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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Hey Julie, there's a lot to be said for thinking ahead, that's smart in a situation like this. Yes, a stroller is usually a better choice in the early days.
Really happy the incision looks so good! Hopefully she won't mess around with it as it heals more and starts to get itchy. Keep an eye on her, they can be really fast at getting to that area.
Phantom leg pain is exactly how Sally described. A lot of vets don't think it's likely because as a whole they don't see a lot of amputation patients, but we tend to see an awful lot of it here because we just have such a concentration of Tripawds. If that yelp continues, please let your vet know. Usually some fine tuning of a Gabapentin dosage can take care of it.
Thank you Rene,
Daisy isn’t on Gabapentin at the mo so I’ll see how she goes today ( 0530 here )
Just gave her some meds as a little restless but had a brilliant night .
Think night where you are so nighty nite ! Hopefully suture site will be ok , I’ll cover it again if need be ..
PS have you or anyone used the collapsible trolley /type stroller , ie the collapsible one you show on Tripawds ?
Thank you
Hey Julie how is she doing? I hope she's good and so is that incision.
Funny you ask about strollers. I just posted here in response to another member's questions about the Burley dog stroller we have for Nellie.
Hi there
Daisy is doing very well thank you . 7 days post op today .. very tired but meds may be contributing I guess . Removal of sutures due end of next week and 🤞looking good .
Thank you for advice re strollers xx will look at those too x
Thank you for asking too
Hope all good with you
Wooohoo! One week ampuversary and she's kickin' butt! That's super great news. Really happy to hear it.
We are good here! Just holler with any questions or just to share how she's doing. Daisy is amazing!
Hi Rene and everyone!
Watched you both on. utube today chatting with a British vet , about 3 years ago , great video…Paws …, something ? was the guy’s channel.
Thank you for your support. Daisy seems very tired tonight but she still managed to sneak up three stairs to a favourite armchair ! and jumped onto it ! 😬😊😬 so sure if it’s tiredness caused by op or pain management ?
I kind of think I should keep her on her analgesia till suture removal as feel she must feel bruised etc … grateful for your opinion on pain management post op ..
PS any recommendations re best stroller for all terrain would be great and if we went for “ wheels “ for her , further down the line, when is the best time to consider that , time wise , after an amputation of front leg please ? What would be your recommendation for all of this for a dog who has lost a front limb please ?
Thank you again
Awww thanks for watching! Was it with Dr. Avery from Our Pet's Health? He's awesome! Actually from New Zealand.
Three stairs shouldn't be too tiring for Daisy, she's more likely just tired from her new way of moving around. It takes time to get stronger. I love that she is being sneaky and getting into her favorite spots! That's a good sign she is feeling better. Usually when dogs don't feel good they retract from their people, go into hiding, etc. I agree keep her on the analgesia, most dogs are on it until the suture removal.
As for all-terrain strollers here's what I posted in this topic:
Regarding the Bark Ranger we have for Nellie. It is really the best dog stroller we have found that can navigate a variety of terrain. I also get that it's not inexpensive.
Burley does make a less expensive model called the Tail Wagon, for small to medium dogs.
There are other strollers we have tried and my second runner up would be the Booyah, which costs less and does really well on different surfaces from bumpy roads to asphalt. Another one, the Pet Gear, is nice but it's really for hard surfaces like streets and sidewalks. It's also better for smaller to medium dogs.
This post also mentions one that another member really likes, the Ibiyaya Hercules:
https://tripawd.....strollers/
Smaller dogs generally have more options for strollers out there. Just remember the smaller the wheels the more difficult it is to push the stroller on uneven terrain and dirt. Don't forget you can always look on Craig's List and Ebay. We got Nellie's previous stroller, the Booyah, for a very good deal as a used model.
Hi there… did he originate from UK ? Brilliant video …
Thank you re strollers info .
Sorry to sound dim ! but what is Craig’s list ?
I was walking our other dog with friends today and mentioned I was a bit worried about using a stroller as people can be judgemental! and to be honest I was , I’m sorry to say, I was one of those judgemental person if I couldn’t see an obvious issue 😬 … our vet even said don’t worry about it as it will be obvious why you have one ! and friends were lovely today and agreed with him …
Have you got any advice on front limb loss dogs using the wheels type apparatus ??
Thank you again
Sorry lots of questions, just want to do our very best for dear Daisy ax she has been so brave
Sorry!
another question!
What would be a good joint supplement for a 10 year old spayed puggle 2 weeks post op ( thinking ahead next week ) , thank you
I was walking our other dog with friends today and mentioned I was a bit worried about using a stroller as people can be judgemental! and to be honest I was , I’m sorry to say, I was one of those judgemental person if I couldn’t see an obvious issue … our vet even said don’t worry about it as it will be obvious why you have one ! and friends were lovely today and agreed with him …
I've been using strollers for my small dogs since 2006, I was very defensive at first too. Lots of people don't consider small dogs 'real' dogs- just fluffy accessories you carry around in a purse or a....stroller. I've almost always been walking two dogs - one riding and one walking, sometimes both walking, sometimes both riding. I've used strollers for my Tripawds, old dogs and dogs recovering from knee surgery or other injuries. I frequently get 'looks' and it bothered me I will admit, I felt like I had to defend my use of the stroller by explaining why I was using it. But as time has gone on (and I got older) it doesn't bother me as much. Some people will ask me why and my answer depends on their attitude. If they seem genuinely interested I will explain- in fact one day on our 3 mile hike at the lake a woman I had seen pretty often asked why Elly was riding. I got as far as 'Elly is a 9 year old Tripawd' and she finished the thought: 'oh, this is too far for her to walk'.
If people seem snarky or judgemental I give them a sarcastic answer. I've used: 'I like her better', and when I still had my Pug boy, who was elderly and rode a lot, I would say: 'he is purebred and she is a mutt' 
. The one I get a lot now is something like ' aw, your baby is cute' to which I either say: 'good one!' (sarcastically) or 'no, this is a dog' (as if they don't know the difference).
As far as supplements- Elly gets fish oil, Dasaquin, and Myos which is a muscle building supplement.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls and Boy
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Hi Karen
Thank you so much for advice
To be honest , ordered one and people can judge and think what they like !
Daisy is the star of the show re how she’s been coping.
I will look at those supplements
Have a good weekend
Much appreciated you taking time out to contact me.
Julie and Daisy
Diet recommendations for 10. 5 year old spayed puggle Daisy would be appreciated. She’s always been a little on the round side ! so that needs to be considered too please
Any joint supplements recommended too please ?
Thank you
Julie and Daisy x
Hey Julie! What stroller did you get?
You are not dim! I figured Craig's List was worldwide. It's an online person-to-person marketplace.
I love that your friends and vet are supportive about the vet. You might hear things from people like "Hey shouldn't she be walking?!" or "Now that's a spoiled dog!" As Karen said, people who are genuinely curious I'm going to be more forthcoming with why she is in a stroller. One time a guy made me so mad when he said "She should be walking!" I snarked back "Yeah? She would if she could!" and that got him real quiet lol! But overall most people are just charmed by seeing Nellie in her stroller.
Have you got any advice on front limb loss dogs using the wheels type apparatus ??
If you click on the wheelchairs link you'll see all of the articles we've written about them. Essentially, front leg wheelchairs are trickier than rear wheels. They need counterbalancing to make up for all the weight one side of the body. Anyone who gets one really should be working with a rehab therapist so the wheels are sized appropriately and not causing discomfort.
What would be a good joint supplement for a 10 year old spayed puggle 2 weeks post op
Our Eating Healthy Forum is a good place to see what others have suggested. This article is one of ours and may come up with some ideas for you.
Vet-Approved Joint Supplements for Three-Legged Dogs, Part 1
Diet recommendations for 10. 5 year old spayed puggle Dais
Our Eating Healthy Forum is also a good place to talk about diet. How about starting a new topic there so folks will find your question easier?
Ask as many questions as you'd like, post as many topics in the forums as you want, that's why we are here 🙂
Hi Rene,
Got a stroller you mentioned on here. Sorry couldn’t order on your site as in UK.
I was thinking I would set up a question about diet , supplements but couldn’t work out how to do ?!! Probably me !
Re stroller … I’m sure judgy people will follow but ordered a sticker from Cafe Press that advertises your website so I will pop that on , hopefully that will give a subtle clue !!!
Thank you re your links , will look later x
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