Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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We have a 4 month old English Springer Spaniel. She is the first dog that we actually purchased instead of rescued and we wanted to show and/or run agility with her with the intentions of breeding a couple of litters.
She was \"run over\" by our neighbor's big dog when she was just a couple months old and we casted her front leg, but because she grew so quickly her front leg bones became bowed (in spite of a new cast every week and a half or 2 weeks!) which in turn pulled the upper joint out of socket about half way. The ball part of the joint calcified into an odd shape which has in turn led to nerve damage. Our baby's poor leg is quite a mess.
We are trying to decide whether or not to amputate. The vet says that if we leave it as is she runs the risk of getting sores by dragging it at times. I haven't seen that much yet. He also said she is probably in pain and so amputating would eliminate that kind of pain.
We are just sick about this and are trying to decide whether to amputate or not.
If we do:
1. what do you think recovery time might look like given that she is so young and that it is a front leg?
2. She won't be running agility or showing, but would at least one litter of puppies be possible? She is a beautiful intelligent dog whose genetics OUGHT to be passed on!
If we don't:
1. How can we tell if she is in pain and/or how much pain she is in?
2. Has anyone waited and then had to amputate? What led to that decision? Do you wish you had made it earlier?
Thank you so much for your thoughts! We are really struggling with this--emotionally, ethically and financially.
Offline
First of all welcome to the tripawds community!
If you do:
1. Not familiar with puppies and amputations, but the recovery time for adult dogs is around a couple weeks (+/- days or weeks depending on a variety of factors). And it doesn't matter whether the amputation is a front or back leg, the dogs \"figure\" it out. My dog had full function of all 4 legs before hand and figured the 3 legged thing out in a couple weeks.
2. And why not do agility? We have a wonderful vet dog here who has done agility as a 4 legger and CONTINUES to participate in various agility events as a tripawd at the age of 12! Her name is Maggie and I have put the link to her blog below for you to check out.
http://maggie.t.....e-weekend/
As for breeding, I have only ever rescued dogs, so I have no experience with trying to breed a four legger, much less a three legger.
If you dont:
1. Dogs are really good at hiding pain. Therefore it is best to watch your dog and spend as much time as you can learning her body language behavior. My dog Chloe tends to put her ears farther back (more than when in heal position), her pupils dilate, breathing changes, whines, and sometimes paces around trying to 'get comfortable'. It is important that you have a list of go to \"symptoms\" such as I have learned over time with Chloe. Maybe keep a journal of things you notice and see if a pattern emerges over time. Comet was a quadpawd with a deformed front leg and she lived her whole life on 4 legs (she was a tripawd at heart and we all miss her dearly). I am sure Comet's mom will chime in eventually ![\"big-blink\"](/forums/presentation-and-diagnosis/\"/wp-content/sp-resources/forum-smileys/smiley14.gif\")
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2. Chloe had a cancerous tumor and so I did not wait to amputate for fear of the cancer spreading, affecting her mobility or causing her pain. She was 9 yrs old at the age of amputation and she is still a healthy cancer free 11 yr old tripawd.
Hopefully this gives you things to think about. More members will chime in with their experiences soon.
-Chloe's mom
Chloe became a rear amp tripawd on 7-29-10. Another tumor was removed on front leg 2-20-14. Found 3rd tumor on neck 2-2015, but she's still kicking cancer's butt at age 14. Chloe's blog
Hi - our experience was with cancer, not an injury, so we really had no choice but to amputate. Still, from what I've seen from others here who have tried to do other methods first, a lot of time they do end up amputating in the end. With a young pup, she will likely recover very quickly. Our Abby was only 15 months old at the time of her amp. We still had the usual/normal 10-12 days of "hell week" where she was out of it and not herself from the pain meds, but after that, and after she got her stamina built back up, she was racing around like her old self. She could still run, play, jump up, go through the doggy door, dig, etc. Pretty much everything she did before the surgery. I think if you did the amp, it would be over and done with and she'd adapt quickly and just move on.
If you don't do the amp... it's hard to know. Like Chloe's mom said, dogs are very good at hiding pain. Is she already favoring the leg and getting around on 3? If so, she likely is in pain and is already getting used to being a tripawd.
As for breeding, I too have no experience with that - four legs or three. I would think the extra added weight would be very tough on a tripawd. It's best to keep them slim.
And, yes, she can still do agility - just like Maggie does! We've had other dogs on here as well that also continued with agility, or hunting, or whatever it was they did pre-amp. It just makes them even more special.
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
I am so very sorry to hear about your Pup’s accident!! But I am sure you are already realizing that to the dog, it makes no difference. Most Tripawds learn to laugh at agility challenges!!! Your pup will be fine!
I can’t help but ask you though…what would make you want to breed a dog? ANY dog, much less one with challenges…especially after having rescued in the past?? I do not mean to offend you at this trying time, but surely you are aware of how critical the shelter problem and overpopulation is?
Passing on “intelligence” sounds noble, but I am begging you to reconsider. The only thing that is factual about pure bred dogs is that they have a much greater propensity for disease and structural problems….NOT desirable characteristics, like intelligence and personality.
I suppose we could agree to disagree on the breeding issues…but surely, putting a Tripawd through frivolous physical challenges (like breeding) is just not okay by any standards. Your baby will bring you years of love and happiness by just being an inspiration!!! Hope you will reconsider.
As one that has to speak up when it comes to a dog's welfare, I must say that your post is very disheartening and disappointing.
Your poor pup is in pain and your vet recommended amputation. When pain is involved any loving family would immediately get the amputation without question.
To even consider breeding a dog when thousands of dogs are killed in shelters because of backyard breeders and neglectful people is unfathomable. But to even consider breeding a 3-legged dog borders on cruel. A three legged dog has enough trouble hopping on three legs.
If you feel you have gotten short-changed by this accident, then please consider giving up your dog to a loving home that will put her interest first and will love her as she is and not for what she can provide monetarily.
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
if your vet has recommended amputation, based on the amount of pain your pup is in, then it seems like that answers itself. dogs are stoic, and don't show pain (weakness in the pack means exclusion or death).
as far as breeding..dogs carry 60% of their weight on their front legs. putting all this stress on one leg, and then adding pregnancy doesn't sound like a good mix. not to mention the thousands of pups that die in shelters due to backyard breeders and puppymills.
guess i'm saying be greatful your pup wasn't killed by the neighbor dog. if the financial aspect is too great, then consider finding a rescue group or individual who will take this pup and raise it as a tripawd. we've had several members that have made that decision.
please let us know what you decide to do with your pup (what is her name??), and know that we will help you if you feel she needs to be re-homed.
charon & spirit gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
The decision is always an emotional struggle but you have to set your emotions aside as soon as you are able and think about what is best for your dog. We have a four month old puppy too and I can't imagine having to amputate his leg, and we've been through this once already!
Given the situation, I think the only ethical thing to do is to amputate as soon as possible. She'll be fine. I don't even want to think about your poor girl's life without amputation. If you can't manage it financially, there are resources out there so I hope someone pipes up with those because I don't know what they are. Everyone finds the money somehow for their beloved furkids.
And as noted above, agility is not out of the question. Kalil has some great videos of his three-legged agility trials here: http://kalilthe.....pawds.com/
We've been dog owners for only 5 years, Tate was a prize-winning purebred flat coated retriever and we have two more pet-quality purebred flat coats. Rescues are not for everyone, they're not for us right now and I don't feel guilty about it. They all came from reputable breeders that are in it for the love of a wonderful breed. But please don't breed this dog, if the strain on her remaining front leg is too much, it will be over for her. You will have no choice but euthanasia.
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
Our girl Kayla was 3 months old when she shattered her front leg and recovery from amputation was alot easier than expected - the biggest problem we had was trying to keep her calm and heal - she just carried on like normal and with the pain meds she thought she was 10ft tall and bulletproof so we had to stop giving her tham after a few days. It is scary when the vet tells you amputation is the best option but its not as bad as you think it might be and being a puppy they bounce back so quick. Kayla is now a normal, cheeky and sometimes naughty 10month old dog. we have had a few set backs with her muscles not keeping up with her bone growth but that has been mostly because she is a big dog and was growing so fast. Good luck and go with what your vet reccommends they really do know whats best. we are all here if you have any more questions or probs.
Sarah
Katie,
First of all, let me welcome you to Tripawds. My apologies for the late welcome, I've been away. To address your concerns about the physical aspect of being a Tripawd, our Required Reading List is a great place to start. Since your dog is a puppy, chances are she will bounce back quickly from the procedure and go on to live a great life on three legs, provided that you keep her weight down, monitor her physical activity and incorporate fitness games that emphasize proprioception and body awareness.
As for breeding a Tripawd...this has been discussed here:
In general, Dr. Wiltzius, Tripawds' favorite vet, has said:
"I do not think that this is a good idea, especially in a large breed dog. The added weight of all of the pups would probably cause increased stress on the remaining legs."
Breeding ethics and pet overpopulation opinions aside, if you want a dog to breed, you might consider letting this pup go to a home where she will not have to endure the physical stress of pregnancy.
I hope this helps, and that you'll consider signing on as a member so that your posts don't need approval.
P.S. if anyone wishes to vent their opinions about the right or wrong aspects of breeding and pet overpopulation solutions, please do so in our "Anything Goes" forum, since the mission of the Tripawds Community is:
“To maintain a community of support for those faced with amputation for their dogs,
by providing resources and a platform for discussion.”
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Katie. I have been away for a week and I am catching up on everything. I am so sorry to hear about your furbaby's accident and the outcome. How is she doing and how are you coping? There are so many issues to deal with at once as you said. I am hoping the past few days have given you some space to sort through all of what you must face. Life isn't fair. Crap I know. Looking forward to hearing on how your pack is doing.
heather & spirit shadow
I was also away for a bit and am now finding all the stuff I missed. Have you decided how to proceed? I think when it comes to purely pain management and quality of life, amputation is usually the most straightforward way to guarantee both. Amputation surgery has pain, but it's over. It has an end.
Also, I'm thinking of what I know about Springers and they are usually so high-energy that I can't imagine your pup being held back by a missing leg. She won't know the difference.
Let us know how she's doing.
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
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