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
My cat just had his front left limb amputated yesterday. I brought him home today and he hasn’t figured out how to walk yet. I’ve tried putting him in the litter box in case he had to go and he just lays down. I’m worried he has to use the bathroom but won’t be able to because he can’t stand up. Will he just figure it out if he has to go? I have two litter boxes for him, his old one and a new one that has lower sides. I also put the paper litter in, but that actually seems to stick to him more than the regular litter.
Hi and welcome! What is your cat's name and age? And why the reason for amputation? Yeah we're nosy! But the more we know the more we can help.
If your cat just came home he is probably really wonky from the pain medication. Is he at least drinking water and somewhat alert?
Are your litter boxes low-sided? Many cats find it much easier to toilet in low-sided boxes.
Of course you want him to be pain-free, but also ambulatory, so it's a fine line. What pain meds is he on, and what is the dosage and frequency? IT's not uncommon for a Tripawd's post-amputation pain management
program to require some adjusting. If your cat isn't able to stand up and urinate, let your vet know. And don't worry too much about poop. The procedure and pain meds make many new Tripawds constipated so he may not 
for a few days.
Did you see our e-book, Cool Tips for Tripawd Cats ? Lots of good tips, and also in our Three Legged Cats Forum Topic.
Your future posts won't need approval so post away!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My cat is about 10 or 11. He had an inoperable mast cell tumor on his leg. It was benign, but I had to constantly keep it bandaged and an e-collar on him so he wouldn’t chew on it. If he got to it in bandaged he would chew until it bled everywhere. Four doctors said I should just amputate so that’s what I had done. Now I’m regretting it. This is so hard and I feel terrible.
he hasn’t had any water yet, but did eat some food when I hand fed him. He walked to his little box and laid down in it. I let him lay there awhile and when I picked him up there was a pee spot. So he did go pee once so far.
He is taking 0.3 ml of some kind of liquid pain medication that I’m supposed to give under his tongue, which is impossible. Some form of morphine I think.
he can stand up, but he falls over and when he ties to walk he falls on his side where there’s no leg. He even managed to jump on the bed when I wasn’t looking. I have him in the guest room, but there’s a bed in there. I have no where I can put him that there’s nothing to jump on except the bathroom. But I don’t want to make him stay in there alone.
Deep breaths, okay? You have made the right decision!! You have come to the right place for support and information.
If a hooman had MAJOR SURGERY requiring a leg amputation, they would be in the hospital in a morphine drip for days!! They might be mobiled in a couple of days, but it would be with a walker or a wheelchair .
I know it's hard to be patient during recovery, but we'll help you navigate thru this, okay? The first week or so manh of us question our decision. You are in the "what have I done to mu cat?" early part of the recovery. In a couple of weeks uou will be so glad you did this FOR your kitty! He will be so much happier having that bum let gone. Clearly it was causing him pain and disc and frustration.
If you can give him wet food, that will help keep hum hydrated moreso than dry kibble.
He'll figure out his mobility, but right now the most important thing you can do is manage his pain and let him rest. You'll want to keep him hydrated and make sure he does continue to pee. Poop may take a few days.
Is the pain med Buprenorphine? Is he on sn antibiotic.... any other pain med? Sometimes cats are given Gabapentin too.
Kitty members can give you suggestions on how to administer the pain med. It is crucial you keep the pain at bay,
You do want to try and make sure he doesn't jump eight now. You don't want him falling and hurting himself and you don't want him opening up his incision. Once he gets more mobile and reclaim s his balance, maybe he will use some pet stains, maybe .
STAY CONNECTED and know that we are all here for you. Recovery doesn't last furever, okay? You can do this!!!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie 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!
Hi and welcome! So sorry that you are going through this, but glad you found us. It sounds like you made the best choice available to you. Chewing on a leg like that is never a good sign, it must have been painful. Now that pain is gone and you are on the rollercoaster ride of recovery. I wish you had found us before the surgery so that we could have helped you fasten your seatbelt!
The next couple of weeks are likely to be bumpy with ups and downs, but there WILL be a light at the end of the tunnel, ok? It is not uncommon for them to lay in their box and do nothing this early in recovery. Remember.. you fasted him so there is probably not much there to come out yet. He will be seeing pink elephants for probably a couple more days and honestly that really isn't a bad thing.
Can you get your bed off the frame? I had to with Huck and that made the bed low enough for him to get on without hurting himself. He was also feral so his first instinct was to hide.. but that's another story.
You can gently wrap him in a towel like a burrito tap that syringe into the far side of the mouth near the cheek to encourage him to open his mouth, and squeeze the liquid into his inner cheek. That will work.
Please encourage him to drink. Wet food like Sally said, baby food, low sodium broth, water, tuna juice, Delectables squeeze ups are all good.
What is your kitty's name? Please hang in there, this will all pass. Try to make sure he gets his meds at regular intervals to help stop breakthrough pain. The link below is just one place of many that you can find helpful tips and tricks to help you get through this recovery.
The link below has TONS of forum questions, answers, and advice on helping you get your kitty through recovery.
https://tripawd.....gged-cats/
Hang in there, you are doing a great job 
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
My cats name is dexter.
No I can’t really take the bed off the frame.. there’s not enough room. I slept in the guest room with him on the bed with me last night. He didn’t try to go anywhere. He hasn’t tried to walk at all since yesterday. Should I encourage him to try or not yet?
yes that’s the right pain medicine. He has another one I’m supposed to give him every 24 hours for inflammation. But the medicines are only for three days. Should I ask for more? I feel like he would still be in pain... it said “sublingual” on the bottle so I didn’t know how strict that was. I can’t get medicine under my cats tongue. Who could even do that?
He just ate some food when I hand fed him. I squirted water in his mouth with a syringe so I know he got some.
he hasn’t gone pee since yesterday late afternoon. I put him in his box and he laid down again, but didn’t pee this time.
I find this website kind of hard to use. And I’m not someone that can’t use technology or anything. I don’t even know if this is replying to anyone or not or just adding a comment to my own post. Is there a place on the site that has directions? I keep logging in and it still says “log in.” In the middle of the page.
I'm sorry things are so frustrating. Many people have felt exactly as you do right now, and in a week or so they see that things do get better.
It's GREAT that he's got an appetite. I'll bet you will start to seeing more of his sparkle come back over the next 24-48 hours. But....I would call your vet today and let them know what Dexter's symptoms are, and ask them for clearer directions on giving him medication. And generally three days is not enough pain management . Let your vet know your concerns, and I think they should know what his symptoms are. He could be getting too much or not enough meds. Not urinating and the lack of drinking is concerning. Call them and let us know how it's going.
You are doing a great job posting in the Forums. You'll find video tutorials and help on the Tripawds Start Page. I know it's hard to focus on instructions when you're going through something like this. You are doing just fine with your posts!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
He has gone pee twice now. I’ve set him in the litter box and he laid there for a few minutes and then he did go. He went once yesterday and once this morning. I think I said in an earlier post that I used the syringe to give him water.. so I know he got some. I got him a water fountain to encourage him to drink but I think he just doesn’t want to do it on his own yet. I’m going to get him some wet food too. He’s been purring a lot and wanting attention.
how long for pain meds do you think cats would typically need or what is normally prescribed? I’ll have to call the vet and ask for more. I called them this morning already and they said it’s normal that he doesn’t try to walk yet or that he’s falling over. I have seen him walk or actually run some when he ran under the bed and he’s jumped on the bed a couple of times when I walked away from the room I put him in.
I checked his incision site and it looks good.
This is all wonderful news! I am at work so my opportunities are very limited right now. I think it's fair to say pain meds average 14 ish days, some longer, some shorter. Is he on Gabapentin?
Keep doing what you're doing. Yes, i subscribed to this thread so i get an email when somebody posts.
The site can be a bit tricky but you'll get it.
Good for soft food, that is higher in water content so he gets hydration with nutrition.
Sounds like you have this more under control than you are giving yourself credit for. Please hang in there, you're doing a great job!
I'll try to check back later. EDT here and I'll be here at least til 430 or later.
Hugs,
Jackie and Huck❤
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Well luckily I’m a teacher so I’m on summer break right now and can care for him. We are going on vacation for five days on the 28th, so I’m hoping he will have improved by then. My mother in law is going to watch him.
No he’s not on gabapentin. It’s a liquid type of morphine and then an anti- inflammatory. the bottle says 3-5 days and then “as needed” so I guess I can just ask for more if I need it. it doesn’t seem like they put that much in the bottle.
Going out to find the Dr. Elsey’s post surgical cat litter! I got the paper kind and it sticks all over his body.
thank you for the kind words! I’m tying my best to be a good cat mommy!
We know recovery is scary, but you are doing a great job!!
And YAY FOR PEE!!!!!! And eating some too....great news!!
And yes, have the Bet give you more ,pain meds! It is very, very doubtful that a 3 isah day supply is sufficient for thos MAJOR surgery. And even if you dont ise all the second batch, it's still good to have on hand.
Mobility will come. Dexter is recovering at his own pace and taking one thing at a time. Actually the fact that you have seen him up and mobile is a good sign.....even of it was to run and jump on the bed that naughty little boy😉I bet he'll like his wet food. You can even add a bit more water ro the food.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie 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!
You are being a pawsome cat mommy!! Quite honestly I don't think most of us have very good luck with that litter. Even when I was a tech and had to recommend it they hated it, lol.
Worst case scenario just go back to the litter you use and you will probably be fine. Just watch the incision and make sure it stays clean.
How are you all doing?
Hugs,
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
I’m worried he isn’t peeing enough. He hasn’t peed since 4:00 this morning .. over 16 hours ago. And before that it was also a long stretch since the last pee. Is this normal? I’m really worried. I’m keeping him very hydrated.. wet food and water syringes in his mouth. And he still hasn’t tried walking or anything either. He’s just like he was the first day I brought him home. Maybe I’m being impatient. I just feel like he HAS to need to go potty.. but he just won’t go. I put him in the litter box and he won’t even try. Except the one time almost every 24 hours. I put his old litter in too. I don’t know what I should do.
Ok, first thing...please breathe. It's only been a few days. Right now those beautiful anesthetic drugs are wearing off and it might be some break through pain.
I am NOT a doctor, but lethargy can be a sign of pain.
Please remind me what pain meds you're using and how often.
Every individual handles recovery differently. Let's try to break this down. You may very well need to call your vet, explain the symptoms, and see if the medication needs adjusting or if something additional is needed.
Please try not to panic. Recovery can be a real rollercoaster. Huck spiked a fever and had to go back in. Others have simply needed to make medication changes. Please don't despair ❤
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
He’s on 0.3 ml of liquid Bruprenorphine every 8-12 hours. That’s all I’m giving him now. He has Onsier for the first three days every 24 hours, but I’m done with that one. The main thing I’m worried about right now is that he isn’t going to the bathroom like he normally does. I don’t know how long is too long. My vet won’t open until Monday so I can’t even really call them.
1 Guest(s)
