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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Thinking of you ❤️
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Angel Eurydice is standing right next to Belle 💕🐮💕
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
We are all with you and with Belle. I hope you have an update soon. 
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
Almost 3 hours later than when we were supposed to hear back from the surgery we got good news!!
The surgery took over 2 hours but they doctor believes they could remove everything with 4 to 5 cm of margin. We will wait for the biopsy to confirm but their examination did not show any metastasis and the doctor believes she will continue with her life. Belle is now resting with pain killers, we cannot wait to visit her tomorrow and hopefully she'll be home by the weekend.
Thanks for all your support, now we need to focus on the healing and re-learning life on 3 paws.
Those beautiful brave angels did not leave her side; i am so thankful. 🙏🧡💚💛
I am so RELIEVED for you her surgery is complete. And I am glad the surgeon is feeling positive! Wonderful!!!!
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
YAAAAAAAAAY FOR BELLE!!!!! 😁😁
GREAT NEWS ABOUT THE MARGINS TOO!!!😁
Oh yeah, those Angels at the Bridge are proud of Belle!!💟
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!
Phew ...
Surgery is done and it was successful 😃
Thrilled to hear these wonderful news ☺️
Onto recovery and a deliriously happy pain free life 👍🏽
We are here to guide you through recovery if you need us!
Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Thanks for all your kind words and being with us, it means a lot! Last night we were told that Belle ate and was able to walk with help. I am anxious to hear about how she spent the night.
I won't lie that we are scared about seeing her and the healing, re-learning life in 3 paws process but we will be with her. My hubby and I already made work arrangements to work from home for the following 2 weeks. I cannot wait to have her back!
Any reading recommended with tips on how to help her post-surgery?
💚 Sending hugs and cuddles back 🧡
Eating and standing? WOW! SPECTACULAR NEWS!😁😁
When you do go to pick her up, greet her with an upbeat and confident energy and happy smiles! Don't even bother to look at her incision or draw any attention to it. She just wants to hear what a good girl she is and she's going home! When yoi do sneak a peek, just know that tjey get really clipper happy when it comes to shaving fur.
She may ve whiny and restless and fairly lethargic. Actually, lethargic is good. She needs complete rest. Jist short potty breaks and more resr. Usually dogs come home with Tramadol, Gabapentin, Rimadyl and an antibiotic. It can take some tweaking to get the doses and timing well balanced.
Drinking and peeing are important. It may be several days before she poops due to meds. Appetite may be off a bit too. Give her any yummy food she'll eat.
Nonslip scatter rugs are essential of you have hardwoods for traction . Cheap yoga mats work also.
STAY CONNECTED! We're here for you every step of the way! Ask any questions anytime as they pop up.
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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I wanted to share the pic we just got from the hospital, she looked quite happy -I must say. I am having trouble with the website... any tips?
They said she stands with help and then gets tired but she likes to be outdoors with her roommate: a puppy that also had to undergo amputation. Not coincidence that her roommate's name is Benji (My hubby's canine brother's name was Benji, and he is one of the angels that we keep in our prayers to look after Belle)
They will try to remove the intravenous pain killer to see how she is …
She's on the mend!!!!
Thanks for the tips: I've found my yoga mat hidden in the cupboard and we have already some random rugs spread around from when she was limping because she was sliding a lot. I've washed all her stuff, I will cook all her favs -although surgeon recommended she lose some weight to help her other 3 legs support the weight...
WOOHOO! That is fantastic news! What a great way to begin the weekend. We hope she can come home soon. And I agree, it's no coincidence that her roomie is Benji, that's certainly a great sign that the angels are looking after her.
Regarding photos; this post about adding images to the Forums explains how to do so. Basically you need to get the photo off your computer's hard drive and onto a photo sharing site like Imgur.com, or Facebook, etc., Once you do that, copy/paste the Image URL, return to your forum post and paste the URL. The photo should automatically appear. If it's easier for you, you can also start a Tripawds Blog and upload your photos there. By becoming a Tripawds Supporter you will get tons more storage space than you would with a free blog.
As for post-op tips, check out this article:
What to Expect When You Pick Up Your Tripawd from the Clinic
And yes, weight loss is critical for a three-legged animal. Follow our Nutrition blog 's Tripawd weight loss tips for ideas!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Oh, Belle is BEAUTIFUL!!! I'm just catching up with your story, so happy things went so well!!
Fallon 8/28/06--9/6/18. My Heart.
Fallon's left front leg was amputated due to osteosarcoma on 10/11/17.
Nothing But Love in Her Heart - dawn3g.tripawds.com
Belle, sweet girl 🎀 look at your beautiful, happy face in the picture, you are such a stunner 💓
So glad to hear her progress, I have a feeling she is going to have a very easy recovery and what, with Benji and our other Angels around, it can only go smoothly 😉🌟🌟🌟🌟
You’ve got great suggestions, I would only add it would be better for Belle to wear a t-shirt to protect the incision until stitch removal.
In Angel Eurydice’s case, she wore a soft harness on top until stitches were out but Belle probably doesn’t need to wear the harness at all times, my baby did because she was huge and without the harness I would not have been able to help her stand up and hop for pee/poop.
So excited with Belle’s progress !
Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
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