Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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So this question isn't regarding my Tripawd, Kasey but another one of my dogs named Pebbles. I've noticed recently she has been limping on her left front leg, usually when she gets up after laying down. It doesn't happen daily just once in awhile. This happened earlier in the summer and the vet gave her aspirin and that seemed to help. Today she was really limping. She lets me play with her leg and push on it and there is no pain. She is 8 years old so I'm wondering if it's beginning stages of arthritis. She runs around and plays in the yard still. So I'm wondering is there anything I can give her to help with the pain? She has an appointment with the vet next Monday to recheck her gallbladder. She's been on meds because she was having liver issues and come to find out she had build up in her gallbladder.
I've spent a nice chunk of change this summer on Pebbles and Kasey 🙂
I appreciate any advice! Thanks!
Assuming it is arthritis-
My quad pug Tani was diagnosed with arthritis in her back and hips at the age of 6. It advanced through all four legs over the years. I started her on a glucosamine supplement and she did really well on it. She went from intermittent limping to no limping at all. I want to say we stared every other day, but I don't remember for sure. I know we started a lower dose and then increased as she needed more. After that stopped working we added rimadyl, very low dose and then increased. Then added gabapentin, then added adequan. This was about a 9 year progression in meds, Tani passed last February at almost 15 years old.
She also was on a fish oil supplement and I tried really hard to keep her weight down. I also had to eventually restrict her activity a bit as she was quite reckless and would overdo if I didn't intervene.
Good luck.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
I have dog treats with glucosamine. I need to get better at giving them to all my dogs. I will try the fish oil too, thanks!
Harmony (9 years old) limped intermittently over a period of 3 years. This was mentioned at every visit with her vet who would always xray and "feel" for issues. She never showed any sensitivity or pain from touch. Fast forward to the day we didn't take "I can't find anything" as an answer. This was the day a mass (MCT) was found in her shoulder. It was pressing on the nerve that went down her leg.
Over those few years when she would display a limp, we would give her aspirin or an anti-inflammatory and she would appear to be all better.
I'm not telling you this to scare you, this is just a story of caution. Our take-away was any limp is serious. But then again, I've turned into one of those pawrents who is scared to death of the smallest thing when it comes to my fur-babies. Meesha has gotten into this thing, the past 4 days, were she has dry heaves first thing in the morning. She has nothing on her stomach and has no other symptoms. If she were human I would suspect she was pregnant, LOL! We're in full-blown allergy season here and I'm thinking she's having inner-ear issues since she usually doesn't display her retching until her paws hit the floor first thing in the morning.
Any-hoo . . .
We feel that Harmony would still be with us today if we had been more diligent with our vet concerning her "here today, gone tomorrow" limp.
Give Pebbles a big ole smooch for me!
pam
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
I'd have to agree with Pam. No need to panic, but we see it over and over again when a vet keeps telling a client that a limp is arthritis, then months later they find out something completely different. It happened to us as well with Jerry, so never again will I take "arthritis" as a diagnosis if a limp keeps happening on an off.
What I would recommend is to have your vet come up with a treatment plan and a time/goal for achieving success. Typically vets will prescribe an anti-inflammatory and that often works. In the meantime, notate when her symptoms occur. What kind of activity was she doing just prior? And if the limp does not go away, don't take another medication for an answer, ask for appropriate diagnostic tests, get a referral to a specialist or find another vet.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I hate to add my reply to this but same here... Shelby started limping off and on about 4 years before she broke her leg. The vet always told me she was a senior dog or that she had overdone it (she was about 8 or 9) I guess... Shelby was also always an active jumper (terrier) so that made sense to me which was why when she missed the jump to the car and fell and broke her leg and there were masses on it - I was shocked!
That said ... here on out, I will always listen to my gut and trust a mother's instinct. She is your dog and you know her best and if something feels off, then get another opinion. Vets see the dog for about 5 - 10 minutes ... we live with them.
Jasper's started doing a new weird thing where when she squats to pee, she lifts her one leg. I worry a lot about her hips since she tends to walk a bit bow-legged and is always and I do mean always in frog pose. She's 2ish and the vet assures me she is fine so I'll watch it but I'll be aware if anything changes!!!
You're a great dog mom!!! Good luck!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Thanks everyone! Pebbles is mainly limping after she gets up. So if she is sleeping or laying on the couch, when she gets up I notice the limp. She is fine when she's playing in the yard or when we go for walks. The limp doesn't seem to happen on a daily basis. For example, I haven't noticed it at all today but yesterday she was limping a lot. We had a great change in the weather yesterday (just trying to think of all the things that cause joint issues). Last week we had temperatures in the high 80's to low 90's with lots of humidity (the norm for NC) and yesterday it was in the high 70's and beautiful. I gave her a fish oil pill this morning and a glucosamine treat this morning.
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