My Dog Has Three Legs
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Vote for Yodi! Contest ends July 17, 2011!
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- Cassie's Three-Legged Dog Club
There are plenty of other tripods out there! Jump to page 21 to see Yodi.
Our dog's leg was amputated after he was attacked by a pit bull.
In 2003, our 9-month old rat terrier puppy, Yodi, (like Odie from Garfield, not Yoda from Star Wars) was attacked by my parents' neighbor's pit bull. The pit bull was not restrained in any way - no leash, no fence, no pen - and was just roaming around on the loose that night.
My husband and I were visiting my parents for the weekend in the rural north Florida town they lived in at the time. We arrived at around 10 p.m. and had just gotten out of the car (Yodi was with me on his leash) and shut the doors, when we heard snarling and growling and saw a reddish-brown blur whoosh by and leap on our little 12-pound dog. Yodi's leash was yanked from my hand as the pit bull rolled around with him, biting him, pinning him to the ground, and shaking him around like a stuffed toy.
My husband and I were screaming like crazy, terrified at what was happening to our puppy. I was afraid that I was going to watch him get torn into bloody pieces right in front of me while there was nothing we could do. We ran about 100 yards into my parents house, yelling and screaming at the top of our lungs that Yodi was being attacked and to call for help, to call the police, to get a gun, to do SOMETHING!
Before my parents could do anything, though, my husband and I had run back out by the car where the pit bull was still tearing at Yodi. As I think about it now (and I really don't like to) I remember that Yodi never made a sound and that we thought he was probably already dead when we returned to him. My husband and I were screaming and yelling and finally I tried smacking at the pit bull's hind end. It never occurred to me that the dog might turn on me; I just wanted him to let go of Yodi so badly that I figured we had to do something . But slapping him did nothing. I ended up grabbing his collar and standing over him, like I was going to get on him like a horse - he was a very big dog so I could barely stand over him. I pulled back on his collar to try to move him and see if I could pull him away from where Yodi was lying on the ground. He wouldn't budge. I ended up pulling tightly on his collar and twisting it - not intentionally trying to choke him, but just trying to get him to let go. I must have pulled hard enough because the pit bull coughed and gagged and basically spit Yodi out onto the ground.
My husband, unaware that I had been holding the pit bull back, (and surprised at the strength I'd had to exert to do so) hollered for me to get Yodi, but I couldn't. So he scooped him up and ran for my parents' house. I pushed the pit bull as hard and as far away from me as I could and took off running behind them. My mom had already called the emergency vet and told them we'd be on our way.
The first emergency vet that we went to couldn't do anything for Yodi. On the outside, his wounds seemed minimal, but his stomach and chest were filling with air from puncture wounds deep within his tissue. We were referred to another emergency animal hospital. Sitting with me in the backseat of the car, Yodi wouldn't move, he could barely lift his head, and he didn't look well at all. I was afraid that he would die just sitting next to me.
At the emergency animal hospital, they assessed him quickly and told us that they'd have to do surgery to repair muscle and tissue tears inside the muscle, as well as close some tears in his skin on the outside. When we picked him up a few days later and returned to our home, we took Yodi right to our vet. They kept him there for days and days of pain monitoring, blood transfusions, and observation. After several days, they noticed that his left front leg was swollen, bruised, and cold. Most of Yodi's trauma and surgery had been near his left chest/shoulder and the vet was concerned that the blood flow to the leg had been cut off long enough after the attack to possibly have paralyzed it. The vet put warm compresses on the leg and even tried to massage it, but warned us that things didn't look good.
Yodi's other wounds, all stitched and stapled together, were healing okay, but some of the damaged skin/tissue was necrotic and had to be removed. Yodi was very weak and seemed to respond well temporarily to blood transfusions, but after a few more days, our vet referred us to a veteranary surgeon nearby and told us that amputation might be recommended, or else Yodi would have to be put down.
My husband and I knew without having to discuss it that putting Yodi down was not an option. We hadn't even had him for a year yet, and he was still a puppy. We wanted to do everything we could to have our dog back. Our friends and parents questioned whether or not we would be able to "handle" having a dog that was paralyzed, or handicapped, or... "different." We told everyone, quite firmly, that we would rather have a dog with three legs, than no dog at all.
It only took minutes for the surgeon to determine that Yodi would have to have his leg amputated. I remember signing off on the forms, and being told that there was a slight chance of complications and death during the surgery, but was also told that most dogs did remarkably well after the amputation of a limb. The surgeon told us that most often, the surgery was harder on the owner than the pet itself.
The day of Yodi's surgery, we waited around anxiously by the phone for the results. Unable to wait any longer, my husband finally called for an update. The nurse that he spoke to told us that he had been out of surgery, had woken up for surgery, and had already gone outside to go to the bathroom. We were astounded - our dog that could barely lift his head the day before had gone outside to go to the bathroom? She told us that he had walked outside on a leash, all by himself.
We had to see it for ourselves. We went to visit him the next day and expected the nurse to bring us into a room to visit with Yodi as our vet had done. Instead, she led him out on a leash, all wrapped up in a bright pink bandage, and he came hopping right over to us. He seemed happy, his tail was wagging, and it was like the life had returned to him overnight! It was obvious right away that he was missing his front leg, but seeing him alive and well was so much more amazing that it wasn't as if anything was wrong with him at all!
In addition to the amputation the surgeon performed a skin graft surgery. Because he removed the entire shoulder joint and left Yodi's side smooth, he had to do something with the extra skin, as well as the necrotic tissue that had to be removed. So Yodi was once again stitched and stapled together. Some of his spots got rearranged, and he has one small quarter-sized scar patch that doesn't have hair on it, but besides his missing leg, that's the only leftover sign of his attack.
There are times when I feel bad for Yodi. Not because he's missing a leg, but because of what he went through. I'm sure his doggie memory is probably wiped clean, or maybe he's blocked it out. I know there wasn't anything that we could do, but I just hate the fact that this all had to happen because of an irresponsible pet owner's carelessness. (I'm not a big fan of pit bulls now, and I'm definitely not a fan of stupid pet owners.)
So how's he doing now?
It's been 7 years since Yodi's accident and amputation.
He's lived more of his life on three legs than he has on four.
And he's probably faster than your dog.
Seriously, Yodi does great. He runs, he jumps on and off the couches, chairs, and beds. With help from us (and a life jacket) he goes in the pool. (Go ahead, you can make jokes about him swimming in circles.) He does all the tricks I taught him when he was a puppy. He can sit, lay down, shake, roll over, and play dead. I just recently taught him how to "high five."
Treat your Tripod!
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Right now, as I write this, he's sitting on my lap, leaning his no-leg side against my chest, staring out the open window. His ears perk up every time a crinkly leaf blows down the street. Sometimes he rests his chin on my arm while I'm trying to type. Every once in awhile, he turns around to try to give me a kiss.
He might only have three legs, but he is one happy, healthy, and very well-loved little dog.
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Yodi is an amazing dog! Great hub!
Thanks for sharing such an awesome story. You are really brave to pull that pit-bull back. I am not sure I would have the courage to do the same.
I also have a tripod dog. She is a Siberian Husky. She was a c-section baby, and we think that they caused an injury to her leg while pulling her out. We had hoped to save her leg through surgery, but there was too much cartilage damage and they had to amputate her leg. Many people advised us to return her, but that was never really an option. She is now about 1 year old and she has lots of fun bouncing around and playing chase with my other dog. She is a very happy dog and she makes everyone around her happy as well.
I agree on that anti-stupid pet person! It's a sad fact that any dog, no matter what size, can either injure another or be injured if it's not looked after properly. Thinking back to the opposite problem...my dogs love other dogs, but my Redbone and my Pitbull/Walker Coonhound don't seem to think that anything cat-sized and smaller are really dogs; after all, they are coonhounds. I was out walking the Pit/Walker -- mind you, her back comes up almost to my hip, she's a BIG dog -- and this little dachsund came waddling right up to us. I immediately pulled my dog up and started looking for a way to cross the road when the dachsund's owner, who was sitting in the yard watching this all happen, said "Oh don't worry, she doesn't bite!".......I'm sorry to break it to the lady, but I wasn't really worried about her 7lb dog hurting my 120lb dog...why do people not think?
That said, I've known quite a few three-legged dogs and one three-legged cat in my life and they all seem to have forgotten that they ever had four :).
I"m sorry to hear about your dog,the owner are the one that give pit bad name I have one his good guy, but still , I make sure his on a lash . owners make the pit bad, I glad yur dog doing well she cute
our 2.2lbs chihauhua -Molly Mouse is going to have her right front leg amputated tomorrow. she broke two toes on Sept. 10, 2007. We visited two different vets. and have been seeing a surgerical vet who now feels there is nothing else to do but amputate. I am so sad for Molly, she is my baby. i am very scared that she will not make it thru the surgery. I have cried all weekend. Reading stories on the internet help but i am yet to find a dog as small as Molly that has gone thru this. Thank you for listening, Denise Hebert, Naples FL
Aww, Dee, I hope things worked out okay. I saw a show, Dogtown, on the National Geographic Channel that involved a front-leg amputation surgery on a shepherd mix - a much bigger dog than Yodi. It seemed like he had a hard time adjusting and learning how to cope. I almost think the smaller the dog, the better!
Yodi just went to the vet for his annual check-up and received a perfect bill of health! The vet said he is the poster boy for surviving an amputation.
I hope your baby girl made it through ok!
Our dogs should race. ;)
I have a terrier mix (rat & manchester, maybe?) missing a back leg, adopted from the SPCA when he was 5 months. He is amazing; he runs so fast that my husband says four legs is a design flaw.
The only time I'm reminded he's missing a leg is when he cuddles up and paws pathetically at his right ear. And even that is just for attention, because I've seen him scratch it with his left leg.
Best of luck to you and your puppy!
We adopted a three legged dog recently. She is one-year old. I went in to buy dog food and the three legged dog was attached to the counter. She was hit by a car and the owners could no longer take care of her. I was heart sick when I saw the dog. She's a little finish spitz/terrier combination - I think - I have two male Golden Retievers at my home, however, the last thing I needed was another dog. She is now the princess of our family and we love her to death. My only concern is that she sometimes seems to get very tired when eating her dinner and has to lay down i the middle of dinner. I am wondering if I should consider an orthotic? She runs very well - except she can't turn around. Any thoughts?
Gerri,
I've never considered an orthotic for my dog; he doesn't seem to have much trouble maneuvering or turning, so I wouldn't know what to suggest. However, for eating, I would consider maybe getting a higher food bowl, the kind that sits on a stand. Our terrier isn't really a big dog, but he does have long legs, and when his food bowl was on the floor, I noticed that he would kind of have to put his front leg kind of out to the side and lowering himself to the level of the food bowl just seemed kind of unnatural... We got him one where the dishes sit up off the ground in a little stand and it puts the dishes at a position where all he can stand straight up and just lower his head into the bowl. It seems more comfortable that way!
We had recently adopted a senior dog that had passed away after blood transfusions and extensive care at a animal hospital I knew I needed time to heal but I think it was Gods plan what happened next. My daughter saw a darling 3 legged chihuahua on petfinder She looked like our senior chihuahua that died. I saw her and it was instant love for Vitamin and me She was 3 lbs and so tiny. Her leg and shoulder were removed by a pound in Ca due to a severe broken leg She is only 3. She sleeps next to me as close as she can be. We have been together a month I also adopted a ten year old chihuahua with cataracts who mothers the young one They are both my blessings. Vitamin runs like she has 4 legs. At times she hops like a kangaroo.Its sad to know that any animal has to suffer You were brave to tackle a pitbull
I just finished reading your story and it was difficult because it was so much like what we went through. I even tried to kick the pit bull -- just like you did -- except you went a lot further. You're very brave. I'm glad you still have your dog. Thank you for sharing this with all of us.
My husband also had to choke the pit bull that was attacking our dog, it was the only way to get it to stop. Honestly, this isn't a irresponsible owner problem, its a pit bull problem. Other dogs just are not capable of the damage pit bulls do, nor do they not stop like that. The pit bull that attacked our dog was owned by a very responsible person, its just that sometimes accidents happen. And pit bulls are more likely than other breeds to break their containment - either climbing a fence or breaking a leash - because of their genetic drive to fight and kill other dogs. I've known so many people who have been hurt, or their children hurt, or their pets hurt, by pit bulls and I am just sick of it. No responsible, caring human being would own such a dog, I don't care what precautions they take, its not enough.
I'm glad your dog survived the attack and that you weren't the victim of redirected aggression. A pit bull killed two of my cats in my own yard so quickly I didn't have time to react at all. I have also suffered femoral artery damage and permanent nerve damage due to a pit attack. This is more than an irresponsible owner problem. It is a pit problem. The dogs are abnormally, genetically aggressive. Here is an excellent article written by an animal behaviorist with over three decades of experience in her field talking about this issue. Thanks for sharing your story. I know what you went through was very difficult.
I just read Yodi's story. I googled the subject because my dog was hit by car this morning, and is in surgery right now as I speak. He is a chihuahua named Eddie. His leg wore tore off completely when my mother found him in the street. She called me and said he was dead at first but then realized he was alive!! I am trying to gather as much info as possible because he is having his leg amputated. Its very painful for me to think of him having three legs, but all of the info on here is really encouraging. thanks for sharing your story! :)
Hey there, Rae... I don't know if you'll get this message or not, but hang in there!!! We weren't sure how life with Yodi on 3 legs would turn out, but we're so lucky to have had a successful outcome! Yodi's been on 3 legs now for almost 7 years! He's doing fantastic, and I hope your little guy comes through, too!
Check out Yodi's blog, http://lovemytripawed.blogspot.com
There are also some great websites out there for tripawed/tripod dogs. Google-search Handicapped Pets, Cassie's 3 Legged Dog Club, and there's even a blog network called Tripawds!
Thanks for the information. I got my new border collie, Twisty the first of June from the SPCA. He had been hit by a car in 11/09. The vet then put a pin in his front leg and wired up his mouth. The people couldn't afford the vet bill and didn't take him back. In June they took him and dropped him off at a another vet's office and they called the SPCA who had to take the dog to the emergency clinic. Both of these vets saw the exrays and knew the pin had slipped, meaning the leg had to come off. But instead I got him and 3 weeks later find out. How can people be so stupid?
Our lovely Cocker Spaniel has just had surgery today to remove a back leg due to cancer. From our point of view, the tripawds site is so reassuring to us, hearing other stories.
my dog is also suffering from this only and in an accident he lost his front 2 legs.then we go to a vetnery doctor for asking what to do for him.he told us to do operate my dog legs.we get ready to do this for our dog sake.after operation doctor says to us that your dog can run as he ran before.then we went to doctor at alternate days for his dressing but after 7to8 months later doctor said that he won't be able to walk on his front 2 legs without any support.but our family thought that we will keep him only with his bck 2 legs.now we take him to doctor in every week for my dog dressing.now 2 years were gone for us for doing this only. if any body got a solution for it then please comment.
my dog got attacked and i saved her :D! now she got three legs n shes old like 6-7 years old
Can your dog still hump or try to? Can it still breed?
It was his leg that was amputated, not his manly parts. Yep, he's still fully functional.
Ihave a 18 month old rat terrier that broke her leg 2 weeks ago. she has been ina cast but xrays this morning show no signs of healing. It is her hind leg and she has been doing fine with the cast and I know she will do fine as a tripaw, but making the decision is just about breaking my heart. We could try the pin but of course there is no guarantee so I am sure the choice will be to remove the leg......guess I'll try to get a second opinion first......wish me luck
Good luck, DEB. I hope things turn out for the best for you and your pup!
i never really thought there was alot of 3 legged animals out there... last spring.. april 30th 2010 my 5 pound yorkie poo was attacked by a germinsheppered (160lb) dog grabbed her right out of my husbands hands and ran down the street shaking her like a rage doll broke her left leg, rib cage and a tooth went through her left leg ( no one new) we went to a vet and she staight over night and was release to come home bc they didnt think she would make it... may 5 she went and had two majo surgery done that removed her left leg shoulder and part of her left lunch.. 2 days later she was release to come home .. no one could believe how well she recovered and to this day she proves that shes the same tyra as before and she still puts me to shame runs circles around me and still does not back down to other dogs.. lol and its funny how u think its them who need the care and have ppl stay its going to be okay but i truly believe it was the other way around ... she showed me that everything was going to be okay ... and i thank god.. that shes here with me... shes turning 3 this march and she never lets anything hold her back..
Great story, I love three-legged dogs! We had our own three legged dog for some years, unfortunately she was born with an inbreeding problem, and was brought to the vet clinic to be put to sleep. She was so cute and fluffy we took her home!
Our favourite patient was actually a TWO-legged dog, one front leg and one back leg!
He had fallen off a ute, and was terribly injured.
With the strong misgivings of the wife of the family, Jed had two really intensive operations, including a hip reconstruction on his surviving back leg.
It was a worry when we had to carry him in and out of the vet hospital every day for fresh air. He really did look sick and weak.
Now he tears up and down behind his farmgate chasing the cars going by! I think the mother of the family was happy how it turned out in the end.
He is a seriously tough dog.
We had a tool poodle at one time when I was growing up called midge. Midge walked on three legs all his life and lived well into his early teens.
Midge had a malformed knee cap on one of his back legs which meant he couldn't put any weight on it. Midge was born that way and never knew any other way of walking.
I'm glad your dog is doing well and seems to have survived well. You can expect your dog to live long.
I'm so happy I just read ure story. My 2 year old 13 pound rat terrier named Niko just got hit by a car 2 days ago. My boyfriend came home from work early and went to click him on his runner however he wasn't latched and he pulls because hes a very hyper ready to go type of dog. He ran right out into the street and got hit by a person that all our neighbors yell at to slow down. He didnt stop, he knew he hit him too. When i got home from work an hour later my boyfriend told me he had bad news. I lost it. His back right leg was so swollen. I have no kids so he literally is my child. He sleeps with me everynite and is always by our sides. We took him to the vets and they told us to get ahold of them the next day and theyd tell us what was up. The femur bone was broken so badly that they couldn't fix it there. So they gave us 3 options....to have them refer us to a place that could do it giving him an artificial bone, amputate, or death(yeah right...like u said.) We wanted to take the referal however we can't afford it. So he's scheduled for the amputation surgery here in 3 and a half hours. I can't sleep. The vets keep assuring me he'd live a happy healthy life but i still hurt inside. He does many tricks as well, however he does circles, and hops, and walks on his back paws. I'll miss that but he will still be able to do the others. Thank u so much for this u put my heart at ease.
Marissa, I hope you read this! Please know that your little guy should come through with flying colors! It's amazing how quickly they can bounce back after that surgery. Both our vet and the surgeon that did the amputation warned us that the whole procedure would probably be harder on my husband and I than it would be on our dog, and they were right. I still think back and wonder if we could've done something to protect our dog from the pit bull, and I even wonder if we hadn't been so far out into the country and could've gotten to an emergency vet sooner if things would be different... and I definitely don't like to think of how Yodi was hurting after the accident/before his surgery.... but seeing him now makes all the difference in the world!
Yodi doesn't act like he has three legs, and I'm pretty sure he's just as fast (if not faster) than when he had four legs. He gets on and off our furniture with no problem, still runs and catches, swims (with a life vest) and he even still DIGS, with one front paw, in the back yard. Yodi lost his leg about 7 years ago.
He's eight now, and is more active, bouncy, and hyper than other dogs his age. I'm happy with our decision and how things have turned out. I wish the best for you and your dog, too!
Our springer spaniel was knocked down by a car on Friday evening and had surgery on Saturday afternoon to remove his right front leg as it was too badly shattered for the vet to salvage. He came back home to us last nite but he is just so sad. He is not making much attempt to get up except when we encourage him and take him outside for toileting. Should we encourage him to get up more or just let him do it in his own time? We have been using a towel like a sling under his wee tummy to help to support him to stand and hop. He hasnt had a bowel movement yet. Bit concerned how he's going to manage that. He doesnt mind us holding him while he pees but think the other might be more of a problem. Any suggestions?
I'm sorry to hear that your dog is having some trouble adjusting! Have you spoken to your vet about it? I would suggest letting your dog get used to it on his own time... We were pretty cautious when we first brought Yodi home from the hospital and didn't want him to be too rambunctious. We were afraid he'd hurt the wound from his surgery or do something to all the stitches and staples that he had. He was pretty quiet for a couple days or so, although he'd go outside and do his business on his own and would walk/hop to lean against the wall and scratch the itches under his bandages/dressings. He had a stick-on patch for pain medicine, which made him pretty drowsy, too. Then the next thing we knew he was jumping on the couch to sit with us and into bed with us at night!
I'm hopeful and confident that he will come around, but I'd most definitely check with the vet! Is your dog on any pan meds or a patch or anything like that? Is he eating okay?
Very touching! I love your dog Yodi, he is sooo sweet! Glad he is ok!
pitt bulls aren't horrible dogs all of you "dog lovers" need to realize maybe its the person fault yes there are stupid owners but something someone does to set a pit off will set any other dog off too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a three legged rat terrier also! She's missing her front right leg. It's really amazing how quickly they recover from the surgery! Good luck with Yodi!
Hi, my Lilly, a Rat Terrier, just had three pups today. I was shocked to see one is them is missing the same front leg as Yodi. I've been really upset about it and worrying that Lilly won't feed it properly. It looks like she might be denying it acess to eat. Any ideas?
Here's a link to some information about nursing newborn puppies. http://puppymilk.org/nursing.htm While it doesn't necessarily talk about an injured pup not being able to feed, it does give some advice on what to do if a mom is reluctant to feed... "If mom won't cooperate, you may have to gently hold her and tell her stay. Many dams won't cooperate immediately. What is happening is the sucking is producing hormonal changes in the mother. She begins producing a hormone called "prolactin" which all mammals produce. It's the mothering hormone responsible for making her love, protect and WANT to feed her babies. It has side benefits in that it helps mom's uterus contract faster and produces a feeling of calm and confidence in taking care of her puppies. A prolactin rush will make the mom sleepy, content and happy. It is important she feels safe and unstressed as well, since stress will ultimately make the milk come in slower. If your dam needs privacy, keep other dogs in the household out of her "puppy room". She needs to relax to have a good milk supply (although it will come in regardless). In the first 24-48 hours most of the sucking is unproductive in the sense that the puppies are only obtaining a few drops, but from a future production standpoint, it makes all the difference. You MUST let them have this unscheduled, uninterrupted sucking for the mother to produce enough milk. If you supplement, the puppies will not suck so vigorously and less milk will come in. It is NORMAL for nursing puppies to lose 1-3 ounces in weight before they begin to gain. It will not hurt them. Some puppies will gain right away, but most do not. They are born with an extra layer of fat in their bodies for this reason, to hold them over till the milk comes in. It is at this point many breeders and vets panic. They feel the mom has not "fed" the puppies for 2 days so must begin supplementing. But colostrum is very rich in nutrients and very concentrated, so they need no more than this. Have faith in nature!" However, I'm not a vet and haven't ever dealt with a nursing litter, so I would definitely check with your vet and see what they would advise you to do!
hey i just picked up a dog from the rspca i fell in love with her straight away ..she absolutly georgous. She a 3 legged staffy x ridgeback i think. My baby lost her leg to her previous owner who beat her luckily she was saved by the rspca but they couldnt save her leg. she is so full of energy and fun is fantastic with my kids and playful with other dogs. i have no idea what possessed her previous human to do such a thing to her.
Hello I recently lost my 3 yr old chiuhua and we are looking for a new friend for my other chiuhua he broke his leg but he got to keep it. We came across a 18 month yr old chiuhua who has 3 legs but we were wondering if he could still run and swim we are unsure about the medical needs as well. we have 2 cats and 1 dog at the moment.
I wouldn't see why a three-legged chihuahua couldn't run and swim. Just try it, always supervise, and see!
I'm very sorry for what u went thru! Not cool at all. And to the people who are blaming Pittbull, how dare you? All dogs can attack at any time. I own a 2 year old American rednose Pittbull. The worse so they say. And he is the sweetest boy and he is a sissy. It is not true that their jaws are stronger. They r strong dogs but maybe u should take a look at the owners and the breeders. People are screwing these dogs and do your research before you bad talk this breed.
My dog just recently lost one rear leg after being hit by a car. I was devastated at first but I'm feeling much better now that she's running again and going up and down the stairs. She still can jump up on he bed but I hope that she will one day. It happen when she slipped through a small opening in the fence at a friend's house. I agree, I mostly feel sad that she had to go through such a bad experience. The screams I heard come from her turned my blood cold, she ran to me with this horrified look on her face. I'm glade she returning to normal. My little girl Kuemi, The Three Legged Wonder Dog.
I'm glad she's adjusting... I swear, I think it's harder on us than it is on them. We have to remember what they went through. :( It's hard to believe it, but my dog Yodi is going to be 10 years old soon - he was only 9 months old when it happened.
Yesterday my mixed dog, Moose(1.5 years old), was hit by a car while chasing a cat. His right rear hip/leg was broken in 6 different places and they were not clean breaks. We decided to go with amputation. What should we expect?
It's hard to say what to expect with Moose. When Yodi had his surgery, he was up and walking around right afterwards, like nothing had happened. He's going on ten years old now and has never had any complications or difficulty with mobility.
With that said, I've seen (on a TV show) a dog that was the same age, with the same front left leg amputation have more difficulty getting around and adjusting - but it was also a much bigger dog, so I don't know if that had anything to do with the dog's difficulty.
After the surgery, your vet will most likely give your dog pain meds or a pain patch to wear, and you'll have to take him to the vet to have dressings changed and stuff. But when your dog feels better, you'll know. I was very concerned about Yodi trying to jump on and off furniture and hurting himself - but all of a sudden, he did it with no problem.
There are lots of three-legged dog web pages out there that can provide more information and support! Search for Cassie's Three Legged Dog Club and Handicapped Pets.
I wonder if it was a lab or any other sort of dog that you would have written the breed so many times. Not only do I own a 3 legged dog, but I also have a 9 pound chihuahua and GASP and 70 pound pit bull, who by the way was saved from someone who was trying to train her to fight. After some responsibile socializing she loves other dogs. Any breed of dog is capable to causing harm to other dogs. Blame bad owners not dogs, pit bulls are NOT "genetically" mean its bad owners who don't socialize or train them properly.
Not being anti-pit bull, just stating a fact and the events of that evening. It was a pit bull that attacked my dog when he was just a puppy. Whatever breed of dog it was, whether it be Doberman, Great Dane, Maltese, or Poodle, I would've called it what it was. And nowhere did I say that pit bulls are "genetically" mean. I didn't really give any opinion on pit bulls or pit bull owners at all; the only thing I did was describe my experience.
spryte Level 2 Commenter 3 years ago
What a cool little dog. Our family dog was a chihuahua/rat terrier mix named Penny...so I'm partial to smart little dogs. I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like to have your dog attacked right in front of you and not being sure what to do. Penny was attacked once by our neighbor's dog...not a pitbull...just a foul tempered Pekinese mix that took a dime-sized chunk of flesh out of Penny's flank. After taking her to the vet and getting her stitched up, my brother put on his pointy toed cockroach killers, walked into the neighbors back yard...and gave the neighbor's dog a good swift pointy-toed kick in the ass. Their dog never strayed into our yard again.