Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi All, My baby had surgery yesterday (right front leg) and came home this morning. He is 13 1/2 year old golden in otherwise great condition. He has not been able to get u fully on his own and seems to not want to use his back legs. I know it has been just over 24 hours but has anyone else had this happen? I hear all these stories of dogs walking out of the vet and I am discouraged. I am feel so doubtful of my decision as you can imagine. Thanks for the help.
Maria and Morgan
Hi and welcome! I'm in the Tripawds Chat room for a bit if you are still online and want to talk. Back here in a sec with some thoughts...
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
mdega05 said
I know it has been just over 24 hours but has anyone else had this happen? I hear all these stories of dogs walking out of the vet and I am discouraged.
Hi and welcome. I'm so glad you decided to post here, I saw your Chat message and was hoping you'd find your way to the Forums. Good job!
First, what's your doggie's name? And what's the reason for the amputation?
Next, do not compare your dog's recovery with others. Those dogs you saw were not your dog, and most are younger too. Your pup is on his own timeline and will get his sea legs before you know it.
Now, try to put yourself in his paws. How would you be if you just came home from amputation surgery? My guess is, a lot like him! The majority of us would be a total mess. Your dog just had a major surgery, and he's still wobbly from the medications, anesthesia, etc. It's a BIG deal so give him time and be patient. Your vet would not have released him if he wasn't ready to be on his own at home. To help yourself feel better, give the clinic a call and let them know your concerns.
Senior dogs recover well, but often need more time than younger pups. That is totally normal and not out of the ordinary. So while he is woozy, you can assist him with a sling. But really he shouldn't be doing anything except going out to potty a couple of times a day, on leash. Don't expect more than that right now.
If you haven't already I encourage you to check out Jerry's Required Reading List and the Tripawds e-books library to help put your mind at ease a bit. This time is not easy but the more information you have, the stronger you can be for your pup, which is what he needs most right now. And if you want a shoulder to lean on feel free to call the Tripawds Helpline too OK?
Keep us posted on how things are going, we are here for you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yes, can only ditto everything Jerry said!
There are lots of dogs, lots of them, who take days before they are mobile! And when you have a larger senior pup, it is almost certain that mobility will come sloooowly. The fact that he even gets up at all with help is a good sign!!
Your pup still has lots of good hospital pajn meds in him and is still shaking off the anesthesia, so he is quite woozy.
For now, just let him rest and don't be surprised if he has potty accidents in his bed the first couple of days. Make sure he drinks and pees (wherever), but he may not have much of an appetite and may not poop for a couple of days...all "normal".
And many of us are second guessing our decision during the recovery period. It's scary and stressful, exhausting physically and emotionally drainjng......but recovery does NOT last forever!!! You WILL get to a point where you will realize you are doing this FOR your pup and not TO your pup!
What pain meds did the Surgeon give you? Most dogs here come home with Tramadol, Gabapentin, Rimadyl and an antibiotic. It takes some tweaking sometimes to get the doses right that work for each specific pup.
STAY CONNECTED!! Grab some chocolate and remember to BREATHE! We are here with you rhe whole way!!
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!
Hi and welcome! I know this is a stressful time and you are worried sick but you just got great responses from wonderful people and they are right 💖
So many people worry about them being so medicated in the beginning but this is major surgery!! And trust me, you wouldn't want your pup screaming in agony because he didn't have enough.
The only other thing i can add is maybe getting some incontinence or puppy pads for your pups bed. It's very common to have a few accidents in the beginning and this will save you time and laundry.
Stay close and we'll help any way that we can!
Jackie and Huckleberry 💖
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Thank you both soooo sooo much for the advice and encouragement. Morgan was diagnosed Osteosarcoma less then 2 weeks ago and I was able to get him in for the surgery yesterday 1/24. My head is still spinning and I am still so unsure of what I have done. Knowing his age I am still questioning if I should just have let him go. But he is so happy and full of life. He was still enjoying (actually begging) for long walks and loves to go swimming, etc.
Since I wrote we have had some progress. He got up a few times on his own and we got him out to pee. He did have one accident in the house and was very panicked by it so I think it was really good that he went outside. Also he did get up and do a few hops and even a little turn. It just looks so incredible weird and uncomfortable for him. I am still inspired by all the success and happy to have him home and with me as long as I can. This is a wonderful community.
Maria and Morgan
Thank you. You are all so amazing. So happy to find this group.
Maria and Morgan
I forgot to say on the answer on the meds. Yes same ones you mentioned. He does have trouble with medications and has always been sensitive so maybe just slow to adapt. I am just doing rimadyl and tramadol now and haven't used gabapentin yet.
Maria and Morgan
I think you just answered your own question 
A thirteen year old golden is not a spring chicken, but like people, some beings age quickly and some age gracefully.
Knowing his age I am still questioning if I should just have let him go. But he is so happy and full of life. He was still enjoying (actually begging) for long walks and loves to go swimming, etc.
He is happy, ambulatory, and full of life! I don't know a lot of 13 year old big dogs that still have that zest for life. Obviously you have taken good care of him and he is in good shape. Those things are blessings to all of us as we age (I am not in that great of shape anymore, lol 
)
Since I wrote we have had some progress. He got up a few times on his own and we got him out to pee. He did have one accident in the house and was very panicked by it so I think it was really good that he went outside.
I understand the panic. There are some breeds of dogs that just seem so much more in tune with what is "good" and what is "bad" Again, you have a dog that for 13 years has proudly been able to go out and not soil the house. He is proud of that and does not want to disappoint you. He is not thinking.. "oh man, I just had surgery and it's ok not to be perfect" He is thinking "oh boy, my pawrent is going to be angry, this is a no no" Your lack of response and just taking care of it will help ease him as he recovers. He was probably tickled pink to go outside and get it "right".
Just the bit of mobility that he is showing right now is really incredible for this beautiful pup. We have seen dogs (and cats) that were not able to get up right away to eliminate, eat, or drink. It really is a blessing right now 💖
On a more serious note, can you please let us know what medications he came home with? What mg. and how often? No, I am not a vet. I am also asking because one of the biggest problems we see and face here is lack of proper pain management . I will tell you that I was a vet tech for quite a while, and I worked with animals for a lot of years. I was also a veterinary surgical tech, so with that in mind I will tell you a few "need to know" things.
Your baby had surgery yesterday. Prior to surgery, they get a beautiful cocktail (mix) of medications to help pain, heart rate, salivation, etc. After surgery, many get an injection of antibiotics and an injection that lasts several days for pain. In the middle of that they get inhalable anesthesia. All of these things take several days to leave his system .. 4ish. Right now he is feeling good mainly because of the drugs he has in his system. Many dogs crash after 3-5 days, especially if they are not on proper pain management .
Depending on if he had antibiotics injection, he should come home with an nsaid, stronger pain med, and gabapentin. Sometimes they come home with antibiotics too and that's great. Right now try to make sure he is getting his pain meds faithfully. All of these drugs can make their appetite "off" so if its hamburger, scrambled eggs, whatever his favorite foods are.. try to have something on hand in case he gets finicky. Being older they can crash harder. Break through pain is harder to manage, so even if you are giving meds faithfully, watch him around day 4-5 and call your vet if the medications need tweaking a bit.
I promise I am not trying to scare you. I am trying to prepare you for your road to recovery so that you don't get any unwanted surprises. Food, sleep, medication, short potty breaks are what he will need for the next couple of weeks. Please don't let him run, jump up on anything, or get too much activity. He really truly needs to rest at least until after suture removal. And even then, after that you need him to slowly get used to his new "normal".
I hope this helps you prepare, I know life has been a whirlwind for a bit. I hope I didn't overstep. In here, knowledge is power. And the more you can prepare the better you both will be.
Hugs,
Jackie and Huckleberry
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
Hello! I’m glad to hear your pup is making positive progress! We are 9 days into recovery ourselves and it’s been quite the journey. Make sure to take care of yourself and get some precious rest when you can. I’ve been experiencing my girl Ziva going through spells. Sometimes she has the strength to get up, sometimes she’s too tired. It’s all a learning process and you’ve found the best place to come for support!
Thanks you so much Jackie. You didn't overstep at all! I will gladly take any advice at all and very much appreciate it from such caring, experienced people. I am amazed at the support and you willingness to spend time helping others.
We had a bit of bleeding last night and went back to the vet. they said it was normal drainage and rebandage but he was pretty wiped out for the rest of the night. He did sleep all night which is amazing and did a few hops this morning outside to pee. It is just so hard for me to watch him struggle and not do all the things he loves. We are going to ice today and the vet said to bring him back for a check later in the day (free of charge, can you imagine that!).
As for meds he has the antibiotic for 5 days. Tramadol 50mg (1-2 tablets every 8-12 hours), Rimadyl 100mg (1 every 12 hours), and Gabapentin 100mg as needed (2 tablets). I have been giving 1 to 1 1/2 tramadol every 10ish hours and the rimadyl on schedule. I gave him one Gabapentin yesterday (can give 2 twice a day). I am not sure how much of the tramadol or gabapentin to give but glad for the warning about day 4-5.
I am still having trouble picturing a what a new normal will be like and wondering if I put him through suffering just for me. I guess I am feeling selfish as this is not doing either of us any good. Unfortunately with Osteosarcoma it didn't feel like there were any good choices and to put down a happy dog is so hard to wrap your head around. Sorry for being so negative. With myself, I usually have a I can do anything attitude and he is usually so strong. Was hoping for one of those amazing stories of bouncing back. Still hope for one!
Enjoy your Saturday and thank you again.
Maria and Morgan
Thank you so much. Good to know about the ups and downs. I hope your baby continues to do well. Glad to have the support.
Maria and Morgan
YAY for starting to get up a little better and YAY for pee! Wherever a dog peed during recovery is a victory! Taking a few hops outside already, YAY!!!
You are doing such a good job of staying on top of things! And sounds like you have a wonderful Vet. You have a good plan for pain management with some room for tweaking as needed. I know you mentioned he is sensitive to pain meds, so good to start off the way you are.
And you are NOT being "negative"! We all go through those same emotions, mich worse actually!!! You are being a caring and loving partner for your pup! Loving your dog who is showing you he still has a zest for life is NOT being selfish! It's called "love". This piece of crap disease makes us make "forced choices" that cause us a lot of stress....at first. You are still in the rough part of recovery, as well as being sleep deprived and emotionally drained!!
Try to remember this is MAJOR SURGERY, all while trying to adjust to three legs! A human would still be in the hospital on a morphine drip!
You did the right thing! You are giving your pup a chance at pain free extended quality time for more spoiling and tummy rubs and a scoop of ice cream every now and then.
Make note of every little victory (like getting up a bit better), Every "little" victory during recovery amounts to HUGE VICTORIES during recovery!!
Did I miss your pup's name?
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!
You are so encouraging and very right. And yes Morgan is still enjoying tummy rubs and although freezing out (we are in upstate NY) he enjoyed his usually routine of laying out on the deck this morning. No looking for rabbit poop in the yard but hopefully soon!
I really need to figure out how to add his picture to my profile or here!
Maria and Morgan
Hope your appointment goes well, please let us know how you make out. You really didn't have many options, osteosarcoma is a very painful disease. Once the leg is gone, the pain goes with it. That would have escalated very quickly and pain management only works so long.
Your vet sounds like a gem, I am so happy for you. The vet that took care of Huck was not and his post op care was just one ugly problem after another.
I just found this video on you tube. This pup was almost 13 before she got osteosarcoma and I found it very inspiring. I thought you would appreciate this one 
Big hugs
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
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