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
Hi guys! My cat had to have his hind leg amputated today due to cancer, and we're having some trouble with post-op. The surgery went pretty well and we got home with no problems. He is 7 now, so it did take a while for the sedatives to wear off. As soon as they did, he started trying to get up and hop about. At first, I just tried to support him or make him lie back down, since it's just hours since the surgery, but then I thought he might be going for the litter box (note: he was fasting food and drink, and he still hasn't eaten anything since he got home). Since he seemed so determined to get to his litter box, I brought it closer and helped him get in. But then he just lied down (no pee nor poop) and stayed there. And he refuses to let me get him out! He seemed upset so I just allowed him to stay there (his wound is covered up so I don't think there's any problem with it getting infected, and the litter is pretty clean). Did anyone experience similar problems? Thanks!
Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm sorry you had to find us due to cancer, but this is a great place for information and support.
So, the surgery was today? Bringing home the day of surgery can be tough, but many here have done it.
First question- what meds is he on? Oh, and what is his name?
Animals are pretty loopy for the first day or two with the high power surgery meds in their system, not surprising he doesn't feel like moving or eating.
Have you seen our Three Legged Cat Forum? While you wait for input from our cat parents there is lots of cat specific info there.
I'm on my second rear amp Tripawd dog, both have gotten along fine. From what I've learned here cats do at least as well as dogs, maybe a bit better!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Hi and welcome. Your future posts won't need approval so post away.
What's your kitty's name? Sorry about the cancer diagnosis. Do you know what kind yet?
We often see pain medications do strange things to a cat or dog's behavior soon after surgery. What kind of pain medication did your cat get?
I hope he is out of the litter box by now but if not, I would do my best to bribe him out. Do you have any bonito flakes or super stinky foods that you can lure him out with?
Is he wearing a cone of shame ? If so, perhaps removing the cone momentarily to get him out will help. Just be ready for him to bolt away from you if you do it, so make sure he's in a safe space.
I'll be honest, I'm no kitty expert since we don't have one currently, but others here are so I'm hoping they will chime in soon with more ideas. Hang in there and keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you guys! Both replies are very reassuring. My cat's name is Rembrandt (not any specific breed, just your regular rescued cat).
I'm Brazilian, so I'm not really sure about medicine names... He's on two types of pain killers, a veterinary one and the other is over the counter medication, and much lighter. I do believe he's still mostly under effect of the sedatives from the surgery, since his pupils won't contract normally under light.
As for the cancer, it appeared as a tumor in his hind leg, and it grew frighteningly quickly - it became the size of his head in about a month. The decision to amputate was made based only on a minor exam, some ultrasound and x rays. We're still waiting for the results of the biopsy, but from the size and general characteristics of it, amputation was the only option they gave us, and we scheduled it as soon as we could.
I got him out of the litter box, though it still breaks my heart not to know what he wants. I'm keeping him warm (he was cold because of the sedatives) and keeping an out so that he doesn't do anything to hurt himself.
Thank you once again for such fast replies! Finding tripawds.com has been a blessing, and a true comfort during the most difficult moments.
Can only ditto Karen and Jerry. Yes, bringing him home the same day if surgery is hard to watch. As Karen said, it takes a couple of days to get the hospital meds/sedation out of his system.
Recovery is no picnic fot about two weeks. Some take a vit mpre rime, some a little less. Rembrandt just had MAJOR surgery AND is learning to walk in three legs.
WOW! The way that tumor grew so fast meant that leg clearly had to go! Once recovery is done, Rembrandt's sparkle will come back bigger and brighter than before!
Jist make sure he drinks and pees, that I most important. Maybe tru sone tuna water. Pooping may take a few days. Give him anything yummy at all to get his appetite back on track.
You arr soing a great job! Let us know how we can help, okay? We have some very knowledgeable kitty members around here!
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!
Big WOW that must have been sooo scary when that mean tumor showed up! You did the right thing for Rembrandt, I love that name.
Dilated pupils can also be a sign of pain, so monitor that closely. If they continue to be unaffected by light let your vet know, he may need additional medications.
I hope he's better by now. Keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello and Welcome to you and Rembrandt,
I love his name! We are sorry, you have to join us & dealing with cancer. I am just catching up on your story. Everyone has already given you great advice.
Can you look at the prescription bottle for the name of the med they sent you home with? What over the counter med is he on? We are all asking about meds so we can understand and assist you better. How are things going now?
Cats will lay in the litter box when they don’t feel good. It's a safe place that has their smell & they feel secure. He had major surgery not uncommon at all. Purrkins laid in the litter box in the hospital; it was the only safe place he had to go. Rembrandt may have had to go potty but got in there and surrendered. Ditto to what everyone has posted already the first day home is tough, and it will get better.
All cats like to come home and hide to recover that is instinct they are prey animals. We have to provide a safe, quiet spot for them. Purrkins chose a closet to recover in I rigged a little bed in there for him. You can use a box and line it with a towel, or blanket cats love boxes! He needs to feel secure somewhere.
I did have to help Purrkins in the litter box the first couple of days, and we realized he needed a lower entrance to get in on his own. Purrkins is a front leg amp. He was able to use the box fine after we made modifications to the litter box. He did tire easily. I would suggest helping Rembrandt in the box as you did just in case he has to go, but I would make sure the box is always clean and get him back out if he lays down. Have a spot he feels secure and safe in.
Wet food is best in recovery if he will eat it, you don’t have to worry so much on getting him to drink the moisture will come from the food. Cats are not great drinkers unless they are on a dry diet usually. As Sally has mentioned you can use Tuna water, he may lap that right up. We used smelly wet foods in recovery; tuna and salmon etc. that is what got past those pain meds and stimulated the senses for Purrkins to eat. Not all kitties are the same in recovery, but it worked for us. Ditto do not worry about no poop yet pain meds can constipate them. We would love to hear he has gone pee and eaten for you.
Hang in there we understand how tough recovery can be things will get better.
Update when you can.
Hugs,
Holly & Purrkins❤️
Purrkins said
Cats will lay in the litter box when they don’t feel good. It's a safe place that has their smell & they feel secure
This is great information to store in that brain of mine, thanks Holly!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'm sorry it took me a bit longer to reply this time! Had my hands full, babysitting 🙂
Thank you very much for all the great advice! It's kinda funny for me to find people who like his name, since most people just get really confused by it, haha
Rembrandt made a lot of progress since my last reply! Yesterday he woke up and went to the litter box, pretty much by himself, dug through the litter a few times and then laid down, but this time he did pee (while lying down). I got him out and returned him to his bed, and then he just slept through the rest of the day. Since he didn't eat (I offered him wet food but he wasn't interested), I gave him a few drops of water with a syringe, just wetting his mouth so he'd lick the moisture himself.
Today he woke up with much more disposition (he even went to the litter box again and peed, this time sitting instead of lying down), and he's moving on his own (he's mostly napping, but he finds a sun spot in the living room, and moves to another spot when it gets too warm or too cold for his tastes). He ate a bit of wet food, so at least his appetite is slowly going back to normal. The tuna water is a great idea, so I will try that later!
The meds he's taking are dipyrone (it's also called metamizole I think) and tramadol for pain, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid as antibiotic, and isoxicam as anti-inflammatory. He's pretty good at swallowing his pills (protests a bit, but not enough to make it really troublesome), so at least I don't have to rely on mixing the meds with food (which would be a huge problem since he isn't eating much).
I also didn't need to make any modifications to his litter box, since he's had no problems with small obstacles. He's also managed to get in and out of his bed, and though one of the sides is lower, he actually just jumps over whichever side he's facing...
Thank you all so much once again! I hope you and your pets have a great day 🙂
jerry said
Purrkins said
Cats will lay in the litter box when they don’t feel good. It's a safe place that has their smell & they feel secure
This is great information to store in that brain of mine, thanks Holly!
Truly helpful!
I'd heard of kittens getting in the litter box when they get to a new home, but since mine never showed any attachment to his own litter box (he's not particularly picky about neither box or litter type), I didn't know what to make of it!
I should always state not all cats are alike, just like humans but 3 of our cats have laid in the box, and each time something was medically wrong. Purrkins only choice in the hospital was the litter box. A safe nook to tuck into and kind of hide.
No apology needed we all understand and have been in your shoes.
GREAT update glad to hear things have turned around, YAY for pee! It is incredible what can happen in hours. Rembrandt is figuring out his new way of life.
You can always warm his wet food too that may help. Happy to hear he is eating anything. If you can get baby food the meat and gravy type only. Most cats love it and will lap it up; it is high in calories but not a balanced food but great in cases like these — Gerbers baby food such as Turkey and Gravy. Ham & Gravy, Chicken and gravy.
Fantastic you can syringe water & hope he will lap the tuna water for you. The meds can mess with appetite as long as he is eating a little it's not so concerning but keep enticing him. Front and back leg kitties have different challenges to relearn and rest assured they do figure it all out.
Thanks for the update! Rest when he is resting!
Hugs,
Holly & Purrkins❤️
WOW! What a great update! So many victories to celebrate!! I do believe Mr Rembrandt may be a little ahead of the curve in his recovery! Keep doing what you're!😎😎
Glad Holly, Purrlins' mom chimed in. She is like a walk encyclopedia when ot comes to everything kitty cat!
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 everybody!
We're doing ok. Rembrandt completely rejected his usual favorites (like his wet food and fruits) but I managed to feed him a reasonable amount of tuna. He also drank a bit of tuna water, and plain water - still through the syringe. He used to drink at the tap but that's not an option now, and he doesn't like drinking from the bowl. We have a cat drinking fountain but it's really noisy, we'll get a better one asap.
My main concern is that he didn't pee yesterday at all, and he mostly just slept all day. I'm thinking it's just lack of energy, since he hadn't eaten for so long, but it's still nagging at me a bit. Still, he didn't seem in to be uncomfortable or in pain. He's still grooming himself a bit and I managed to get his interest in playing with a string (though he didn't get up for that, he just played with his paws, for a little while).
He's had urinary problems before, so I'm planning on giving him as much water as I can today. It's weekend so contacting a vet is not that easy, but we'll find a way if necessary! I'm hoping it won't be the case 🙂
Thanks as always!
Weeeellll I could just as well delete my last message. After I carried him a bit closer to the litter box (not too close, just close enough for him to see it) not only did he go and pee, he also got out of the litter box by himself (as opposed to just lying there tired) and then he managed to eat a lot of his wet food. Soon after that he got scared by the sound of the vacuum cleaner (I wouldn't even be using that, but my mother is a compulsive cleaner) and climbed the sofa all the way up the backrest, and after a few minutes he got down (I got worried but he got down so fast there wasn't even any time for me to try and support him).
Apparently he figured out he still can climb stuff, because he also got on top of the stove (don't worry, there's a glass lid and there's no danger of him getting burned, he only climbs up when the lid is down) and also got down before I could stop him.
He almost gave me a heart attack (twice) but it doesn't seem like he bumped his stump either time, and though he rushed far too much for my tastes, he didn't hurt himself, so it's ok.
I'll make sure to keep tabletops and sink tops as dry as possible so he doesn't slip... I'm keeping an eye on him at all times but honestly he was much faster than me... such an irresponsible cat, geez, I feel like my lifespan is 5 years shorter
YAAAAAAAAAAAAY. FOR. REMBRANDT!!! SPECTACULAR UPDATE!!😁😁
I k ow uour spirits soared when you saw all these magnificent victories.......especially PEE!!! We do happy poop and pee dances around here!!!
Thanks for the update! Grinning ear to ear over here!!😁
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!
1 Guest(s)
