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
Has anyone experienced their dog biting at the "bad leg"? Piper is constantly biting at her toenails on her bum leg. I am wondering if that is a common occurrence.
I think you mean the leg that may or may not need amputating? If so, that could indicate pain, or erratic nerve tingling, something like that (sorry I'm not a vet). When does she do it? After exercise or activity? Walks?
If she keeps doing it I would have that looked at asap. Some dogs have gone as far as trying to chew their injured leg off (don't mean to scare you but it's happened with a few members) so you want to have it looked at before it continues much longer.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Details! This could be fairly innocuous, like a lick granuloma or something more serious. I don't know - is Piper a quad-paw now and she's awaiting her surgery on that leg? If so, I hope her surgery is soon, as that bad leg must be problematic to her.
I hope for the best!
~ Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
So sorry I haven't replied until now. I work full-time and have a family of 6, not to mention my fur-babies (0: Here are a few more details.
Piper is in limbo as far as amputation, although as time is going by, it seems more and more likely that her quality of life could be greatly improved by amputation. She is only 7 months old, 4.8 lbs, and was injured when her previous owner's son threw her over a fence. That resulted in a break and dislocation of her right elbow. She was not given any medical treatment until I convinced them to surrender her to me, 3 days after the injury. For several reasons, my vet and the surgeons in Tampa felt that there was no surgical option to fix the leg. We are in "limbo" while we wait to see if it will heal enough that she can use it to some extent. She does GREAT most of the day. But evenings suck for her. She will hold her leg up and not bear any weight after spending a day using it frequently. Sometimes she'll lay down and just chew and pull up (which freaks me out a little...think pulling UP on your fingernails *shudder*) on her claws on that foot. Not any other foot, and I did try to trim her nails to see if it would help. I don't see any rash or skin issue between her toes either.
She is such a sweet girl and I really want to give her every chance to heal, but at the same time I see how much pain she is in after a full day of being silly Piper. Ya'll, this dog will run to my husband and I and climb up to our shoulders so she can lay down and put her head on our shoulders. She sleeps cuddled up to my neck every night. She is like no other dog I've ever had, and I've loved quite a few in my 33 years. I am so honored to be her person, and want to make decisions that will help her live the longest and happiest life possible. She has a vet check-up in a week, so hopefully we'll have a little more information at that point.
Awww she sounds like such a great dog, how lucky to have you for a pawrent.
Typically these kinds of injuries require a veterinary rehab therapist to aid in the healing process. If that is at all a possiblity you may be able to save her leg, but to do so she'll need the help of a professional. Here's a great post about how to find one:
http://tripawds.....-tripawds/
Good luck with your next appointment, let us know how it goes.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
She sounds so sweet! Obviously, we cannot tell from here what her injury or outlook is. Plus, we're not vets. But it certainly sounds like that limb is causing her problems and she doesn't like it. Perhaps up her pain meds? At the least, know that if amputation is in her future, she'll excel and still have an AMAZING quality of life!
~ Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
1 Guest(s)
