Three good legs

Sorry I don't post much on dogs, I don't get to see my Autumn much since I'm in my last semester of college. Autumn's right rear leg has been bothering her a lot in the past few weeks. She slipped on the ice the other day I'm told and hasn't put much weight on it since. Today of course she was running around like a puppy because I came home for the weekend, but she's still limping. This has been an ongoing problem since we got her as a puppy, but never this bad. Its mostly her lower leg/ankle, not her hip or anything like that. I'm thinking if I ever have extra money saved up I might try some sort of non-traditional therapy. Does acupuncture work long-term or do you have to do continuing treatment?

Before you try anything it would be advisable to find out what's causing her to limp. It may be something that Accupuncture won't help. Leaving an old injury undiagnosed and untreated can lead to permanent problems.

Best of luck to you and your kitty! My tripawds website is mostly about three-legged dogs, but we hope all the fun movies and helpful health care tips provide support and inspiration to anyone coping with their pet's loss of a limb. Just remember ... It's better to hop on three legs than limp on four!

She's been to two vets. Neither really found anything wrong. She's just had a bad ankle joint from day one. I know dogs do ok with three legs, but I'm not sure how she'd cope if it ever got that far. She's had a bad back too and she needs the sore leg for stability. Poor thing just got the lion's share of issues from bad breeding most likely.

One thing you could do for her yourself is massage. I've seen what a huge difference it makes for my crochety old lady, Star. Star LOVES it, and afterwards she's more relaxed, and less stiff. The effects seem to start to fade after a day or so.

Wilbur too has always had a limp. X-rays revealed what looks like an old injury from a car. A Glucosamine supplement each morning helps him, but doesn't totally eliminate the limp. Massage has helped with him too.