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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Our dog Beesly got her left, rear leg amputated over two weeks ago. Stitches are out, she is walking/hopping around easily. She is down to half a pain pill per day so it is looking good. I am worried about her remaining leg and her hips though. I want to be on top of her limb management so that it doesn't get too painful or strained. I bought some joint and hip vitamins, but what else should we be doing?
Hi Tawny! So glad to hear Beesly is continuing to do well - she is a fighter! I know Jerry is going to chime in here, but you should definitely consider taking Beesly for a rehab consultation. The physical therapist will be able to give you specific recommendations for exercises and activities to keep Beesly strong and flexible, and may be able to recommend supplements as well. Griffin went to a rehab vet 2 weeks after surgery and I was told that he didn't really need formal rehab, but to do strengthening exercises and massage - I detailed them in a blog post called Griffin's Rehab Exercises. I took him to a canine physical therapist last week (7 weeks post-op) just to make sure that he was still compensating and moving well. The PT did a lot of massage and I noticed a definite improvement in Griffin's fluidity when moving afterwards, so we are going to make monthly appointments for Griffin. The PT also gave me additional recommendations for at home exercises - you can find those exercises in the topic Rehab Exercises for Home. I also consulted over the phone with a holistic vet that Steve (Ziva's dad) recommended and wrote about that in the topic Cancer Supplement Recommendations. Please be sure to check with your vet or a rehab specialist before starting any supplements or exercises to make sure that they will work for Beesly's specific needs. I hope this helps! ~ 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
Tawny I'm just thrilled that Beesly is doing so well! It's it amazing how well she is doing? Our dogs really do surprise us don't they?
Casey is right, a canine rehab therapist is the best thing you can do right now to know how to keep her healthy and strong. They'll give you exercises you can do together to help her core muscles firm up and stay that way, and explain the best kinds of activities for her to do. And the best part is the Tripawds Foundation may pay for your first rehab visit ! So please check out the link and make that appointment, you will be so glad you did.
Also one more tip: over and over again, rehab therapists tell us that the #1 thing we can do for any animal but especially Tripawds, is to keep their weight down. A Tripawd should be slimmer than other dogs of the same breed type in order to take the extra brunt off the joints.
Check out what our Wyatt Ray 's orthopedic vet has to say about helping our Tripawds live great lives. It's long but she offers tons of great pointers:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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