Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Hey Brenda and Bella!
I just got caught up on your thread here and it sounds like the vet gave you some good news. A Vet PT can really do a lot of good - we've been doing that with our tripawd and it's helped him tremendously!
Your post about Bella doing the splits got me thinking: do you have some nice carpet or good traction
for her on the floors? When aspen has his surgery, we put a bunch of yoga mats down on the hardwood floors and 7 months later they are still there. He can get around better now, but it's WAY easier for him on the mats (or carpet, of course). Helps keep the tweaks to a minimum. Just a thought!
Happy healing and strengthening to Bella!
-Lauren & Aspen
Thanks everyone. Your support and encouragement is so helpful. Update: We've gone backwards. We have not had our Pet PT visit yet, but Bella was doing really well. Up and walking around. We do have carpet treads all over our hardwood and tile surfaces, so we definitely have floor traction . She is still being carried outside, but was holding herself up, squatting to go and hopping around. Until last night. We should have curtailed her mobility, but let her come into the kitchen and sniff around (we were making BLT's). She lost her balance and lopped over on her amp side. She got back up and seemed good - she was hyper focused on bacon. This morning, she could get up and eat, but when we came in from outside, she laid down on her bed and now can't ambulate again. We carried her out later this morning to go to the bathroom and she's back to not being able support herself at all on her legs. Ugh. I feel horrible. We evidently let her be too mobile. I wish I knew if it was a pinched nerve, or something else. I read a post on this site about spinal stroke and plan to look into this more. I am confused to why she was doing so much better and then boom - right back to no movement. Its not like it got progressively worse, she just went from standing on her own to not being able to stand at all. I'm hoping the PT can come today or Monday the latest. In the meantime, I'm here with her on the floor giving her encouragement and hoping to see her wag her tail. It about her quality of life - and right now, it doesn't seem great.
Online
Bacon a d dogs! No holding 'em back with a BLT in the makins'!!
Okay....some deep breaths.....B R E A T H E......
I know you are frustrated beyond words! It's soooo hard to remember that she has, indeed, been making progress, and will do so again!! Whatever she has going on, the fact that she got soooo much better is very, very encouraging. I don't know if a "spinal stroke" shows that kind of improvement, but a pinched nerve or a disc situation would...I think anyway.
Yes, a temporary set back indeed, but one that she has shown she can recover.
Lpts of hugs
Sally
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!
A d just a PS....Maybe get her in for an xray of the spine to check for any disc issues, etc. And maybe hold off on the PT untile it's real clear what the issue is. Then again, maybe a PT is trained to recognize disc issues, etc...dunno
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!
Yes, I think we are going to have to get her in for an X-ray. I've been researching accupuncture and it seems like this can be very helpful, so maybe this is something we can do as well. For now, I'm just hanging with her and trying to keep her comfortable.
Thank you all for the encouragement and great suggestions.
Bella has a herniated disc in her neck. Situation is not good at all. Struggling with the decision I know we need to make soon. Surgery is not an option and this condition is so fickle, even if she gets back to being able to stand on her own, the paralysis could happen again. Its so hard for her to lay prone and unable to move. She puts her entire fate in our hands and I feel like I've failed her. She is such a trooper putting up with us having to carry her out and holding her to do her business. We are so heartbroken. She looks at me with her beautiful brown eyes and I wish I could tell her how much we are trying to help her. I wish there was a miracle for this situation, but I am so happy to know she has had at least a few months with no pain. God this hurts.
Brenda, I'm sure Bella knows you are trying to help her. You haven't failed her. I'm so sorry you're in this difficult position.
Sometimes all you can do is love them as much as you can.
Tracey & Tai
Oh my gosh you have not failed her at all, really! She can feel how much you love her and want to help, I guarantee it. I'm really sorry, that's a tough diagnosis. What exactly did the vet say? What diagnostics were done? You may want to get a second opinion on her case (you wouldn't even need to take her to the vet, I'll bet you can get someone to just review her file and tests results.
It's hard not to feel hopeless in a situation like this and I don't know if these suggestions are possible for you but if you can manage to get another opinion it can give you confidence that you are making the best, most educated decision for her well-being.
Hugs coming your way. Let us know how she's doing OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'm so sorry to read this update! My heart hurts for you having to do this balancing act between your choices. Praying the love you have for beautiful Bella gives you clarity to make the best decision possible whatever that turns out to be. You have not failed her you've been her best advocate. Holding you and Bella in my heart!
Yeah, I second the "second opinion" route, as well as being open to the possibilities of options that may, indeed, bring some relief if surgery is not an option.
May be waaay off base as far as possible solutions, but throwing it out there anyway. Injection of steroids, advanced acupuncture, epidural or some sort of other pain blocker. IF...IF...any of these options are practical and can girce her some good extended quality time in some form or another, it could be that the "treatment" lasts months, or even more, and, of course, less.
I KNOW you are leaving no stone unturned and have probably already checked out every possible option. It's just that a second opinion with a different set of eyes may see things differently....maybe not.
And be real clear on this, okay? You have given Bella the gift of extended pain free quality time for loving and spoiling and that is NOT "failing" her in any way, shape or form!! You have done EVERYTHING possible for her and she'KNOWS how loved she is and how devoted you are ro her! We see it with every single word you have ever written aboht that sweet girl!! 🙂 🙂
We're here for you and with you.
Love and 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!
1 Guest(s)
