Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi All,
Brand new here, as another unfortunate pet parent who just found out their pup will need a rear leg amputation due to osteosarcoma. After trying to get over the initial shock, I am plagued by one question that I can't stop thinking about, and that is where I am looking for help. My husband and I work full time, but we are trying to arrange a full week to be at home with our dog after the amputation. However, the second week is going to a lot more challenging to arrange to be home full time. If anyone can please weigh in with what they did with their dog, and let me know if it will be safe to leave my dog home alone for part of the time the second week, that would be really helpful.
I want to be able to stay with her full time, unfortunately, I just had surgery myself in September, and lost several weeks of work at that time. Therefore, I just don't have the time available to use.
Any thoughts?
Welcome, your future forum posts will not require moderation.
While the first two weeks are the toughest, after the first few days, you should know if Cassie will have any issues requiring full-time supervision. Is that her name?
If there's any way the two of you could alternate a week off to have someone home for the full two weeks, that may work best. If not, one week should suffice if you can check on her mid day or have someone help you. But please consult your surgeon with any post-op care concerns.
Just keep in mind that in the wild, dogs will leave the pack to go hide somewhere on their own to heal by themselves. Hope this helps! Bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List for more information or consider downloading Tripawds e-books for fast answers to the most common concerns about recovery and care.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome, and sorry you had to join the group, but you've come to a good place. We had with our boy a good two weeks recoup from the surgery but about a month until he started to shine like himself again. As admin said maybe alternating you and your husbands weeks would make it easier and less stressful for your girl and yourselves. Also ask friends to help and family if that's a possibility.
We got ready before surgery, put down runners for traction
, got an elevated feed and water bowl. Situate where she will spend her time recouping and, I'm sure others will offer advice on how they managed with work. Just ask for help, sometimes we forget to go to others that would be more than happy to assist in any way.
It's important for them to rest as much as possible. It's a major surgery so quiet healing is important for them. There are ups and downs in recoup for most of us, any concerns call your vet, that's what they are there for. And remember to take care of yourself, rest when you can too.
Jump on chat there are a lot of great folks that will listen, share, offer advice by their experiences and support you. It helps.( You'll find usually it more active at nite.)We all understand.
We'll be thinking of you. Sending pawsitive thoughts your way for surgery and a good start on recoup. Keep us posted.
Esther and her Snoop
Hi Casserole!
Sorry you have to be nere, but you couldn't be in a ore supportive place on tis journey!
Your Cassie s adoravle bythe way! When you can, and I kw your head is spinning right nw and you feel lie you've been kicked n tne fut, tell us more avout your up. And we LOVE pictures!
I can only tell you my experience.......it's just myself and my dogs. We live in "rural" area and pretth much stay to ourselves. My Happ Hannah, 118 lb Bull Mastiff (weight after amp) had a "rougher" two weeks than many. I stayed ho e the first week and felt perfectlh co fortavle NOT staying ho e from work the seco d week. Bh that time, sne still wasn't feeling great and mostly laid around feeling rotten She had nointerest in being rambunctious whatsoever!
Now, if she's one of those who has a faster recovery and is feeling a little frisky by the seco d week, you'll want to keep her closed off from stairs or a ything she may want to jump on or over!
Most people here had so eone check ino their dogs once or twice a day. Do you have family, frie ds or maybe even a vet tech from your vet's office.?
I really think you'll find that Cassie will "self-monitor" herself pretty well and probably wn't feel like bou cng aro d yet.
You are going to be sooooo glad you've made the decision to remover her pain! She will adapt to three legs and hoppi g alo g very quickky....you will be amazed! Every day is a gift! Everyday you will cram in more locing and more happiness than you ever imagined possible!
Others will chime in and just know we are here flr you. You are NOT alne!
Oh heah...scatter rugs for traction
if you have hardwood. Think I mentioned, no stairs, no couch jumping.
Hugs to you!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Our amp was on a Thursday; Sam came home Friday after work. He was fine being left alone following the weekend. I did block off the stairs and try to keep him confined to the main level, however. This was moderately successful. For a little while.
I did sleep downstairs with him for the first week or so, but other than that and the barricades, we didn't change much. Never had a ramp or anything. He did the stairs in and out of the house from day one.
I was quite surprised at how quickly he adapted, and how little help he required. But...Sam was never super active, and he was stubborn as hell, so those probably played a role.
"Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all."
-Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
"May I recommend serenity to you? A life that is burdened with expectations is a heavy life. Its fruit is sorrow and disappointment. Learn to be one with the joy of the moment."
-Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Hi Cassierole,
I'm new here too, and have the same worries. I'm a single parent, so no one to split the time with. I have some vacation time I was saving to visit family in California over Thanksgiving so may cancel that trip and use the time with my dog Nosey. Also considering using a toddler gate to keep Nosey in the bedroom, but the door open so he can still have contact with my other dog. Still pondering how this will work.....
Best of luck to you,
Kelly
Thank you everyone for the kind words and support. The community here is great and we have no doubt we will be spending time here.
Did anyone use gabapentin pre and post op? We have read that it is supposed to help with the post op pain and is normally first given the day before. Our vet normally doesn't use it but said she isn't against it and will prescribe it.
As for our post op schedule, we have made arrangements to be home with her the first two weeks, and our doggy day care person also offered to take her if she was getting around ok. There are so many good people out there.
Sam was fairly med sensitive, plus our vet tends to be start out with as few meds as possible and add more if needed, as opposed to the other way around. For that reason, we only had relatively low doses of tramadol and piroxicam post-op.
Later on, we never ended up having any issues with phantom limb pain, and as we progressed, did acupuncture and laser therapy to deal with arthritis pain, so never had the occasion to try it then, either.
"Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all."
-Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
"May I recommend serenity to you? A life that is burdened with expectations is a heavy life. Its fruit is sorrow and disappointment. Learn to be one with the joy of the moment."
-Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Gaba is relatively new in veterinary medicine but yes you can take it after surgery (or rather your pup can), if necessary. Many folks have taken it here, a search for "gabapentin" in the forums will reveal hundreds of responses if you want to scan through them.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Update on our sweetie-we are 3 days post amputation and we brought her home Tuesday night. First night was rough trying to interpret her whines and trying to help when she was trying to move but not get in her way. She is absolutely amazing. She has walked around the house harness free and doesn't seem to have much of a problem. We are using the harness when we take her out, and she is figuring out how to balance when she needs to go to the bathroom. She hasn't had much luck trying to sit yet, and is still trying to figure out how to lay down with the surgical side up. Since she was a puppy, she usually walked in a circle three times before plopping down on the floor but I realized that more often than not she leg on the underside was the one removed...she is confused trying to figure that one out.
This morning she opted to forgo the step I put in front of the couch and jumped up-not sure how she managed that! LOL
We can not say enough about the staff at the hospital that took care of her...wonderful people. And same for everyone here. The support and information has been wonderful and we look forward to more time here.
Love love love updates like this, thanks for such a fantastic way to start our day. Aren't animals amazing? A human loses a leg and it takes months and months to get the this same point. Yay!
If you need anything at all let us know. What a lucky pup to have you for pawrents. Oh and if you want to give a great recommendation to the hospital please feel free to share your experience in Tripawds Veterinary Referrals.
By the way, is your dog's name Cassie or is that yours? Just curious!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
YAAAAAAAY CASSIEROLE!! Ho e is wonderful! And doing so well is even more wo derful!!
Her picture is soooooo cute! Cannot wait to see more photos! Hint.....hint!
Sounds like sne will be in te group of those that feel so good she may try to do too much at first! No jumping, running, stair slimbing just yet cutie pke!
Now, in some dogs...not all...tis is about the time the hospital meds are out of the system and they may...or may not...hit a little rough spot for the next couple of days. It's usally just a matter of balancing pain meds and taking it eas.
Cassierole, you think you're loved and spoiled now? OMD! You ain't seen nuttin' uet sweet pup!
Stay in the moment. Enjoy every sigle sacred moment! Live more like your dod...be more like your dog! Livingin the NOW not worrying avout a thing!
Lots of love and hugs your way!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Thanks! I just updated the pic to one I took earlier as we were sitting outside. Her name is Cassie-Cassierole is one of her many nicknames.
It is good to know there are so many others out there that feel the same about their pets as we do. Great support here.
CASSIE!! You are beautiful! If that mug doesn't have GETLE ans SWEET written allover it, I dn't kow what does!! Those big brown eyes are meltng hearts over here!!
Hugs to all and tha ks for the pic!! Love it!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
My pug Maggie lost her left rear leg to mast cell cancer. Since she was a tiny pup she had to spin before she would poop. When she first came home she would try and spin and of course fall down and the look she gave me... geeze I felt sooooo bad. About day 6 or 7 she finally could keep her balance and she did her spin and poop! She always would spin clock wise so she used her remaining back leg as a pivot point.
And after a month or so (I really don't remember) she would sit on her amp side, and it became the side she preferred to lay on. In fact she would use a fall into a sit maneuver to change directions on slippery surfaces.
I'm glad Cassie is doing so well- I hope her recovery continues smoothly.
Karen and Spirit Maggie
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