Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My 5 1/2 year old border collie had his front left leg amputated about 8 weeks ago. He's doing well - walking and going up and down steps. However, his stamina for his walks is low. At this point he can walk around the block. I took him to a rehab specialist who told me that I should lower my expectations and that he will only be able to withstand short walks for the rest of his life. He didn't recommend physical therapy because he thought he seemed strong enough. I'm looking for information and feedback to get a sense of what others have experienced. I'm so happy he's with us but it's hard to see him have a rough time taking walks. He often stops and gets tired on the way. Thanks so much in advance.
Hi Michelle. What's your sweet pup's name?
First of all, I have a couple of questions for you, okay?
What has his activity level been like pretty much directly right after the amputation? It generally takes a good two maybe three weeks to cover from the surgery itself and then about a month plus for the dog to have a fluid gate with more balance and more flow. But if a dog overdoes it too soon then it might take a solid Mobility a bit longer to develop.
Did the rehab Specialists suggest any specific ways to help build your pup's core strength? By that I mean did they suggest some simple things like going from a Sit position to a stand position then back and forth back and forth back and forth? Did the specialist suggest an exercise where your dog stands and you use a cookie to guide him to look towards his rear to the left and then a cookie to guide him to look towards his rear at the right?
He often stops and gets tired on the way. Thanks so much in advance.
Yes, the therapist is right about shorter walks several times a day as opposed to one long walk once or twice a day. For a tripawd to go around a block (of course depending on size of block), depending o the pace, some sit down rests help to keep the joy of the walk ongoing. Usually if a dog sits on a walk, he is already tired and jas overdone it.
I'm just wondering if you have any other rehabilitation specialist in your area you might go to for a second opinion. I think it's kind of odd that they say your dog doesn't need any physical therapy because he's fit. Yes, he may be fit, but it's also about building up muscle in legs, protecting joints etc for longevity through proper therapies.
Now, back to being able to increase the walks. What a lot of people do is get a stroller or some type of dog carriage to extend the walk. When the dog shows that he's tired by sitting down you can just put him in the stroller and continue the walk for a while until he rests. Then let him get out of the stroller, continue to walk, and enjoy all of the scents and smells the outdoors has to offer. You can check out our gear shop for suggestions.
Hope some of this helps. Others will be along for more tips.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie took
PS.... just want to add that some have started doing nose work. That keeps the dog engaged and fulfilled but doesn't require a lot of physical effort. One of our long-term supporters has done it with her dogs and, hopefully, we'll see this post and elaborate more.
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!
Thanks so much for getting back to me.
Right after the amputation he was tired and sluggish. It took a few weeks for him to get adjusted.
The Rehab doctor did an assessment and didn't recommend any exercises at all. He felt that my dog was adjusting to the amputation well -moving around well and didn't see the need for therapy. I can certainly look into getting another opinion.
I'll look into a dog carriage. He's about 50 pounds so I'm not sure what is available for that size dog but it's worth a try. I'd love to take him on longer walks.
Hi Michelle,
Sorry but it appears that when we were offline, part of the recovery involved rolling back our website to a backed up version. So you may have missed my post about recommending a new rehab therapy center. I think you go the name of it right? If not here is the one I recommend:
OK so not knowing the geography out there, the only practice I found was this group in Alpha, NJ who also does virtual consults.
I know there are others though. Here are some places you can start looking:
CCRP credentialed therapists in NY; https://www.ncs.....-new-york/
AMC NY (THE best vet practice in NYC. Not sure if it's practical for you but if so, it's worth the effort:
https://www.amc.....-medicine/
Some AARV members in NY with designations of CCAT, CCRP, CCRT, CCRV, CCRVN, CCRVT CERP, or CVMRT. Not sure if any are near you:
Veterinarian
Babette Gladstein, VMD
Bglad Veterinary Services
45 E. 89th Street, #31D
New York NY 10128
Phone: 877-279-2591
Fax: 212-828-5664
Email: bglad31d@gmail.com
Technician
Holly Hackmer, LVT
Green acres animal hospital
2060 niagara falls blvd
Tonawanda New York 14150
Email: h.hackmer@gmail.com
Veterinarian
Emily Harrison, DVM, CVA, CCRV-eligible
Visiting Veterinary Services PLLC
PO Box 413
Katonah NY 10536
Phone: 9144205420
Email: oboevet@gmail.com
Website: http://www.visi.....rvices.com
Veterinarian
Laura Perez, DVM, CVA, CCRT
Upstate Veterinary Specialities
152 Sparrowbush Rd
Latham NY 12110
Phone: 5187833198
Email: rehab@uvsonline.com
Website: https://www.uvs.....nline.com/
Technician
Jennifer Walck, LVT, CCRP
VCA North Country Animal Hospital
16760 NYS Rt 3
Watertown NY 13601
Phone: 3157859505
I hope this helps! Please let us know what you find out.
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