Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Our dog is 86 lb lab mix 9 1/2 yrs-front right amputation in January for osteosarcoma. He has been doing quite well until about 2 or 3 weeks ago and had sudden onset of weakness in left rear leg. He kind of "swings" that leg out and is hesitant to bear weight on it. Took him to vet who did exam and x rays and found nothing. No pain with range of motion or palpation. X ray fine except small avulsion fracture metatarsal-he did not think that was causing the problem but an incidental finding. Lower spine looked fine-not even any arthritic changes. He continues to not want to use that leg-have gotten a harness to help him more. Some days worse than others, He does eat fine-although can't stand up to eat.
Any thoughts? He does seem to be in pain? I wish I spoke dog so I would know if he is suffering
Thanks
ACL? Did vet check for "drawer sign" to check his ligaments? Another thought....groin muscle?
Tracy
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Yes-did check ACL & thought it was fine. I just noticed I made a mistake in earlier posting--meant to say he is not in pain
Maybe it's just muscle spasms? You can always try a muscle relaxer from the vet.
I hope you find the answer and your boy gets better soon!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Even if he is not in obvious pain he may benefit from some anti-inflammatories or acupuncture. He may have an over-use injury or may have some muscle spasms in his back due to hopping around for several months.
Pam
Thanks for all the support. Any other ideas? He is gradually getting weaker in that leg-basically getting around on 2 legs! He is on Previcox. He still is eating and drinking fine.. I was expecting some problems with lung mets down the road but this is so different than what I expected. I think we are going on 3 weeks now with no improvement in that leg and maybe worse. I wonder if it is in his spine above where we could see on x ray-but do want to do an MRI
Hi, is he still showing no signs of pain?
This sounds very similar to Magnum but she had pain. She was a rear leg amputee. She started swinging her back leg out and keeping it straight under her instead of in the centre. She also showed no signs of pain on palpitations or movement (but then she was an expert at hiding her pain from the vets). She didn't appear to be in pain initially but she started reducing how far she wanted to walk (so in hindsight I think there had to have been pain).
Over a 6 week period she got progressively weaker in the leg until she was getting around on the 2 front legs as much as she could (and we became her back legs). But by then she was very obviously in pain (but still wouldn't show signs of pain with the vet!). When an xray was finally done they could see several lesions (mets), the worst being quite a large one on her back hip. But if your dog isn't showing any signs of pain and the xrays don't show anything then maybe something is going on with the discs in his spine and and MRI would likely pick it up?? I'm no expert in this, Pam is likely to give better insight.
I hope you can get to the bottom of it and soon.
Karen and Spirit Magnum
Magnum: 30th May 2002 to 5th May 2012. Lost her back left leg to osteosarcoma on 5th Sep 2011. Lung mets found on 20th Mar 2012 but it was bone mets in the hip that ended her brave battle. Magnum's motto - "Dream as if you'll live for ever, live as if you'll die today" (James Dean). Loyal, loving, courageous and spirited to the end. My beloved heart dog, see her memoirs from Rainbow Bridge ...... http://princess.....pawds.com/
My quad-pug Tani has pretty bad arthritis in her spine and all four legs. There are times when she gets up and one of her back legs does not work at all, it started out once in awhile, then it was happening weekly, then every other day or so. It does not appear painful, but she is pretty stoic. She is already on rimadyl and other joint supplements.
I took her to a chiropractic vet a few weeks ago and she adjusted Tani's back. She went almost 5 weeks without the dead leg thing happening. It really seemed to help- is that a possibility for you?
If you do an x-ray you should be able to see arthritis, if that is what it is, or lesions if that is what it is.
Karen and the pugapalooza
My dog Levi has had a weird lamness in his back leg that comes and goes. It is back problems. We take him to the chiropractor 2-3 times in a week and a half time frame and he's fixed right up!
Levi was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 7-7-11
Ampuversary 10-14-11
Lung Mets Discovered 1-4-12. Chemo seemed to not be working so we switched to Artemisinin and other supplements. In May, Levi developed a sinus infection and started having seizures. The cancer had moved to his brain. We let him go 6-26-12.
1 Guest(s)
