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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Hello everyone! I came across this forum while restlessly searching online about my dog, Max's condition. Max is a 7 year old, vibrant Jack Russell Terrier miniature (also known as a Parson Terrier). I am desperately seeking advice. I apologize for the long post!
Max's story:
About two months ago, he began to show a slight limp and would avoid his left leg. However, if he would rest for a bit, he'd be right back to using it. He didn't seem to be in any pain besides just a slight limp. We took him to our local vet, and they said his ACL felt to have a slight rip, but should heal if we restrict activity, cage rest, etc. With a Jack Russell, this is not easy. A month later, he began showing some pain. He would quiver quite often, and wasn't using his leg but a few times a day. It then turned into him dragging it. Wanting a second opinion, we took him to another vet, this one saying it was a fully torn ACL. (also did an x-ray of left leg, saw some fluid on knee.) This doctor gave him Tramadol, to use with the Deramaxx. Neither were working. So, we decided to schedule him an appointment with a highly recommended surgeon at our local Emergency Vet. Last tuesday, we went to the appointment, and instantly he did not think Max's leg was caused by an ACL. After doing an exam and doing X-rays of his back, he said his problem seemed to be neurological. The x-rays came back normal. Max had lost all feeling in his back left leg, except for a slight reaction when he tested the nerves in the back of his leg. He said since his condition was degenerative, we needed to get him into Ohio State's emergency vet so we didn't have to wait for an appointment. The vet there confirmed he had no feeling in his rear left leg. After hours there, the vet said it could be a number of things. Either cancer, a disc problem, or some sort of nerve damage. Whatever it is, is causing him a considerable amount of pain. They said he needs about 2000$ in testing (MRI, etc.) but OSU does MRI testing in the human hospital only two days a week, so we have to wait until next Tuesday for the appointment.
The waiting is completely tearing me apart, as of right now he is on Tramadol 1/4 of a 50mg tablet every 8 hours, and today we were just given Gabapentin 1/2 ML every 8 hours for pain. He is still shaking and it seems the only thing that helped was when we gave him a Prednisone the last two days (while we were waiting for the Gabapentin to be delivered to our local pharmacy.) It made him much more peppy, but did not help with his shaking.
I am a wreck, as I cannot stand to see him in pain. Last Tuesday I couldn't wait for his ACL surgery so he'd be OUT of pain. Never did I expect to hear it could be CANCER! I am assuming his leg will need to be amputated, irregardless of the diagnosis. After giving him steroids, he tries to walk on the toes of his back left paw, rather than just drag it. He seems to have hip strength still because he can hold it up, until he gets tired, then he resorts to dragging it.
They said it could be a tumor, they are guessing on the outside of his spinal cord, pressing on the nerves which caused his leg's nerves to die. Or, some sort of disc problem that is pressing on his nerves. It seems to be a lot of guessing. However, the fact that he still has feeling in his very upper leg leads me to think the problem is somewhere toward the top of his leg.The only thing they officially ruled out is Degenerative Myelopathy, because he is experiencing pain. He has always been a slim, trim, and VERY muscular dog. Seeing his muscle disinegrate in the left leg and his weight drop is so depressing. His leg is *literally* the only thing showing problems. He can even squat to go #2 completely fine (although a little wobbly sometimes). He seems very attentive and happy when not on pain meds. They seem to do nothing but make him woozy, he still shakes almost all of the time. His appetite has not decreased, and he is always begging to go for a walk. Poor thing thinks he is being punished because he can't play outside or walk. But the vet said if it is a disc, we just can't risk it. I am just hoping whatever it is, amputating his leg can be some sort of solution and can give him his normal life back! He is adjusting extremely well to running with only three legs, which makes me think he is already adjusting to the life of a tripawd!
Did any of your dogs experience anything close to this? I have been searching as to what this could be ever since his diagnosis. It has been an emotional rollercoaster! It seems as if I cannot find any similar stories. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and again, sorry for the long post. I am a little frazzled right now! 
Thanks for joining and sharing Max's story. Best wishes with the decisions you face. You'll find lots of recovery and care tips in Jerry's Required Reading List, and for immediate answers to the most common dog amputation questions download the new Tripawds e-book Three Legs and A Spare. Hopefully others can provide better advice for your situation.
Your future forum posts will not require modertion.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Well, this situation would frazzle just about anyone. I wish I had answers but all I can offer is moral support. Everyone here has been through the waiting, the uncertainty, the dog in pain with no answers. I hope someone pipes up with some direction for you. In the meantime, take a deep breath and hug Max...and feel free to vent here.
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
geesh, such a scary story - there's nothing worse than having a canine brother or sister in pain and we don't know what to do. sounds like you've surrounded yourself with medical experts, it's the timing of getting the tests done that so frustrating... we were faced with a cancer diagnosis, so our decision was made when we found out. three legs are plenty, max will do fine. hopefully you can manage with the pain killers until all the info is in. paws crossed that you can find the answers you need very soon.
charon & 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
Oh golly! I'd be a mess too! There is nothing worse than seeing our little ones hurt and not knowing what is actually going on. I'm so sorry about Max!
Okay, I've been in your shoes of having to wonder what vet was right and what was really going on....and it really is frustrating. Not that mine had a problem with her leg but with her neck which caused pain and immobility. And I have gone through 3 ACL surgeries and 3 femur head removal surgeries over my lifetime with dogs.
I read your post twice and I personally think you aren't looking at amputation but a herniated disc causing a pinched nerve possibly coupled with a torn ACL. Keep in mind, I have NO qualifications, just experience.
Here's why I say that...Max responded to predisone in the two days you gave it to him. If it were me, (again, take my advice with a grain of salt) I'd call the vet and ask for more prednisone and muscle relaxers and treat Max in a conservative way for at least a week.
Without hesitation, I'd would make an ice pack and put it on his lower spine for 10 minutes (no more, no less). Cut out the pain meds. Pain killers can affect dogs in such a negative way and it's obvious it's affecting Max.
Of course, you aren't going to know for sure what is going on without a CT or MRI but in the meantime, since he is in obvious distress try an ice pack on his lower spine. (maybe crushed ice or frozed peas..something that does create weight on his spine) and not give anymore pain meds.
As a person who has experienced a pinched nerve from a herniated disc in the neck, I can tell the pain is horrible. (mine was in my arm and shoulder and it didn't want to work) And prednisone works like magic in time. Ice is a very good quick fix.
Here's an article on disc issues in dogs: http://www.petm.....sc_disease
Again, please take my advice as a layman. I have no medical knowledge and I could be way off base!
No matter what, please keep us updated on Max. In the meantime, I'll be sending lots of warm thoughts!
Angel Comet's mom
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.
This definitely sounds like more of a neurological issue. The MRI should give you the answer regarding a disc or a tumor. The only reason these dogs ever need an amputation is if it a nerve sheath tumor and the prednisone doesn't work. If you just started the pred and it is helping then there is hope! Also many painful dogs do respond to acupuncture.
Pam
Pam is a vet!
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.
For osteosarcoma, amputation = pain relief (blessed relief). But nobody here wants to see a dog lose a limb without needing it. Here's hoping your guy doesn't need it!
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/
Thank you all SO much for your time and your kind responses. They have truly comforted my family and I during this terrible time!
I am thinking it is a disc issue more and more. The Gabapentin seems to be helping a great deal, which in turn makes him want to run more, be more active, and most importantly - he is constantly begging to go on walks. But it seems the more active he is, the worse pain he is in afterward. He finally was able to partially sleep through the night last night without his shakes of pain and restlessness, which was a relief. Without the Gabapentin, he would shift positions constantly and just shake in pain 
. The effects of the Prednisone still made him having to go potty during the night last night. However, the vet wanted us to stop Prednisone, incase it IS a tumor, because it would shrink it. Although she did seem excited that it had helped so much in just two days.
Angel - Thank you so much for such a long, detailed post. Your post has given me hope that it is a disc, rather than a tumor. He seems to be fine until he exercises, then he seems to be in more pain. The ice pack did seem to calm him down and relax him, although at first he just kept wanting to lick it! 
The vet made us quit Prednisone for the meantime, however, she said she sees him on a definite round of steroids after the MRI can hopefully diagnose what is wrong with him. And, like I said, she sounded quite excited that he reacted so well in only two days! Now, if only the pain could go away. That's the hardest part is seeing him in such a great deal of discomfort and pain, although the Gabapentin is seeming to help.
Pam - Thank you for your post! I assumed he would need an amputation since his leg has been feeling-less (for lack of a better word) for so long. Do you think it could regain some feeling? It has minimal, if any, muscle left in it. I would be completely overjoyed if he does not have to have it amputated. When he took the Prednisone's, even for just those two days, he even seemed to (possibly) regain some feeling in it, because instead of just dragging it, he actually was walking on it. Given, it was a very wobbly walk, but he was walking on the pad of his paw rather than his tip-toes! I am very excited he had responded to Prednisone so quickly, and I will definitely look into acupuncture!
Again, thank you so much to all of you! I will absolutely keep you all in touch, and I am so glad I found this forum! He goes to Ohio State Monday at 12, and has his MRI early in the morning on Tuesday. I am somewhat worried as to what he'll be doing all day Monday... any idea? I'd hate to have him stuck in a cage all day and night. 
- Mandy
Mandy,
We've been told by canine rehab practitioners that many dogs with similar conditions have responded to acupuncture and rehab and not needed an amputation (see this news post about Lobo), so hang in there. You can't be in better paws and hands than at OSU, they're terrific. Teaching hospitals are wonderful when your regular vets can't figure things out.
What do they do all day at the clinic? Hmmm. Generally the get lots of attention and love by the student dogs, go on short walks to bask in the sunshine and that's about it. He should be fine. Try not to worry, since he'll pick up on that.
Good luck this week. Let us know how it goes.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I am somewhat worried as to what he'll be doing all day Monday… any idea?
I'm guessing he'll be dopey since they'll have to put him out. So he'll probably just snooze. But don't worry!
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.
Thank you both very much for your responses! I feel much better about him staying the night there now. Hopefully they can give him medication that will give him relief! If his leg doesn't require an amputation, I found out we have a local vet that specializes in acupuncture, so that opens up a great window!
We realized that Max seemed to be having a nasty reaction to Tramadol, it didn't seem to be relieving pain, just causing his breathing and heartbeat to act irregularly and was causing a certain amount of his quivering. Yesterday he seemed to be doing much better with just Gabapentin, and some Prednisone we had given him the night before were still in his system. However, as soon as the Prednisone wore off, his pain returned. We had to give him a Prednisone last night because he was in far too much pain. He was practically convulsing he was shaking so often. The pain was so severe he began panting and looking scared. 4 hours later, the Prednisone had kicked in and ever since then he has been as relaxed as ever and isn't shaking a bit. That Prednisone is truly a life-saver for him! He didn't even need pain medication with it. It seems the pain medications do nothing, only the Prednisone gives him true relief.
Well, we're on our way to Ohio State. Please keep Max in your thoughts and prayers and thank you for the support!
- Mandy
I hope you find some answers and relief for Max.
Having been on pred a couple of times myself for orthopedic issues I can tell you it does relieve pain because of it's anti-inflammatory properties. It is a powerful drug! Of course long term there can be issues... but if it is working for Max now that is great! My tri-pug Maggie was actually on pred for about 6 months as part of her chemo treatments and did not have any problems.
Pain meds can be tricky. Some dogs handle them fine, some have issues. Mag had problems with several types of pain meds, including tramadol. She would sleep for about 30 min after each dose, then be awake and agitated for 12 hours. On the other hand my new pug Obie was on the same dose of Tramadol for an eye injury and had no side effects at all.
Again- good luck with your vet visit today. I'll be looking for an update.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Thank you, Karen! Yes, Max seems to be having some issues with pain meds as well! First, the Deramaxx just did nothing for him. Then, Tramadol gave him all sorts of side effects, including awful restlessness; which doesn't help much when he's already in pain! It too would make him drowsy at first (and wobbly with a higher dose).Thankfully the Gabapentin seems to be the first pain medication that goes well with him!
As for his visit today, we met with the neurologist and a four year student. Unfortunately, the neurologist told us all of the worst possible news. That is sounded like a nerve sheath tumor. Depending on where exactly this tumor is located determines if surgery is able to happen or not. Just the mere thought of cancer killed me. However, she said if it's away from the spine, amputation may be able to get rid of it all. If it's in the spine, radiation and steroids are our only option. We were positive about this until we heard the costs - $5000! It sickened us, considering after these tests and MRI, we're already at $3000. That's just so much money. Of course, it isn't exactly a tumor. She just prepared us for the worst. It could still be a disk, or just some sort of nerve issue causing inflammation. The only 100% fixable option, is a disk problem. If it's simply a neurological problem, pain management
is our only answer. If it's cancer, radiation and/or chemo, and steroids, which is just such a high amount of money with no guarantees.
However, on a happier note, his lung x-ray came back completely clear, bloodwork was perfect (except a little dehydration, caused by the Prednisone). Which earlier, the doctor said cancer should show in bloodwork, although it doesn't always, so the clear bloodwork made me happy. After getting this phone call it made me much more positive - I am still hoping it is something curable and I can have my spunky little dog back! Whatever the news is, I just hope we can find something that can keep him out of pain. The neurologist said we may, depending on the outcome of the MRI, be able to try him on two Prednisone's a day, or a higher dosage, to see if that could help manage his pain.
Now, if it is cancer (which I am praying it is not!). Any price range, success stories, etc. on your personal experience with cancer treatments in any of your dogs? I am just devastated at all of this. It is certaintly hard to digest so much news in such a short amount of time.
Thank you all so much for caring, I'll keep you posted on his MRI tomorrow.
- Mandy
Mandy, here is a link for a thread here about surgery costs, along with other costs: https://tripawds.com…ay/
Prices are all over the map. It seems to depend a lot on where (small town vet or big city university) and whether or not there is chemo. Look through this if you want and you'll get some ideas. You can also ask folks here if they are in your area and get more info.
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/
1 Guest(s)
