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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Hi
Max, our 11 yr old amazing cancer survivor who had ostersocarma at age 3 , we amputed the front left and had chemo, has been healthy from the big C for 8 years.
From age , being a lab, and being a tripawd...he has been wearing down which kills me to see. He has a bad ACL in the bad right leg which makes it so hard for him to even get around now. I did take him to the vet again twice to discuss some options as he also is having some spine issues with arthritis which is natural for his breed/age
The advice was to continue as is ...he is on pain meds 2x /day as they didn't see much to do in terms of having ACL surgery with a tripawed
Desperately seeking out any advice if anyone else was in this situation as I don't want to just watch him suffer for months but that may be the only option at this point.
Many people jump to the surgery solution at their vet's recommendation, but we always highly recommend consulting with a certified rehab vet/tech (CCRP or CCRT ). Amazing progress can be made with a professional evaluation, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, massage, stretching and mobility exercise. A dog stroller and harness can also help you get about and about.
Loving Life On Three Legs is filled with professional tips and how-to videos for exercises, massage, supplements and much more to help improve mobility and quality of life, and as of today the Maggie Moo Fund for Tripawd Rehab still has one grant available to reimburse for rehab consultation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
WAIT!!! Did I read that right? 8 YREAR SURVIVOR????? A TRIPAWD FOR 8 YEARS??? OOOOOMMMMMMMDDDDDDDD!!!
What an I INSPIRATION! Such aa Beacon of Hope!! This is MIRACULOUS!!!
Now, as far as the ACL, ugh. It is doable as far as surgery on a remaining leg with a tripawd....rough, but doable. Hopefully Kathi, Murphy's mom will see this. If I recall, Murphy had surgery (hip dysplasia I think) aboht six weeks after he became a tripawd.
You've probably already consulted with ayou Rehab Specialist. Wonder if acupuncture or laser therapy woukd help? Are you using a harness for assistance? How aboht a stroller, would that help? As far as the arthritis itself, manynhave had great success with Adequan injections. Jist throwing stuff ojt there. Hopefully others can chime in with more suggestions.
I know this is agonizing to watch. Hang in there, okay? This is not unheard of and there have to be complimentary therar to help speed the healing and keep him comfortable.
You are a spectacular advocate for your Max! We would LOVE to see photos!
Hugs to all!
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!
I am so sorry your Max is having ACL issues right now...it is hard to see a dog you love struggling. You might ask your vet about pulse magnetic therapy which can be used in lieu of surgery if the injury to the ACL is not a complete tear. We had this done for one of our dogs 4 years ago when she injured her ACL, but didn't fully tear the ligament. She is a rescue who had already needed multiple surgeries for other health issues and I wanted to save her from yet another painful surgery. She had 3 sessions of the pulse therapy and the result was healing without surgery. It is not cheap...we paid $600 per session. The pulse therapy helps jump start the body to generate new tissue to replace the injured tissue. There is some very low level discomfort in the area for a couple of days following each treatment and the doggie has to be put under mild sedation for the treatments. But it is far less painful than surgery and not invasive with potential complications of infection, etc.
Best wishes to you and your Max boy.
Trini and Sketch
Have you given any thought to getting him some wheels? Maybe even just for a while to give his leg time to heal. There are several places to get them. I think the one site is called Eddies Wheels. I do Adaquan injections for my 12 year old dog. Seems to help quite a bit. Not cheap, but doable. He also take Dasaquin and Glycoflex. I have heard Lazor therapy works for some orthopedic things. Don't know a lot about ACL issues, just wanted to run a few ideas by you.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.
My charley bear is also struggling with ACL issues now only 2 mos after amputation... We've been seeing a rehab vet and our regular vet, but he's only gotten worse in the last 3 weeks to the point where he won't put any weight on his left rear leg, so he can't really get around on his own right now. We have an orthopedic vet appointment on Monday to confirm how bad the tear is and see if it's gotten worse and explore other options. I'm def not going through with any more surgeries b/c I think it'd be too much for him in his old age (he's 12), but does anyone have any experience with braces like this... http://www.posh.....brace.com/ -- it's not cheap, but if it could actually stabilize his leg and help him walk, then I'd def consider it. Thanks!
Found another brace... http://orthodog.....e-brace/
And it's much cheaper! Think I may try this and see how it goes
Please please don't buy anything until you review it with an orthopedic vet.
We've learned through the years that many off-the-shelf braces can do more harm than good. There's a reason why casting is done by highly trained orthotics makers like OrthoPets , and why those braces cost more. I don't mean to sound pushy, I would just hate to have you go through what others have by price comparing and going for a product that doesn't take your dog's unique measurements into consideration. It's heartbreaking when you think you're helping but only making things worse.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
jerry said
Please please don't buy anything until you review it with an orthopedic vet.We've learned through the years that many off-the-shelf braces can do more harm than good. There's a reason why casting is done by highly trained orthotics makers like OrthoPets , and why those braces cost more. I don't mean to sound pushy, I would just hate to have you go through what others have by price comparing and going for a product that doesn't take your dog's unique measurements into consideration. It's heartbreaking when you think you're helping but only making things worse.
I def agree.. I'm going to an orthopedic vet on Monday and have several options to go over with him... My fear with ones that cost $1,000+ is that's pretty expensive with no guarantees, no warranty, no returns, etc. And what if it doesn't help? I can't afford thousands of dollars in trial and error! But ~$200 in trial and error I can stomach a little better. I've seen the negative reviews of that cheaper one I posted, and the biggest complaint seems to be that it didn't stay in place, but other people had no problems with it. Plus they do refunds. So, if I ordered it and it clearly isn't staying in place, no harm, no foul, I can return it right away. But if the $1,000 one doesn't work out, then I'm SOL. I know some do adjustments, but I'm just a little hesitant to dish out that much money right away without at least exploring more affordable options
Oh good I'm glad to hear you're seeing the ortho vet.
I know that's a ton of money. Typically if you're working with someone like OrthoPets , they will make modifications and adjustments to make sure it does what it's supposed to do.
Let us know what the vet recommends!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Murphy was a rear leg Tripawd due to being hit by a car. His remaining hip was dislocated in the accident and even after surgical repair, it kept dislocating because he had shallow hip joints. He had a total hip replacement two months after the amputation. He made an amazing recovery and was an inspiration to all of us. An intensive rehab program worked wonders after the THR, and I became a huge advocate for the value of rehab/physical therapy.
You can read Murphy's story here: http://tripawds.....mputation/
He also has a YouTube channel called Murphy the Three Legged Dog where we posted videos of his recovery. Unfortunately a lot of the videos went missing when the channel somehow went away, but I have been trying to recreate what was there. A lot of the videos are back up. https://m.youtu.....PrpZt1rHrQ
Kathi and the Turbotail April Angel...and the Labradork
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
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