Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Our 8 year old greyhound, Misty, is three days out from a rear leg amputation due to osteosarcoma. In lots of ways she is doing well - she is eating and drinking and doing wees and poos and getting brighter all of the time. But when we get her up to go to toilet, she is refusing to use her legs. It is like trying to carry a sack of potatoes with three stiff legs sticking out of it! We have a front harness and a canvas bag for her back legs to give her support, but she refuses to move one foot in front of the other - so we are sort of hopping her along to her toilet area. This means that two of us need to be with her during the day to toilet her - which is a juggle with work!
Could any one give us some idea when she might want to start taking some weight on her legs? Or is there any help we can give her to encourage this?
It is amazing seeing how kind and helpful all of the posts are on this site! So encouraging! Especially at this stage where things are much harder than we expected.
Welcome, Amanda! Your future posts will not require approval.
I don't have experience with this particular problem. Have you talked to your vet? I don't think greyhounds are a particularly stubborn breed, so my first thought is she may not have sufficient pain management . Do you have to get her up as well? Or is she able to stand up on her own?
Thank you!
We are getting her up and she can stand a bit on her own, but really seems to be confused about where her legs are. I don't know whether it is stubbornness or confusion, but in the past she would often freeze on a walk if we wanted her to turn around early, or if her feet were in a puddle, so it's not entirely out of character. It is so hard to know what we should be expecting of her at the moment, so if she should be able to walk a bit by now then I will get in touch with the vet. It would make caring for her so much easier if she would just help a bit!
Okay, take some deep breaths, seriously deep breaths! B R E A T H E......B R E A T H E....
The fact that she is pottying and drinking and eating is wonderful!👏 Really celebrate that! 👍Some dogs don't feel much like doing any of those things the first several days. So that's a really good sign.
You're sweet pop just had major surgery and, hopefully, is on some good strong pain meds. She just hasn't gotten her sea legs yet. It is not unusual at all for a dog to take so many days to start to figure out how to take a couple of hops here and there. And Greyhounds are such sweet sensitive pups on top of that.
How much does she weigh in what is the dose and frequency of her pain meds. And what is she taking? Usually dogs come home with gabapentin, and antibiotic and an ataflammatory. Some come home with the pain patch.
Right now she only needs to get up to go to potty, even if you have to assist her to do so, and then go straight back to bed for rest, rest, and more rest. She needs to use all her energy to heal. And you want to make sure her pain is managed to help her through recovery. Is she showing any pain signs like panting, restlessness, not sleeping, etc?
And remember, a human would still be in the hospital and probably on a morphine drip for this type of major surgery. I know it's hard to be patient and all of this is so scary and new, but just let her recover at her own pace and in her own way. Recovery doesn't last forever, it just seems like it at first!
Stay connected, and give us some feedback on some of the questions when you can. We are here to help you through this rough time and celebrate as she continues to make progress.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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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!
Aww poor pup! Yes, let us know what medications she is taking. She could be extra sensitive to the dosage, especially if she was given Trazadone (not a pain reliever, just a sedative and it really packs a punch with certain dogs).
This isn't unusual around here, and it's usually just a matter of dialing in the pain control to help the dog find a good balance between feeling more comfortable and being able to do basic daily functions. Let us know what the vet says.
One other thought- when you get her up to potty are you using the harness and sling? And then 'hop' her out with harness and sling? Did she wear a harness before her surgery?
There are some dogs who won't do their business while being held like that. Have you tried getting her up then letting go? You may not need the sling on the rear with the harness on the front end. Stay close if you think she needs help hopping but it could be that she won't walk with the sling around her and the harness being held.
I've had dogs 'freeze' when a shirt or float coat is put on them. My new quad pup walks sideways for a few steps when I put her harness on her. My first Tripawd Maggie lost a back leg to cancer, she would not allow me to 'help' her with a harness right after her surgery. She could only hop a few steps and then sit down but she would not do her business with a support harness.
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
Karen is spot on (as usual)! K forgot all about that "freezing up". My Happy Hannah (125 lb Bull Mastiff) would freeze up too if I tried to walk her with a aling or assist her in any way.
Karen said
My new quad pup walks sideways for a few steps when I put her harness on her
Too funny.
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!
Thank you so much for your suggestions. They have reminded me that greyhounds are funny creatures!
We had success yesterday with getting her to walk by putting on her collar and leash - even though we were just walking into the house from the garden - a trigger for her to remember how to walk! And after we have taken her to toilet in the garden, she can manage to walk/hop back to her bed - because she wants to. She becomes a stubborn donkey if we try and get her to do something she doesn't want, like stand up if she isn't in the mood! But it is a huge relief to know that it isn't her legs that are the problem
WOOOHOO! I'm happy to see this great news. Cheers to more progress in the coming days! 
Terrific update!!! Great job of figuring out whwt works best for her, , what motivatese her, etc.
You give that sweet ' three-legged "Stubborn Donkey" about smooch for us!
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!
Your advice to be patient was spot on. Misty is improving a little day by day. We have worked out that she will only walk when she wants to (typical greyhound!), but she can do quite well if she is in the mood. It is now day 10 and she will hop on the grass outside of our house to toilet and we are taking her every few hours. She actually thinks she wants to go on her normal walk, but we can trick her into turning around to head back home so we don't tire her out by taking her too far.
Night times are still tricky with whining, but we have staggered her meds so that she isn't having them all at once and giving them to her a bit later at night, so that they last for longer over the night. It is really difficult hearing her whining, but the vet has said that she is already on a high dose of her meds and there isn't really anything else they can give her. However, most of the time she seems relaxed and content and is making progress. She gets her stitches out on Friday, which people seem to suggest makes them more comfortable.
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