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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Our 8 year old/80 pound lab jumped out of the window of a moving vehicle and we chose amputation of the leg because it was severely shattered (the worst the vet had seen in his 20 years). The vet is concerned about his remaining back leg because of his size (not really overweight, just a big guy). Any advice? What do we need to do to support him? Our home has stairs and he has always slept upstairs with us. We bring him home soon and I'm anxious...I can't focus enough to search through everything on here right now. TIA!
Hey there!!! So sorry you are dealing with a ruff situation. I'm on my phone but wanted to get your post approved. Back asap and meanwhile Start here for an explanation of how to find info. Jerry's Required Reading List is helpful too. Back in a bit..
By the way, 80 isn't all that big, many members are much larger so know that things can be alright!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Geez!! So sorry you are dealing with this sudden trauma with your boy!
My Happy Hannah was a 125 "fluffy" Bull Mastiff rear legger and di just fine on three legs! Unless there are other serious issues with yiur boy's back leg (other than being "large"), he shoukd adjust just fine. Even if he doesnhave arthritis, etc, he still should be okay.
Is he coming home same day if surgery or has he already spent one night? It IS rough coming home the same day as surgery.
I see you're on the site now. I'll wait for your answers and then come back and give you some tios fornhis recovery, meds, managing pain, etc
We are here for you!! 🙂 YOU ARE NIT ALONE!!
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!
Okay, if you are bringing him home the same day as surgery, it may be a loooong nipight kf whinninw and restlessness. He'll be coming off of the anesthesia.
The Vet will mist likely send you home with Tramadol, Rimadyl, an antibiotic and Gabapentin. Some dogs have a pain patch too.
Right now it's all about rest and lotty breaks and then more rest.
Right now, NO STAIRS, no jumping, etc. If you have hardwood floors you need to get non slip scatter rugs for traction .
I know you've had no time to prepare, but check out the tripawds shopping list.....Tripawds Recovery Shopping List ...And that will give you a solid baseline for stocking up so you can properly care for your boy.
Recovery is no picnic!! Your dog has had a trauma, major surgery and, unlike most dogs here, no time to prepare for being on three legs.
For now, let's just get through this really rough period the next several days and then we can give more guidance. Getting the pain meds balanced and the right doses may take a bit of tweaking. You want to keep ahead of the
pain and not let it get ahead start.
He may not want to eat much and he may not poop for a few days. But drinking and peeing are important. Try and get enough food in him to coat his tummy for the meds.
Okay, this shoukd ve enough to get you through the next night or so!
Take some deep breaths....get your tboughts together...And let us knkw what questions you have.
Lots of hugs to you!
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!
Thanks so much! We aren't bringing him home day of surgery. So far I'm thinking we need yoga mats for our entry; maybe kitchen since that's where his bowls are. Maybe a new bed--his current one probably isn't too supportive. He already has raised bowls, so I'm hoping they're high enough. He is otherwise healthy, so I'm hoping the adjustment is as smooth as possible. We do have two young kids who I worry about being overly loving. We just said goodbye to his older "brother" in March due to abdominal tumors--I'm worried about his anxiety (or maybe I'm projecting).
Sorry to hear of your dog's amputation. It is best to project cheerfulness and positivity along with encouragement. My cat Mona had her front leg amputated and she did lots of face plants and acted like it was no big deal and just rolled with the fall. She quickly learned how to do some othings differently. I had some tears from frustration when she chose to use my desk drawer as a litter box but I would just left the room until I got myself together.
From my experience dogs love to please while cats don't really care either way. Mona did love lots of brushing, washing with a warm damp face cloth and cuddling. I'm sure you know your dog well enough to know that type of attention he enjoys, which may include lots of loving from your children.
I'm sure you'll learn a lot from Jerry's suggested reading list and check in if you have questions or concerns. Everyone here is great with ideas, experience and support.
I hope the healing goes well.
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Okay, good!''Glad he's spending the night!
Yeah, "sulportive" bed is idea. You want it firm enough that if he tries to stand it's not so squishy it makes him slip.
Raid d food bowls are good.
Yes, you do want to project a strong and confident energy. He will pick up if you are anxious or uncertain. The more you let him know that everything is ok and you continue to be his strong pack leader, he will be fine. Now, sometimes the pain meds can make them a little wacky, or a little anxious, but it is important to keep the pain under control.
Most of us who have had her dogs used to sleeping with us upstairs in bed, have resorted to bringing a mattress downstairs so we can sleep by their side, or we sleep on the sofa, Etc it is harder for a rear leg to go up the stairs then it is down. And it is harder for a front legger to go down the stairs that it is up. For now though, no stairs.
The vet will probably send you home with a cone collar to make sure he doesn't chew at his stitches. Most dogs really hate these. If it bothers him and you can keep a really good eye on him, you can take it off for a little while, but you must make sure you are watching him every second.
Yeah, the kids will have to learn that he has a big oowwee right now and needs space and time to recover.
Just so you know, the Vets love to shave a lot of fur. Don't even bother looking at his incision site when you go to pick him up. Just look into his druggie eyes and tell him what a good boy he is and let him know he's going home!!
You're going to do a great job. I know this is a shock, but you really will be amazed at how well he will do. When you get a moment tell us more about him, how old is, his name and we would love to have some pictures too
I'm sorry that his older brother had to go to the Rainbow Bridge. clearly he is going to be a great guardian angel for his pack.
Lots of 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!
L heres the link I was trying to copy. http://tripawds.....ping-list/
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!
I just started thinking... from our back door to the yard is 2 steps. Every exit is at least 2 steps...how do we take him out?
He will probably handle those few steps just fine. You can, however, use a towel as a sling to help up the stairs ig he seems to have a problem. My Happy Hannah pretty much sttod still when I tried to use the towel as a sling. But in her case, I did have time to vuild her a ramp.
I really think he'll do fine. After all, if he can jump out of a moving car window, two steps should be a piece of cake!! 🙂 🙂 Crazy wild boy! 🙂
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!
Yay for Sally and Kerren, thanks for responding ladies. You gave great insight as usual. 🙂
OK so I agree, if he can jump out of the car like that, well two stairs aren't going to slow him down! I wouldn't worry too much, most active healthy dogs don't need the level of assistance we imagine when we start this journey.
Sounds like you're on the right track with things your home needs. Traction is key. Also, a baby gate to keep him from roaming in your house while he recovers.
Is he home yet? Let us know what kind of pain medication he arrives with. The number one issue people deal with when their new Tripawd comes home is figuring out the right dosages and timing of the medication. It doesn't happen to everyone, but if you notice signs like anxiety and inability to get comfy, that could be a sign to call your vet to discuss the meds.
Keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'm so glad to see you here! Jaxon will most likely shock you by how quickly he'll adapt to 3 legs. The 2-3 stairs shouldn't be much of an issue for him. With Ginger, we tried to help her down ours the first few days, but overall she refused our help and made it down on her own. We even got a ramp for her at Petco that we ended up returning because she adamantly refused to use it and almost fell trying to avoid it. Up was never a problem for her. He'll definitely have an adjustment period of with not sleeping upstairs. We had to do that with Ginge a few years ago when we lived in a 2 story place and she wasn't able to navigate that many stairs. It sucks, but they get used to it. If you have slick floors, yoga mats definitely work well. We had one for right in front of her raised food container and it definitely helped her remain stable while eating/drinking.
We got Ginge a nice, supportive bed, but found she actually preferred her thinner bed over the other one. This is the one she generally used, instead of the expensive supportive ones: https://www.cos.....51083.html
Thanks, Tasha! We ordered that bed and some non slip mats for in front of his bowls and at the base of the stairs. The vet says we can try our stairs for bedtime (with assistance, of course). We'll be ordering a harness soon.
He's getting around remarkably well! I'm feeling so much better seeing how "normal" he is acting--but I can tell he's tired. He's straggling with wanting to be with his pack and wanting to be away from the unpredictable kids.
The kids have accepted this change without so much as a hiccup! One wants to baby and "nurse" him a little more than he would like!
It's wonderful to hear how well Jaxon is doing this early in! Remind Mr Jaxon that he must be patient and still just limit himself to potty breaks and then more rest. It IS exhausting trying to hop around on three legs, especially right after surgery.
I love that your kids hsve been so accepting and understaw Jaxon is still Jaxon, but with ayou big OWWEEE!
Good update! Thanks for keeping us posted!
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!
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