Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Since more than one Tripawd has been known to overdo things and pull a muscle, I thought this excellent article might come in handy sometime.
How Do I Treat Soft Tissue Injuries in Pets?
by Dr. Debbie Saunders
"After the establishment of the dogs’ problems, goals, and discussion with the owner regarding a realistic plan, the treatment plan may be established. Acute cases of soft tissue cases must be managed with a multimodal approach. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory, pain medication and in some cases, muscle relaxants are required to assist with the rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation modalities, such as laser therapy and cyrotherapy, will be paramount to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with the soft tissue dysfunction. Both are essential in the treatment of the soft tissue problems. Laser will aid in the reduction of inflammation, pain, and the promotion of soft tissue healing. Cyrotherapy will also reduce the pain and inflammation (ref) and is easily applied by both the clinician and the owner. Cyrotherapy may be applied in the form of ice packs, compression pumps, or ice cups for ice massage. In small areas, the ice cups work well to reduce the inflammation in the area.
The treatment in the acute phase should involve conservative management through both pharmaceutical measures and rehabilitation. The goal is to promote healing and decrease the chances of adhesion formation. A multimodal approach will assist with this goal."
Read how to manage soft tissue injuries in pets at HomeVet.com
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Great article! Thanks for sharing! I worked with Debbie in doing rehab on Haley's shoulder injury. So a lot of this sounds very similar to what I did with Haley 
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Also, in the acute phase, go ahead and ice it down. 3x a day for 5min. After the first few days, you can change to warmth.
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
maggie said
Great article! Thanks for sharing! I worked with Debbie in doing rehab on Haley's shoulder injury. So a lot of this sounds very similar to what I did with HaleyTracy, Maggie's Mom
Wow you met Debbie? She is so pawesome and smart, I would love to meet her someday!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Wow you met Debbie? She is so pawesome and smart, I would love to meet her someday!
========================
I've never met her in person...had a phone consult with her and then weekly we would chat on email and she'd give me additional exercises to do with Haley for her shoulder. Consulted with her for 15 weeks. I have friends, though, that live in CT and take their dogs to her at her place of business...I would LOVE to have that access to her!(and her water treadmill!)
Tracy
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
maggie said
I've never met her in person...had a phone consult with her and then weekly we would chat on email and she'd give me additional exercises to do with Haley for her shoulder.
Tracy
I didn't know she does phone consults, how did you hear about it? Does she advertise that service? This is good to know so we can send folks her way. Thanks!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Tracy I didn't know she does phone consults, how did you hear about it? Does she advertise that service? This is good to know so we can send folks her way. Thanks!
===================================
Here ya' go Rene 
http://www.wiza.....onsult.htm
Tracy
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Wow, thank you Tracy! This is GREAT to know about.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Useful article - thanks! Very relevant to us after Sid's bout with a muscle injury at Christmas last year, when he simply stopped gettting up. A 33kg greyhound is NOT easy to get outside when he's not walking!
I think she means 'cryotherapy' though. Those typos will get ya!
Thanks for the feedback Jay, it's always good to know if what we publish here is useful. If you ever have any suggestions for future posts, don't hesitate to contact us.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I think what would be very useful is if anyone has done any kind of study on joint support formulas. Being nutraceuticals, and unregulated as such, looking for an effective one is not particularly easy.
An unexpected consideration for us is that because Jeffie (the quadruped) has a hair-trigger stomach, some of the ingredients like MSM and curcumin and devil's claw don't go down too well. Possibly this would be true of dogs on chemo, too, i don't know.
This just in from Dr. Nancy Kay:
Cruciate Ligament Disease: A Comparison of Surgical and Nonsurgical Treatment Outcomes
I was intrigued by the results of a recently published study in which the researchers focused on cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD) in dogs. Specifically, they evaluated owner satisfaction with outcomes of two very different treatment options, one involving surgery and the other using a custom fitted brace (orthosis).
.....
The results are thought provoking for me on a few different levels:
I was surprised that, despite the fact that reports of a normal gait (no lameness) and ratings of outcomes were significantly lower in the orthosis treated group, these respondents reported a high level of satisfaction and willingness to make the same choice all over again.
I was surprised that, in spite of the very high complication rate associated with orthosis treatment (46%), respondents reported a high level of satisfaction with this treatment plan and a willingness to make the same choice again.
Prior to reading this study, I would have assumed that nonsurgical treatment for CCLD would have resulted in lower customer satisfaction. I would have been wrong. My notion is that the high level of satisfaction within the orthosis group was related to good communication between veterinarians and clients about realistic expectations.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks Rene! And yes, in addition to the article, the "comments" were a wealth of information. The in depth insight on the braces and all that they entailed...quite interesting!
Mucho thanko!!!
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!
Just came across this excellent article on the same topic by our friends at CanineArthritis.org
"Non-surgical options for CCL ruptures and tears"
What does non-surgical treatment involve?
There are 2 main goals of non-surgical management of CCL tears:Protect the cartilage (minimize arthritis and inflammation)
Strengthen the muscles supporting the stifle.
The ultimate aim of this management is to optimize your dog’s quality of life, functional abilities, and avoid surgery. However, non-surgical management can be challenging in terms of activity restrictions and avoiding situations that could lead to complete rupture of the CCL or exacerbation of ongoing arthritis. READ MORE
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks for posting this. ❤ you never know when information you didn meed "yesterday", applies "today".
I went back and read ALL the articles, as well as comments, etc.
To recap where Frankie is right now. Front leg tripawd for probably at least six years (adopted him thst way). Had cruciate fishing line technique aurgery on one rear leg two years ago. Had TPLO surgery kon other resr leg one year ago. The TPLO leg was a better outcome for him (knocking on wood non stop). Leg appears to have full range of motion, weight bearing well, etc (knocking on wood)
Now, a little over a year later, slipping hock (torn/weak ligaments) in first cruciate aurgery leg. Comparing surgeries, that leg never really seemed to gain proper motion or proper "positioning". . Kind of hold straight and to the side. . He's also a very arthritic boy.
Interesting read on the braces, which is something Im looking into and will update further when I get the Rehab appointment. Have only had regular Vet at this point.
Found out there are some issues with braces, apparently. Constant sending back for refitting, rubbing off of hair, etc. That said, don't know if the quality of the brace was top notch.
Alao interesting about "friction massage"" (can't remember exact name). to help realign and strengthen logaments.
Anyway, I'll add an update over here as soon as I can get solid info on the brace from the Rehab, assuming she's well versed in that area.
With appreciation
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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