Hi Michelle and Harry (from all the way over on the West Coast!)

I thought I would chip in my 2 cents - Peda was not giant breed, but was a certainly a large, older dog. My understanding from Peda's experience and reading many other stories here is that front leg amputees tend to have a harder time getting around (not all mind you).

We never got back to having long walks, but I just changed what sort of activities we did together. We would still go out to the park, but we spent a lot more time sitting and sniffing - and she clearly enjoyed just hoping around at her pace. I thought that over months she would want to go further, but she didn't. I still remember being surprised at how tired a short 5 minutes walk would make her (but then I thought about how exhausted I would be hoping around on crutches all day ... ok - not the same analogy, but you get the picture of altering mobility). She developed quite significant arthritis at about 5 months post-op, and so after that was discovered I totally shifted my perspective on her exercise. Don't get me wrong, she was still quite active and mobile for the most part, but we just planned things around car trips and short walks. And she was really happy with that Our walks were about 20 - 30 minutes when she was doing really well after surgery. At other times, maybe 10 mins was all she could manage. What I did notice was that at the start of the walk she would speed along (because walking at speed was far more comfortable for her), but that tired her out quickly. If I tried to slow her down, she got frustrated, and her movements were quite awkward and so I think ultimately that also wore her out quickly! So we tended to stop every 5 mins or so for a quick sniff break. I don't know if that she needed to stop so often, but really the walk was for her to enjoy and so I didn't care how far or fast we went. She loved car rides so much sometimes we would do just that - she would get out of car, have a sniff and a wee at park, and we would go home!

Recovery is a very individual thing - but given his size and that it is really only 2 months since surgery, and that he is a front leg amputee, then it sounds like he is doing well. If he didn't want to get up and walk at all, or chase the ball, or was having problems getting around the house etc, I would be more concerned. But he is happy to chase the ball and as Sally mentions, walking on lead can be quite hard if it is not at a brisk pace. Peda eventually got used to walking on lead again, but it was always a bit awkward and she moved about much easier when under her own steam and timing.

Peda lived with another dog - but given they were both older dogs, their 'play' was much more sedate. I did see that Peda interacted differently with other dogs after her surgery - was much more cautious and a bit less tolerant of dogs in her space. It was probably 3 months or so before she wanted to actually chase the ball in the yard - before that she would just watch it go by. I don't know if I would be thinking he isn't happy (based on your description) - to me (again, based just on what you've written), it sounds like he is still adjusting and getting back strength and confidence. He clearly is still enjoying things (going places, chasing ball) - he just has some limitations at moment.

Early days still and he is certainly up and around which is awesome. He is still adjusting to life with 3 legs and physically recovering from 2 surgeries.  He is also still on chemo treatment, which can make them tired. It doesn't wipe dogs out like it does people, but it can certainly make them tired. Peda certainly picked up more once we wrapped up chemo (she was also on carboplatin). I won't ever know if the pickup was because of finishing chemo, or just length of recovery time from surgery - probably a bit of both.

It sounds like you are doing all the right things - good exercise, hydro and fun stuff to keep him engaged and happy. Give him a pat from us.

Kirsty, Spirit Peda and quadpawd 'devil spawn' puppy Boots .

Thanks Sally - you are very kind

Lovely to read that Happy Hannah is doing so well too - you both have touched many people's (and puppies') lives with all your positive support and kind words here

Well, like everything, I think recovery and return to activity is all an n=1 sort of deal. And Sam wasn't a giant breed (like Peda-pup, he was a large breed, elderly fellow. Well, except peda is a girl, and sam is a boy...but...), so take all of this for what it's worth

We never really resumed "walks"--I mean, we did one or two short walks daily as part of PT, but the longest they ever got was a maybe up to a mile. At the end, they were super short--maybe 400 meters. BUT he'd never been a "walk" dog beforehand, anyway. I mean, he probably had more walks the last six months of his life than he did in the first 13 years He did, however, resume patroling the yard (an acre), and did his PT and acupuncture and hyrdrotherapy (well, until he decided he no longer want to do it. And that was that. Stubborn bastard.)

Sam was a front amp as well, and I think for them--especially for the large and giant front amps--"walking" is a lot harder than for the rears. Keeping that giant ribcage and front end balanced and all that is difficult. Often, they have to move faster simply to keep moving (Sam also had arthritis in his back and legs, as well as dysplasia, so he used his rear legs as a single leg, really. His gait was even more odd than you see with front amps normally ), so it's like every effort becomes a sprint for them. Sure, you might be able to jog all day at marathon pace, but if you have to Usain Bolt it everywhere you go, you probably won't get very far. :p

Like Pam says...there may just be a "new" normal for you--follow his lead, and see what he ENJOYS doing now.

Sally, I really didn't have a choice about accepting Sam as he was He was what he was and that's what he was. Fortunately, what he "was" was usually pretty easy.:-)

Random non-walk-related story: being a runner, I was all excited to get a dog who could one day, after he was grown, go for runs with me. Bwahahahahahahahaha. Even as a puppy, we'd walk for awhile, and then Sam would just. sit. down. And it was totally random, and totally unpredictable. Might be two blocks. Might be four miles. But it best be close to home, because when he decided he was done walking...we were done walking.

And going for a run? WTF on EARTH would we do THAT for?? I did a charity dog jog with him once, and we were going to do the two-mile race, since I figured he could handle that...he was maybe 5 years old at the time or so, and as spry as he ever was. We were doing GREAT! We were WINNING! We were laying the royal smack down on all those stumpy little yorkies and zoomie springer spaniels.

And then...the Boy Scouts on the corner sent us the wrong way. We ended up on the 10k course instead. As soon as I realized that two miles had come and gone, and we were still running...I tried to pretend nothing was unusual. I mean, SAM couldn't read the mile marker signs. I'd just convince him to trot right along.

By mile 3, we had slowed precipitously. By Mile 4, we were walking...and then noodling...and then becoming VERY uninterested. By mile 5, it was push/pull/cajole. And...with about a half mile or less to go. He sat down. Done. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. He wasn't TIRED--he COULD go that far, for sure (we could hike for hours, if we wanted to). He just thought it was a stupid endeavour and there was no point in proceeding. Sam was not a giant breed, but 95 lbs of fur is WAY more than I want to carry. But oh, I have done it. Much to the absolute amusement of EVERYONE watching.

I set him down maybe a quarter mile from the finish, and he sniffed around, looked at me, decided that maybe he could pencil the remainder of the race into his oh-so-busy date book, and we ambled across to the finish, where he was all like "What? I was bored. See? We got here, didn't we?"

And I so apologize for the thread hijack... That thought just fell out. Damn, I miss that cranky old man <3 <3

I've been absent for a bit because Teo was kicking some tri-pawd ass around this mountain town. Until he wasn't.... that sentence sounds a little like Dr Seuss.

He's a 78lb lab mix (big chest and tall) with shitty hips from birth, and suffers currently from chronic hyperextension of the shoulder - he compensated great to the mid-line and now --- it hurts, and it hurts more to try and extend that shoulder to put more weight on the rear end.

He's on more pain meds and I'm working on acupuncture .... any thoughts you have are welcome.  I just want him to be comfortable.  I think we pushed it to hard this September because he was so willing to go big.  my bad!

chris.