Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all, just got the awful news that my my amazing rear-amp Banyu has hip dysplasia in his remaining leg. Going to see an ortho surgeon for consult tomorrow. Any advice on questions to ask? I'm so upset it is hard to think straight.
Banyu is a very active, athletic ~7 year old English Shepherd mix (55lbs) that has been on 3 legs for at least 3.5 years (he was picked up as a stray and was missing a foot at the time). We walk, hike, run, and just competed in our first nosework trial last weekend (Banyu did amazing, placing first, second or third in 5 of the 6 events he did). We keep him lean and he has been on joint supplements recommended by our vet since we got him 3 years ago. I just want him to be able to keep doing things he loves (hiking is his favorite).
Hi Banyu and people, welcome. Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.
Try not to panic (I know it's hard not to!). Many Tripawds have hip dysplasia and it need not mean anything like surgery or stopping all activity. Our own Wyatt Ray had it all his life and he was a busy guy. Spree the Tripawd was too!
There are many things you can do to manage the side effects enough to keep him doing what he loves, and it sounds like you are already really good at doing that. As time goes on and he naturally slows down as all dogs will, the nosework activities is a wonderful thing you can do to keep him engaged and loving life.
Keeping him lean is #1 priority and the biggest thing you can do that will make a difference in his mobility.
Another thing you can do is form a relationship with a canine rehabilitation therapist. Ask your ortho vet if they work with one. The Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit too. The therapist can help you come up with safe and appropriate exercises and activities that will keep him in top shape. Every dog is different so what is right for one may not be right for another. That's why we encourage all Tripawd parents to find that therapist and stick with them.
Ask your ortho vet:
- What you can expect over time if you manage the condition according to their recommendations
- What kind of therapies they recommend. Adequan injections are commonly used, and Meg is seeing fantastic results with ketamine injections now. Non-steroidals are common too, and one of the most powerful things you can do to manage any pain.
- And again, get a referral for a rehab therapist.
I hope this helps. Let us know how the appointment goes.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Jerry, thanks so much for your response! Banyu's visit with the orthopedic surgeon went better than I expected based on how our primary vet reacted to his hip x-ray. The ortho surgeon, who has done joint replacement surgeries on multiple tripawds, said she didn't see anything clearly terrible about his hip in the x-ray (she said it is often hard to tell based on the angle with an unanaesthetized dog), so we are currently a long way from considering surgery. She wasn't even positive that it is his hip that was bothering him and thinks it could be an iliopsoas strain. She said his knee and ankle looked/felt great, so probably not an issue that far down the leg. So... he is on short (~1/4 mile) walks and Galliprant (NSAID) for a week then short walks for another week and see how he looks then. Our ortho surgeon said it certainly wouldn't hurt to see a rehab therapist, but didn't think it was necessary at this point based on his current musculature, movement, and activity level. Still, I think even if he seems completely back to normal after a week or two of rest I will make an appoint with a rehab therapist (there is one in the same building as the ortho surgeon). I want to help him keep doing the thing he loves most (hiking) as long as possible. I was also really happy that the surgeon said it was fine to keep doing nose work with Banyu since it doesn't involve high-impact movement. That will help a lot to keep him entertained while we can't go on long walks or go hiking.
Just catching up on Banyu in time to say that the news sou ds pretty good, all things considered.👍
So seems like some rest, cutting back and not overdoing will help tremendously
And congratulations on soing so well with the nose work. Quite 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!
Oh my gosh best news all day! What a fantastic visit with the surgeon. They're right; x-rays on an anaesthetized dog are iffy. We went through that experience once. Got all freaked out for nothing.
May I ask who you are working with? Feel free to share in our Vet Specialists Referrals topic!
Galiprant works really well in a lot of dogs. I have my fingers crossed it does for Banyu too.
Feel free take advantage of the rehab reimbursement program anytime! You can learn so much about Banyu's fitness level and how to keep it there for as long as possible. It's also really good to have a reliable rehab point of contact in case he does come up with some odd muscle pull in the future. Unfortunately that happens more often than anyone wants when it comes to a Tripawd. Forming that relationship with a therapist will help you in pinch. They'll have his medical history on record and can get started with therapy right away. And they can do a lot to lessen the iliopsoas pull (the exact same thing happened to our Wyatt. Suddenly he decided to take a flying leap off a cliff in Alaska! No joke!).
This is super hopeful, thanks for the pupdate.
P.S. How did Banyu get his name?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Banyu was seen at Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center by Dr. Angel Thompson.
One week on Galiprant and short (.25-.5 mile) walks and Banyu seems back to his normal bouncy self. We will take it slowly, and start increasing his activity a tiny bit at a time next week (he thinks we should be back to climbing mountains yesterday).
Banyu was named by the rescue group that pulled him from the shelter. He was found as a stray swimming in a pond at a Buddhist temple (missing a foot, and full of heartworms and hookworms). So, they named him Banyu, which is Indonesian for water. We thought it was a cool story so we kept the name. It turns out to have been an appropriate name as he loves water. He swam about half a mile across the lake with me this summer, and we try to end our hikes with a dip in a lake or stream whenever possible.
Wyatt must have scared you half to death when he jumped off a cliff!!! Some days I want to bundle Banyu in bubble wrap and never leave the house, but he would be miserable that way, so we just try to be reasonable with our adventures.
That is such great news that he's back to his normal self! You are doing such great things for him by taking activity in small increments. It all adds up to a long, injury-free Tripawd life!
Thanks for sharing his story, what a lucky dog to find his way from the temple to you. I would have kept the name too. He is a true water dog with a strong spiritual connection it seems.
Other members have mentioned your clinic before. How cool you get to work with them to keep Banyu healthy. I'm happy the Galiprant is working out. It's so nice to have that as an NSAID alternative.
And yes, we thought Wyatt was a gonner. It was a very high cliff and next to cold rushing water that we never could have gotten to if he had gotten stuck in the current. Super scary but he survived. And yep, as much as want to bubble wrap our Tripawds, there's a fine line between letting them be a dog and protecting them from injuries. You're doing really, really great at walking between both!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Great news!! Thanks so much for hour update. Glad the meds and slowing things down a bit are maki auch a notice difference.
It was so interesting reading how he got his name. And agree, it has a strong Spiritual connection
Keep these good updates coming.
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!
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