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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.

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Extremely Loving Chocolate Lab Blind with Cancer
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Member Since:
24 April 2009
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24 April 2009 - 9:19 am
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Hello, I am new to the site after reading an article in Just Labs.

My Chocolate Lab of 9years has prgrossive retinal atrophy and is now blind.  Last June he was diagnosed with a nerve related carcinoma in his front leg.  This is not a treatable cancer as I have been told.  After the diagnosis, the discussion with the Vet was to keep him comfortable and enjoy the time left or we could amputate the leg.  We discussed this over the next week or so while I watched his activity.  With the blindness, he relies very heavily on the front LEGS for guidance.  After several weeks, it appeared that between Renegade's progression and adaptation to becoming totally blind and the cancer in the leg that we might have to put him down in rather short order or proceed with the amputation.  Considerable discussion regarding his reliance on his legs drove the disussion away from amputation both with me and the Vet.  It began to look like it could be as soon as the end of July or Mid August that we might have to consider uthenizing.  I began some natural treatments of baking soda wraps and IP-6 with inosital powder added to his food and thankfully, this seemed to work for some time and he is still with us nearly a year later. 

About 6 weeks ago, things began to slide in the downward direction and we have gone back to significant doses of anti-biotics, anti inflamatory, and pain meds.  The vet has now done a 180 on the amputation and he thinks we should take the front leg.  The cancer is not the form that usually matastasis to other organs and still appears to be contained in the leg.   My concern with his age and the blindness that he will shut down.  This was a very active dog and of late his activity is minimized.  I love him to death as he is part of the family, but I do not know that we are going to gain anything by amputation that would be more than pure selfishness on my part to keep him around.  In other words his quality of life has already been drastically reduced with the loss of site and now we are talking about the loss of his front leg.  I can live with a three-legged buddy, but I do not want to create additional hardship and stress on his ability to be mobile.  We conferenced with the Vet hospital at the University of Florida and they said “they have never done an amputation on a blind dog, but there is always a first”.

I have thoroughly enjoyed him and up to now he has had what I like to refer to as “the life of Riley”.

Any comments would be appreciated in an effort to assist with the next step.  With his current condition, we are going to have to move one way or the other in short order.

Thanks,

Paul

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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24 April 2009 - 10:57 am
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Thanks for joining the discussion Paul, and bless you for taking such good care of Riley. Hopefully you'll here from Dane Mom – Sue's Great Dane Nova is missing her front leg and they are now dealing with her blindness. The last reports I heard were that Nova is adapting well. You might also consider getting Tazziedog's opinion in the Ask a Vet forum (FYI: Pam is a vet).

We're not vets, but can only provide input based on our experiences with Jerry. Something his doctor told us before his amputation may apply ... he told us Jerry was already basically walking around on three legs because of the pain. So ask yourself this: If Riley is already blind does he get around OK? And is he already not using that painful leg? Is he otherwise fit and healthy? Affirmative answers might suggest he'll do fine with amputation.

Thanks again and best wishes in whatever decisions you make for Riley's treatment. We look forward to your updates.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Linden, MI
Member Since:
11 November 2008
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24 April 2009 - 7:29 pm
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Hi,

I am the Mom to a Tripawd Great Dane, who also happens to be recently blinded from glaucoma. She had her front left leg amputated in November 2008.  Many people (vets included) told us that a front leg amp would be very hard on a giant breed dog. In our case, they were dead WRONG. I haven't once regretted going through with the amputation. I didn't even realize how much pain my girl was in until AFTER the amputation.  I would encourage you to give your boy a chance to see how he would do on 3 legs. Removing the pain out of the equation can work wonders.

My situation is kind of the opposite of yours, since Nova had the amputation first, and then went blind.  It's all very new to us because she just went blind a few days ago.  So we are still adapting.  When her glaucoma was under control earlier this year (and she still had sight in one of her eyes) she was as happy as ever. Three legs to her were just no big deal, and she did all of her regular activities, and then some. In fact, just a few short weeks ago she climbed 4 flights of stairs (and back down) to the summit of Grandfather Mountain in NC. And she hiked a trail to the summit of Mt. Mitchell in NC too. And this is a dog who generally is just a big ol' couch potato.

Now is probably not the right time for me to give advice about life as a blind Tripawd, because Nova is still dealing with severe pain from the glaucoma. Unfortunately, since the blindness in her remaining eye had not been "officially" confirmed to be blind, we can't treat the eye surgically, i.e. removal or injection to kill the eye (other than with eyedrops, medications which we are doing or an expensive laser surgery, which we opted against) for another 10-14 days.  However, there have been windows of time in the past few days where Nova eye pressure has lowered to the point where she is herself again, and in less than 24 hours she has pretty much mapped out the whole house with her nose and ears. The first few hours she was leery about hopping around, but her confidence is growing each time she gets up to "explore". And this is just since we brought her home last night.

I have Nova's whole journey documented on her blog, http://www.trip.....ogspot.com, go check it out if you want some more information.  Again, if Riley is already doing well as a blind dog, I am very confident that he will be able to make it as a Tripawd. These furry kids can surprise us in so many ways, and they are so determined and resilient. Please keep in touch and let us know what you decide to do.

Sue and Nova

Dane Mom Sue at nova.tripawds.com and Mom to Beautiful Great Dane Queen Nova, a Blind Tripawd, who kicked cancer's butt from 11/08-03/13. The Queen is Spirit Nova now, but her legacy lives on here at Tripawds!

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