Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Tomorrow is Harry's last once per day dose of gabapentin and I think he's fully ready to be off it. My heart just bursts when I see how far he's come and how well he's doing. He has had a couple of stumbles in the past two days, trying to do too much or go to fast, and I have (naturally) panicked, but he's been fine.
I just have some follow up wondering about core strengthening exercises . Are there any specific recommendations for cats (apart from the meercat pose, which we'll be working on)? All the blog posts seem to be about dogs. I can't imagine Harry using a stability disc....he's stubbornly self directed. Although I do have a sit disc that I could give some things a try on.
Here is the best article I found for cat strength and mobility:
http://www.amcn.....r_Cats.pdf
Harry may not care for the "wheelbarrow" I just tried it again on Mona and she hopped 2 steps then rolled over on her side. Hey, two steps are pretty good!
Also my vet suggested that Mona could maintain her remaining front leg mobility by playing with a feather by stretching her leg out to reach the feather. Mona likes to chase feathers on a stick on stairs and play with a laser light on the floor where she moves around really low to the ground.
Have fun!
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Too cute Harry doesn't agree with the door closed policy.
We actually had to put child locks on our kitchen cupboards years ago. They would both open the cupboards to try getting to their food. Bathroom cupboards too, Purrkins loves q-tips or cotton balls. So we had to childproof/catproof everything . Cats are too smart for there own good
Its hard not to panic as they learn and Purrkins still has some mishaps here and there. My first instinct is to panic too, but I have tried retraining my instinct and just watch and make sure he is ok . Also ,I kinda direct him to a better route. I always encourage even more then to make him know its ok ,keep on going your doing great. I can see sometimes he gets upset or frustrated,at least thats what it appears to me ,so I just encourage and praise more.
It is very hard to find information that is just for cats when Purrkins was recovering I searched and searched I found this one and it was extremely helpful. I think this is a great article all our kitty owners really can relate to and use.
inkpot said
I just have some follow up wondering about core strengthening exercises . Are there any specific recommendations for cats (apart from the meercat pose, which we'll be working on)? All the blog posts seem to be about dogs.
What about cats?
http://www.anim.....b787af.pdf
Holly and Purrkins
HARRY!!! HARRY!! Look at you! You are sooooo ready to break that door down!! Time to break through all barriers and have free reign to live life to the fullest!! 🙂
As usual, huge applause to our kitty families for all their invaluable support and insight!
Keep these great updates coming!
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
lol. He does have free reign. I just close the odd door out of habit (or if there's some mess I don't want to deal with or have him get into:P) He has allllways gone around the house and opened any closed doors. He often doesn't even go in, he just opens and looks. He hasn't actually managed to ope them in this new apartment. I think the handles must be slightly higher or stiffer or something.
Harry was the same with the cupboards in my old place, too! Trying to get at his food. Or curl up in my bag of plastic bags. My current ones are too heavy and don't have much of a lip for grabbing though. Goofy guys.
Did your little guys sometimes seem to slow right down? Harry is moving pretty slow a lot of the time, and sometimes I wonder if he's hurt himself.... he will take two small steps with his hind legs and then it seems like a bit of a pause before his foreleg step....but I'm assuming this is just tired new muscles. I have squeezed and tugged his forepaw to check for pain and he seems fine.
inkpot said
Did your little guys sometimes seem to slow right down? Harry is moving pretty slow a lot of the time, and sometimes I wonder if he's hurt himself.... he will take two small steps with his hind legs and then it seems like a bit of a pause before his foreleg step....but I'm assuming this is just tired new muscles. I have squeezed and tugged his forepaw to check for pain and he seems fine.
I can only speak for Purrkins and what I have seen in him. He definitely tires easier. I also think they are still learning to realize that leg is no longer there. Pause to figure how to do things. He will get that hop down! Just know that he will and again your heart will burst with Joy! Purrkins still tries using his missing limb. I dont know if that lasts forever?
I have noticed that he doesn't try using it as much , a lot less now then in the beginning, but still trying to use it.
I have had two times where something has startled him and he doesn't have time to think and flopped trying to get away. Then he must get his wits about him and gets going on his 3 legs.
Our holistic vet told me its normal ,the brain is still telling them the leg is still there. I don't know the science or anything to back that just sharing what he told me.
Hopefully other kitty members can share there experiences on that too, we are just at 3 months so I'm also interested to see what others say.
OMG that video of Harry is GREAT!
All the blog posts seem to be about dogs. I can't imagine Harry using a stability disc
Well, not all of them because thanks to our TriKitty members, we're learning more and more. Tripawds started out as a dog-centric community but we've evolved through the last couple of years thanks to more and more felines joining us. As more cats join, the more we learn and blog about it. We depend on members to enlighten us, so thank you for bringing up important questions like this.
Honestly though, I've asked several vet rehab therapists about feline rehab therapy and there just isn't a ton of info available yet. Many rehab therapists are still mostly of the mindset that because cats do so well on three, they just don't need the kinds of therapy that dogs do. Dog rehab is pretty new in vet medicine, cat rehab is barely on the radar but it's getting there.
We love TriKitty members and learn so much from them. Holly and Kerren, thank you so much for bringing these articles to our attention. I will be posting them in our Tripawds Downloads blog so they're easily available to members. And if any feline families want to write guest blog posts about rehab therapy, we sure would be grateful! Just PM me and let's talk!
And look, cats CAN do balance discs!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
It's still very early days for Harry. You will see him develop and find new ways to move. I even noticed a year after Mona's amputation. Some of the stages I recall:
- going from flopping around to 30 km/hr racing along the hardwood floor, up the stairs to pee on the carpet in my loft area on day 2 after surgery.
- after stitches were out, slow hop/walk then a race with my other cat. They run just as fast as any other cat because the momentum propels them. The walking is harder because it is a hop.
- running backwards on a 4 inch ledge.
- about a month after surgery she was lying down in my driveway and when I drove up she tried to quickly get up and spun in circles before she ran to the porch. My massage therapist said spinning is not unusual to get the balance right. It was explained to me but I can't remember. Mona no longer spins and can get up quickly.
- she had a chiropractic treatment a month after her surgery and I was taught how to "massage" on either side of her spine. After her treatment I would see her stop walking and "adjust" her spine and see a ripple move down from neck to tail. It seemed as though she wasn't feeling quite right and she moved things back in place.
- over time she's found different ways to jump up and down. She tends not to jump up straight on but more from her side. When getting off the couch she slides her remaining front leg down the front of the couch to push off, twist and land first on her hind legs before putting her front leg down.
- Mona has had many near faceplants and tumbles. I don't see the face plants anymore. She has little roll tumbles still because if she rubs her left cheek on the floor she rolls down on to her side because there's no leg there. Maybe its planned, who knows.
You know how when about to jump up high a cat stops to look up at the height before they leap? I think you'll start to find Harry will stop to think about how he's going to proceed with the 3 remaining legs. I'm sure animal researchers would love to study this but cats are a pain to work with because they aren't particularly cooperative subjects in the lab.
It would be fun if you could document Harry's achievements time. Then we will all see how far he has come.
I love how he reaches for the door handle. The first night when Mona moved in here she explored the whole house, opened every closet door and then went to sleep on the middle of my bed. For weeks after that every time I came home, all closet doors were open. She finally quit doing that.
Haha! The cat on that top disk looks so grumpy. Harry does a lot of walking across the bed and couch cushions, which must use some of the same stabilizing muscles. . .
"The walking is harder because it is a hop." - this makes tonnes of sense! Thanks for putting it like that. He doesn't seem to have any trouble when going fast, unless...like purrkins...he gets startled and tries to jump without first thinking (he pounced at one of his steps last night and fell onto his legless side and then sort of tumbled down and lay there looking stunned. I got all choked up and laid down with him, and he was just like "what?" ...lol. He once got so excited playing with a spring-toy that he smacked his face into the wall. It was the same look. Almost embarrassed.
Oh Harry! You are a very special guy!! Watch out for those springy toys. They'll sneak up on you 🙂
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Think of bunnies lol thats the best way I can describe how the hop kinda goes at the slower pace .
Purrkins does do better at hop/jog pace , the hop is just that a hop and running well thats entirely different and so impressive Im always in awe of him!
I am still trying to get a video of Purrkins running because it is really amazing, you would never know when he flies up the step or runs thru the hallway he is a tripawd! They just do better at faster paces. I never have a phone when he is in his races mode so will keep working on getting that video.
Not panicking and your heart hurting when there is a spill ,well thats easier said then done trust me I know ! Always make sure he is ok of course and lots of encouragement and praise.
I promise you that it will get easier he will get is hop down and have less mobility issues as he relearns his new life.
Good luck on getting caught back up on work and life! It took me about two months to get most caught up I still have some stuff lagging but it waits.
You guys have come so far in a short period of time! 🎉
Holly & Purrkins
My rehab vet works with cats a lot. She gets on the underwater treadmill with them and I'll bet she uses balance disks too. She has a cat herself and is a proper cataholic (spellcheck tried to turn that into catholic, lol). Next time we see her, I can ask her, if you like, just a bit of info re what she recommends.
All best,
Meg and Clare (and Elsie Pie) xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 20 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
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