Cooper got a new bed today, normally he sleeps on the furniture or the floor . I am hoping to get him use to sleeping in his new bed, and maybe get him another one for some of his favorite places so he can be super comfortable after surgery.I imagine he won’t be to happy if he can’t get on the couch and bed like he is use to.
His amputation is scheduled for next Thursday. Part of me wants it to just happen because I am sick of worrying about his recovery. His dad will be home to bring him in and to help me take care of him after his surgery for about 4 days, then I am on my own for 4 weeks and I am scared. I know that you can’t predict how he will do, only time will tell. He is 67 lbs , so I can’t lift him. I don’t know what to do about the stairs, we will not be able to avoid stairs in my house. There are two or three stairs to get to the different rooms, as well as to get outside. And the only cool room (the basement) is down 8 or 9 stairs!
I am trying to prepare the kids for what cooper is going to go thru. We have looked at some videos and pictures of tripawds. I want them to see that he will still be able to play and that the it may look scary at first but with time the fur will regrow and it will be ok. The thought of cooper having three legs was scary, but they said they will still love him .
this was a few days ago, I thought I had posted but had saved the post as a draft. Lol. Still getting use to this blog stuff
Hello. I am just going thru what you are. My 3yo golden retriever has to have his back left leg amputated. Op is tomorrow. We were only told it was a necessity on Friday so have only had 3 days to get used to the idea. I have the same concerns and fears as you but we’ll learn as we go thru the experience I guess. Need to get him a dog bed as well as your description of how and where Cooper sleeps is exactly the same as mine. My boy’s name is Charlie and. I also own his twin brother, Buddy, so I will have to learn how to manage both. I will try to keep people up to date with his progress and I hope all goes well with Cooper.
Good morning
Cooper will do great as a tripawd….that is my prediction 🙂
Good plan to prepare your children for the surgery and to let them know that he will still be able to play with them.
Tucker hates stairs…always has…..so there are now some stairs that he will not even try to use. However, he goes in and out of the house easily (two or three stairs) and still jumps into the car – with assistance – I hold onto the handle on his harness.
I was alone with Tuck right after his surgery and he weighs 87 pounds. Don’t worry….laughter, chocolate and lots of snuggles from Cooper and your children will be all you need.
Hugs
Linda and Tucker
I completely understand your fear. Thankfully you will have help the first 4 days so this will give you some time to figure out how best to help Cooper get around until he gets his bearings. Regarding the steps…we live in split foyer home which is nothing but steps. We moved our mattress out to the office/sunroom so Leland would only have to hop up one step to get in until his mobility got a little better.
Leland (108lb Dobie) was a hind leg amp and I assisted him with a belly sling (getting up and down, going out to potty and walk) for about 2 weeks until the staples came out. Once the staples came out we moved our mattress back up into the main part of the house but still on the living floor (we took babysteps with him). I always helped him navigate the steps with the belly sling and it worked out well. My main issue with continuing to help him was to keep pressure off the other knee as we knew it could end up having a cruciate ligament tear.
Your vet should provide Cooper with a belly sling when he leaves after surgery. If not you can find them on sites like Drs FosterSmith or possibly even at pet stores. You could also take a bed sheet and put that under Cooper’s belly and hold the 2 ends.
It’s more for providing them support and helps them feel a little safer that they aren’t going to fall while their confidence is being built back up.
Sending positive thoughts to Cooper and your family for the upcoming surgery and hopes for a speedy recovery!!
Sahana and her Angel Leland
My Tripawd, also named Cooper, jumped up on the bed first thing as soon as he came home from amputation surgery! (We didn’t have him then, he was still with his foster mom.) We’ve had him for two years in August, and he gets onto and off of the beds with no problem at all. Our beds are high, though, so I got rid of the frame on the bed I sleep in because it was too high and made me nervous that he was “slamming” when he hopped off the bed. I now sleep on mattress & box spring on the floor with no frame or headboard. You’ll be amazed at all the things he will still do. My Cooper doesn’t even know he only has three legs.
In reply to Char, above.. I have twins Cooper and Charlie!! They are littermates. I adopted Charlie when he was 11 weeks, and Cooper when he was 7 months, after he was returned to rescue by his original adopters with a crushed leg that had to be amputated. It’s been a challenge raising the two of them, but it has also been very rewarding and I wouldn’t change a thing! Sometimes I have to do separate activities with them. I will take Cooper for rides in the car, it’s his favorite thing. And even with 3 legs, he jumps into the open car window (like a cat) if I leave it open!!!! Charlie gets the walks around the block, because Coop doesn’t have the endurance. They play together HARD just like you’d expect two boy dogs to do. Coop can catch the ball faster than Charlie most of the time. He knows when to stop and rest. It’s very rare that I have to make him rest, he usually does it on his own. Speedy recovery to all the new amputees… looking forward to staying updated!
Hi. Charlie had his operation on Mon 14th as planned. All went really well, so well that I was able to bring him home the following day. He did have to have 2 tabs of tramadol on Tues night and 2 on Wed morning but only 1 morning and evening since then. He was eating and drinking with no probs right from when I brought him home and walking as if he didn’t realise he’d lost a leg. The 2 things that are bothering him are the cone he has to wear until the stitches come out and the fact he can’t lick anywhere. The missing leg seems to be incidental. Looking forward to net Thurs when come and stitches are both gone. There’ll be no stopping him. Buddy, his twin, has been great considering he is such a boisterous dog normally. Giving Charlie lots of kisses and love. The cats are locked overnight in one of the bedrooms so they don’t try to lick his wound and are also good. All going well. Wondering how Cooper is getting on since his op?
Thanks for all your words of encouragement. Cooper had his surgery today, I talked to the vet and they said everything went good. He is staying at the vet tonight, and we should be able to bring him home tomorrow. I am abit nervous. I hate not seeing him right now and seeing exactly how he is , but I guess he is just sleeping. He also got neutered today. Poor guy.
I love that you ladies have twin goldens. Twice the love! Happy to hear Charlie is doing so well, I can only hope our journey goes as good!
Thanks for both updates!! It will go by fast, and this will all be a memory some day. Glad to hear they are both doing well. When our Coop had his surgery, the vet set up a webcam so the foster mom could watch him all night from home!!
P.S. My twins are mutts/rescues “Tennessee Ugly Brown Dogs”, we love ’em 🙂