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
Hello all,
I am very new to the forum and being a tripawd mommy! I have a 1 year old terrier mix named Wrigley. He had his amputation done in September of 2015 and I adopted him in October. The original vet who did the amputation of his front left leg, left him with a stump about 2 inches long. He is the most active little boy and does not let the loss of his leg slow him down at all; however, recently he has had trouble keeping his balance, falling over onto his nub causing bruising, abrasions and swelling. The vet I currently take him to now has mentioned a possible second amputation of the rest of his leg. I also considered prosthetics
. Does anyone else have any opinions on the matter or had to have a second surgery? Any comments would be appreciated!
Thank you so much!
~Kate
Welcome Kate and Wrigley, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I hope you don't mind that I moved your post here- it's a better place to start your story. Based on what you said I assume you are not dealing with cancer.
I would guess that the little stump will continue to cause problems. A stump on the front limb should not be left unless a prosthetic is planned before surgery. I don't know if you can now try a prosthetic- but if you are interested in pursuing that you should check into it soon. It is not uncommon for a rear amp to have a small stump of the femur left, but it is wrapped in muscle and can't really be seen and seldom becomes a problem.
You can always look into something to protect the stump- some type of cover or pad. Of course there are down sides to that but it might be worth a try. You can check a site called DogLeggs that makes therapy and rehab products for animals. They might have something you could modify.
We would love to see pictures of Wrigley, you can read this post on adding images .
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Thank you so much! I'll definitely look into a sleeve or padding before surgery! I'll post a picture a.s.a.p!
Online
Jist want to say hello.to you and Wrigley! Can't wait to see more pictures! His avatar is ADORABLE!
Yeah, Karen gave you some good suggestions. Should you need to amputate.though, even thoug it sounds scary, dogs manage very well...especially smaller dogs.
Keep us posted, okay? We are here to help in anyway possible.
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Hi Kate and Wrigley,
I just read your post, if you are in England go and see Noel Fitzpatrick at Fitzpatrick Referral Hospital in Guilford.
He has invented bionic prosthetics and if there is anything that can be done at this stage he is the one that can make it happen.
If you google him you will know everything about his work and commitment to our furry babies.
He is also on a BBC4 program called the supervet, it is all quite graphic ...
I had never heard of him before my dog's condition was diagnosed and was referred to his hospital by our local veterinary hospital, I am so glad I did!
Sadly it doesn't work with big dogs but your boy would be ok size wise.
Sending you and Wrigley lots of kisses and cuddles 
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Hi again Kate and Wrigley, I meant bionic implants and not bionic prosthetics
. Have a look on the web.
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
1 Guest(s)
