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My golden retriever buddy had his hind leg amputated this morning, and will stay overnight at the vets. I hope he is ok, and that the adjustment for him is smooth. I feel like a fish out of water here as to how to take care of him. I bought a harness, and hopefully it will come today.hopefully it will help me help him. he is such an awesome dog, so sweet and sensitive, i hate that he has to go through this, but am so gratefull that his life has been saved. cancer is a horrible thing, i hope it’s gone for good.
Is there anyone out there reading this that has any helpful advise for me? Were you all as scared as i seem to be? I need to be confident for buddy.
I wish i could be with him right now, telling him it’s going to be ok, i hope he is ok.
I think all of us were scared , or terrified. We picked up our dog up on her second day, she hopped out to us. She was happy to see us and I was surprised by her. I thought I would fall apart when I saw her, I didnt , it wasn’t anywhere as bad as I had expected. The first 2 weeks or so might be a challenge. He will probably do alot of crying and be uncomfortable at first, just shower him with love he should be fine and surprising you very soon at how happy and active he will be again.
You need to get into the forums and read through the topics. There are several good places to start- information on what to expect after amputation and dealing with cancer. And there are lots of good people here dealing with what you are facing.
First of all- most of us have found that our dogs are very resilant- more so than most people!! The first couple of weeks are tough dealing with healing, finding new balance, and dealing with the affects of meds. My girl lost her back leg, but was able to walk the next day-
If your harness is not here in time you can make a temporary sling with a towel, just to help Buddy with his balance. I’m sure more people will chime in.
If you haven’t already done so you should register with this site so you can get posted in forums without a moderator-
Again- lots and lots of good information, advice, and maybe most importantly support from those who have been through this.
Good luck with Buddy when you get him home.
Karen and the pug girls.
Hi there and welcome to our Tripawds family… Definitely do join the forums, so you can have access to all the information and support.
I’m sorry that Buddy had to have his amputation due to cancer. Many of us have had to go through the same thing with our babies. How old is Buddy? How was he diagnosed? Did he have a limp, a lump, or break his leg? Which leg was removed?
I also had a sweet and wonderful golden retriever named Jake. He broke his front leg, and that’s how he was diagnosed. He had his amputation surgery about two weeks later, once it was confirmed that he had osteosarcoma. The first week post-op was the most difficult for him, but then he got better very quickly. He enjoyed his life, got to play and swim with his younger brother, Wolfie. Unfortunately, Jake didn’t live as long as many others have, and after 6 weeks, he started to loose feeling in his back legs… the last evening of his life, he was in alot of pain, and the next morning we had to let him go. His cancer had spread to his spine.
But I will never regret having the amputation surgery. It gave Jake several more pain-free and quality weeks to spend with us. Don’t be too alarmed, as there are many dogs that make it for several months, even a year or two, before the cancer finally spreads. So, there is always HOPE! That’s why we are all here in the Tripawds community. Of course, there are different kinds of cancers, and some may be slower growing, or less likely to spread (metastasize) than others.
You should have a few beds or comforters lying around the house, so Buddy can plop down if he gets tired… and they usually do get tired the first week or so. The harness will definitely help, but depending on whether it’s his front or back leg that’s amputated, you may have to wait until the stiches are out before you use it. Think it should be fine if it’s a back leg. A sling is a great help in the meantime. They sell a nice cheap one (less than $15) on Foster & Smith… or you can make one using a large towel.
Pain meds affect many dogs differently… some are really looped out and probably are seeing pink elephants! Some cry out, maybe not necessarily in pain, but just because of being high. Some can’t tolerate the pain meds too well and stop eating, and then your vet may change to another pain med. Jake was on Tramadol and an NSAID, and luckily, he tolerated them very well.
I wish you and Buddy all the best in his recovery, and again… please join the forums, as there are many more members that are on them, compared to the blogs. They have been an incredible wealth of information and support for me during this whole scary journey.
Try and post some pictures of Buddy on your blog, so we can all see your beautiful boy!!
Angel Jake’s Mom
Hello, boy were we scared but we had a lot of help from this website and so much support from everyone here.
It is 4 weeks today that Barney had his amputation. A lot of people told us to be really prepared for a shock of seeing our dog after the operation. There are many photos on this site including my blog to show you what it might look like. Be prepared for swelling and a lot of bruising, the nurse at our vet said think of a lump of raw pork and that will be your dog’s leg. I know this sounds awful but thinking the worst and not being so shocked was they best thing for us.
Also when you see Buddy keep your voice upbeat – what ever you are saying – I feel that this really helped Barney, there was no fear or worry in our voices, just as well he couldn’t understand what we were actually saying!
I think it is true what they say about our dogs, they truly live for the moment, they haven’t got any worries about tomorrow and they do live for the moment. So with that in mind try and go with the flow of Buddy’s recovery we have had so many ups and down it is a real rollercoaster but when Buddy sees you and gets home he will feel better.
If he is off his food try some stronger smelling food, home made roast chicken is one of Barney’s favourite along with tongue and liver sausage (we put his tablets in this!).
This is a real challenge for all of us but the main thing is lots of love and cuddles for Buddy and most importantly look after yourselves, we are still surviving on comfort food!
Lots of best wishes and good thoughts being sent your way from Chris & Barney
Hi
It has been 2.5 weeks since my golden had his front leg amputated. He is getting around really good now, though he still has some seeping fluid from one spot in his incision line. He gets better each day.
He hopped out to us the day after surgery. Your dog will lay around for a lot of days, but eventually will be able to walk, run, and play again. Hang in there.
Opie’s Mom
As you can see by the comments you’ve already received just after posting … you are not alone here! Spend some time searching the forums and you will find loas of more advice and support. And be sure to check out Jerry’s two-part Q&A answering common cancer and amputation concerns. Welcome!
Blogs are great for telling your story and fun for people to read. But if you want advice, check out the forums (tripawds.com/forums). You can look up old posts, where people were looking for similar information, or make your own post with your question.
As you can probably tell, lots of us have gone through this situation and were overwhelmed at the time. But our dogs adapt remarkably well to 3-legged life.
Susan & Tazzie 2
p.s. to Chris – the vet tech actually said to think of a lump of pork?!? I can’t believe she was even allowed to say that. Kind of funny, but then we are 4 months post amp. It probably would not be so funny to hear that at the time.
I think we were all scared beyond words that first night! One thing to remember is that your friend will be doped up on anesthesia and pain meds and will not be too worried tonight. I liken it to people after surgery….they rarely remember anything about the first few days due to all the medicine. It’s the family who’s left in stress and worry!
You will find great advice and support on the forums. Make sure you take lots of pictures, and try to write down a little each day. Some days you will wonder if you did the right thing, if your friend is getting any better, etc. and you can look back and see that you’ve really progressed! For the most part they really surprise us with their resiliency and ability to adapt.
Hi! It is ok to be scared. I think all of us are nervous at first, but learn to adapt. Imagine what Buddy will be feeling. We learned especially with goldens that it is important to be strong and not let them see or sense you worry. Goldens pick up on your concern and feed off of that. Buddy will do much better if your attitude is positive. When you first see Buddy don’t be alarmed at his appearance. He will sense if anything is wrong! It is strange at first to see your dog missing a limb, but I can honestly say after 11 weeks I don’t even really notice.
The first week was the hardest for us because we all had to adapt to Peyton’s new lifestyle. We soon learned that he would surprise and amaze us every day! It shocked us at how quickly Peyton learned to walk on his own and get around like he use to. You may need to make some adjustments like runner rugs on hardwood or tile and helping with stairs (Peyton does a couple stairs on his own great, but we won’t let him do the stairs to the basement). Maybe bring is favorite bed into the area you will be in the most so he can be with you and be comfortable. The first night you may even need to lay with him to give him support. We found an old soft blanket that Peyton loved to lay on and he recently just stopped using it on a regular basis.
Make sure he isn’t licking his incision too much, maybe put a pair of boxer shorts on him so the tail sticks out the flap if licking becomes a problem. Buddy’s bathroom breaks might be fewer than they use to be so don’t let it stress you out. He will tell you when he needs to go! He is a golden you know?!?!?
Hopefully the Drs will have him on pain meds. Peyton was on so many that we actually made a chart to keep track of number of pills and what time to give them. It works great. We still use one since Peyton will be on pain meds indefinitely. Buddy will probably not be active for a week or so. Remember he just had major surgery and the pain meds with keep him sleepy.
We hope the information helps. You will find a lot of useful information and great friends at tripawds.com to help with advice when it is needed. Use this website as a tool. We have found our blog to be a very healing experience.
We know you made a hard decision amputating Buddy’s leg, but you will soon learn that is was well worth it. We don’t regret making the decision. We try to live every day to the fullest and enjoy the precious time we have with Peyton.
When you have more time, please post more about Buddy. We would love to know how old he is and basically all about him. We always encourage pictures!!! Where do you live??
Good luck! We are all thinking about you and Buddy. You definitely have something wonderful to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving!!
Oh my goodness….you have come to the right place. We may live all over the country but hopefully you will feel like you are surrounded by support and a big hug!!
Many of us have been in your shoes, none of us could have made it through without Tripawds. Go to the forums and there are many postings about dealing with cancer and amputation. The first couple weeks will be tough, just hang on and give your Buddy lots of love. He will look to you for leadership.
Just ask if you have any questions or issues, you can also go to “ask a vet” on the forums.
I am sorry you need us, but glad you found us!! Hang in there, we are sending you love and care.
Gineej & Paris
We’re so sorry Buddy had to go through this, but we’re betting you’re going to be AMAZED at how he bounces back! My pawrents were scared too, till them I showed them that I wasn’t, and just wanted to go on living my life as usual, which is just what I did!
Be sure to check out our most popular questions we get here at Tripawds in our Discussion Forums:
What to Expect Part 1:
http://tinyurl.com/WhatToExpect1
What to Expect Part 2:
http://tinyurl.com/WhatToExpect2
Good luck, please let us know how he does OK? And thanks for joining us here, we are hoppy to help any way we can.
Of course you are scared! OMD, what a thing to face for the first time! Here is a link to some really basic questions about what to expect in the early days. Cruise the forums for more useful information–its all over tripawds! Welcome, best of luck, and we will be thinking of you. Keep posting, get on the forums and ask questions if you need to. This is a great community and we all want to help.
http://tripawds.com/2008/11/17/the-top-10-questions-about-amputation-for-dogs/
We’ll be thinking of you and Buddy….
xoxox,
Codie Rae
Thank you so much for all of your support and advice! It has been extremely helpful to me. I get to pick him up this afternoon!! he finally had a little to eat this morning(at the vets) so hopefully he’ll have some strength at home. I like the idea of having some chicken for him, i’m sure his brother bailey will like it too s he is is a beagle and loves to eat!
I’m still really nervous, i hope I can help buddy to heal. I had a ramp built of the deck for him so he wouldn’t have to take the stairs down to the back yard, thank god for that(i had the ramp built before surgery because of his limping and difficulty with the stairs).
The harness finally came today, so much for express shipping. oh well perfect timing for him. I’m on the forums as grateful, but still learning how to post and reply. don’t know if i’m doing it right, i will have pics up as soon as i can.
I hope all of you and your Tri-loves are doing well, thank you for your honesty and openess.
Buddy’s mom