Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Andy, my 14-year-old miniature schnauzer had a back leg amputation on Monday (29.7.), his healing is going well and he eats and drinks just fine, he's been more like himself and barely in pain, although he probably is in some. (he doesn't know how to whimper, but he hasn't really been grumping at us like before, so I think he's doing better.) He tried to get up 4 hours after surgery, and he stood quite alright with my help! However, his standing had gotten worse and he couldn't get up at all. He can't stand well either unless we help him. We have a harness that we can't try on until his stitches are gone due to him having stitches on his side as well as his entire leg being gone. He's not hopping either and forgets his back leg now, which is concerning to me right now. (Although whenever he walked when he had his leg, he would never walk straight but sideways) He has a small swelling that's hard on the incision where his leg no longer is, and we contacted our vet- However, I'm currently unsure if the vet emailed back yet or not, as it wasn't from my devices but from my moms'.
Andy has arthritis on his back where his back legs are, I'm unsure how far it is, but he does have it. Nevertheless, he's always walked and perhaps today he's just more tired due to how hot yesterday and today are. (I live in central EU) But I'm not sure. He is normally pretty tired and he was quite active yesterday, but he is unable to stand up, the most he does is slither his way to drink (which I've made sure to put puppy pads and the bowl close to him for accessibility) sometimes I give him water himself to make sure he drinks.
There had been one instance, which was yesterday where he wouldn't pee at all. He did fortunately pee this morning though! But I'm still worried. I want to help him more, but I'm unsure how. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
Krystina, I'm so glad you posted here! We know you are worried and are here to help.
Try to keep in mind tat this is really, really early in recovery, especially for a senior dog. They tend to take longer than younger ones, but they generally recover in a few weeks and get back to enjoying life, just more modified.
You mentioned in your blog comment that he is showing signs of biting and growling. These are pain signals . So when you speak with your vet, please let them know so you can get the pain under control. Good pain management is key to a good recovery so it's imperative he receives medication like a non-steroidal and Gabapentin to help with nerve pain.
Not sure what the swelling could be but it's not unusual to see something like that this early on. Remember that many nerves and blood vessels are cut during amputation, so bruising and swelling is also common.
He will get back on his feet but be patient. Help him as best you can to go potty, don't let him go too long between urinating (12 hours inbetween urinating is the time you really want to let your vet know if he is not urinating).
Also, keep his activity very minimal. If he was active, it's not unusual for him to have a "crash" soon after. The body needs time to heal and get strong, and if he's allowed to do too much too soon it will delay healing.
Please let us know what your vet says OK? We will be waiting for an update.
Thank you for the response!
I feel a bit more reassured the more I read here, it makes me realize that he's doing well, considering how early it is. He is on pain medication, a rather strong one. It's Novalgin 500mg, he gets half in the morning and half at night. Other than that, he has a few other medications. (Pervicox that he takes at night and antibiotics that he takes in the morning and at night, as well as heart medication- morning and night)
Regarding the pain signals - It's never when I try to pick him up (he's being picked up sideways, as to hold him by his healthy side and not harm his currently stitched side, to which he's not in pain. He feels rather comfortable that way.) it's when I hover my hands above to try and get hold of his shoulders to help him get up when he can't but wants to. (He had two lumps removed on the same side as his leg- One on his side and another on his front paw) It seems to me like he's being stubborn that I want to help him. I don't know though- He learned fast that we react to barking and barking to get our attention if he's having issues. (that was the case yesterday, as my mom was in the kitchen and I just came back from a walk with another doggo)
The vet visit is on the 7th I think (mom was the one who made the appointment). Regarding the email, no one responded after we sent another due to the swelling looking a bit strange to us, but then again we've never had a tripod before.
We put puppy pads under him and in front of his bed- Andy in general went whenever he needed, so we hope that if he doesn't urinate tonight, he might overnight. We have another bed in case that happens.
We only take him outside to our inner block yard, since we don't really want to take him to parks or such, and because its much closer for me to carry him down rather than take him to well, a park. And today he spent most of his time sleeping, which is good! I'll post an update on anything the vet says whenever we get an answer or once we go to our check-up.
Hi Kristyna, I apologize for just now getting a chance to respond. How is he doing today?
Many dogs aren't used to being helped / assisted in certain ways, and when we try to do it after surgery, when they're already coping with so much, it makes them nervous. That sounds like common behavior for a new, senior Tripawd. And many dogs refuse help at all, even when we mean well. Try to give him a little more time to get up when he tries to do it on his own. If he just cannot after a while, then it's time to assist and be ready with lots of treats.
I hope today is better. Sorry you didn't hear back from the vet. Is there any more swelling?
Hi! Sorry for the late response.
He's doing relatively better? Kind of- He actually got up by himself and took three bunny hops all on his own a few days ago! He's doing his business, he even squats to do it, which I'm pretty surprised at- He is still leaving his leg behind sometimes, although whenever we try to carry him he tries to sit up for us to make the job of getting a hold of him easier, which is really good. He's also started walking more with assistance and even got faster! Although it's clear it takes a huge toll on him, but he's trying and that's all that matters, I'm proud of him. Whenever he does anything that takes a huge amount of energy, I always scratch him and give him kisses, and he gets treats often.
He sometimes travels around, by scooting rather than hopping- which is fine! I guess we have slippery floors, but he's not in pain and makes sure his back leg is under so that he doesn't touch his injury. I was thinking of finding something to make a pad to put on the injury so that he could try to move more, but that might annoy him. (We found out that he gets annoyed with any kind of help, a scarf? he doesn't like it and won't move.)
He's always been a bit on the "I don't want help" type of side- Most of the time whenever I'd go outside with him and my other doggo (Mia) I'd carry him downstairs and to a patch of grass, it's kind of a daily type of thing I've always done as he got older. But his protests died down, he's always been that way before, so I'm not really as surprised now- Although I was before. He's capable and he's shown that to us, we only assist outside, and when he can't lay on the hard floor anymore and can't get back on his bed.
The incision started to form bruises around and the only swelling is where he was neutered. The vet told us that it could be hard and that it's fine if it is. However- it cracked and started to leak red water I suppose? It's not blood and doesn't have a smell. Other than that, unfortunately, the incision is very close to where he'd urinate from and that is in general swollen up a bit, but he doesn't seem to be in pain whenever he eliminates. It's not red either- so It doesn't really seem all that alarming? But it's a tad bit strange, I suppose. Other than that, his two other places where he has stitches are healing nicely, and so is that bigger one, it's just bruised and has a swollen 'lump' type of ball. We mentioned this to the vet since it happened way after we got confirmation that, normally, swelling happens. So we're now waiting for another email.
Other than that, he's doing well with eating and drinking and everything else other than walking currently. It's more than I ever expected and I'm happy he's doing pretty well- I'm surprised he even got up himself and hopped all on his own too! I felt like a mother watching her child take their first steps- It felt like a dream.
Jist catching up on uour precious, strong willed Andy! It sounds like he has loads of fun personality.
he even got up himself and hopped all on his own
eating and drinking
Spectacular news!!! Celebrate all these victories!
As Jerry mentioned earlier, senior pups need a bit more time to recover and get their sea legs. He clearly is showing determination and that is a plus during recover.
He sometimes travels around, by scooting rather than hopping- which is fine! I guess we have slippery floors,
Slippery floors can be quite a scary hazard for tripawds. As soon as you can, get some non-slip scatter rugs, or even cheap Yoga mats, to help Andy with traction . If he's scooting on these floors that is most likely because he can't get traction , especially if he has a little bit of arthritis.
Continue to keep your vet in the loop about the drainage, bruising, swelling etc. I'm not quite sure what air areas are swelling and bleeding, Etc it sounds like he has had couple of removed in addition to the amputation surgery?? And guessing the neutering was done a long time ago, not at the same time as the amputation? , Sorry, i can confuse confuse myself pretty easily so none of this may make sense.to you 🤔
Give Andy some extra trear from is...his Andy Fan Club😎
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Q
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!
Ohhh he's making big progress! 
This is such great news! I'm glad your vet was able to help you feel better too. Yes it does sound like seroma
fluid. That is very normal and as long as it's not smelly or cloudy, and more watery than bloody, it's normally not a cause for concern.
As Sally mentioned, please add traction to your floors. It will make a huge difference in how well he gets around. Walking on slippery floors with three legs is like trying to ice skate, but all day long. Once you put a no-slip rug on his favorite paths in the house, he will gain confidence.
One other thing you may want to try is to de-sensitize his incision area. Check out this interview about how to do that, as explained by one of our favorite experts:
Understanding and Treating Nerve Pain After Amputation for Dogs: Tripawd Talk Radio #124
We hope you both see more advances in the coming days!
Continue to keep your vet in the loop about the drainage, bruising, swelling etc. I'm not quite sure what air areas are swelling and bleeding, Etc it sounds like he has had couple of removed in addition to the amputation surgery?? And guessing the neutering was done a long time ago, not at the same time as the amputation? , Sorry, i can confuse confuse myself pretty easily so none of this may make sense.to you 🤔
Hi!
Thank you for coming here, and for the hugs! Don't worry about confusing me, it's alright!
Andy had a few other removals as we thought he had benign cancer for awhile. (Turns out that wasn't the case at all! They were just normal skin bumps, but we learned that after surgery) Those two are removals are doing really well and are almost actually healed, kind of? They aren't bruising like the bigger one where cancer actually was. The neutering was done I think two years ago due to problems that occured prior with his old age and all. The wound healed very nicely and he only had a small trail of fur there, but now it's swollen- A bit less than before as most of the fluid got out. We've been cleaning it with herbal tea since we didn't want to cause harm with water and we weren't entirely sure how to help him since it is painful for him. But with the herbal tea, he doesn't feel in pain, so that's perhaps a plus? It's much smaller than before.
Other swelling is also almost gone, the only swelling is where he was neutered previously, which is great too! I hope
Slippery floors can be quite a scary hazard for tripawds. As soon as you can, get some non-slip scatter rugs, or even cheap Yoga mats, to help Andy with traction . If he's scooting on these floors that is most likely because he can't get traction , especially if he has a little bit of arthritis.
Regarding the slippery floors- He had really overgrown pawpads that I just noticed, so I was thinking of trimming that for him, that it could perhaps help a bit? He's always had a bit of trouble getting around- mostly the hallways as they're not entirely non-slippery and are brick like. Most of the original floors are either hard wood or bricks, but we put a floor thing over it (alike to carpet but not fluffy like one) and it's easier to get around. We can't really leave the house currently as we're trying to pay attention to him and other pets of ours. But once we're ceirtain that we can leave, I'll definitely drag my mom to a shop for some!
As Sally mentioned, please add traction to your floors. It will make a huge difference in how well he gets around. Walking on slippery floors with three legs is like trying to ice skate, but all day long. Once you put a no-slip rug on his favorite paths in the house, he will gain confidence.
Also hi!
He doesn't really have much of a favorite place, he mostly followed my mom around if he wasn't asleep so making a path for him is going to be a bit troublesome. Though, he is still getting faster at walking sometimes, although he still tends to forget his back leg but he is trying to fix that sometimes. Everything is still the same as before- He drinks and eats normally and does his business just fine now too!
Yes it does sound like seroma fluid. That is very normal and as long as it's not smelly or cloudy, and more watery than bloody, it's normally not a cause for concern.
It's not smelly or cloudy (i think?) It is kind of sticky, but that might be when it's dryer. If I had to compare it, it looks like someone drew blood with a red pen thinking it looks like blood, which it kind of does- But it's clear it's not blood, but looks like it. That might be worrisome..
He is taking antibiotics for infections though, the same ones he took prior due to having high infection stats before that have definitely went down.
One other thing you may want to try is to de-sensitize his incision area.
I'll make sure to try that, thank you!
Thank you so much for all the help, I was quite stressed before, but it's getting better now and that's more than I could hope for. The check up is coming closer, which is great too!
I'm so glad we could put your mind at ease a little!
Sounds like he is doing alright overall, and the fluid does sound like seroma fluid, which is a mixture of blood and body fluid. When there's too much in the body it takes the path of least resistance to find a way out of the body and usually that's the incision area. But it sounds like the neutering incision may be the lowest point of his body, which may be why the fluid is draining there. I'm just guessing. Your vet will know more when you go to the check up.
Yes, definitely keep the paw fur and nails trimmed to help him get around better. Also consider Dr. Buzby's Toe Grips, they are terrific for older and three-legged dogs.
Things do sound like they're moving along pretty well, and pretty typically, for a senior dog! Stay strong, you'll be at the finish line before you know it.
Thank you again!
We had to make the vet check-up yesterday, as Andy's swollen bit popped and we thought he was bleeding out. The vet informed us that it was pus and doubled the antibiotics and told us to clean the wound with betadine. He was generally glad that we came around because it was definitely bad. Thankfully- Andy is kind of better and the swollen bit is not swollen anymore as it leaked out mostly.
But it sounds like the neutering incision may be the lowest point of his body, which may be why the fluid is draining there.
It was below the incision but also the most free space for it- I'm honestly glad the incisions themselves are left all alone and are generally healing up as they're supposed to. They're not swollen and the bruising on the bigger one is slowly disappearing. It was overall pretty horrifying-
Yes, definitely keep the paw fur and nails trimmed to help him get around better. Also consider Dr. Buzby's Toe Grips, they are terrific for older and three-legged dogs.
Thank you for the recommendation! I'll make sure to get time to trim his paw fur once I'm ceirtain he won't be in too much pain.
Things do sound like they're moving along pretty well, and pretty typically, for a senior dog! Stay strong, you'll be at the finish line before you know it.
Thank you, I'm so happy and proud of him for doing so well, I'll keep updating whenever there's things to update on!
There's actually few cute moments that happened- we have two other dogs other than Andy, they're both much younger than him and Mia is the youngest. She's been looking after him since we brought him home, whether it's sleeping near him or barking at us whenever he isn't all too happy with us trying to take him outside. And yesterday specifically she was laying on his pillow that we gave him and just slept there with him. It was adorable! Also whenever he's done with business he tries to run to my mom and sit to get praised, which is also pretty adorable! Andy is almost entirely blind and sort of deaf, but he manages to still find me and mom.
Give Nurse Mia an extra trea for being such a good caregiver 🥰
Also whenever he's done with business he tries to run to my mom and sit to get praised, which is also pretty adorable! Andy is almost entirely blind and sort of deaf, but he manages to still find me and mom.
I love that Andy has trained your Mom to give him treats just for pottying😎 He sounds like he has tons of personality and spunk. He feels the love from you two and gravitates to it.....so sweet ♥️
So glad Andy's issues are starting to resolve with the Vet's help...and you advocating for Andy.
Keep us updated!
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!
Give Nurse Mia an extra trea for being such a good caregiver
The three of them got some treats today! They got a form of yogurt, that they all love.
Also, they're going to get some delicious meals tonight too!
So glad Andy's issues are starting to resolve with the Vet's help
Regarding Andy, the part where it popped got to the stitches and kind of made a hole there, that's filled with pus.
We've been trying to clean it as well as the vets yesterday- Since we made abrupt visits twice this week due to the situation and how further it got.
They put more things that should at least help, and they did- sort of? There's less pus, but it's still definitely there. Even though we've been emailing the same vet who did the surgery- He's been saying how it looks good but had an entirely different reaction in person. Which is kinda off honestly- but he himself was mad that it suddenly happened and how unnecessary of an infection when Andy was without complications.
So yeah, still the same, but slightly better? Other than that he didn't eliminate today yet, which is worrisome- We've been outside for a while trying to walk him around to get him to, but that didn't really work out, so we'll be trying again in a few hours unless he does it at home.
Other than that, he's hopping better when he sets a faster pace, but due to the hole where his stitches are- It's kinda riskier, at least for me it is. I don't want it to open further, but other than that he seems alright? He tries to lick the pus, but we refrain him from doing so. And he did poop alright today, just didn't pee at all :/
But that's all so far, I'll make an update to this post if anything comes up today! If nothing does, then I'll update some other time once again.
Thank you both Sally and Jerry for listening to my troubles and all, it helps me somewhat feel better about a few things.
Not sure what to make about the puss, but mighty glad the Vet/Surgeon got to see it first hand and took steps to resolve it.
Keep tabs on when he pees...or not. Let the Vet know if the delay continues.
....he himself was mad that it suddenly happened and how unnecessary of an infection when Andy was without complications.
I'm sure the Surgeon was a bit miffed. He knew he did a perfect job with the surgery (yeah, Surgeons are always pleased when the actual amputation was textbook) and quite disappointed to find there were complications he deemed unnecessary.
They put more things that should at least help,
Curious what they did??
Other than that ..
And.....
still the same, but slightly better
And
Other than that....
You gave me a bit of a chuckle with some of the way you framed things in the above lines. You have a great attitude and one that focuses on the pawsitive! That is a great trait to have during the ups and downs of recovery!
YAY for poop! 👍 Now we need a good puddle of pee!🙏
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!
Aww I love that Andy's got a nursing team looking out for him!
So I'm concerned that he hasn't urinated. I hope by now that he has?
Also, did the vet take any kind of culture on that discharge, to ensure that the antibiotics are working?
Dogs love licking disgusting things don't they? 
Give your sweet Andy a smooch from us! Things WILL get better with a great advocate like you!
Keep tabs on when he pees...or not. Let the Vet know if the delay continues.
So I'm concerned that he hasn't urinated. I hope by now that he has?
He infact has! Thankfully, I'm sorry for the delay. He did urinate and he does now more often! He's slowly returning to how he was prior. So business is all good now! He does it without too many issues.
Curious what they did??
They cleaned it far better than we could, aswell as sprayed a few different things to support healing and recovery aswell as to desinfect it more than with just betadine.
Also, did the vet take any kind of culture on that discharge, to ensure that the antibiotics are working?
Yes! He took a sample and sent it. What came back were results that it's due to the fact that the hole is close to where he eliminates overall- It didn't get infected due to urination or anything- But more so a common thing due to it just being in that place. Thankfully however- Pus is gone! Andy is now pus free AND stitch free! There's still a bit of liquid coming out, but it's much less now.
He did bleed for a second time a few days ago, but hasn't since. (could have been the stitches coming undone) Now, it's closing up slowly and we're coming for a check up on Tuesday.
His recovery then will consist of checking if his wound is healing well, supported with a laser to make it close (although it will leave a scar- which I'm not worried about at all. I only want him to get better and be alright! I myself have scars aswell that I've got over the years because of my lovely furry kids! But mom isn't really fond of scars in general. In my opinion, they're a way to show off how you overcame certain situations! Guess that's not a really well shared look on life though.) Other than that, we're also going to get recommendations on different harnesses, since the one we ordered wasn't the best. It was quite good- But not a fit for Andy. (Also since I live in Czechia I try to look for options that are available)
But on the other hand- Amazing news! He's got the hang of where to put his leg to move better instead of dragging it behind him! I was worried he didn't know how to put the leg or even use it properly due to the fact that when he walked- He walked sideways, it was his unique thing where he never walked straight. I've also tried my best by moving his leg for him aswell as fixing it whenever I was holding him, trying to exercise the leg itself by simple movements because he never really registers us touching it, and thought that perhaps there's nerve damage or such. But he in fact, surprised me yesterday when he learned of the way to put the leg! Although I don't leave his side and still assist him to keep his balance right, he actually walked today at home- The floors are infact, slippery. We're intending on looking at rugs and trying to find something to help him out a bit more.
I want to slowly build his endurance aswell as his leg strength before I even let him walk on his own- Atleast until the wound is closed, since I don't really want to see him bleed at all. I'm pretty squeamish and since it opened up further (now its closing so its not as open) mom took up the job of cleaning.
Dogs love licking disgusting things don't they?
They truly do! Toby, my mom's dog and our biggest boy (Lab/Rottweiler/German Shephard mix) loves to eat poop for some reason, if not eat then lick and his stomach is never grateful for that! Mia on the other hand- (lab/dachshund mix) liked to roll in poop, but she stopped since she was grounded to be on a leash at all times due to her behavior issues. It's quite hilarious that Toby takes after a lab while Mia takes after a dachshund more! Andy never really had a habit of any of that, he was somehow the most calmest dog I've ever seen. Never cared for much and always sticks around nearby. Although it had changed as he got older, where he'd annoy Mia by walking up to strangers.
To Mia- that felt like a danger alarm because she'd immediately bark! (She really loves protecting him, which is the cutest thing ever)
You gave me a bit of a chuckle with some of the way you framed things in the above lines.
I'm glad I made someone laugh a little! I have a strange habit of either overexplaining things or phrasing them strangely, haha
You have a great attitude and one that focuses on the pawsitive! That is a great trait to have during the ups and downs of recovery!
Thank you- I try to be positive the most I can be- Mom's never as pawsitive, so I guess it sort of falls on me to be the cheery one!
It's one of the only things I can really do for both mom and Andy, since they're both currently not that well, but kind of well. I want to atleast leave a cheerful atmosphere for them both.
Give your sweet Andy a smooch from us! Things WILL get better with a great advocate like you!
Andy gets a ton of smooches everyday, I'll make sure to give him double the amount!
I hope the best will happen, he seems far better and that's more than I could wish for.
I'm kind of sorry for the long post and the long wait for updates. 
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