Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I was asked to share this reunion between a 160lb female Great Dane(and she not fat just huge) and her human pack...Mom(Michele), Dad(Steven), Brother(Carlo) and sister(Gianna) and her dog pack St. Bernard (Lola), Pitmix (Tessa), Pitmix (Luca). This may have been one of the most emotional and inspirational days I've ever experienced. I just want to say if any of you hear from your vet that your dog is to big and they won't do well, run from that vet and find another. I am here to tell you the beginning of what we hope to be an amazing journey with our big girl Ava. I will keep you all posted as to her progress and i will get pictures up as soon as possible. But read on for the start Ava the 4yr old Great Dane...a true inspiration.
I truly hope that this helps some of you out there struggling with the decision to help your big dog whether to amputate or not. It is a personal decision and only your family knows whats right for you, but I know how hard it was for us and we are so glad we made the decision we did. I wish all the best in your journey with your dog and your family.
Ava the 4yr old Great Dane...a true inspiration
What a difference a day makes!!! The day after surgery we sat and wondered how we were going to take care of her. After spending a couple of hours with her and hearing her whimper and barely able to lift her head we were very concerned that we weren't prepared and thats when I sent out that somewhat frantic post asking all of you for help ( and all your advice was great thank you)
So when we came home that night we sat and talked and we we're scared we want to do everything we can to help her but at 160lbs thats not so easy we watched two vet techs struggle with her size and said these people do this everyday how the hell are we going to manage and not hurt her. well as you can imagine we got virtually no sleep at all that night.
Now it's the big day Ava is coming home, we spent the entire day preparing the house for her moving furniture around, putting runners down everywhere, we had to rearrange the entire garage because we had a ramp built for her in there and in order to minimize the grade it had to be long enough. So now the house is prepared as best as we could, but the question remained in the back of our minds…were we prepared? It's about 4pm at this point and it's time to go get our girl.
It was a pretty silent ride to the hospital. when we arrive they are going over the bill and all the business side of the surgery (i wasn't paying one bit of attention…i just asked how much and please get me to my dog) At that point they placed us in an exam room and the vet came in and was going over the meds and what we could expect and and how to deal with things, at that point I heard this kind of excited panting and I knew it was her and suddenly…BOOM… the door bursts open and in bounds Ava with a vet tech in tow, not only was her tail wagging her entire body was wagging she was WALKING ON HER OWN, she was crying but this time not in pain but pure joy to see us all there she was nuzzleing, and licking (even the vet I guess she really liked him) but most amazingly she was walking, going to the right, to the left , backing up…the day before she could barely move (lots of drugs I know)
so the vet tries now to explain to me about how to use the harness to help support her weight (Good luck with that I thought…lol) it's now time to leave the hospital I have the harness wrapped around her, we have to go across the Triage are and go through the waiting room (which unfortunately was packed to the brim) the floors were all vinyl and slippery so he said go slow with her and support her weight, so I said "Of Course"
So they opened the door to the exam room and whooosh there goes Ava with me trying to keep up with the harness…yeah that didn't work out to well for me…lol…I was just a rag doll in tow. All the triage nurses were saying goodbye to her (I think her size had an impact on them..they all knew her name) but the most amazing part was hitting the waiting room, when she entered that room peoples jaws hit the ground at first I think because of her size but then they realized this was a huge Great Dane Tripaw who just happen to be dragging a human behind her. The looks went from Wow…to absolutely amazed…everyone was wishing her well and not a single eye was was anywhere except on her, and there were a few wet eyes as well, she was so happy and excited, some people even came outside and offered to help get her in the Minivan ( I never had a minivan…I do now…and it's pretty cool…lol) she was a little nervous getting in so we helped her and she settled right in. the ride home was uneventful luckily.
So as we get about two minutes from my house she sits up and knows she is almost home, when I pull up her tail is wagging she pants a little heavier, she's ready to be home. I quickly get out and get my other dogs outside. as soon as we get the door to the van (I now call it the "Van") open out she goes straight to the garage up the ramp and into the house and right to her food and water bowls, then she looks up and sees her pack mates off the deck down by the pool patio and her tail and their tails and her cries and their cries start all at once…it was beyond overwhelming (I have a feeling I'm going to be using that word a lot) at this point we can't keep them apart any longer so we let them in…what a reunion licking, and lots of butt smelling and crying and they stopped for a second and it was like they all knew ok something isn't 100% right and they all start sniffing her incision and they seemed to relax except my ST.Bernard she the Mom of the house and started barking at the other two as if to say "Stay away I got this" and thats exactly what she meant she'd let go by her but if they lingered to long she'd bark or come over and push them away.
So remember the ramp we had built in the garage we built it in there because it the place in my house where there is the least amount of stairs (only two) where she used to going down 6 stairs off the deck about 40 ft of pool patio and 3 mores stairs off the patio into the yard, we figured there's no way she can do that right away or maybe ever again, so the idea for the garage ramp seemed like a good one. well I'm here to tell you when a 160lb Great dane wants to do something even with only 3 legs you don't have much of a choice but to accomodate. She walked up to the back door and i thought maybe she just wants to lay on the deck (which she loves to do) nope to she wanted to go into the yard her way so i quickly got he harness to help her. she struggled bit with the first three stairs but the next three she went right, then right across the patio and down the next three stairs into the yard. Peeing is still not wasn't easy she squatted and fro about 2 or 3 seconds had it then kind of lost balance so we really needed to help her at that point. she rested for a few minutes and back up the patio stairs, the deck and time to relax for a while.
She's not eating all that well but drinking tons and tons of water. But she seems to be a very happy girl again. Sorry for the long version of this (it's cathartic for me) and I also want remember every second of this journey with her. Thank you for giving me the forum to be able to share this incredible insight into life that we as humans never seem to understand.
i will talk to my children and use these moments with her as lessons that i pray they take with them into their lives and their childrens lives one day. That life someday's will be up and other days will be in the toilet so to speak, but understand that we cannot change was has past and we can only hope for a better tomorrow, but what we can control are each and very moment that we are living in right now. I'll keep you all posted…thank you again.
BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFU L CHRONICLE OF AVA's HOMECOMING!!!!!! AnnificentI legacy is just now beginning! we are all cheering and crying tears of joy right along with you!!!
You better believe your kids will take her lessons with them well into adulthood...and Ava's legacy of.strength, courage and determination will be passed onto their children. Clearly Ava has touched the lives of.many...she's certainly touched ours.
Yeah, Ava's magnificent legacy is just now beginning!
I love that she does things her way...no ramp needed for this girl!
Absolutely love reading this tonight. Everyone on this site agrees there is no such thing as a too "long version" when it comes to lamenting about our tripawds! No I.deedy! Thankyou for letting us get to know your SPECTACULAR AVA a little better, as well as the rest of her pack! I l ove the visual you painted of how they reunited and how your St. Bernard gave every one "instructions" on how to behave!
I know your hands are full right now and the next week or so may be a little rough, but post pictures when you can! Can't wait to see this group!
And YAYYYYYYYYYY for first pee! @et us know when first poop comes...we celebrate anything around here! Glad she's drinking...she wil l probably eat better soon...the eds and traumatic surgery can make her whacky for a bit.
Sending lots of hugs to all!!!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Well it's day 4 post op on our big Ava, and today was no less inspiring then yesterday she was up and about with my daughter today quite a lot I understand. I unfortunately was back at work so I spent some time in the morning but had to go make money to pay the couple of bucks this costing ( whatever it's just money right?) whatever the cost there is no comparison to what we get in return, just to have her happy self with us is more then we could hope for. The pain she was experiencing before surgery was getting worse and worse and I remember the day of diagnosis the vet telling us that the pain would get her before the cancer would, and man was he right. Everyday her limp got worse and she struggled more and more we maybe had another month if we did nothing. Enough of what was I explain it just to illustrate that here we are 4 days later with a tail wagging...wait body wagging Great Dane who is just thrilled to be home with her family. Right now as a matter of fact we are sitting on the deck all dogs relaxed and peaceful on a beautiful cool summer night listening to the sounds of nature ( I have a small forest behind the house) and she seems as content as she ever has enjoying these nights relaxing on the deck. Today she again drank lots and lots of water ( I wonder if it's her way of clearing all the drugs out, or if some of the melds she's on are making her thirsty) she pooped yesterday late and this morning again so it seems everything is progressing well. Sometime this week we should get the results of the tumor biopsy (the sooner the better) I want to know how to proceed with her. Our oncologist and holistic vet in conjunction with my family will decide on the best course of treatment. As I research and listen to the vets I am convinced that a hybrid approach offers her the best chance for a longer healthier life. I've been told by the oncologist that in dogs her size the standard protocol is 4 to 6 chemotherapy treatments spaced out over time. Listening to my holistic vet she believes we can unblock the immune system ( and really that how cancer starts from the immune system not doing its job properly for some reason) and treat the root cause of the cancer rather treat the symptoms. So my mind and my heart tells there is some balance between the two, so I've discussed a limited chemotherapy protocol giving the micronized cells a quick killing dose with hopes that the few rounds of chemo ( or possibly metronomic therapy) will hold the cancer off long enough for the holistic treatment to work and get body and immune system back in balance. Everyone tells me it's wishful thinking that at some point it'll be back and just enjoy the time we have with her and we certainly will. But that's not good enough for me, I see her strength and determination and a spirit that soars every step without pain, and if she can live for today so can I , and hope for a better tomorrow. Someday somewhere 1 dog is going truly beat the odds. How many stories have you heard where a doctor has given a death sentence to a patient saying " maybe 6 months" and you read that they are living a life 5 yrs 10 yrs later and the doctors don't get it. I'll tell what they don't get they don't understand a person or In this case a dogs spirit and will to live, they see things in black and white which is what western medicine and veterinary medicine has taught them, and frankly in most cases they probably turn out to be right about their diagnosis, not so because their diagnosis and prognosis is dead on accurate, but because the people they gave that opinion to believed it as well. We are going to shoot for the moon and while we are completely realistic to possible outcomes, we are beyond hopeful to try an approach that maybe just maybe vets and dog owners one day look back and say that is the first one to beat the odds, and maybe just maybe her outcome can influence the better outcomes of big dogs and smaller dogs in the future.
I am writing this because I truly believe that possibilities exist that we cannot see nor can we determine what the future holds we can believe in the limitless possibilities that exist in the world and that if we live for this moment and believe for a better tomorrow maybe just maybe that better tomorrow hold keys to answers we do not have today. So I choose to believe not only for Ava but for all the dogs that have a future like all our Tripawds maybe just maybe one dog will beat the odds and give hope to all the others that follow down this path.
Steven, Michele, Carlo, Gianna, Ava, Luca, Lola, and Tessa
The fight begins...
Your philosophy on the outlook you have for Ava isBEAUTIFULLY ARTICULATED! And spot on!
On this very site there are cases of dogs who,without or without chemo...with or without holistic...or with both..who survivors for years!! Otherswill have to paste the links...I have no clue how...but Queen Nova, a Great Dane...long term survivor. Bart, going on five years now. And our future long term survivor...AVA!!!
Again, someone else will have to paste in the link, but there is a great discussion posted by Katy,Jackson's mom, on number of chemo treatments. Four, maybe five treatments of carboplatin for osteosarcoma seems to be the "norm" if you go that route
Absolutely there are outside forces at work bringing forth yet t k be seen possibilities. Seeing the power of a collective consciousness at work is quite visiblehere. Keep on dipping you toes into the ocean of possibilities and watch your ripple of positivity do it's magic!!!!!!
Your energy of strength and confidence will do wonders for Ava! And yeah, if any Dr. Speaks in "death sentence terms", FIRE HIS BUTT! NO dog on here comes to this site with a time frame stamped on his butt!!! Every single dog or cat...every single one is different and NO doctor can predict Ava's journey!
Fight on Warrior Ava, fight on!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Michele and Steven,
I LOVE your way of thinking. I wish everyone took that attitude through all life's challenges. Alas optimism is not dead. Ava sounds like she has a wonderful family and pack mates and a wonderful, serene environment. All of the Tripawd nation hopes for a wonderful outcome for your beautiful Dane.
Penny, Hank, Blink and Maggie
So awesome to read such a great update on Ava! Way to go, pup! She's amazing and so is her pack.
And I love your outlook on it all! You are so right. And a dog has no idea how long a vet gives them. But they sure can read a lot from us. If we internalize what we're told, I think it can certainly have an impact on them. So keep on believing the best for Ava and let her soak in all those positive thoughts!!
Deciding on a treatment course can be nerve-wracking. Especially when you don't have a definitive diagnosis yet. I'm going through that now with my cat, Kender. Trying to research options, but it's soooooooo varied with all the different types of cancer. It's great that you guys are collaborating and educating yourselves about the various options. You're amazing advocates for Ava!
~Melinda and Tri-Kitty Angel Kender
Follow Kender's story here
Michele and family,
Thank you for sharing Ava's amazing story. She is truly an inspiration especially for our bigger fur kids.
Keep up that positive outlook as I'm sure it's beneficial in Ava's recovery.
Sending positive thoughts to Ava and pack on her continuing journey!!!
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
Someday somewhere 1 dog is going truly beat the odds. How many stories have you heard where a doctor has given a death sentence to a patient saying " maybe 6 months" and you read that they are living a life 5 yrs 10 yrs
YES! That happens here, and more often than most people would even believe when they start this journey. I can think of many cats and dogs, including our Jerry who have beaten the odds, so keep that pawsitivity going because you just don't know, but Ava sure knows where your heart is!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Love your positive attitude, and I can't wait to see your big girl's progress and hear more about all of her triumphs. Sounds like you have a great family and a great pack to help her on the journey. Now we just need pics and videos!
Best of luck, and continued happy healing to Ms. Ava!
Deb and Angel Lexie* Diagnosed at age 13. Tried radiation first; wish we had amputated upon diagnosis (even with lung mets). Joined Club Tripawd April 2014 & Lexie loved life on 3 legs! Advice: Start physical therapy as soon as your vet clears it, especially hydrotherapy if available :-) See Lexie pics here.
So day 5 post-op...day 4 and today were a little odd she came home with so much energy, and the last two days have been kind of opposite of that. But we do realize that her big body is expending so much energy to heal itself as it should be. She not really eating all that we'll but she is eating....and drinking tons of water, she peeing and pooping so all good signs. I think it's just hard sometimes to see her just sleeping or laying around for hours, but like I said to Michele it's only five days....she is getting around when she wants to, she is peeing and pooping as I said , so we have to realize that all her internal energy is being devoted to the healing process and the faster she goes through that the faster we get to have our happy big girl back. It's crazy how protective my St. Bernard is of her with the other dogs she instinctively knows she needs her rest and keeps the other dogs at bay if they linger for more then 30 seconds. She just doesn't tolerate it...it's somewhat amusing to watch. Still no results of the biopsy so we will wait another day. She got completely started on her holistic protocol today, and the vet was kind enough to give the herbs in a pre-made tincture so we wouldn't have to deal with all the proper mixes, and given the fact there are six different herbs and two powders we are truly grateful for that. Really not much to report at the moment. So for now I'll sign off with hopes and wishes for a better tomorrow for Ava and all the Tripawds out there coming through the post surgical period. For all of us humans who keep keep sending our positive thoughts and energies to all those pups who need it, energy is the force behind all things that happen in the universe so when all of us direct our positive energies to these magnificent creatures who are fighting to heal themselves we are not only helping them but we are sending positive energies through our own bodies helping to sustain ourselves through this difficult time.
Steven
For all of us humans who keep keep sending our positive thoughts and energies to all those pups who need it, energy is the force behind all things that happen in the universe so when all of us direct our positive energies to these magnificent creatures who are fighting to heal themselves we are not only helping them but we are sending positive energies through our own bodies helping to sustain ourselves through this difficult time.
So beautifully said!
Yep, 5 days is not a long time, especially for a big boned gal like Ava. In fact I think it's pretty remarkable that she's doing so well, considering her unique challenges. Eating, drinking and eliminating? Bravo girl! You are a rock star. In a few weeks, you'll going to have that sparkle back, I can feel it. For now, rest rest rest, the body needs to heal and in no time at all this will be behind you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Overall, this is a good update...especially for day five after major.surgery.
Just so you'll know, my very first post here was "Six days after rear leg amputation and fear I have made a horrible decision!" After about the second or third day, the hospital meds are wearing off and our pups are real l y starting to feel the trauma of the surgery.
And yes, Ava should be resting as much as possible for the next week and basically just getting up to potty, eating and drinking.
SENDING POSITIVE ENERGY!!! And I agree with Jerry, nice articulatio on the outflowing of our energy.
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
benny55 said
Just so you'll know, my very first post here was "Six days after rear leg amputation and fear I have made a horrible decision!"Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Yep, this is the post Sally is referring to!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Day 6 post op...funny how each day brings with it a different color and flavor of its own. Today while Ava was much more active again, she ate one meal got all her herbs and medicine she was a little grumpy today and really wanted to be left alone, so much so that she on numerous occasions found places to lie down which were totally out of character for her . At one point she walked behind these huge arborvitae's that we have that are bordered in front with golden mop cypress bushes (all of them are soft branched trees and bushes) so she decided that she wanted to be left alone walked behind the bushes and tress and found a comfortable spot to plop herself down and sleep, it was beautiful day no humidity but if you were in the sun it was still hot but under those bushes and trees laying in the mulch and soft drooping from the trees and bushes it was cool and soft and she snuggled in and made herself comfortable. The only thing that got her out of there was at one point the others dogs started to run and bark after something and man did she get up and out quickly. At another point and on the other side of the pool we have a very large miscanthis grass it's probably 15 ft tall, and the fronds are pretty sturdy, for the last few years when she wanted to be scratched she would walk over to the grass push her butt into it and wiggle back and forth it was like get petted on her butt without anyone there. So today she went over started rubbing herself against the grass and she seemed to really be enjoying it to the point that she found a way to lay in it or a better way to say it would be on it and relaxed for a while there. She peed a bunch of times and pooped once and she seems to to have figured out now to put her front leg in the middle and and squat with no problem....a true tripod action...same for pooping. I've also noticed yesterday and today that her back legs seem to be getting stronger or she's understanding how to use them better, prior to yesterday if she squatted to lie down or pee or poop, her back legs would shake a lot, now she squats right down to eliminate or to simply lay down...pretty damn cool if you ask me. She absolutely loves being outside all the time now, before she was very content laying around in the air conditioning and generally being a pretty lazy Great Dane but now she is outside all the time and it has been absolutely beautiful out, as I write this once again we are on the deck on a gorgeous summer night listening to the waterfalls in the pool and the sounds of nature all around us....it is truly and amazingly peaceful. All in all I think it was another really good day for her and for us with her. She inspires us in so many ways and her spirit makes us believe very positive things for the future with her.
I think the thing that is most amazing about this experience thus far is that while on the face of it most people would be tired and scared and seemingly sad for what has just happened to the family member they love so very much. But for me I think I find it to a very uplifting, emotional , spiritual experience. I find myself invigorated and positive and completely energized by her, she is teaching me minute by minute how to be the person I've always known I should be, someone who needs to live for the moment I am in, someone who understands the great gift that life is on daily basis truly is, someone who understands that we have to live today because we have no idea what tomorrow brings and while we all hope for a bright and sunny tomorrow we have no control over what it may bring, I am learning that what do have control over is the moment we are in, the decisions we make this moment, the choices we make this moment and we hope and pray that those decisions those choices give us joy in the moment we occupy now, and give us hope for a better tomorrow. How funny that I am learning this from a dog who can't speak to me but can teach me by her actions, her determination, and her spirit. I know in my heart that we have made the right decision we her no matter how much time we have with her because she is teaching us to better parents, better people each moment she is part of our lives, and for that I will always be eternally grateful to our beautiful, proud and courageous Great Dane Ava.
Steven
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