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
Willow, my retired Greyhound, just had her left front leg amputated on Jun 30. At this point it appears that it is not osteocarcoma but an unidentified injury that weakened her leg and caused it to break. She is doing great with walking and eating. She is peeing and pooping but the problem is that when I take her outside she has not been going. She will walk a bit and then stand there, not willing to really move until we turn around to go back into the house. This has been causing her to eliminate inside the house without warning. I am not sure if it is the medication causing her to do this or being unsure of outside. She has gone a outside a couple of times but more times it has been indoors. I don't know how to help her figure this out. Has anyone else dealt with this issue or have any suggestions on how to help her?
Online
Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
Overall she sounds like she is doing well and that is great!
A couple of questions:
What meds is she on? Is her pain well managed? Does she seem woozy or zoned out?
Do you use a sling or harness when you take her outside? Do you 'hover' over her waiting for her to potty?
Some dogs won't go potty when they have a sling on them or their people are too close. The meds could cause her to be zoned out and not realize she has to potty- but then I would think you would see other signs like her being wobbly. Some dogs have a potty routine that amputation interferes with. My Pug Maggie would always spin before pooping and after losing a back leg she kept falling down. Once she got the balance to spin she started pooping again!
Next time you take her out take lots of yummy treats, if she goes potty then give her lots of praise and treats. You can taper away from giving treats later, but maybe you can get her re-programed to going outside.
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
I’m glad she’s doing alright with the rest of recovery.
So I’m wondering if she might have any rear end or spinal issues that started before the amputation? These things can sometimes cause fecal incontinence. Does she seem aware of the accident when it happens?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
She does seem a bit zoned out. It is almost like she wakes up and then realizes she has to go. She gets up and squats, so she can maneuver to go ok. She is on gabapentin and trazadone. She usually did a lot of sniffing around before going potty and now she is not doing that. I wonder if I try to take her to her spot with the sling and leash and then remove the sling to see what happens? I may have to ask the vet about decreasing the trazadone. I will definitely try treats as well. Thanks for the feedback!
Ohhh Trazadone can definitely do it, some dogs are quite sensitive to its effects. Yes, ask the vet about decreasing or eliminating, and let us know what they say.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yeah, ditto the Traxedone! It DEFINITELY can make some dogs loopy!
Unless she's a really anxious and excitable dog, she should be able to get off it, or, at the very least, a much lower dose. So yes, try elimin that and I think you'll se her far more aware.and engaged in her potty breaks.
Good idea to try and take her to a good pee spot and then drop the sling and walk away. Between the Traz and the sling, I think you've figured out the causes of her pee issues.
Of course, we are not Vets and not giving Vet advice so check with your Vet on this.
Let us know how it goes
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS. If Gabapentin is the only pain med (Traz is basically a tranquilizer and does nothing for pain), you can see of he wants to add another pain med to the mix if you think she's still in pain.
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!
So the answer was the trazadone and the sling!!! I held her dose of trazadone last night and this morning she went out the door and peed outside. I didn't put the sling on her just her leash and brought the sling just in case. She went down the one step off our porch and went to her usual spot and came back up the step like she wasn't even missing a leg. She is only 6 days post op. I did have to give her some trazadone later in the day because she was pacing and panting and wasn't due for her gabapentin but gave her a lower dose. Thanks for the guidance with this one. I was getting worried this was going to be a big hurdle for her.
Thanks for the update. Be sure to log in when visiting the forums, so your posts will not require moderation
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
YAAAAAY WILLOW!!! So glad you figured out what was holding her back! Good job!
It ,au be that the panting, etc you were seeing was actually pain and not anxiety. Not sure how far apart your doses of Gaba are, but often three times a day work. Check with your Vet to see of there is any wiggle room in frequency.
Thanks for the update. So happy to read 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!
SUPER DUPER NEWS!!!! 
What a champ!
Yeah the Traz is good for anxious dogs who are recovering, but it's not a pain reliever so she should be fine without it. Again, not a vet so double check that it's OK but I'm so happy she's moving along in recovery. Now you can breathe and rest right?!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)
