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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Suzanne, Ken & Inca,
Good to see the video report....seeing tells it all. She is doing wonderful!! Also glad she is off the meds, we had so much trouble with Paris after amputation, the drugs affected her terribly.
You will see the old Inca return bit by bit.....remember, she does not know she has cancer!! The sleeping is good for her now as her body is healing from the assault of surgery.
Keep up the good work and Happy New Year to you all!!
Ginny & Paris
Grateful for every moment we had with Paris…..no regrets!
Honoring her life by opening our hearts & home to Addy!
Looks like Inca is doing great. She reminds me of our first dog, a red dobie, who was stolen when she was 8 yrs old. I still miss her, she was a trip!
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Wow. Inca is amazing in that video. Hasn't it only been one week? I don't think you need to fear whether the old (or young) Inca that could cause trouble will return. I had trouble seeing whether she had 3 or 4 legs when watching the video. I had to jog with my Tazzie. He was comfortable loping quickly or standing, not moving at a slow two legged or four legged pace. But Inca seems okay. You seem to be going much farther than most of our dogs can go at that stage.
Happy New Year Inca. May it be a great one!
She looks great moving around.
She is still very early in the recovery process. She will need time to work on her balance and gain strength as her body adapts to her new gait. Remember she is using a lot more energy to learn to walk on three, and as you see she is usually moving faster to compensate. She also went through a huge surgery and will need more down time as she continues to heal.
Once Maggie was healed from the surgery I wanted her to walk some each day to build up endurance, but I also let her pace herself a bit, and get plenty of rest.
Happy New Year
Karen and the pug girls
Lookin' good there Inca! Thanks for sharing the video.
FYI: Here are instructions for how to embed movies in forum posts.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yay dobie power!
Well, actually I may never know for sure if Gerry is part Doberman (will see what his new vet thinks tomorrow), but I was convinced that my last dog (a front leg amputee), Yoda, was defintely a Doberman cross.
Yoda too had a pretty long period of sleeping ALL the time, and even after he was fairly perky for his first two days home. That's not unusual. Seems to just take time for them to realize they had major surgery 
But Yoda certainly got back to his old self and re-learned all his favorite activities in time. Some took longer than others. Most things he could do again after three or four weeks. Chasing his tail took him three months. And catching a rabbit took him almost 4 months, but he did that too. The one thing I wouldn't have minded if being a tripawd had taken away from him. (Posts by YodasMom are me too).
So, I know it feels like time is moving so incredibly slowly as she recovers, but she sounds like she's progressing very well and there's no cause yet to worry that she won't get her mischievous streak back. She just building up the muscles and endurance to be a trouble-maker again 
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
Hello everyone
Thanks for the replies,everything is reassuring. Denise and Timber's story has made me realise that everyone obviously goes through the very same process with bone cancer and amputation on a much loved dog.
I am trying very hard to stay upbeat with Inca and get back to where we were before this happened, but so much has changed. 2.5 weeks after her surgery and she is doing very well physically. She manages a short walk every day and has only fallen once; tripped maybe twice. She carries her head low which isn't helping her distribute the weight but eats and drinks from a height as she always has done. Her wound also looks good .
But our Inca is not back with us. She behaves like a dog we just don't know. Although she is off all her medication, she still whines and grumbles and finds it hard to settle. She sleeps with her eyes open or doesn't sleep at all,lying in her bed with a very sad, distant look on her face. She has a great repertoire of tricks(most of which she can't do now!) but her "speak on command" is non-existent.... she has no bark at all. She just whines and squeaks and then walks off frustrated! It's unknown for her to desert a treat on offer,altho her appetite otherwise is normal. The guilt I still feel when she gets tired and sits down on a walk is huge. I question whether it was the right decision to amputate or should we have taken the other route and remembered her only as the larger than life, bouncy Dobe that she was the night before the surgery. Yes we have extended her life, but if she is one of the unlucky ones whose tumour re-grows after a short time, then her remaining time with us will be an uncomfortable and down time.
Obviously I can't see 4,5,6 weeks into the future and things will surely get better.I'm finding it hard to decide if she is actually still in pain, or is it just the effects of the medication and trauma that she has been through? She is, already , better than some big dogs I've read about, but I hope that she gets back to the old Inca.
Has anyone come across an irregular heartbeat in their post-surgery dog? Inca has, according to every vet she has seen, an amazingly healthy heart. She had heart scans before her surgery and was passed as a perfect candidate for the amputation. But we often find her heart racing when we stroke her, and at other times it's the normal strong slow heart beat she always had. I will have this checked with the vets of course but I wondered if it was a common occurence.
Anyway, hope I don't turn into a whining, grumbling owner so time to go!!
Suzanne and Inca
Suzanne,
I can't offer anything on the heart issues you mention at the end of your post- but I can offer a bit of how Maggie responded after surgery.
Mag is a pug, and like many is very obstinate- she is also VERY set in her ways and does not like any changes. Her coping with the amputation (left rear) was one of my biggest concerns, she was about 7.5 years old at the time of the surgery.
She is also very devious and playful, and knows how to get my attention when she wants something.
After the surgery she really took her time to cope. She was easily discouraged when she fell down, to the point that I had to coax her to walk again. And this was well past the time she was off all the pain meds. She did start chemo soon after- and that lead to some lethargy- but the discouragement she displayed was pure Maggie. I had to coax her out of bed every day, and she did not want to play with me.
I had heard stories about other dogs who were their old selves in a matter of days or a couple of weeks- but not my Maggie (this web site didn't exist then either) She took a couple of months before she would fall and get right back up again.
Maggie has Mast Cell Cancer, which seems to be less aggressive than osteosarcoma, but at the time of her surgery and follow up tests her prognosis was not too good. She has surprised all her vets (an me) that she is still here and pretty healthy. Check out her bolg for the whole story.
Sorry this got long, what I really wanted to say was don't get discouraged, 2.5 weeks is really early in the process. Maggie started coming around after a couple of months, and when she was done with her chemo she became her old self.
The point is she became her old self again!
Each of our dogs has reacted, and healed on their own schedule. Hopefully the 'old' Inca will come back soon, but she is coping with a lot of changes. Keep being positive and upbeat around her. One of the things Bob always suggests is to find something she can do or someplace that she really likes and take her to that place and make it fun and rewarding for her.
And don't worry about whining or grumbling- thats what this place is for.
Karen and the pug girls
Try not to worry too much about what the future holds for Inca... I know that it's easier said than done... But she will probably never been the exact same dog again... or she might come close... We just don't know. 2.5 weeks is not very long after a large surgery... For myself, I have had a few big surgeries in my life... and I took much longer to get back to 'normal' than the average patient... But that's just me. I believe it's the same for dogs.
If Inca goes out running and walking alot now... her whining and groaning may just be from pain and being uncomfortable afterwards... Now, there is alot of extra weight that her remaining 3 legs have to bear... so it will take her some time to build up the remaining leg muscles. Did she do well on her pain meds, or was she having some problems like several other dogs here? Is she currently on anti-inflammatories to help with any aches and pains she may be experiencing? Is she on gabapentin in case she is experiencing phantom limb pain? Be sure to discuss these things with your vet...
My Jake was never back to normal after his surgery... but we based his happiness on the things he loved to do before he broke his leg and was diagnosed and had his surgery... Jake loved to eat, he loved to play and cuddle with us and his brother Wolfie, he was a big couch potatoe... and he LOVED to swim! He got to do all of those things afterwards! So he was a little more slow... So he got tired alot quicker... But he enjoyed himself and his life until the very end.
... and don't worry about being a grumbling and whining owner... We have all been through that here... and everyone is just so supportive... So this is the place to complain, for sure!!!
Angel Jake's Mom
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
Please try not to be discouraged. As others have said, 2.5 weeks is real early in the healing process. It was literally months before Trouble began to act like the Trouble prior to surgery. They have so many adjustments to make, so many things to re-learn. Know Inca is pain free without the diseased limb. She will become more and more like her old self, just don't give up. Hugs to you and Inca during her recovery.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Hello everyone
A quick Inca update and I'm glad to say things are a lot better. We went back to the college where the surgery was carried out and they checked her over thoroughly. Finding nothing significant, they have put her back on tramadol for another 2 wks. She was very strange last week and I think perhaps experiencing "phantom" pains at times too. The improvement is very noticeable, her personality has almost completely returned and so has her bark!! She's looking for more exercise but we still need to be careful. The ruffwear harness
is just great too.
She is taking complete advantage of our relaxation of the house rules and is on the sofa snoozing as I type ( but never allowed to jump off ). We recently met a young cat brought into our vets to be put to sleep becaause of a leg injury that the owner didn't want to pay for. So she found herself moving in. Inca is quite happy and "Cali" is heading for surgery herself soon. I thought the neighbours might start to talk if we had a tripawd dog and cat but the vets are going to try pinning the leg first !
Talk soon
Suzanne, Inca and Cali xx
Thanks for the update! Gad to hear Inca is doing well.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
A tripawd dog AND cat?!?! Wouldn't that be a hoot!
Glad to hear Inca is doing well. Caira had to be on tramadol for a bit longer than some as well. We weaned her by giving her half-dosages for a few weeks. That made sure she wasn't too sleepy but kept her pain under control. Every dog is different.
I think everyone on this website has lightened the rules for their tripawd. We used to keep ours off the couch at all times. Now we are encouraging her to get up here and lie with us! I say, spoil the heck out of them while they are here!
Thanks for the update, and good luck to the kitty!
mary and caira sue
May 2001-Jan 21, 2010.....I'm a dog and I'm AWESOME!..... Always.
Oh shoot,I wished I hadn't missed your post on the 4th. I'm no vet, but the thing about her heart rate reminded me that Pam has said (and Yoda's surgeon, come to think of it, months and months ago) that the heart pounding can be an indicator of pain. But her vet(s) already determined that and gave her more meds - good! Yay! I'm so glad that she's acting like her old self again. I just remember nagging Pam in the Ask A Vet forum how we could distinguish symptoms of pain from side effects of the meds. Oftentimes they're EXACTLY the same. Increased heart rate is something you might see with pain, but not with the meds as I understood it. So just another reminder everybody! Good for you for even being able to tell the difference between her normal heart rate and the faster one. I'm not sure I would know.
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
Glad to hear Inca is feeling better. My Tazzie was kind of depressed for three to four weeks post-surgery although there were bright moments. And if you know him (or knew him, but I still think of him as being here), it is hard to picture him ever being depressed. The main point is that he went from that state to being as happy as ever a few weeks later and remained that way to the end (we had a big bad lump grow a few months later, but had quality time to the very last night).
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