Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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It has been 8 months since Zuko's amputation of his left hind leg due to osteosarcoma. He recovered VERY well but just last week, while I was off doing vet school interviews, he somehow injured his right hind leg. He's very unstable when walking and is having trouble keeping himself up. His dad brought him in to my vet and advised that he stay and be on cage rest for a little over a week. X-rays were also done but everything looks fine! There isn't any issues with his hip or knee/stifle and, upon palpation of the leg, he doesn't seem to be in any pain. He just can't hold himself up an walk around. He definitely lost muscle mass on his leg too.
We don't have any specialists here so getting him to see one would be impossible since I have on an island.
Has anyone here experienced this? or have any tips moving forward? I am really worried and want to know if he'll be able to be up and be himself again. My vet suggested he just rest and be on rimadyl but if there is anything else I could do to make him feel better, I would definitely love to hear it 🙂
Thanks!
First of all, glad to hear Zuka has been living life to the fullest and is also celebrating a HAPPY EIGHT MONTH AMPUVERSARY ZUKA!! And we look forward to celebrating many more!!
Sounds like somehow, someway, he did, indeed, tweak the leg. As you know soft tissue issues, tendons,etc are hard to disgnose. And "range of motion tests" don't always reveal the underlying cause either. My absolutely unprofessional-for-whatever-it's-worth is that itmaybe some sort of ligament tear, even though tests and manipulations aren't verifying that.
Have they ruled out disc issues, neurological issues, etc?
Does her paw knuckle at all? Does she pull her law away kf you try and pinch it? Just throwing out random stuff!
Just to clarify, is he staying at the Vet for a week,or is he at home on. "bed rest" for a week? I DO know that complete rest is important in any type of pulled muscle, strain, etc. Obviously, any injury on a remaining leg doesn't exactly get much "rest".
Will Zuka let you use any type of harness or sling to help her while she heals?
Sorry I don't have much insight to offer, but maybe others can chime in with better suggestions. I DO ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THIS IS TEMPORARY HURDLE AND ZUKA WILL BE BACK IN TOP FORM SOON!!
Keep js posted. We'll all be cheering for Zuka!
Lots of 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 there,
Agree with Sally, "bed rest " might just be the thing. Limited motion, in and out to potty, that's it. Lots of strains won't show in xray. Can you keep him quiet for a while and limit strain while walking him to potty?
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Yeah first of all hoppy ampuversary Zuko! Eight months is fantastic!
Sorry about the mobility issues. Your vet's advice is spot on, any vet would recommend that as a first step to alleviate the issue. Gentle massage is one free and easy thing you can do too. We will keep our paws crossed that he starts feeling better.
Meanwhile, tell us more about his daily activity, we might be able to help prevent another issue like this. Is he allowed to free-roam around open space? Does he play with other dogs? How long are his walks? And what is his weight like? If you can tell us more we can give you some good pointers to keep him injury free.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Sorry for the late reply! It has definitely been quite hectic.
It doesn't look like a neurological issue. His paw doesn't knuckle at all and nerve function is fine. He is able to use the leg, it just looks as though his leg is having a hard time bearing his weight.
He did stay at the vet for a week but then came home because he became very stressed there. After a day or two at home, the way he positioned his leg was looking better! but now he just seems miserable. He gets episodes where he breathes very hard as if he's hot but he's shivering at the same time. His abdomen also feels very tense and when I help him get up to go potty be winces in pain. I brought him to see the vet yesterday. His temp was normal and the doc palpated his abdomen but were not exactly sure whats wrong. He's still eating (he's getting picky but I've managed to get him to eat) and peeing and pooping normally. He was given metacam to take for 3 days and I was told to bring him back in after he finishes the meds to reassess.
As far as using a sling goes, he doesn't like it. He won't move at all! so for the most part I carry him in and out but when he's outside I follow him while he goes potty to make sure Im near if he needs help and I carry him back inside.
Before he was injured, he's was a fairly active dog. Since his amputation, his activity level has definitely decreased. Most days his exercise is just going outside multiple times a day to potty and smell every single plant outside (its not exactly safe walking dogs around the neighborhood due to all the stray dogs around). I do try and take him out on proper walks when I can. How long? maybe a quarter mile to half a mile at most. I definitely just try to read him and any sign that he's tired or is having a hard time walking, we stop and rest for however long he needs and if I need to carry him back then thats what I do.
I do have one other dog who is about 60lbs and they both free-roam in the living room and kitchen area. Pre-amputation zuko was 50lbs, post-amputation he was 45 but went as heavy as 53lbs (so bad, I know!). He has been on a diet and I managed to get him down to 49-50lbs which was about 4 weeks ago. I weighed him yesterday and right now he's at 45lbs. His remaining leg has definitely lost a considerable amount of muscle mass which probably contributed a lot to his weight loss.
Seeing him like this is very discouraging 🙁 but I am hoping for the best.
Hey there glad you're back! Wait, I missed that part about "off doing vet school interviews." Are you on the path to become a vet?
So here are my first impressions, take 'em for what it's worth.
I do try and take him out on proper walks when I can. How long? maybe a quarter mile to half a mile at most. I definitely just try to read him and any sign that he's tired or is having a hard time walking, we stop and rest for however long he needs and if I need to carry him back then thats what I do.
Generally speaking, rehab therapists say that a Tripawd should go on shorter, more frequent walks lasting no more than 20 minutes at a time, about 2-3 times a day if possible. And that is what rehab vets recommend for a fit Tripawd. One who is not fit should take shorter walks, say 10-15 minutes. Our own Wyatt Ray is pretty darn fit and he goes on two 20 minute walks each day with one short lunchtime potty walk. He's 9 years old and right now that's plenty for him.
When a leg is missing it's no longer about how far but about how many minutes a walk is. Here's an article to check out:
Why Longer Walks Won’t Strengthen a Tripawd’s Leg Muscles
Also keep in mind that if a dog sits down on a walk, they've already gone too far. So your job is to make sure the walks never get to that point. You want to turn around before he ever feels like he needs a rest. Make sense?
I do have one other dog who is about 60lbs and they both free-roam in the living room and kitchen area.
That sounds fine to me. Are your floors slippery?
Another thing to remember is that every extra pound of weight on a dog is the equivalent of us humans gaining 5 pounds at a time. Even one pound is a lot for a Tripawd's body to handle. So good job on being conscientious about his weight. I know it's hard to keep it down when they don't want to exercise, but do check out our Tripawds Gear blog and our e-book Loving Life On Three Legs if you haven't already, for lots of activities that you can do with him that can work his mind hard and his body gently. These things can help him burn calories and get tired enough without injuring himself.
I hope the rest helps this week. Keep us posted oK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi there sweetie 🌺
Does Zuko sometimes breathe hard, as you say, even when the temperature around him is normal ?
How long does this kind of hard breathing last for?
Is his tongue's colour darker/blueish ?
Eurydice at one point was breathing hard sometimes too and her body got swollen and it turned out she was swallowing too much air when breathing.
When I tapped her belly area it sounded a bit like using a drum for lack of a better word.
Getting away from all these questions, HAPPY EIGHT AMPUVERSARY ZUKO 🎊🎉😍🎊🎉 and a toast to many, many, many more 🥂
Sending you both lots and lots and 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 :-)
Thank you for all the advice! Those are definitely things I didn't know but our walks aren't that long. Definitely lasts less than 20 minutes and then we just sit on the grass to relax after.
The floors do get quite slippery but we have confined him to the room and he just lays on his bed all day. He hasn't bee using his hind leg anymore for about 3 days now - he isn't even able to hold himself up at all. He also recently started showing signs on proprioceptive deficits where he doesn't realize that his foot placement is wrong. He still has energy tho! when I hold his back side he just wants to go and on two instances, when I needed to stop because Im tired and I let him sit, he'll try to drag himself which surprised me because I didn't think he would do that. So, now, I definitely try to keep a better hold of him.
"Zuko sometimes breathe hard, as you say, even when the temperature around him is normal?"
How long does this kind of hard breathing last for?
Is his tongue's colour darker/blueish ?"
Yeah, he still breaths pretty hard when the temperature is normal but it only lasts a couple of minutes and his tongue turns a darker pink/red but not blue. Those episodes or breathing heavily and shaking have definitely stopped tho!
Get throw rugs, with sticky bottoms. Yoga mats. Traction is so important. Maybe 10 minute walks, sometimes less is better. Go easy, see what works for him. Three legs is tougher. Traction is amazingly important. 
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
jerry said
Hey there glad you're back! Wait, I missed that part about "off doing vet school interviews." Are you on the path to become a vet?
and YES! I am in the process of trying to get into vet school. As excited as I am to see how things go and hopeful I get in, I am also worried about how I would handle caring for Zuko if I do get in and how he'd handle traveling.
I cannot tell you how relieved I feel hearing the episodes of breathing heavily are over, SUPER PHEW ...
I considered very carefully whether I would ask those questions or not as these were Eurydice's symptoms towards the end...
Thing is, if that was Zuco's situation which it ISN'T the hard breathing at times would not have been over so I am cheering madly here, I really am 🥂
Please give that cutie pie of yours a HUGE cuddle from auntie Teresa here ❤️
I certainly hope you get into vet school, we need more humans like your lovely self to help our babies, big kiss to you 😘😘😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
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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