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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Thank you both, we have got the Ruffwear Webmaster
Plus harness thanks to this site and all your recommendations and have found it very helpful
We have tried her on the stairs using this but at the minute its too soon. We will keep taking it at Lilly's pace and if we need to continue carrying her for a while (or longer)Â will do so. Thankfully she's not too heavy.
Welcome and I'm so glad to hear surgery and recovery is going well. My girl had a front amputation just weeks before her 12th birthday, so I know the stress you are feeling, especially with an older dog.
This community is such an incredible resource and support system so definitely keep updating us and asking questions. Just be careful, Sally will have you eating chocolate like your life depended on it! 
Sending pawsitive, healing energy to your baby ... and you!
Amy & Izzy, too!
Momma to the world's most beautiful American Bulldog, Izzy!! Lost her front leg to OSA 9/18/15. Diagnosed w MCT in June 2016. Celebrated her 1 year ampuversary with knee surgery on 9/18/16! MCT recurrence in Dec 2016. Happy & hungry til nearly 14, earning her wings on 7/31/17.
Greetings all
wonderful to hear positive stories from greyhound and senior dogs parents/servants. Â Brought Sessy (BTW that is short for obsession) home yesterday from hospital, and she is doing good. Â Shock to the system when I first saw her surgery site and the bruising everywhere.......but you get used to it fast. Â She's a little slow on the water and food, so will work on that today. Â I DON'T cook.......and hate to touch meet with my hands (yuk slimy) but I'll be cooking chicken soon. Â I wonder how long she will want to get up at 4 AM for a walk? Â Will keep all posted.
Greygirl where is your baby from......retired racer? Â Â I live in Northern California, but Sessy came off an Oklahoma track with 30 other greyhounds......huge, long trailer.
Gayle - mom of beautiful greyhound Sessy. Â Sessy diagnosed with osteosarcoma on 12/26/16, left back leg amputated on 1/2/17. Â Feline siblings Mooshe, Tinkerdude, Odie and Bean
Sesssyyyyyyyyyy!!!! You are teaching your mama how to cook!!!! Now those are superpowers, indeed!!!!Â
Soooooo happy to hear that Sessy is home and doing well. What with all the meds it may take a few days to get that appetite back. Home cooking is an excellent idea and appetite stimulant:)
As for the 4 a.m. Walks, it is true that every once in a blue moon, I would sleep through the meds or walks or dinner. Sessy won't be mad: she says that just gives her more time for her beauty rest. She is gorgeous!Â
Yeaaaaaaaa for being home!!!!!!!!! Good for you, Sessy!!!! Hugs and PyrPaws to all!
So pleased to hear Sessy is home 
 I should have warned you about the bruising, while I think (with my limited knowledge) a lot of dogs come home with quite bad bruising, we were warned by the vets that did Lilly's amputation that greyhounds bruise very easily so were prepared before we saw her. 4 weeks down the line, Lilly's bruising has just about disappeared now, there is just one very small bit left.Â
Although Lilly drives me a bit bonkers when she starts pestering for her food hours before it is due (I only have to move a bit on the couch and she's up expecting her food), I am really please she has started doing this again as it shows she is getting back to her normal self 
Our girl is a retired racer, she raced for about 2 years. Not sure what she did between then and when we adopted her when she was 4 and a half years old. She is originally from Ireland but we adopted her in England (I think she mainly raced in England). Lilly is our first greyhound and I just love the breed, she is so loving and sweet. It amazes me how kind natured the breed is when you hear some of the horror stories ex racers go through and have been through during their racing days 
 Unfortunately there always seems to be a lot of greyhounds wanting homes but thankfully there are quite a lot of greyhound rescues over here now which ensure they all get the very best of forever homesÂ
Keep us updated on Sessy's progress and if you could post some pictures I would love to see her  Sending you both lots of love and hugs and quick recovery wishes.Â
Gemma and Lilly xx
sessy said
Greetings allwonderful to hear positive stories from greyhound and senior dogs parents/servants. Â Brought Sessy (BTW that is short for obsession) home yesterday from hospital, and she is doing good. Â Shock to the system when I first saw her surgery site and the bruising everywhere.......but you get used to it fast. Â She's a little slow on the water and food, so will work on that today. Â I DON'T cook.......and hate to touch meet with my hands (yuk slimy) but I'll be cooking chicken soon. Â I wonder how long she will want to get up at 4 AM for a walk? Â Will keep all posted.
Greygirl where is your baby from......retired racer?   I live in Northern California, but Sessy came off an Oklahoma track with 30 other greyhounds......huge, long trailer. Â
Our stories are pretty close. My girl is 10.5 Â Retired racer, and had rear leg amp Friday. Having some ups and downs (downs today), so really looking forward to seeing her feel better. Best of all to Sess!
1elirom said
Our stories are pretty close....
Welcome! Please consider starting a new topic or blog to share your story. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yay Sessy's HOME! Yes, life will completely revolve around her for awhile. And why wouldn't it? Some cute little boxer shorts will cover up that scar and she'll have your culinary skills up to snuff in no time. First chicken then BAKED ALASKA! Whatever she will eat you will produce because it's just what us crazy Tripawd pawrents DO. If all else fails, wet cat food is doggy crack. Especially kitten food. Never had a dog say no to it. And, they get some fluid that way. You can add water and make it a slurry for added water if she really isn't drinking much.
We had some seriously awful post midnight adventures in potty land so I sincerely hope she is kinder to you and sleeps well at night! It only lasted a few days at least.Â
You really do need to share some pictures! While I feel special that I got to see her in person, I think everyone deserves to see her precious self 🙂
Nancy- mom to the FABULOUS Fionn. He rescued me in 2015 when he was 6.Â
Right front leg amputation at age 7 for osteosarcoma 10/6/16. Taken too soon 6/12/17. Read about our journey here:
http://fionnsjo.....pawds.com/
Sessy is doing GREAT...... she ate full meal today with the addition of chicken and rice. Â No poop yet (TMI) so adding pumpkin today...
i will see if I can add some pictures if I can figure out how😬
Gayle - mom of beautiful greyhound Sessy. Â Sessy diagnosed with osteosarcoma on 12/26/16, left back leg amputated on 1/2/17. Â Feline siblings Mooshe, Tinkerdude, Odie and Bean
Poop will come - the fact that she is eating well and that you use the word great in caps is a really good sign!
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016.  Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016.  Lung mets August 25, 2016.  Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016.  Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma. Â
Wherever they are, they are together.
Pretty soon you'll be doing the potty dance, don't worry. The pumpkin will help, usually. A few bran flakes can also do the trick.
Here's a post about adding images to the forums. If you'd like help just holler OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
What goes in must come out, so if she's eating, you'll get there! Izzy pooped her bed the night of surgery but then it was a while before she went again ... even though she was trying to get out of bed on day 2 and wander about. Sounds like things are going relatively well and that is great!
We are here if you need us or just want to share!!Â
Momma to the world's most beautiful American Bulldog, Izzy!! Lost her front leg to OSA 9/18/15. Diagnosed w MCT in June 2016. Celebrated her 1 year ampuversary with knee surgery on 9/18/16! MCT recurrence in Dec 2016. Happy & hungry til nearly 14, earning her wings on 7/31/17.
We are all weirdly focused on poop around here so definitely not TMI! Where else can you find a poop emoji with eyes on a forum? The meds stop them up for a bit. Pumpkin is a great idea and nutritious too. Sounds like she's right on track in her recovery. Pish posh to those people who thought she was too old. Sessy will show them!
Nancy- mom to the FABULOUS Fionn. He rescued me in 2015 when he was 6.Â
Right front leg amputation at age 7 for osteosarcoma 10/6/16. Taken too soon 6/12/17. Read about our journey here:
http://fionnsjo.....pawds.com/
Such a great update on Sessy!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 And it will continue to get soooo much better!!
Yeah, never too tmi on. 
We can't wait to celebrate!!
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!
Great news! It's such a good sign Sessy's eating. Don't worry re the poop... all in good time. I've got my poop dancing shoes at the ready...
Meg, Clare and Elsie Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 20 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
4 Guest(s)
