Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Mason my 9 1/2 year old Lab has been a tripawd since last March (left Front amputated). He did a 6-month course of chemo and then we went metronomic chemo since that. He tolerated it all very well and was still cancer-free at his last checkup on March 30th.
Over the past week, he has become severely limited mobility-wise. It came on suddenly last Wednesday. The first time he refused a walk since he has recovered from Amputation. Took him to ER Friday night (I couldn't get him up) and he was very excited once there and of course, drug me out of the clinic with little insight from the vet except for possible soft tissue injury in the front limb. Saw my Vet Monday this time he was very limited I carried him in and out. His blood work and Xrays and all came back clear/normal (no arthritis). We dropped him off of the chemo and put him on prednisone to help with the pain, also getting Gabapentin when needed. He is progressing very slowly and curious has anyone had a similar situation. I was very careful with his activity no jumping, no downward steps beyond one or two. I realize there is a myriad of things it could be from. I have read soft tissue injuries can take up to 6 months to heal. Any thoughts on injury or the recovery would be appreciated
First of all, congratulations to Mason for being such a tripawd Rockstar! So glad to hear all of his work UPS have come out so very well.
Yes, soft tissue injuries can take a while to heal and they certainly can happen often with Tripawds too. So you are seeing a little bit of progress with the prednisone and the gabapentin and taking things very slowly, correct? That's a good sign. Based on my experience with these type of issues, the progress will be slow, but Improvement would be noticeable within the first several weeks.
Strongly suggest getting an appointment with a rehabilitation specialist as they are excellent and 1020 the exact cause and coming up with Solutions. The Tripawds foundation will pay for the first consultation. Having been a tripawd for over a year Maison may need some special range of motion exercises and core strength building that the rehab specialist can show you how to do. In the meantime give him lots of massages all up and down his neck shoulder spine Etc. Do you notice any areas of tension when you do that? Sometimes, oddly enough, it's actually at tweak in the back area or disc that shows up as lameness in a leg. Regardless, he will love all of the massages that help to keep his muscles loose. If you aren't seeing sime continued improvement with the prednisone, you might ask the vet about rimadyl for the anti-inflammatory. There has to be a washout. Between the two though.
Keep us informed on how he's doing okay?
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS. Is the lameness showing up in his remaining front leg or the back leg ?
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!
Aww congrats to Mason for kicking cancer's butt!
I'm sorry he's having the mobility issues. What was his activity level like before all this happened? How long/far are his walks? Are there other dogs in the house that he plays with during the day?
My gut feeling is that he needs to have a canine rehab therapist evaluate him for the real issue. Pred only masks symptoms, it doesn't address the cause. pain management when he's hurting is important, but it's critical to find out why he's hurting. It could be as simple as a muscle strain, or that he's just not developed the strength and stamina to do what he wants to do.
YAY for making the good move to have your vet look him over. Now the best thing to do is to take advantage of the Tripawds Foundation Rehab Reimbursement Program so that these experts can pinpoint why he's not as mobile anymore. The foundation pays up to $200 for any Tripawd to get a first-time evaluation. Let us know if you'd like help finding a therapist OK?
Jerry and Benny55
Thanks for the info. Went back to the emergency room and doc asked about anyone checking his blood pressure. They struggled to detect and when they did it was really low. They recommended seeing a cardiologist. We are facing the decision we had assumed we would have to make based on cancer, but not this unfortunately. He has overcome so much and I appreciate all the help the folks on this forum provided last year. Thanks you again.
Jerry & Benny55
I felt after reading my response there were some holes to fill. Mason did do 6 treatments of Chemo, carboplatin infusions and handled them like a champ. We then followed with a metronomic protocol carprofen and Cyclophosphamide (he was still going through this). At his last check, lungs clear and no sign of cancer. The recent ER visit was last night and the prognosis was a shocker. Prior to amputation he was very active ran daily 1/2 to full mile and on occasion further, pulling me on a skateboard. After the amputation I progressed him slowly back into a walking format, would put him in a wagon to get him to common area (grass) walked him for 5 minutes and gradually advanced him. One he got his gait down we would take a 10 to 15 minute walk daily, one thing he always looked forward to. Last Wednesday was the last walk he took and he was reluctant to go. Got him to the grass but had to carry him back home.
Again thanks for all you do.
Ahhh OK. So you're super conscientious about his activity level, excellent job there. What you described is spot on for most dogs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that whatever is going on is treatable and easy enough to remedy. Try not to panic or think the worst (It's so hard not to when it comes to our fur kids!). Hopefully you'll get in to a cardio doc asap. How is he today?
I had a similar problem with my daughter. She is 1.5 years post front leg amputation and chemo. She just couldn't get up one day. Turns out it was a soft tissue injury. Underwater treadmill therapy has helped tremendously. She also does acupuncture 2x/month to help with pain management . Her remaining front limb is collapsing so I'm looking for a good wheelchair . If anyone has experience with a front limb amputee wheelchair please let me know. I have heard terrible things about Eddie's Wheels, even though it sounds like the best option.
Halo's mum said
I had a similar problem with my daughter. She is 1.5 years post front leg amputation and chemo. She just couldn't get up one day. Turns out it was a soft tissue injury. Underwater treadmill therapy has helped tremendously. She also does acupuncture 2x/month to help with pain management . Her remaining front limb is collapsing so I'm looking for a good wheelchair . If anyone has experience with a front limb amputee wheelchair please let me know. I have heard terrible things about Eddie's Wheels, even though it sounds like the best option.
Halo's mum, please consider registering as a member so your future posts won't need approval.
I'm sorry to hear she is having mobility issues. Please work with your canine physiotherapist to see if a dog wheelchair is the best way to go. Putting a dog in a wheelchair without expert guidance can do more harm than good.
Keep us posted!
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