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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Hello everyone, I am so happy to have stumbled upon this wonderful community. Rufa, our 6-year-old Leonberger was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his front right leg last Thursday. We quickly did some research and ultimately we've decided to amputate and treat with chemo afterwards. At this point his lungs are clear but we know that this could change, so we're just hopeful to see our boy through his surgery and get back to enjoying the time we have with him.
His surgery is tomorrow, and I am feeling a bit nervous. We've only had a few days to prepare, so runners will go down tomorrow to prevent slips, I made a shopping bag sling, puppy pads will be on his beds, and I sewed up an armhole on an old t-shirt to help protect his wound. I would love to hear any tips you might have! I read the e-books and have found them very helpful, I just keep reading that giant breeds may take longer to recuperate, so I'd love to know what to expect.
Another reason that I am nervous is that he had surgery a few years ago for an abscess on his rear leg and was hopped up on opioids afterwards. At one point my husband took him outside to pee and he fell onto his side and just lay in the ditch and it took a lot of convincing to get back on his feet - and that was when he had 4! I am scared that he may do something like this again. We have a bit of a stroll to the end of the driveway where the grass is that he likes to pee on - he will not pee anywhere else so I am nervous for doing this walk, particularly on Wednesday when I will be home alone with him...love to hear your ideas, thanks!
My Tripug was a 17 pound pug so I can't really help you with the size question.
I have seen that you are worried about traction - have you tried trimming the fur between his toes and pads? That made a big difference for tripug Maggie and my quad pug Tani who had mobility issues.
Hopefully the vet will send you home with a sling. If not you can make one out of a reusable shopping bag slit down the sides, or maybe double that up since Rufa is so big.
Will he spend a night or two at the vet?
I know what you mean about the pain meds- find out from the vet what he will be on when he comes home. If you know the meds that made him wacko last time maybe the vet can give you something else? Two of my pugs have taken tramadol without issues, but it made Maggie very agitated and she would not sleep.
Have lots of things to keep you busy tomorrow, surgery day can be looooong! Best of luck and keep us posted.
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
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THE AVATAR PICTURE OF RUFA! OMD! So smoochable!!!
We can all relate to the anxiety you are feeling. We get it! So stay connected to is, okay? You are not alone!!
You've gotten some good advice from Karen.
You probably already have raised water/food bowls. They help prevent straining
A good bed is a must. It shouldn't be too squishy and soft as that makes it hard for a recovering tripawd to stand up without slipping. Honest to goodness, I jave NO vested interest in the bed I'm about to recommend, but am absolutely in love with THE Big Barker Bed .. They are made SPECIFICALLY for larger dogs. They are firm enough to provide great joint support and the dogs can stand up easily on them. They really are, in my opinion, the Tempurpedic for dogs.
As far as recovery, and you'll hear this alot from us, every dog is different and every recovery is different! My recovery experience with my Happy Hannah, 125 lb Bull Mastiff, was not fun in any way, shape or form! She was restless, panting, uncomfortable and barely slept for the first three days. She never missed a meal, but she wouldn't drink water! I didn't join this community until day six after her surgery. I was petrified I had made a HORRIBLE decision! This community threw me a lifeline and guided me through the whole process. It took about three weeks before I coukd finally say I did this FOR my dog and not TO her! Happy Hannah, like most dogs here, was sent home with Tramadol, Gabapentin, Rimady and an antibiotic. I had to adjust the dosage some and finally got her pain managed.
Sooo, there are a few uos and downs for a couple of weeks sometimes. Mobility adjustments SOMETIMES takes a bit longer in big dogs. So don't be alarmed with walking on three legs takes a few days...or not!
For the first week or two, but especially at first, Rufa just needs rest snd short potty breaks. It sounds like Rufa's favorite potty spot .ight be a challenge distance wise. Perhaps a puppy pee training pad outside the door may entice him to pee closer. If he doesn't poop for a couple of days, that's okay. The meds can do that. Drinking and peeing are important though.
And perhaps most important, keep a huge stash of chocolate available for you at all times! It helps!!
And please post more pictures when y ou can! Cannot wait to see more of this cuddle bear!
Deep breaths...lots of chocolate...stay connected...Rufa will do fine!
HUGS!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
Hi Rufas mum Lillys surgery is scheduled for the 5th so we may be a day behind you, we can hold each others paws and hands and keep each other company, lilly is having one more test today my partner is less convinced but I'm sure being a tripawd superdog will be the best thing for our girl, she is a greyhound style lurcher we hear long legged dogs can struggle a bit too, but we have our ruffwear harness already and I've been reading up so much I'm much more prepared than when we first had the diagnosis.
Good luck for today, thinking of you all and sending you a virtual hug x
Thinking of you and Rufa today. Good luck. Leos are lovely dogs.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
Good Luck today, I hope all goes well! The waiting is the worst part, after you get her back, you'll feel better just having her with you again!
Please let us know how it went! What a CUTIE!!!! Chocolate, wine and good company (this community!) will help you through this until your baby comes home and after!
Any updates??
He's so adorable!!
xoxo
pam
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
Thanks so much for the advice and well wishes everyone! Rufa made it through his surgery - it took longer than expected, about 3 hours but he was a champ. Last night was rough - my mom came over and spent the night on the floor with him and I took the couch. He whined and panted and seemed really uncomfortable all night long. I phoned the emergency vet around 5 am as he really seemed to get worse after I gave him Tramadol and Gabapentin - I'm wondering if it could be making him agitated?
Anyway, he was able to settle if I laid next to him with my hand on his head. He woke up with a start around 7 am when I accidentally dropped something on the floor (he sat right up without thinking about it, then cried out in pain!). We tried to see if we could get him to go for a pee, but he was not moving from his bed. We will keep trying. For now, it's puppy pads and towels underneath. They were wet this morning so even though the poor guy soaked himself I'm happy that his bladder's empty and he's not uncomfortable with that.
Now he is settling back to sleep and quiet as my husband has his hand on his head. I know they say not to baby him, but this seems to help him sleep for at least a short period of time. We were thinking that just one of us would stay home over the next few days, but it's looking like we'll need the 2 of us (did I mention that I have an active and curious toddler to keep at bay?). Sheesh! Hoping he has a good day today. I will try and figure out how to attach photos soon. (Cute ones, not scary surgery ones). 😉
Danika and Rufa
I'm happy to hear that Rufa is home, safe and sound after his surgery! I don't blame you for spending the night next to him. We did it w/ Ellie, mostly for my own sanity (I would have been upstairs otherwise). The first few days especially can be rough so having you both available is good if you can swing it.
Since he's a big boy, depending on how mobile he is at first, you might need two to get him up and out and back inside. Ellie hated the sling but we needed to use it at first to get up and down the 6 steps to the backyard. Once out back though, we'd just sort of hold it loosely around her belly "in case" and walk along side. That way, if she collapsed and we needed to get her back up, it was already under her. There were definitely times when the sling pressure made her cry out in pain so be prepared. It is really hard to hear but honestly, Rufa won't hold it against you!
Some dogs tolerate Tramadol well, others not. Panting and anxiety seem to be pretty common side-effects. The only thing about him wetting himself is that his skin will need to be cleaned up. Urine can burn his skin (you probably know this, but just in case).
Denise, Bill and Angel Ellie.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
Yay Rufa! Glad he made it through surgery. Keep in mind it's OK to help him be calm by doing things like gentle stroking and massage, when we say 'babying' we mean doing things like hand feeding and carrying the patient well into the next week of recovery (see this video for clarification). You're doing great.
Yep, agreed, some dogs can't do tramadol, we had the same experience with Wyatt Ray . If it continues ask your vet for an alternate pain remedy.
Here's how to upload photos. If you'd like some assistance just holler. Cute or scary, we can't wait to see the pics!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Sometimes it takes the bigger dogs a few days to get their sea legs. It took two of us to get our Max out for a couple of days. It seemed once we "helped" him up he would be ok. Maybe boil some water and let it cool to clean him up with where he soiled himself. It will be a good thing to set up potty breaks so he does get up and move some though. They do need to move some to learn how to navigate. Our Max didn't sleep but a few minutes at a time for 3 days. The drugs are a necessary evil to get them through but it really does seem like most are restless and panting those first few days. We did find a harness helped us a lot those early days. It allowed us to help him up and let him hop along with us right next to him to grab the handle if we needed to. These first few days are the hardest to get through. Soon you will settle into a routine that works for you and we'll all be right here to support you. Hang in there!
Linda & Max
linda8115 said
Sometimes it takes the bigger dogs a few days to get their sea legs.
Totally agree, thanks for mentioning this.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi everyone, thanks for all the support and good suggestions. I had trouble getting onto the site through my laptop for the past few days. I am in mobile and it seems to be working, so maybe it was the browser I was using.
Anyway, we are now 6 days post-op and Rufa is doing pretty well. He seems a bit subdued but I suppose that's part of the recovery process. He is doing fine toileting now but our pee breaks often take 15 mins or longer as he needs to lay down to rest every 6 ft or so it seems. If there is a person to greet however, he hops right on over, haha. I'm thinking he may also be protesting not being outside so much, as he loves being able to lay down in the yard and cool down and he's been pretty cooped up, obviously.
He had some fluid build up underneath his incision which would cause him to cry out in pain whenever he got up from laying down, poor guy. We've been doing hot compresses constantly for the past few days and it seems to have gone down quite a bit, however our vet said to check in tomorrow in case it needs to be drained. I understand this is pretty normal, no? I still haven't figured out how to do photos yet, but I will eventually!
Oh glad things are going well! Yep, sounds like a seroma which is very common and not usually serious. You're doing great by applying the compresses to drain it and help the body absorb that extra fluid.
Sorry to hear you're having trouble getting logged in through your desktop. Send us your IP address (go to http://www.whatismyip.com) and will find out if you've been blocked. This happens when you try to log in too many times with the wrong credentials, it's a security thing.
Can't wait to see photos. If the link to directions I shared above is confusing let us know.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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