Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Our 13 month old airedale terrier had double TPO surgery 8 days ago. The sciatic nerve was damaged during the surgery and her left leg is paralyzed. We were told Monday the nerve was not severed so there was a fairly good chance the nerve would regenerate and she would regain use of her leg but so far there has been no change, there is no deep pain response in her left leg.
I was told today that we need to consider amputation if her situation does not change within the next 10 days. My first reaction is we've done enough harm to her. I am also concerned that her right hip and leg won't take the stress, that the TPO will fail and she will have more surgeries. I don't want to put her thru that.
So sorry to hear about your pup, what's her name?
Please consider consulting with a certified rehab vet like those at CARE.They have done some amazing work there to bring mobility back to dogs with severe issues. But it does take time.
You'll need to follow the advice of your vet (or a second opinion) regarding whether the remaining leg can take the extra weight, but if it can she should do well with a bit of strengthening exercise.
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Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Here is a link to a case study on my Physical Therapy vets website about a dobe that was paralyzed after neck surgery, it was a long recovery but it worked out in the end.
http://www.ther.....tudies.php
Does your vet think that the surgery to fix the hips was successful? I would think that you would want the other hip to heal before having all the weight on just one leg but maybe they have a different reasoning. Is she getting around on 3 legs and dragging the other?
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
Her name is Ginger. We have been talking with our vet and we contacted a few veterinary rehab facilities a few days ago trying to arrange therapy for Ginger in the event there was still a chance her leg could be saved. We live in central Georgia, there are no facilities near us and my wife and I both work, we wouldn't be able to make the 200 to 300 mile round trip several times a week to nearest facility so we have been trying to find a place that would be able to board her while she's in therapy. Sounds like one north of Atlanta and one in Savannah do board and we will speak with them again next week before we make a decision.
samson007, in answer to your question about the surgery, when they called last Thursday after the surgery they said everything went very well so I think they felt the hips were going to be fine, that the surgery was successful. Friday they checked her and realized her left leg was not responding. Monday they operated again to see what the problem was and found the issue with the sciatic nerve. She is not walking on her own yet, when they take her out to exercise they use a towel wrapped under her belly to support her. There is no movement in her left leg below the stifle joint so it is dragging, can't bear any weight.
She is at Auburn and they are not open on weekends so we haven't seen her since we brought her in for the surgery. I will be going some time next week.
Poor Ginger! Poor you for not be able to see her yet
Whatever decision you decide to make- we are here for you!
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
we have no 'knowledge' to share on this, but we are sending our best wishes and 'ET juju' to ginger and you guys. hopefully you can find an acceptable PT answer and ginger can heal.
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
Ginger, Rupert and family, we are so heartbroken to hear about what happened. Agggh!
Ok, from what I've been told by certified canine rehab vets is, as long as a dog's pain can be controlled in a non-cancer type of situation like this, you need to give it at least 3 to 6 months to see if therapy can work. We have seen dogs who were told by their vets that they would never walk again, get back up on their paws and become mobile after dedicated therapy. It's not easy to commit to an ongoing relationship like this with a rehab center, but if you're able, it's a good way to give that leg a chance. But please, please if you do decide to go the rehab route, stick to one as described in this News Blog post.
I know you're dealing with the most pressing issues first, but I'm really curious, has the surgeon accepted any responsibility for this situation?
Hugs, hugs and more hugs coming your way. Please let us know how we can help.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
If there's any realistic chance of her regaining use of her leg we will do everything within our means to give her that chance. We speak with one of the folks from Auburn every day, I guess she is the case manager for lack of a better term. I told her I wanted a memo or something from the surgeon or neurologist detailing Ginger's condition, what their prognosis is, what therapy they've been doing, etc. I will give this to the rehab facilities we've been speaking with to get their opinion, see if they think they can do anything for her. We won't make any decision about amputating the leg until we hear from them and from our vet, see what they have to say. I will read the post you sent, thank you.
We haven't spoke with the surgeon since Monday afternoon when he called to say they wanted to operate again to check the nerve. My wife spoke with him then and he did express how sorry he was this happened, said he felt awful about it. It is a teaching hospital, I don't know if he actually did the surgery or if it was a student with him observing but I guess it really doesn't matter. I trust they're doing all they can for her. I don't know anything about them but our vet said they are very good as did a therapist at one of the rehab facilities I called. I guess it just happened.
If it does end up where her leg can't be saved one of the things we're trying to come to terms with is she is just a puppy. Nine days ago she was able to be a puppy, she was in pain but was coping with it but now she won't be able to do the things she wants to do. When our vet asked me what we intended to do if her leg needed to be removed I told him I couldn't see letting that happen, I'd rather put an end to all this. I told him I didn't think it was fair to let this happen, take away what ever good years she might have had and then have her deal with it. He wants us to reconsider, says she can have a good life. I don't know, is it any harder for a puppy to deal with losing a leg?
Not at all. From everything I've read around here the puppies handle it better than the adults. If your concern for quality of life is all that would hold you back from doing the amputation, then I definitely think you should reconsider. Check out the videos available here on tripawds. These dogs have a great quality of life. They are happy, playful, all of the things dogs with all four legs are. Hopefully some people with three legged puppies with jump in here. My Roxy was somewhere around 7 when her amputation was done. She was a stray so we don't know her exact age. But we're coming close to two years. She runs and plays with our four legged dogs. She plays tug, fetch, jumps around on the couches. Missing her spare leg doesn't limit her. Keep an open mind about amputation...and make sure you check out the videos.
I wouldn't worry about the puppy part of this equation. There's a fair number of puppy tripawds here, I'm sure someone will weigh in but as far as I can tell, they do just fine. You might want to check out Dexter's thread, 13 weeks old and diagnosed with paralysis in both back legs and he's a front amp: http://tripawds.....on/page-4/
As far as "dealing with it" goes, Ginger will probably deal with whatever you throw at her better than you will (all of us Tripawd owners feel worse about things than our pups do). As far as she's concerned, this is the normal course of events. Who cares? Where's my treat? Let's play!
Really, we all have this kind of cognitive dissonance about amputating our dog's leg. Will her life be different? Well, yes. Will it be good? Well, sure - but it will be different. She won't have a spare, for one thing. The bigger question I would have is if a dog that size can realistically get around well on three legs having had TPO surgery. I just don't know what the long-term outcome of that type of surgery is. But you probably already understand that part.
But don't get ahead of yourself, you might not even need to make this decision! We're all hoping for the best for Ginger.
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
From what we've read it is not uncommon for a dog that has lost a limb to develop back problems due to the stress on the spine from the adjustment necessary to walk on 3 legs. Has anyone experienced this and how long was it before this became a problem for your dog?
Welcome Ginger and Ginger's people,
Tripawd dogs can develop arthritis due to the change in their gait, but even dogs who don't have three legs develop joint problems and arthritis as they age. Being a tripawd doesn't necessarily mean that they WILL develop problems, but it does mean they have a higher than normal possibility of it. However they can live a very full and happy life for many, many years before that happens and some of that can be mitigated by strengthening exercises and joint supplements.
Trust me when I say, we all wrestled with the decision to amputate -- we all had the same fears and questions. But I think that all of us here would agree that to put your puppy down simply because you didn't want them to lose their leg would be a mistake. Thousands of us tripawd dogs have thrived on three -- and many of us, have done so even while battling cancer. Try to get all the info, ask a million and one questions, and watch your puppy as she learns to live with her current situation. You will be amazed at her resilience and ability to adapt, and then think about her doing it without the awkwardness of the leg just dangling there.
Whatever you decide to do, we're here for you.
Rio's momma, Micki
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~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
Tri-pug Maggie lost her left rear leg at 7.5 years old. She beat one cancer and lived almost 4 years. She never had any problems getting around, never showed any signs of arthritis. She was 11 when she crossed over.
I still have Maggie's younger sis Tani who is now 11.5 years old. She is a reckless and fearless pug and is now dealing with arthritis in all 4 legs and her back.
My point being that being a tripawd doesn't necessarily mean that a dog will have problems because of it. Of course chances are higher. But even if she does develop problems later on she could still have quality years with you! And there are lots of strengthening, therapy and treatment things you could do if she did develop arthritis.
Not an easy decision to make for sure, most all of us really struggled with it. But with the experience I had with Maggie, and all the tripawd friends I have that I have been able to see in action I wouldn't think twice if I was faced with the same situation again.
I hope the rehab options work out for Ginger.
Karen and the pugapalooza
OH! I'm heartbroken for you! I hope with all my heart she regains use of her leg.
But I gotta quickly jump in to answer your question on having a long term 3-legged dog! I had one for 12 years! She was born with a deformed leg. I adopted her at 6 months. Did she have a normal life? Not just yes, BUT HELL YES! Oh my gosh! She was amazing! She didn't care she was three legged! As a matter of fact, she loved being "special". The special part came from her being completely coddled by me! Would I adopt her over again? A million times over, I do it! She was special.
Long term...she never missed a beat until she was about 7 years of age. And then she blew a cruciate ligament (knee) in her back leg. But it's common in 4 legged dogs. And usually if they blow out one, they blow out the other...she did a year and a half later. But surgery can fix it. The recovery is a bit trying on a 3 legged dog but she wasn't unhappy during it. It was just hard on us to make sure she didn't use the surgery leg.
When she was 10 1/2 she had neck issues (front leg tripawd) that caused some mobility problems but Rimadyl NSAID - helped tremendously. She still got around, just not as lively as she was. She was x-rayed from head to toe many times and at 11 years old, she didn't even have arthritis to speak of. We did water therapy at that time also and that helped a lot. Realistically,she never had issues with mobility until she was geriatric.
She died of *probably* hemangiosarcoma - a unknown cancerous tumor on her spleen that burst and she was bleeding out. It was sudden. Even on her last day she was still able to handle the stairs and coincidentally she had a bath on her last day and was running around like a puppy afterwards! In the end, her death had nothing to do with her being three legged.
I tell you this, so you will please never think that losing a leg or not having a functioning leg will hamper their life.
I'm posting this video of my Comet wrestling the water hose (her favorite thing to do!). It was taken 1 year before she died. She would have been around 11 1/2 years old after she had neck problems.
I send you all my best and will be hoping for a great outcome for Ginger.
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.
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