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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Amputation. Did we do the right thing? Right now it feels like we didn't.

54 replies

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 18/09/2013 13:26

Please reassure me. Our greyhound developed a painful lump in his hind leg which turned out to be cancer. The vet said it's probably spread already, so we had a choice of amputation (which would buy him a few more months pain-free, till more tumours grew) or palliative care - strong painkillers till things got unbearable and then put him to sleep. We opted for amputation, reasoning that it was best for him to spend the last few months happy and pain-free and spoiled rotten

We got him back today. He's bruised, frightened and depressed, and won't eat or drink. He can barely walk and it takes him up to 1/2 an hour to figure out how to lie down. The vet's been brilliant; I just didn't understand the full impact it would have on him. I just thought: leg off, pain gone, problem solved. Idiot.

I know it's early days, but right now it feels like we've made a terrible mistake. Tell me things will get better for him...

OP posts:
AutumnStar · 18/09/2013 13:37

Don't worry, Jesus. I have a cat with three legs and she gets around just as speedily as our able-bodied ones. It's a huge change for him and obviously you can't explain it to him, so it'll take a few weeks for him to get used to it.

There's nothing worse than seeing a much-loved pet in pain, so Thanks for you and a juicy pig's ear for him.

ParsingFancy · 18/09/2013 13:38

Can you make him a high-level bed or cushion pile, so he doesn't have so far to make it down and back up again?

Lonecatwithkitten · 18/09/2013 13:45

The first 48 hours are truly the worst. Then the pain and the bruising from the surgery begins to improve and they begin to get used to their tripod status. By the 5 day check most are managing pretty well and by the 10 day check most are doing really well.

AutumnStar · 18/09/2013 13:45

I also found treats worked very well for cheering up purposes.

Bless him, my heart goes out to you both.

Original poster
JesusInTheCabbageVan · 18/09/2013 13:50

Thanks. Autumn oh, it would be so much better if he'd eat. I was going to cook him a burger as a homecoming dinner, but it was pretty clear on seeing him that that was out of the window. I've just tried to get him to take his Tramadol by putting it inside one of DS's Babybels. He's just lying there with it in his mouth like he doesn't know what to do with it Sad

Parsing Unfortunately, whilst a very sweet and gentle dog, he is not very bright at all even when at his best. I feel pretty sure that at the moment, he'd have as much chance figuring out a high bed as he would solving a Rubik's cube...

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moosemama · 18/09/2013 13:51

So sorry you and your boy are going through this. Flowers

There really is no right or wrong decision in your situation, you can only do what feels right to you fro your dog. We lost our Oldgirl to bone cancer in April, we also seriously considered amputation, but a chest scan showed we were too late, so she had a couple of weeks palliative and then we had to say goodbye.

One thing that helped us with our considerations re amputation was the Tripawds website. It has people from all over the world on it who are going or have been through what you are going through with your boy, there's lots of advice, a support forum and articles on what to expect.

It's very early days, he will probably still be woozy from the anaesthetic, uncomfortable and confused, but from what I read this will get better. He just needs lots of tlc and time to adjust.

SunshineSuperNova · 18/09/2013 13:54

Hello OP, we had to make the same decision for one of our cats. After the initial shock of the op, he had a fantastic few months getting around on 3 legs.

AutumnStar · 18/09/2013 13:55

The poor little soul Sad, it's so hard to see them upset.

But as moose says, it's very very early days and he's bound to be groggy and probably feeling rotten still. Just give him lots of fuss and offer treats as often as you can.

I'm sure you've done the right thing. They are amazingly adaptable once they get their head round what's happened.

miaowmix · 18/09/2013 13:58

Another one with a three-legged cat amputee. After initial bruising and adjustment, our boy has been amazing. He is now 16 and the amputation was ten years ago, he's been completely fine ever since. They adapt so well. Even my cat who is also not the sharpest tool in the box Smile. Hope your dog has a happy rest of his life - am sure he will.
By the way, arnica cream (NOT homeopathic!) worked brilliantly on my cat's bruising. Worth a try?

Original poster
JesusInTheCabbageVan · 18/09/2013 14:09

Thanks all, I will definitely have a look at the Tripawds website. Greygardens I will also look into that cream, thanks for that.

Like you say, I just really wish I could explain it to him.

I might cook him some fishfingers as a compromise - it won't bring him any closer to an understanding of the situation, but at least he'll know it's not because he's a Bad Dog.

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Scuttlebutter · 18/09/2013 14:22

Hello OP, sending good wishes to you and your hound. I am very much involved in greyhound voluntary work so see a fair few tripods (losses due to various causes, not just cancer). As previous posters have mentioned, this is the worst bit - but I know lots of greys on 3 legs who are still happy doing zoomies on the beach, and still very much counter surfing in style. One I know decided to run off with a full chip pan (fortunately not hot) which led to a VERY memorable homecoming for his owner!!

My other recommendation is to go on to Greytalk - it's a huge board for greyhound people and has a wealth of threads on various hound related health matters including sadly the dreaded bone cancer. Amputation is often used in the States (much more so than here, from what I can see) so there's a massive community of greyhound owners with amp experience.

Wishing you all the best. Flowers for you and liver Biscuit for hound.

viperslast · 18/09/2013 14:25

My friend had a cat with two legs! He could jump run etc with the rest after a little adjustment. Honestly he will figure it out with some time. Smile

Whippoorwhill · 18/09/2013 14:40

My friend's dog, a medium sized lurcher, had to have a leg amputated. The first two days were horrific, the next few were a little better and two weeks down the line she was hopping along fairly happily. I think it was maybe easier for her as she was a young dog and lost it as the result of a car accident but it is amazing how well they adapt.

miaowmix · 18/09/2013 14:58

Thanks Jesus, wishing you and your dog all the best Smile

Original poster
JesusInTheCabbageVan · 18/09/2013 18:19

Scuttle that's good to hear - he used to get so much pleasure from running, and hasn't been able to for a long while (the leg with the bone tumour also had arthritis, so good riddance to it really).

Well, fishfingers were rejected along with everything else. In the end I force-fed him a Tramadol (had to) and he's now looking quite stoned. Getting there.

OP posts:
Inkspellme · 18/09/2013 18:47

You have my sympathies - I have a 3 legged cavalier and the first couple of days really were the worst. I also have a one eyed terrier snd she had to have the eye removed she was alsi pitiable. shaking, lost looking, disorientated. I wondered whether it was a combination of the whole experience of surgery - pain, strange people and place, strange smells and an anestetic in their system? I'm looking at my 3 legged pet here charging around after the other dog -it doesn't hinder her at all.

TheCunnyFunt · 18/09/2013 18:51

I personally have no experience of tripawds, but the rescue lady where we got our Greyhound from used to have a tripawd Grund, one of the back legs. Apparently she'd stand on one leg and dig away quite happily in the garden, she was just as able-bodied as a quadruped!

topbannana · 19/09/2013 08:28

My greyhound bitch lost a back leg. As others have said the first couple of days were awful but get quickly better. I think that greyhounds are not the most graceful at getting up and down and that's stone cold sober on four legs :o
She lived to be 13 and was PTS after a quite severe stroke that meant she was marooned on the floor as her three legs just wouldn't cut it- that was the first time that the amputation ever really had a negative effect on her :(
Hopefully today will be a better one for you and your boy :)

Original poster
JesusInTheCabbageVan · 19/09/2013 13:06

God, well, that was eventful. Last night he wouldn't settle despite being heavily medicated and got worse and worse. At first he was just crying, but then the wound started bleeding heavily and he ended up screaming while I held him down to stop him blundering around and opening it further; meanwhile DH called the emergency vet. They were wonderful and kept him in overnight under sedation. Horrible - blood everywhere. Apparently he IS now doing better though, thank god, so we're (still) getting there.

OP posts:
SunshineSuperNova · 19/09/2013 13:10

I'm sorry to hear that Jesus, I hope he's recovering well today. :(

Gentle hugs to you and your poor boy.

TheCunnyFunt · 19/09/2013 13:23

Aww Jesus :( poor boy. Hopefully he's feeling a bit better today.

Original poster
JesusInTheCabbageVan · 19/09/2013 18:35

Heard from the vet again - they think he might have a disorder which stops his blood clotting properly. Well, that would explain an awful lot. So they're keeping him in overnight again, doped up to the eyeballs on methadone Shock, and we're getting him back tomorrow hopefully. Oh god, he's going to be a proper smackhead, isn't he? He's going to rob all the dog treats and sell them to the other dogs in exchange for tubes of Frontline, which he will then snort just to try and regain some of that methadone high.

OP posts:
TheCunnyFunt · 19/09/2013 19:29

:o :o

Poor chap, let's hope the methadone helps him.

moosemama · 20/09/2013 09:15

Aw poor thing. Hope the vets can fix him up quickly and he's soon more comfortable and settled.

Original poster
JesusInTheCabbageVan · 20/09/2013 19:05

Massive twitching crack-head of a dog back home, has eaten two fishfingers and a yoghurt, and crashed out. He's rocking the happy dog corpse-eye look right now Grin Wish me luck for tonight.

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