Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi everyone - Ajax is still doing great, building up stamina on walks to the park, though the heat is a little challenging. Also we've been fitting in weekend swimming, which he loves. And thanks to Maggie's mom, we are forcing him to work on the blue mats, which he does not like at all, which I think means he needs to do it.
Question for everyone: We can avoid stairs. Elevator building, etc. However, Ajax is doing fine, and had voluntarily done some short stairs (to reach another dog's food, for example!) We have a harness, haven't needed to use it yet. He's pretty smart - he doesn't do anything challenging unless he knows there is something good on the other side. So he could conceivably go a long time w/o doing stairs.
Should we affirmatively work with him (in harness) on stairs, and if so, is this the right time to start? Appreciate any thoughts.
I think a few steps at a time, a little each day or so, could be very helpful. If he's swimming he should be strong enough to handle a little bit of practice. There will be plenty of situations you'll encounter where you can't avoid stairs. If he has his confidence and stamina built up by then, he'll be all the better because of your practice. Stairs are also just really good for helping with balance too.
Glad to hear he's getting stronger!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My husband just called - apparently Ajax took him to Central Park and hurled himself into a sprinkler and is now doing the sprinkler dance. I think he's strong enough ....! Thanks
Hi kazy55,
As for "is this the right time to start", my dog Chloe has already decided (on her own accord) that she wanted to go up the hallway stairs that led to our back yard. Chloe is only 13 days post amp, but her will to be mobile around the house has helped her learn to go up and down in a matter of days. My experience with her has been to give her more support going up the stairs since she only has one back leg and is still gaining strength. Going down is much easier for her since she has two front legs to bear weight on. I have slowly progressed with the stairs after her surprising choice to go up one day because they are unavoidable both at my parents house and where she and I will be moving to in a month.
All dogs are different so just use your judgement, but Ajax might surprise you with what he is actually capable of (Chloe certainly has!)
-Chloe's mom
Chloe became a rear amp tripawd on 7-29-10. Another tumor was removed on front leg 2-20-14. Found 3rd tumor on neck 2-2015, but she's still kicking cancer's butt at age 14. Chloe's blog
Hey there,
Regarding the FitPaws mat work…are you using food? If so, he should really learn to LOVE IT! 
Whenever Maggie sees me wiith her Fitpaws
pads or her buja board, she tries to get on them before I can get it on the ground! Quite a sight. I caution though, don't overwork him…a little goes a LONG ways…don't do too many reps…as then it will make him possibly 'sour' to it?
As far as stairs, can't help you there. Maggie HATES/fears stairs…so we avoid at all costs… She can do 2-3 with no problems and with my help but beyond that not so much. It's the lack of traction too that makes her fear them.
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Ohh ...he can go around the blue mat to get to the food! Didn't you read my earlier post that he is a furry genius?
Hmmmm....I have food in my hands when I am working Maggie on the mats Stuff it right in his face when he's on the mats and then he has no choice but to stay on the mats...
You gotta make the mats rewarding for him to be on...and that means he gets food while he's ON the mats - not off them!
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
I'm sure he'll do great! Always good to try to ease them into new activities, but both Yoda and Gerry did it all at once or not at all when they were ready.
Gerry blogged about stairs about a month and a half after his amputation. He was doing stairs before then, but he was still making me nervous, until he figured out the trick - don't think so much!
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
ha! ok I think I got the general message - at 3.5 weeks with as well as he is doing, I can stop fretting about every single thing! thanks everyone
the only thing that is still bothering me a lot is that he hasn't been on any meds at all for a week and he occassionally just starts panting, and will pant for a long time. it seems to be in the house, it seems not to necessarily be hot, he doesn't seem particularly distressed by it, but I keep wondering what's up. His lungs have been x-rayed and CT'd a zillion times, I don't think it's that. I'm more worried that something is makiing him anxious or that perhaps his remaining back leg is hurting, meaning I've let him walk to far. Or maybe it's just really really really hot out ....
did anyone else's dog pant a lot after surgery without a medical (i.e. chemo or lung mets) issue?
Sadie is a serious panter! The vet had to close her mouth with his hand to hear her heart with the stethoscope! Her chest x-ray was clear, and she drinks plenty of water (although it is hot here). I worried about her panting, and it will probably cost me an extra grand a year in x-rays, but she never had a whole lot of stamina (she's more of an anaerobic burst of energy dog). So, as long as Ajax seems happy and relatively healthy, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I know sometimes panting is a sign of pain, but if that's the only abnormality, again, I wouldn't be too concerned. Does he take any maintenance meds like rimadyl or dasuquin?
Sadie is my 9yr old Rott/Shepherd mix. Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her right scapula 1/28/10. Our brave girl had her amputation 2/13/10 and her last chemotherapy on 6/6/10. Unfortunately, a tumor appeared in her back right leg and on 10/7/2010 Sadie's earthly journey came to an end. On 10/24/2010 we adopted Ranger, a handsome Rott/Lab mix tripawd (got hit by a car) I think Sadie sent him to us.
http://ranger.t.....pawds.com/
theoretically he won't need any maintenance meds, as he really didn't have any pain to begin with (tumor of the cartilage, not OS). we watched the panting all day yesterday. it seems to happen 2 times - one totally expected, which is when he exerts himself (it is about a zillion humid degrees in NYC in August, so that's no surprise) and the unexpected one, which is randomly. for ex., I got home last nighit at 8 and he was peacefully sleeping/hanging out until about 9:30, at which time he started panting for no apparent reason.
my new theory is that it is a sign of discomfort or needing to go out -he used to rng a bell, but maybe he doesn't feel like getting up to day that, so he's "holding it'? i''m going to try operating under this theory and see what happens.
vet says don't worry about it, we read the vet books and measured the breathing rate and its fine, not too rapid ...so maybe he is just having interim periods of discomfort or anxiety. didn't keep him from zooming around Central Park this morning (it was a cool morning for a change).
We tend to think that one reasons dogs pant more at night is because all of the activity of the day has caught up with them and they're sort of catching their breath. My oncologist was familiar with this behavior, and she thought this theory was a good one.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Really? So interesting (because if you think of people, it doesn't work that way). That theory would fit exactly his behavior. Does it stop (assuming he was not a big "panter" before surgery)
It's not scientific by any means but you know the way dogs will just go and go and go….unlike humans, who tend to poop out at the first opportunity.
The panting never stopped completely for me, but I was always a big panter. As time passed I was able to stay stronger and not pant as heavily for less strenuous activity. These videos are in order of my recovery, the first one just a few weeks after surgery, the second three months and the last eight months.
When it was hot though, look out! (and yes, my pawrents gave me lots of water!).
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
LOL!!! I just watched all of the videos. So cute. The second one, where Jerry was barking, I thought might get a reaction out of Charlie (who is napping at my feet). Nope. I play the third video, he jumps up, looking out the window for Jerry, getting way excited because he knows he's 'near'. Now he's depressed, no doggy. 🙁
"I don't know where I am."
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