Coping with Canine Amputation | Caring for Critters

My dancing dog the morning of his amputation surgery.

Benji was my dancing dog.  

I first saw him when he was 3 months old and on death row.

I was 20, a full-time college student living in an apartment in an old Victorian house (translation: student slums) in Lawrence, Kansas.  Some friends were heading to the local animal shelter to adopt a dog.  They invited me to ride along.  "What fun!" I thought.

I tried to talk Bill and Risa into adopting the German Shepherd / Doberman mix puppy, but they had their eye on another pup. The puppy that had captured my heart was scheduled to be euthanized in less than a week.  He haunted my waking thoughts and my night-time dreams.

The day of his doom, I called the shelter to tell them to hold him for me.  It was one of the best decisions of my life.

I named him Benjamin and called him Benji.  He was my life partner and constant companion.  He attended classes with me.  I moved to a farm for him.  Twice.  He was an extension of me.

Benji, my Doberman / German Shepherd mutt and heart dog.

Benji was 3 years old when his recurring tumors began.  Surgery after surgery, but all benign.

Until they weren't.  He was 9 years old when I heard the verdict: malignant.

Both veterinarians I consulted recommended amputation. The alternative was letting the cancer take him within the year.

Of course I chose amputation.  Although the word was like a dagger to my heart.  No matter what the vets said, I couldn't wrap my mind around Benji having only three legs.  This was before the internet. I couldn't surf the web for information.  This was before the Tripawds community.  I couldn't take advantage of online support.

I was quite sure I would have a handicapped dog after the surgery.   Oh dog!  I was wrong.

Benji came through the surgery just fine and, in fact, got to come home earlier than expected.  Aftercare included wound care, painkillers, and antibiotics.  Seeing him took my breath away and I felt heart broken, even though he was already getting along very well on three legs.
 

Benji post amputation surgery

The true challenge was keeping Benji from bothering the incision.  I had to return to work and he couldn't come with me.  The cone did not deter him and after he ripped his stitches out, I had to add a muzzle. 

The amazing thing to me was how well he adapted.  In fact, as he healed from surgery it became obvious that very little had changed.  No, he no longer could dance with me, but he was so terrific on three legs that people didn't even notice the missing leg.  Amputation bothered me;  it didn't bother Benji at all.
 
Benji was 13 when he was diagnosed with liver cancer.  Because of his age I refused radiation treatment.  I just couldn't put him through invasive and painful treatment.  With a special diet and medication, Benji celebrated his 14th birthday before he passed away in his sleep.  Five of those years were spent as a tripawd.  A very happy tripawd.  

My tripawd dog Benji at age 10

Benji taught me many life lessons.  Here's some of what I learned about tripawd dogs:

•  Make sure you consult with a veterinarian that you trust.  A compassionate "bedside" manner is an essential in my book.
• Amputation bothers humans, not dogs.  As horrific as it sounds and looks immediately post-op, dogs get on with life and certainly don't care how it looks.
• Keep your dog lean and fit.  This was very much in Benji's favor and helped him to very quickly adjust to tripawd life. Check out rehabilitation resources and services to help your dog build muscle in it's other legs.
• Get your own feelings of panic under control in order to make good decisions.  In addition, your dog will definitely pick up on your stress level and how you're dealing (or not dealing) with the situation.
• Take advantage of the support of others who've gone through a similar experience. 
• Be positive.  Be hopeful. 
• Learn from your dog:  live fully in the present moment.

You can read more about Benji's cancer in the post I wrote about my tripawd dog Benji for the Give Cancer the Paw blog hop. 

I'm participating in the Caring for Critters Round Robin, hosted by Jodi at Heart Like A Dog. Each participating blogger writes about their own experience with a medical condition, injury, disease or illness.  The blogger then "passes the baton" to the next, sort of like a relay race in words, online.  Yesterday, Kelsie Merwine from It's Dog or Nothing told us about Canine Parvovirus.   I'll be passing the baton to Mel Freer from No Dog About It. Mel is sharing information about the Rabies Vaccine and potential reactions.

We are participating in the Caring For Critters Round Robin hosted by Heart Like a Dog. Caring for Critters is where you can read about pet parents' experiences with various health concerns to gain insight and hope for issues you may face. - See more at: http://peggyfrezon.blogspot.com/2014/09/caring-for-super-seniors.html#sthash.0QyR84mL.dpuf

We are participating in the Caring For Critters Round Robin hosted by Heart Like a Dog. Caring for Critters is where you can read about pet parents' experiences with various health concerns to gain insight and hope for issues you may face. - See more at: http://peggyfrezon.blogspot.com/2014/09/caring-for-super-seniors.html#sthash.0QyR84mL.dpuf

We are participating in the Caring For Critters Round Robin hosted by Heart Like a Dog. Caring for Critters is where you can read about pet parents' experiences with various health concerns to gain insight and hope for issues you may face. - See more at: http://peggyfrezon.blogspot.com/2014/09/caring-for-super-seniors.html#sthash.0QyR84mL.dpuf

We are participating in the Caring For Critters Round Robin hosted by Heart Like a Dog. Caring for Critters is where you can read about pet parents' experiences with various health concerns to gain insight and hope for issues you may face. - See more at: http://peggyfrezon.blogspot.com/2014/09/caring-for-super-seniors.html#sthash.0QyR84mL.dpuf

We are participating in the Caring For Critters Round Robin hosted by Heart Like a Dog. Caring for Critters is where you can read about pet parents' experiences with various health concerns to gain insight and hope for issues you may face. - See more at: http://peggyfrezon.blogspot.com/2014/09/caring-for-super-seniors.html#sthash.0QyR84mL.dpuf