Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

jerry said
These general questions are for all of you Tripawds who have been living life on three legs as a senior citizen.

Whether you lost a leg because of cancer or have lived with three legs all your life, can you tell us:

• What's it like to be a senior Tripawd?

Maggie says it can be tough at times...endurance is far lacking.

• How do the senior years affect you?

Walks are shorter.  Sleep more.  Lay around more.  So Mom does PT work with me to get me moving and make sure I get some nice short walks.

• Has mobility gotten harder or stayed the same as you aged?

A little harder because I have spondylosis in my lower back and that is starting to bother me.  My lower back gets sore from time to time.

• What kind of extra accommodations, if any, have been made to ensure you are happy and pain-free?

Recently got a Back on Track coat for Maggie, she wears it nightly.  She is on boswellia and MSM for pain and also Alenza supplement.  Keep exercise to a limit she can handle and not overdo it.  Keep her PT work up as it keeps her noticeably stronger.

• What would you say to someone who has a young Tripawd? What would you tell them to expect as their Tripawd ages?

I would say don't let them over do the exercise!  Put them on a joint supplement and Omega 3 oil.  Keep them thin.  Just because a dog wants to run and play hard, we have to ask "should he/she?"...for long term health.  I would tell them to expect if it's a rear leg amputee, that the hindend is going to weaken and probably more so than a four legger, understandably.

 

Tracy & Maggie

 

Yes, thank you!  Great advice, since Jackson is only 8.  He so wants to play and we let him, but he surely doesn't play very long.  That's OK.  We get it.  But, I'd hate to NOT let him play.  That's quality of life for him.  I'm hoping the omega oil and hip/joint supplements keep what he has safe and intact...so we can play!  Oh, yes, and his exercises keep him limber and balanced.

Keep posting tips, all you senior tripawds.  I want to read more!  Thanks, Maggie!

Right now, we're working on establishing an exercise routine.  You do yours 3 times a week for like 5min?  That sounds good to me.  Things that I've been doing with Jackson are stand-sit-stands, I bring his nose between his front paws and back to his hips (with treats!) to work his abs and balance, I'll do weight-shifting by gently moving his hips left to right, and walking on the couch (he also does this on his own and on our bed).  He's great at all of these and doesn't realize they are exercises, as he's getting little nibbles!  Other times, I stretch his legs forward and back, when he's down and on his side, but he doesn't like that so much - either b/c it's too much touching (see below) or I'm doing it wrong.  Tonight, though, I gave him a massage down his spine and right behind his shoulder blades, his back started twitching.  I think he was a little tight or tender there!  So I kept at it, gently, in circles and he closed his eyes and seemed to like it.  This is bizarre for Jackson, as he's got a pretty big personal bubble.  He's not a cuddler.  He'd rather be left alone on the floor or his bed to rest and sleep solo.  On walks, he's really good at placing his rear foot where he wants it.  There are curbs on all his walks and he can hop on/off those like a champ.  He's also excellent on the stairs.  We're really impressed with his mobility and nimbleness!  We just need to keep it that way.

The idea behind his ACL was that the growing tumor, at the top of his tibia, was stressing the knee, weakening it.  So some playful afternoon, he partially tore it.  It was really clear then that it was a soft tissue injury.  Then 2 months later, he did something offleash (up at grandma and grandpaw's) and tore the whole thing.  The ER vet who saw him knew exactly what it was (full ACL tear) and didn't bother with xrays.  I was thankful, as xrays are pricey!  So we stabilized his pain, allowed the swelling to drop, and booked his ACL surgery.  Now you know the rest....  The good news is that we decided to move on the ACL surgery when he did, rather than wait months to see how he managed.  That delay would have left that damn tumor to do its nasty thing.  All that said - I wish it were only an ACL!  I was unhappy about an ACL repair cost and post-op burden, but I had comforted myself by saying 'at least its not cancer'.  Well....  damn.

• What's it like to be a senior Tripawd?

It's Pawsome!  Max is 13 this year and he's been a tripawd for at least 6 years (maybe more, but I adopted him when he was 7 and he was already one then from being hit by a car). 

• How do the senior years affect you?

He's grumpy at times, but otherwise he doesn't seem to be too affected by his age.  He sleeps a lot more than he used to.

• Has mobility gotten harder or stayed the same as you aged?

Max gets around really well. I'm thankful that he keeps his weight down (he's very catlike and even if I put the whole bag of food down, he'd only eat what he needed).  He is very active, but doesn't have a lot of stamina.  He's good for about a block.  When he's done walking, he just lays down in a yard.  So, I know now not to go too far. 

I now put a ruffwear harness on him when we leave the house just to help him get into the back of my hatchback.  He can make it on his own, but sometimes it's close so I give him just that little boost to give him confidence.

He can still hop up onto my bed which has pretty high boxspring/mattress, but he hesistates alot more before making the attempt. 

• What kind of extra accommodations, if any, have been made to ensure you are happy and pain-free?

I got a raised food/water dish since he's a front leg amputee so it's more comfortable for him to eat.  He seems to really like that and the fact that my other dog can't reach it

• What would you say to someone who has a young Tripawd? What would you tell them to expect as their Tripawd ages?

Having both Max as a tripawd and Edward who is my 3 year old with a congenitally short front leg, I'd say making sure they get an appropriate diet and do not get overweight is very important.  For Edward with his deformed leg, I've noticed his foot changing.  It's about two inches short (and he's only 16lbs, so a little guy).  When he runs, his leg doesn't his the ground, but with standing and walking he walks lop-sided and uses it, so because of the way his walks, his little foot has turned into a more useful position.  It's tight so I couldn't easily push it back into the normal position.  I expct his back to bother him as he gets older, but it hasn't happened yet.  He has a prosthesis which I made (I'm a prosthetist)--with it on he walks perfectly even, but he doesn't like it and I wouldn't ever leave it on him unattended, so I just let him go wtihout it. Quality of life now vs later. 

• Anything else you'd like to tell us about being older on three legs is greatly appreciated!

What is it like to be a senior Tripawd?     My life is starting to slow down, partly due to old age, partly to the passing of my littermate brother who I played with a lot. I still love the things I always have. I do spend a lot of time sleeping & I don't always want to go outside with the others.

How do the senior years affect you?

     Basically, the same way any greyhound ages. I have not noticed anything different in Calamity than in any senior greyhound I have had. In fact, I think she gets along better than some I have had!

Has mobility gotten harder or stayed the same as you aged?

     My mobility is the same as it was since my amputation.  I get around as well and as much as I need to.

What kind of extra accommodations, if any, have been made to ensure you are happy and pain-free?

     We have made up new beds for all of the hounds consisting of the basic fluff filled bag and topped with memory foam that fits each bed. Calamity still just lays on a throw rug mostly though.

What would you say to someone who has a young Tripawd? What would you tell them to expect as their Tripawd ages?

     Learn your pet's gait with 3 legs so you will reconize when there is any issues that need looked at. I have had Calamity to her vet for x-rays about once a year. It seems, in the spring, her gait changes & she gets a slight limp. X-rays show nothing so we just always watch it.

Anything else you'd like to tell us about being older on three legs is greatly appreciated!

     Just watch your pet for anything unusual & have it checked. Keep nails trimmed & keep your pet at a healthy weight. Additional weight seems hard for Calamity to carry, so we keep that in check all of the time.

Janie & Calamity