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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Just want to add another voice to all the great thoughts and opinions above. You're knowledgeable about the medical aspect, and about your boy; you've done your research, you're no stranger to cancer (I'm sorry for that), so you also live with some stark reality. Wooly loves you, is a mellow guy, and will absolutely experience a huge decrease in pain, so any adjustment issues will be lessened by that fact. Our Roxie was 11 when she had a rear-leg amp due to osteosarcoma. Was very high in the leg and missed on 2 xrays. All signs and tests pointed to really good odds for that magic 1-year survival with chemo. She got 6 months before lung mets took her in September. They were mostly great days, where she taught us about Being More Dog, and we learned about the joy in car rides and shared ice cream. On the not-so great-days we'd hang together, dogs, cats, and us, and Just Be with her. We miss her terribly. And I would do it again, most especially with the support to be found here, and the honest support of my longtime vet.
My one suggestion would be to consider ditching those 2 vets. Mine would not have made it to "longtime" status if his advice had come out of his mouth like yours did. I travel past 3 other vet offices to go to him and I'd go farther if needed.
Wooly will have all our Angels watching over him tomorrow and in the time to come. And you will have much love and many prayers to support you wherever the path leads.
With our best wishes, Liz and Angel Roxie
Great decision to go get your boy and bring him home. The night before surgery is very hard. I had to not really think about what was going to happen. I was not shocked at all when he came out of surgery. They bandage them well and they are still who they were before. TY slept without pain for the first time in months after his amp. It took so many months to get a diagnosis for him. He would make noises in his sleep. I now know he was in pain because he slept so quietly after surgery. It is a hard decision but I had to give my guy a chance at some pain free time. Once I got him back home, we kind of forgot about the 4 th leg. It was full of cancer, it was kind of like the enemy that we had to get off of him. That us how I had to look at it. I think the sooner you can bring him home after surgery, the better. Sounds like he gets way better care form you than at vet. Also, he just seems happy to be there. Good luck on Friday. Will be thinking about you. Keep us posted on how he is doing. Lori and Angel Ty
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
I'm so sorry to hear you are having trouble with your vet 
I will tell you I was surprised to hear he was put on buprenex - Jill (shes a kitty) was on buprenex and that is the standard for kittys after amputation, but only because cats cant have NSAIDS. I've been a member of tripawds now for 16 months (since Jills amputation) and I don't think I've come across one dog who was given buprenex for pain. I know it is perfectly safe, but I do think there might be better things out there (but I'm NOT a vet!!).
Many dog owners can chime in here on the tramadol - a lot of dogs are given tram.
But anyway.........I wanted to say best of luck for a easy, uneventful amputation tomorrow. Please do keep us posted!! I know you must be anxious, it was 16 months ago for me and I remember the night before well. I just kept telling myself I was getting rid of that nasty cancer and it was what was best for her.
xoxo,
Erica & Jilly the Kitty
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Good morning,
Great decision to bring Wooly home last night.
I'm just chiming in to give my support to you and Wooly as he joins the "wonderful world of tripawds" today.
Tucker, my ten year old chocolate lab, had his right front leg amputated seven months ago and he is doing great.
I will be thinking of you today and look forward to more posts about Wooly.
Many hugs
Linda and Tucker
Thinking about you this morning. I just wanted to chime in and say I agree with Liz. Its hard enough to have to make these decisions, you don't need the vets making it worse. If you have other vets in your area, I'd consider switching. Feel free to "interview" the vet too, its a relationship and the two of you need to be compatible.
{{Hugs}} Keep us updated today!
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
Wishing you the best today with Wooly, and his surgery. Hope all goes well.
Esther and her Snoop
Well....did you go through with it? Has Wooly been dropped off for his Big Pain of pain relief (well, long term, anyway)?
Keep us posted!
~ Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
I just spent the past 20 mins typing a post and must've leaned on a key or something because before I could post it, the page skipped and everything was gone. 
I'll just post the first part now and the other part later.
My Mom passed away 7 years ago. I have dreams about her, but never SEE her in them, unfortunately. So, when I went to bed last night, this morning, I decided that if I had a dream of my Mom with Wooly, I would know that I shouldn't have the surgery done, period. This did not happen. I did wake up with quite a pain in my shoulder, painful to lay on side and more so on back. The pain radiates into my upper back and neck. I have had problems with my shoulder for a few months but nothing like this. The dr thinks it's "impingement syndrome" which just means the tendon is getting pinched. Before the insurance will pay for an MRI, I'm supposed to have physical therapy, which I was supposed to start a few months ago...I've been a little preoccupied. Right now, it hurts to lift my arm and turn my head. I knew I would have trouble lifting my 60+ lb boy into the SUV. My neighbor is working and her husband works 3rd shift so had just gone to bed. I "chose" to take this as a sign that maybe I needed this time with Wooly, before the surgery. He had been hospitalized for 10 days so I had to go with short visits and whatever the vets were telling me. With him home, in his own environment, I can observe him, mentally and physically. I called the vet's office to cancel, told the office mgr the story and said that Dr W would prob be mad at me but I didn't care. After getting off the phone, I turned around and walked towards Wooly. He was upright, wagging his tail with more gust than yesterday. I guess he needed the extra time too. 
Thinking about it, next week is prob better because Dr W had said that Wooly would go home the day after the surgery but what if there were complications? With Sunday being Easter, I'm sure he would've still sent him home, or he would've been left in the clinic without observation. I just have to think this is for the best. It's supposed to be a nice weekend so Wooly and I, and the other kids, can enjoy our time together outside.
I'll post the other portion, about my vets, later. Thanks for the well wishes and support!
You have to follow your gut feeling in this tough situation, you're doing a good job of that. I hope you have a lovely weekend together, give Wooly a smooch from us.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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