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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Hi, all. Our family has been devastated by an osteosarcoma diagnosis in our 6-year-old, 55-lb. male mutt (Australian cattle dog mixed with anybody's guess). Ollie's front right leg will be amputated Tuesday. We're terrified and crushed but trying to take things one day at a time. Aside from a bit of a limp, he is his normal, vibrant self right now.
My first question deals with wound coverage during recovery. I've seen folks mention t-shirts, vests, etc. I'd love to avoid a cone but assume the wound/stitches should not be covered immediately. At what point is it a good idea to cover with a t-shirt (if ever)?
Would also love to hear from city dwellers who have gone through this. We do not have a yard -- just a fenced-in cement back patio -- and since initially we won't be able to take Ollie for his usual daily walks to get to grassy areas, I'd like to build him a "potty patch" out back with sod, etc. The nearest place he likes to go to the bathroom is about half a block away, and in the early days of recovery I only want to take him right out our back door. Any advice on "makeshift potty areas," please share.
Thank you. I can already tell this site will be extremely helpful as we navigate this challenging time. We are determined to do the very best for our boy.
Six-year-old Ollie, a spunky, 55-lb. Australian cattle dog mix, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma May 1, 2015. Front right leg was amputated May 12. Did four rounds of carboplatin chemo treatment, ending Aug. 20. Lung x-rays still clear as of end of September. The rest of our story is still unfolding.
Welcome and best wishes for Ollie's speedy recovery! Your future forums posts will not require moderation.
A t-shirt is a great idea we often recommend, and can be worn any time after surgery. You'll find more cone of share alternatives in the Tripawds Gear blog , and some sort of protection is definitely recommended if you can't watch him 24/7.
Be sure to bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List for helpful links or consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns and much more.
Please keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We have plenty of members living in cities/apartments, so you'll likely get more feedback about that soon. "Pottie pads" should do the trick for a while since Ollie really shouldn't be getting up and around for walks until he's all healed up anyway!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My Leland was a hind leg amp so we were not able to cover him like front leg amps can. I believe usually though front leg amps usually come home with some sort of wrapping from the vet. And yeah a lot of parents do the t - shirt to keep it covered pretty much soon thereafter.
I was also thinking those puppy pads as suggested by admin as a temporary solution during the first couple of weeks of recovery.
Keep us posted on how Ollie is doing.
Can't wait to see pictures of your precious pup!!
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
Hi Karen,
Jack's a front leg amp and we had the wound covered the whole time. The vet sent her home with a pressure bandage and then we shifted her to a loose jacket after the vet said it was time to take off the bandage. The jacket worked well until the beginning of the third week and the incision became itchy - Jack was stuck with a cone after that. For comic relief and to see how quickly she got back to hopping around - here's a link to a video of her walking in the comfy cone 3 weeks after surgery.
We're city-dwellers - Jack and I lived on the 6th floor of a very large apartment building, which required about a block's worth of walking to get outside. Puppy pads and sod are great ideas - I wish I had come up with those! I carried her in and out of the building and had very defined biceps by the time she healed. If he's not keen on either sod or puppy pads, I toyed with the idea of borrowing a neighbor's dog stroller .
Good luck! I can tell he's in good hands.
Hi Karen.
Johnnie is also a front-amp, and he came home with bandages over the incision. I put a loose t-shirt on top to keep the bandage protected, and he wore a t-shirt for a long time until the incision was well healed. I changed the bandage once a day, when I cleaned the incision and put antiseptic solution, as directed by the vet. You may want to browse my posts, where you will find links to the photos I took at the time.
Make sure to read through the material and equip your house with runners and raised bowls, etc.
As you will see from other journeys, the first days are very hard, the first three weeks are complicated, but once they recover they lead a "new normal" life and are back to being themselves.
Keep us posted, and good luck with the surgery.
Daniela
Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet. Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues. Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle. October 17: started having seizures. Taking fenobarbital for seizures. April 18: started prednisone.
Hi Karen,
Welcome to the tripawd nation!
My only piece of advice, is to simply read some threads on here. My pup was a hindleg amp, so I wasn't able to use the t-shirt, but I did find the cone of shame was harder on me than my pup. After getting it on it just became a part of life, and two weeks with a cone on is nothing in hindsight.
I'm stubborn and my pup takes after me, and I didn't read Jerry's required reading until the day I brought her home from surgery. There is really great information on there!
As for the potty issue, I think your pup already considers home the place to keep clean if he will only do business a block away which I envy you for! Iris is still having some issues with potty training. I think you will be surprised how soon he will be ready to walk a block to potty, but I'd recommend pads over the sod, just me though.
I wish you the best with recovery! You will find some incredibly helpful folks on here, so just keep us posted and we will help as much as we can!
Thanks for the welcome, everyone (although I wish I didn't have to be here). My husband and I are beside ourselves with worry and grief -- although we are trying not to show that to Ollie. Right now his pain is managed well, and he is happy and has no clue that on Tuesday he will wake up with four legs and go to bed with three. He is not thinking about the future at all, and it helps to know that.
When I am apart from him, though, I can hardly stop crying. I will do more reading soon (we already covered some of the basics, like buying raised bowls). We don't know what to expect ... our vet said (with chemo) the average is 10-12 months' survival, but I am seeing so many variations on that. The thought of losing him is torture. He is so young and energetic.
We are also worried about our other dog, also 6 and a mutt. She is healthy and has never been an "only dog," and they are so close even though they have different personalities. Sasha is more mellow than Ollie and we don't worry that she will rile him up during his recovery, but we do worry that she will feel lost when he is gone. Even when we take him to the vet and leave her home, she becomes stressed, won't eat, etc.
I am encouraged that you all seem so upbeat. This is such a scary and agonizing time for us -- I am surprised and relieved to see so many others managing so well in the face of these difficulties. Thank you.
Six-year-old Ollie, a spunky, 55-lb. Australian cattle dog mix, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma May 1, 2015. Front right leg was amputated May 12. Did four rounds of carboplatin chemo treatment, ending Aug. 20. Lung x-rays still clear as of end of September. The rest of our story is still unfolding.
Gosh! Just catching up! And boy ih boupy, do we all understand the emotions you are going through!!! It feels like you are stuck i n a nightmare and will never wake up!! And Ollie is blissfully unaware of anything!
You've gotten great advice and links.
I cannot state it enough...OLLIE DOES NOT HAVE A TIME FRAME STAMPED ON HIS BUTT!! Got sit next to him... lift up his tail. Do you see a timeframe stamped on his butt...his haunches... his legs...anywhere on his rear end? NO!!!
Reagrdelss, six mo ths in doggy hears is over 3 1/2 in human years! One year in doggy years is 7 in human years!!! Calendars mean NOTHING to Ollie!!
To focus on "time left" and to grieve ahead of time TAKES YOU AWAY FROM BEING FULLY PRESENT WITH OLLIE! Right NOW is all we have! Right NOW is what we can cou t I ! Right NOW is where you will fi d Ollie...in the present...living life to the fullest! Do NOT let that piece of crap disease try and rob you of your time together NOW!
To grieve for what you haven't even "lost" yet, deprive you of enjoying what you have right now with Ollie!
And trust me! I get it! I even cancelled the first surgery appointment for my beloved Happy Hannah! I cried hysterically for weeks while making the decision. I didn't sign on here until six days after her amputation. I was alone frozen in my fear and panic. The tripawds community threw me a lifeline, pulled me from the abyss, and I haven't let go since!
So let's start redirecting our focus and keeping things chunked down, okay?
B R E A T H E....With each breath, inhale the present...exhale the fear....inhale the now...exhale the tomorrows....breathe in Ollie's way of looking at things....exhale the human way of looking at things....B R E A T H E......B R E A T H E.........AND GRABE A BAG OF CHOCOLATES AND EAT IT ALL REAL FAST!!!!
Just focus on surgery and recovery for now. You can think about chemo later...plenty of time for that.
Now go give Ollie a great big smooch and look at how happy dog wagging!! 
All is well in Ollie's world!!
You are not alone! We are right by your side! We understand like no others can!
Sending love and hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Karen: don't worry about any statistics and life expectancy. It all depends on the dog. As Sally said, they don't have a time frame stamped on them.
Johnnie hadn't yet turned 6 when he was diagnosed. i was absolutely devastated, since he was so young and so healthy!
At the consult with the vet, what we heard from her was that without surgery or chemo the life expectancy was around 6 months, with surgery and chemo would be from 8 to 12 months. We have been blessed with 11 wonderful months up to now, and are planning a celebration for Johnnie's 1-year ampuversary on May 20 and an even bigger one for his 7th birthday on June 28. He is living a happy, normal life on three legs up to now, and that is more than any of us here at home would have expected. Has it been easy? No, absolutely not, neither for the dog or for us at home, especially me, the "primary caretaker". On the other hand, we have bonded with Johnnie in a way that only tripawd parents can understand. It has been very intense, and this past year I have spent more time with my dog than I had in his whole adult life.
regards,
Daniela & Johnnie
Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet. Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues. Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle. October 17: started having seizures. Taking fenobarbital for seizures. April 18: started prednisone.
Karen,
I know what you mean. I was so anxious about it. Some background; I got Iris off craigslist and a few days later had her at the vet. Everything looked good. Then I noticed she sat funny and the vet said wait a year to xray as pups grow out of hip issues. Then when she started to limp, we xrayed her and her leg was broken. A clean break would've been 1k to fix. This was fused so without any guarantee she would even make it through surgery let alone the leg would last her lifetime, they wanted 5k.
I was so troubled about whether or not amputation was the right thing to do. I felt like I was playing god. I took her to the spca, and I had a sirloin steak with gravy prepared as her last supper. Then, they said they wouldn't put her down, they would only accept her as a surrender. In Sacramento, pitbulls only get 72hrs, and I was not going to let her sit in a cage for 3 days before the inevitable.
So when I brought her home, and I don't really believe in omens, but I realized something has kept this pup in my life, and I had to do whatever was necessary to keep her around.
I found tripawds, and after some reassurance, through U.C. Davis med school, about 2/3 cost of my vet, we had the amputation done, and my pup Iris would've walked to the car after surgery, but she let them cart her as she knows when she's being spoiled. She was walking the minute we got home.
My point is, this thing has been harder on me than my pup. After the surgery, she probably didn't even need the drugs, as she was free of this pain she had been carrying her whole life. However, my dog takes after me, and didn't mind some legally prescribed fun!
She is soooo over it! 40 days post op and she is just getting around like before. Not ashamed, not sad, NOT IN PAIN!
We are here for you and ready for any questions, but may I suggest that you view some youtube videos of 3 legged pets and see just how well they get around to put you at ease?
I love Jerry's signature, "Dog's were born with 3 legs and a spare "
Humans are dramatically hampered by an amputation, we don't have spares! Dog's, minding their diet and all, have no problem getting around on 3, and I posted somewhere else, and maybe I will actually use my blog, but I think no pre-op pawrents, truly understand how well their dog is going to do, until they bring them home post-op, and immediately realize they made the right decision.
Also I noticed your comment about how we are so upbeat! I personally appreciate that because I've had so much going on in my life that has caused me to be a downer to many around me lately, that to hear that makes me feel human again! I'm upbeat because my pup is still here, chewing up my shoes and exploding spray paint cans in my garage at 3 am making me think I have a burglar to take care of. I couldn't think of any existence without my pup right now.
I know I'm ranting, but it's Friday night, and I'm old enough to buy wine! I just wanted to let you know that this is going to be harder on you than your pooch, and all will be well I PROMISE!
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