Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi there,
I'm stressing! 
Zoe is my big beatuiful 11 year old shep golden girl. Her back left leg was amputated 2 weeks ago and we were amazed at how well she dd so quickly! Our girl has been through A LOT in her years…I often joke that she should have been a cat since she's practically had 9 lives! (She's quite the WONDER-dog and is a SURVIVOR — will someday get around to blogging her story!)
Anyway, she had been doing great…we we so happy and surprised that she was getting around and even wanting to go out the night we brought her home (sam eday as surgery). By the end of week one we were so thrilled with the decision and the outcome. We even went for a "ride" and a short park outing on day 8. We were looking forward to starting chemo in one more week....
All was going so well and then on Monday night we ended up at the vet checking out a "blood scare" which she told us was a seroma –scary! Serious blood came out of a tiny tear above the suture line. Dr. told us to keep an eye on it but that it was "normal." Well, it certainly freaked me out! I'm wiggin out and thinking she must be bleeding internally -- lips look pale to me, but dr. says they're pink enough and that its just fluid/blood pooling up...and maybe the bone is still bleeding as she did a fermoral amp....really?!
That was Monday…today is Friday and in the last two days we have been noticing that Zoe's back leg seems to give out REALLY fast. She'll sometimes be okay, but won't go too far before just going down and sitting or laying down. Other times she will only take a few steps then goes down to the ground. It's almost like she's 'crawl-walking' sometimes — it's worrying me so. It looks like it'd hurt to try to get around liek that. And she doesn't really wnt to get around if she keeps stoping mid-hop and goes down! 
We had 2 vets look at her xrays of hip and back prior to the amp and they said there was nothing "significant" that would cause her to not be a candidate. Just typical stuff of a dog her age. We didn't really have a solid physical exam by an orthopedic doc though.
I hope we did make the wrong call by doing the amputation on an "older" 88 lb girl? Although, as I write that, I must say she wasn't "old" at all before — we also called her our "spring chicken" becasue she had so much pep and so much spirit still.
Has anyone had a similar issue of a weak rear leg? any ideas, suggestions? I am so stressing about whether we did the right thing and is she going to be miserable and not be able to get around?! ugh!
Feedback, please!? Thanks all!!
Zoe's anxious Mom!
Welcome to the family, Gus was a front amp so I don't have any experience with rear, but I will try to offer a couple ideas. First, and believe me you are acting normal for this stage of the journey, but if she has been doing that good, that may not be a good thing, reason being that her remaining rear leg is not used to doing all the work, and as good as she feels, her leg might need to build up to take the extra stress. Our vet recommended we keep Gus calm for a couple weeks, the extra activity could lead to a seroma that would possibly need drained, so hopefully this might be the reason for her leg issue. See if you can limit her activity and see if her leg starts working a little better. I know some have done massages to the remaining leg and that has helped some. I'm sure others will offer suggestions that have had rear amps, you should have some good advice by the end of the day, hold on and take a deep breath, Zoe will pick up on your anxiety, she needs to feel things are just the same, she will adapt, you've already seen that, good luck, paws up, Spirit Gus and Dan..........Maybe a glass of wine to calm the nerves might help a little!!!!!!
My buddy Gus had a left front amputation on April 7, 2010 and lived a great life until July 26,2010
Having two tripawd GSD's missing rear legs, and watching Wyatt Ray Dawg grow up, we can say they all handle it differently. Especially for the larger dogs like Zoe, the remaining rear leg can appear weak at times. We have seen a big difference between how Codie Rae at 58 pounds handles herself, compared to Travis and Wyatt at around 80 pounds. There are times when the big ones all but drag the back end around. Also I think dogs have to "reprogram" the brain to maneuver on three legs, similar to a baby learning to crawl or walk. Figure the front end of a dog does 60-70 percent of the work, so with the one missing rear you still have alot left. Also I suspect you are at the stage in recovery where you are coming off all the pain meds that can mask how the dog is feeling. Even with young dogs, they can fatigue quite quickly when they are missing a leg. Travis Ray still only goes about 10-15 minutes of hard play before he is ready for a break; that is a year and a half after amputation, and he is only two years old. I would not be surprised to hear that she cannot go very long before the rear leg "gives out." Between the reprogramming and developing more strength in the remaining leg, it can take some time. If she is on the heavy side you can start slowly reducing her weight. Anything that can be done to reduce stress. Generally a tripawd can run more easily than it can walk. A slow walk is the most difficult because they have to hop in a very pronounced way. For some dogs short sprints can be a way for them to exercise and not tire as quickly. You are still early in recovery and will have to slowly work up the activity level. Good luck and this place can really help you find the answers you need.
Ralph
Hi ZoesMom, sorry we missed you in the chat. I hope you don't mind I moved your post here since we are talking about mobility.
B R E A T H E
Well, honestly, 14 days is not a lot of time, it really isn't. And it sounds to me like she is overdoing it. Two weeks out and going for walks already? It's great that she's feeling good but I think her activity needs to be restricted a little more.
I was a front leg amputee and I wasn't getting around really well or even going for mini-walks until at least a month after surgery. My legacy, Wyatt Ray, is an 80 pound rear-leg amputee and he needed even more time to get that strength back.
This was Wyatt, four months after surgery. See how low his rear leg is dipping? I remember that day he wasn't even playing that hard, he had only been outside a few minutes when this photo was taken.
The second photo shows Wyatt after a long play date on the beach, 21 months post op. See how much more upright his leg is?
Please see our Fitness Page in the Gear blog for some tips about rehabbing and exercise. Give her more time and in the meanwhile, remember that keeping her slimmer than most dogs and doing strengthening and balancing exercises will go a long way. It won't happen overnight but she will get there!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Stop beating yourself up, of course you did the right thing.
I agree with everything everyone else said. Maybe too much too fast (it's so hard to keep them down, though!). And Tate's definitely better with sprints than distance walks, that's for sure. If Zoe's getting off the pain meds, she'll probably be self-limiting and that's okay. The first month is really a lot of ups and downs, and you don't know why they're up one day and down the next. It took Tate a good month to be consistently "pretty good", and he's certainly not 100% yet at 6 weeks. Still working on strength. He's a rear leg amp, too.
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
ditto with everyone above. Kess is a very hyper rear leg amp. I kept her in an x-pen for the first 8 weeks to force her to rest. Just slow things down a little. It just takes time for the remaining leg to get strong enough to take on the work of 2 and as the pain meds go away Zoe is feeling more of the strain. At 4 weeks Kess got to trot around me in circles with the occasional ball throw. I kept the sessions to 5-10 min or so. Once the leg gets sore it's hard for it to recover as there is no other leg to help take the strain. Some doggie massage and ice packs and heat packs might help.
We had a similar experience at 8 weeks do to exhausting the remaining leg. I felt awful at the time. You can read the whole story on Kess's blog http://kesstheb.....wds.com/ see one day at a time Jan 10. Just slow things down and force Zoe to take it easy.
Glad to hear that Zoe is doing well otherwise.
For some visuals check out the video of Wyatt and Codie Rae when Wyatt was three weeks post amputation, and Codie was three years:
http://tripawds.....raydawg/22
Ralph
I just read Kess's whole blog. Another case of no definitive diagnosis until they can biopsy the leg after amp, just like Tate. Even with that, Tate's diagnosis is "probable" histiocytic sarcoma, based on his breed (believe me, I'd rather it be synovial cell.)
Very good description on Jan 10, thank you!
And I loved the snarfling! Tate does that too, and it's really cause for celebration when they regain some of their endearing habits.
Hang in there, Zoe and Mom! It does get better.
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
THANK you ALL! I appreciate the support more than you know! I feel like I am neurotic -- every single thing that isn't "right" is driving me crazy -- this is HARD! Now her hock on the remaining leg seems big and possibly swollen to me...yikes! That's what happened with the "bad" leg and is what took us to finally get it xrayed (it was in her hock). Oh boy -- what are the chances she's got the same issue on the other leg??! We start chemp tomorrow and I am not sure if I should have them xray, or if I am being loco! What to do?! We have no $$ to do it, already have been struggling with the wo(yes, plural...Zoe had nose cancer and had surgery in Feb!! Told you, she's a survivor!) I'm not wondering if the hock has an issue and could be the "weakness"...how do I not pay to xray?!? Any thoughts from you WISE ones out there?
We certainly would appreciate prayers for Zoe as we go in for chemo 2moro, please!
I will likely be back here shortly needing more good vibes and advice! Thanks, again!
Zoe's mom - I can totally empathize with you. My Old English Sheepdog, Sylvia, has had a 6-month checkup with her oncologist scheduled for today, May 2, for some time. Just yesterday evening, when I was bringing her in from a visit to the backyard I felt a ping-pong-ball-sized lump in her remaining rear leg exactly where the cancer was in her amputated leg. I, too, am stressed and scared. Thankfully, I posted and the Tripawds community immediately stepped forward with support and kindness and positive words which helped more than I can say.
I don't know what to say about somehow getting past the cost problem for an x-ray. (My credit card is nearly maxed out and now we've got $4.15/gal. gas prices and we're still paying Sylvie's bills for the surgery and chemo.) However, as others have advised me, take a big breath and prepare for a get-down-to-business talk with your vet so that the two of you can assess what the hock problem really is. Then be up-front about your concerns as you and the doctor decide how to proceed. I know I've always found that the more prepared I am with questions for the vet/surgeon/oncologist, the calmer I am and better able to make good choices despite the emotional turmoil.
Our thoughts and prayers will be with you and Zoe even as we prepare for our own appointment in a couple of hours.
- Karen and Sweet Sylvie
Sweet Silly Sylvie, the Old English Sheepdog
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma 11/04/2010 at almost 7 years of age * Left hind leg amputated 11/09/2010 * Chemo on 12/10, 12/17, 01/10, 01/31
Sweet Sylvie's earthly journey ended on Nov. 3, 2011, one day short of a year since her diagnosis and 6 days short of her one-year ampuversary. Her family celebrates her life as a sheepdog – ever the puppy, ever silly, ever sweet – and are grateful for our 7 years together.
You & Zoe are in my thoughts & prayers. I hope the vet can answer your questions today. Sending you healing, golden hugs!
Cathy
I think you should consult with the vet about whether or not to do more tests. If you decide that you want more x-rays or whatever for peace of mind, be clear that you're tight on money and that you want to start with the least expensive diagnostic tests first.
We all have money woes and we all want to do everything possible to give our furkids the best chance at a long hoppy life. But when our good intentions begin to cause stress and worry, what good are we possibly doing by stressing ourselves out like that?
The fear, doubt and money stress over paying for treatments we know we can't afford to begin with are a real dark cloud over our pup's hoppiness and can detract from their recovery even more than not having any treatments. Remember, there are no guarantees whatsoever that even the best oncology care in the world can make cancer go into remission. It's sad but true. Money cannot buy a cancer-free life and as the old saying goes, it cannot buy happiness.
Do what you can and let the universe decide what happens next. Try your hardest to be comfortable with that because staying as stress-free as possible is the best thing you can do for Zoe right now.
Lots of hugs coming your way. We hope today goes great. Keep us posted OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Zoe's Mom - We have had very similar problem with our baby after the amputation. Brandy (front, left leg amp) had a horrible recovery. She was 121 lbs before surgery so losing that leg was devastating to her mobility and the wound was so large. The doctor was amazed at how large her shoulder blade was! She developed a nasty infection and seroma that oozed for over a month along the entire wound. We had her on antibiotics and I had to drain her manually which was beyond nasty. Then, some of her skin turned black and died so we had to take her in to have the dead area cut off and re-sutured. After all the problems she had, we were also second guessing the amputation. Miraculously, she is almost at the 1 year mark and doing very well. She still has a hard time getting around though. She hops around and needs to lay down to rest. We had to get her weight down and we were able to drop her to 95 lbs. But as you can imagine, that is a lot of weight to be carrying around. It took her months to strengthen the remaining front leg. Now we call it her "Popeye leg" because it is a muscular power-house. I am positive Zoe's issues are due to limited strength in that back leg. I would rest her until she is completely healed from the surgery. As soon as she is up to it, slowly introduce exercise. Even just having her hop with you up and down your drive way is enough of a start. I will send some prayers your way for a quick recovery!
Sylvie's Mom - Brandy had and still has a golf-ball sized lump on her rear left leg right at the knee...not sure what that area is called..lol. We took her to the vet prepared to find out she had cancer. After x-rays, her doctors confirmed a small fracture. We were relieved it was not cancer however having a break in one of her back legs was so hard on her. Since the break was so small, they did not feel casting would be good for her especially since she only has 3 legs. Unfortunantly, the bump is still there months after the break and we can tell she has residual pain at the break site. We give her a deramax occasionally if she needs it. I hope all is well at Sylvie's checkup!
Lots of love,
Teresa, Brandy's Auntie
Hugs to you and belly rubs for Zoe!
Bud lost a lot of strength in his remaining leg after a fall. We had the xray and it was great reassurance that there was some swelling but nothing terribly wrong.We let him take it easy for a while and he is slowly regaining strength. He has also been on a pretty strict diet and has lost alot of weight to help that remaining leg. We were going to get him a leg brace but that isnt an option now so we are waiting for our harness to come in the mail.
Hope the vet visit today is reassuring for you!!!!!
Hi Kristen,
How is your beautiful Zoe doing?
She has been on my mind...
Hoping all is well.
Hugs,
Angel Honeygurl's pack - Susan
Dx Osteosarcoma 3/31/10. Amputation 7/21/10. Honey put up a valiant fight and lost her battle 9/22/10. Missing her and treasuring 9 years with our Honeygurl.
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