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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Meg's mobility is declining, not helped by the inability to access her usual monthly acupuncture and laser during the lockdown. She is having weekly treatments for a while and is also going to have a course of weekly ketamine injections for six weeks. It's just a very low dose and apparently has had quite remarkable results in some dogs. I've searched the forums and see that one or two others have tried it too. I'll let you know how we get on. I found this info about how it can be used to 'reset' the nervous system. https://www.sci.....-sufferers
Meg's other medication is:
200g Gabapentin 3 x daily
125g paracetamol (tylenol) 2 x daily
50g Amantadine 2 x daily
(17 kilo/35lb dose) Metacam once daily
Meg, Clare and Angel Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 20 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Clare, bummed that Meg's mobility is lessening. Goodness knows you are leaving no stone unturned in doing EVERYTHING possible for that girl!! So cannot even do a "drop off" for acupuncture??? Cannot imagine the stress you are under. I know how much those visits helped
I'm adding a link to a ppst Rene just made about arthritis. Quite frankly, I'be not gone through it and it may be more of a "generalization " on weight, traction , supplements, etc. Areas the MegAStar graduated from uears ago😉 Stuff you you've already done, and are doing.
https://tripawd.....-and-cats/
Also, another link that I found had some good "stuff" in it. You kind of have to comb through it to find some little "pearls" that you may not have tried.
http://dogaware.....ritis.html
Thanks so much for sharing Meg's protocol and the information on Ketamine. Sounds so promising! Will you be continuing with her other meds, all or part, as you do the injections? We'll keep oirmpaws crossed for more improvement. One thing for sure, Meg is the luckiest dog on the Planet to have you as her BFF hooman♥️
And since you "forgot" to post a pic of Meg and her Guardian, I did the honors1😘
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!
Thanks so much, Sally. Yes, sorry should have been clearer. She can do a drop off for acupuncture now, but it was closed entirely for three months during the full lockdown, so she missed her regular treatments. That's why she is now having weekly treatments for a while to get her back up to speed.
Yes, she will stay on the other meds and treatments during the ketamine treatment. Thankfully she seems to have a really strong and healthy constitution, and her body seems to handle medication really well. She has regular blood tests to keep a check on liver, kidneys etc. but all indications are that she is in excellent health, apart from her joints obviously.... And the meds don't dope her out in the least, that would be the day...
So here's a photo from our recent trip to North Wales...
Thanks for the links, Sally. Will check them out now.
xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 20 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Hey Clare, thank you so much for sharing this info and giving it a great topic title to make it easy to find the information. The lovely photos of Meg are a bonus, we so enjoy seeing her over here!
It's always good to know what our medical options are to help older Tripawds get around better. Meg's current regimen is very similar to Wyatt Ray 's.
I'm curious how the ketamine will work for Meg, since it's not something our own vet has mentioned for Wyatt, who is also having mobility challenges. I'll mention ketamine to the vet next time we chat.
I hope the renewed acupuncture sessions can get her mobility back up too. Keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Everyone,
just dropping in to leave a quick update on Meg and Ketamine, as promised. Meg stated on low dose ketamine injections at the start of September to manage her arthritis, and she had these weekly for six weeks initially. She now has a top up injection every four or five weeks when she visits her rehab vet for her regular laser and acupuncture treatment. Her other medication remains the same:
As a 17 kilo/35 lb dog, she takes:
Metacam once daily
200mg Gabapentin 3 x daily
50g Amantadine once or twice daily
125g paracetamol (tylenol) twice daily.
She also takes a high quality fish oil, green lipped mussel extract, and joint supplements.
The introduction of Ketamine is the only thing that has changed for quite some time now, so I feel confident saying that it does seem to be having a very positive effect. Meg has advanced arthritis and her movement is obviously limited (she uses a buggy to get around) but in herself she is on top top form, really perky and full of it, constantly getting herself into trouble and loving every minute of it. Clearly, as with all medication, individual responses will vary and it may not be suitable for everyone, but for Meg its been amazing. We've recently had a lot of damp, cold weather, which used to aggravate Meg's arthritis, and make her reluctant to go out. Not a bit of it this year. She's raring to go....
Incidentally, I learned recently that Meg may be slightly older than I thought, closer to 13 than to 12. She seems like a MUCH younger dog to me in terms of her energy 😳 In March we'll be celebrating Meg's fifth ampuversary.
I hope the above is helpful for anyone in a similar situation and that if you do try the Ketamine, the results are every bit as positive.
Meg, Clare and Angel Pie xxx
PS oops, almost forgot. Before Sally tells me off. Here's my 13 year old Tripawd just a few days ago....
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 20 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Hahaha.....first thing I did after reading first line or two to make aure Meg was okay, was to scroll down looking for a picture!!!👍👍 I ALWAYS love your Meg A Star pictires😎
Tha ks so mich for the update and for sharing the "protocol" Meg is on. It defin seems the Ketamine is the deciding g factor in helping with her arthritis. This is soooo good to know.
You are so proactive and incorporating such good therapies, supplements and meds.
Which leads me to a question(s) on what you would suggest if you could only pick kne from these: Laser, acupuncture,, chiropractic (I think Meg has done chiro?). And you would do Keratime over Adequan, right? And one more, does Meg's front leg still give out and does she still jave issues with her elbow......or am I completely confuse, which is highly likely!?
OF, my memory is correct, do you feel like the Ketamine helped in that area?
Frankie's gives out at the elbow (guess it's elbow....kinda up at shoulder). He is almost a two legged dog with one good back leg (tplo) and one back leg with failed cruciate. He is curved in his mobility as he leans on the side with the two good (relatively) legs. And yet, high e ergy, runs like a four legger..
Didn't mean to through Frankie I to the post, but Meg always plays full out, even though modified now, and it seems they are parallel in so many ways.
And no, Meg does NOT look, or act like, 100 years old!!!!
Tha k you again Clare!!!! And.....WE MISS YOU OVER HERE!!!!I. ❤❤
.!Love always❤
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!
Hi Sally,
Meg does have issues with her elbow, as in dysplasia and severe arthritis. She also has arthritis in her toes on her front foot and in her hocks. Interesting you say about Frankie’s leg seeming to give out from the shoulder. Meg’s hasn’t done that for a while but in the past when it’s given out it has always seemed to be from the shoulder too, and her rehab vet says she has tweaked something in her shoulder, somewhere behind the blade. It has always settled down with extra meds and rest (well, sort of rest). In the last couple of years, most of her obvious problems have been with one or other of her back legs giving out, which seems after scans etc to have been caused by inflammation in her hocks. Of course, I wouldn’t see if she was limping on the front leg, because as with Frankie there’s only the one and she doesn’t have the option of holding it off the ground.
Re your questions, it’s so hard to know, isn’t it as I think they probably feed off each other. The Ketamine is relatively inexpensive though (for once!) I only pay about $20 per injection. Adequate isn’t licensed for use in dogs here, so I can’t compare it with that. Meg has never had chiro. I think my instinct if I had to pick one would probably be the acupuncture, which is much more focused on keeping on top of any niggles in her spine (though she does also have it in her foot etc.) I think this really helps with keeping her mobile as she is so energetic and she also has an unusually long back and relatively short legs. Even before she had any problems with her legs, I was concerned that her back might be vulnerable when she got older. I feel that the acupuncture just nips any potential problems in the bud and stops her compensating and then tweaking something else, and the whole thing like dominoes...
I definitely wouldn’t say Meg runs like a four legger any more. She doesn’t really run much nowadays, though I have been known to run after squirrels for her with her standing up in the buggy and shouting...
C
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 20 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Also, just to say, about four times out of five the acupuncture really dopes her out for at least the rest of that day and sometimes several days. I know I hardly need to explain to you how much I enjoy this brief respite....
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 20 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
"though I have been known to run after squirrels for her with her standing up in the buggy and shouting"
Now that dog knows which side its bread is buttered!
- "what shall be done for these innocents? I have been warned not even to raise the question of animal immortality, lest I find myself “in company with all the old maids”. I have no objection to the company" - C S Lewis (The Problem of Pain)
- "Mr Toplady was touched by the cruelty of the scene, and exclaimed, ' Who could bear to see that sight, if there were not to be some compensation for these poor suffering animals in a future state' 'I certainly hope,' said my grandfather, ' that all the bulls will go to heaven; but do you think this will be the case with all the animal creation' 'Yes, certainly,' replied Mr Toplady, with great emphasis, ' all, all!" - Josiah Bull (recording a meeting with the great A. M. Toplady, author of "Rock of Ages" in "Memorials of the Rev. William Bull of Newport, Pagnel")
- "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God" Luke 12:6
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 20 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Hey it's so good to read this, thank you for taking time to update us Clare! How pawesome that the ketamine has helped her stay spry and mobile, along with the acupuncture and other medication. It shows that by thinking differently and taking a multimodal approach we can get a good handle on arthritis in Tripawds.
Here's an interesting article that mentions ketamine for arthritis in dogs and cats, who can also benefit from ketamine.
What are the options for managing pain in a different way?
I'd love to get a pain expert's take on ketamine versus Adequan for dogs and cats with arthritis. I couldn't seem to find any studies comparing the two therapies.
By the way she looks GREAT! And that stroller photo is spectacular, what a gorgeous place.
Would you mind if I shared this in our News blog ? I'd love for as many people to know about this treatment as possible. I wish I would have remembered this discussion when we were struggling with Wyatt Ray 's deteriorating condition last year. It wasn't mentioned as an option when we talked with CSU or his vet in Oregon.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)