My cat’s only got 3 legs (she lost the rear back one as a baby) and she can do anything a regular cat can do (except scratch her left ear, so we do that for her). She doesn’t seem to know or care, except maybe when our other cat bites her stump (she hates that!)
I’ve seen lots of tripod dogs, and I’ll agree with everyone else that it will probably be easier for your dog to adjust to a back leg missing than a front leg.
I just wanted to wish Presley and you good luck!
Tripod Dog or Three Legged Wunderhund would be an excellent user name!
Another Border Collie owner here. Your dog will be fine on three legs. I know of several Border Collies with three, and even two legs. Give Presley a scratch on the nose for me.
How are things going?
The worst part is over. The surgery went well, they didn’t just cut the bone, they dislocated the leg and removed the entire thing from the hip. He was up and walking the next day. He’s been good about not licking his stitches, but he has been very depressed and moody. I kinda wish he wasn’t so intelligent, so he could go back to being happy go lucky. Instead, I can tell that he’s been bummed. The pain at the stitches was pretty intense at first, and there was a lot of swelling, so he really had a hard time sitting or lying down. He’s always been a counter clockwise dog, spinning that direction before sitting down. Only, if he tries that now, he ends up on his stictches, so he pops right back up again. Sometimes he paces until he’s exhausted because he doesn’t want to sit down.
Then this morning, he wouldn’t go outside for his morning pee. To make matters worse, my wife is out of town so he’s moody because of that too. He didn’t want to go, so when I used my master voice, he growled and barred his teeth. Whoa. That isn’t my dog. So this morning I was wondering if I should have put him down, but when I came home, my happy dog was back. I don’t know if it was the drugs or what. He actually finished them yesterday, but he could very well be going through withdrawl.
So I guess the story isn’t over yet. But it’s only been 12 days, so I’m expecting sometime before he even gets back close to normal.
We’re really growing up as a board: not one joke yet about the rock in the box!
One of the two best dogs ever (because they were mine of course) lost his right front leg when he was two. He lived to be eleven and, after the initial adjustment period (twelve days is not enough to make a judgment about the successful adjustment your dog will make) he got around like any other pup, and yes, he too even learned how to bury stuff again. Give your pal a few months to become completely adjusted to tripod status. We always say “in no time” but actually “no time” took a while until he was back to 100%. When my husband was told Beave would have to lose the leg, he came home and said we had to make “a decision”. I told him I hoped he never had to consider the amputation of one of my limbs and there was no decision except Visa or Mastercard. Give your friend some time, love and patience and he’ll be just fine. He’s smart and he loves you, if you follow his lead I bet you’ll both be rewarded.
Yeah, give it a little time. That your happy dog was back, and with the drugs, I’d say you have a really good chance of being normal again.
Between the drugs, the pain, and the adjustment of having to learn how to move about sans a limb, it’s no surprise that he’s a little testy. But give him some time (and love), and I suspect he’ll pull out of his funk.
Not that this is in any way comperable, but I had a dog who broke his claw once, so that it was hanging, very painfully (think of your toenail hanging on, causing pain every time you move.) I tried to remove it, as it was in the evening and the vet didn’t want to make an emergency visit for a nail. At one point, he snapped and bit me right through the web of the hand. It was purely out of pain and fear; he was terribly fearful that I was going to punish him for it. He (and I) spent the rest of the night, him wimpering and being fitful, me sitting beside him and trying to make him comfortable by immobilizing the leg. Once the claw was snipped off (the next day at the vet’s office) he was back to normal, if slightly abashed by the biting incident. (Seriously, he understood; he didn’t want to play wrestle or tug until I made it clear that all was okay and he wasn’t in any trouble.)
Give it some time and I think (I hope) it’ll all work out fine.
Stranger
I’ve been thinking about Presley and wondering how he is doing.
Maybe if you just sit down on the floor and talk to him.
“Y’know, Pres, you can lick your balls much easier now…and this is the thanks I get?”
Man-Dog Moments.
I’ve known two tripods - one is one of the dogs my parents have now, Peanut. He’s been missing a front leg since before we got him. He was part of a litter at a construction site, and his leg was injured somehow, so it was removed when he was just a puppy. He runs around like a maniac, and is very fast. He’s never missed the leg as far as I know.
For a pic, scroll a little more than halfway down this page, it’s the one with the guy (my dad) in a Christmas hat with two dogs, called Peanut and Jaluca Christmas 2004 (Warning: this is a dog rescue site with many pics of cute little puppies and kittens (and older ones too) to be adopted - don’t blame me if you cant resist adopting a few!)
The second tripod I knew belonged to my roommate’s family. She had a back leg missing (I forget why), and she got around fine, even in her old age. I never saw her run around much, but she was old when I met her. Otherwise, she was fine and happy.
Sorry to hear Presley’s been miserable. Just an operation in itself though can have a depressing effect. Sounds like he is starting to bounce back. Is it possible to take him somewhere for a change of scene, or maybe get him some new toys to cheer him up? Give him a hug from me.