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.
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Hello, we have a wonderful rescue pup who has a right front limb amputation due to previous trauma. The amputation happened around 2 months old- we adopted her at 4 months and she is now 11 months. She still has her scapula.
around 9 months in, she started developing a fluid filled sac (seroma ) around the pointy part of her scapula which she uses to push off of the ground when she stands up. Our vet drained and tested for infection- no infection but the seroma has never reabsorbed after taking medication as well. It is now dark purple in color and the vet believes it’s going to stay there as she continues to push up on it. Our vet has suggested making a cushion around it that she can wear to help disperse pressure. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this, or has any tips of devices that have worked?
Thank you!
Hi Chelsea and welcome. Your future posts will not require approval.
I don't have any experience in this area, but I'm sure someone else will be able to share their experiences with you shortly.
Hi Chelsea, welcome. Thank you for adopting a rescue Tripawd! What's her name?
We do have some "stump protector" ideas members have shared here. But generally, in our experience they don't work all that well over time. Many dogs who have problems like this do need to go back and have a full amputation. See:
The Pros and Cons of Partial Limb Amputation for Dogs and Cats
You could start with a rehab therapy consult. Many dogs who lose a leg at a young age develop poor posture and gait habits because their motor skills weren't fully evolved when they lost a leg. A therapist can show you how to re-train your dog so that she stops using her limb that way. It would be worth your while to have your pup evaluated, and Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit too.
Thank you both for this advice. We will definitely look into rehab for her and some type of stump protector. We are hoping to avoid the full amputation later on for our girl and manage this now but will do whatever is needed to keep her healthy.
PS- Her name is Cavatelli! (Telli) - she is a happy spunky 11 lb poodle mix 🙂
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