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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That could certainly be one! Seromas crop up around the body because the fluid needs to go somewhere. Is it squishy? Warm? Any discharge?
Her incision looks fantastic!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
It does feel squishy, tho I don’t think it’s particularly warm, and didn’t notice any discharge. She’s having a nice time chewing her bone right now but I will check for those two things soon.
I do remember Happy Hannah having what I called a "sagging booby" that was a seroma fluid sack. Of course, you can send a pic to the Vet to be sure.
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!
LOL! Sagging booby! Heh heh!
Yeah Jerry had one too. His didn't show up until about 10 days after surgery.
When in doubt, always check with your vet as you know. But otherwise it does sound like a typical post amputation seroma .
Hope things are going well today.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Rye has been doing quite well. Handling the Tripawd life like a champ. The last couple days she’s seemed more lethargic. Her appetite is still there but she’s been more inclined to go to her bed and rest for longer than usual. Any reason to be concerned? I know this is what the drugs are meant to do but she was quite active until these last couple days even on them.
I know the big worry is cancer spread. Are there typical signs to look for?
all in all she seems in less pain and we are happy she is. She gets get staples out Monday and I’m hoping she will be able to play with some friends soon.
Hmm. Well, it could be that she is TOO active. What's her daily routine like? How long/far are her walks? Any other playtime that she's doing that could be causing her to be so tired?
We all worry about the cancer spreading, and usually our fears are unfounded this early in the diagnosis. A consistent cough, or sudden immobility are two of the biggest signs that something is wrong, but not necessarily related to the cancer. Try to put that out of your mind right now, I know it's hard to ignore but you can do it. This sounds to me like a matter of downsizing her activity levels, but it's just a guess. Tell us more! Super glad she is happy!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Earlier in the week she would lead us on 5-10 minute walks around our property, the last couple of days she’s kinda just popped out for bathroom break. Tho oddly the last couple days I’ve walked out with her without her leash. She’s pretty stable. I wonder if the leash made her think we were going on longer walks.
either way the last couple days have been quite mellow. Out quickly in the morning (last two days she’s done the stairs on her one with us monitoring, but can’t go up them yet). Then breakfast, then snoozing. She will get up if we open the treat cabinet, or when it is dinner time, but pretty relegated to her bed otherwise.
my wife seems to think the area up near her hip has been spasming a bit. Above her incision. I wonder if that’s normal.
We also just noticed her skin seems darker than normal. She does have blacker skin near her belly but it kind of seems like it’s creeping up her hip/thigh now where it was otherwise. Maybe we’re being crazy. I’ll embed a photo.
we’ve known that coughing could be one of those bad songs so have been on the look out, and here and there she’ll kinda clear her throat, or do what sounds like a heavy pant, but it isn’t steady and I imagine we have our antennas out so even normal noises are catching our attention.
Aww sweet pupperz. I just want to smooch her! 
Honestly that's a lot of walking for a brand new Tripawd who is less than two weeks out, or even a month out. It doesn't sound like a ton of walking, but in comparison, rehab therapists tell us that totally recovered Tripawds who are fit to begin with, should be limited to shorter, more frequent walks of no more than 15-20 minutes, 3 times a day. If your yard is hilly, or filled with uneven surfaces, it's even more work.
So between the stairs and the 10 minute walks, my guess is she is sore. Have you tried massaging that spasmy area to see how or if she reacts. Normal? Well, yes, for a dog who is experiencing muscle strain.
Let your vet know what's going on, and while I don't think the skin discoloration is weird or unusual, I would send them the photo for peace of mind. Discuss her pain management , she may need more relief at this point too. What medication is she on?
Yes, when our dogs are diagnosed with osteosarcoma we get hyper-vigilant about everything. But in most cases, our worst fears are not realized, at least this early on. It's good to have a convo with your vet though, so do that OK? And give her a smooch from me!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks Jerry! Our property is quite hilly indeed. If she is sore, do you mean in her amputated area, or the limb that is now bearing more weight? Both?
I’m sure we could have restricted her more but she was looking so eager to move around and it’s so hard to deny this sweet girl anything at this point, of course.
I did do a little mini massage and it didn’t seem to bother her. I’m nervous to fuss with that area too much but if that’s safe I wonder if it could help.
she is on 200 mg of gabapentin three times a day, and a daily dose of galliprant. She finished her round of simplicef antibiotic. And she has trazadone and aze as needed. We’ve also been giving her some CBD.
Don’t have to tell me twice! Happy to give her some extra smooches on behalf of the Tripawd community 🙂
Oh yep, hilly terrain can definitely cause muscle soreness. It's great exercise for a fully-recovered Tripawd later down the road. But for now remember that a Tripawd's body has to move in all new ways, and all the other muscles in her back, legs, and core are working extra hard to compensate. Hilly terrain challenges movement even more. So basically, she's probably sore all over.
Massage is definitely a good thing. Not right on the incision area, but her shoulders and lower back. Here are some posts about dog massage that explain.
Her pain relief meds sound really appropriate. My guess is that scaling way back on the activity for now will help her tremendously. You can keep her mind busy with interactive brain games if she's anxious. I know it's hard to redirect her energy to doing something other than her old yard-patrolling, but ultimately it's for the greater good so she doesn't get injured. Also don't forget that the Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit . It's super educational and you'll learn exercises that can help her build balance and endurance, and what she should and should not be doing at this point, and later. Do take advantage of the program 🙂
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Just want to sitto the most likely overdoing it too soon. Many dogs in recovery don't feel like doing much this early on, but then we have strong willed and determined puppers like your Rye who just want to get on with it!!!😉
And yeah, Jerry was referring most to sore muscles and joints (legs, back, shoulder area), not necessarily the incision itself being sore. Some twitching of the "nub" area is normal. It generally subsides with time, but still shows up every now and then sometimes.
O e thing to keep in mind is you want to look for signs where she is trying to "scratch an itch" with the missi leg. Be sure and be her "itch scratcher" on areas she can jo longer reach.
Continue with the massages all up and down her spine, her neck and shoulder area. I know she wont like this, but try for SHORT co trolled potty breaks of just a couple of minutes for several days.
And yes, this journey makes us crazy aware of every little thing that we woild normally not pay any attention to at all! The little throat clearing sound could be allergies. Could be just from the tube insertion during surgery.....so many inconsequential nothings. Again, have a Vet convo for reassurances.
The photo doesn't necessarily look like bruising, but as Jerry said, send a photo to the Bet to be sure. Better safe than sorry. And also maybe take daily pics to note any difference
Oh, and when you do her massages, do them over a nice warm towel from the dryer. Dogs seem to love that extra warmth on their muscles.
Keep is posted, okay?
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS. The pain meds sound adequate. Good job!
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 guys, that’s great about this physical therapy program, I hadn’t known about it! So wonderful.
This makes a lot of sense. We’re so focused on her incision area but don’t think about all the other muscles in her body that have been working in new and intense ways. I really hope that’s it. The last two days she’s been sleeping/resting a ton, which isn’t really like her, but trying not to worry about it. I’ve started some puppy massages and she’s only doing quick potty breaks. She is still excited to eat and is going to the bathroom like normal.
I wonder if the first couple days she just had some adrenaline and now is sort of crashing. Does that sound like something that’s normal? How long do you guys tend to see the recovery back to the dogs normal personality. She seemed right back to it and now is dipping but yeah hoping a bit of a roller coaster is normal. She doesn’t seem to be exhibiting too unusual of symptoms, mostly just out of it and tired.
staples out on Monday!
Yes, MANY dogs have that post-amputation crash after a few days, especially if they get too much activity in because they seem OK and energetic.
Getting their sparkle back varies from dog to dog, generally about 3 weeks is when you really start seeing those adorable old playful signs coming back. But again, all dogs are different.
YAY for staples out! Let your vet know about her decreased activity levels and see what they think (although something tells me she's going to be bouncing off the walls to go anywhere tomorrow). Have fun!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hey guys!
so, Rye is doing quite well. Her incision is looking great and she got to see her friend yesterday and was so happy.
but we got a call from the surgeon who finally got definitive results from the biopsy and they are now saying it is hemangiosarcoma. We just got this news so I’m hitting the internet of course and trying to make sense of it, but i guess we’re just surprised to hear it based on how this presented in her leg. Seems like this is usually a spleen/heart issue...
I’m sure there are some threads here I will find and read thru. I can’t make heads or tails of it now whether it at all changes her prognosis.
Hey, glad to hear she's doing well. She doesn't give one hoot about that path report does she?
And you know what, you should try to put that out of your mind too. I hope that by now Dr. Google hasn't made you lose your mind with worry. Yes, a hemangiosarcoma prognosis sucks. I'm sure you discovered that. We've had our share of members who lost a limb to it, a relatively uncommon situation but we do see it, and I'm really sorry you guys are dealing with it.
So, when it comes to this disease, we've also seen some members completely blow the statistics out of the water. You just don't know what will happen, as with many cancers. Here are some stories that I hope will make you smile and have more hope:
Tripawd Tuesday: Hemangiosarcoma in Amputee Dogs, Chestnut’s Story
Tripawd Tuesday TwoFer: Vinny and Elvis Pounce on Hemangiosarcoma
And I do believe the longest lived Tripawd member with hemangiosarcoma, Butchey Hudson (26 months!)
Instead of Dr. Google, I highly recommend The Dog Cancer Survival Guide . There's a ton of great info about this cancer in the book, like discussions about Mushroom Therapy for Canine Hemangiosarcoma.
For now do everything in your power to show Rye that what matters is today. Not tomorrow. Or yesterday. But right here and now. Show her you know how to Be More Dog and she will thank you a million times over.
And if you want to lean on us because you don't want her to see you upset, you know how to find us OK? We are here for you. 
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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