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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We are 8 weeks post amputation and everything has been going fabulous! recovery was a breeze and my riley has been happier than ever.. last tuesday she finished her second round of chemo.. since then i have noticed her remaining good hind leg giving out a little here and there.. its slowly getting a little worse. she allows me to touch it and go from top to bottom with no flinching whatsoever. has anyone else experienced this? I'm hoping that she may just be a little weaker than normal from the chemo.. any info or opinions is greatly appreciated.. I've been reading tripawds blog since she was diagnosed but this is my first post.. thank you in advance!
Welcome, I'm glad you decided to post. Your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
A couple of questions- what kind of cancer are you dealing with? What kind of chemo? How old is Riley and how big?
My little pug Maggie was also a rear amp. It took her a really long time to build up strength and stamina. Does Riley's leg wobble? Does she sink on the back leg? That is what would happen with Maggie when she got tired. I don't remember how long it took, but it was months before she could comfortably stand for long periods of time.
Be sure you are talking with your vet about your concerns. Have you though about going to a rehab specialist for PT? Tripawds really need to work on their strength in their remaining limbs and their core. The Gear blog has lots of info on exercise and fitness.
I've got to get back to work now, I'm sure other members will chime in with experiences and advice.
Karen and Spirit Maggie
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Riley has osteosarcoma, i spoke to the oncologist yesterday and he wasn't all that concerned but told me to keep an eye on it.. yesterday seemed to be the worst day she didn't want to get up on her own but once she was up she was okay. no wobbles just sinking in on her every once in a while but its becoming more and more now. i left a message with my regular vet today so far I'm just trying to keep her off it and resting it but its def becoming more of a concern. thanks for your reply! def lessons the worry as it seems like what you said is going on
Hi Riley and Family, welcome. I hope you don't mind but I moved your post here since it involves mobility issues. I'm sorry to hear about the diagnosis but rest assured, many many dogs outlive the standard prognosis everyone is given and go on to live healthy hoppy lives.
In addition to Karen's good points I have a couple of questions:
What is Riley's weight? If he is at all overweight, even by a pound, it can add extra stress to his body and make moving around difficult. Tripawds should be slimmer than other dogs in their breed/size category.
What is Riley's activity like? Is he overdoing it with walks that are too long (short walks are ideal, no more than 20 minutes at a time for a fully-recovered Tripawd). Is he playing non-stop with other dogs in the home? If he's getting too much activity this could contribute to his mobility issues. Eight weeks out is not a long time, many dogs need more time than that to get strength back, and their humans have a lot to do with it.
Here are some ideas that may help:
Why Longer Walks Won’t Strengthen a Tripawd’s Leg Muscles
Best of Tripawds Gear and Fitness Tips for Three Legged Dogs
You definitely want to let your vet know about this, and if possible consult with a certified vet rehab practitioner, who can diagnose the issue and help you help him get strong. Keep us posted OK? We're glad you're here, let us know what other questions you have and by all means, post some pix, we'd love to see Riley!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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