Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi Folks,
My 11 year old yellow lab/hound, Baxter, had his rear left leg amputated 3.5 weeks ago. It is remarkable how he is recovering and getting back to "normal". Every day I'm amazed by him, as he climbs up and down the stairs with no problem, trots along through the trails behind the house, and tries to curl up with his "amp" side down. I see him overcoming new challenges every day (which makes me think more and more how I'm glad we quickly acted upon the osteosarcoma and gave him the highest possible chance for a long healthy life). He is going through chemo and seems to be tolerating it fine so far...
This is a dog who has spent a life full of adventures with me... mountain biking, hiking up mountains, running for miles and miles... as he's gotten older of course I've had to shorten our adventures, but even a few months ago I was taking him for hour long (not fast) mountain bike rides through the woods (he LOVES it).
Now that he only has 3 legs, I am hesitant to resume our active adventures. I worry about his existing rear leg and the pressure/impact that running, or even long walks, puts on it.
So I ask... what kind of exercise are folks doing with their 3-legged pals? Have you substantially cut back on endurance adventures? Are walks much shorter now? My vet says to "let Baxter tell me" how much is enough... but this dog is the type who would play fetch until he collapsed as he has no concept of moderation.
I know we'll need to work up to anything (right now we're just doing 15-20 min walks) but I am just wondering what to expect as we move forward... just looking for stories, advice, etc, of others with active tripawds... as Baxter and I try to figure out what the future holds for us:)
Thank you!
Emily
Emily and Baxter, welcome. Your future posts won't require moderation so post away.
You ask great questions and your instincts are spot on. Baxter sounds like an otherwise healthy, strong doggie but there are considerations to make when it comes to getting him strong again on three legs. Many dogs are just like Baxter in that they will go go go until they fall down. That's not good for him, especially on three legs, and so it makes me happy to know that you totally get it.
My best advice is to seek the help of a qualified, certified rehab vet. They can assess Baxter to find out what his strengths and weaknesses are, and give you homework to get him back to his best shape that he can be in. As an 11-year old doggie there are lots of things to consider so a rehab vet is the most qualified to tell you. Here are some posts that can help guide you to choosing one:
http://download.....m/?s=rehab
The best part is that if you act quickly the Tripawds Foundation will pay for your first consult! See:
http://tripawds.....-tripawds/
And in the meantime check out our e-book, Loving Life On Three Legs , and the Tripawds Gear blog , for lots of tips about things you can do at home.
Kudos to both of you, we look forward to following along with your adventures.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you so much, Jerry. Perhaps I will look in to a rehab vet, I know we have one locally. I had asked our surgeon about whether Baxter should go to rehab after our follow up, and he actually said no, since he is so athletic and adjusting so well. But perhaps it is worth a look, especially since you guys so generously reimburse the first visit!
Wow, my goodness, it looks like Baxter can still hop through a marathon !
Can't believe all the things he manages to do only 3.5 weeks after major surgery ! What a trooper you've got there !
I agree with Jerry you should pay attention and not let him overdue it, though ... easy to get injuries on 3 if you are hopping fast and furious all over the place.
Having said that and given the level of exercise he is used to do, 15 - 20 min walks seem ok, provided he rests a lot in the meantime.
I totally agree you should see a rehab vet as this way you can be sure his muscles are being used correctly and he is being given enough time for his body to "settle" nicely.
My personal experience with my Great Dane is totally different as she is a huge dog so it took longer for her to be comfortable hopping and now, more than 2 months after amputation, she still doesn't go up and down stairs.
The fact she is a front leg amputee also makes quite a big difference as she is very deep chested and most of the weight is supported by the front legs.
Her walks are much shorter now, yes (we used to do a good hour running every day) but what we do now is, we meet doggie friends and she hops for a while and then generally "drags" some of them with her and lies in the shade for a while ... and then back hopping some more ... and so it goes.
I am lucky she is aware of her limitations and doesn't tend to overdue it at all.
Good luck in slowing down Speedy Gonzalez 
let us know how he is doing
I just remembered there is another pawrent whose dog does agility and even won a prize, if my memory is not failing me.
I hope one of the others can give you more info on him, maybe this would be something you could do with Mr Fast at some point?
Sending you a big hug and super cuddles to Baxter 
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 :-)
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