Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives
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Our little Baxter jumped off a chair and shattered his elbow. We will have to have his fron leg amputated. We've never been around a three -legged dog before and don't know what to expect.
Baxter is a rescue that already had an old, un-treated injury to the first joint (wrist) of this same leg. He barely could use it for balance and kept it pulled up out of the way most of the time. Being already a weak leg, when he jumped, it was just too much pressure on the next joint up (elbow) and it shattered.
We've only had the little guy for a month. He's such a happy, precious boy! He is maybe 2 years old, some kind of Terrier mix, about 9 pounds.
Right now, he's got a cast to hold it still till we come in for the surgery. The vet wanted to give us a day or two to come to terms with it and weigh our options.
1. Surgery to repair it, several thousand dollars, wire/pin it, painful recovery, always be a weak leg prone to injury all on a leg already compromised and not but about 30% usable before this.
2. Cast it and let it heal at a bent, rigid angle, dangling, joint "crunchy" with broken bones, growing together however it may, suseptible to arthritis, prone to injury on a leg already compromised and not but about 30% usable before this.
3. Amputate, heal, adapt and move forward with his life on three legs.
I, in no way think this will be the easy solution, but I hope I am making the best decision for him. I'm terrified at not knowing how to help him.
Hi Baxter and pack,
Welcome to Tripawds. Your future posts will not require moderation.
Sorry to hear about Baxter's problem with his leg. Since he doesn't use the leg very much anyway he should adapt to being a tripawd quickly. I know it is a hard concept to deal with- sounds so drastic. But it doesn't sound like repair surgery would gain him very much.
He has a couple things going for him- he is young, small, and you are not dealing with cancer, yea!
Here are a couple of resources to check out here: Jerry's required reading list, a compilation of info from this site on what to expect with amputation and recovery, and the down-loadable e-book Three Legs and a Spare.
My pug was a small tri-pawd, about 17 lbs. She was a rear amp and got along fine. She had trouble going upstairs, but that was because she was so small.
This is a big surgery with risks- so it is not a decision to be taken lightly. But most pups do fine with the surgery. The recovery period can be rough- lots of ups and downs, enough to make you question your decision. But once healed our pups really inspire us with their adaptability and resiliency. And maybe Baxter will be one of the lucky pups that sails right through recovery!
Keep us posted on how Baxter and you are doing.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Please review the links Karen provided. The short answer is, every dog is different. But if Baxter is otherwise healthy, fit and trim, he should do well. Have you had x-rays and lung scans to rule out cancer? Has your vet suggested why the leg may have broken?
Only you and your vet can determine if Baxter is a good candidate for amputation. But far too many times we hear from people who put their dogs through multiple, expensive, painful surgeries trying to "save the leg" only to eventually proceed with amputation anyway.
Thanks for joining and best wishes for the difficult decisions you face. Please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome to you and Baxter - as Karen said, if he's already holding the leg up, he should adapt quite quickly. Of course, the surgery has risks - just like any surgery - but if he is otherwise healthy he should come through it fine.
Being a tripawd mama is amazing. They inspire and amaze you in so many ways. It is much harder for the human to wrap their head around letting that limb go than it is for the pup.
Our Abby is amazing on three legs and still runs and plays like her old self. Baxter most likely will too if you opt for the amp.
If you do go through with the amp, rest up. Sleep can be in short supply for the first few days/week after surgery. (Not necessarily because he will need attention every minute - but because you'll be listening for his every sound.) Once you get sleep deprived, everything starts to seem worse and you might have those "what have i done thoughts." Once the pain meds are done and the stitches are out, you'll see a happy hoppy new pup.
Please keep us posted on your decision and how Baxter is doing!
Jackie, Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
What Abby's mom said about us humans having a hard time with this is so true. But your pup doesn't care about the leg -- he just wants the pain GONE! Because we've all been where you are, we can say with complete confidence that amputation is not the end of the world for these dogs. They nearly all go on to be happy dogs that run and play like nothing's different. Especially the ones who aren't dealing with cancer on top of everything else.
My advice is to read everything you can on this website and others about your dog's condition. If you don't trust your vet's advice, or if you're feeling uncertain, do NOT hesitate to get a second opinion. Trust yourself. You know your dog better than anyone, and you will be able to make the best decisions for him. Don't spend a lot of time feeling bad for your pup -- he's not going to, so why should you. You will have moments of second-guessing and guilt. Let them GO! You are making the best decision possible based on the information you have, and that's all anyone could ever expect from you. Get some rest -- you will need it. The sleep deprivation alone can make things a lot rougher than they need to be. And finally, we are here for you and Baxter -- no question is too small or too stupid to ask, so ask!!!
Good luck, and keep us posted on how things go for you and Baxter.
Micki and Rio
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~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
We're sorry to hear about Baxter, but you have found an amazing support group!
It is scary to think about amputation, but Baxter will soon show you that having 3 legs will not slow him down a bit. Surgery recovery is a roller coaster ride, but most dogs start feeling better after the first few weeks.
Good luck and keep us posted!!!
Thank you everyone! I found this site just by googling three legged dogs and am so thankful you are here. We set Baxter's appt for Friday.
He's a rescue so we don't know much about his history other than by his condition he was either very neglected or had been on his own for a long time. He already inspires us just because he has the best, happy go lucky attitude for where he came from. He's just so greatful to be loved and we sure do love our little guy!
I know in my head that we are doing the right thing, but my heart hurts for what he's about to go through. After talking to several Dr.s, they all agree amputation is best, and I know it's for the best, and I truly think he will be ok, if not better,once we get him healed.
The x-ray showed the bottom joint to be a badly healed break. He arrived at the shelter with the limp and since he wasn't in pain they weren't inclined to have it specifically looked at. They do have to prioritize and it was moved to the bottom of the list and never went back to. He was at the shelter for about 6 months before we adopted him.
And he really didn't use the leg. He wasn't able to stand on it or scratch with it and most of the time it was held off the ground. As silly as this sounds, what I am going to mourn the most is when he lay down watching things with his two front legs crossed. He always crossed the cricked leg over the good leg when resting. I know, so trivial! But it was something he did that the other dogs didn't do.
I will check out the suggested reading for sure. I'm an unashamed nerd and feel better when armed with information!
Here's a link to one of our facebook albums:
https://www.fac.....a918c54248
Please feel free to visit and see my sweeties!!
wonderful pictures on your fb page!!! looks like there's a couple of 'monkeydogs' at your house!! paws crossed for successful surgery and quick healing.
charon & gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
Cute pups!
You are doing the right thing. You commented on the special way that Baxter lays that you'll miss - but just wait until he is a tripawd! He'll do all sorts of special things that will amaze you! It is awesome to be a tripawd pawrent!
Hope he breezes through the surgery and recovery!
Jackie, Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Hello again,
I'll check out your FB pics tonight (can't get to it from work).
You mentioned that you will miss the crossed legs.... as I said earlier my pug Maggie was a rear amp. Before surgery she would do this jump thing that allowed me to catch her. I knew with only 1 rear leg that she wouldn't be able to do it anymore- and it made me sad to think we wouldn't be able to do our trick. I did miss it for awhile- but then I realized that Mag didn't miss it, and it was OK. As long as Mag was happy it was all good!
And yes- information is power!
Good luck on Friday, and keep us posted on Baxter's progress.
Karen and the pugapalooza
We're all dog nerds here too, as you can tell, so you're in great company!
Baxter's going to do GREAT! All you need to do to alleviate any doubts is to check out this story: read through it to learn about Colonel, who is now a Tripawd therapy dog, and be sure to click on the link to his blog post to read his history. He had a badly-healed break and it was terrible. If he could make a great Tripawd, so can Baxter.
Good luck! We're here for you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Good Luck with everything and Welcome to the site!! I know it is very scary but I think you are making the right decision. You will be surprised at how Baxter will amaze you as a tripawd. Hoping the surgery goes well and Baxter can get back to being a 2 year old happy doggie!! 
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