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QuoteMy ten year old rescue dog, who's been with us for at least 9 and a half of that, is going to go in tomorrow to get amputated. Poor pup has nerve damage (everyone thinks) in one of her hind feet and she's nearly chewed off her toes. She won't quit and knowing her as I do, she won't even if we get it all healed up; she's made up her mind that the toes have to come off it seems. We've opted for surgery but I've been researching and trying to decide the best place to have it amputated. I'd like to leave as much as possible and perhaps craft a prosthetic for her but knowing how well three legged critters do (I had a three legged cat growing up) it's starting to seem superfluous. Any advice, pointers, comments or whatnot would be appreciated. Just trying to feel out my options and make the best decision I can for her.
9:03 am
Team Tripawds
25 April 2007
Offline
drunkpunk said:
I'd like to leave as much as possible and perhaps craft a prosthetic…
Why? If you know you pup will insist on chewing, she is certainly not going to enjoy any sort of device attached to her leg and will continue doing whatever she can to get it off. Prosthetics are tricky, require intensive rehab, and the majority of dogs tend to hop around not using them any way. Another thing to consider is that some dogs develop spinal issues by attempting to use remaining incomplete limbs.
We are by no means advocating amputation if alternatives exist that offer equal or better quality of life, just want you to be fully informed about what's best for your pup. Search these forums to read feedback from members and check out these posts from the Tripawds news blog:
Prosthetics: Should Tripawds Just Be Tripawds, or Bionic Dogs?
Canine Prosthetics: Pardon My Faux Paw
Any advice, pointers, comments or whatnot would be appreciated.
You'll find lots of recovery and care tips in Jerry's Required Reading List, and for immediate answers to the most common dog amputation questions download the Tripawds e-book Three Legs and A Spare.
Best wishes for your pup, what's her name? And thank you for joining, your future posts will not require moderation.
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"Dogs are born with three legs and a spare." — Jerry G. Dawg (10/98-10/08) Please Support Your Tripawds Community! Have you started a Tripawds Blog yet? |
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10:38 am
Moderator
14 August 2009
Offline
Welcome!
I'm sorry your pup is having problems! How terrible!
Like admin said, trying to save a partial leg is *usually* a bad idea. We aren't vets, we only see these cases through experience. We have seen it here several times and I can't remember even one dog having any success with it. The partial remaining leg doesn't heal very well. (that's been the cases here) And they end up getting the leg removed completely after months of trying to get it to heal.
Have you thought about getting a second opinion about the leg? It's obvious it hurts or your pup wouldn't be chewing it. My question would be why is it hurting?
Keep us posted! Again, I'm so sorry. It's hard to see our little ones go through this, we know.
Comet - 1999 to 2011She 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.
Style is her name! She's my baby. 
Yep, read all that (great stuff!) plus pretty much everything I could find on the internet. She doesn't have a problem booties or the cone or the bandage and I've worked her through a bunch of other problems so I don't think she would have a problem with a prosthetic, but I've decided to just go ahead for the entire leg at the femur. It seems the best course as we don't know the extent of the nerve damage and she might eat a long "stump "too, plus the potential problems inherent in prosthetics. Still second guessing myself but I know getting it amputated is the best thing for her and that's what it's all about…just gotta not be mad at myself for letting my pup go under the knife.
Great site here, was nice to see this resource available. I'll definately be donating some money and getting a bandana as soon as I get out from under the debt I will incur tomorrow. Thanks!
Thanks Cometdog! Yes, two vets and our own thoughts ultimately took us here. I've read alot of the rehab posts on here and have taken the next 5 days off work to help her get better. Mostly because our house has LOTS of stairs so I'll be carrying her up and out alot.
11:42 am
Team Tripawds
25 April 2007
Offline
drunkpunk said:
Still second guessing myself …
Many here have found the book Without Regret helpful for coping with the decision to amputate, we did.
Please keep us posted on Styles progress. best wishes for a complete speedy recovery!
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"Dogs are born with three legs and a spare." — Jerry G. Dawg (10/98-10/08) Please Support Your Tripawds Community! Have you started a Tripawds Blog yet? |
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| Looking for quick answers? Download the new Tripawds eBook for the best tips and advice! | ||
12:08 pm
7 March 2010
Offline
Welcome to Tripawds. You'll get a wealth of information here, as well as emotional support from all of us that have gone through this. Style will bounce back in no time. The next 2 weeks will be really difficult, so do take it one day at a time. You have to be the strong pack leader for her, so if you need to "break down" leave the room so she doesn't see you.
If you haven't done it yet, it's a good idea to look at pictures of a pup after amputation so you can be "better prepared" to see Style afterwards. I'm glad I did, as I wasn't sure how I would be seeing Skyler afterwards.
Since it's nerve damage, I guess it is safe to assume you aren't dealing with cancer – as many of us have with our pups. Thant's a great thing!
Get lots of rest, and you'll both be fine in no time. Please keep us posted.
Sending you lots of golden hugs!
Cathy
6:59 pm
5 March 2011
OfflineNo second guessing allowed! You've done your research, made the best possible decision for your baby, so put it behind you and get tomorrow out of the way. Be brave because it is really hard to drop them off and you wish the whole thing would just go away and everything could go back to normal. The main thing for me was to just not think too much, knowing we'd made the decision when I was in a more rational frame of mind. Best of luck to you tomorrow! Let us know how everything goes! We're here for you!
7:09 pm
Team Tripawds
25 April 2007
Offline
Hey Style, good luck tomorrow! Your peeps sound really great, I know they'll take good care of you. And you can count on this family too when you need help getting your humans to stay pawsitive and hopeful through the recovery. I know you'll do just fine!
Keep us posted!
Latest Tripawds News
Read my story here.
Hey Style! Welcome to Tripawds. Keep us posted and how about some pictures!
11:15 pm
Moderator
14 August 2009
OfflineBest of luck and here's hoping for a speeeeeeedy recovery! Let us know when Style is out of surgery!
Keep us posted and how about some pictures!
Hey, Samson007 – you should talk!! You've had a black avatar for the last day!
Comet - 1999 to 2011She 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.
Quick update, Style is doing great! A day and a half after surgery and the ridiculous amount of drugs they gave her have worn off. This morning she woke me up and was about as happy as I've ever seen her. She's bringing me toys, going up and down the stairs like a champ and gives me reproachful looks when I tell her to take it slow. She never lost her appetite and was able to go to the bathroom with no problem. She's already proved the surgery worth it as she doesn't even seem to care about the stiches & staples and when she still had her leg she was always worrying at it even with an e-collar on. I'll post some pics after the weekend of the happy pup!
11:57 am
Team Tripawds
25 April 2007
Offline
Thanks for the great update! Try not to let Style overdo it and please keep us posted. Complete recovery can be a roller coaster, enjoy the ride.
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"Dogs are born with three legs and a spare." — Jerry G. Dawg (10/98-10/08) Please Support Your Tripawds Community! Have you started a Tripawds Blog yet? |
|
| Looking for quick answers? Download the new Tripawds eBook for the best tips and advice! | ||
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