Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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YAY!!!!!!!! Doesn't your heart just BURST with happiness and pride the first time you get them home!?
I have no advice for you as my tripawd and quad-pod are both kitties, but just wanted to say welcome home KERMIE!
Erica & Kitty Tripawd Jill
xoxo
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
My pug was a rear legger and a girl dog so peeing was not an issue for her. I would try and use the sling with him, to keep him from falling over and maybe landing on the incision. It might take a couple days but all the pups I've ever heard about here figure it out pretty quickly.
As far as the other pup- you need to tire her out!! Do you have someone who could sit with Kermit, or take her for a walk for you? I was fortunate enough to have my dad keep my other pug for a few days while I got Maggie settled. I forgot your girls name, sorry, but while Kermie sleeps can you play with her? Can you take her outside and watch Kermie though a window?
Maybe you should give her the adult beverages 
.
Karen
I tried to tire her out before I went to get him but clearly it didn't work! I just took them both out & let Kermit lay in the yard while Kismet played. He wanted SOO badly to chase her ball but he's tired & wobbly after about 25'. He has recognized the value of the carpet runners & won't cross from one to another if there's more than 6" of bare floor showing in between. 
I tried the bag sling but it just bunches up in front of his hind legs & he can still fall on his face, which is heart-wrenching. Any hints? Part of the problem was that I'm trying not to let the bag put pressure on the incision so it slips up into his waist area. Should I not be so careful of that? Sure looks like I shouldn't be putting ANY pressure on it!
He was happy to eat his pills tucked into some roast chicken & several cookies and it's doggie dinner time. Should I let him eat laying down or feed him in his raised bowl?
I think I might ask my dogsitter to come by & play with Kizzy tomorrow- or sit with Kermit while I take her out. She has a routine & God help you if you disturb it! 
And thanks for the welcome, btw! It's exciting to see him do so well & difficult to watch him struggle!
I can't take Kiz out while Kermie sleeps because I can't go ANYWHERE without him following me... Or at least attempting to. He's always been that way, but now it makes things even harder!
dharma said
I tried the bag sling but it just bunches up in front of his hind legs & he can still fall on his face, which is heart-wrenching. Any hints? Part of the problem was that I'm trying not to let the bag put pressure on the incision so it slips up into his waist area. Should I not be so careful of that? Sure looks like I shouldn't be putting ANY pressure on it!
Should I let him eat laying down or feed him in his raised bowl?
I think I might ask my dogsitter to come by & play with Kizzy tomorrow- or sit with Kermit while I take her out. She has a routine & God help you if you disturb it!
Hmmm...perhaps the bag is too narrow? Have you tried letting him walk at all without it? If you think he needs it, try not to worry about putting pressure on the incision. As long as the bag is wide enough to cover the incision he should be OK.
You definitely want to feed him in his bowl as usual. The faster you can normalize his routine, the faster he can heal.
As for keeping Kizzy occupied. That is a GREAT idea. Part of normalizing the routine and healing is to make sure the other dogs have an equal amount of attention and activity.
You are doing GREAT so far! Pawesome questions you're asking, don't be shy.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
He definitely needs the sling for now- saves him from a lot of faceplants. 
It works A LOT better if I support his front more & worry less about the incision. That said, the area around the little dressing he has over it looks very red & irritated- wish I didn't have to wait until Monday for a harness. I'm going to try to make him one from a pillowcase as suggested- maybe even with a leg hole for the front one to keep it from slipping.
Now ANOTHER question: apparently he reeeeaally didn't want to get up & go outside this morning, because he wet the bed. When I made him get up & go out he peed & peed & peed some more but he wouldn't poop. Now he's sitting here whining so I think he wants to go out but when I get the sling under him he lays back down & won't move.
He's always been extremely shy about pooping in front of anyone so I don't know if that's what's so difficult for him, but I cant have him pooping in the house!
Any hints? Clues? Suggestions? Anyone? Anyone? 
If it wasn't such a long hike out to the yard or so muddy I'd just leave the door open & let him go out when he's ready, but it would be too easy for him to fall off the ramp without supervision so I can't.
Off to wash the bedding- hopefully he'll be ready to go out when I return from the laundry room...
What about if I help him outside & then just let him loose in the yard to muddle through it? I put a t-shirt on him & he still has a dressing over the incision so as long as he doesn't lay in the wet grass/mud TOO long it would probably not get the incision wet.
The yard is fenced but I'm concerned that if he gets out into the wooded part it'll be too far for me to carry him back in. But he's acting the same now as he did when he had to go out to pee last night- restless & whiny & frustrated.
Aww poor pup! I'm sorry, I know this is hard. Sounds to me like he is constipated. When was the last time he pooped? Many dogs take a few days to have a moment. Foods like a bit of metamucil/fiber, olive oil and steamed pumpkin or squash can get things moving along.
I'm concerned about him wetting the bed though. Has he done this before? You may want to call your vet about this, there might be an underlying reason why he did this, like maybe he's in too much pain and needs additional medication? Or possibly less, maybe he is too doped up to get up? What meds is he on?
As far as taking him the yard. I would let him do his thing on his own if that's what he seems more comfortable with but I wouldn't leave him out there unsupervised at this point. Maybe you can spy on him from a window but make sure she comes in right after eliminating.
Good luck, please let us know how today goes?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
So I am WAY too overprotective. I made him a new sling from a pillowcase & made a hole for his front leg to go in; this helps hold the sling in place a lot better... HOWEVER, other than "spotting" him when he goes down the ramp to the yard, he does a LOT better if I stay out of his way! Once I stopped hovering, he went to a tree to pee & rather than lift his leg he just LEANED on the tree while he went... He's getting it!! The pillowcase is long enough that I could just tie the handle parts together on top of his back & turn him loose and he did great! He peed twice & sat down to watch his sister play ball (he REALLY wanted to play) and then ran back to the house for his cookie!
He's also been following me around the house as I do laundry & work in the kitchen.
He pooped last night; a copious quantity of very smooshy poop. Since he didn't really eat any dinner last night he didn't get his regular serving of pumpkin & probiotics but I make them pumpkin peanut butter cookies & he's had a few from today's batch so far.
He still has two fentanyl patches on, plus gabapentin every 8 hours, antibiotics, pred, and famotidine. The patches come off tomorrow and he goes back on Tramadol. I think his pain level is ok; he's certainly in a LOT less pain than before the surgery!! He might have been too stoned to get up this morning but I'd prefer that for one more night over pain. He seems appropriately alert today, though physically pretty tired!
I've destroyed 2 t-shirts so far but my clothes just don't seem to fit him right.
Thanks!
Kermit saw his oncologist today for his Adriamycin treatment and she said he looks brighter & happier & more comfortable than she's ever seen him! 
She said she was very hesitant about recommending the amp. because he has some other orthopedic issues
but when she saw him she knew it was the right choice because "he moves better on three legs than he did on four!" 
We can even start to cut back on the eleventy million meds!
When we got home I went into the bedroom & found him trying to climb up onto our VERY high bed... I had to lift him up there & back down, but the fact that he wanted to go back to his "regular" spot really told me that we're getting back to normal.
We still have a LONG way to go and I'm sure there will be many ups & downs throughout his treatment but I'm astonished at his fast progress and SOOO proud of him! Thank you all for helping us through this first stage of the journey; I love this forum!
Adriamycin is Doxorubicin? So he's getting IV chemo, too, now? Wow, that's moving fast! Remind me - what cancer does he have?
This is all GREAT news!!!! Wahoo! I like picturing him resting on the tree as he pees. heheheh. As you continue to draw down meds, you'll see more and more of his personality come back. It's truly magical. Enjoy! Great work, Kermie!!!
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!
Yes, it's doxo, and he's getting a treatment every 3 weeks for 6 weeks. Pathology isn't back yet to be sure but we're assuming osteosarcoma based on type & location of the tumor seen on the MRI.
BUT, he was already 4 weekly treatments into his chemo protocol for LYMPHOMA when we discovered the bone tumor.
I asked the onco about the likelihood of finding metastatic cancer in the lymph node they removed when they did the amputation & she said that would be very rare... I said "as rare as two simultaneous, unrelated cancers?" But we're still hoping the bone cancer hasn't spread. Paws crossed!
woo hoo great news all around! Jilly gets doxo too every other treatment. Shes been doing well so far!
So glad to hear about Kermie's progress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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
Way to go Kermit and mom!! Starting to see those normal behaviors really relives the doubts, doesn't it?
dharma said:
she said that would be very rare… I said "as rare as two simultaneous, unrelated cancers?"
We had several 'rare' encounters in our journey...mast cell cancer is not uncommon in pugs, but it is rare that it leads to amputation (in pugs). So a bad 'rare'. Then when mast cell cancer was found in the lymph node her prognosis was not good. The fact that she lived almost 4 years with lymph mets (and didn't pass from mast cell cancer) was 'rare'. So a good 'rare'.
I think Kermit is due for a good 'rare' at this point!
I'm glad to hear he is doing so well now.
Karen
Six days post-amp:
http://m.youtub.....eZ0ps8LrCA
He's not supposed to play ball for another week but he stole it from his sister so we had 2 short tosses. We're cutting back on the meds that pre-op didn't even TOUCH his excruciating pain level, too.
I cannot express how amazed & proud I am of him! I don't have kids of my own but I know the folks here won't think I'm crazy for being a doting mama!
Now if you could all just stay on my case to get some weight off of him i'd be very grateful- at his one-week checkup he weighed about the same as pre-op! OOOPS.
Off to make some veggie-heavy food for him...
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