Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My dog had her front leg amputated about 6 weeks ago, she had bone cancer. Whilst it doesn't seem to have spread she is spending a lot of time sleeping and often doesn't want to get out of her bed, the vet says she is probably depressed. I have looked on the internet for a remedy for dog depression but any advice would be most welcome!
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How old is your dog? What's her breed/name?
When our pup had her leg amp'd she also seemed very depressed - but it only lasted a couple of weeks. Some of the folks here with older/bigger dogs had longer recovery period. Maybe some of them will chime in.
I guess one way to know if it is in fact depression is to see if she perks up for her "old favorite" things - whatever those may be. If she loves car rides, have you tried that? A ride through the drive through for an Arby's roast beef sandwich or a burger might perk a pup up.
Or do you have some friends or family members that she really loves? When Abby was depressed the only thing that cheered her up was when friends or family came by. Then she was all smiles and tail wags. It was like she was mad at us, but oh-so-happy to see anyone else!
Hope that helps. Hope she perks up soon!
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!
Sweetpea had her amp almost 5 weeks ago and she was sleeping alot also. I thought maybe she was just tired or because of all the meds we were giving her. Then at the second week mark - i changed her to strictly grain free food and K9 Immunity plus and we noticed a huge difference in a matter of days. Then she began to have unrelenting diarrhea and we thought it was the food change &/or supplements, tried every medication & home remedy we could find and stopped the supplements. Then she was right back to sleeping all the time. What actually resolved her diarrhea was giving her only pedialyte all day and it was gone the next day. Back on the supplements and she is more active& happy than before her surgery:)
Hi Andrea, thanks for joining us. What kind of dog do you have? Many larger dogs take a few weeks to start feeling good again, but it's not unusual for smaller ones to feel icky for a while too.
You know what the best remedy for dog depression is?
YOU
Normalize her routine as soon as possible. If you find yourself feeling sorry for her, remember that this will not help her recuperate faster. You need to be a strong pack leader. If you show that you believe she can do everything she used to do, she will too! Here is a great video from a veterinary rehab group that talks about this (about halfway through the vid):
Let us know how this approach works for her. Stay strong and remember this is only temporary. She WILL overcome this hurdle.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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