Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi everyone,
I haven't written in a long time and thought I would give a quick update and ask some additional questions. Odin is my 8 year old yellow lab who had his front left leg amputated due to a nerve sheath tumor in his arm pit nerve. He lost his leg in December and is almost at his 6 month anniversary which makes me happier then I can explain. I am so glad he can sun bath and enjoy the outside just like before. He has been doing great and even went down stairs. We don't have him do it often but we were delighted the day we saw him do it on his own. He is amazing as all the dogs I've met here. I am shocked everyday how great he is.
My questions are around energy level and occasional yelping. My Odin is tired. I mean tired all the time. Don't get me wrong if I take out his favorite ball he will chase it but maybe for 10 minutes and then he is exhausted. Do you all find that your dogs are much more tired than before the surgery? Also he will occasionally yelp, each time I get so nervous because I am afraid he is in pain or that maybe something is wrong. It is not often and it is when he maybe gets up too quick or if he moves a way that is odd for him. Does this happen to you all also?
I feel that we didn't get that much information on what to expect when we brought him home. Don't get me wrong he is great and I am so thankful each day we have him. I can't wait to write you all in another year when he is still thriving. Just wanted to know if you all have the same things going on.
Thank you all for the continues support and for being here. It is so helpful.
Hi, I'm Stacy, Griffin's mama (Griffin's Journey). Griffin is a 10-year old goldendoodle whose right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020 due to osteosarcoma. I have definitely noticed how quickly Griffin tires since the surgery. Even accounting for his age, his energy is sapped much more rapidly than just prior to the surgery. I chalk it up to how much more his body is working just to move, especially since his remaining front limb is carrying 60% of his body weight. As for the occasional yelping, a few weeks after surgery, Griffin would have these episodes where he would jump up as if startled, look into the distance, and then quickly settle back down. The episodes would occur 2-3 times a day and lasted for about a week. Recently he has experienced random episodes again, accompanied by a short yelp at times. This happens once every few days. He is not in any pain and it is not a regular occurrence, so if it is phantom pain , it is not something that really concerns me at this point. It sounds like Odin is yelping when he moves (Griffin's episodes always occur when he has been laying quietly or sleeping), so he may be sore or tweaking something when he moves a certain way. Have you considered physical therapy for Odin? Griffin was evaluated by a rehab vet a few weeks after surgery, and while the vet didn't think Griffin needed formal physical therapy, he did give me strengthening exercises to do at home. A few weeks ago, I took Griffin to another rehab specialist just to get a second opinion and see if there was something more I could be doing. The specialist did a lot of massage and stretching, and I could tell how much looser Griffin moved in the days after that session. I was given different exercises to focus more on flexibility, and Griffin will have a monthly appointment with that rehab specialist. So if that is not something you have done yet with Odin, I highly recommend a physical therapy evaluation. Good luck! ~ Stacy
Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com
Hi, it's has been awhile. Happy to know that Odin is still doing well
Ditto to what Stacy said. But just a though, I don't know what part of the country you live, but Brownie (lab) was hot natured and always slowed down during the summer months, even before becoming a tripawd. But as far as the yelping, yea he may have tweaked something. As Stacy said you might want to have it looked at if it continues. Just curious, is he taking joint supplements?
Continue to update, and please don't wait a year to post.
Here's to six more months Odin. Labs Rock!
My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019. With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer. I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud! He will live forever in my Heart!
04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020
"March Saint"
Welcome back! It's great to hear that Odin is otherwise doing pretty well!
My questions are around energy level and occasional yelping. My Odin is tired. I mean tired all the time.
I moved your post here (hope you don't mind) because it's about mobility on three legs. And when it comes to this topic, I think all of us are surprised by how tired our dogs get after amputation surgery. So yes, it's normal but there are things to know about it...
We expect our dogs to be back to "normal" but what we tend to forget is that life on 3 is a "new normal." It takes a lot of energy to move a 3-legged body that is designed to have 4. As an example, get on all fours and move around your house as quickly as you can. Then try it with one "leg" up, preferably a forelimb like Odin is missing. Try to walk and run and see how hard it is, and you'll get a sense of what Odin is feeling like. I found this to be very enlightening when I did it.
Now, ten minutes of ball playing is a lot for a three-legged dog to do without resting or completely stopping. It's also an "explosive" movement that rehab therapists advise against in order to avoid injury. They tell us that we need to re-think exercise for our Tripawds, and find other ways to tire them out in safer, less impactful ways. I didn't know any of this for a long time, and we asked our Jerry to do way too much in the early days of his life on three legs. It's an adjustment for both the dog and the human to come up with fun new things to do but it's totally do-able! Things like interactive brain games and gentle obedience training and even scentwork are all awesome activities that don't put a lot of stress on a Tripawd's body.
I'll share some links with you that will give you more info on the topic. Also, I x3 what Stacy and Nancy suggested: weather can also play a part, and a rehab visit is a great idea! The Tripawds Foundation may even pay for your first rehab visit so we hope you'll take advantage of the program. A therapist can also pinpoint why Odin is occasionally yelping during play, which I suspect is pain-related but they can confirm. So Ok, here are the links:
How To Prevent Common Injuries in Tripawds
Do Dogs “Self-Limit” Their Activity? Or Are They in Pain?
also:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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