Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My cross breed dog Rubbi has recently had her front leg amputated as a tumour was found in her shoulder, a biopsy is currently being carried out. She has been home for a week and just wants to sleep, she is doing well but she seems to have lost her spark. I am hoping this will come back in time. the advice I have been given so far is raised water/food bowls, non-slip bed, harness for walks, any other advice would greatly be received.
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welcome rubbi and andrea. the first two weeks can be tough - often called 'hell weeks'. the pain meds can make our pups loopy and/or sleepy. hopefully, as you wean rubbi off of the drugs, you'll see your 'old pup' return. paws crossed that you get good info from the biopsy and have a solid plan for going forward.
sounds like you've been pretty pro-active with the preparations, hopefully you will see improvement in rubbi's 'spark' soon. we'd love to see some pictures of rubbi!!
charon & spirit gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
Welcome Andrea and Rubbi! A week is a short time for such a major operation but she is home and recovering
It usually takes 2-3 weeks before you start to see the spark again. Can't wait to see pics!
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
Welcome to you and Rubbi, sorry you had to find us here. As the others said, one week in is still pretty early. We definitely saw our girl's spark pretty much fizzle out while she was recovering. She seemed so depressed and aloof (not at all normal!) and didn't want much to do with us. The only time she seemed to cheer up was if a visitor came by. Once Rubbi is off the pain meds and has her stitches/staples out, you should start to see that ol' spark come back!
Keep us posted, hope the rest of her recovery is uneventful!
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Hi Rubbi and family. A week is still very early in recovery so please try not to worry at this point. Also, don't panic if Rubbi takes a littler longer to recover than the two weeks that many people talk about. I think the older pups sometimes take a little longer. Zeus had just turned 11 at the time of his amp. We did not see him really start to return to normal for about a month. He strained his back one week after amp and had to stay on the pain meds longer than normal, so that may have played a part. The only other suggestion I would have for you is that, if he has longer fur between his toes, you should keep it trimmed so that he can get better traction when he hops his front foot forward. Good luck!
Lisa
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
Hi Andrea and Rubbi,
You bet she'll get her spark back. Sleeping a lot at this point is good, it means she's getting her rest and not overdoing things. Try not to worry, she's on her way to recovery and will get her old spark back soon. My best advice to you at this point is to be a strong pack leader and make sure you're not babying her too much. You should also check our "Required Reading List' for more ideas about what to expect and how to cope.
I hope you dont mind but I moved your post here to "Size and Age Matters" since she's a senior dog. You'll find lots of great recovery stories here about older pups, I hope they help.
What kind of tumor did she have?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome Rubbi and mom!
Trust us.....just like everyone said already...this is normal to some. Major surgery and meds is a lot our pups. You'll have your baby back soon!
Keep us posted on what you find out.
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Andrea, I can reiterate that pain meds have a huge impact on our pups' behavior, they are needed, but it is such a relief when you start to wean off of them and your baby's personality returns. Good luck with the recovery. It seems slow going now, but when you look back in a few months it will be just a blip.
Welcome to the site. Please know we are are here for support.
Beth, Spirit Smilin' Sammy and MB Wiggly Wrigley
Smilin' Sammy, March 16, 2004 – Dec. 5, 2011
Golden retriever, diagnosed with osteosarcoma in September 2010 — right front leg amputated November 2010. He fought valiantly to stay with us; but a second diagnosis of osteosarcoma, this time in his left front leg, was more than our golden warrior could overcome. He loved his pack — and everyone else he met.
We loved him even more.
Thanks for the pennies, Sammy. They helped.
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