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
Basically looking for reassurance that not everyone has it easy and has them walking immediately after. She had an OS diagnosis the end of last month right forelimb, has tears to both back cruciates(suspected)and had right forelimb amp done on Tuesday the 15th. After we got her home last night even with two of us assisting with slings, she takes a few steps and then crumbles to the floor. We are in the process of getting weight off of her, she is down to 167lbs(well prior to amp) She did urinate for us last night at about 9pm, but wouldn't this morning when we dragged her out, so now she is crying in the house, in my opinion because she has to pee but wont. I feel like a mess today, barely slept last night and I feel like I have a crying inconsolable 160+ pound baby. What do I do? do I just let her cry until she becomes uncomfortable enough that she urinates? I have piddle pads down for her, using the sling makes me nervous and requires two of us, I just dont like all of her weight on her incision like that...I just feel at my wits end and she hasn't even been home 24 hours.
Nicole and Kaya
wow, nicole. first thing - take a deep breath....this too will pass. the first two weeks are rough, don't think that most of us were having picnics. the pain meds have kaya all wacked out, so she's not gonna be totally back to her old self till that stuff is out of her system. what kind of slings are you using? to move a 160# pup i understand needing two people. many of us used cloth shopping bags that we opened the sides on - with this you have two strong handles (i lined mine with a soft fluffy towel to make sure i didn't press too hard against the incision). until the initial meds wear off, kaya may not want to pee/poop on a regular schedule either...are you sure she's whining to pee, or maybe is she in some discomfort and that's what she's saying...talk to the vet and make sure the meds are adequate to meet her pain needs.
and finally, welcome to the site, we'd love to see a picture or two of kaya, and maybe a little background (once the present crisis is under control of course). remember, if kaya sees you being stressed, she will be stressed. if you are calm and positive, it will motivate her to be that way too. good luck, and don't forget to breath.
charon & gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
Nicole,
Like Charon said take a deep breath. I think that of all of us on this site most peoples have dogs that have recoveries closer to Kaya's then to some of us that were very lucky. Amputation is a BIG surgery and there is a lot of Kaya. (Don't tell her I said that!) There is a reason that almost everyone refers to recovery as two weeks of hell. Major surgery, strong pain meds, wow, we would have a hard time, too.
It is very hard to watch your baby suffer but you really need to be strong in front of her. Dogs are, after all, pack animals and she will be watching the alpha (hopefully you) to see how she should react. Give her lots of encouragement and love. I know that you are. It will get better. Make it your mantra. It will get better. It will get better.
Mark a page in your calendar about three weeks from now and mark everyday off as it happens. By the time you get to your marked date Kaya will be so much better. Emily was less than Kaya's weight so I don't know if it is true but maybe it takes the bigger dogs longer to get around. Mastiffs have a lot of bulk to hoist!
It will get better. It will get better.
Keep us posted!
Debra
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
We ended up driving back to cornell today after she found the motivation to use her rear foot as a staple remover. My mother also just had a car accident today which crushed 2 of her lumbar so I decided to leave Kaya at cornell for medical boarding for the weekend and then have them do some physical therapy/rehab with her until her staples come out because I am just feeling overwhelmed at the moment. Thank you for reassuring me though that she was acting normal, I know the tramadol doesn't help since it seems to make her loopy and uncooperative.
Nicole and Kaya
Hello Nicole, and welcome to the gang. I'm sorry you've had such a hard start, but Charon and Debra are right: it gets better. And Kaya is a really big dog, so maneuvering her is not a cakewalk. But she's a whole lotta love, so you'll figure it out. I felt like I was learning a new dance the first few days with Dakota. I let him lead as far as movement went, but I stayed right with him and showed him he could do it.
The pain medications do seem to make dogs really confused and maybe even bad-tempered. The trick is for the vets to find the balance between letting the dogs' sweet personalities show and keeping the pain at bay. Kaya may need some tinkering along those lines.
I think you've made an incredibly practical and wise decision to have the clinic board her while you deal with your mom. Kaya will be fine there, and it will give the doctors a chance to monitor her behaviors so they can evaluate her pain control. Also, if she doesn't urinate for them, they can express her bladder if it becomes necessary. I think the rehab will be wonderful for Kaya. She will have the evaluation and program put in place that will give her the best recovery.You're doing everything you can to help her find her new normal.
So don't worry about Kaya, because you know she's in good hands. Take care of your mom and help her however you can. The timing sucks, but it's wonderful that you can leave Kaya in the capable hands of her doctors. Take care of yourself, too, during the next few days. Get your rest when you can, don't forget to eat, do whatever works for you to let out some stress.
Shari and Dakota
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
Nicole,
I'm sorry to hear about your Mom's accident, too. I hope that she will be okay soon. Good call on boarding Kayla. It sounds like you have WAY too much to deal with right now.
Debra
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
Hi Nicole,
I, too, agree with what everyone above is saying. The first two weeks are hell but it does get better. Although a "dog park" friiend has been encouraging me to blog for a long time, this is my first blog EVER. I sure could have used everyone's input during those first few days/weeks. I wish I would have known, or had been told, some of the things that I now know. Orion Powell's left rear leg was amputated on Janruary 13th. For the first 48 hours I laid on the dining room floor with him. He, too, cried out in pain and the rx wasn't helping. I called the vet and they agreed to let me give him his rx more frequently. It was much better after that. Using a beach towel, I would get him up and outdoors to pee but he was unable. And then when he would come back in he would be incontinent while lying down. Fortunately I had pads down to catch it. Thinking that his bladder might have gotten nicked, I called the vet and was told that it was normal as he had had a spinal. That would have been something I wish I would have known beforehand. I also agree that we have to be strong for them. I know that I fell apart after the diagnosis and it was hell until the ampuation. But then I decided that I wouldn't be any good to Orion unless I was strong and that it wasn't about me, it was about him. You have a lot going on at the moment. I am sorry to hear about your mom and boarding Kayla does sound like a good call. I wish you the best. Down the line, and one bit of advice that I wasn't given, I would get Kayla boots for her one paw across from the missing one. I didn't know to do this and Orion's paw became raw from the pressure on it. Whenever he goes out for a walk or park I put it on him.
And be assured that Kayla will eventually gain her strength and get around. Orion is back to walking and going to the dog park. Although his mind tells him he wants to go further, he is able to go about a block and a half. He gets his thrid of five chemotherapies this Wednesday. It's one amazing day after another......and I'm grateful for all of them. I wish you luck.
Orion Powell and Greg.
Welcome to tripawds Nicole and Kaya and also Greg and Orion.
Nicole- wow, you have your hands full. Hopefully Kaya will gain a little strength and balance while she is boarded. At the best of times the first week or two after amputation are hard, stressful and emotionally draining. Now dealing with your mothers accident- you can't help but be overwhelmed. Many dogs struggle with balance, eating normally, peeing and pooping, in the first weeks after amputation- and Kaya is dealing with lots of drugs that make her dopey too. There are a few lucky pups that seem to bounce right back like nothing happened- but most of us had a hard time. It does get better though.
And I hope your mom is OK too.
Greg- you might consider posting Orion's story under his own 'Share your Story' thread so we can learn more about him and you!
And after this first post you won't need to wait for moderation as long as you remember to log in, only the very first post from a new member has to wait.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Welcome Nicole and Kaya,
Sorry to hear about your mom- hope all will be well with her. I am sure Kaya is in good hands at Cornell.
Daisy was a Cornell amputee and I have nothing but high praise for them. As everyone else has already said- 2 weeks post amp is an emotional rollercoaster BUT after that it gets better. Some dogs do take longer. I think front leg amputees tend to take a little longer that rears in general. There is lots of good information here and plently of support. Anytime you have a question, someone here has probably been there, done that.
Try to get some sleep (I know, easier said than done as I am guilty of sleeping on the floor next to Daisy for about 10 days
)
We used lots of piddle pads, newspapers and baby wipes for the 1st 3 weeks until we developed a routine.
Where are you from? We are south of Rochester, Ted.E.Bear is up north.....maybe we can have a tripawd pawrty this summer!!
Julie, Bob, Daisy and Samson
Daisy earned her wings on Oct 22, 2011 at 14 years old
She is now the official greeter at the rainbow bridge
Everyone is guaranteed a welcome sniff and Dalmatian smile
Nicole and Kaya. welcome to tripawds, so very sorry you had to find this group but you have , and its a very good place to be ith your situation. I invite you to read Coopers blog, you should be able to find a link to it in my signature box on the bottom of this post. No not everyone has it easy.. I feared the worst when we brought Cooper home from his amputation... he had no desire to walk with help or without and I thought I had sentenced him to a life of laying around. in 6 days it is Coopers 5 month ampuversary and he is doing fine. Before you know it Kaya will be back to normal. Take care and keep us posted.
Coops pack
Coopsdad/ Kenneth Blackburn
http://cooper.t.....ipawds.com
the monkeydogs only THINK they have invaded the tripawd state
Hi Nicole and Kaya
I cannot speak to the difficulty of recovery yet as our Mack is scheduled for in the morning. I am glad that I found this site though as I have received a lot of really good info and advice.
Right now focus on taking care of your mom while Kaya recovers with the doctors. You must be feeling so overwhelmed but just keep taking things one at a time and know that there are a lot of us keeping you, Kaya and your mother in our thoughts! I hope they both recover soon!
Kim and Mack
Hi Nicole,
There is lots for you to concentrate on now. I am sorry that you have so much on your plate. I remember the sleep deprivation, it seemed to make everything sooo much harder. Not that it wasn't anywaY!
I hope Tazziedog posts, she is a vet, and had a mastiff named Tazzie that was a front amp I believe.
My newfoundland mix, Sammy, experienced phantom pain and it was a nightmare. It sounds like your babe Kaya is in a good spot at the vets while you deal with your mom. It will probably be a good thing to be with professionals who will know when to coddle her and know when to push her.
Just know this, you are doing an amazing job, the very best, and you can only do the best you can do. I hope you find some time for some healing sleep. Tomorrow will look so much more manageable with that.
Hugs and best wishes,
Elizabeth and Sammy
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
dracorana said:
Thank you for reassuring me though that she was acting normal...
Hi Nicole, thanks for joining. Sorry to hear about Kaya's issues, but every dog is different. Hopefully she'll be back to her normal self again soon. Once she's off the meds, that should help.
FYI: You'll find lots of recovery and care tips in Jerry's Required Reading List, and for immediate answers to the most common dog amputation questions download the new Tripawds e-book Three Legs and A Spare.
orionpowell said:
... this is my first blog EVER.
Welcome Greg! We noticed you started a blog for Orion, but haven't posted anything yet. Once you do, we'll announce your blog here in the forums.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I saw this a few days ago but have been unable to get my posts to go through until now.
My Tazzie was an English Mastiff who weighed 195 # prior to amputation of her RF leg due to OSA. She also had ruptured ACLs in both knees that were repaired a few years prior to amputation. I did keep her in the hospital for 3 nights post-op due to her size and my work schedule. She got around okay once we got home but she did leak urine for a day or two (secondary to morphine and her Fentanyl patch) and did not have a bowel movement for a few days. I think her appetite was off for the first week.
She did very well as a tripawd although we did limit stairs and she no longer liked leaving the yard for walks. She had 5 injections of carboplatin and lived 14 months post-op until the cancer returned in her spine.
Your dog is in good hands at Cornell! Please keep us updated.
Pam
Just wanted to update everyone on Kaya, She is home again from Cornell and doing so much better. We are now 2 weeks post op and things are seemingly returning to normal. She can get around on her own for short bouts, we take lots of breaks and since she is still getting her bearings she gets tired easily, but when she climbed back onto her throne of a love seat yesterday all by herself...well, I couldn't have been happier. Chemo is slated to start in roughly a week. Someone had asked where in NY we are located since they too had gone to cornell for their amp, we are near Binghamton, NY. I just wanted to thank everyone again for reassuring me that this is hard, but it does get better.
Nicole and Kaya
1 Guest(s)
