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Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives

Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat. Explore 17+ years of forum archives for stories and answers to questions about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery. Enjoy fresh discussion and connect with members in the new Tripawds Support Circle.

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9 mo puppy w/ deformed leg - trying to decide about amputation
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Member Since:
20 January 2025
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20 January 2025 - 9:53 pm
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Hi all, I found this resource while searching for information to help me make the tough decision about whether or not to amputate my puppy's deformed leg. I would love to hear from people who have been in a somewhat similar situation and how things went for you.

His name is Nemo and his is a 9 mo, 23 lbs chihuahua mix. He was born with a deformed leg, the ortho we went to when I adopted him at 4 months diagnosed him with muscle contracture, the leg is straight all the time except for when the hock hyperextends (bends in the wrong direction) while he is walking or standing with weight on it. He sometimes flips his paw while walking and steps on it upside down (knuckling). When I first got him, both our regular vet and the ortho said that amputation is an option but at that time not necessary because he didn't seem to be in pain and we might be able to manage the leg with daily stretching.

Now 5 months later he is 9mo and the hock hyperextension has gotten much worse. Daily stretching isn't enough to combat him constantly walking on it and making it hyperextend. He injured the leg back in October just running in a yard so after that the vet said no more off-leash running and no playing with other dogs except small ones. The vet brought up amputation as an option again but said it was up to me, didn't advise one way or the other whether it was better to keep or amputate the leg. Then, just the other day I took him for a 30 minute walk and when we got home he started carrying the leg and didn't seem able to stand on it. Then he went to curl up in his blankie and got it stuck and yelped. So, clearly the leg is causing him some trouble and pain.

I am so torn because clearly the leg hinders him at times. He can't run around and play like a normal dog because of risk of injury to the leg. He can't walk on pavement because he drags the paw and wears the nails down to the quick, but the boots I have tried make him flip the paw more and create friction which makes his hock hyperextend more. He can't come hiking with me because there are too many things he can get his leg caught on. He can't play with his doggy friends anymore because it is too risky. 

So for those reasons I feel like amputation would give him more freedom and better quality of life. But I am scared that the amp site/stub will be painful for him and he will be in more pain than he is with the leg. I also worry because he does use it to walk and balance most of the time, even though he carries it sometimes like when going down stairs or when it is bothering him. 

I have an appointment with a vet who does surgeries to get more information, but in the meantime, I would like to hear from other dog owners and what your experiences were like. Thank you!

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20 January 2025 - 10:35 pm
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Hi Sarah, welcome! You are asking great questions and not rushing into amputation which is great. I'd like to give you more thorough feedback in the morning if that's ok, just wanted to make sure your post got approved asap. For now, here is a response to a new member I just wrote this morning, which is similar to what I would say to you also. Your situation sounds a lot like our Nellie's. 

https://tripawd.....n/#p264751

Is the next vet an orthopedic surgeon? And has your pup been evaluated by a rehab team?

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21 January 2025 - 8:46 am
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Hi Jerry, thank you. We saw an orthopedic surgeon three times over the course of August & September who had said that if the stretching improved the leg or helped keep the leg where it was at that would be great but that if it got worse amputation would likely be the best option because if he started getting injured, it was likely that at some point he would get a serious injury that would require amputation anyway, so better to do it at a more controlled time rather than wait for an emergency. That vet had said in her experience there were no real options for medically managing his condition besides daily stretching. 

The next vet we are visiting is an orthopedic surgeon as well. For such a big decision, I wanted to get a second opinion (third if you count our general vet, but second opinion from a specialist) so I won't be making any decisions until after that visit, but in the meantime I'm trying to gather as much information as possible. 

He has not been evaluated by a rehab team, do you have suggestions for finding a place that does rehab for amputees? 

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The Rainbow Bridge



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21 January 2025 - 12:08 pm
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Ah! You are doing great homework! That's super smart of you, Nemo is so lucky to have you.

Yes, a rehab therapist will look at things differently than a surgeon. Rehabbers want to rehab, surgeons want to do surgery. It's just how they approach problems like this. And oftentimes they do meet in the middle and agree, but sometimes they take different approaches. 

In our case for our dog Nellie (who has a carpal flexion contracture), the good people at CSU suggested doing a repair surgery before amputation, but doing a tenectomy or tendon lengthening surgery. This could cause hyperflexion in her and create an all new issue, there's just no telling. Amputation was a last resort for the team, and one they didn't recommend because Nellie has mild elbow dysplasia which could get worse if she lost that other front leg. So not the same situation exactly, but same difficult decisions to make about whether or not amputation, or a repair surgery, could fix the problem or make things worse.

If you PM me your location I will find a rehab team near you. Use the little envelope icon to the right of my avatar.

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