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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Our female Saint Bernard's surgery for a right rear leg amputation went very well, according to the vet. She returned home today, and it's been so difficult watching her attempting to move around. She has a lot of blotchiness on the belly area, and we were warned about a seroma if she continued to sit on the side of her amputation. The vet advised that she had diarrhea the day of the surgery. She was fine in the morning, but it may have started due to stress from the initial fracture, being at the vet, etc. It seems to be continuing and she is on medication for it. She is really struggling on squatting with the one rear leg to pee, let alone poop. Has anyone else experienced this? Has anyone else had a Saint Bernard have an amputation? How was his/her reaction? How long to until they understood how to manipulate themselves in their new situation?
Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
When was the surgery- how many days out is she? How long was she at the vet? I assume her name is Bella?
What meds is she on?
We have many large and giant breed dogs who have had amputations, you will get input from some of those members shortly, but probably not until tomorrow (it is 10:30 pm ish on the west coast right now).
My pug Maggie lost her left rear leg to mast cell cancer. She was able to get around just fine, but it took her 6 or 7 days to learn how to balance to poop.
Here are search results in the Size and Age Matters forum for Saint Bernard.
This is the worst part of the recovery period- hang in there!
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 Bella and Mom,
My girl Eurydice is a very large Great Dane who lost her right front leg to osteo.
Being a front or a back leg amputee makes a difference so I could not advise you there.
But I will say once they recover it is easier to hop around (especially for a large dog) without a back leg as front legs carry about 70% of the weight.
The first days and sometimes weeks can be quite heartbreaking as we may see our babies struggling to keep their balance and to move around.
You've got to give your Bella time for her to figure it out.
Eurydice would stand for long periods, she would just stand still and it later downed on me she was getting used to her new body.
Dogs are very resilient and they get there but you've got to be patient whilst being vigilant, of course.
I'd say my girl only started being confident after stitches came out, 10 days after surgery.
Thereafter she got better every day.
I'm sure other St Bernard pawrents will chime in soon so stay tuned.
We are all by your side 💗
Sending you a big hug and cuddles to your baby girl 😘💕🐶
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 :-)
Isn't Patchy a Saint? 5chuppies maybe his Mom's sign-on. And isn't there also a puppy with 'wheels?' For some reason, I am thinking Leo.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
It does seem to take a bit longer for the bigger breeds to find their "sea legs" so not to worry. Hoping Patchys mom sees this and comes in here to ease your mind. He's also a Saint and doing really well! Hoping the meds work quickly on your girl. Having diarrhea during these first few days is really hard I'm sure. Hang in there hoping each day gets better and better! Hugs!
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