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
I have trouble with pictures too - you need to start a blog, pick add media, up load your pics you want and then, when you post in a forum, you paste the url (when you're in the blog, right click on the pic and you'll see the url - just copy it). I don't post often, but do come to the site to read the posts, blogs, etc. Anyway, I have a big girl too but she had the front leg amputation. She wouldn't tolerate a cone either (it's tough, I know) so a lot of folks here suggested a t shirt which worked for us. Can you put a pair of shorts or boxers on him to cover the incision? Is it possible the spot/hole is from him chewing? When Maddie was not in discomfort, she didn't go near the incision. She only seemed to try to mess with it when it bothered her. Maybe getting him on the right pain meds will help. She was on Deramaxx, Tramadol and Gabapentin for quite a while (she still takes Deramaxx a year later). I'd try to get his pain meds right and get that incision protected asap, then hopefully he'll leave it alone and let it heal! Good luck - keep coming back here too because everyone here is so helpful! They will brain storm with you until an answer is found!
Bobbi & Maddie a/k/a ManiacMads
Front leg amputation 10/17/17 due to Osteosarcoma
She's Madeline, She's Madeline
angelamoro said
I wish I could figure out How to post a picture on here. But it looks like his incision in one spot is opening up pretty bad. I went and got him a cone and put it on him and he freaked out and jumped all over the place and then selling busted how to post a picture on here. But it looks like his incision in one spot is opening up pretty bad. I went and got him a cone and put it on him and he freaked out and ended up falling over on the incision.I took a picture of his incision opening up to the vet and showed him and he said it will be fine. I just feel like I need to get a different vet to come do a home visit possibly. Because it doesn’t seem like his incision that. Shouldn’t it be completely closed?
Yes on the cone, no doubt about that. It is necessary. Click on the cone of shame link for alternatives to traditional e-collars.
Follow your instinct on the incision. If something feels off and your vet isn't seeing what your gut is telling you, then yes, a second opinion will put your mind at ease. If you want help finding a mobile vet just pm me where you are located and I'll help find one for you.
Here is a link that explains adding images to the Forums. if you'd like help, private message me.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I just love how you're such a wonderful advocate for your best friend! Our poor guy had to wear the cone of shame for 3 weeks as he got a small opening in his incision Luckily it didn't become infected. During the day we used one of those blow up cones. At night he had to wear the full cone. He initially hated it but he got used to it.
Val
I'm so glad that you got the medications. Make sure that you space them out a little bit, so that Draco is getting something every couple of hours (as opposed to getting them all at one time). This way he gets more adequate coverage.
Sometimes incisions will open a little bit. Are the staples still intact? Is there any drainage? How big of a spot is open? If there's just a clearish or reddish/clear drainage, that's ok. It shouldn't have any foul odor to it. Keep it clean, with just water - no peroxide. Murphy had a front leg removed, so we used a t-shirt to keep his incision covered. For a back leg, many use a pair of men's boxer shorts, with their tail going through the fly 
. It might be a little harder for a male dog, but maybe you could just take them off when you take him outside.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
A lot of times they flip over the initial placing of the cone. If you secure it well, talk to him a lot and give it a bit he may calm down for you. They are definitely shin busters but with that reaction once i got it on, i would leave it on. You should be able to place three fingers under it comfortably and that should make it secure enough to fit and be relatively comfortable. You can place a pillow under his head to help him sleep and be more comfortable laying down.
In a perfect world the incision should remain in tact, but with so many stress and activity, let alone licking can make them loosen and possibly lose a couple. Going to be your judgement call. Like Donna said, no peroxide. It can hinder the healing process. Damp compresses of warm, cool, or tepid water, depending on which seems to feel better is wonderful. Don't rub it, just gently hold it on for a little at a time will help keep it clean and make it feel better. As the incision heals those staples/sutures will get prickly and the damp cloths will help it not be so irritating.
If it looks too deep, too long, or is concerning you please have it looked at. Huck had to have additional staples added because he took some out. I couldn't cone him bc he was feral.
I hope this helps.
Jackie and Huckster ❤️
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
I didn’t know I was supposed to clean the incision with water/warm washcloth. So I will definitely start doing that a couple times a day. There is about a 1-2 inch section of his incision that it looks like he’s licked the stitches out or loose, leaving the incision opened up about 1/2”. There is a tiny bit of bloody/clearish fluid coming out of it, but not much. No smell, so hopefully it won’t get infected 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Now I’m adjusting to his change in mood/demeanor since starting his tramadol (200 mg/3 times a day) and Gabapentin (300mg/ 3 times a day) and meloxicam and antibiotic of course . I can definitely tell he’s sleepy and groggy now. But at least no pain!!
I have another question. The vet told me that to help prevent infection, soak his incision in an epsom salt bath? Has anybody done this ? It seems that it would burn !
When our dog's incision opened a bit the vet got us to clean it with diluted hibitaine and put polysporin ointment on it. We were lucky that there was no infection. We did it twice a day and it closed up in about one week. Hope that helps.
Val
I am in the Tripawds Chat room right now if you want to talk.
Epsom salts? To prevent infection? That's a new one to me, I don't believe anyone's vet has ever directed them to use that on the incision. Ouch. I could be wrong so maybe some will chime in, but meanwhile ...
Instead, if you have to use something on it, why not try something proven not to hurt and actually heal, like a Microcyn type of wound care spray?
Most people don't need to use anything on the wound, and most vets say leave it alone unless there is an infection or non-closure happening. And in that case, they usually direct clients to use medical-grade products to help.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I am not a doctor by any means, but I was a veterinary tech for a long time. On the incision, or any surgical incision I have also never heard but warm damp cloths, a cool pack of peas layed on top of a damp cloth, with just water. I honestly cannot think of anything either that doesn't sound like it would not burn. Even for dogs that tried to lick, we used something called Bandgard but it never got put directly on the incision. Just around the area to deter them. I hope this helps.
How is your furbaby doing? Eating, drinking, resting? Getting around ok to go potty? Cone?
Hope all is well,
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
My vet had me use a warm compress on the incision twice a day to help draw out the drainage. It did seem to help some. Just a warm...almost to hot to touch....cloth for 5-10 minutes. There area few "openings" in the incision but sent pic to vet and he said no worries. You're probably doing just fine!
Tshirts or boxer shorts help cover the wound if he is licking at it a lot. The boxers didn't work great for my dog but some people had some luck with them.
So Draco is staying the night at the vet tonight and first thing in the morning they are stiching him back up 😢😢😢 his incision opened up so badly Sunday night that you could see inside, it looked really bad! But no infection thank God! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 I just pray it stays that way
so any thoughts on getting stitches redone? Does it usually work out ok? Heal quickly? What should I know?
Poor thing. You did the correct thing bringing him back in. Huck had to be re-stapled. Thank goodness for no infection, but you will still have to keep on it to make sure that does not happen.
Yes, it happens, and yes most time they are ok. Hopefully they will send him home with a collar on. I would leave it on for the duration. Taking it off is just asking for difficulty. They may send him home with more antibiotics to go with pain meds. Hang in there.. please let us know how you make out.
Hugs,
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Oh poor pup! I'm sorry, that had to have been scary.
Yes, most times it does work out fine, this isn't too unusual. Keep that cone of shame on, it's the only thing between healing and another incident like this. Let us know how he's doing.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)
