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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Pete's front leg amputation was yesterday and it went well! It took awhile because we opted to remove the scapula and his was quite long (per the vet), but there wasn't too much blood loss or any other complications.
I got a nice photo of him this morning. I will have to add it in a moment. Can't figure it out on my phone......
Thanks for all the support. Tripawds has been a big help to us on this journey!
YAAAAAAAAAAY FOR PETE!!!! GOOD JOB SWEET BOY!!
Is he spending the night at the clinic tonight? If so, be sure and get some good rest yourself before his homecoming.
No help with pictures as far as a phone...but this may work...adding images
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!
I spent some time trying to add a photo earlier by starting a blog. I think I have to wait for my first post to be approved?
They said he can come home tonight OR stay the night.
So far he doesn't want to eat anything and the only way I can give him meds is to hide it in food, so I am nervous about bringing him home. They suggested he might eat better at home?
If I leave food out forf him and leave our home he doesn't eat it until I get back, so if he is anxious about being there it might prevent him from eating. He definitely wasn't happy to be left there at drop-off yesterday.
They had to pill him this morning and said "he is good at spitting it out." 
Hi Petesmom, I'm in the Tripawds Chat right now if you want to talk. Back in a sec with some thoughts about helping him take his meds...
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Ok we just approved your first post, none of the others will need approval so post away! He's a cutie patootie!
What a relief that surgery day is over! Try not to worry too much about his lack of appetite, that is typical and temporary. But whatever you do, don't hide pills in his regular food or that may prevent him from eating altogether. Instead, here's what you need to do:
Give Pills to Dogs and Cats the Easy Way
also see:
How to Hide Pet Medication (and Get Your Tripawd Eating)
Finally, Tripawds member @krun did a GREAT video on how to pill her dogs, check it out:
Let us know what works for him. Hope he gets to go home real soon.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks for the info, Jerry. Right now I have a appointment (unrelated to Pete) I have to go to, but will be back after to read what you shared!
Great info. The video was well made!
I should clarify to say I haven't been using his typical food to hide it.
Pete has been on Gabapentin leading up to surgery and I was able to effectively hide the pills in wet cat food. He likes to sneak & steal his feline brother & sister's food if no one is looking. So, I turned the tables on him and made cat food "meatballs." It was working really well, so hoping it will continue to.
He was on antibiotics in January and outsmarted pb balls and pill pockets. When that didn't work, we watched multiple "how to pill your dog" YouTube videos. We tried hard to do it "right," but it wasn't working and he would get very cranky.
I have to admit it made me feel a bit better about myself after the vet techs told me "he is good at spitting (the pill) out." Yep. That's been my experience! 😉
Yeah, as Jerry said, no worries about not be too much of a chow hound at this point. Drinking and peeing are important, but no worries about poop or eating too much this early on.
The wet cat food balls sound like they will work...unless he figures them out. Just feed him whatever he'll eat for now...cheeseburgers, bacon and eggs with cheese (not too much bacon though).
When you do go pick him up, don't bother to even look at his incision. He just wants to see your smiling face telling him what a good boy he is!
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!
So today is 6 days post-op.
Good things are:
he has pooped at least once every day and the stools have almost turned normal (at first they were dry)
He pees multiple times outside every day
He can walk without assistance
Appetite is decent
He has been taking his medicine fine
Currently struggling with:
Periodically shaking and/or panting. Sometimes hiding
Pete is a little over 50 lbs. He is taking 300 mg of gabapentin 2x a day and half of a Meloxicam tablet a day. I'm thinking it isn't enough?
At 4 days post op he went to the vet's for a bandage change and to have fentanyl patches removed. At the visit he wasn't showing signs of pain around the incision when it was checked. They said to give him the Meloxicam only if he seemed to need it. I have been still giving it to him based on his behavior and he still seems uncomfortable at times. I am trying to stagger the medicine.
930 am - gabapentin
6 pm - meloxicam
930 pm - gabapentin
I plan to call the vet in the morning about this, but am interested in hearing feedback here as well
I wanted to add:
Since he has come how he will periodically twitch. A lot of the day he rests on his side (amputation side up) and his 3 remaining legs will move. Almost like a whole body twitch or tick.
I spent awhile on tripawds yesterday searching forums and articles about pain and twitching. I was trying to figure out if he was twitching out of pain or not. I did find a few instance where people mentioned their dogs twithcing and that it would slowly go away as recovery progressed (sometimes weeks later).
I don't know that all of what I am seeing is pain related. I am pretty sure it is pain when he is panting or shaking, but am not as sure with the twitching.
If I check on him and he seems to be in pain I have been sitting with him, wrapping him with a blanket, pettingphim, etc. It takes about 15 mins and he is able to stop the behavior.
Panting, and shaking are common side effects of many pain medications. Twitching is normally attributed to nerves mending, the whole body spasm/twitch could indicate something else.
If it occurs while sleeping, it could be related to medication. All around, it sounds like Pete is doing as well as can be expected at this point in recovery. Don't let him overdo it, and certainly call your vet with any specific concerns.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Online
Most pups here are on pain meds for at least two weeks post surgery, not just an NSAID like meloxicam.
My Pug Maggie was on pain meds for a full 14 days post amp, although I was tapering the last couple of days.
For comparison: My current Tripawd Elly had a very invasive dental surgery last month, she lost 6 teeth including one of the biggest teeth which had to be broken to get it out. Elly was on Tramadol for 14 days although only the first 4 days post op at full dosage.
Lots of vets still follow old school practices where pets are not given enough pain meds.
Here is blog post on current pain management protocols.
Here is an informative blog post on recognizing pain signs.
Overall he sounds like he is doing pretty well, keep talking with your vet about the signs you are seeing and if you think he is in pain advocate for stronger meds.
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
Thanks, Karen. I appreciate it. I talked to Pete's vet and we will be getting some more meds for him.
I don’t know if you’ve tried these already but how I hide pills for Bosley is taking a hard boiled egg, split in half, pull the yoke out and put the pills in an put the yoke back on top. Or just a 1/2 a plane old peanut butter sandwich works great too.
Hope Pete’s doing good today!
Bosley’s Mama
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