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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lol.... I've already been roasting 2 chickens every 3 days for him, to mix with a little kibble, some sweet potato, a little bit of veggies, pumpkin when needed & homemade chicken stock! Darn dog eats better than we do, I just had cheese 'n crackers for dinner. 
I was planning on a nice glass or 3 of wine this evening but I think I'll make it a nice Benadryl instead! You're right, it's a good opportunity for an actual WHOLE night of sleep! And maybe my last for a while... 
I actually have an extra comforter he could have- I think some options will be the way to go- at least until he makes a choice & gets through the initial recovery. He won't even let me go to the bathroom or shower or get a cup of coffee without his attendance so whatever bed is near me will be his choice, I think.
Ok, point taken... bedtime! Thanks again, all, will check back in tomorrow!! 
Glad to hear that Kermitt is doing so well. You have been given a lot of great advice that I can't add much too other than agree with Katy to sleep tonight before he comes home.
Each recovery is an indivdual journey. So don't freak out if someone else's dog at day 3 got up on the couch and he doesn't. Take it from someone who did that. It doesn't do you any good it just stresses ya out. Just let him recover in his time. The first few weeks are the toughest. So if he is fine for 3 or 4 days then tanks take it easy some dogs go through a depression.
keep us posted
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
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07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
Welcome! I know it sucks you have to be here, but we're all in the same boat and this is a great source for info and encouragement. You've already gotten lots of great advice so I'll just add a couple of things from my experience.
Libby is a right front amp...almost 4 weeks post op. Libby always slept in our bed. I bought a queen size air mattress and my hubby slept with her in the living room for the first couple of weeks. She's now happily back in our bed. We didn't have room to put our own mattress on the floor in our room, but the living room worked out well.
Except for bedrooms we have ceramic tile and laminate throughout. Sooo....we have lots and lots of rugs and runners (non kid is important) throughout the house. They were a tremendous help.
Also...on the day we brought Libby home, we took a canvas shopping bag, split the sides and used it as a sling. It was very handy on the vets slippery floors. She no longer needed it after day 2.
I'm looking forward to reading your updates. Good luck!
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Oh..one more thing that might be helpful. He will probably obsessively lick where the IV needle was in his leg, most of us have gone through that. I cut the foot off one of my socks and pulled the remainder up over the IV site. She never bothered it after that. 
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Well, the ICU tech called this morning & said he had an uneventful night with his drip in. (yay!) It took 2 people to get him up because he was so loopy but they're weaning him off the drip for 5 hours & then I'll call & see if he can come home.
We're fortunate to have a very big bedroom so this morning I dragged the mattress off of our guest bed & put it on the floor next to our bed so I can sleep there with him & eventually he can graduate to sleeping there alone until he can either be on a doggy bed or back with us.
I decided that since he likes people beds so much that I'm going to run out now & get him a crib/toddler mattress. It's double-sided, one side firm & one softer, waterproof cover, and sheets are about 10 bucks & can be washed a gazillion times. Even with the sheets it's under $100, which is about how much a good dog bed in his size costs.
He already has a raised bowl, I ordered him a cooling bed that will come tomorrow, I'll pick up some non-skid stuff for the floor today & I have his sticky socks.
I have a couple of shopping bags ready to cut (not sure which size he'll need) for a temp. sling, a tennis ball (he likes to hold them & chew on them like a pacifier), two chickens in the oven...
Whew!
Have I forgotten anything?
Nothing but a pat on the back! You're the sweetest, most prepared mom out there! Oh, my heart is melting for your pup. He's coming home to a kingdom love, rest, support, care, and tasty meals. Cheers!!!! Let us know how his welcoming home goes. You're doing GREAT!
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
dharma said
Have I forgotten anything?
The adult beverages
You sound really prepared and upbeat- the upbeat part is really important for Kermit- he needs to know that everything is OK. I hope Kermit is one of the lucky ones that sail through recovery- but don't get discouraged if he doesn't seem himself for awhile.
Let us know when he gets home and how he is doing.
Karen
oh YES don't forget the adult beverages! there are a bunch of us in the chat room every night if you need us and we pass tequila around..........jk..........maybe.............
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Adult beverages indeed! 
And runners. Have you slip-proofed your floors?
Glad to hear he's doing well! I hope he can come home today.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I was going to hold off on the adult beverages until my husband gets home on Friday night- something about sitting home alone with my 3-legged dog & drinking seemed somehow depressing! Does it count as being "with friends" if they're online? 
I'm pretty sure the dog will be easier to deal with than the husband...every time I give him an update he gets all choked up & feeling sorry for Kermit! Not the atmosphere I'm going for here!
So I just talked to the tech & Kerm is still too drunk to stand up on his own so it looks as though he'll be spending another night there. They assured me he's not upset or depressed, just sleepy, so I'm ok with that.
I bought 7 runners & an area rug today so I'm just about to spread them all out & fasten them down. Thank goodness we have a super cheap store that sells that kind of thing!!
Come to think of it, I wonder if it's the credit card bills my husband is crying about!
Thanks again for all your help- hopefully I'll be able to pay it forward after this experience.
hahahah that last post has me cracking up about the credit card bills! too right, it is so expensive! but that is touching that he is sad over his pup!
and yes it DOES count as spending time with friends if theyre online, thats what we are all here for. I can honestly say I wouldnt be able to go through this all without this community. I have an amazing support system of family and friends in my "real" life, but there is something about chatting with the people on here since we are all going through the same experience, its just a bit different!
I'm sorry Kermie can't come home tonight, but you'll be that much happier when you see him tomorrow. My vet keeps all amputees 2 nights no matter what, it's mostly just better for them if its a facility that has overnight care and the means to do so!
Glad to hear he is doing well!!
Xoxo,
Erica
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Hi and welcome to you and Kermie! Sounds like he's doing well.
We put our mattress on the floor after Abby's surgery (she had always slept with us in a very high bed) and also put an ortho dog bed we'd gotten for her next to that. She would sleep on the mattress with us for a bit, but then go off - she wanted to be alone. I'd find her sleeping out in the hallway.
Funny thing is that post-amp, she never wanted to sleep with us again. She always slept in her own ortho bed or in a big comfy chair just outside our room. (Guess she didn't trust us enough to close her eyes around us anymore! )
Sounds like you are well prepared. In the long run, if he likes wearing booties, you might find that to be the best long-term solution. For us, Abby was super agile, even on 3 legs, so we just let her get around on our wood floors. When she did have some mobility issues later on, we used Musher's Secret on her feet - a little jar of waxy stuff that helps them "get a grip" - and doesn't leave little waxy paw prints behind!
Keep us posted!
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
(Oh, and as for your hubby getting choked up - I think once he sees her back home and sees how great she's doing, he'll be good to go! Be ready for her to amaze and inspire you!)
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
dharma, if I ever have to have surgery....I want to recover at your house!
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
We took our bed down and put a mattress on the floor. This is the one place no one will think you are crazy if you admit to such odd behavior. 
I started off with the rubberized shelf liner on the floors just to give Trouble some traction
- we have tile floors. We graduated to the carpet runners from Home Depot. I put a runner down all the major walkways, entranceway, hallways, and kitchen. The bedrooms are carpeted and we mostly kept her out of the living/dining areas. We pretty much live in the back part of the house anyway.
I kept a set of booties on hand for protection outside or on unfamiliar surfaces. They adapt so quickly, you will be amazed.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Kermie's home! He hopped right out of the clinic to the car but he has a LOT of trouble going peepee... He hasn't yet realized that he can't lift a hind leg with only one post at the front corner! Is there a best way to help him while he learns? I hate to see him crash chin-first every time he needs to pee. He absolutely didn't need the bag-sling to come home but would that be the best support for him until I can get him an appropriate harness? When they remove the leg they should add a handle.
He's completely exhausted & laying on the mattress on the floor but his sister is driving both of us nuts! She's trying to get me to take her out for her regular playtime but I absolutely can't leave him alone yet. Every time I stand up he tries to follow or watch me, then he whines & tips over. Any clues on how to deal with the other (very rambunctious) dog? Acepromazine for a day or two?
I'm SOO glad to have him home and so proud of how well he can get around, but I could use some help with balancing my attention between the 2 dogs and with balancing Kermit enough to do his bidness!
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