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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I thought I read a post here about tripawds having issues with their anal glands. Correct me if I'm wrong. Does the change in anatomy affect the pooping/anal gland expression process? I'd appreciate an education on this please.
Hudson is a little over 2 month post amputation. But, he was only with me one month before his surgery. So I don't know his anal gland tendencies.
You did read that!
All dogs are different as far as if amputation will affect their anal glands issues. I would say that being a hind leg amputee can put them at risk of more issues if they already had them to begin with. Our Wyatt Ray was missing a rear leg but he never had issues. So I guess time will tell with Hudson. Is he having any issues now?
See:
Rear Legged Tripawd Dogs: Do You Need Your Anal Glands Expressed More Often?
Ohhh glad you took him in. Hopefully this is a temporary situation. Poor guy!
I would also suggest getting him evaluated by a rehab therapist so that they can show you how to help him engage in better sitting positions so that he puts less pressure on his bum. Remember Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit too!
My current rear amp Tripawd Elly has had issues with her anal glands for the last two years, she has been on three for over 9 years.
I've had two rear amp Tripawds. Maggie was a Pug who lost a back leg to cancer. Mag had periodic anal gland issues before her amp, not unusual for a Pug, and she continued to have issues after her amp although I don't remember having to take her to the vet to have them expressed. Maggie had a mid-femoral amp so a bit of her femur was left. The important part of that is that it gave her hip muscles a place to attach which I think gave her better balance as well as the ability to express her glands.
Elly lost her entire femur after being hit by a car at 7 months old. When she was around 7.5 years old she hurt her remaining hip and ever since then she has to go to the vet every 4 weeks to have her glands manually expressed. She is missing her right back leg and that is that gland that is always very full. Since she has no femur left the hip muscles that usually attach to the femur are not attached anywhere and it makes it hard for her to 'press' enough to get the glands to express. The fact that her remaining hip is weaker from the injury contributes to the overall weakness.
She regularly sees a rehab vet and has meds and supplements to get her as strong as possible. We have also tried diet changes and supplements that are supposed to help with anal gland issues but they have not helped.
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
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