Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Just wanted to share something that happened last night. I have started this new eating plan that involves something called bone broth. Anyway, after I had cooked a batch, I figured my pups could use a treat after smelling this concoction for 24 hours. I saved 3 of the nicest size bones and they had a nice treat. As they got too small, I took them away and put them in the trash. I now remember throwing one in my bedroom trash. I had actually forgotten about it. Last night, I see Lucy rolling her head weirdly on the floor and pawing at her mouth. Now, she is sort of a weird pup, but this was over the top, even for her. I pry open her mouth to see a bone piece lodged perfectly into the roof of her mouth. It was tight and I mean tight. I pried and pulled to no avail. I could tell she could breathe and was not choking, but she was clearly distressed. I was going to take her to the ER vet an hour away, when the hubby came in and said, " you hold and pull her mouth open. POP! Out flew the bone. A pair of long needle nose pliers and hubby to the rescue. There will be no more bone treats in this house. We go through antlers like crazy, now I am wondering if the same thing could happen there. I always take them also when they get too little. As for Lucy, she is no worse for the wear and was actually chewing on an antler 15 minutes later. It was only after it was all over that I thought that it could have easily lodged in her throat had the roof of her mouth not caught it. In my 40+ years of dog ownership, I have never before had this happen. Just wanted to share so it does not happen to anyone else. Lori, Ty and gang
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
Oh, by the way, they were beef bones!
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
Oh gosh Lori!! Just reading this is scaring the heck out of me! You and hubby handled this with great calm and clear headedness!
Knowing everything turned out okay,I had to chuckle at the visual of Miss Lucy going right back to chewing her antlers! Nope, you've never had this happen in yiur forty years of dog ownership. Then, again, you've never been owned by a dog like Lucy!
Yep, I think Miss Lucy was in the process of figuring out how to swallow that yummy bone. Sooooo scary!!
Thanks for the heads up Lori. Sooooo glad eeverything came out okay! Pat on the back to hubby too!
Lots of love!
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!
Oh wow thank DOG she is OK! I'm so sorry. I would have been in tears, a total mess. Just happy things turned out alright.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My vet has always warned about bones - I think that splintering is non uncommon. He has never said anything about antlers, but unless you buy them in a pet store, they are not that common in suburban Chicago.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
We don't like antlers, one was responsible for chipping Wyatt Ray 's teeth. He doesn't get them anymore. I don't know if they splinter, I kind of doubt it.
The issue with cooked bones is they splinter, raw ones do not and we've never had a problem with them.
Bison bones are really great, harder than beef and they are easier on Wyatt Ray 's stomach. But they are expensive so they're a rare treat.
We also like the Jones Natural Chews Bones, one reason why we participated in their contest promo last year.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Growing up we always gave our dogs steak and other beef bones, never chicken of course. One time I had a dog that got blocked from chewing up a couple of ham bones - he ate them & they thatched together again. Luckily they were just close to the end & the vet just did a little rectal stimulation & he went. I was young & had just continued giving bones because we always had. I haven't given our dogs bones in a long time, and honestly I think it's just more that since there's 3 of them, we don't usually have 3 bones! lol We have a few Nylabones laying around the house & they chew on those once in awhile. We bought that Y shaped one for Murphy, but he wasn't really interested in it. I think because he knows that Max will just steal it from him.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
WOW... that would have scared me to death!!! It's so tricky with the bones. Shelby used to love those cow hooves (as stinky as they were when she got going on them) until she chipped a tooth and had to have a root canal! Then I tried to get her to like antlers but she never got into them. Loved her pig ears, bully sticks, etc but those are high value /calorie and she would devour them in an instant!
Jasper LOVES her antlers .. LOVES, LOVES, LOVES! but I do worry about tooth chipping but she's an aggressive chewer and seems something like this. Pigs ears are done in a second!
My neighbor likes to give her the bone from his T-bone steak and I don't want to her to have it since I worry about splintering so I always take it, smile and say thank you (and toss in our trash bin).
At least our antlers last about 6 - 8 months so the price is worth it! she gets the bigger ones! 🙂
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Wow Lori, that would have scared me half to death!!! I would have panicked. Kudos to you and your hubby!
I'm always leary about what I give the girls ever since the hub-a-dub told me about a pup he used to have that ate a couple of crystal candle sticks. I don't even know how that was even possible.
I used to give them antlers, but they're just so dog-gone expensive. Then I ran across a bully horn on clearance at Petsmart. I thought the girls would lose their minds they loved it so much. So then I started buying the huge ones (fear of them swallowing them) and they're constantly chewing on them. They're hollow so I can put a dab of peanut butter down in the horn for a special treat. And because they're basically hardened hair, when they "splinter" it's chips of slobber-softened hair.
Any-hoo, they're so much more affordable and last 10 times longer than antlers.
Just my 2 cents, please don't ask for change.
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
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