Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Dante very, very rarely stands up 'straight' He's always hunched in the front and down low. I probably wouldn't notice it as much if it weren't for Mina. They're built nearly the exact same, and pretty much the same weight, too - but he holds his front end much lower than hers. His shoulder blade is almost always up above his back when he stands. From looking at pictures of other front leg amputees this doesn't seem to be the normal way they hold themselves. He also turns his remaining front leg completely sideways when he's standing and often when he sits.
I'm mostly concerned because he's still growing - we do stretches and give massages. He's got some massive muscles on and around his remaining front leg. Will this cause any long term damage to his joints and bones? Is there something we can do beyond what we're already doing, or anything we need to watch for?
Pam knows best!
I just want to add that Comet looks deformed and always has (aside from the deformed front leg and the terrible underbite!).
She pulls one back leg under her making her hips crooked. And her front leg is always in the middle of her chest. The paw is very spread out and she will turn it almost sideways. She, too seems to walk like her head is heavy.
I think they get into their own groove of walking since they were puppies.
Here's some old, old pics of her that I took noting this when she was a puppy.
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Comet - 1999 to 2011
She 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.
Dante sits like that too with one back leg out infront of him. He turns his paw the same, too, just a bit more out, all toes splayed (as much as he can with all that webbing inbetween!).
You're right, it is like his head is heavy (well, it IS huge, so it probably is heavy, LOL) I feel better now. If comet is still walking at 11 years old, Dante will be fine!
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