Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello everyone. Thank you for this amazing community. I have a couple of questions and I’m hoping someone can enlighten me. I’ll give a quick overview first so you know where we’re at with this. I really appreciate this resource of information and everyone out here.
I’ll hop right to it.
My Australian cattle dog Juno (he’s a boy with a girl name) had his front right leg amputated for suspected bone cancer on January 26th. We’re 3 days post op. we’re still waiting on the final biopsy to confirm which cancer.
He had a gradual limp that started right after December 25th. We took him to the ER on January 1st. X-rays didn’t show anything.
with covid, we had to wait until the 20th to see a specialist. During which point he stopped using his leg altogether.
All of the testing was done on that day. Chest X-rays, bloodwork, aspirations of lymph node, etc. Lungs are fine. However that X-ray confirmed deteriorated bone near the shoulder. so more X-rays were taken and they said moth like deterioration was confirmed.
And I was told it was cancer of some form bone or blood vessel. and that in order to give him better quality of life to amputate.
needless to say we did.
they also did a pre-surgery ultrasound of the abdomen to rule out the blood vessel cancer. Thankfully that was clear.
they indicated after surgery that the area of concern was completely removed as it was contained to that area and no marginal issues were found. They did note that the two lymph nodes that they removed were swollen. and they were also being sent to pathology.
so anyway that’s the basic information. We’re on day 3 post op and I have some questions if anyone can help?
1. he barked today. (The post man is his nemesis. ) And it was a very painful bark. Very high pitched and very obvious that it hurt him. He did one bark and then stopped.
Is this normal ? Has anyone else noticed this with their pets post surgery ? I’m wondering if it’s something else or just that the exertion causes pain? I just talked to the doc and they said maybe phantom pain
?
2. How long on average until they’re walking without falling / face planting ? He’s doing much better today than the past two days. For example he can make it outside without falling. But the way back in is a struggle. I do know he has to learn and build new muscle and that it’s exhausting for him. I’m just trying to get a timeline on what other people have experienced.
3. Did anyone do this with a dog that had previous knee surgery ? In 2014 he had MPL surgery on his knee cap. I asked about it before surgery and they told me his knees would be considered normal knees. That they healed and strengthened just fine over the years. But I’m noticing him looking back at his knee that had the surgery like it’s hurting him now that there is more weight and work for it to do. and it’s only been 3 days. So I’m obviously really concerned. Has this worked itself out with anyone else?
Hi Juno and mom, welcome. We are sorry you are facing this tough situation but glad you found us, we can help make it easier! To answer your questions:
1) Yes it does sound like phantom pain , which is totally treatable and nothing to panic about but it is important to treat asap. At day 3 it's still early but if his pain isn't controlled he could be feeling it. Or, it could be dysphoria caused by the medication. It's so hard to tell with animals, even vets have a hard time doing so. Typically, some fine tuning of the medication dosages and timing will do the trick. What did your vet say when phantom pain was discussed? And what meds is Juno on, dosage & frequency?
2) Face plants are normal for the first couple of days as he gets his bearings. The pain medication also throws dogs off balance too. After a few days he should be able to walk without stumbling, but he may do it again when he starts feeling spunky and tries to run. Our Jerry fell a few times during his first month but then got the hang of things.
A visit with a canine rehabilitation therapist will go a long way to helping Juno get strong. Be sure to check out the Tripawds Foundation 's Rehab Reimbursement Fund: your first rehab visit can get paid for, up to $200, because that's how important we feel it is for every new Tripawd and their human to at least get an evaluation and some pointers on fitness and activity.
3) Yes, many people here, too many to count, have needed to amputate their dog's other limb after an ortho surgery was done on one of the others. It's very common. As long as he was cleared by the vet to be in good shape to handle the surgery and missing limb, I wouldn't panic. As you said, it's day 3 and SUPER early.
Give him time. He really shouldn't be doing anything but lounging, cuddling and going out on leash to potty, that's it until stitches come out.
Be sure to have a convo with your vet about his pain management OK? And also, check out Jerry's Required Reading List if you haven't already. Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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Ditto Jerry!
Yes, very, very, very early! Humans would still be in the hospital on a morphine e drip. This is MAJOR surgery. His potty breaks need to be SHORT and. If he will allow. you can assst him with towel sling.
Drinking is important t, as is peeing. For now give him a y yummy foods he will eat and know that poop may take a few days.
What pain meds is he on, the dose and frequency? How much does he weigh? The h6 meds are pro out of his sy now. So he may need some tweak5 of the med
If you have hardwood floors you'll need non slip scatter rugs for traction
Update when you can and let us know a y questions you have. Recovery doesn't last furever!!!
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!
Thanks to you both so much for the additional information !! Im glad to be in the right place for so much support !
hes on 3 different pain meds listed below.
he was about 40 lbs pre surgery. I’m not sure his exact weight right now. We have a follow up appointment on 14 days. They did not elaborate on the phantom pain
other than it could take time to go away.
tramadol 50mg 3 times a day (6 am, 2 pm , 10 pm)
amantadine 50mg 1 Time a day (2 pm)
deramaxx 75 mg (half tab) 1 time a day (10 pm)
he was having gastrointestinal upset with gabapentine pre surgery, that’s why the tramadol
Thanks for clarifying everything. So here's my thoughts for what it's worth:
It's unusual for Gabapentin to cause GI upset. Did it stop after he stopped taking it? Could the Deramaxx be causing it? NSAIDs are known to do that.
Great that he's on Amantadine, it's helpful but on time a day is not going to cut it. Our Wyatt Ray was on it 2x daily for arthritis maintenance, so please see if you can give it to him 2x daily.
Tramadol is very likely not doing him much good which is why he's showing pain signals . I'm not a vet, so you can see what world-famous vet pain expert Dr. Downing has to say about Tramadol.
Ask the vet if it's safe to try the Gabapentin now. It's an incredibly important tool to fight amputation pain The GI upset before surgery could have been caused by the pain he was in prior to amputation. If you want to make sure his belly is soothed, you could add some pumpkin pulp into his food to ensure his stools stay firm. We also like RX Clay.
Since the vet didn't give you a plan to address phantom pain , I'm going to guess that they aren't pain specialists or don't deal with a ton of amputations. I would consider making an appointment with a canine rehabilitation therapist. Most understand pain even better than some vets.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Our bully had a very hard first two weeks with the phantom pain . Like really, really hard time. Three days after surgery, we started Gabapentin. It alone didn't work. This past Friday, she started the Amantadine with the Gabapentin. This morning she is like a new dog after 1 1/2 days with the combo for phantom pain . Hang in there. I didn't believe when people said it gets better, but it really does. Stay in close contact with your vet. They will help.
He’s actually being seen by the top of the line specialists in our area. They do major surgeries and specialty cancer practices every day.
unfortunately Juno has always been a special case. has a lot of tummy issues to begin with. It’s been a lifelong battle with him. ☹️
we did call and ask if we should change anything. We added gabapentine back in for today only to monitor his response. His stomach is already gurgling only an hour later so we’re thinking it was a bad idea in that respect. Only time will tell. 🤷🏻♀️—- if he doesn’t tolerate it, we will stop use and all of his other medications are going to be increased/ doubled to better manage the pain.
Thanks for the additional information.
we are only on day 5. So hopefully this too shall pass and things will be better this time next week.
ill post an update once we make it through this.
Oh that's good to hear he's got a good team working on his case. He's a special boy indeed!
The Gabapentin and GI issues is so unusual, I can't recall anyone here having that kind of side effect (but then again I could be wrong). Remember the canned pumpkin pulp can help with loose stools and even check with your vet to see if you can give him Pepcid AC just in case. I'm not sure it would help but it can't hurt to ask them. It's so important to get pain under control at this stage or it could lead to long term issues later. I hope not though!
Keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
UPDATE ON JUNO's Experience and prognosis.
My apologies for the delay in updating. I wanted to make sure to provide this info for anyone who might be going through something similar.
The first 3 days were the hardest on me personally. It's a lot of work caring for a pup after this surgery. I spent the entire first 2 weeks on the floor, on a mattress with him and I worked from home in the same room to make sure I was there for anything he might need during this time. I realize that is probably extreme. But I'm a crazy dog mom and he's my life. 
FIRST WEEK: the first week was incredibly difficult in general. After the injection pain killers wore off (for Juno that was night 4 into day 5 as he is ultra sensitive to everything). They told us it would be more like day 3, but he was fine up through the 4th night. He was unable to sleep the entire night. At that point I called the doctor and asked what we could do. It was a Sunday and thankfully they were able to get a hold of him from home.
We added Gabapentin to his meds. So it was:
- tramadol 50mg 3 times a day (6 am, 2 pm , 10 pm)
- amantadine 50mg 1 Time a day (2 pm)
- deramaxx 75 mg (half tab) 1 time a day (10 pm)
- gabapentin 100 mg 2 times a day (6am/6pm)
That did the trick. This time around he did not get diarrhea, which was a relief because I am not sure that we would have been able to get him outside fast enough. This is also why the doctor did not give him the 300mg. We started with the 100mg and decided if that didn't help him, we would keep upping the dose, however it turned out it did the trick.
TO SHIRT OR CONE? We used a t-shirt. At first we used one of my t-shirts. I found it aggravating as I couldn't get it to stay on him. So I purchased two dog size t-shirts, also really hard to find for a medium sized dog surprisingly. But also still difficult. I had to tie it up on the back in a hair tie to keep it from pulling down around his body and putting pressure on his remaining front leg. Even with the constant adjustments, i still found that a better option than a cone.
WEEK TWO: After a week in, he was surprising me by the day. Each day he would become more and more himself. His personality was coming back, he was getting around better with each step.
We did have some major challenges to face. Ice storms rocked our area and it was incredibly difficult to walk him. We had to find safe places to walk in order to get him outside to go potty. That lasted much of the 2nd week which was incredibly difficult for him. We did everything we could to clear a path and were thankful when it finally snowed to cover over the ice.
DAY 13 DOCTOR CHECK UP.
Juno had dissolving sutures, so we didn't have to have anything removed. His appointment with the doctor went well. He was cleared to do as he pleased that day. Run, jump, lick, get a bath if we desired and be reintroduced into our home. I asked all of the big questions and he told me to let Juno do whatever Juno wanted to do. He will police himself if he finds he can't do it. So that's exactly what we did.
WEEK 3: Juno is loving life. We play outside in the snow. He runs and rolls around. We play with toys and he jumps on furniture just fine. He's having a good time and is no longer in pain. We couldn't be more grateful for the work our vet specialists did. We're just hoping they're wrong on the prognosis. Even though that is very likely wishful thinking we're still going to hope and pray...
PROGNOSIS: because of Covid, our biopsy results were delayed. We didn't get them until 17 days after his surgery. And the news was not good.
Hi Juno's mom - Very sorry to hear about the biopsy results. But it sounds like you are doing everything to give Juno the best possible care and enjoyment for the time he has left. (We are Day 4 post-op with our kitty's fibrosarcoma amputation so also awaiting the biopsy results). I've also lost dogs to osteosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma so, let's just say I understand. For our dog's hemangiosarcoma the specialist prescribed "Yunnan Baiyao" to help with the bleeding episodes. (This was of course on top of pain meds, etc). Consider asking your specialist if it might be of benefit in this case (they will know best).
https://www.msp.....ot-to-use/
Whatever happens we have made the best choices for *them* regarding comfort and loving care. Sending you and Juno lots of love and fun and happiness.
- Jessica and Yum Yum (kitty)
YAY JUNO! What a hoppy pupdate! You look so fantastic!
Mom, you're not over the top or crazy, in fact most people here do sleep with their new Tripawd during recovery. So, welcome to the crazy train I guess! 
You guys did a stellar job managing his recovery and that medication combination is exactly what tends to work with most dogs, although dosages can vary as you learned (and us too!). Thank you for sharing the information.
When it comes to statistics, keep in mind that a prognosis is just a educated guess that doesn't take into account Juno's physiology. Many dogs go way, way beyond the odds, like our Jerry, who was also given 4-6 months and ended up thriving for two amazing years! So you just never know. Stay pawsitive and hope for the best, Juno may surprise you.
Along those lines. I'll be honest: when a vet says "let the dog do whatever they want," we cringe. Only because we were told the same thing about our Jerry. Figuring he didn't have long to live, we let him run wild and eventually he experienced an unnecessary injury. This happens to many other new Tripawds too. Rehab therapists also cringe at that kind of advice, because a 3-legged dog really does need extra monitoring when it comes to physical activity. As Tripawd newbies it's hard to know what's safe and not safe for our pets, so that's why we started the Tripawds Rehab Reimbursement Fund, so that pet parents can get their hero assessed and then learn about the best ways to prevent injury. We hope you'll take advantage of the program!
Also see:
Tripawd Health Tips to Avoid Injury to Remaining Legs
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks Jerry, I also felt a little cringe when he said that, but I figure they knew best? I am glad to have posted this and I will look into the rehab information. And will be careful to make sure we don't let him go crazy. He does seem to police himself pretty well. However the slush and ice we're experiencing in my area makes it very difficult for him in general. I am not sure we have a rehab option near us, but I will look into it.
I did just locate a holistic pet vet, however they're almost 2 hours away and I am not sure it's worth putting him through the drive and more doctor visits. --
Did you use any supplements for Jerry?
I called the doctor that did his surgery and he told me that I would need to schedule an appointment with the oncologist to get more information on supplements as that is not his specialty. I am not confident the oncologist would be interested in supplements as an option. They seem to push the chemo/radiation there and we don't want to do that.
Thank you Jessica and Yum Yum. Waiting on the results is the worst. I hope you get good news! -- I just watched a video from Dr. Sue the Cancer specialist. She has a ton of videos on YouTube that brought that supplement up as well as a few others. I'm hesitant to try anything because he's on the duramaxx. When I called the doctor that did the surgery he basically referred me to making an oncology appointment as he knows nothing about the supplements.... I am not sure what to do.
I appreciate your kindness and information!
Thanks Jerry, I also felt a little cringe when he said that, but I figure they knew best?
What we've learned is that not all general practice vets are up to speed on the value of canine rehab therapy. It's "only" been around for 20 years or so, and if a vet isn't particularly interested in that topic and not pursuing CE credit classes for that subject, they tend to fall in line with the old school thinking of assuming that rehab is no value to an otherwise healthy dog. The 'don't fit it till it's broke' mentality. This of course often leads to injury when the pet parent doesn't know any better. Rehab is a big value to pets of course, but especially to the humans, who can learn what kinds of activities will ensure an injury free life for the animal. That's why we are so gung-ho about rehab, we've seen the huge difference it can make in dogs who have had it after surgery.
I did just locate a holistic pet vet, however they’re almost 2 hours away and I am not sure it’s worth putting him through the drive and more doctor visits. —
PM me your location and I'll be happy to see if there's a rehab center closer to you. Just because someone considers their practice to be holistic, doesn't mean they are a credentialed rehab therapist (look for the CCRT/CCRP credentials after their name).
Did you use any supplements for Jerry?
Yes! We pursued the basics like Omega-3 Fish Oil and Glucosamine, but today there are many more choices. Check out the Tripawds Nutrition blog for some ideas.
. I am not confident the oncologist would be interested in supplements as an option. They seem to push the chemo/radiation there and we don’t want to do that.
If you've decided not to pursue chemo, that's totally fine and it's where a vet experienced in natural medicine can help create an effective nutritional supplements plan.
Hope this helps!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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