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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Hi All, so happy to have found this site! My 12yo rottie mix (rottie/cattle dog), Girlie, is having her surgery tomorrow. Front left. She is 3 weeks post diagnosis. Initially I was against amputation due to her age. (Hence I wasted nearly 3 weeks). I decided to do it because the reality of helping her to the Bridge was approaching quickly. I saw her hop out to the pool, reach down (with cancer leg shaking in pain) and pluck her ball out of the pool. This told me she is not ready for the Bridge and she deserves to have this second chance.
I have talked to my vets extensively. Read articles, watched videos...I feel I am prepared. I have mixed emotions and even now, I don't know if I am doing the right thing. She is in significant pain - at least this will remove her pain. At best, she will chase her ball again.
I am sorry to re-ask what has been asked a thousand times...but if I can lean on your collective graciousness...what short list tips could you provide for easing her transition post op?
I am planning on setting up a floor bed for her and me in the den. I have a sturdy harness, which I am already using to assist her walking. I'm pretty well versed in wound care and post op care (I have 6 dogs). But I'm nervous about this wound. Tell me what to expect. Should I go with the F-patch? Is it better to carry or left assist (pain for her?) How many days post op until you felt comfortable leaving your patient home alone while you work?
Thank you so much! -Donna
sunshinedog said
Hi All, so happy to have found this site!
And we're happy you found us! 
Your future forum posts will not require moderation.
Bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List for MANY helpful links or consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns.
You will find LOTS of care and recovery tips by searching these forums above and and you can search all blogs here for specific concerns — pain management, incision care, rehab, best dog beds, etc...
Best wishes for a perfect procedure, and Girlie's speedy recovery. Please keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I am glad you're here. There are quite a few of us who have been exactly where you are and not very long ago either. So, my girl is 10 and I struggled with the decision too. Agonized over it actually but like you, I saw signs that my girl was not ready to go, she told me she still had a lot of living to do. Post op we had a fentanyl patch placed and I'm really glad we did. I think it kept her comfortable and as it wore off we were able to titrate her with rimadyl and tramadol as needed. Patches surprised us by walking out of the vets office the day after her surgery. The incision was pretty big and a little daunting but we kept it dry and just let her dictate her activity level and food intake and she just did great. We slept with and near her............and still do. She had surgery on August 27th. today she's had two cycles of chemo, her hair is growing back beautifully and she's eating like a champ and running around the yard. take a look at our blog, Patches Journey, as I've chronicled a lot of our experience. We don't have a harness for Patches, she doesn't seem to need one. I WILL get her a sweater for winter. since a week or two before surgery she has eaten nothing but fresh organic meats and fish with rice and vegetables. Her coat is beautiful, she has maintained her weight and she seems happy. If you have questions or concerns please reach out, we are here to help.
good luck,
xoxo
Debbie and Patches
admin said
sunshinedog said
Hi All, so happy to have found this site!And we're happy you found us!
Bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List for MANY helpful links or consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns.
You will find LOTS of care and recovery tips by searching these forums above and and you can search all blogs here for specific concerns — pain management, incision care, rehab, best dog beds, etc...
Best wishes for a perfect procedure, and Girlie's speedy recovery. Please keep us posted!
THANK YOU
careygram said
I am glad you're here. There are quite a few of us who have been exactly where you are and not very long ago either. So, my girl is 10 and I struggled with the decision too. Agonized over it actually but like you, I saw signs that my girl was not ready to go, she told me she still had a lot of living to do. Post op we had a fentanyl patch placed and I'm really glad we did. I think it kept her comfortable and as it wore off we were able to titrate her with rimadyl and tramadol as needed. Patches surprised us by walking out of the vets office the day after her surgery. The incision was pretty big and a little daunting but we kept it dry and just let her dictate her activity level and food intake and she just did great. We slept with and near her............and still do. She had surgery on August 27th. today she's had two cycles of chemo, her hair is growing back beautifully and she's eating like a champ and running around the yard. take a look at our blog, Patches Journey, as I've chronicled a lot of our experience. We don't have a harness for Patches, she doesn't seem to need one. I WILL get her a sweater for winter. since a week or two before surgery she has eaten nothing but fresh organic meats and fish with rice and vegetables. Her coat is beautiful, she has maintained her weight and she seems happy. If you have questions or concerns please reach out, we are here to help.good luck,
xoxo
Debbie and Patches
Thank you Debbie!
Hi Girlie!! Sorry you have to be here, but under the circumstances, there is no better place to be!!!
Take a deep breath...or a thousand or two...and no that you and Girlie are not alone on this journey! We understand the afony of the decision a d the diagnosis like no one else can. . For any of us to be put in this position because of this stupid piece of crap disease just stinks!
Girlie showed you she had more living to do and you heard her loud and clear!!
Recovery is no picnic and, if you're like a lpt of us, you'll second guess your decision UNTIL the moment when you first see some of Girlie's sparkle come back! And oh what a glorious moment that is!!
Every dog's recovery is different. Some are faster...some slower. My Happy Hannah (125 lb chunk of love Bull Mastiff) was on the slower end.
Sassy, a beloved Rottie here, was on the faster end. Her mom will chime in.
Happy Hannah did not jave the patch (varies surgeon to surgeon I guess) and was sent home with Tramadol, Gabapentin, Rimadyl and an antibiotic. Her first couple of nights home were full of restlessness, panting and just plain being uncomfortable. I finally got her pain under control and we were both able to get some sleep.
Some dogs absolutely reduse to budge with a sling or a harness. So just know that Girlie may, or may not respond well to it.
The fact that she is already limping means she's getting used to using three legs. Most dogs...but not all...are pretty mobile within days. Some big, older dogs take a little longer.
If you are able to stay home the first several days, that would be good. At the very least, have her confined to an area she's used to and have someone check on her if at all.possible.
Some dogs don't eat much after surgery, although my Happy Hannah never, ever missed a meal! She did seem to have an aversion to drinking water though! I had to mix a scoop of ice cream in her water to get her to drink!!
If you have hardwoods, get non slip scatter rugs for traction . Raised food bowls help eliminate strain.
I didn't even look at her incision when I went to pick her up. I just looked into her druggy eyes and told her what a good girl she was! A whole lot of smooching and hugging that day!! The area they shave is a bit overdone in my opinion! I think I found that somewhat of a shock.
The surgery will re ove the pai !!! Girlie will be chasing her ball again pain free!
Stay connected to us! Eat @ots and @ots of CHOCOLATE! Remember, Girlie isn't worrying about a thing!!
Love and hugs!!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Welcome! Sorry your diagnosis brought you here but you couldn't be in a better place for love and support! I'm pretty new here too but everyone here helped me through it all. I think we all agonize this decision but you are right in saying we take away the pain of walking on that disease ridden leg. Non slip runners for bare floors helped us a lot. Dogs with three legs do much better with carpeting. We also found great value using the rough wear harness with our bigger boy (110#s). We used it early on helping to get him up and guiding him ready to grab it if we needed to. I boiled a lot of chicken for Max to get his pills down with. We were lucky in that Max continued to be a good eater throughout this. The first few days are really tough for sure but eventually you will see their love of life come back. They're pretty drugged up when they get home. Max was on rimadyl, gabapentin, tramaadol and an antibiotic. We made up a spreadsheet so we kept on top of giving medication on a regular basis. Max had his surgery on Sept 1st and he wasn't one of those that got up and happily hopped out with us. But by day 3 and 4 he was making tremendous strides in everything! He's now just recently finished his second chemo like a champ and still loves running in the yard and being outside. This journey was so worth it seeing Max loving life and out of pain. Donna lean on the people here during this journey and ask any question you have. We are all doing this with you. Good luck tomorrow Girlie. The whole tripawd nation is sending healing thoughts to you. Please update us when you have time we'll be waiting to hear!
Linda, Bob & Max
Debbie and Patches, sorry for the reason you found this site...but welcome.
One month ago yesterday my Sketch (over sized blue merle sheltie) had his left rear leg amp due to Fibrosarcoma and he is doing great. He came home with Tramadol and Gabapentin for pain, Carpaquin (anti-inflam) and Antirobe (antibiotic). He ate well from the moment he got home but wouldn't drink water at all. So I mixed 50/50 fat free/lactose free milk with water and he loved that. He urinated normally from the time he got home but didn't pass solid waste for over 3 days. The first few nights were very restless, but by the 5th night he was sleeping 6+ hours without any sign of restlessness. He did get a steriod shot in his remaining hip 1 1/2 weeks post surgery as that hip was having trouble carrying it's new load...the shot helped tremendously.
Sketch is now playing very short games of toss/catch, running well (again only for a short time) and only occasionally still seems a bit confused that he no longer has a left back leg...so Mom has to do any scratching on his left side for him. He did get a negative reaction, swelling and redness, to the internal stitches...hot packing 4x daily and applying Betamethasone Valerate helped. He also needed his soft E-collar until just 3 days ago because the minute it was off he was licking his incision area. So a few ups and downs, but all in all a very positive journey. The biggest difference I see in Sketchie is how easily he tires since the surgery...he is only 6 years old and was a guy who would play ball or Frisbee until my arm was ready to fall off...now just a couple of throws and he will lie down in the grass and chill out. In time I suspect some of the stamina will return, but probably never to the level he had pre-surgery.
I worked in rescue for years and have 9 dogs who became our's when homes were not found for them due to age or multiple health issues. I did keep Sketchie separated with a folding playpen that I could move from room to room for the first 2+ weeks. That gave him plenty of time to get used to how his body had to balance minus one leg...and gave the rest of my guys and gals plenty of time to sniff through the wire and get used to the "new" Sketchie without issue. And non skid bathroom rugs make "highways" when needed. Now he is fully integrated back into the pack and everything is going great.
Very best wishes to you and Patches.
Sketchie's Mom
I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Welcome to the club no one wants to join. Sassy had a good recovery. She came home with a fentanyl patch & rimadyl. We still had some tramadol which we used the first couple of days too.
Sassy was 138 pounds when she had her amputation and lost down to 128. She loved to be outside the first few weeks of amputation.
You have been given some good advice. Our blog is on the bottom of our signature
Michelle & Angel Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
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."
You already have great replies! Murphy is also a front leg amputee. He came home on Tramadol, Rimadyl and Gabapentin. I wrote out a schedule to keep track of his dosages since there were 3 of us giving him his meds throughout the day. It also helped to keep track when we started weaning him off. We also used ice packs a couple times a day to help with swelling and massage to help re-absorb any extra fluid that might have built up. Murphy's biggest problem was that he really didn't want to eat. I cooked up some rice, poured chicken broth over it and added some chunks of chicken. Anything to get him to eat. He took his meds with peanut butter. We didn't use his harness until his incision was healed. We live in a ranch-style house, so we didn't really need to worry too much about stairs. We do have 1 step into the family room, by the front door and by the garage door (his favorite places to lay) - so what I did was to put one of those tap lights in each of those places and at night when we turned the lights off we turned those on. That way if he wandered around, he could see where the step was.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Hi Donna and Girlie, welcome. As you can see we have a pawesome community here!
My best advice to you is to be a strong pack leader. KNOW that your girl is going to do great, feel it in your heart, show it on your sleeve and she will follow along with your lead. The more optimistic, strong and hopeful you are, the more she will respond with that kind of energy. You can do it!
Good luck tomorrow, please keep us posted OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My apologies, Donna. I addressed my previous reply to "Debbie and Patches"...my mistake.
I hope today's surgery goes well and your Girlie will soon be home on a the road to recovery.
Sketch's Mom
Hi Donna and Girlie....everyone's given all the good advice, just chiming in to let you know we're thinking of you on this most stressful day, of more stressful days to come. Every dog is different, handles recovery and drugs differently. It may be trial and error at first to see what works for you. My Dobe, Nitro, couldn't tolerate the fentanyl patch and we had to take it off early; he did well on tramadol and gabapentin. His recovery was difficult at first (he is also a front amp). He was in a lot of pain until we found an awesome vet that does chiropractic adjustments. Turned out this was exactly what he needed to adjust to his new gait. He also wouldn't eat for the first week and we resorted to spooning yogurt down his throat just to get his pills down him. As you can see, every dog DOES recover differently. Good luck, lean on us, we'll all help you with this journey.
paula and nitro
Nitro 11 1/2 yr old Doberman; right front amp June 2014. Had 6 doses carboplatin, followed by metronomic therapy. Rocked it on 3 legs for over 3 years! My Warrior beat cancer, but couldn't beat old age. He crossed the Bridge peacefully on July 25, 2017, with dignity and on his terms. Follow his blog entitled "Doberman's journey"
"Be good, mama loves you".....run free my beautiful Warrior
Today must be Amp-Day for Girlie so wishing her and you the best of luck!
Let us know how we can help when you get her home and settled.
Denise, Bill and Angel Ellie (and Toby Two-Toes too!).
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
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