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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Hi everyone..
My lab bulletin board peeps recommended this site to us. Our 9 year old chocolate lab Guinness was recently diagnosed with sarcoma of the left leg. We took her to UW Madison for additional tests last Tuesday (CT scan and biopsy). The oncologist at UW-Madison has stated per the CT scan, Guinness' cancer has not spread to the lungs, stomach, lymph nodes which is good news. We have not gotten the results from the biopsy yet. Both our local vet and the oncologist have recommended amputation -- which at first was horrifying to us.
Prior to the diagnosis Guinness was an active lab and loved walks, playing with her brother Sulley (black lab) and swimming in our pool. We want to give her a chance... but don't want her quality of life to suffer. Knowing that she is an older dog, what would her quality of life be with 3 legs? We don't want to have the leg removed, only to have the cancer resurface after only a few months. We are also unsure if we would want to do radiation/chemo... We do have concerns on the side effects.
Looking for some advice from all the wonderful folks that have lived through this.
Your help is greatly appreciated!
Cheryl, RD and Guinness
Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm sorry you are facing cancer with your girl. Is it a front or back leg?
It's not so much the age in years but the spirit that is left- and it sounds like Guinness has lots of life left in her! Does your vet think she will do OK as a Tripawd?
I would think playing with her brother and swimming will be the same. You would probably have to shorten her walks- or get a stroller.
Talk to your oncologist and find out about chemo and radiation. My experience with chemo in Tripug Maggie was that side effects were very limited. What I've seen here is that the majority of dogs have no or very limited side effects when doing chemo. It's not right for everyone or every situation of course, you have to decide what is best for you and your pack. BTW- I dealt with 3 cancers in two dogs and did chemo once and declined twice.
You might want to look through the Reading List or look at the eBooks available in our Library. Lots of good information on amputation, recovery and treatment.
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
It's her left front leg. We are seriously considering the surgery, but I'm concerned that she will be miserable with 3 legs. I know she is uncomfortable now, but we don't want to put her through a lot of procedures if in the long run she won't be able to adapt. It's all about the quality of her life.
oshkoshparrothead said
It's all about the quality of her life.
Exactly!
If Guinness is otherwise fit and trim, he should recover quickly and adapt well to life on three legs. It's the people who usually need more helping coping. That's why our #1 advice is to Be More Dog . And that's not just some silly saying.
As Jerry's vet told us, if Guinness is not bearing weight he is already essentially a three legged dog. Tumor pain will only get worse, resulting in a traumatic pathological fracture. Recovery pain is much less and lasts a couple weeks. Of course, every dog is different. And their are alternatives. See Jerry's Required Reading List or the Tripawds e-books for much more information and fast answers to common questions, or feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds helpline anytime!
Best wishes, please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi sweet Guinness and family 🌺
We all know how difficult a decision it is to amputate our babies but in the end I don't recall even once anybody regretting having done it.
It is about quality of life, yes, and that means removing the pain.
Once the painful leg is gone Guiness will be happy again and you'll be surprised with all she will do!
As Karen says, she may not be able to go for long walks but all in all she'll swim, run, play, eat bones, she will figure out how to do everything again and will welcome her "new normal".
Recovery can be tough but it is not forever !
Besides, we are all here to help, guide and support you both during your journey.
My girl Eurydice was a very large Great Dane and she also lost her front leg.
I thought you might want to take a look at her travels after amputation, remember Guinness is much smaller so everything should will be easier...
I'll try to post the link from my mobile, if it doesn't work I'll do it tomorrow from the computer.
Sending you a big hug and lots of ear scratches to your cutie pie 😘😘😘😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
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 :-)
Eurydice's travels in Europe 5 months after amputation
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 :-)
Ah ... nop, can't do it from mobile ... sorry ... will do it tomorrow 😘😘😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
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 :-)
Here it is sweetie, hope Eurydice will inspire you and your baby 
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 :-)
Hello Cheryl, RD and Guinness, My 12yr old Jack Russell is now 8 months post amp of the front left leg. As stated above, it truly is harder on us humans then the dog. My little guy recovered quickly and does practically everything he did when he had 4 legs. He is very happy and of course that makes me happy. There was one quote that I read on this site that has stuck with me since his diagnosis and it was this quote that helped me make the decision to amputate....the quote was "Its better to hop on 3 legs then limp on 4". How true that is! Best of luck to you.
oshkoshparrothead said
Hi everyone..My lab bulletin board peeps recommended this site to us. Our 9 year old chocolate lab Guinness was recently diagnosed with sarcoma of the left leg. We took her to UW Madison for additional tests last Tuesday (CT scan and biopsy). The oncologist at UW-Madison has stated per the CT scan, Guinness' cancer has not spread to the lungs, stomach, lymph nodes which is good news. We have not gotten the results from the biopsy yet. Both our local vet and the oncologist have recommended amputation -- which at first was horrifying to us.
Hi Cheryl, RD and Guiness
yes, I agree, it was horrifying at first for Paul and I when we were faced with Palliative care for our boy Stewie or front left leg amputation! Then we got onto Tripawds and a future was opened up for Stewie, no matter the time! He is now hopping very happily along at 4 months post amputation and I couldn’t ask for a better outcome! (Okay, I’ve asked, and that’s all I can hope for!)
Excellent news that the cancer is only visible in Guinesses leg. (front or back left?)
Prior to the diagnosis Guinness was an active lab and loved walks, playing with her brother Sulley (black lab) and swimming in our pool. We want to give her a chance... but don't want her quality of life to suffer. Knowing that she is an older dog, what would her quality of life be with 3 legs? We don't want to have the leg removed, only to have the cancer resurface after only a few months. We are also unsure if we would want to do radiation/chemo... We do have concerns on the side effects.
Looking for some advice from all the wonderful folks that have lived through this.
Your help is greatly appreciated!
Cheryl, RD and Guinness
Right now Guiness is in pain and it will get worse, if nothing is done. Amputation gives our fur babies a new quality of life and they don’t think on things like we do! She w I’ll be wanting to get back to her activities sooner than you would like her to, I can assure you of that!
Best wishes to you and know that we can be a shoulder to cry on or a crutch to lean on, whichever you need, someone will be here to help!
All the best Stewie and his pack ❤️
Remember...“live in the moment!“ 
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