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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Good evening,
Odin is out of surgery for his front left leg / shoulder amputation. So far the doctor said thank goodness the cancer didn’t spread to his spine. First battle is over. Next is the biopsy. We should have the results by Thursday and praying for a low grade tumor. We will take him home on Wednesday. I called to check on him and seems like he is still very sleepy and hasn’t gotten up much. Tomorrow should be a better day for him.
What do you all think he first night home will be like?
You are all so helpful and I am so grateful for all your assistance.
YAY!!! Surgery is done! Odin is probably seeing pink elephants right now and resting quite well.
You'll hear us say this all the time, but every recovery is different and every dog is different.
Aome sogs fo e uome snd jist seem to sleep a lot. Some dogs, like my Happy Hannah, come ho e restless and whiny and just can't seem to get comfortable. And some are a little of both. And then some come home ready to eat and hop around as much as you will let them.
What does happen quite often is that by day three or four all the hospital meds are out of their system and they may experience a vit pf a "crash". It's important to keep the pain meds consistently in their system to stay ahead of the pain. Usually sogs are sent ho e woth Gabapentin, Tramadol, Rimadyl and an antibiotic
Slow and easy. Short leashed potty breaks and then back to bed. Drinking and peeing are important, but eating and pooping may be off for a few days.
Good job of putting down rugs for traction . I, like probably almost everyone here did with their dogs, slept on the floor with my Happy Hannah ,lounging on her Big Barker Bed . No stairs, no jumping up and down on furniture for awhile.
Have some yummy foods on hand in case his appetite is off and to coat his tummy for the pills.
Qhen yoi fo fo pick Odin up, don't even bother to look at his incision. just look into his druggy eyes and tell him what a good boy he is and he's going home!
STAY CONNECTED and let us know jow rhings are going. And get some rest while you can!
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!
Yay and welcome home Odin! How did your first night go?
Sorry I missed this last night. Have you seen our What to Expect series of articles or Jerry’s Require Reading List? We have lots of links to articles that can help when you need fast answers.
Honestly I think a lot of the success of the first night (meaning, a calm, relaxed Tripawd and human) depends on the quality of pain management given by the vet. What kinds of meds did Odin come home with?
And thanks for updating here, it is the perfect place!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Odin finally came home last night and what a pleasant surprise. I thought I was going to cry when I picked him up instead I did what you all said looked in his eyes and was so happy to see him. He was wagging his tail giving so many kisses. He has been trying to jump because he is so happy. We are just glad he is home. It’s still crazy that this happened but he seems better. He has even gone up and down our two stairs to get outside just fine. The up actually was harder for him but he is figuring it out. He has eaten is food just find and even pooped just a little when he got home yesterday. He was kicking his back legs like normal after he went.
They gave us Gabapentin, Previcox, and Simplicef for his meds. He will go in to have his stitches removed on January 2nd. Can’t wait for that date.
We moved our bed to our family room cause he is a heavy bed sleeper with us so we don’t want him to jump on the bed just yet. It’s a little strange to watch him kinda hop around but he doesn’t seem to mind. He has bruising so far but not to much seepage. We truly hope he continues on this great path. I will keep updating you all.
Yaaay! I'm super glad to know that he's home and getting around so well. He will continue to amaze, inspire and impress you and everyone encounters, guaranteed 
Yep, the new gait is unusual but after a while you'll forget that he ever had a different one. The ability for an animal to adapt so quickly is just mind-boggling. We learn so much from them!
It's good that you're being cautious about his bed jumping and such. You may want to invest in a set of pet stairs for the bedroom, and maybe one for the couch, so that he can hop up and down without risking an injury.
Keep us posted on how things are going. We'll be waiting!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you all for your advice and support. It is much needed. Odin has been doing great. He has been eating just like a normal lab and going the bathroom like normal. He finished his pain meds yesterday (Tuesday) and still seems very tired. Is that normal? When do you all believe he will be back to his normal energy level. We do not take out the stitches till next Thursday and I’ve heard that’s when he will be much better. Do I need to wait till then?
Yay for Odin doing great!
It's still sooo early in recovery. Is he showing any other pain signals like panting or anxiety?
The tiredness is to be expected. Most dogs need at least two weeks before they get their sparkle back, and based on what you are describing his recovery sounds normal. Remember, getting used to moving around on three legs takes a lot of work, and his body will get stronger but in time. Try to be patient and don't compare to other dogs. Odin is his own dog 🙂
If his stitches are not even out yet, he's got lots more R&R to do. Rest up together, snuggle, cuddle and know that things do get better.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Ok that makes me feel better. We are just nervous I think about the whole thing and want to make sure he is getting better. I was surprised he only took his medication for a week after surgery but that is ok. He does pant at times however it’s hard for me to tell what the reason is. He only seems to pant at night after he’s been under the bed covers for awhile. So I tend to think he is just hot.
I will make sure to cuddle with him a lot.
Want to add that it is a little early for him to be off pain meds based on most experiences here. Most dogs are on for two to three weeks, although finishing up at two and going into three is usually a lower dose.
If I counted right, he's only been on pain meds fot gice days, right?? Yeah, way to early to be off pain meds. Give your Vet a call first thing in the morning and advocate for at least one more week's worth of pain meds. Here's a link tom pain management in case you need support when talking to your Vet.
If he hurts, and it sounds like he does, panting and bey lethargic are definitely signs.
As far as getting his sparkle back, it varies dog to dog on their own time frame. It took me three weeks before I could say I did this FOR my Happy Hannah and not TO her! It usually starts out slowly.... aybe tail wags.... maybe getting up when he hears you open the treat bag....maybe barking for the first time.
Remember, it is major surgery, as well as adjusting to three...he isn't feeling like throwing a pawty quite yet- Hoomans would still be in the hospital!
Keep us posted after talking to the Vet about adding Gabapentin back.
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!
Thank you so much for your advice and help with Odin. I am not going to call the Vet however. He has currently been off the medication for 4 days and now he is beyond the 10 days that most dogs seem to be on the medication. I feel we will continue with his current path that we are on. I don’t disagree that he came off early however didn’t realize it was early till I saw some of the posts here. He is tired yes, however still gives us many kisses and tail wags. Before his surgery he was crying in pain at night and we feel that now he seems much better. I appreciate all the advice. He gets his stitches removed in only 5 days so looking forward to that and hopefully back to our bedroom like normal.
Yeah for Odin - sounds like he is doing great, I know when Wolfie had his amputation we took turns sleeping on the couch for two weeks. A couple of nights he cried out in his sleep but other than that he did great. I think you are right they are in so much pain before the amputation the pain they have after the amputation is nothing in comparison.
Hope it is all going well and good luck
Terry
All dogs are different in how long they need to be on pain medication. Some are ahead of schedule when coming off them, some need longer. Follow your gut instinct and watch carefully see if Odin still seems painful. Talk to your vet if he does show pain signals OK?
I do remember our Jerry panting a lot at night when he first lost his leg, as if all the activity of the day caught up with him. Many people report the same thing so Odin's not unusual in that aspect.
Keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We got Odin's stitches removed on Thursday!!! It all went well and we told the surgeon everything about Odin and he truly believes he is doing great. He was a good boy while they removed the stitches and my husband held him for the tech. Looks like we will not need another visit unless we notice something that we need to tell the vet. We finally put our bed back after the stitches came out and he has jumped on and off. I still try and pick him up off the bed to get down when I can so he doesn't need to jump. Also maybe I should not say jump he is working on a nice way of getting off where he almost glides off the bed. He is getting back to normal and I've let him do his normal walks outside and he is truly enjoying them. He of course does seem much more tired than before but we realize it will take him time to get his new life under control.
He is a good dog and I am glad to have the stitches out. Now my husband and I can snuggle him between us and he seems to be so happy that we are doing that again.
Thanks for the great update! Definitely want to minimize any jumping...
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks for the great update! Definitely want to minimize any jumping...
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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