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
Hello, I am Jen, mom to Peter and Twist. They are two Dobermans.
Peter is 6 years old.
About a month ago, Peter started limping on his front left leg. At first we thought it was arthritis. Rimadyl seemed to help. We got an x ray, and another, and found the culprit - osteosarcoma in the upper humorous. So, in the space of five days, we got the confirmation xray, got into a surgeon and amputated the leg and the shoulder.
Pete was in surgery 8.31.16. He came home Saturday. He was standing and walking-ish within 36 hours. He has not lost his appetite throughout this (he has always been a healthy eater). The first night he was home he went out several times to pee and seemed to sleep for about 2-3 hours. This was Saturday (9.3.2016).
Last night - Sunday, 9.4.16 - Pete slept better. There was a possum outside and he jogged to the fence to try and catch it. It was not a long way, but I was shocked he wanted to go anywhere.
We have a lead and a soft harness to put under him to help him walk (not a walking harness). He hates both and freezes when we try and use them. I have to use them in the morning as his legs are not exactly working the way they need to yet. Once he gets going, he seems fine.
Pete has been panting randomly. It comes and goes - from the posts I see here, it seems as if it might be the Tramadol. Also, he wants to lay down in random spots- not his normal spots. I think this is okay from what you guys have posted.
He is a bit pokey today. Heck, I have no idea what I am doing and what to expect. He has been out of surgery 5 days, home for 2 days, and we have not started chemo or anything. His bandage comes off tomorrow night.
Does anyone else here feel as if they are watching every little thing to see if there is an issue? I am staring at him as if he might explode at any minute. He is sleeping right now. I know he is okay, safe, and in alot less pain but I am still neurotic.
What else can I do that will help him? He is my sweet boy. We know he is on really limited restriction, so we are watching him like a hawk. He sits outside and sits in the sun.
Meds:
1. tramadol 3xday (100 mg per time)
2. simplicef 1.5 pills one a day (for infection)
3. rimadyl 2xday (75 mg)
4. some supplements that he took originally before his surgery (taurine, co-Q10, some Chinese herbs) as he has idiopathic epilepsy
5. Rescue Remedy drops in his food (3 drops)
I am forever thinking we need to do more to help him. And I am scared. Thank you for listening,
Jen and Sweet Pete
Phillmar Spiderman (aka Peter),
Black and Tan Doberman, diagnosed 29 August 2016 with osteosarcoma, front left leg amputated 31 August 2016, chemo (carboplatin) administered 16 September, 11 October...earned his wings 31 October 2016 at 6:15 pm CST.
Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
First- take a deep breath, relax (yeah, right!) and give yourself a pat on the back. You are doing just FINE!!!
This is the biggest surgery and recovery most of us have ever dealt with- and lay the cancer diagnosis on top of that- it is a lot to take in.
Pete sounds like he is doing great overall. Many pups have a bit of a crash around day 3 to 5. The hospital meds have worn off, they've been hopping for a few days which is super tiring for a new tripawd, and they are dealing with lots of meds.
Are the random spots he wants to lay in on cool surfaces? Sometimes new Tripawds like the cool feel on their surgery sites. You can also ice his incision for a few min at a time a few times a day. Nothing wet, and use a towel to protect the skin. But only do it if he's OK with it.
Be sure you keep his activity level down to just leashed potty walks. We were told only leashed potty walks for the first two weeks following surgery.
One of the best things you can do for him right now it to be calm and confident around him. He needs you to be a strong pack leader so he knows things are OK. And you need to sleep when he does- the recovery phase can be exhausting!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Oh yeah, if you scroll down you'll see a post called "paranoid dog mom" that I posted several days ago. 
So worry and obsessive watching are not unusual. Your guy sounds like he's doing really well - Clyde panted like crazy after the surgery and it got better once the Tramadol was done. I bought him a super expensive dog bed and he won't use it - he prefers the floor. I think for him, its a combo of it being cooler and his preference for a really hard surface.
As Karen mentioned, he may have a bit of a crash after the surgery meds leave his system - Clyde definitely did. But he really came around once his stitches were out. You are definitely not alone - you'll find this community to be so helpful, so ask any questions!
Thanks!
Both Pete and I are exhausted. He just tottered outside for a wee. He doesn't really move too much if I am standing with him without his leash. He will hop a couple of paces and relieve himself. Then he sits (not in his pee spot) until he decides to go back inside. If I leash him, he won't move. At all. He always stunk on a leash- this is my fault.
He still has his bandage until tomorrow. Can I ice the bandage spot(without wetting the bandage, of course)?
He is finding spots that are cooler. We live in Texas so this makes sense. He has his "spot" (like Sheldon Cooper) but he is not as interested in it because it is a fleece bed topped pet bed.
I'm scared and tired and worried and all sorts of emotions.
When did you first leave your pet alone post op? Pete is crate trained and loves his crate. I don't want to leave him at all- ever- but that is no different now. I'm just wondering when it would be okay to run to the store for 30 minutes with him in his crate.
Today my husband and I are home, but we work tomorrow. Pete will be at a private suite in his indoor play place so he can be watched without being jostled or hurt or anything while we are at work. We have a dog nanny that comes once during the day, but he won't come to let the dogs out until the stitches are out.
Jen and Sweet Pete
Phillmar Spiderman (aka Peter),
Black and Tan Doberman, diagnosed 29 August 2016 with osteosarcoma, front left leg amputated 31 August 2016, chemo (carboplatin) administered 16 September, 11 October...earned his wings 31 October 2016 at 6:15 pm CST.
Sounds like things are right on track for Pete. Some dogs see a bit of a crash about day 5 when the hospital meds wear off. I noticed Otis would start to pant as the Tramadol wore off - I ended up staggering the dosage - 2 pills, and then the 3rd an hour later. We were on the same 3 medications as you are. If you notice phantom pain (usually bizarre yelping), you might talk to your vet about adding gabapentin to the mix.
I left Otis alone, uncreated, for the first time on day 9 so I could take my daughter to a violin lesson. He was fine. I think you would be fine running to the store, especially if Pete is crate trained.
And yes, cancer causes you to watch every little detail and to become hyper-sensitized to your dog, just like when you have a new baby in the house. It will lessen a bit, but unfortunately is just a new "super power" you develop as part of this journey. For me, it also attached itself to my other dog. Sometimes I have to remind myself that she does not have cancer and I do not need to watch her like a hawk.
I bought Otis a chill mat - he was on it from time to time. I also raised the A/C in my house because he became even more sensitive to heat. In my last blog post, you will see a picture of me wearing sweats holding him! I also recommend the Ruffwear Webmaster Plus harness, see the gear blog for info. Otis loved his.
Welcome to the Tripawd Nation. We are all here to support you in this journey. And you will probably see amazing improvement when the staples come out, usually around day 10 or so. Pete will amaze you with everything he can do as a Tripawd.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
You've gotten great advice a d support already!
We understand the uncertainty, the fear, the exhaustion, the panic, the worrying, the can't sleep, the pit in the stomach, the hoovering, did I mention can't sleep? This is all so "normal" (if there is such a thing on this crazy journey)!
It sounds like Pete is having a relatively"normal" recovery! As mentioned, make note when the panting starts in relation to the timing of the pain meds. Is it towards the end and before his next dose his due? And yes, Tramadol can cause some panting, but it's better than being in pain.
It's funny how dogs will seek out cool spots to lay on during recovery...and simultaneously bake in the sunshine!
Tripawds need momentum for balance and forward motion. He probably feels hindered by the leash/harness "help".''They get their mobility worked out pretty quickly though. Plus, he's still on meds and that can make him a bit woozy.
You're doi g a great job! Pete is doing exactly as he should...potty...rest...eat...drink...and more rest!
Actually, leaving him alone a bit will do EVERYBODY some good! My Happy Hannah never bothered her stitches, but many dogs do. So just make sure he can't get to his incision site if that's an issue.
TRY and get some sleep! Exhaustion increases the stress and makes everything seem worse than it is! Pete is dpi g well, REALLY!!
Take so e deeeeep breaths.....eat a bag of CHOCOLATE.....does wonders! 🙂
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!
Mauled by another dog....so sorry!! That's an awful way to have to become a Tripawd. There are so many great posters on this site. These people rock and know their stuff so just keep reading and I'm sure you will find your answer. Our Ruby is almost 2 months out now and the Tramadol was the culprit in her panting but we had to give it to her. The Rimadyl caused diarrhea and we did make a switch. It is just MAJOR surgery and will take time. They need lots and lots of rest and a little bit of outings if they are used to being an outside going kind of dog. We wish the best in your recovery!!
Rubys Gram - Lisa Mom of Denver and OzzieGirl( both 4 legged for now)
Hi Jen and Peter
You've got great advice already so there isn't much I would add.
Just wanted to say you are doing really great 
and watching your boy like a hawk sounds all too familiar here
Keep up the good work!
Sending you a big hug and cuddles to gorgeous Pete
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Thank you to all you guys! I am much better this evening.
Peter, his sister Twist (6 year old Doberman from another litter), and my husband and I went to his indoor play place (City Dog Club in Addison, TX) to see if he can be there safely while we are at work. We are teachers and cannot take the days off yet. We were worried about floors, other dogs...everything!
Well, the floors are fine - grippy and not slippy. Pete can be in his own suite where it is quiet and he can go out in one of the smaller play areas without being jostled. There are cameras on him 24/7 and everyone there loves him and was so happy to see him. We did a dry run today to see what we could figure out and it came together perfectly.
So, he will not be alone, he can sleep and get his meds at the right time, and he is safe. Plus, Twist can play all day - we are worried about her as well and want to keep things as normal as we can for her. Pete can be there while I teach, and I am less than three minutes away from him (the dog place buffers my campus - I could run there if I needed to do so) and it is 5 minutes from our house. He played there before the surgery, so it is not new to him.
So - we are figuring things out one bit at a time. He is eating like a champ. We are practicing tonight with his undershirt he will wear once his bandages come off. He shreds cones (we have tried every one and he shreds them but doesn't eat them). So, we will use a tee shirt with maxi-pads stuck to the inside of the tee shirt to give him some extra padding over the wound. It worked once before.
He is sleeping right next to me with his paw on me. He ate dinner like a champ, takes his meds, and is more adaptable than I am right now.
Thank you for listening to my hysterical overtones. Now, I figure I have one week to research all things chemo until we meet with the oncologist.
Jen and Sweet Pete
Phillmar Spiderman (aka Peter),
Black and Tan Doberman, diagnosed 29 August 2016 with osteosarcoma, front left leg amputated 31 August 2016, chemo (carboplatin) administered 16 September, 11 October...earned his wings 31 October 2016 at 6:15 pm CST.
Maxi pads - how funny! How great that your care provider is willing to provide such special care for him, and give his meds! It will also give you a nice break from the world of dog cancer.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
The maxi pad idea is really brilliant! I live alone and even though I was off work for the first two weeks of Clyde's recovery, I started leaving him alone in his "playpen" for short trips to the store, etc. after the first couple of days (he's crate trained but didn't fit in there with his cone of shame - I also left that on him when I wasn't around). Sounds like you have a great place to take him during the day, and sounds like he's doing really well!
Oh my gosh, all of us totally freak out about everything! lol That is perfectly normal around here! It really is sort of early in the recovery period. Rest is the best thing for Pete. Murphy came home on Tramadol, Rimadyl & Gabapentin for pain. Often panting is a sign of pain, so keep an eye on that. We were lucky as far as leaving him home alone because I work 3 days a week and my son was living at home at the time, so there were 3 adults here to help with Murphy's care. It's great that you have the doggy day care so close to your work and they have the private room for him!
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Neurotic? Really? Welcome to the family!
Here's a recent track from inside my head.... "he didn't eat. why didn't he eat? Is it pain? Is it a sign the cancer spread? But no, he's still begging for food. He has to be ok. Or is he? Maybe he has an upset tummy? Why would he have that? Is it a supplement I changed? What if is is the cancer?...."
I have others that are similar having to do with his breathing, and where he's sleeping, and how he's hopping about. There is no shortage of neurotics around here!
Milo is a ~75 lb Australian Labradoodle, who limped on July 2, had his front left leg amputated on July 28, and is now 5.5 weeks out and doing great. We took him to his favorite hiking spot today. He didn't last long, but he got a good 20+ minutes in and was wound up about being there. Yesterday he hopped all around a Petco stopping at every bin to smell things, and then visited Grammie and Grampa who have lots of stairs, and wrapped up the night running over to a neighbor's house to play and get a marrow bone. Yes -- running!
Between the amputation 5.5 weeks ago and the successful weekend we just had, we had a number of ups and downs. We had two different times when Milo was losing ground -- mostly due to pain and changing meds. He got stiff and got into a bad spiral once. He over did it a few times. You can poke around for past Milo posts, but I suspect for now, the main message is that it's early, chances are you'll hit a few lows, and Pete will, too. Hit up this site with specifics and the people here will take care of you. And most likely, a month from now, you'll be reaching out to help another newbie sharing stories of the roller coaster you and Pete have been on, and telling another newbie what a great weekend Pete just had.
Good luck.
Peace,
Jenifer & Milo
goodmilo said
Neurotic? Really? Welcome to the family!Here's a recent track from inside my head.... "he didn't eat. why didn't he eat? Is it pain? Is it a sign the cancer spread? But no, he's still begging for food. He has to be ok. Or is he? Maybe he has an upset tummy? Why would he have that? Is it a supplement I changed? What if is is the cancer?...."
Peace,
Jenifer & Milo
Jenifer, get outta my head!! LOL.
Yup, lots of imaginary ups and downs around here and some real ones, too, of course. Recovery from a major surgery is rarely a straight line - for anyone!
Love what your doggy day care is able to do for Pete and for you - it sounds like a very, very suitable arrangement! And love the avatar photo of Peter and Twist. More pictures, please, when you have the time.
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
Great news Pete will be looked after and you can do your teaching without worrying what is happening with him at home 😳
The maxi pads are a brilliant idea 💡 we all use our imagination here and share with others no matter how crazy it may sound sometimes!
Sending you a big hug and cuddles to your sweeties ❤️🐾
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
3 Guest(s)
