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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I'm so sorry for all you are going through. You have received great advice and support here.
There was Jerry, an older cat who also had a blood transfusion and some initial challenges and he is doing great today. I believe the blood was from a clinic cat who was "on staff" for that purpose. Near Boston there is a great dane service project who provides great danes as blood donors.
For anyone with a healthy, relaxed large dog, it is a reminder that they may be of service to your local vet clinic or an animal blood bank. They have blood banks in every country for dogs. Cats are usually put on a registry and blood is taken on an as needed basis.
Thanks to Bella's blood donor for helping her during her surgery. I hope you can spend some time with Bella soon.
Hugs,
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona 
No practical knowledge or experience to offer - just my very best thoughts and moral support. Remember always, you did this because osteo is so painful. She is having a tough time, to be sure, but it is cancer that caused all of this, not you. You made the best, most informed decision to try to help her.
Praying she stabilizes and begins to improve.
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
I just saw your post and am so sorry Bella is having such a rough recovery ...
I cannot offer any advice as my girl didn't have arritmia but I can tell you using the jugular vein is no problem, Eurydice's jugular is used for all chemo treatments.
I am keeping my fingers crossed she will recover as quickly as possible !
Sending you a big big big hug and lots of pawsitive energy for Bella 😘😘😘🐶💞
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 :-)
Thank you everyone.
I went in yesterday with a typed list of questions with sub bullets. It was a full page. I handed it to the nurse and went over the rest with a surgeon. They were great about it and I've got everything I wanted answered.
Today she looked better. Fever is gone, she's off the IV pain drip and continuing oral pain meds. Since she hasn't eaten in so long, they started giving her an appetite stimulant. I've brought her favorite foods from the beginning but last night, she ate a little for me and drank some water (yea!!).
I saw them try to help her stand. Her back legs looked like they were weak. Her foot was knuckled under. With sling support (3 people lifting her) she was in the standing position and wagging her tail. When they stopped completely supporting her, she only held for a few seconds before her front leg buckled. She is in no way ready to go home. They said that she hasn't figured it out yet. And they saw her muscles twitch on the side she lost her leg which means she's still trying to find her leg to help her stand.
How long does it take for some big dogs who lose a front leg to 'figure it out'? I know that 60% of her weight is in the front... And she's weak.
BELLLAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! You are an inspiration and champion! You've got this Bella!!!!! What a fantastic update: soooooooo happy to hear she is improving in such a short time!!!!!
it does help to be prepared with questions so good for you! Super happy to hear that they answered all and were willing to sit and talk and let you see the Le Grande Champion Bella!!!!!!!!!!!! Who obviously knows that being hand fed by her momma is the ONLY way to eat: Bella, you keep that up! FreshPet, boiled chicken and rice, some nice burgers, liver, buffalo, venison, unicorn, you keep asking Bella!!!! That is so good that she wants to eat and drink!!!!!
As far as getting up and moving, every dog is different but, in general, large dogs ( and very large dogs at that) and front amps may take a bit longer. Much like a people who have surgery it varies, but , with people, those evil nurses make them get out of bed the very next day. It is hard to balance and find your sea legs what with the meds, the dizziness ( how is her arrhythmia?), and the fact that much like us, when you lie about for awhile, your legs may have gone to sleep a bit.
The fact that she was wagging her tail is a huge signal! She is ready: just not steady. It may take a week more before she figures it out and, even then, will likely go on very short walks until her staples are out and until she feels a bit better. Knuckling under can just mean she hasn't found her paws yet or her nerves are still realigning themselves. Certainly keep an eye on it but since she was able to use the paw, likely no worries. (Was this a back or front leg that knuckled under? Is she on Gabapentin? If not, why not?) Also, and I hate to say this, LOTS of dogs just do not like slings and do not know what to do with them ( at first). Was it a wide sling or the Vet's Torture Sling ( more like straps wrapped in VetWrap)? How long do the vets and vet techs believe it may be before she finds her legs and is ready to go home?
Somewhere down the line, you may want to consider buying a garden cart or trolley to brighten her days as she is figuring things out. Then she can go on rides and see the BellaUniverse without having to hop so many dang feet to get there. It may be a good compromise for her until she is fully recovered? And Queen Bella deserves a throne! Or would that be a carriage? Mmmnnnn...
The fact that she ate, she stood, and her fever is gone means she has really turned the corner. Sooooooooooo happy to hear this! BELLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Hugs and PyrPaws to you!
What great news! Remember than in addition to major surgery, this fever and arrhythmia and everything set her back a day or two in learning to stand and move around. It doesn't sound like standing was even much of an option for her what with tubes and all. And she hasn't been eating, so she is also weak. But sounds like she is on the upswing. I am really excited for you about what the next 48 hours will bring!
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Cannot even begin to express the JOY AND HAPPINESS I feel reading this update!!!!!
JOY AND HAPPINESS!!!!! THRILLED!!!! ECSTATIC!!!!! OVER THE MOON HAPPY!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
WAY TO VO BELLA!!!!! YOU DA' ROCKSTAR EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!! 🙂
DITTO, DITTO, DITTO,Christine and CharlieBear! One way to look at it is this is sort of the "first day" of recovery from MAJOR SURGERY and COMPLICATIONS!! Everything leading up to this point delayed the " or al" recovery.
So it would be "normal" not to eat the first day. So see, Bella is ahead kf the curve for the "first day"! BELLA ATE AND BELLA DRANK! 🙂 🙂 🙂 As far as STANDING, even for a few seconds...Bella stood!!!:-) 🙂 🙂 And that's ahead of the curve for the "first day"!
Sooooo many things to celebrate with Bella today!! Just soooooo thrilled!! 🙂
Try not to put a "timeframe" on standing and try not to make comparisons. Bella has been through an ordeal that we don't see around! here very often. She IS making progress now at her own pace and with her own set of "unique" circumstances!!
BELLA WAGGED HER TAIL!!! Is that the best sight in the world, or what??!
Thank you soooooooo much for the update!! We'll look forward to the next one!!!
Love a d Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS. BRZVO TO YOU FOR BEING SUCH A POWERFUL ADVOCATE FOR BELLA!!! So glad you went armed with yiur questions and felt kike you were heard!! RAVO!!!
A d yeah, my Happw Hannah pretty much wouldn't budge when I tried a towel sling with her. Right now, without question, it's necessary to help Bella. You can see how she reacts ronit when you get further along. Some dogs actually see it as agood thing! Again, every dog is different
And give that Fresh Pet a try too! Always check the expiration date in something like that though.
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!
Whew, I was holding my breath until that last post!!
Any updates on our sweet Bella for today?
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
Ditto, been thinking about Bella and hoping for more good news.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Many thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement. It's really nice to have support.
Bella just doesn't want to get up. They are trying every 4 hours with a towel on her front end and a soft and wide sling on her backside. Sometimes she makes an effort while other times she just lets them carry her weight.
So I was thinking about getting her booties to help stop her feet from slipping. I also looked into garden seats and found a PT near me that rents equipment such as wheels for her. Her surgeon thinks that the booties might be good since she's still in the hospital and their floors are slippery. Where can I find xl booties to help with her footing? Her Saint Bernard paws are big.
The wheels they weren't too keen on so soon after her amputation. They think that she needs to figure out how to walk first. Thoughts?
I think booties would be an EXCELLENT idea!! Good observation on your part!!
Check out the Gear Blog on site
PAWZ (or PAWS) makes an inexpensive rubber balloon type bootie that fits over the paw and is tight at the cuff. They can't be left on for a long time all at once as they are air tight and the cuff fits pretty snuggly too. No sure if they make the XL.
Others will chime in with their first hand suggestions.
Another suggestion that could make a BIG difference. If Bella is stable now, can you try taking her home for a day or two and see how she does there??? The turn arounds dogs make when they get home sometimes and get back into a little bit of a "normal" routine can be quite surprising!!
Also, what meds is she still on?
Anyway, I know brining her home and having to lift her up, etc would be hard, but it sure is worth a shot!! It may take a few days. Just being able to take her outside and hzve her lay in her yard would lift her spirits.
And she IS making an effort sometimes so that's very encouraging!!!
Thanks so much for the update!!! We care!!
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!
YES, booties make TOTAL sense! That could be exactly what she's trying to tell you: it's too slippery here!
Which ones will depend on how big her feet are, and how wiling she is to wear them. I'm not sure that Pawz makes them large enough. Here's a forum/blog post about them:
Discover PAWZ Boots, Win a Free Pair
IF Pawz don't come big enough, I would for sure give Dr. Buzby's Toe Grips a try. In fact I might even try those FIRST in this case. They require no learning curve for her and if she's never worn boots before could be much less intrusive in her situation right now (boots take some practice). See:
http://tripawds.....e/#p178789
The vet techs can help put the Toe Grips on. I hope this works! Let us know OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
BELLLLAAAAAAAAA!!! So happy to hear she is getting up with assistance!!! Love the booties ideas. Makes sense to help her feel as secure as pawsibble.
Now, the garden cart we were referring to (also known affectionately as the Maggie Mobile http://tripawds.....1/magsdad/
or the Hefflemobile) which you can find at Home Depot, etc.
https://www.zor.....lsrc=aw.ds
Now, there is no way in heck that the vets/vet techs can say that having assisted mobility discourages a dog from walking. The only thing that makes it difficult is pain, getting used to losing the sea legs, getting used meds, etc. And very large dogs will take longer because, honestly, it is hard for US to assist them!
I say get Bella her well deserved chariot and then you will have it on hand! And she can go out and see her BellaUniverse and sit in the sun ( or see the snow!) She will be walking soon enough!!!
BELLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Smooches, hugs, and PyrPaws all around.
My vet highly recommended this stuff: http://pawfriction.com
We got it, but haven't applied it yet. Booties can be an iffy thing with dogs whether they tolerate them or not. We've put yoga mats around the house on the hard wood floors and the dogs (both my tripawd and my quad-ped) seem to enjoy the extra traction
.
Good luck! I hope you've gotten your pup home since your last post. Good luck to all!
-Lauren
Bella is home as of a few days ago. She hops along with assistance when she wants to go back to her bed from going outside. Otherwise, she wants to stay on her bed. I try to get her up at least 3x a day to go outside and go to the bathroom. When she doesn't want to go, she whimpers. I've tried just holding her up and walking her out, but she uses all her weight in the opposite direction. Her personality is not the same. She seems sad.
Got boots. Hospital used them. And she did Better. Physical therapist said not to use them and gave me a harness to use. Works great.
im windering if she will ever be happy and up and going again.
Thanks.
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