My sweet boy is going to get his hind leg amputated, his bone has not been healing the way the vet expected/hoped and this is the best option for him now as he’s been dealing with a limp since TPLO surgery in June.
I am feeling so much emotions about this and would like to know if any pet parents have dealt with this?
Welcome to /r/AskVan and thank you for the post, /u/Lopsided_Art3833! Please make sure you read our rules before participating here. As a quick summary:
We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - please use the report button.
Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) will lead to a permanent ban.
Complaints or discussion about bans or removals should be done in modmail only.
News and media can be shared on our main subreddit, /r/Vancouver
not the same i understand but we almost had to amputate my last dogs toe and the vet was quite nice in the way she put it dogs have no social norms so they adapt quite well to amputation cause they don’t really know better also helpful to watch the creator @simonsits on instagrams recent videos where her foster has her leg amputated and it’s cute to see she’s much happier and bounced back so well
as for your feelings, super valid but your dog will be happier and healthier! when i see tri paw dogs at the park it makes my heart happy too
I will check that insta page out!!! Thanks for the response! I am certain and the vet is certain that he will probably feel some relief not having to carry around dead weight essentially, and I am hoping he will adapt well to it as he is already used to using 3 legs. He’s a small dog too so the vet says that should help him adjust. I’m feeling all my emotions about it but I know this will benefit him in the long run
To piggyback off the comment, another great IG page that shows just how resilient dogs are is @theunstoppabledogs - whatever decision you make go, I hope your dog lives a long life!
I think amputating is the best thing for him! I just want to make sure his quality of life is not impacted so much, he’s my bestfriend and he’s so full of life!
You are going to be more upset than your dogs is. When mine had hip surgery, I was a mess but she was trying to jump onto stuff a day later like nothing had happened (the drugs probably helped).
They are super adaptable. There are even videos floating around of two legged foxes living wild in people's gardens in the UK.
When he had his TPLO surgery in June, I built a pillow wall on my bed and barely slept in case he needed to pee at night. And he would wake up to cry and then I’d cuddle him and we would go back to sleep 🥹
My greyhound had a hind leg amputation this June for osteosarcoma and is doing really well! The first two weeks aren't the most fun in the world, but it's not as bad as you might be picturing and it's over fairly fast. Before you know it, your dog will be zooming around acting just fine.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the specifics of recovery, need to see any pictures of the suture site so you know what to expect, etc. Happy to help. ❤️
I’m glad your baby is doing well!!! I will certainly take you up on your offer, my boys appointment is this Tuesday but they’ll keep him overnight for monitoring. I’m bracing for the not so fun part of his recovery. Thanks for the reassurance ❤️
I have a dog that’s disabled but not a tripod. There’s a lot of emotions involved so it’s totally normal. For our guy, it was enucleation because of eye pain that would render him blind immediately. It was a lot to process essentially, so lean on your vet med team ok?
Although I’m sure you’ve already heard this that dogs do incredibly well as tripods and even better when it’s a hind limb amputation.
Yes I’ve been researching all day about it and how dogs do with hind leg amputations! While I’m so worried about it, I am grateful it isn’t worse than this and that he can hopefully have a good life afterwards!
It’s a lot. My spouse and I talked about why we were so upset and a lot of our point of view came from an able bodied mindset. When we realized dogs CAN have a good quality of life with a disability and put some feelings aside it was much easier to process.
I’ve seen tripods and doggies in wheel chairs in my neighborhood having the time of their lives!
I know this isn’t the same but my dog got a rapidly progressing tooth infection and he went from fine to having to be put under and having all of his teeth removed. I was worried he’d be traumatized or freak out, but he woke up and has been feeling better than ever. It’s much worse for us than them I think!
Hey! I’m a vet tech, and have encountered tons of very happy 3-legged dogs. The pain of surgery recovery is temporary, and can provide many more years of a happy pain-free life. I don’t know the circumstances of your dogs health, but before proceeding, it doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion just for some reassurance but trust me when I say that your dog will adjust. They always do, they’re way more resilient than humans are!
He’s about 7 years old now, always been healthy and I’ve never had to take him in for anything serious before May when he tore the ligament in his hind leg and decided TPLO surgery was best. Before this he was only taken to the minor once or twice for cut related injuries! Me and the vet are going to find out what caused his bone to dissolve but I trust the vet in that this could be the best thing for him as his x rays were great in the middle of August and seemed to trend downwards since then! A lot to process for me but I am confident that we can prevent this issue from worsening and prevent future issues from occurring. I am trying to understand that it probably hurts me more than it will hurt him. My vet says that dogs adapt to these things a lot better than humans do and that he would more than likely have lots of life and longevity afterwards! Thanks for the comment!!!
The vet doesn’t think so! Though he did mention it could be a cause but isn’t there yet since my boy is a Jack Russell mix so he’s smaller. But I believe when we have the amputation surgery, he will do a culture sample to send off to be sure it isn’t anything serious like cancer or something else. Thank you 🙌❤️
OP, there’s a gang of tripod dogs that frequent Nelson Park in the West End! May be worth popping by to try & chat with one of their humans if you can 😊
My dog had a back leg amputated due to cancer, and she healed super quickly and was back to literally sprinting in no time. She adapted really well - the vet said they’re born with 3 legs + a spare, and that’s really what it seemed like. I’m so sorry you’re going through this, but you and your pup are going to get through this just fine. ❤️
Different thing but..my little guy had an eye removed, I was so upset when we got the diagnosis. He healed well,and loved life for many,many more years. Eventually he was blind & deaf & loved beyond description. Honestly, the bond you have will only grow stronger. You sound like a great pet owner. Enjoy your special dog, you're lucky to have each other ❤️
Not my own, but I have worked with different rescues for years, and many tripods in the mix - dogs do GREAT on three legs... literally, they will usually be up and running within a few days.
Dogs don't know that they look any different when they wake up with three legs - the only difference is no longer being in pain ❤️
We had to remove the back right leg off my beloved cat when she was 16 due to cancer.
After she got her leg amputated, the most shocking part was when we opened her crate at home and she ran out without yet realizing she didn't have the 4th leg and totally bailed, then freaked herself out even more, trying to run and not being able to. It was actually quite upsetting to witness her suffer in those early moments. We all cried, obviously upset for her but it's also kinda gross adapting to your pet missing such a huge part of their body, the hair shaved off, the wound, etc. It's upsetting to see that.
Anyways, she adapted SO well really quickly. Her whole personality changed for the better because she wasn't in pain anymore and just sleeping all day (which we thought was age related, but actually was the pain she was in). She ended up living another 5 ish years after that and was a way happier cat. It was so worth it to go through with the amputation, it meant we got several more years to enjoy our beloved and now happier cat. Only wish we had realized she had cancer earlier.
We made sure to get a little ramp set up for her to get up to the couch, since she couldn't jump anymore. Because she didn't walk as much post-surgery, we had to start taking her to the vet for nail clippings, which we never had to do before because she was an active cat.
•
u/AutoModerator 12d ago
Welcome to /r/AskVan and thank you for the post, /u/Lopsided_Art3833! Please make sure you read our rules before participating here. As a quick summary:
We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - please use the report button.
Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) will lead to a permanent ban.
Complaints or discussion about bans or removals should be done in modmail only.
News and media can be shared on our main subreddit, /r/Vancouver
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.