m-j Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Hi On Tuesday my poor boy Boof has had to have his left front leg amputated as he smashed his shoulder very badly while doing zoomies, reconstruction was not an option. Now I'm wondering are there supplements I can give him to help his right leg cope better with the extra strain. cheers M-J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Ouch ! Poor boy... All I can suggest is to keep him very lean ..and once the wound has healed, to gradually build up his general fitness . Hope all goes well , and that he doesn't have too many nose dives getting used to being a tripod ! You may also see some interesting re-learning if the leg he lifts to pee is opposite to the amputation ...as he won't have that leg to bear weight ..and will learn to either lift the other leg, or squat ... thinking of you- and him. I always worry about shoulders when zoomies involve crashes .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 (edited) I grew up with a three legged dog (Border CollieX). She had one of her front legs amputated after being hit by a car (no fences in those days and she was being looked after by someone while we were away). They adapt quite well. She could outrun our other dogs with no trouble! She developed very good shoulder muscles to compensate. Main thing is to keep them lean and feed a good healthy diet (as you would for any dog). Fish oil and Vit C if you really want to add something. She lived to a ripe old age with never any mobility issues (apart from the fact that she was missing a leg - but don't tell her that ) On a side note, I used to groom an old GSD with one rear leg amputated. It also didn't hold him up too much and he had no more issues than many GSD his age (and a lot less than some). Funniest thing was to watch him cock his leg to go to the toilet. Yes, that is right, he would cock his ONE rear leg so he was going standing on his front legs only! Edited October 29, 2011 by espinay2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 I've started the Blackmores PAW range of osteosupport on an oldie with stiff hind legs and saw a difference. Now planning to start my own three legged boy on the same - he's fine but like you I worry about the increased wear and tear on his other joints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-j Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 Thank you for your replies and support Yes it is interesting watching him try to go to the toilet, but he is getting there. I think I'm more worried than he is :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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