Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello. My 2 year-old golden is undergoing a rear-leg amputation today. I've been reading through the forums to get advice on how to prep for her return home and I see a firm bed is suggested. Our girl was always a bed destroyer as a puppy and eventually settled on a thin, fleece bed. She usually sleeps on the couch or the floor and uses the bed for "place". Is a firm bed still a good idea?
We have hard wood floors, so we know we need to add traction . Will the need for rugs be a permanent thing or just to get her through recovery?
I appreciate your help. There is a lot to get through and this came as a huge surprise. No one expects an ortho appt. for a 2 year old to end up with oncology.
coveredinfur said
Is a firm bed still a good idea?
During recovery, most dogs will prefer a firm sleeping surface and floppy beds and blankets may tend to trip up new Tripawds. The Kuranda bed is reportedly "chew-proof" and we have never heard of any dog detroying the Urban Sprawl or Big Barker. See all recommended beds and reviews in the Tripawds gear blog.
Will the need for rugs be a permanent thing...
Only time will tell, but the safest bet is to provide paths throughout the home with proper traction as Tripawds will adjust their gait and stance which can result in lest traction on slick surfaces. Any of the traction links will lead to a post with plenty of other recommendations.
Check out the Tripawds Recovery Shopping List if you've missed that and consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns or feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime!
Please keep us posted. Your future forum posts will not require moderation. Meanwhile, start here for help finding all the helpful Tripawds resources and assistance programs.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Gosh, so sorry you find yourself here. As you can tell from the great info and links provided by Admin Guy, this is the best place to be for support and understanding.
Pleaee STAY CONNECTED! YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Let us know any questions you may have. Recovery is no picnic at first, but it gets better! We have Ron's of tips to help you navigate through all this.
Let us know when surgery is done, okay?
I'm a huge fan of The Big Barker Bed and can attest to it being chew proof, at least with my dogs.
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.
She is out of surgery now and we should hear more from the docs later today.
Since she may be coming home tomorrow, I may have to look for some local options. We went from confirmation x-ray yesterday to surgery today. I'm scrambling!!
Hello and welcome, although I'm sorry cancer and amputation has brought you here.
What is your girl's name?
Both of my small rear amps have been 'nesters' and prefer beds they can burrow into. My first, Tripug Maggie, was back in her snuggle ball right after her surgery. I didn't know to keep her on firm footing right after surgery but she did fine with the bed. My current Pug-mix Elly also likes a bed she can burrow in, she does sleep with me at night.
My most slippery floors back when Maggie was around and now with Elly are tile. Both dogs have been able to navigate slowly on the tile. Both learned to go rug to rug when on the tile floors. Elly actually goes the long way around the house to stay on the rug in the living room when she can. I live with my elderly father and too many rugs turned into a trip hazard for him.
Does your girl ever slip now on the hardwood? I had a laminate floor for a bit and both of my four legged Pugs slipped on that surface. If she slips now then as a Tripawd she will probably slip more. But for sure until she gets her strength back and learns her new balance you should provide as much traction as possible.
Keep us posted on how surgery goes.
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
Hi sweetie 🌸
I am very happy to hear your pup is out of surgery, wonderful news that is behind you both now.
You've got great advise on beds, my baby had a memory foam bed but that is definitely not chew proof...
As for carpets ... welcome to the most mismatched carpet community on the planet 🤣 I’d say even when your cutie masters the art of hopping on three, the risk of sliping on hardwood floors remains.
I (and everybody I know of) have kept the carpets for ever, you definitely will want to protect those three legs from injury.
Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
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 :-)
My sweet dog is Lola.
I went to the hardware store to get runners (by the ft b/c we need so much). The odor from them pretty much blew me away. I'm pretty sensitive to that.
Does anyone have advice on where to get runners that won't be off-gassing forever, but won't break the bank?
Job lot, big lots, building 19, Walmart to start with. I got a couple at a time and put them in the most important places, ie.. Door entrances, for food bowls, stair landings. Heavy travel areas like the walk to the door to go out or the walk from the living room to where you feed her. I'm sorry you got smelly runners, that's awful. Home Depot may also have runner scraps for cheap to at least get you traction . Same for Lowe's. Check with their carpet departments.
You can also check on Amazon, but i don't know if you'll have the same luck and certainly cannot feel the runner. I did find some nice smaller rugs but sounds like you need length.
Good luck! I hope some of this helps.
Jackie and Huck ❤️❤️
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
coveredinfur said
Hello. My 2 year-old golden is undergoing a rear-leg amputation today. I've been reading through the forums to get advice on how to prep for her return home and I see a firm bed is suggested. Our girl was always a bed destroyer as a puppy and eventually settled on a thin, fleece bed. She usually sleeps on the couch or the floor and uses the bed for "place". Is a firm bed still a good idea?We have hard wood floors, so we know we need to add traction . Will the need for rugs be a permanent thing or just to get her through recovery?
I appreciate your help. There is a lot to get through and this came as a huge surprise. No one expects an ortho appt. for a 2 year old to end up with oncology.
This is my first reply on the Tripawds site. I’m new to this as well. We have a 2 year old pit/lab mix who is one month post amputation. I like you was reeling about what to do, what happens next and was checking this site regularly for advice.
I thought I needed a needed a new bed too and ordered a $120 memory foam bed. It’s huge and comfy and ya know what? Stewie hasn’t slept on it once yet. He came home the day after surgery and hopped right up on the couch (yes, I know he wasn’t supposed to be jumping up and down). I was so worried about his stitches and would carefully guide him on and off the couch. He’s done fine there. That’s where he is most comfortable.
Hello Stewie and pack, welcome. Your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
Thanks for your input and please consider starting your own thread to introduce Stewie and tell us his story.
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
Hello and welcome, I hope Lola is doing well after surgery. In addition to rugs for traction we also got Bruce a set of Grippers they are soft non slip socks, we only put one on his remaining back foot and it did help him a lot around the house (we have wood floors), they are okay outside as well as long as there is no snow or ice, in which case they are useless, but they don't hold up very well outside either. They come in a four pack which was great since we only used one and had the rest as backup. Here's a link if you would like to check them out https://dogqual.....s/grippers. Good luck with Lola and please keep us updated on how she's doing.
Tracy and Sweet Brucie
Hello amd welcome. I have a Golden as well but she is a front amputee. I used crib mattresses for beds. I like that I can buy sheets to match my decor and also that I can take them off and wash them. I have never had my dogs destroy the crib mattresses. And my Golden destroys all soft plush toys. You can probably shot around and find a firm memory foam crib mattress. I isually just get the regular ones from Walmart. They are pretty firm and cheap.
I have wood floors as well and was worried about having multiple carpet runners. My pitbull is crazy and runs around like a nut. I was worried about him bunching up the runners and my Golden tripping on them or me tripping on them. I ended up getting stick down carpet tiles from Home Depot. They are 2 foot X 2 foot square and they come in a variety box. I bought several different boxes and I was able to pick out ones that matched each rooms decor. I now have a Tripod Golden “yellow brick road”. They stay in place really well and if one gets ruined you can just replace it.
Another important factor with a Golden is making sure their nails and furry feet stay trimmed. I have to trim my Goldens feet in between groomer appointments. You want to make sure that the fur is really short so that the pads make good contact with the floor. Another thing to be prepared for is they will have shaved ALOT of fur off. Much bigger than the actual surgery site. It is a little shicking to see your fur baby missing so much fur. She may be itchy as it grows back so be prepared for that.
Unfortunately owniing a Golden almost aways means you will end up with some type of cancer. It is so prevalent in the breed. I read somewhere that it affects 2 out of 3 Goldens. I lost my first Golden to a cardiac tumor and my current Golden actually has two types of cancer. But she is thriving and is 9 months post amputation. Goldens are fighters! Did your oncologist mention anything about chemo or radiation? It sounds like all of this is happening fast for you so remember to stop and take a deep breath. This website is amazing and we will het you thru whatever comes your way. Take it one day and one Golden smile at a time. Your dog will pick up your energy so stay positive. Remember you did the surgery for your dog not to your dog. The first week or two is rough so stay in contact. Best of luck 🐶❤️👍
Thank you for all the feedback and, ambular29, I appreciate the Golden-specific information. I hadn't thought about the foot hair, but it does grow so quickly!
Lola came home on Friday and is doing really well. She's such an inspiration. I've had much more minor surgery that her and was knocked out and here she is hopping around with a huge smile on her face. She does not adapt well to the cone, so nighttime has been a bit of a challenge. We are going to set up a different room for overnight tonight that allows us to put a mattress on the floor. She loves sleeping on the couch more than anything and is getting frustrated that we have it blocked off. We found a memory foam bed at a local pet store and we've been using it more than her! Ha!
Seeing her the first time was a huge shock. All that missing hair and then the missing leg! We are getting used to it, but it hit all of us hard. Luckily, she showed us how she was just happy to be back with us. She didn't mind her time in the hospital, though, b/c she thinks everyone is her best friend. 
We will meet with the oncologist again in about 2 weeks. Since osteo is suspected, we will probably go ahead with chemo and then try to get her into the vaccine trial. We weren't able to get a conclusive biopsy before amputation, but had enough evidence to move forward. I'm a little overwhelming with all the other info out there about diet and supplements. One step (or hop 
) at a time, I suppose.
G.ad to jear Lola is doing well, especially this early on! If she has a bit of a crash I the next day or so, don't let that alarm you. The strong hospital meds will be put of her system and it will be important to keep her doses of pain meds consistent.
Have to chuckle about Lola wanting to reclaim her position on the couch! I think the bond between a dog and "their" couch is almost as strong as the bond with their human!! Lola, hold on, you'll be back on your throne soon😎
And yes, the surgeons seem to get quite clipper happy somatimes. Her fur WILL grow back, promise!
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!
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