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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Day 13 since Ophelia’s amputation and first chemo treatment.
Improving every day. Stamina is increasing slowly, she still falls flat on her face about once per day, and she doesn’t understand how to walk with a leash on yet, but she will get there.
We have an appointment with her surgeon in an hour to make sure that everything is healing properly.
video from about an hour ago.
Wow! I honestly couldn’t visualize how they would even get over a curb on 3 legs. How do you react when she falls? I feel like I would get super stressed and alarmed, but I know you’re probably supposed to stay calm and positive. How did she get in and out of the car after surgery? Both of ours require him to enter from the back and he is used to using ramps but I can’t picture him being able to hop up the ramp. It’s tricky enough with all 4 legs sometimes to keep him centered on it.
GOOOOOD GIRL OPHELIA!!!!👏👏👏👏 You are showing the Tripawd world how big good girls can handle three just fine!
You are having such an empowering impact on the community
EUSTACIA now knows how Tripawds can navigate stairs because of thos visual from the video you shared😎 And hearing your calm pawsitive encouragement is a great "auditory" of what confidence sounds like.
Ophelia already has a strong core strength that will only get stronger. Face plants will even become less and less. As you already know, it's no big deal to Ophelia....she just figures it out and moves forward. AND, it's still very early in recovery!!!
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!
I cringe when she falls but try not to make any noise. It’s hard not to make a big deal out of it and baby her because i am worried that she’s hurt herself. A few days ago she tripped on a step coming inside and went face first into the tiled step up from the laundry room to the kitchen. She actually looked a bit stunned, but she was okay. Anyway, i just tell her that she’s okay, and encourage her to get up and try again.
Getting in and out of the car is still a bit of an issue that i need to figure out. We can do it, but she’s nervous about it, especially getting out, and i really hurt my wrist getting her out last week. My car also requires her to get in and out through the back. I purchased some steps on Chewy that should be here in a few days. Hopefully she will use them. She’s always refused to use a ramp.
The vet techs helped me the day after surgery though. They still offer but i haven’t needed it since.
Ophelia had her two week check up with the surgical oncologist today. The doctor said that she’s doing great in recovery, that she is doing better than she expected she would do, and is “pleasantly surprised” with how well she is getting around.
When it was time to go, Ophelia got up and literally ran out of the room, through the lobby, and to the car all with me trying to keep up. I guess she thought that she better move fast or risk losing another leg. 😂
Hahaha...the visual, of Ophelia high tailing it out of the Vet was fun to visualize. Her "thought bubble" about losing another leg.....priceless 😂🤣
Delighted to hear she had such a good chec up👍 Keep on keepn' on sweet girl♥️
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!
Absolutely love this! Whatever she's dreaming she's having a good time. Listening to her "dream vocals" makes me think she might be running towards a box of treats and slobbering as she gobbles them all!😁
Watched it twice.....and will probably watch again. So sweet. Clearly she's in a solid sleep and exha in a good way.
I so enjoy watching my Merry Myrtle active in her dreams. She's blind. But in in her dreams she sees clearly again. I .like to think when she wags her tail in her dreams it's because she "sees"me smiling at her.😊
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!
Ophelia had an evaluation and consult with her vet hospital’s pain and rehab doctor yesterday. He was great. He told me that he was surprised with how healthy and pain free that she is right now just two weeks after amputation. This was great to hear. Both he and the surgical oncologist told me that they think that she’s ready to begin doing more on her own and that i should begin walking her beyond what is necessary for short periods of time, ie, begin to slowly go back to her normal routine. I think that she impressed him when he had her walk down the hall for him and she broke out into a full trot. Lol.
He set up a long term plan to keep her pain free and to protect her three remaining limbs. i am going to share for a couple of reasons. One, to make sure that all of this seems good to those here who have had a lot more experience with this than me, and two, so that others can look into these things if they’re interested for their dogs.
1. The doctor advised a carpal/wrist brace from a company named Walk About Harnesses. This is to protect against hypertension of the wrist joint. https://www.wal.....port-brace
2. CanEVATM
CanEVATM is a 100% pure and natural nutritional supplement providing joint pain relief in dogs with ARTHRITIS. In addition to the benefits documented in arthritic dogs, other benefits of CanEVA-K9 include: increased physical strength and energy, strengthened bones, ligaments & tendons and improved healing of damaged tissues.
CanEVATM is made from 100% natural Elk Velvet Antler which contains the following essential building blocks: - Glucosamine: A building block needed for the body to repair and make cartilage.
- Collagen: The main support of skin, tendon, bone, cartilage and connective tissue.
-Chondroitin: Part of a protein that keeps cartilage ‘elastic’ like.
- 8 Essential Amino Acids: The building blocks of all tissue.
- Omega 3&6: Boosts energy levels and helps create healthy cells.
- Calcium: Essential for strong teeth and bones.
- Selenium: Helps reduce infection and protect blood cells, heart, liver, and lungs. - Magnesium: Aids cells in restoring and releasing energy.
- Potassium: A trace element that is essential for nerve and heart function.
3. Myos Veterinary Strength
Just like humans, dogs often lose muscle mass as they age. Adding a daily serving of MYOS Canine Muscle Formula® to your best friend's diet can help support their muscle health.
NATURAL INGREDIENTS:
Fortetropin® is a revolution ary, natural, patented, ingredient made through a patented process that maintains the powerful and vital nutrients of Fertilized Egg Yolk. These unique egg yolks are all-natural and have complex molecules that have been clinically proven to increase muscle size and mass.
VET STRENGTH:
Our Vet Strength Formula is powered by Fortetropin® and contains additional branched-chain amino acids (BCCA's), including L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine and L-Valine for added muscle support
4. Cosequin DS is comprised of glucosamine, low molecular weight chondroitin (only found in Nutramax products) and manganese. It has mild pain relieving effects but its main benefits include cartilage protection and a preventative effect in those who take it chronically prior to a joint injury.
5. HyaflexTM Pro®
HyaflexTM Pro® Complete Joint Care Liquid offers dogs joint health, cartilage and connective tissue support and perfect for dogs with high joint concerns. HyaflexTM Pro® contains high molecular weight , near bio-identical hyaluronic acid plus glucosamine.
HyaflexTM Pro® is very unlikely to induce any side effects. If you feel your pet is having an adverse reaction along with Hyaflex administration, please call us.
6. Peak Therapeutics CBD
-Healthy Pet CBD Night (Natural flavor-100mg/mL) is a full spectrum product made by CO2 extraction. This means that the active components are accompanied by related important factors which make the product more effective, than a simple narrow spectrum only product. CBN has been added in a 1:10 ratio to augment sleep effects. This is a hemp-based product. Hencev, less than 0.3% THC. As such, there should be no psychoactive effects.
This is a highly concentrated full spectrum CBD product of large volume, ideally suited for medium to large dogs but usable in small dogs and cats. Unlike virtually every other product available, we analyze each batch of our full spectrum hemp extract to assure a product which has the content on the label.
7. continued physical therapy to work on strengthening her core and maintaining muscle mass in her legs.
Sounds like a very encouraging check up and your vet seems very on top of things. Thanks for posting all of that as I think it’s helpful for others of us too. How often do they do xrays on the lungs? You may have mentioned it here somewhere further back, but how much does Orphelia weigh? Have you had to lift her at all since she got home?
I don’t know how often they get their lungs checked. I emailed her oncologist that exact question just prior to her amputation but the email had several questions and that one got overlooked. She goes back for her second chemo treatment next week and i will ask again. I almost dread doing them tbh because I know that I’ll always be afraid of the answer.
I haven’t had to fully lift her except into the car the first couple of times (which isn’t easy). You definitely have to help them at first but their instinct is to help lift themselves.
Ophelia weighed 132 lbs prior to amputation and now she is just at 122 lbs. How much does Honor weigh?
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