I was able to take 4 off work after my buddy Charlie's surgery. That gave me lots of time to research diet and pain control and keep an eye on him. I think it was good for me also.

The non slip rugs are very important, especially until Abby finds her balance.  We have laminate flooring and while Charlie is very good at sliding to a stop now, he will slip if the floor is wet.  I purchased runners from Home Depot, seems like it was less than 2.00/ft.  Its winter here in Michigan so the floor at the rear door to the yard is usually wet.  Think non slip rugs at the doors all the time.  We put up a gate at the basement stairs and still have it there as I'm sure his basement days are over.

I scrambled several times trying to find help to get Charlie back to the vet on 2 unplanned occasions shortly after surgery.  Charlie is 90# so I was unable to pick him up myself, needed help.  So if that may be your situation, a plan to know ahead how you will handle a similar situation will help you eliminate a lot of stress.

A ruffwear harness will also be a big help when he starts taking walks.  We use it all the time, if the steps into the house are wet or snow covered I use it to provide him additional help going in and out. Its not pleasant to watch if he slips and face plants.  An additional help was getting footies for walks in the snow.  Ruffwear has those also.  Pre amputation when we walked in the winter and he got snowballs packed in it was easy to lift a paw and clean them out.  Now, with only 3 legs he had to lay down for me to clean his paws.  The footies solved that problem but it took him awhile to get used to them.

Good luck

That's horrible, I'm so sorry you got the run around! I had a similar experience; my veterinarian first diagnosed Chy's lump as a fatty tumor after a needle aspirate. A second opinion a year-and-a-half later with my hometown vet revealed it was really a soft tissue sarcoma . Not exactly what I was prepared to hear.

You've come to the right place though, and welcome! We wish it was under better circumstances, but none-the-less we're glad you found us. My girl is just shy of 3-weeks post op; the people here were so helpful during her recovery and the past posts really helped me to learn what to expect.

My girl (12 y/o yellow lab/husky mix) also needed to lose weight, about 10lbs in the 3-months after surgery. I have found this recipe from the site really helpful Reducing Diet, Chy loves it and it's super easy to make a week's worth at a time. So far she's lost a couple pounds and it's helping her get around much easier on 3 legs. We've also included the Missing Link Senior Health Formula powder as a supplement, and it has also been great!

I also found it helpful to keep a log of when she ate, when she got her meds, and when she went potty. It comes in handy if med times need to be tweaked, and to remember the last time she went potty (mostly #2, those can be few and far between during recovery. Chy poo'd the day after surgery, but didn't have another until 6 days later!).

A gel pack is also helpful; it helped to keep the swelling down and for the bruise to go away quickly. My vet recommended to start a cold compress the day after surgery, 2-4x a day for 10-15min. Then, 3-days after surgery to start a warm compress for the same 2-4x a day for 10-15min (not too hot! if it's too warm for you to comfortably handle, it's too warm for her).

She has a Ruffwear vest that has really come in handy after her stitches were out. We use it all the time to help her up the stairs and give a little extra support. She doesn't mind wearing it at all, and seems to be pretty comfortable as far as harnesses go.

Like others have said, traction and a pawsitive attitude are really key! The more you are strong and act like nothing is different helps her to be confident and recover. She will not miss the leg; it's amazing how they move on and cope!

STAY CONNECTED! We'd love to hear more about Abby, what are some things she likes to do?

Everyone's given you excellent advice already so just popping in here to welcome you and let you know you and your beautiful Abby will be in our thoughts and prayers on surgery day.  Keep us posted as you can.  Hugs to you both!