In this second of our three part series with Drs. Jessica Waldman and Amy Kramer from California Animal Rehabilitation Center (CARE), the good doctors answer popular questions Tripawd pawrents want answers to:
- Who has it harder: front, or rear leg amputees?
- Do dogs get depressed?
- How can we help our dogs heal faster from surgery?
While rehab is great for Tripawds, Dr. Waldman says she wishes she could see all of her rehab clients before they have surgery; when they are still young, healthy puppies. If she could, she would warn pawrents about seemingly harmless fun that could result in injuries later on.
She would tell pawrents not to let their dogs jump in and out of trucks, or play Frisbee without warming up and cooling down. She would also tell them to use a ramp instead of jumping into trucks or on furniture. Because if pawrents wait until their dog is injured to take her advice, that’s when things get complicated. Changing a dog’s behavior patterns is another hurdle to add on top of recovery.
In the next and final discussion we have with Drs. Kramer and Waldman, we’ll address concerns about supplements and pain medication.
Many thanks to the pawesome staff at California Animal Rehabilitation Center in Southern California for helping us bring this series to you. If you are lucky enough to live nearby, be sure to visit this incredible facility and see how they can help your Tripawd stay strong and live hoppy!
Catch Part 1: Canine Rehabilitation: Exercises and Stretches with CARE
Catch Part III: Canine Rehabilitation: Pain Meds and Supplement Tips from CARE
Dr. Waldman says she wishes she could see all of her rehab clients before they are injured; when they are still young, healthy puppies. If she could, she would warn pawrents about seemingly harmless acrobatics that might result in injuries later on.
She would tell pawrents not to let their dogs jump out of trucks, or play Frisbee without warming up and cooling down. She would warn them about allowing them to jump on the bed instead of using a ramp. Because if pawrents wait until their dog is injured to take her advice, that’s when things get complicated.
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Thank you so, so much. My 5 lb. Toy Poodle just had her front left leg amputated. She jumped off a step (we think – no one saw the actual incident) and broke both bones in that leg just above her ankle. It was evaluated, casted and meds dispensed. At her 1 wk. check up it was found the bones had separated and actually had cut off circulation to her paw. She spent a week in the vet hospital for therapy on her paw before having a rod and pins put in. Her paw got a little better…then much worse. The hard decision was made to amputate. It was done right away and I took her home that evening! I was terrified to look after her. She had no bandage on and her wound was heartbreaking. She cried on and off through the night. I had 2 meds for pain and 1 antibiotic for her. She has been home for 5 days now. 2 days ago I thought we were making progress. Yesterday she went backwards. More crying out in pain. She has started turning her head really quickly towards the missing limb and sometimes even snapping her teeth towards it. She has never bitten anything in her 2 and a half years. Today she is quiet, sleeping, only going out if I actually pick her up and take her out. She does her business right where I put her down then just waits be be brought back in. How do I encourage her to walk? If I put her down in the house…she will basically be in the same spot a little later on. She almost seems depressed. Does this seem like something that could happen to dogs? I love her dearly. She is my companion as I live alone. I just hate to see this sadness and sleepiness in her. Any tips?
You will find loads of advice and recovery tips in Jerry’s Required Reading List, and much more from other members if you post in the discussion forums. You might find the tips for managing phantom limb pain in dogs, in The Tripawds Downloads blog, especially helpful.
This was great! Thanks for bringing us this video – full of great advice.
Susan
Bravo on another excellent video and questions answered!
Thank you Tripawd team for this! Makes me feel better to hear their comments like “they are going to get more sore” and don’t let them do what they could do when they had four legs..
Tracy
Maggie, you’re so welcome, glad you like it. You know, there are soooo many things about taking precautions for Tripawds that we didn’t know until we met these docs. Who knew that letting them run wild for hours on end at a dog park was a bad thing? Wow! We love doing these movies, because we learn tons in the process.