Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Once again, Corndog is doing really really well, (forgive me for repeating that everywhere all over this forum but it's like music to my ears after all these months of tears).
Corny was at our favorite Vet U the other day and had his stitches out, incission looks really good. I have to admit Dr. W did a really nice sewing job. But he does have one spot beside the incission that we asked her about and it looks like a cut or almost like a bed sore. She said it's probably from him getting up off of a hard surface. Corny doesn't do hard surfaces, ever, and has been laying in our bed constantley since his surgery. I actually thing it all started from that nasty awful e collar.
I agree with her that it's now looking like a bed sore, but what do we do about it. She said maybe he needs to wear some type of padding until everything heals up better. How or what do I use to pad the stump, she had no clue.
I've tried googling back leg amp protection but come up with nothing. So once again thought I'd ask the real Tripawd pros.
Corndog loves to lick sore things, so I tweeked a pair of sm mens boxer's and that's worked out pretty good for the licking problem. 1" elastic suspenders is the secret to keeping the boxers on so I've discovered. Although they do have to come off for potty walks.
Is this a common problem, is this an ongoing problem or temporary till it heals better?
Any good suggestions would be very appreciated.
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we remember other members using boxer shorts - so you are on the money!! some have use 'boy sized', it all depends on the size of our pup's bum. we had a sore on the remaining front elbow (we were right front amp) from using it as a 'pusher' to get up and down after the surgery. gayle's got infected and awful yucky, hope you don't have to go through that too. anyway you can stitch/secure some foam cushioning inside the boxer shorts at the appropriate area? we ended up making an elbow pad, with elastic suspenders around her neck (there's a picture on the download blog). good luck, hope the boxers are enough to keep corndog from fussing with the sore and it will heal on it's own.
charon & spirit 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
Crystal is a front amputee but she did have a sore on her remaining front elbow as well. She has always had a bit of a callus there but it never bothered her before. After I brought her home though, I noticed she was trying to lick it a lot and that it started bleeding. Our vet said the same thing about her lying on hard surfaces but like Corndog, she doesn't do hard surfaces. My thinking was that she was laying on hard surfaces when she was staying at the vets. I put something similar to vaseline on it and the next day, she stopped licking at it and she hasn't touched it since. The vet said you can also use Neosporin.
Christina
Rio had a sore on one of her incisions, too (she had multiple surgeries prior to her amp). Her's was because she had a reaction to the internal sutures. Once they worked themselves to the surface and I could remove them, the sore healed up pretty quickly. I mentioned this to the surgeon who did the amp surgery, and he said he'd use something different, that some dogs are sensitive to some of the internal suture materials.
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~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
You're on the right path with the boxer shorts. What about baby diaper covers with the elastic around the legs? That might work. I have got to see a pic with Corny wearing the suspenders!
Rear leggers present such a challenge in situations like this. I searched for "Pressure Sore" in the Forums, and there are a ton of results but here's a place to start.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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Jerry, thanks for the great idea about the diapers. I never even thought to try the doggie diaper/pants that Corn's aunt Savanna has to wear sometimes, she's almost 13 yrs old and sometimes has accidents when it's cold out. They're for girl dogs, they look like little denum shorts, with a tail hole. They were a little on the small size for Corn, but I sew, so used it for a pattern. The boxer's and suspenders are gone, seems Corn didn't like them and kept ripping them off. He's not too crazy about the new pants either, so not sure how long they'll work. He's never been a chewer and he hasn't bothered trying to get the sling thing off. He just wants at that sore so he can lick it.
His incission has healed up just great, but this one little spot off to the side just doesn't seem to want to heal. Corn's a licker for sure, if someones not awake to be rubbing his but that is. If you ask me his licking, licking, licking is how we ended up here in the first place.
I tried the tea tree oil trick that someone here suggested, unfortunately that didn't work with Corn either.
I was wondering if I should be putting some sort of neosporin or something on this sore spot,to help heal it or at least stop infection, so I called his vet and they recommended keeping the cone on him. Do any of Corn's vets actually have a dog? (sorry haven't finished venting about the vet care, or lack of).
Also sorry about not posting pics yet, seems we're having some camera and computer issues.
You don't need to apologize for anything, we know you have your hands full.
Well, I know the cone of shame is the pits but for a lot of dogs it's the only way to keep us from messing with the healing. As for Neosporin, check out this conversation we had about it a while back.
Those doggie diapers can come in handy. Good thing your peeps know how to sew! Here's one I wore once, don't I look like a goof?!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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Corndog wrote:
Also sorry about not posting pics yet, seems we're having some camera and computer issues.
Let me help you out!
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Oh Corndog, you know you've arrived when the Monkeybutt Bunny Vampire Pirate starts making fun of you!
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Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
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