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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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First day home after surgery. A little nervous and worried.
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Member Since:
6 October 2018
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13 October 2018 - 6:37 pm
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I’m Julie and Belvidere is my 10 year old chocolate lab/hound mix. He had his right front leg amputated on Thursday due to sarcoma. He came home this morning. Appears pretty comfortable and will drink. Not much inteterested in eating. He’s only been up once to go out and pee. I had to provide a lot of support to get him up and out. Using a sling. If i dont support him, he falls over and hits his jaw. His feet will slide out from under him too on our wood floors and the concrete garage floor. I have booties on him now.  Hope that helps. He is taking Rimadyl, antibiotics and has a fentanyl patch. So glad to have found this site. Great info!!

Any guidance would be appreciated. He doesn’t seem to want to get up.

Member Since:
9 October 2018
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13 October 2018 - 7:45 pm
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I'm no expert (my pup is just 10 days post-op) but it gets dramatically better after the first 3-4 days. We used a sling for our pup for the first few days (rear amputation). I have heard that front amputations take a bit longer for dogs to adapt to as more of their weight is carried on the front legs.

If you can put down some non skid mats where your pup travels most frequently, that might help. He'll get up when he needs to! 

Member Since:
6 October 2018
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13 October 2018 - 8:06 pm
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Thanks.

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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13 October 2018 - 8:18 pm
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Hi Julie, welcome. It sounds like Belevedere is feeling pretty good and seeing those pink elephants the pain meds bring on. If you can put down carpet runners on the path to outside, that would help him tremendously with balance during recovery and after. Don't leave the booties on 24/7 or they can cause yeast grown in between the paw toes.

As long as he will allow you to support him, do that until he's no longer woozy from the medication. It sounds like he's having a normal recovery so try not to worry. Try to put yourself in his paws and imagine how you would be if you just lost a leg. Belevedere will get back to normal soon, he just needs time.

Oh and as long as he is drinking water and peeing, that's good. If he goes more than 12 hours without urinating, let your vet know. Eating will happen soon, but for now, lack of appetite is pretty common.

Keep your vet in the loop if you are worried OK? And let us know how things are going, we'll try to help ease your worries. Hope you have a restful day together tomorrow.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Member Since:
6 October 2018
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13 October 2018 - 9:10 pm
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Thanks for the guidance. Going shopping for mats and rugs tomorrow. He did get up again for me and went out to potty. Seemed a little easier this time. I think we are both getting a little better with it. He does seem comfortable and doesn’t seem to be in any pain.



Member Since:
21 May 2016
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14 October 2018 - 5:23 am
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Hi Julie and Belvidere 🌸🐾

So glad to hear you're getting mats and rugs, your baby will be so much more at ease having paths to hop on in the house.

I would consider getting a ruffwear harness as well as they have a handle on top which helps us guide and lift our pups easily.

For front leggers (like my adored Dane Eurydice) the harness will slide sideways but it is no big deal, you'll both get used to it.

Great news about the 💩 and getting up, he seems to be recovering really well!

Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

Member Since:
4 August 2018
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14 October 2018 - 7:48 am
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Stay strong. The first 2 weeks were the toughest but it does get easier, I promise, and everyone will be here to help along the way. My Oscar is almost two months post op and I am still amazed at how far he has come. The sling was very helpful to me in the beginning and then I got a harness which I use for car rides to get him in and out of car. Rugs and mats will be a big help for him as well.

Member Since:
6 October 2018
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14 October 2018 - 10:17 am
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Great info everyone. Thanks so much. I have the harness but think I need for his incision to heal a little more. Slept all night. Getting around better when we go outside. He’s moving better and I’m getting better with the sling. Still not interested in food so no pooping yet. Drinking and peeing fine. So nice to know about other large breed front leggers. My boy is about 80 lbs and has a weak hind leg from a previous injury. Still thought the amputation was the best option. Vets agreed. So, here we are. 

Member Since:
28 August 2018
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14 October 2018 - 12:47 pm
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Hi Julie and Belvidere! It sounds like things are going well and everyday gets a little better. Sometimes post op day 3 is tough. As a nurse I can tell you post op day 3 is tough on humans too! We have used yoga mats as an economical alternative to slippery surfaces until we get longer running mats and it's worked well for our boy.

Valheart

Livermore, CA




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18 October 2009
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14 October 2018 - 2:18 pm
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Hi Julie and Belvidere.

I wanted to share a couple links that you might find helpful:

The Required Reading List has lots of info on what to expect with amp and recovery.

The Tripawds Recovery Shopping List has ideas to make Belvidere's recovery easier.

I would also caution you that he may not have enough pain meds once the fentanly patch wears off.  Most pups here have Tramadol and Gabapentin in addition to a NSAID like rimadyl and an antibiotic. Here is a great link on managing pain:

Best Tripawd Pain Management Tips. There are links there on identifying pain signs as well as current pain management protocols and ideas for managing pain.

Slept all night is great!!!!   I've only had rear amps but I know that some people with front amps will put a tee-shirt on to protect the incision then use the harness.  Go with what you think is best though!

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

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

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6 October 2018
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14 October 2018 - 2:36 pm
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Okay. Got some runners down and getting a few more. He’s moving pretty quick around the front yard when we go out. I’m still supporting with the sling but he’s doing great once he gets going. I have Tramadol and Gabapentin on hand. Vet didn’t want to mix them with fentanyl. I’ll stay in touch with him about pain. My vet takes calls after hours and is very practical. He’s given me some great advice over the years. Belvidere decided to get up on his own this afternoon and crashed. Incision bled a little but nothing too bad. He’s not interested in food. We’ve tried all kinds of goodies including his favorite...ice cream. Then this afternoon after his potty break he was all in for eating nuts and cookies. Go figure. He didn’t get too many of those but at least he wanted to eat something! Yay! Thanks for the links and all the words of encouragement. So helpful! Can’t wait to return the favor.

Livermore, CA




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18 October 2009
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12
14 October 2018 - 2:46 pm
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Your vet sounds great- so important on this journey!

It's not uncommon for pups not to eat early in recovery, it can make getting the meds down hard though.  Keep trying different things with him and feed him what he will eat with the meds.

Tripawds do tend to go fast- it's easier to balance. It's great you are seeing little improvements, they will become more frequent as time goes on.

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

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo



Member Since:
21 May 2016
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13
14 October 2018 - 5:08 pm
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There is Meg’s liver cake to consider too, all who tried it swear by it, right guys?

I’m sure somebody will point you to the thread where the famous recipe was shared by Clare.

Keep up the good work and before you know it recovery will be over.

Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

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6 October 2018
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14
14 October 2018 - 5:18 pm
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Woohoo.....he’s eaten twice now....real food. Ate some fresh pet earlier this evening. Had a bowl of roasted chicken, dressing and gravy for dinner with his meds in it. Ate it all. Yay!!



Member Since:
21 May 2016
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15
14 October 2018 - 5:21 pm
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Fantastic 👏🏽👏🏽👍🏽

Well done Mr 🐽 lovely to hear your apetite is back 😜

Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

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