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
I am glad to say that Supai's amputation went well. Doc, said there was minimal bleeding, sent tibia to pathologist for a confirmation on the type of cancer. He also sent the TPLO plate to the manufacturer to see if there was any microscopic corrosion. She bounced back quickly from the surgery, Supai was standing at the cage door when the Doc checked on her this AM. By 8 AM she had peed and eat food. Dr. Woods called at 8:30, the post op blood work was good and asked what time I could pick her up. So at 11:30 AM she DRAGGED me out the door, across the lawn right to the truck! Damn she is one tough dog. We got home, peed again and is still comfortably snoozing on her bed.
Tough thing is going to be controlling her in a couple of day's. Between looking at the pictures on this web page and my own visualizing how she would look it never even phased me when I finally saw the amp site, and that wasn't until I got her in the truck.
Thanks for this wonderful website. Seeing that others fought and are fighting the same battles helps. Our four/TRI legged friends are such important parts of our lives it really hurts to seem them have to go through such agony.
Well Day 1 down can't wait to see what Day 2 brings!
Shaun & Supai
Offline
Welcome home, Supai. I am so glad to hear the surgery went well. It sounds like you are well prepared for the next couple weeks. You continue to be in my prayers.
Debra & Angel Emily
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
Welcome home Supai... Looking forward to reading all about your recovery... Hope it's quick!!!
Angel Jake's Mom
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
supai said:
Well Day 1 down can't wait to see what Day 2 brings!
Shaun & Supai,
Sounds as if Day 1 went rather well and your attitude is perfectly correct. Just keep taking it one day at a time. There will be ups and there may be downs, but it sounds like you are definately headed up. It is most common to suffer a little set-back on the second or third day when the excitement of returning home wears off and the chemicals from the pain-killers takes over. You are doning fine!!
Paws Crossed and Pawsitive Thoughts,
Bob & Cherry
No, thank you. It's sharing stories like Supai's that make this community the helpful resource it has become.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome home Supai!! Glad to hear that the surgery went soo well. Please keep everyone posted on the updates... What a cutie...
Alisa & Spirit ShiloAnne
Shilo diagnosed with osteosarcoma 9/4/2009, amputation 9/9/2009. ShiloAnne lost her battle 11/23/2009 where she regained her fourth leg and is patiently waiting for her parents to join her. We will always love you baby girl.
Supai's first night went well. She was restless between 1-2AM, I thought it was because she was tired of sleeping on just one side for so long. She would lay on the Amp side and immediately gte up and shift again. Finally after about 6 of these shifts I took her out side where she peed and pooped (another good sign). When we got back in she settled in on her bed and was quiet for the rest of the night. When I got up she was sleeping on her back, legs out stretched looking very pleased with herself. She then rolled onto the Amp side and continued to sleep.
I also figured out something else, seems she has an ear infection in her right ear and the poor girl can't scratch. I started her on Otomax (with Labs we always have this on hand) to fix that. But I guess from now on we will have to make sure we regularly scratch the right side of the head since she can no longer do that.
Hope all your friends are WELL this AM.
Shaun & Supai
Good to hear you got through the first night, there really is no place like home!! I am glad you have found this little community, it is wonderful to know you have support and can educate yourself so you know what to expect.
Keep us informed on the progress and be sure to reach out with questions when you need to. The first 2 weeks can be tough at times. You can also "ask a vet" on the forum and Dr. Pam is wonderful.
I love Supai's photo! She has a beautiful sweet face. Take good care!
Gineej & Paris
Grateful for every moment we had with Paris…..no regrets!
Honoring her life by opening our hearts & home to Addy!
Glad she's doing so well! Jack also bounded out of the hospital the day after surgery and wanted to gogogogogogogo!!! It was like he didn't even notice he was missing anything (I guess he wasn't really "missing" it...). However, because he was so active and adapted very easily (going up stairs and jumping on the couch on day 2), we ended up letting him overdo it which ended in a major oops. He woke in the middle of the night the 3rd day he was home SCREAMING bloody murder and we noticed tiny bruises all over his abdomen. Emergency vet said take him back to the hospital in the morning which we did (by this time almost his entire abdomen was red/purple). Blood tests and virus/infection tests came back fine, and it was determined that his being too active had caused capillaries to rupture and because of his compression bandage, all the blood was pushed into his abdomen. He had to stay at the doctor's on mandatory bed rest for a couple days but then no more problems after that. So it's great that Supai is doing so well, but don't let her trick you into thinking she can do things she really shouldn't be doing yet 🙂 I certainly learned my lesson!!! Continued luck to you guys!
<3 Laura and Jack
Thanks for the info Laura, We are keeping Suapi quiet, luckily we all live on the first floor, she only deals with 3 steps to get in and out and that is with assistance. With Supai's knee surgeries were learned how important it is to follow the Vet's instructions and ignore how well she was doing.
She was really bummed this AM when I went to the dump. She always go, the nice man at the dump has biscuits! Luckily he gave me a "to-go" biscuit for her.
Shaun & Suapi
that you have an ear infection 
. With your mom giving you your medicine that should clear up pretty darn quick. In the meantime, I'm sending lots of 
and 
your way for a speedy recovery. God Bless,
Mary & My Guardian Angel Angus
I'm so glad to hear that Supai is home and doing well!! Sorry to hear about the ear infections though... Funny cause when Jake came home from his surgery, he also had an ear infection... Weird, eh? I've always kept both my doggies ears clean (being a vet tech... on the side)... So I just thought that was strange how that would happen all of a sudden... I always used a diluted silvadene solution to treat any ear infections... and just the regular ear cleaner for maintanance... Also, my dogs would swim alot, and I'd always put swimmer's ear solution (I believe it's a chlorhexidine solution) in their ears after each swim...
So give your baby a nice ear scratch from me!!!! Hard to do when you're missing a leg!! 
Angel Jake's Mom
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
Day 2 went well, we got 6" of snow last night. Supai dragged me out 3 times just so she could eat snow! She really wants to roll in it but when the bar skin hit's she jumps right back up. Went to the supermarket to get the ingredients for her new food. Will mix it up tomorrow. Not really sure about the RAW thing. Vet suggested cooking it for the first couple of weeks.
How soon where you guy's able to ween your dogs off the pain meds?
Thanks, hope your friends are doing well.
Shaun & Supai
We stared reducing Jerry's meds after ten days and he was off them altogether after a couple weeks if I remember correctly. Be sure to check out Jerry's canine cancer diet details, and once you get Supai's regimen figured out, please feel free to submit it for the new Tripawds Nutrition blog.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)
