Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My buddy, Tango, a german shepard, was run over by a car yesterday. I see a lot of conversations about cancer amputees. I am having to consider amputation for my dog because I do not have the $4-6,000 for surgery. I am feeling very guilty about this and was wondering if anybody knows of any other options.
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Hi Tango & aldero, welcome. I'm SO sorry about what happened, oh my gosh. What leg is it? Does he have any other injuries? How old is he? What does the doctor say about Tango's candidacy for amputation?
If he is in otherwise good health, is not overweight or doesn't have major osteoarthritis/hip displaysia issues he should be OK with your doctor's blessing.
If you are at all uncertain about this big decision (and who isn't? it's scary!) it can only help to get a second opinion if you have the time right now. If he's not in any pain, you might want to meet with an orthopedic specialist if you haven't already, to see if the leg can be saved with a different type of surgery or even rehab from a qualified rehab vet.
Should you be faced with amputation as your only option, please don't feel guilty about having to make this decision. We have seen many dogs here go through multiple (expensive surgeries) only to have to go through amputation when the surgery didn't work out. While it's hard to make that leap to amputation, if you decide it's right for Tango, you won't be alone. Many Tripawd German Shepherds are here and they do GREAT on three legs (including Tripawds Spokespup Wyatt Ray, a rear legger due to neglect by previous humans, and yours truly). You can also check out GSDs like Sashadog, Codie Rae, Wyatt Ray , Eisen, and many, many more to see how they do on three legs.
Good luck to you. We are here to help however we can, so please keep us posted. We hope Tango starts to get on the road to recovery.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you for your reply. He is 2 years old and in good health. It is his right rear leg He also has a fracture between his sacrum and ilium. We are going to get a second opinion tomorrow.
Those darn cars! Gerry (a rear leg amputee) was in a shelter already when I met him. But the vet who checked him out was pretty sure his limp was from an injury sustained from a trauma like being hit by a car (so, most likely he was). They said it looked like an old injury that didn't heal properly. In hindsight, even if they thought they could have fixed Gerry's knee, it probably wouldn't have been wise for him. He would have needed to be in a crate for much of his recover after a knee surgery, as I understand it, and he was breaking out of crates almost every night at the shelter! He was apparently just one of those dogs who does not take to a crate like it's a den. He takes to the nearest couch as his den.
Good luck with the second opinion! I'm sure it'll be a tough choice no matter what the vets are telling you. At some point you just gotta trust your gut that you're making the right call.
Gerry will reach his 3 year ampuversary in mid-December and is doing great with his three-leggedness, as he has from the very start. He laps up all the extra attention it gets him for sure too!
Here's a link to an early blog of his that includes video of him, I think, about a month after his amputation:
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
Oh, and as far as other options go (and how to pay for them), you might want to ask the vet's office if they take CareCredit and if they can help you out with looking into that. After I had Gerry about a year, I was still struggling to build up my savings after my last dog's chemo costs, but it was discovered he had a worrisome mass in his gums and several fractured teeth (possibly damage all the way back from the trauma that wrecked his knee). My income was strong enough that I knew I could pay off the major dental work they needed to do, I just needed more time. I think the CareCredit (if they still offer the same agreement) offers like 6 months interest free. I paid mine off in like 3 or 4, but that was such a big help to me. Just wanted to throw that out there, in case, it could open up more options for you.
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
Daisy was also a rear amp due to a vehicle- here is her blog
http://daisy201.....pawds.com/
She was a senior when the accident happened. I would absolutely do it again except I wish I would have immediately had them amputate instead of trying to save the leg and having to put her though another surgery. I think her age and other underlying nerological problems contributed to the fact that she could not walk without assistance after the amputation (wheelchair ). Please do not let that discourage you. We also used care credit for the second surgery and physical therapy.
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
I'm glad you found us here, but I'm sorry you needed to. There is an awful lot of cancer talk here, but I think that's because it frequently involves ongoing care and treatment (chemo or no chemo, diet, recurrence). However, we have a lot of dogs here who fought cars and lost. There are others who are unknowns (rescues who were injured mysteriously or already had 3 legs when found). We're a mixed bag but a friendly one!
Good luck with the second opinion, and I second what Jerry said about how sometimes trying to save the leg just doesn't work and it has to be taken anyway. You may want to ask what the odds are so you'll be fully informed. And the great part (if there is one) of all this is that you are NOT dealing with cancer. Your dog will recover and live his full life without that hanging over your head.
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
Hi ya
We also couldn't afford the $3000 - $4000 to get our pups broken leg fixed and there was a pretty good chance that the surgery wouldn't work so we went with the amputation. Our wee girl was only 3 months old when she had her op and is now a normal, naughty1yr old dog. We arranged with the vet to pay our bill off over a few months and they were happy with that. Dont feel guilty if amputation is your best option as you sweet dog will do just fine on 3 legs.
Sarah
I just wanted to say welcome and sorry you had to find us here. You've already gotten good advice from others above. Since your dog is young, he should do well as a tripawd!
I know it's so hard to make these decisions. We're here if you have any specific questions!
Hang in there.
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
First of all, I'm so sorry that you are being faced with such a tough decision. It's never fun to see our pups in pain 
Jerry mentioned us in his post and I thought I'd share a bit of our experience as well. Our 4 year old female German Shepherd Sasha just had her right rear leg amputated last week because of fibrosarcoma. We chose amputation over other treatment options that were available because of price constrants as well and struggled with the decision for quite a while. I totally understand feeling like you're somehow cheating them out of a better life because you can't afford other options. However, we had alot of support from people on this site who also acted as a badly needed voice of reason, you can only do your best. We ended up using Care Credit to pay for the surgery and are very happy with our decision! Sasha, while still recovering, is doing very well and I have no doubt that she will thrive as soon as she's healed up 
She doesn't even know she's missing a leg!
Good luck in your decision, just know that your pup adores you no matter what and if you do decide to go with amputation, this site is a wonderful resource with wonderful people! Good luck on a second opinion and let us know how it goes
Yo! We got 3 tripawd GSDs at our house--all rescues and all trauma victims. Two right rears and one left rear. We can add our voice to the mix--amputation is a very viable option and, since your dog is young he should do really well. Don't feel guilty about the amp--reconstructive surgery is wicked expensive and doesn't always work, as others have already said. If it gives your buddy a second chance at a great life with you then it is a great option! As Sashadog said--Tango loves you and all he wants is to be with you and be free of the pain he is in right now. He will never, ever hold it against you! So why should you feel guilty about doing the best you can for your bud?
Good luck with your second opinion. We'll be thinking of you and Tango so be sure to keep us posted, 'K?
Travis Ray and the Oaktown Pack
Our dog Barrett had a front left leg amputated last month due jumping out of our car. He was never hit by the car, but somehow caught his arm on the window and had serve nerve damage that caused internal bleeding beyond repair. My husband and I have only been married for 10 months, so having the unexpected doggy medical bills were very scary. It came down to either putting our 6 month puppy down or having the surgery. Our vet was very kind and was able to work out a payment plan with us over the next year so that we could give Barrett a chance at life as a three legged pup. I know the expense may seem scary, but I have no regrets for what we had to do to him. He is happy as can be and loving life. Chances are the vet will tell you this, and it is the truth, but it is much harder on us, then our dogs. Barrett never realizes he's missing a leg. Hang in there! We are all here for you!
Firstly , sorry to hear about the accident. Dogs are so resilient and they find a way to cope.
I have 2 Tripawds, Mr Blue was hit by a car before we got him and had his leg amputated. A full complete
life is something he enjoys and gets around like he never had the other.
Serious reconstructive surgery can be very complicated and may lead to many complications even with good surgeons and excellent rehab. In serious breaks / crushing accidents I think apuation to be the fairest way to get the dog back moving and keep them healthy. It is almost always cheaper, not that we necessarily want the CHEAPER option but sometimes it has to be a deciding factor. Believe me i see many dogs dumped for far less that we try to save in animals rescue. Do what is best in your heart for both your dog and you.
My Bailey was hit by a car when she was a puppy, before we owned her. Her owners gave her up because they couldn't afford the medical bills and the Grand Strand Humane Society fixed her leg, but she couldn't bend it. Fixing the leg did not hold up. We adopted her 8 months after she had the leg fixed and then about 2 months after we got her the leg somewhat rebroke. The vet we took her to said it was just from running around, and playing..normal dog things ( which she didn't do in the shelter so that's why it didn't happen sooner ) She was a year and a half and he suggested amputation. I do not regret it at all, she is so much happier! And gets along great - if that's the choice for your pup..I am sure he will do wonderful! Goodluck
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