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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Jebediah, my 6 yo Saint was diagnosed with osteo and had his left hind leg removed 2 days ago. He has adapted incredibly well and is already doing his business without help from me {have only used the sling once yesterday}. Because he has been used to sleep in my bed, I slept downstairs last night and he only woke me up once with a little whining. They have him on gabapentin and plevicox in addition to the antibiotic. I was amazed that there is no dressing on the wound and he has had to learn the hard way not to lie down on the wound site.
Honestly, I think the worst thing for him is the damn cone of shame ! He hated it when I had him neutered and he hates it now. My tendency is to want to take it off to give him a rest but I was told to leave it on so he gets used to it. The techs at the hospital told me that he would do much better with all this than me and I am finding that out to be true.
Thanks to al of you who have shared your stories. They have been most reassuring that my pup can have some good quality life even with this nasty disease. I have no questions now but may be posting some as I go along.
Hi Terry and Jedediah, welcome. I'm sorry you had to join our club but you are in good company. And it's GREAT to know that your boy is doing so well so soon after surgery!
We agree that the cone of shame sucks, but it's for the best. We've seen too many dogs and cats destroy sutures in a heartbeat, almost in front of their human's watchful eyes. Don't risk it. If you think he can benefit from an alternative model, our cone of shame link will lead you to some options.
If you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to ask OK? It's always great knowing how a member is doing after surgery so don't be shy. And for some inspawration you may need, check out Thurston's blog. He's a fellow Saint who is doing terrific on three! I know he and his momma would love to hear from you:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi terry and welcome. What a big beautiful boy!
It sounds like jedediah is doing well with his recovery. Dogs truly take it so much better than us silly humans do!
Keep us posted if you have a sec or have questions. We're here to route you both on. Give that handsome fella a belly rub for us.
❤ Bev, Moe cat, autumn angel Roane & angel dog Gypsy
Hugs ❤ Bev, nurse Moe cat, Autumn's Angel Roane & Angel dog Gypsy 🐾
My sweet soulmate Roane was diagnosed with osteo in June of 2019. Had a rear leg amp on July 2nd & crossed the rainbow bridge to be with her sister Gypsy on the first day of Autumn Sept 23 2019.
Jebediah! Love your name and love your avatar! Can't wait to see more pictures!
Mobile and already potting kn jis own??? WOW! He's ahead of the curve already. Jebediah may have a bit of a crash in a two or so as all the hospital meds get out of his system. Sometimes the pain meds need some tweaking at this point. It sounds like, for now anyway, his pain is being handled.
Ueah, many of us can relate to the "mattress on the floor" scenario. I know that, for me, I MUST always be able to sleep with my dogs....even if it's on the floor!
Let us know how recov6 is going and if we can answer any questions. For now, slow and easy. Short leashed potty breaks and then back in for rest and more rest.
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!
Hi Sally . Thks for the post and heads=up around pain...I can handle a lot but when my boy yelps in pain I almost lose it. So far the meds seem to be on top of it, but I'll look for signs of change.
Spent the 2nd nite on the floor and am appreciating that bed more and more each day....can't wait till Jebbie can go upstairs and we can both get a good night sleep!!
Ths again for your support
Can't take my eyes on that avatar pic... can't wait for more! Here's a link for adding images .
I saw you hopped over to Thurston's blog, a great inspawration😎
Rear leggers usually have a harder time going UP stairs ( more effort to push off in one leg), but less trouble going down. Some dogs, especially larger ones, need harness help for a little extra lift going up. After he recovers from the surgery, gets his stitches out, a consult with a Certified Rehabilitation Specialist can be invaluable in helping to build strength the RIGHT way. The Tripawds Foundation will even pay for the first visit.
So glad to here the recovery is going smoothly. Yeah, you probably will be short on sleep for awhile, but eating CHOCOLATE will help the time pass😎😎😉
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!
With a big guy like that, he'll probably be able to tackle two stairs at a time when going up. But yeah, a harness like the Ruffwear Webmaster will help you assist him going up and down.
Oh I wanted to add that if he's already trying to lay on his amp side, that's a good thing! Most dogs shy away from that for a few weeks.
Our Jerry was sent home without a bandage also. Some vets bandage, some do not, it's a matter of their preference. In my non-vet opinion, I think not having one is good because it allows you to see how the incision is healing (as scary as it looks). The downside is that a seroma may form, since compression bandages can minimize that risk. Be on the lookout for a pocket of fluid bouncing around the incision area. It's harmless, but you do want to let your vet know in case it needs to be drained.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hey Sally..no sooner did I read your post about pain and tweaking meds that Jebbie started to yelp when he was getting up from a recline position. It is getting worse (yelping lasting longer) as the day wears on. Have a call into the surgeon but wish there was something I could do..worst feeling in the world in feeling helpless when your pooch is hurting...thanks Terry
Thanks. Jebbie starts on that side then switches quickly to the "good" side . Yeah I think he will do ok on the stairs when the time comes.
Yep, this is about the time tweaking the meds with your Vet happens. Sometimes it helps to stagger the Gaba and Tramadol about an hour apart or so. Sometimes it's about make g rhe disea od meds mpre frequent. Depen6 o dose a counts, etc ig xan vwry fron every six hours, or every eight hours, or every twelve...whatever your Vet suggests.
Hard to watch the. In pain, but you'll get this figured out. Hang I there!!
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!
Awww poor guy. Did you get in touch with the vet? I hope things are better now!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
yeah got in touch with surgeon yesterday...he upped the gab and added tramadol. He still cries when he gets up from recline position and my heart breaks every time. By far the hardest part of this for me. He is still doing all the right stuff and the biggest challenge other than listening to his painful moments, is keeping him as calm as possible..he was a very active dog before surgery.
Just want to thank you for this site and for admin'ing it all these years..I imagine its a lot of work but you do a lot of good. T
Oh that's good! Gabapentin and Tramadol can work synergistically in most dogs. Hopefully he has some relief by now? What is the dosage he's getting? Our Wyatt Ray went up from 300mg to 400 mg 3x daily for maintenance, and he is a 78lb dog.
As for keeping Jebbie calm, this is a great time to try some interactive doggie games! See:
https://gear.tr.....ive-games/
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
He is on 300 mg gab 3x a day and 150 mg tramadol also 3x a day. He seems comfortable when he is at rest or standing but the action of getting up must trigger the pain in his wound. I just wasn't prepared for it. They gave me a sling at discharge but he hasn't seemed to need it (he didn't yelp the first 2 days!) but now I am going to try and assist his standing up ...if this is common in large breeds I wish someone would have prepared me..I guess I was expecting to meds wo abate the pain to manageable levels..
It sou ds loke rhe dose and frequency is certainly adequate. It's really hard to reme thst rhis is MAJOR surgery aqnd uou Jebbie is only five days out. Humans stay in the hospital probably for weeks.
Throwing out a couple of things since this seems to be happ only when trying to get up.
It could be that a stitch is pulling, or poking.
It could also be a strained muscle, which certainly can happen soooo easily while dogs are adjusting to three., especially larger sogs. The slightest tweak can play havoc. Massage up and down Jebbie's spine, all over his back, his shoulder, his neck. Do you see ANY signs of tension or tightness anywhere while doing this?
Another thing you might try is lots of gentle massage BEFORE getting him to stand, and then AFTER each time he gets up tompost snd lays back down. Putting a warm towel out of the drawer over him while massaging him and gently massaging around rhe incision (of course not on it).
Stay connected and let us know how it's going. You're in the roughest part right now. And, overall, it does sound like Jebbie is down very well this early on.
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!
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