Having to make the decision to remove one of your pet’s legs can be one of the most difficult decisions you’ll ever make. You know it’s for the right reasons – often to save their life. But you’re torn, because on the other hand, you’ll be wondering how this will affect their ongoing quality of life. Will they still be able to do the things they used to? You might even be wondering if they’ll hate you for taking their leg from them!
The good news is that most dogs and cats do surprisingly well after an amputation. We find that it’s often a lot more difficult for the owner to come to terms with the situation, than it is for the dog. After a few weeks of adjusting, they’ll be getting around completely oblivious to the fact that they’re one leg short.
Despite how well they recover, this doesn’t mean we should ignore what else is going on in their body in the long run. Ultimately, dogs and cats were made to be on 4 legs, and when one goes missing they’ll forever compensate.
In dogs and cats, limb amputation will lead to changes in the biomechanics and weight distribution of the remaining limbs. Many pet owners will comment that ‘they’re not straight anymore’, but it’s important to understand that this is their new position – if you put their legs back where they used to be they’ll fall over!
Here are some of the key changes that will occur
The remaining leg at the end with the amputation will come under the body to sit in the midline, like a tripod. For dogs with a forelimb amputation the hind legs tend to go into a wider stance.
This can be hard to describe without overcomplicating it, but the difference will be obvious.
Movements that used to be simple will now be challenging. These will differ a fair bit between forelimb and hindlimb amputees.
Scoliosis might sound bad, but it’s not necessarily so. Scoliosis simply means a ‘bend in the spine’. In this case it’s something we’d call a ‘functional scoliosis’ because it’s a way of them adapting, or compensating for asymmetries outside of the spine.
The twisting and bending that will happen are so your pet can stand up without falling over, to adapt to walking on 3 legs and to distribute pressure as evenly as possible.
The leg next to the missing one will cop a lot more pressure on an ongoing basis, in all of the joints from the paw, right up to where the limb attaches to the spine.
Your pet’s strength and endurance will not be what it once was. They certainly won’t be able to walk as far in the early days, however over time they will adapt and be much more capable.
This depends whether it’s a dog or a cat.
Generally speaking, it will be more difficult for a dog to lose a forelimb. This is because dogs shift most of their body weight forwards (about 60%), so when one forelimb is amputated, the other one has a lot of extra lifting to do.
Conversely, a hind-limb amputation is a little easier for them.
Cats on the other hand are able to use their hind legs a bit more, have a more flexible spine and are known for their balance and agility, allowing them to compensate better for a forelimb amputation. You may find that they also adapt to any limb amputation quicker than than a dog.
Arthritis, muscle tension and the general aches and pains that dogs and cats will experience after amputation can be mitigated with appropriate management. This includes rehabilitation/physical therapy, weight management, supplementation and pain management.
A typical approach for our amputation patients is to see our patients soon after surgery for initial consult where we will:
Our follow-up consults can be tailored depending on what’s most important to the pet and owner. Some of the things we’ll look at are:
We understand every patient and owner’s needs are different – some will want or need to come in more frequently, some less. We’ll work around what’s best for your individual situation.
