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
We adopted Tanner in February (he's a right rear leg amp due to injury). We have noticed he constantly has an itch on his right side around the middle of his side/neck area. He walks over to us, head tilted to the right and his amp wiggling. If he could talk he'd be saying please scratch right here! We scratch, his nub goes 100mph and then he's fine. Obviously, he can't scratch this area because of the missing leg but it happens multiple times a day. My Jake was a front amp and I don't recall this ever being an issue. Has anyone else had this happen or know what causes it? Most importantly, how do we help him. I can't imagine having an itch I couldn't scratch!!!!
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
I called it the air scratch, Maggie did it for several months after she lost her left rear leg. I would do most of her scratching at first, then she figured out to rub on the furniture or her sister. Mag stopped doing it at some point- the sitting with her chin out and her little stump churning away. I've read here where some other rear amps do it longer.
Karen and Spirit Maggie
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
FIRST OF ALL.....ONLY TANNER WOULD FIGURE OUT TO COME OVER TO YOU, POINT OUT THE AREA THAT NEEDS SCRATCHING, AND HAVE YOU OBLIGE!!!! I love this guy!!!
I would constantly look for.signs.that Happy Hannah, rear leg amp., needed areas scratched she couldn't reach. She would do a little nub twitch or must kinda look at tme with a slight.whine and I knew to just scratch all over the areas she.couldn't reach....ear, neck, muzzle, eyes, legs, under arms, ea r was one that would really fristrate.her.
I would sort of scratch her all over several times a day just in case she had an itch I didn't notice her trying to reach.com
Give.that crazzzzy boy a hug for us!
Love!
Sally and Happy Hannah and My Pal 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!
Whoooooah! This exact same thing happens to me too! Sometimes it's worse than others. I still haven't figured out how to scratch it myself, or use furniture to scratch it. Momma has to use a back scratcher on me and that really helps (she keeps 2 around the place so she's always within reach of one!). But it really stinks when she's not around and can't do it!
Wyatt Ray Dawg . . . The Tripawds Leg-A-Cy Continues!
Read all about my adventures at my Tripawds Blog
Wyatt Ray Dawg is so funny. Molly J, also a rear leg amp, has had a few itchy momemts when she tried to scratch with her missing leg. My analogy is walking into a room during a power outage and flipping the light switch. She sure does appreciate the scratching I do for her when that missing leg starts churning. I assume this will continue to happen. Sweet pups...
Yes, unfortunately it will always be a regular thing and what else can you do but go "awwwww." We just spent the last 5 minutes using a back scratcher to satiate Wyatt's obsessive air scratching. It didn't work so we gave him a Benadryl. Ugh.
Love the light switch analogy.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Oooh, does the Benadryl help?
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
Well, we just discovered he has what appears to be a hot spot, not sure yet because he's never had one before. The Benadryl and cortisone spray combo has stopped the itching for now.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My Charlie, a left hind leg amputee, does the stump wiggle. I scratch him numerous times a day and he actually knows the word "scratch" now and if I say it he comes over and tilts his head and waits for his scratching session 
Must be horrible for them not to be able to scratch. He also has allergies as well so it means he probably has to scratch more than other dogs even though I give him Piriton every day. But other than this he is happy and healthy and living life to the full with his twin brother who is so protective of him. If I even try to clean Charlie's ears, which he doesn't like, and he pulls away Buddy (his twin) starts whining and barking at me as if to say "what are you doing to my brother?", it is so cute.
Awww Charlie and Buddy sound adorable! I love the way Buddy looks after him. Maybe you can teach Buddy how to scratch Charlie's itch?! 
By the way what is Piriton?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)
