Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Baron is a standard manchester terrier. He's been an amputee from the time he was 2 years old. He's 17 now and mobility is a big concern. He was started on librela injections 2 months ago. But I don't see any improvement, I think he's actually worse and I will not get a third injection. After being a tripawd for such a long time, typically what would be giving the dog the most problems? Is it his back rather than arthritis?
Hi Jarrod and Baron, welcome! Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.
That's pretty amazing he is 17 now! You obviously have been doing a lot of really good things for his physical and mental health if he's been doing so well up to now.
It's not unusual for Librela to take up to 3 injections to see results. When you say he's worse, in what sense?
We saw Librela start to work in our Nellie at about the 2.5 month mark. The 3rd was a clear indicator it was doing good things for her osteoarthritis. You may want to try one more time just to be sure it will or won't help.
Meanwhile, has Baron seen a rehab therapist at all? It's really hard to say what would be giving a dog problems but generally, most Tripawds will experience osteoarthritis (OA) at much younger ages. If he's held off on symptoms for this long, it could be that, or something else. A rehab therapist would be the best person to assess him and let you know what's going on. The best part is the Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit ! Please take advantage of the program, we are happy to help find you a therapist if you can't locate one.
Baron sounds like quite a remarkable boy!
Welcome Jarrod and Baron.
17? Wow, you must be doing things right with your boy!
Is he missing a front or back leg?
My Pug mix Elly lost her rear leg to a car accident when she was 7 months old, she is now over 9 years old. A couple years ago she had a weird accident and injured her remaining hip. We went to a rehab vet and got some laser treatments, an exercise program and added a muscle supplement called Myos. She did pretty well, I saw improvement when we added the Myos, but last fall she seemed to be having mobility issues again. Back to the rehab vet- this time we got meds and a recommendation for chiropractic care.
We also have done joint support supplements for years including dasuquin and fish oil. The med we added was Adequan, the inject-able anti inflammatory. The combo of Adequan and chiro has really helped her and she is moving much better. Friends who have seen her comment on how much better she is doing. I've used Adequan with two other dogs and have seen good results. I like it because it helps joint health and I can do the injections at home....Elly has anxiety and fear issues and every vet visit is a trial for her.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls and Boy
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
jerry said
Hi Jarrod and Baron, welcome! Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.That's pretty amazing he is 17 now! You obviously have been doing a lot of really good things for his physical and mental health if he's been doing so well up to now.
It's not unusual for Librela to take up to 3 injections to see results. When you say he's worse, in what sense?
We saw Librela start to work in our Nellie at about the 2.5 month mark. The 3rd was a clear indicator it was doing good things for her osteoarthritis. You may want to try one more time just to be sure it will or won't help.
Meanwhile, has Baron seen a rehab therapist at all? It's really hard to say what would be giving a dog problems but generally, most Tripawds will experience osteoarthritis (OA) at much younger ages. If he's held off on symptoms for this long, it could be that, or something else. A rehab therapist would be the best person to assess him and let you know what's going on. The best part is the Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit ! Please take advantage of the program, we are happy to help find you a therapist if you can't locate one.
Baron sounds like quite a remarkable boy!
Hi all...
When I say he looks worse, when he does walk now, he trips/stumbles/doesn't walk straight/he drifts to the left or right. However this could be because of the gabapentin and selegiline combination? I should have taken notes on Baron's exact condition and what I was witnessing before Baron started taking the selegiline. Now I am unsure what I am seeing and what is causing his issues because of the introduction of new medications. After reading about librela on the internet I got a little scared and thought the librela was causing the negative effects. I will take your advice and get the third librella injection. Baron takes gabapentin, galiprant, and selegilin for his sundowners/dementia. Can adequan be used on dogs with advanced arthritis and in conjuction with librela?
Baron does have a lot of health issues, he is deaf, had a thyroid mass on his next that was scheduled to be removed in May of 2023 but during the ct scan process they found cancer on his heart and his lungs. Due to this discovery they did not perform the thyroid mass removal. The vets didn't give me a time frame on his survival, they said these things could progress slowly. He's still a dog, he eats, drinks water, barks at strangers. I don't feel like I am dragging him through the end of his life, I'm trying to give him a better quality of life. Baron doesn't walk much anymore, I set him down to go potty, he goes, walks a few steps, then slowly 10-15 seconds long, goes down. When he goes #2, I have to support him by the waist so that he doesn't fall back into his mess. This doesn't happen all the time but I make sure it doesn't by supporting him. He's reluctant to use his handicap ramp and his doggy door.
Thanks for the details!
Baron is dealing with a lot of issues right now, and you are handling them so well, giving him a great quality of life and looking out for his needs. He is lucky to have you.
It's hard to say what is causing his mobility issues, so it's always best to let a physio take a look and evaluate.
Yes, like any medication, there are some cases when Librella appears to cause side effects, typically dermatological but sometimes neurological in nature. But don't jump to the worst-case scenario or assume what others are experiencing is what Baron is experiencing. There is a LOT of hearsay right now on Librela and no solid answers (I've talked to physios about it recently). What seems to be common with these dogs experiencing side effects is that they were predisposed to genetic conditions like degenerative myleopathy. But there is no evidence of a connection at this time. Again, it's worth discussing with your vet team when he goes in for the third injection. You really have to weigh quality of life improvements that may be happening, against potential risks of the medication.
I don't know about Adequan and Librela. They work using two completely different methods. It's my understanding that Adequan is more effective if the osteoarthritis is addressed early in life, but that's not to say it can't help now if it's safe to combine with Librela. You may want to post in Ask a Vet.
If Baron has not been assessed by a physio please take advantage of the Tripawds Foundation rehab reimbursement program, which can pay for your first rehab visit . I can help you find a practice if you aren't already working with one.
Jist catch8 g up on uiur very loved Baron. WOW!!! A seventeen yr old pup.....and fifteen of those years on three!! 1uitr an extraordinary accomplishment! Give yourself credit for providing excellent care and getting him to his sunset years.
Continue to do your research on Librela. I did do some very limited investigation as I wanted to use it for my tripawd with arthritis. If I recall, the side effect list is more extensive with Vets using it in Canada versus a shorter list of side effects used in the US . I believe mobility issues (balance) were noted. I did do one injection. Due to uncovering other health issues I did not do anymore
All this is FWIW and take it with a grain of salt, okay?. Your sweet Baron has a lot of health challenges and is on various meds. Cancer on his heart, and lungs, mass on thyroid,, already exceeding what would be a "normal life span" and is well into his sunset years., dementia, etc., Librela is still relatively new and how it would impact him because of all his other health challenges is unknown.
Check with your vet or do your own research about how long the injection stays in the body. I do know in my research about 50% is still active after twenty days, then it decreases ...but check with your Vet. We are not Vets and not giv9ng Vet advice.
All that said, again, FWIW if you can switch to Adequan safely if a washout period is needed with Librela, it may be a more proven route.
You and your Baron are quite an inspiration to all of us who have been owned by a tripawd. To reach the seventeen year mark and still going....so darn impressive!!!
Hugs
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!
benny55 said
Jist catch8 g up on uiur very loved Baron. WOW!!! A seventeen yr old pup.....and fifteen of those years on three!! 1uitr an extraordinary accomplishment! Give yourself credit for providing excellent care and getting him to his sunset years.Continue to do your research on Librela. I did do some very limited investigation as I wanted to use it for my tripawd with arthritis. If I recall, the side effect list is more extensive with Vets using it in Canada versus a shorter list of side effects used in the US . I believe mobility issues (balance) were noted. I did do one injection. Due to uncovering other health issues I did not do anymore
All this is FWIW and take it with a grain of salt, okay?. Your sweet Baron has a lot of health challenges and is on various meds. Cancer on his heart, and lungs, mass on thyroid,, already exceeding what would be a "normal life span" and is well into his sunset years., dementia, etc., Librela is still relatively new and how it would impact him because of all his other health challenges is unknown.
Check with your vet or do your own research about how long the injection stays in the body. I do know in my research about 50% is still active after twenty days, then it decreases ...but check with your Vet. We are not Vets and not giv9ng Vet advice.
All that said, again, FWIW if you can switch to Adequan safely if a washout period is needed with Librela, it may be a more proven route.
You and your Baron are quite an inspiration to all of us who have been owned by a tripawd. To reach the seventeen year mark and still going....so darn impressive!!!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!!
.
Just an update for Baron. I did decide to get the 3rd Librela injection on Friday. Baron hadn't wet his bed all week but after the injection he did it twice on his bed while laying outside.
ON Sunday I almost cried because on our walk he looked like he was progressing. But on Monday he was back to barely moving and stumbling again. I will not do anymore injections. I know my observations are anecdotal however at this time I see no improvement and my heart tells me no. I will continue to monitor his progress and report back. I will also try to get him into be seen by a therapist however I know the wait is at least 1 month.
Sorry Baron seemingly had issues related to the third injection.
As I mentioned before, it's hard to say how the injection would impact him because of all of his other issues, other meds, etc. .
I know my observations are anecdotal however at this time I see no improvement and my heart tells me no
You are doing the best you can with modern day meds to give him the best quality you can. Stick with your gut now though.
Hoping improvement does take hold soon.
((((((((Hugs))))))
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!
Quite impressive for a seventeen yr old "very mature" pup!! Add the fact that he has been a tripawd for almost the whole time...this video is very impressive indeed!!! Add all his other health issues to the equation.......Baron looks quite spry overall!!! Looks far younger than his chronological years. Clearly the result of great care.
The gait does appear show signs of arthritis ....maybe hips, back, joints, etc. Were you able to check out a Rehab Specialist in your area......or maybe a Chiropractor??
Don't know about using Adequan at this point as there is probably a wash out time between Adequan and Librela. But once you get the go ahead that would be worth a try.
Thanks for the video. Baron is quite an inspiration on a lot of levels.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS....It looked like he sat down...or laid down....at one point during his adventure. Rather than getting uim up right away, just let him rest another minute or so as that usually means they need that tiny break.
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!
There is a rehab place but I know I won't be able to get him an appointment for at least a month. I'll let him rest a bit if he walks like this again. I try and get him moving asap because I don't want him to fall into a funk with the dementia. When he's not moving he tends to stop moving permanently because he gets lost in his surroundings and shuts down. Things become unfamiliar and he starts looking around like he doesn't know where he is, although we've walked that path a million times. Seems like when he's moving he acts more like a dog, sniffing everything, moving, looking.
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