How to care for a puppy with three legs after amputation surgery?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can rest her as much as possible to try to prevent further injury. Aside from that, she should be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible to check if there are any fractures and to see what would be the best therapeutic step for her. At the very least pain medications can be started right away. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello. If you follow all instructions from the surgeon & there are no unforeseen complications, then Sophie should have a complete recovery. She will be uncomfortable for awhile, but she is young & young bones heal very quickly. She will probably need to take things easy for 6-8 weeks, but if the break did not penetrate the skin nor involve any joints or growth plates, she should do great. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. I am so sorry that Max has had such a serious surgery. It is very normal for him to be sleepy as his body has undergone a very trying trauma. Plus, there is still some residual anesthetic drugs in his system. If he needs assistance getting up, placing a towel around his chest & using this as a lift device will help. Otherwise, you might just put some absorbent pads under him so that if he pees, it will at least keep him a little drier. He should feel better tomorrow & get stronger each day. I do hope Max is feeling better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Playing the odds based on Skylar's breed and the fact that she has a tumor in the leg I would assume it is potentially a primary bone tumor such as osteosarcoma though of course your veterinarian would know better. Regardless of the tumor type, if they already made the determination of amputating her leg as the next step I can tell you that most dogs tolerate being on 3 legs very well and get around just fine even if older. Only dealing with cancer patients myself I have a lot of cancer patients that are three-legged and do great. As long as she does not have another orthopedic or neurologic condition that affects her ambulation, she would likely be ok in three legs. Good luck!

If the leg has been amputated in the past and is well healed, there should be no need for concern. Dogs adjust quickly and after the operation has healed there should be no pain or need for concern. Making sure he has level ground and good grips on the floor is important but hopefully he adjusts well and you enjoy your new adopted Dog!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Oh this dog sounds so cute! I love three legged dogs. Typically no, there are no health problems. Dogs get along just great with three legs. Just make sure the stump isn't scraping against the ground or on any surfaces potentially causing some skin issues. Otherwise, it should be great. I'm jealous, one day I hope to adopt a dog with three legs. Best of luck!

Thank you for reposting your question with pictures. The second x-ray is a little dark and is difficult to read, but I can certainly see that the area is not normal and why your vet would recommend amputation since the area will not get any better. However, if Ella only has a slightly limp, then I'm not sure why the amputation needs to happen now. Some dogs do very well with an abnormal leg for many years. If at some point it starts causing her more problems, it can always be amputated at that time. And certainly only having 3 legs puts more strain on the other legs, so we try to wait to amputate unless the leg is currently painful or causing problems. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.