My puppy had surgery today...

[Ox8605]

hi all, I just googled and found this site. I have a 14 month old Lab. Last thursday she hurt herself... somehow or another something stuck up her leg and came back out. My cousin found her and she was bleeding everywhere. He bandaged her up and sat her in my room, when he came back to check on her an our later my bed, pillows, recliner and floor was covered in blood. So he brought her to the vet and I met him when I got off work. By the time I was there they had already taken her to the back and had surgery that evening since the bleeding wouldn't stop. They said it looked bad. Really bad inside her leg. She'd tore a lot of blood vessels. They did what they could though and said she should heal up but to come back in a week.

Well friday I picked her up and she was fine. Then sunday she stopped putting pressure on the leg and wouldn't hardly eat. Tuesday night she would only eat and drink if I cupped it in my hand, so wednesday she went back to the vet. They called me that afternoon and said that infection and set in and that she didn't have any feeling in the foot. From what they could tell she wasn't getting any blood flow. So it was pretty much either put her down or amputate.

I like most all dogs. Except mean ones. Growing up , the vet was never an option. We just couldn't afford it. so i learned about doggy death the hard way. I love this dog like no other, which is why I brought her in in the first place. I couldn't possibly put her down because she's been a wonderful dog. She never chews up things or digs holes or barks at anything. She's not super hyper and stupid. She likes to sit around and play or sleep or go fishing. Today she had her right front leg amputated. I know myself and many of my friends and family would've been devastated if I'd have had her put down, but mostly I'm worried about her. I hope I made the right decision.

I go to pick her up tomorrow afternoon. As long as she eats something, which I'm sure she will. I know of some smaller 3 legged dogs that are happy as can be... but I've never seen a larger dog with only 3 legs. She's is still a puppy and only weighs about 50 lb. Judging by her parents she has a bit more growing to do...


I don't really know what to expect. I'm just looking for any help really...

[sunspirit]

Welcome! I don't know about amputations but you've come to the right place. Someone will be along to give you information. In the meantime, keep reading the forum, there's lots of great advice from others who have gone through what you're going through.

[critters]

Tripods are almost always fine; look around the bb and see all the happy stories!!

[Bella]

Hi there, So sorry you are both going through this. Your pup will do just fine on 3 legs! The first few days after you bring her home will be hard on both of you. Stay strong around her and positve. It will take a little time to get the hang of her new body but it seems they all do just fine. Bella lost her rear leg at 18 months in the spring and has never looked back. She spent he first 10 days after her amputation pretty quiet and in one room in the house but after her stiches were removed, she started to come back around to her old ways. She now runs and jumps just as fast, or faster, than our other girl Maggie. Check out a few of the stories posted on the other tripods...your girl will be just fine. Take care and be sure to come back and post if you have any questions and let us know how she is doing. Erin.

[luvmytripod]

my 13-month old tripod German Shepherd, who lost her right front leg at 6 months, is still growing slowly and is about 55 lbs. She does just fine...

(tapping foot and waiting for McDuff the St. Bernard's mom to get here and tell us about her BIG three-legged boy!)

Everyone here, regardless of the size of their dog, will tell you that their pup has been doing just great since their amputation. Our three-leggers are a healthy, happy crew!

Read through some of the threads to get an idea of what to expect when you bring your pup home. Generally, expect the first two days or so to be a little tricky (they usually feel very weird and sometimes howly/weepy because of the pain meds and anaesthetic, but this wears off), and then expect to be amazed at how well he does.

[SandyNY]

Hopefully, the vet will give you antibitocs to take home Please make sure to give all the anitbiotics to prevent further infection. If you have any trouble giving the medication, please ask here as we can give you about 101 ways to pill or medicate an unwilling dog! My young cat disappeared for a few days. she returned with the bones sticking right out of one leg. she had her entire leg amputated and adjusted very quickly. you will be surprised at how quickly and easily the dog will adapt- faster and better than you will. if she stops eating or anything like that again, please take her back to the vet as they should charge you as a "follow up" appointment and it should not cost as much. You will probably need to have a "cone" on her whenever you are not with her - a plastic thing that snaps around the neck to prevent her from taking out the stitches or staples. It is a pathetic sight - she may bang it into the wall and floor and look at you as if she is suffering the worst torture - but you will have to leave it on when you cannot watch her - if she rips out the staples she could bleed to death. give her a water dish thast is high enough and with enough space around it so she can fit the cone around the dish -same for the food dish if you free feed her. If she only eats meals, then you can take the cone off when you feed her. Watch the incision sight for any redness or swelling. Some swelling may be normal; you should be able to call the vet and / or bring her in for a quick look if you are uncertain and this should not cost you. If there is swelling or redness around the site, you can call the vet office and ask if a tech or vet would look at it quick for no charge. Your dog may have to learn to eat lying down or with a raised dish - see what works. i would put bowl on floor and maybe she will lie down to eat. if she is having difficulty, put the dish on a cardboard box to see if raising it helps. you do not have to spend $$ to try a raised dish and if it works, you can make a stand out of spare boards for free. A little spray paint and it is custom built! better than a store one anyways. Going potty will probably not be a problem for her since it is her front leg. She will probably need to be "crated" Putting her in a closed room will probably be fine too if she doesn't have a crate. Just to confie movement for a few weeks as she heals. Don't want her jumping about. My cat with the amputated leg had to be crated ( large dog crate) so she couldn't run the stairs and I let her out of crate when I was with her and removed the cone. She was on pain medication and antibiotics for a spell. healed surprisingly fast.
Meanest dog i ever knew was a german shephard; and she had three legs ( one front leg missing due to a fight with a car) and man, could she run fast!

[Ox8605]

thanks for everyone's comments. She seems to be doing OK this evening. She's had lots of visiters coming by so she's had plenty of belly rubbing! Right now she's laying down on her pillow beside me and she just looks like she's in so much pain! It comes ago goes with her. I was just wondering what medications you were given? They gave me 5 deramaxx and 10 days worth of antirobe

[luvmytripod]

How's she doing today?

I see no one answered your questions about the medication.

My girl had a Duragesic patch applied to her skin, had Metacam, and also an antibiotic (forget the name).

[SandyNY]

my senior dog was on duramax long term. the antirobe is an antibiotic. if he seems in pain, it would nit urt to call an ask the vet. hope he is feeling better today

[trishny]

don't know how to do it.

[critters]

trishny--Here should be all your posts in a list. I don't know which post you prefer? search.php?search_id=813482970&start=0

[tessa]

trish...just go to the thread and add a new response to it. it comes right up to the top then.
i just say 'bump'.

ox...my dog was on metacam.
she cried for about a week after the operation...but it wasn't pain. it was anesthetic hang-over.
the amputation generally provides pain RELIEF...so in many instances...the signs that a dog appears in pain can actually be attributed to the drugs they used to knock them out.

how is she today?

[Ox8605]

She has been doing just fine. She has a few days left of the antirobe and that should be it for the medication, unless they give me more when she gets her stitches out Monday. She hasn't whined or complained much since my last post about medications. she is definitely milking all the attention for all it's worth lol

[Bella]

Glad to hear all is going well. You will see a big difference after the stitches are taken out. Take care. Erin

[trishny]

Hope it helps