did this FOR my Happy Hannah and not TO her!
Best decision ever! Her sparkle came back, she was lain fee and loving life on three!
STAY CONNECTED! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Can't wait to see more pictures of your sweet pup!
Oh....and eat lots of CHOCOLATE! It helps!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS. When you go pick her up, don't even bother looking at her incsion. She just wants ro see your happy smiling face telling her what a good girl she is and she's going home!!
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!
Let me tell you, Murphy had the best spirit of any dog I've ever met! He never let anything get him down. Everyone who ever met him said that he seemed happy and that he looked like he had a smile on his face. When he would run along the fence because there was a dog in the park behind us, sometimes he would face-plant - he would just get right back up and keep on running!
You have to remember that you are doing this FOR Kono, not TO her, like Sally said. You are doing this to take away the pain - bone cancer is very painful. Eventually that tumor will lead to a break, and you would be heartbroken.
The first 2-3 weeks can be difficult, but you'll get through it. After the recovery time, Kono will be so much more like her old self, and you will feel better about your decision. We all have doubts during recovery, that's pretty normal. Reach out, we'll be here!
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Thank you for all the encouraging words. Kono had the surgery on December 6 and all went well. She came home the next day. It is amazing to see how she gets around already. She did pretty good over the weekend however she really isn't eating much at all and we tried a lot of different things. I called the vet today and they told me to try omeprazole (Prilosec) and we are taking her tomorrow for blood work to make sure all is ok. Said to stop pain med. she was shivering tonight and I thought it might be from pain since she didn't have any pain pills today. We were a bit concerned tonight because there was some blood coming out of incision area. Called vet again and said that happens at times but start pain med again . It's been about an hour and has finally kicked in and she is resting comfortably now thank God. And the bleeding seems to have stopped too. I was doing warm compresses for awhile. Please keep her in prayers that all is well with blood work tomorrow.
KONO!!! KONA IS HOME AND RECOVERING!!! And yes, you are still in the rough part of recovery and, pretty much everything you have described is in the "normal" range. Well, EXCEPT for stopping pain meds! OUCH! This IS MAJOR SURGERY and it hurts! Plus she's trying to digure out the three-legged adjustment! Glad the Vet put her back inpain meds. It's so important that the meds stay in his system on a consistent basis to keep the pain from gstting ahead start.
This early in not having much of an appetite is "normal". And yes, the pain meds and a antibiotic can mess with her tummy, but she does get better! Just feed her her pretty much ANYTHING she'll eat. Cheeseburger, scrambled eggs and bacon, stinky liverwurst, cheese pizza. Nutrition can start later! 🙂
Some seepage is normal. Just watch for anything that looks like an invection and is stinky. Keep her activity ro a bare minimum. Potty breaks and that's it.
Stay connected and hang in there! You've already gotten through the most intense part and you're doing great!! Good job!!
Keep us updated....and TRY and get some rest!!
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 Kono and pawrent!
So glad she made it through the surgery well and is home recovering 👏 Huckleberry's amputation was trauma induced and there really wasn't any other option besides euthanasia because he was feral and had never been handled before. We felt pretty awful, and guilty, but he has done SO well, and he's not in pain anymore. He was in a lot of pain prior to the surgery, his femur was broken in two by Lord knows what 😦 He has settled in nicely and is happy as a clam being a new addition as an indoor forever kitty now. What you have done has just given your baby a chance at a pain free life. It seems to be that often between the anesthesia and the pain meds their appetite can be kinda funky for a bit. Try to make she stays well hydrated, and like everybody else said try the most appealing foods to tempt her. You can boil chicken breasts, chop up the meat and mix it back in with the broth. Same thing with beef, even ground! Lots of dogs will like that with some rice, or sweet potatoes mixed in. I have even used stinky cat food mixed with dry dog food. You are almost over the worst part, hang in there you're doing great! Please give her big hugs and ear scratches!
Jackie ❤❤
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Sounds pretty good so far! I'm sure you are relieved to have the surgery in the rear-view mirror.
Just so you know- most pups here are on pain meds for at least two weeks- there are a very few who seem to do OK with less. The meds can cause lack of apatite and constipation, but at this point in her recovery they are necessary as you saw today. Many here have dealt with a lack of apatite- it's quite normal after a big surgery like this. Keep mixing and matching different foods- anything she will eat right now. You can clean up her diet after she is healed and off the meds.
A little seepage is not uncommon either. You are smart to have the vet check her out- it will give you peace of mind!
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
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