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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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Our brave Valkyrja
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Member Since:
31 August 2014
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31 August 2014 - 7:08 am
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Hi

I’m new on this site, my name is Anna and i live in Iceland. My Icelandic sheepdog female Valkyrja had her right rear leg amputated 5 days ago so I found this website when I was looking for some information about dogs that have gone through the same surgery.

Here is Valkyrja story.

When she was 2 days old puppy her brother did suckle on her inner right thigh and made a wound and did damage a little part of a muscle! I took her to the vet and she went straight to surgery where they had to cut some skin around the wound and take a small part of the damaged muscle.

Valkyrja 2 days old

When she got older she has used her leg wrong because of the shorter muscle but with no pain in that leg.

Now Valkyrja is 5 years old (she will be 6 years old in September), in February this year she and my other dogs went out for a walk ( free running) this was a cold day with snow and ice and where I live we have a lot of lava rocks. Valkyrja was running when she slips on a ice and goes flying in the air and lands on a lava rock with her right leg! Her leg got so swollen and she was limping so she went to the vet and had a x-ray where they could not see any break only swollen hook and she went home with medicine and if this would not get better she could have laser treatment.

The laser treatment did nothing and month later she was still the same but the vet could not find anything wrong so they thought it was just a bad sprain.. I told them I was sure it was something else wrong because I know this dog.

After 5 months of limping I wanted another x-ray but the results from that ware bad bone bruise and MAYBE a tendon injury, the treatment was laser and rehabilitation! That made her only worse and in more pain! So I did say no to this treatment and did ask for a better x-ray because something was wrong and she was in pain!

Now her pain was getting worse and they finally did help her to get in a MRI (in Iceland we don’t have MRI for pets) and then we got some bad news and everyone ware surprises of the outcome! :( three of the muscles ware completely torn apart and the one muscle was hanging together on a string (1/5 of the muscle) so the vet and a human doctor ware amazed how she has been moving her leg and using it!! They had never seen a injury like this so the x-ray was sent to Germany to specialists.. They too had never seen injury like this so the only thing to do was to put her to sleep or take the leg so it was a easy choice!

But when we were waiting for results her pain got so bad that pain killers did nothing for her.. She was crying the whole day so she got a morphine patch and with that and her tables she for the first time for weeks she could sleep and relax and every 2 days she had to get new patch.

Friday the week before they did amputate she got a new morphine patch, Saturday her pain got much worse but she could get little rests, on Sunday she was crying nonstop and did not want to move at all and her temp was about 36°c and her body was going in to chock! She was inmited with fluids and stronger meds and that next thusday she was scheduled for amputation!

Here is a heartbreaking video of her : https://www.you.....e=youtu.be

 

 

The surgery took about 3 hours and they did wake her up slowly, when she finally did wake up she did open her eyes and went to back to sleep but then she did open them up again and did stand up and went walking around the room like nothing had happen! :) Later she went out to pee and she was walking with NO problem and did even try to run up a hill!

 

Home after the surgery

She had little pain the first day and on day 2 she had her tail up again and she only needed her morphine patch for 4 days. Now it is day 5 after amputation and she is doing super and she is on painkillers (Canydril),  keflex (antibiotic) and she will be on Amitriptyline (antidepressant) for 5 months.

 

 

Day 1Image Enlarger

Valkyrja day 1 after surgery ! with her tail up :)

 

 

Day 5 after surgeryImage Enlarger

Valkyrja Day 4 after surgery :)

 

Here is a link to a youtube video of her on day 4 : feature=youtu.be

 

Anna & Valkyrja

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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31 August 2014 - 9:01 am
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Hi Anna and Valkyrja, thank you for joining us and sharing your story!

Wow, what a story it is too. You are both very strong and courageous, we send lots of love & applause to you for not giving up and fighting to have a great life together. You are our very first members from Iceland. It's interesting the vets prescribed the antidepressant, that usually doesn't happen where I am in the U.S. but you know I think it is a GREAT idea!

I love the video and look forward to lots more photos and stories about where you live, I hear it is very, very beautiful, just like Valkyrja!

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

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Member Since:
17 May 2014
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31 August 2014 - 4:42 pm
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Hi Anna and Valkyrja!  Welcome to the tripawd family.  This community IS getting very international laughing.  Congratulations on Valkyrja's brave recovery. 

My advice: if you can, keep her surgical incision protected during this period, to prevent any infections on the stitches.  I know that it is harder to cover the back side than the front (my dog amputated his front leg so he used a T-shirt ) so it is important to keep her from laying down on dirty surfaces.  The Elizabethan collar is important to keep her from licking her inicision, because this is also a common cause of infection.

Wishing Valkyrja a wonderful recovery!

regards,

Daniela & Johnnie

Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet.   Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues.   Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle.  October 17:  started having seizures.  Taking fenobarbital for seizures.  April 18: started prednisone.

Orrtanna Pa.
Member Since:
25 January 2014
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31 August 2014 - 6:10 pm
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Welcome! It is good to see her up and around so good, so soon after surgery. What a fight for you to get her the proper treatment. You did not give up! You spoke up for her and got her to a good place. She looks like she should recover quite nicely. She is actually probably pretty relieved to be free of that leg. Good work! Lori and Ty

TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed  and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater. 

Atlanta, GA
Member Since:
12 February 2013
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31 August 2014 - 6:45 pm
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Welcome to the community.  I love Valkyrja's name.  You two have been through quite the journey already.  I hope she has a speedy recovery.

Karma, Adelaide and the crew, and our forever angel Brendol

Adelaide is a young tripawd Husky, from an injury.  Her amp was on 10/1/12.  She has 4 sisters, Aissa (a senior border collie/chow), Maggie May (a puppy Great Pyrenees), Mathilde and Morrigan and 1 baby brother, Bagheera.  We are all watched over by our angel Brendol, who was dx with OSA 1/30/13, amp on 2/6/13, and left us on 8/20/13.

PitaPata - Personal picturePitaPata Dog tickers

 You can read their stories at http://adelaide.tripawds.com and http://brendol.tripawds.com
Westminster, MD
Member Since:
31 August 2013
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1 September 2014 - 8:30 am
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Welcome to you and Valkyrja, and what a beautiful pup she is!! I have heard of Icelandic Sheepdogs, but have never seen one till now, gorgeous dogs for sure.

So happy to read her story and so glad everything is going well with her after surgery. Thank you for sharing all the pics of her story, and recovery with us here. Now that she is rid of that pesky, painful spare leg, she will be bouncing around and be happy and playful once again......

Keep us updated on her, and post more pics of her, we love pictures and videos here!!
Bonnie & Angel & Polly

Member Since:
31 August 2014
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5 September 2014 - 2:52 pm
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Thank you :) !!  Valkyrja has a long story and she is a special girl and a fighter ! She was born with a c-section and it did take the vet 45 minuts to get her stable so we decited to give her a strong name and of course we decited to keep her.

she is doing OK now, her body temperature started to go back down to 36,8c and the vet think it can be becouse of the pain so they decited to give her the morphine patch back (the pain killers do not work) and on monday they will take the rest of the staples out.

The Icelandic sheepdog is a strong breed and they are known for beeing always happy and with a smile on there face. They can have both short and long coat, Valkyrja has the beautiful short coat like they had in the old days.

Here is a older photo of her ValkyrjaImage Enlarger

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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5 September 2014 - 7:29 pm
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I'm glad things are going well, she's probably feeling realllllly good with that pain medication.

What a GREAT photo! Now what kind of horses are those?

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

Member Since:
15 December 2012
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5 September 2014 - 8:18 pm
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Jerry, duh Iceland ponies (sorry couldn't help myself) But I could be wrong.

Penny

Member Since:
31 August 2014
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5 September 2014 - 11:41 pm
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Oh yes she is feeling better on the morphine but i dont like seeing her temperature go down like this but everything will go well i think :)

temperature
temperature

haha yes you are right Penny those are Icelandic horses, we do only have that breed in Iceland and we are not allowed to import other horse breeds. I love taking photos of my animals so i will share my favorit photo too ;) . Those ware my first Icelandic Sheepdog and our first horse they both died last year with month apart ( Lísa the dog was nearly 17 years old and the horse was 25 years old).  this is the last photo of them both togeather.

Image Enlarger

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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6 September 2014 - 11:22 am
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Awwwww how pretty! OK I didn't know they were Iceland Ponies! I've got no horse sense ;)

How is Valkyrja doing today?

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

Member Since:
31 August 2014
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6 September 2014 - 1:13 pm
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Valkyrja is doing OK...she is still cold and tired in her front legs. On monday they will give her a new pain killer that works better on the nerves and stop with the morphine.  When is the best time to start rehab with them ? or some massage and stretches ? I do feel so sorry for her and i want her to feel better but i do not want to start anything that is not good for her.

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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6 September 2014 - 8:40 pm
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You might want to try gentle massage if you haven't already, that could help and you can do it now. As for rehab exercises and gentle stretches, typically vets will recommend beginning about 10 days out but now they are finding that doing gentle passive range of motion exercises the day after surgery is beneficial. Check out our rehab book and the Tripawds Gear blog for more rehab and conditoning ips, and watch for a special announcement Monday about the first online conditioning course just for Tripawds!

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

Livermore, CA


Member Since:
18 October 2009
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7 September 2014 - 9:02 am
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Hello, I'm late to this thread but I wanted to add my welcome. Valkyrja is quite a fighter and so is her mom!

Your MRI story reminded me of my experience.  My now 14 year old pug needed an MRI when she was 2 years old, and at that time there were no vet MRI's available.  I had to leave her with the vet after hours and they snuck her into the people hospital in town to get the MRI done.  All those types of advanced tests are now available in the area that I live in.

Your pictures are beautiful!

I hope Valkyrja is doing OK today.

 

Karen and Spirit Maggie

Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.

1999 to 2010

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

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