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
Hi there,
My 23 lb dog, Dave, had his front leg amputated 5 days ago. He spent 2 nights at the vet and when I went to go see him, was pretty active, trying to walk around. When I picked him up on the 3rd day, the vet walked him into the room on a leash-- he was that mobile. He was like that the first 2 days home as well-- I would have to pick him up to keep him from walking so much. He was acting like he wanted to trot when on his elimination walks Starting last night, and this morning (days 2 and 3 of being home), he has been very lethargic. When I take him outside, he does not move, he just stands there. Inside, he wants to hide under a chair or table (which he has never done in the month I've had him). Anyone have a similar experience? I have a call into the vet to ask, but if anyone has thoughts, love to hear them. Wondering if hte heavy drugs from vet have finally worn off and he is now really in recovery mode... The incision itself looks great. Thanks!!
Offline
Hi Dave & Family, welcome. Please consider registering so your future posts won't need approval.
My first question: Why did you lose your leg Dave?
Rest assured, that kind of post-op recovery crash is not unusual, it happens many, many times and usually it's a matter of
- too much activity
- not enough pain medication
- too much medication
What kind of meds is he on? And what is his activity level like? When do the symptoms occur? Hiding can indicate pain.
Keep in mind he shouldn't be doing anything but going on leashed potty walks and that's it, at least until his stitches are out. No matter how good you think he feels, his new body needs to adjust to his new gait and that is really, really tiring. He needs time to build up the stamina to do anything other than go outside to eliminate. Take careful note of his symptoms so that you and your vet can work on the right balance of pain meds during this recovery phase.
Also, if he's at all overweight, that will make mobility more difficult and painful.
Many of us expect too much too soon when our pets return home. It's hard not to, they seem so invincible! Truth is that they do much better than we would after an amputation, but they're more tired than we think. Remember that animals do a fantastic job of hiding their pain.
So, take it easy, and let us know what the vet says OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
HI! Looks as if we are in the same boat! Our pup Tank is 8 days post op. He was great the first day home. The third day he was terribly lethargic had trouble getting around could only go about 5 feet and then had to lie down and wouldn't eat. We realized that the sedative we gave him was too strong and knocked him out for a good 36 hours. My point is that if you are giving him all the drugs they sent home with you like I did, he may be getting too much of the sedative. I am sure your vet will be able to help! I can tell you the quieter he is the better it is for the incision. After day 4 Tank seemed to be doing good he was moving around well and I thought he was being quiet enough but I was wrong. Day 7 he started having a lot of oozing from the incision and the staples have started to pull apart. Had him at the vet today and he needs to be quitter too much activity! Seems like we just can't get it right!
Hopefully your guy is just chillin' and healing and in a few days will be more himself! I hope our vet helps you out and good luck with the recovery!
Sue and Tank!
You've just had Dave one month? Can't wait to hear his story!
Yes, you are right about the hospital meds wearing off and he coukd indeed be feeling the pain a lot more. This is MAJOR surgery and it hurts! Every dog is different, every recovery is different. Some dogs just lay around and are very lethargic. Some dogs you have to restrain!
How much does he weigh? Usually vets send you home with Tramadol, Gabapentin, Rimadyl, and an antibiotic. Getting them consistent and balanced can be tricky. But it does sound like he is feeling the pain.
Really looking forward to getting to know Dave! We are all here for you! Recovery is no picnic for two to three weeks (more or less), but once the sparkle comes back, get ready for a pawty!! It took about three weeks for my Happy Hannah to start showing sparkle consistently and it was glorious!!
Update us when you can!
Hugs to Dave! Hugs tonyiu! You're clearly taking great care of your pup!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
jerry said
Hi Dave & Family, welcome. Please consider registering so your future posts won't need approval.My first question: Why did you lose your leg Dave?
Rest assured, that kind of post-op recovery crash is not unusual, it happens many, many times and usually it's a matter of
- too much activity
- not enough pain medication
- too much medication
What kind of meds is he on? And what is his activity level like? When do the symptoms occur? Hiding can indicate pain.
Keep in mind he shouldn't be doing anything but going on leashed potty walks and that's it, at least until his stitches are out. No matter how good you think he feels, his new body needs to adjust to his new gait and that is really, really tiring. He needs time to build up the stamina to do anything other than go outside to eliminate. Take careful note of his symptoms so that you and your vet can work on the right balance of pain meds during this recovery phase.
Also, if he's at all overweight, that will make mobility more difficult and painful.
Many of us expect too much too soon when our pets return home. It's hard not to, they seem so invincible! Truth is that they do much better than we would after an amputation, but they're more tired than we think. Remember that animals do a fantastic job of hiding their pain.
So, take it easy, and let us know what the vet says OK?
Thanks very much, that's a relief. He ate breakfast great, but had been coming over to the bowl and I had to bring it to him. He lost his leg due to a broken elbow that was unfixable -- had healed without treatment in the shelter, then good samaritan tried to help by getting him surgery, but apparently it was done incorrectly by a non-board certified surgeon. I adopted him and my surgeon said another attempt to fix would result in 2% success rate, he's have early arthritis, and amputation better alternative for him.
He is on gabapentin every 8 hrs and tramadil every 8 hrs. starting Friday night (today is Monday). His activity has been: going out to the bathroom, though would let him walk around the patch of grass; walking room to room in small apartment at times; walking to and from food/water bowls. The symptoms started last night and continued into this am.
I have an appt with the vet this afternoon, will see what they say... I did wonder if he has worn out his good front leg in the last 2 days because last night I could see him looking at this crate, stood up and stared at it, and seemed to be considering if worth the walk. I had read should let them do that much walking around (such as to food bowl, to bed, etc), that trying to keep his routine a little bit "normal" would help his recovery... is that not the case? Maybe I should be using a sling-- vet had said didn't need but maybe that would help. Thanks!
jerry said
Hi Dave & Family, welcome. Please consider registering so your future posts won't need approval.My first question: Why did you lose your leg Dave?
Rest assured, that kind of post-op recovery crash is not unusual, it happens many, many times and usually it's a matter of
- too much activity
- not enough pain medication
- too much medication
What kind of meds is he on? And what is his activity level like? When do the symptoms occur? Hiding can indicate pain.
Keep in mind he shouldn't be doing anything but going on leashed potty walks and that's it, at least until his stitches are out. No matter how good you think he feels, his new body needs to adjust to his new gait and that is really, really tiring. He needs time to build up the stamina to do anything other than go outside to eliminate. Take careful note of his symptoms so that you and your vet can work on the right balance of pain meds during this recovery phase.
Also, if he's at all overweight, that will make mobility more difficult and painful.
Many of us expect too much too soon when our pets return home. It's hard not to, they seem so invincible! Truth is that they do much better than we would after an amputation, but they're more tired than we think. Remember that animals do a fantastic job of hiding their pain.
So, take it easy, and let us know what the vet says OK?
Also-- I think you are one of the moderators of the website? If so, I did buy and check the book about life on 3 legs first. I didn't see mention of post-op recovery crash-- if you do another
tank7 said
HI! Looks as if we are in the same boat! Our pup Tank is 8 days post op. He was great the first day home. The third day he was terribly lethargic had trouble getting around could only go about 5 feet and then had to lie down and wouldn't eat. We realized that the sedative we gave him was too strong and knocked him out for a good 36 hours. My point is that if you are giving him all the drugs they sent home with you like I did, he may be getting too much of the sedative. I am sure your vet will be able to help! I can tell you the quieter he is the better it is for the incision. After day 4 Tank seemed to be doing good he was moving around well and I thought he was being quiet enough but I was wrong. Day 7 he started having a lot of oozing from the incision and the staples have started to pull apart. Had him at the vet today and he needs to be quitter too much activity! Seems like we just can't get it right!Hopefully your guy is just chillin' and healing and in a few days will be more himself! I hope our vet helps you out and good luck with the recovery!
Sue and Tank!
Wow, that is good to know, thanks! Esp that even Day 7 can still be risk. I of course planned to follow the instructions of no activity for 2 weeks, but my med instructions were only for 5 days and I wondered if truly healed enough at that point... Another question I'll ask today at vet. Thanks so much, best of luck with Tank!
benny55 said
You've just had Dave one month? Can't wait to hear his story!Yes, you are right about the hospital meds wearing off and he coukd indeed be feeling the pain a lot more. This is MAJOR surgery and it hurts! Every dog is different, every recovery is different. Some dogs just lay around and are very lethargic. Some dogs you have to restrain!
How much does he weigh? Usually vets send you home with Tramadol, Gabapentin, Rimadyl, and an antibiotic. Getting them consistent and balanced can be tricky. But it does sound like he is feeling the pain.
Really looking forward to getting to know Dave! We are all here for you! Recovery is no picnic for two to three weeks (more or less), but once the sparkle comes back, get ready for a pawty!! It took about three weeks for my Happy Hannah to start showing sparkle consistently and it was glorious!!
Update us when you can!
Hugs to Dave! Hugs tonyiu! You're clearly taking great care of your pup!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Thanks very much, appreciate it so much! It's scary when they can't talk, and the sudden change in his behavior was very worrisome. Hearing from all of you is a relief. He weighs 23lbs. They only sent me home with Tramadol and Gabapentin. He has kidney issues that made them not want to use and NSAID. And glad to hear it could be as long as 3 weeks before he has a "sparkle" back. He seemed to the first 2 days-- seemed very happy and normal. What he's doing now is probably more on par with recovery...
AMD said
Hearing from all of you is a relief...
Thanks for the comments and best wishes for Dave!
Please consider registering to take full advantage of this site, and your forum posts will not require moderation.
I think you are one of the moderators of the website? If so, I did buy and check the book about life on 3 legs first. I didn't see mention of post-op recovery crash
Our records indicate you purchased Loving Life On Three Legs , which focuses on rehab and exercise. The first e-book, Three Legs And A Spare has more information about amputation recovery and immediate care.
And yes, "Jerry" is Rene, co-founder of Tripawds.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi, just to chime in here. Bailey most definitely had ups and downs in the first two weeks out of surgery after also seeming totally fine immedietly after. It is hard to balance the drugs and pain. She is over a month out and doing very well. Once she got off the meds her behavoir was quickly normalized. She still gets tired and sometimes has pain (mostly from too much activity), but is enjoying life. It is hard to see them like this, we know, but stay pawsative, and hopefully things normalize a bit soon.
Hi all! Just got back from the vet. My surgeon wasn't there today, so Dave saw a different one. Upon physical exam, she speculates he had/has a fractured pelvis -- he was in a shelter with broken elbow; everyone's guess is he was hit by a car-- and that while he had been getting around well, now the added strain is causing him some pain. She said at this point, it has been so long they would not want to do anything to possibly repair the fracture, said it's not even worth xrays to confirm, but rest is extremely important for him. I had planned on starting PT when his stitches come out, and hoping that will help him with this new issue too. They doubled his pain meds for the next 5 days so hoping that helps him feel better and for things to heal.
Thanks everyone for your input and advice! Very good to know they have ups and downs for a while so I don't freak out every time. 🙂
FYI: Once you register, your forum posts will appear immediately.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Aww..poor Dave! He just can't catch a break 
Murphy had a lot of ups & downs the first couple of weeks...a lot of times we really questioned whether what we did was the right thing to do or not (he had his removed due to cancer). But luckily things got better! The medications make them not quite themselves, so it's hard to tell. The symptoms of not enough medication and too much medication are pretty similar, so it's hard to tell sometimes.
You can try ice packs a couple times a day to his incision, too, to help with pain. And massaging around the area to help re-absorb any extra fluid that might be building up.
It sounds like you're doing all the right things already though and he's off to a great start with his family 
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
benny55 said
You've just had Dave one month? Can't wait to hear his story!Yes, you are right about the hospital meds wearing off and he coukd indeed be feeling the pain a lot more. This is MAJOR surgery and it hurts! Every dog is different, every recovery is different. Some dogs just lay around and are very lethargic. Some dogs you have to restrain!
How much does he weigh? Usually vets send you home with Tramadol, Gabapentin, Rimadyl, and an antibiotic. Getting them consistent and balanced can be tricky. But it does sound like he is feeling the pain.
Really looking forward to getting to know Dave! We are all here for you! Recovery is no picnic for two to three weeks (more or less), but once the sparkle comes back, get ready for a pawty!! It took about three weeks for my Happy Hannah to start showing sparkle consistently and it was glorious!!
Update us when you can!
Hugs to Dave! Hugs tonyiu! You're clearly taking great care of your pup!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Hi there. Man, this is tough! With the increased meds, he still wants to be hidden behind his crate/under a chair, and he sleeps so hard I could not even wake him to go out. I just don't know the right thing to do! I guess I'll stay on the new med schedule for a few days so he gets good rest. Hope I didn't open a pandora's box of injuries by doing the amputation...
You had asked about his story-- he is a sweet happy boy. He was in a shelter with broken elbow, set for euthanization. A random nice guy took him from the shelter and to a local vet. That vet not only performed surgery on the elbow when he wasn't board-certified, but kept Dave in a cage for 8 weeks for "recovery." The person who saved him then called a rescue group, Forever Fido, to see if they could get him adopted. They took over his care, put him with a wonderful foster family, and started PT with a great place here in LA called Two Hands, Four Paws. The fosters continued his exercises at home. I discovered him online, and fell in love. 🙂 Even with all he had been through, he wagged his tail all the time, was silly and sweet. At this point, the PT people said it had been a month and they did not think PT had helped, so something else might be wrong. The adoption group let me go with Dave to some of his Dr. appts since I planned to adopt him. Three surgeons told us the original surgery had been done wrong-- elbow surgery needs at least a screw and a pin for stability, and the dr had not put a pin in. So the bones were just grinding, and the screw coming undone. Even with all that going on, he was still a happy little guy-- it's amazing! They said another attempt to fix would have very small chance of working, he would likely still be in discomfort, and have to be on Rimadyl his whole life (they think he is abt 3), so amputation would be best for him. This was late June, I had already applied to adopt him. The adoption group wanted his leg resolved before letting him go, but the fosters and I felt it was better for me to have him during his recovery. So he came to me on July 4th, had his surgery on July 15th. Poor guy has been through so much change, I hope he can finally turn a corner to a happy, healthy, pain-free life.
midnighter94 said
Aww..poor Dave! He just can't catch a breakMurphy had a lot of ups & downs the first couple of weeks...a lot of times we really questioned whether what we did was the right thing to do or not (he had his removed due to cancer). But luckily things got better! The medications make them not quite themselves, so it's hard to tell. The symptoms of not enough medication and too much medication are pretty similar, so it's hard to tell sometimes.
You can try ice packs a couple times a day to his incision, too, to help with pain. And massaging around the area to help re-absorb any extra fluid that might be building up.
It sounds like you're doing all the right things already though and he's off to a great start with his family
Donna
Thank you so much for sharing that! That is exactly how I've been feeling last night and this morning-- Did I make a mistake, is amputation going to now make him feel worse because he had other unknown injuries? And I did think-- ok he is acting the same as on less meds so was this a good idea?
Glad to know there are ups and downs in the beginning. Yep, with the increased meds, he has just slept very hard, still behind a chair or hidden, which makes me sad for him. I've done the ice packs, couldn't tell if it helped but will keep it up! Sometimes the skin/muscle underneath twitches when I use the pack (covered in a towel so not the cold) so I wondered if it felt weird.
Murphy is a very luck guy, glad he has gotten past recovery and hope the amputation resolved the cancer issue. Thanks again!
Anne
superbailey said
Hi, just to chime in here. Bailey most definitely had ups and downs in the first two weeks out of surgery after also seeming totally fine immedietly after. It is hard to balance the drugs and pain. She is over a month out and doing very well. Once she got off the meds her behavoir was quickly normalized. She still gets tired and sometimes has pain (mostly from too much activity), but is enjoying life. It is hard to see them like this, we know, but stay pawsative, and hopefully things normalize a bit soon.
Thank you! BTW-- Bailey is my sister's dog's name too. 🙂
How long has it been since her surgery?
1 Guest(s)
