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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So my sweet Keira is now 1.5 months post op and doing wonderfully. She runs around with no issues, gets up and down... except on stairs. She can go down no problem. I even feel comfortable letting her go down herself! Up is a struggle.
We've tried helping her with a harness and she won't even budge! She just stands with her front paws on the bottom stair and waits for us to carry her. I'm wondering if maybe we carried her too long? My boyfriend and I are trying to be patient but she's heavy!!!
She is a 45lb husky rear leg amputee. Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
My guy was a front amp and going down was the issue. Fortunately, I had a way to take him out that only had one step. How about a ramp. Would not have to be fancy, but I know that has solved the stair problem for many here. Also I have a piece of carpet attached to the one step we used. Seemed to help a lot with traction . Lori and Ty
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
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In general rear amps have more problems going up. My little pug Maggie was a rear amp and she never could do more than 3 or 4 stairs at a time, but that was more due to her size.
6 weeks out is still pretty early. You should check out the Gear blog for exercises and stretches for Tripawds. She will need to build up that back leg and hip to propel her up. Did she fall on the stairs at all during recovery?
You probably need to start slow- and lots of praise and treats for each step she concurs. You could even start with the curb to build her confidence.
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
Thanks guys! She did slip once on the other staircase. A ramp is pretty out of the question since we live on the second story of a house. We have the harnesses for helping her. I guess we just need more time and practice!
Yah, patience is key. Our Wyatt Ray , a rear-legger, took at least 2 months before he was confident enough to go up stairs, and it took longer for him to go up open deck-type stairs that don't have a back to them. Each time he had to go up, we just had to be VERY excited to encourage him, and bribe him with lots of treats at the top of the steps! A gentle hand on the harness handle was also the confidence he needed to try. You can do it!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
GLAD TO.HEAR.KEIRA IS.DONG.WONDERFULLY.WELL!!
Yeah, m h Happy.Hannah,.a123.lb. Bull.Mastiff.rear leg.amp. could go DOWN just.fine! But.going.UP...nope!!!
It.took.her.a.very.long time to do two, maybe yhtree steps...she stumbled.and.that.was.it!
SEVEN MONTHS...it took SEVEN MONTHS.before.she.actually.climbed.UP.eight.stairs!!!!..These.were.very.wide.deck.stairs.so.it.took.a.lot of the.straight .up and down out of the ewuation. .IT was just too difficult for.her and.too.riskky. So she used.her.ramp to come.up, , but.used.the.stairs.to.go.down...she.loked the.choice! Now,.these.were.outside.stairs.and.ramps.
Inside, she.never was.able.to.go.up.the.stairs to s@eep.with.me...hard.on.both.of.us. I eventually.brought.a.mattress.and.put.it.on.the.floor.dow.stairs so.she.and.I.could sleep together!
For me, sleeping.with my.dog.beside.me.is.as.close.to.Paradise.as.one.can get!
Best.of.luck.to you...maybe you could start..ewuating.yhr harness.to something really fun for just a few minutes a.day. Harness goes. On ewuals treats....off and on severa@ times a day and that's when she gets treats. If you can get herto enjoy the harness.and not ewuate it to stairs for awhile,.I think.you've got.it!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle
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!
I'm happy to hear Keira is doing well...with the exception of the stairs of course. I know you mentioned you have a harness. My Leland was a rear leg amp (Dobie boy) and we used a belly sling to assist him getting up the stairs. You could also take an old sheet and place around the belly and hold the 2 ends. I think these methods provide a little more support on the back end to help gently left them up the steps (you shouldn't really be carrying all the weight this way). For Leland I think it provided a since of security that he wasn't going to fall and plus it saves the ligaments in the remaining knee. With the harness I think that is supporting more of the chest area when lifting versus a belly sling which really only helps in lifting the back end.
I hope you find this helpful in getting Keira up the stairs...trying to carry a full grown husky all the time would definitely get tiring...
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
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