Thursday, May 26, 2011

Helping Your Dog Adjust After Losing A Leg

By Billie Johnson


My wife and I adopted a poor dog from a local shelter. We aren't aware of its breed, and it doesn't really matter. It was very friendly and even though it only had three legs, he needed a good home and so we got him.

The dog we adopted had to be amputated since it had its leg badly injured after a car accident. The vet decided that it should have an amputation. We actually hesitated since we didn't have prior knowledge on how to deal with a dog who lost a leg. But that didn't become a hindrance for us to love the poor dog. We thoroughly researched and asked our vet to learn how to deal with the newest member of our family.

The first thing that always surfaced during the course of our research was that why amputations had to happen. We discovered that dogs are rarely born like this. Amputations usually happen because of accidents or diseases such as bone cancer. since bone cancer can be very painful, amputations are the only thing that could relief the dog. It is usually the best option for the dog.

Although hearing that your pet might need surgery or an amputation will undoubtedly fill your heart and mind with fear and anxiety, let me try to relieve some stress by saying three legged dogs live extremely fulfilling lives. After the rehabilitation period has ended and they get used to their new life, their attitude will never show that they could of ever had such a traumatic physical problem in the first place.

The period of rehabilitation will not eat up a long time since dogs cope faster than humans. They eventually move on and if they are just always healthy, they will live long lives.

The dogs are tougher and are capable of assimilating the situation in a better light than us. They will need about a week or two to be completely finished with their rehabilitation program.

So if amputation is in your dogs future, take a moment and breathe, and remember that your dog will adapt and still be the same happy companion you've always known, even after the "traumatic" surgery.




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