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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Day 3 update (evening):
Beija is eating more. Not back to normal schedule yet, but getting closer. About the same amount of movement as yesterday, if not a little less. Maybe close to 40 steps today total.
Thank you all for your support and encouragement! It makes it all that much easier. And good luck to you on your own journeys! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your babies. ❤
Okay....another VICTORY!!! Beija is eating more! YAY!!! I know we don't like to do comparisons around here because every recovery is different, every dog is different. Shhhh........don't tell anybody, but some dogs aren't mobile at all on day three, much less eating anything...shhhh.........and some aren't as "mature" as Beija!!!.
Sloooooowly but surely she's moving through recovery.
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!
Day 4. Evening:
Beija went outside to potty for the first time this morning (against her will). She had previously been going on the patio, or pee pads before making it to the patio.
Since then she has been sleeping ALL day. She has a bedding area in the corner of my bedroom next to my bed. During her recovery, I was keeping her confined to the livingroom that has a door to the patio. Today I gave her more leeway and, after her micro walk, she went to her normal spot next to my bed for the first time since surgery. She has been there all day. Doesn't respond to calls for "potty", "dinner", or "treats." She seems depressed. I brought her some food and she ate it. Then right back to sleep. 😕
Good job Beija! That was a ton of work, no wonder you’re so exhausted!
It’s a fine line between depression and just a plain ordinary recovery. It’s still so early, believe it or not that was huge pawgress. It’s not easy to do the tough love thing but she responded and that is awesome!
See how she is doing in the morning. If she continues with the lethargy she probably just needs her meds adjusted. Let us know how tomorrow goes!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
It is good that she did a normal routine by going to her regular resting spot in uour bedroom😀. And even if it was "against her will", she peed off the patio.....that's good too!!.😀
Because of her kidney issues, I know you are monitoring the pain meds carefully. Sometimes lethargy can be from too much Gaba, and sometimes it can be a sign of pain from not enough! So hard to tell! All of the hospital meds are out of her system now and she may be hurting more than she's showing. She's not on that much Gaba right now, but it can have a sedating effect in some dogs.
Of course tomorrow is Sunday and the Vet is closed. Check with them first thing Monday and see if you can get her in for fluids, or else pick up a fluid bag and do some SubQ at home. That may be something she needs to, perk her up. It is not uncommon at all to use fluids durng recovery.
We know rhis is such a roller coaster ride right now. A victory here and there, then a step back, then a step forward. Nope, not a ,fun time at all! It's so hard being patient.
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!
This journey can be a roller coaster of emotions for sure, it still is for me 2 months post op but looking at the big picture helps me. When you look back each day from that first day home you see how much progress they really are making. My dog did lots of resting those first 2 weeks which is good and it did take me a little time to get the meds just right.
Day 5 evening:
I had dropped her meds frequency and think that's where the majority of the lethargy came from. I increased them a little and she seems to be doing better. She still sleeps a lot (she is 14 yrs old so it's understandable) but she just came out into the living room to let me know she needed to go out. That is huge, since i've been the one to initiate potty-time post op.
She is just so slow. I hope her muscles, joints, and bones, will be able to adjust and handle a higher pace. I pick her up and carry her when i notice she is getting fatigued.
I had a sad though that i've seen the last of the face she makes when she pins her ears back and runs or prances around. I feel like her happiness is gone and it breaks my heart. I hope she gets it back. I know it's early. 🙏
Does anyone know of a sort of steroid or growth hormone she can be given to increase her physical performance?
Adendum to last update:
Soon after that last update, Beija came and cuddled with me for a couple hours and kept nuzzling her muzzle under my chin like she used to do when I would stop petting her. Just when I needed it, she showed me a sign that she was still in there. We had a nice nap together on the couch while watching the end of football. Biggest victory yet.
I'm still intesrested in any suggestions for strength and conditioning through supplements. PT will be starting when I think she is ready.
YES!!!!!! Such great news!!! ANOTHER HIGE VICTORY!! MADE MY DAY!!!!
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!
You'll continue to see Beija's sparkle come back bit by bit!! These moments like this are so wonderdul!!! 😎
Each one of us have been through the "What have I done TO my dog?" phase. And it's moments like you are starting to see with Bella that make is slowly realize, "We are doing this FOR our dogs!"
Giving her a little bump in her pain med seems to be helping her feel like herself ...again...slowly but surely! I know it took my Happy Hannah almost three weeks before she really turned the corner on a more consistent basis. And Beija is showing her sparkle on day five already!! YAY!!!
Thank you so much for posting. It's very helpful for newbies to recognize the signs of improvement that are soooo special!
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!
Sounds like she is doing great. I think that spark and energy will come back as she continues to heal. My 80lb lab is just over a week past surgery for removing his front leg. He's is 10 and has a bad hind leg too so I've been really worried about how he'd handle it. He's figured out that it's easier to run than walk and is pretty happy to go. He was also counter surfing the other day! So I think your baby will get back to her normal play/behavior as she continues to heal. Belvidere and I send hugs!
These first 2-3 weeks are the hardest for all of us. Like Sally said, we all thought, omd, what did I do??? But then that spark starts coming back, a little at a time, and all of a sudden they're back again! 
It's still so early in recovery yet, so give her time. And since she can't take the whole spectrum of medications, her pain isn't quite as controlled as it could be. Sleep is good.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
beijasdad said
I'm still intesrested in any suggestions for strength and conditioning through supplements. PT will be starting when I think she is ready.
Have you had a chance to check out the Tripawds e-books library? We have lots of tips in the book, in the Tripawds Nutrition blog and in the Tripawds Gear blog . Scroll through and search for 'exercise' and 'diet'.
Also, I would highly recommend making an appointment with a rehab therapist asap. Some have long waiting lists, and it's my understanding that PTs like to see new Tripawds (especially ones with extra challenges) as soon as two weeks after amputation.
Don't forget, the Tripawds Foundation may pay for your first rehab visit ! If you'd like help finding a qualified practitioner let us know.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)
