Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I have had my tripawd cat for about a year now. I just discovered this website while trying to do research for a prosthetic for her.
Trin's story is somewhat sad but she is resilient. She was born without most of the bottom half of her tibia and fibula on her back right leg. Her umbilical cord wrapped around her leg and kept it from growing. I got her when she was about 6 months. My neighbor had a Desert Lynx cat that got out and had some fun with a neighborhood cat. Trin was one of the last of the remaining kittens and the only one with a missing leg. She was the most mellow kitten I had ever met. I noticed her lack of a hind leg and thought is was so cute. I had to take her when my sister brought her over. Unfortunately she had an eye infection in her left eye. When I took her to the vet to get her leg and eye looked at, the Vet said her eye had ulcerated due to the infection and was blind in that eye. I made the decision to get her eye removed at the same time I got her fixed.
A couple weeks after her eye had healed, I noticed that her stub had a hole in it. I bandaged up the stub but it only made it worse and eventually the hole grew to where the bone was sticking out. The vet had to sew up her stub.
Today she scraped her stub for the first time in about a year. Like I said before I had been looking at a prosthetic to help her and now I have kicked it up a notch because I don't want her bone to poke through. Plus she acts like she wants to use it and sometimes uses her stub to help get around.
I plan to soon go through the training to volunteer with Trin to work with veterans and children with prosthetic devices to help them cope with their injuries.
Hi and welcome! What a gorgeous TriKitty, she's so lucky to have you! I'll write more tomorrow (got some prosthetic tips for ya!) and others will chime in too, stay tuned ....
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
Wow, Trin is quite a little trooper! Having pugs I'm very familiar with ulcerated corneas...I've been through that injury 4 times in 3 pugs. Luckily I've never had to have an eye removed but the remaining vision was very poor.
Anyway- here is some information on Prosthetics.
I admire your plans to do volunteer work with Trin!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
The infection was left to run wild, the owner though it was weepy kitten eye. It blinded her. I could have chosen the more expensive route of fighting the infection to save the eye. I felt it was better for her to just remove the eye since she had no sight in it and not risk the chance of her essentially poking it out.
Trin clearly has won the Kitty Lottery by havw a furever home with you! She's a very loved kitty.
It's wonderful that she'll be an I inspiration for humans who have challenges. Lovely concept.
I knkw prosthetics aren't alwayw doable. If not, and if recurring issues with the stump continue, amputation may be an option. I knkw that sounds scary and extreme, but it's better than having a constantly painful stump subject to infection, etc
Woukd love to see pictures of your precious Trin. Her avatar is adorable!
Lots of 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!
What a rough start! Trin is lucky to have you. So how much of her leg is still left then?
Would love to see more pictures!
Tina and Smore
(with the spirit of Pebbles watching from the Rainbow Bridge)
Smore is my tripawd kitty who adopted me one summer evening. She had an injury to her front left leg and had to have her leg removed July 17th. She was only 3 or 4 months old at the time. Now she moves faster than some four legged cats!
As far as I can tell her stump doesn't bother her except when she scraped it today. I like to touch it every so often to make sure it isn't bothering her and to make sure she doesn't get protective of it.
I think I take too many pictures of her at times. I have a few I really like of her out in the yard on her leash. Is there a way to post more pictures?
From the xrays she has about 40% of her tibia and fibula
Try reading this Link to add photos
Tina and Smore
(with the spirit of Pebbles watching from the Rainbow Bridge)
Smore is my tripawd kitty who adopted me one summer evening. She had an injury to her front left leg and had to have her leg removed July 17th. She was only 3 or 4 months old at the time. Now she moves faster than some four legged cats!
Thanks! I am signing up for a photobucket account. I have only posted Trin's photos to Instagram
Wow what a gorgeous kitty! Thanks for sharing these beautiful pics, can't wait to see more.
I'm so glad Karen shared our info about artificial limbs. What I wanted to add was that tomorrow on tripawd talk radio we interview Dr. Brian Beale, a vet surgeon and star of "Animal ER." We talk a lot about prosthetics . Be sure to watch the Tripawds Downloads blog for the post!
Basically if an animal, whether cat or dog, has enough stump remaining, a prosthetic can totally work. It takes time and financial commitment but it can be done and gives a great quality of life. Sounds like you definitely have the right level of care and commitment to help Trinite enjoy life with an artificial limb! We would love to follow along with your journey so do keep us posted. Maybe you can start your own TriKitty blog too?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
That is awesome! I watched an episode to Animal ER last night. I will definitely check it out.
Trin has quite a bit of stub she has atleast an itch below her knee left if I am looking at the xrays right. The problem I seem to be running into is that her stub isn't long enough for the prosthetic already developed or the device doesn't seem to be tolerated by cats. It is frustrating because it seems like of the established companies no one wants to try. I am currently at a loss on what to do.
I will try to update a blog. I have a tendency to not update frequently.
Where are you located? Have you tried working with a veterinary orthopedic clinic that's been trained by OrthoPets ? They're worldwide and can definitely help in some way. In the interview with Dr. Beale, he says there's not an animal they've fitted for a prosthetis that hasn't adapted. The trick though is it has to be a professionally made one, not a DIY.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I am in Beaverton, Oregon. My vet contacted Orthopets and the person there said that the prosthetic they recommend most cats don't tolerate the prosthetic. The prosthetic is one that goes over the hip and uses the other leg to keep the device in place.
I wouldn't even want to attempt a DIY prosthetic for Trin.
Oh drats! You're in a big city, so I wouldn't think finding a solution would be an issue. OrthoPets is very innovative, I'm surprised.
OK, time to give Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists a call to see if they'll work with you long distance. They're the clinic where Dr. Beale works. I'll have more in tomorrow's download's post but for now here's their website:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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