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 having a lot of issues with taking my dog outside with just the sling. Is there anything else that I could get? His front leg hurts him as well (pretty bad arthritis) & I know that I can't do a harness until he heals. I tired carrying him out, but I cannot risk that in the future because eventually my body will get super sore.
And it's so worrying to me that he isn't trying to walk on his own.
Thank you!
Hey there!
So, if you absolutely need to use the harness (you have one I'm guessing?) that's OK, just put a t-shirt on underneath the harness. And check the incision area for any signs of irritation).
Not sure what kind of sling you are using, but try a DIY grocery bag sling if you're not using one. See if that helps.
Also, what are your floors like? If they are slippery, it will be tough for him to get around. Don't try to make him go outside any more than he usually would to go potty. Two or three times a day perhaps?
I know it's hard, but try to remember that Thursday was surgery day and that is not a long time. If he's not walking on his own at all, his pain meds may need some adjusting. What meds is he on? Dosage and frequency?
Let your vet know about his mobility issues, as soon as possible. They should be able to modify his medication dosages or even the kind he's taking to help him feel spunkier.
Keep us posted OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yeah, ditto everything Jerry said. The only other thing I will add is that my Happy Hannah would basically freeze up when I tried to help her with a sling. You might try using it as a tool to get her up and out to pee and then drop it, let it go and see how she does. Regardless, as Jerry said it's still very early and also to check with your vet about the meds too.
Because he has an arthritic remaining leg, it may take a vit longer to get his sea legs. He'll get ot sorted out in his own way at his own pace.
Keep us posted as you can.
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!
Does the harness you have touch your dog’s incision? My surgeon actually sent my dog home in a Ruffwear webmaster harness , which was so helpful. It didn’t touch any portion of his incision (left hind amputation). I came prepared with a grocery bag sling but the harness was much more helpful in getting my dog up when he wouldn’t get up and walk on his own.
Like Jerry said, pain meds will affect their ability to walk and move around. It’s a delicate dance between adequately controlling pain and doping them up too much. I talked to my vet’s office everyday, and we leaned towards going heavy on the pain meds. Right now your dog’s only job is healing- walking and moving around will get sorted out later.Also, if your dog got an epidural injection for pain, the residual numbness will last several days.
It’s important to remember that your dog will recover on his own timeline. No other dog’s timeline matters. Before surgery I read a lot of stories about other dogs’ experiences walking independently right after surgery. My surgeon even told me some dogs are running around at the 1 week mark. I was really worried when my dog’s recovery went much slower, but I had some unrealistic expectations that I had to check. He was not able to walk or bear weight in his remaining hind leg when we picked up him on day 2. Day 4 was when he really started to be weight bearing, but it took a full week before he was willing to stand up on his own at all, and two weeks before he would get up and walk anywhere without heavy encouragement. It was three weeks before I saw the dog I had before come back. We’re at 8 weeks now, and today I had to chase after him to get him to leave the dog park. Your dog will set him own timeline for recovery!
So, I don't have a harness but I think what's happening is that my dog thinks it's weird that I am holding the sling under him, so he doesn't want to poop. I am also afraid that he is going to lose his balance when he is walking outside because of his front leg hurting pretty badly & he gets winded pretty quick. (Which is scary because I wonder if it's from the cancer?) last night it was a 3 hour process to get him to go pee, but this morning he hopped by himself!
My other worry is what if he lays down on the grass that's wet? Should I have a t-shirt for him so that the incision doesn't get wet?
I feel so bad because I can tell that he is uncomfortable & needs to go, but I feel like a harness would be better so that I can let go of it & in case he gets into position, I can just run over & hold the harness up. I also worry that a lower quality harness will rip & I will injury him.
This is the next recovery milestone we've got to get through and it's so so anxiety inducing.
And Jerry, I forgot to write his medication for right now:
Gabapentin 300mg 3x a day
Amantadine 2x a day
Truprofen 2x a day.
This is only a tad bit more dosage than his usual. I was kind of surprised they didn't prescribe anything stronger. His discharge papers say that I should only ice 3x a day for now for 15 mins & that's what I've been doing & I've noticed every time I do ice it, he falls asleep...so that definitely helps. I am calling them in tomorrow to let them know how he did over the weekend.
@Megan,
And thank you so much for your response! I had actually read through your posts & found it very informative. You also make such a great point about not paying attention to anyone's timeline but his own. Last night I was in full panic mode, thinking that full recovery might not be possible because of him already having one bad leg, so essentially he has 2 good ones. BUT when I panic I forget that dogs have amazing resilience, joint supplements and rehab will do wonders. Panicking last night but this morning, he hopped on his own!
I think once I get through the first poop stage, it will be easier to just focus on one day at a time recovery & wait for his leg biopsy.
Hey there! Were you able to talk to the vet today?
His pain meds look pretty good, I like that they gave him Amantadine. If he's been on a similar dosage for a while then the meds may be doing their job by keeping the pain under control before and after surgery. And you are doing great by staying ahead of the pain too, by staying on schedule. Sometimes even a tiny tweak makes a huge difference, sounds like it's working.
And great job with the icing! A lot of dogs won't put up with cold therapy. That's a huge benefit for him during recovery.
Try not to panic about cancer in his other legs. That's a pretty rare thing at this stage. Getting around so soon after surgery is exhausting, and this is what it sounds like you are describing.
Laying down on the grass for a second wont' be a big deal. If it gets wet, just gently dab it with a warm washcloth, no soap.
Yes, a harness can be helpful for pottying. But sometimes too much help, as Sally mentioned, is annoying to a dog and they won't go. What happens if you stand back and allow him to go just right outside the house, if that's possible?
If you do want a harness but money is tight, I know we have some in the Tripawds Angel Exchange right now.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Cool thank you, you can ignore my other post because this answers it! Mac tolerates ice therapy so well. I mean he is the most laid back dog ever, but his mom, unfortunately is not lol!
Well as we like to say around here, Be More Dog (or rather Be More Mac!)
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Update:
Mac had his first poo tonight! On day 4! After stressing about it so much, it was a celebration! He hopped on his own & he also seemed so relieved. He was shaking a little bit after we came inside the house, indicating pain but he is asleep now & all is well!
I think the key for him was: lots of liquids.
I had him sip on a little gatorade throughout the day, low sodium chicken broth, adding a bit of water in his food.
I also have him on fish oil (aids w/ digeston)
I’m really glad you found my posts about Atticus. I like to think we are a good example of a family that had a rough, slow recovery, but ultimately a very positive outcome. At the point you are post-op, I was 100% convinced I had made a terrible choice, and now I’m 100% convinced I made the right choice.
During our tough recovery I also got lost in the rabbit hole of “what if what I’m seeing is his cancer spreading everywhere,” which is a terrible feeling! Like you, we had done chest X-rays and an abdominal ultrasound and both were clear. I’ll give you the advice our surgeon gave me. While you can’t fully rule out the cancer metastasizing, if your dog was find right before the surgery and then a symptom appeared immediately after, the likely cause is the surgery.
Regarding poop- I tend to think that poop will happen when it’s time for poop to happen. Atticus pooped the bed a few times. The first time he was sleeping with me on an air mattress. I woke up in the middle of the night and in the dark without my glasses I picked the turd up in my hand, not realizing what it was. I was thinking “oh my god, is this some kind of weird blood clot?” Nope, just a turd. 
Does Mac have a specific place he likes to poop, or a poop routine? We got pretty constipated a week in, but I know my dog loves to poop on walks. I was able to shake a turd out by taking him on a “walk” out front that was really just down one house and back. I agree with the others- sometimes lurking too close seemed to cause performance anxiety. I tried to give a little space while he was crunching, then swoop in and grab his harness to make sure he got up without falling.
It’s so good Mac’s letting you ice the incision! I never could get Atticus to tolerate cold. The more you can ice, the better. We tolerated heat and Atticus had a ton of swelling (boy, do I have some ugly pics!). I probably put heat packs on him 10+ times a day from day 4-8.
I’m a doer, it helped me to do things for Atticus. One thing you could do now is starting looking for a rehab clinic for Mac. I think rehab could be really helpful in keeping him comfortable considering his front leg arthritis. Our rehab appointments focus a lot on making sure the remaining three legs are as pain-free and well-muscled as possible. You might not be thinking rehab at this moment, but it might take several weeks until your clinic of choice can get him in for a initial evaluation.
Just saw your update- YAY POOP!!!!!!!!! Great job Mac! That is great news! Keep pushing those fluids for more poops.
EXCELLENT JOB MAC! Boy if we could make a dancing 
emoji we sure would.
Yeah, water = Excellent work on your part!!
Cheers to another day of progress. Keep us posted.
I’m really glad you found my posts about Atticus. I like to think we are a good example of a family that had a rough, slow recovery, but ultimately a very positive outcome. At the point you are post-op, I was 100% convinced I had made a terrible choice, and now I’m 100% convinced I made the right choice.
Megan, your wisdom and experience is invaluable. Thank you so much for taking time to stop by and share.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Megan & Atticus,
I laughed way too hard at this: "oh my god, is this some kind of weird blood clot?”
I am totally a doer too! And I already had a rehab initial consultation scheduled even before his surgery hah. But are you finding the rehab to be really helpful? How often does Atticus go to rehab? Even now at 10 years old, after a major surgery, when I take him out to poop he hops over to my car, Mac is ready to go on an adventure! I think rehab will be really helpful & fun for him.
I think his pooping schedule is still a little off. He is normally a walk pooper too. So sometimes I will let him go out to the back, but we still don't have a consistent schedule, but as long as poop is coming...we are good!
The last few days have been throwing me off because Mac started crying & whining on day #7. We went back to the vet's office, they put a second fentanyl patch on but came home and he still continued crying. I really thought he maybe had a stomachache so I eased on the liquids & minimized the treats. But the weird thing was when we were on our way to the vet & at the vet's office, he wasn't crying & seemed in much better spirits.
I am still not entirely sure what's happening but my theory is that we are keeping the house way too warm & that's what's releasing the medication, which is either making it run out quickly or it's making him confused. This morning I woke up to a little bit of whining, but it was exactly 12 hours after his last gabapentin, truprofen & amandadine doses. I turned down the heat to our house & I think it's helping! We might need to go back for patch #4 but I'd rather have him on the safe & comfortable side. Even though, maybe the heavy pain med is making him a little more constipated.
1 Guest(s)
