Three legged dogs for hunting!?!

[RBB Roper]

Okay I have a serious question. I bought a young male cur dog last September and he has super star potential wrote all over him he's really been coming along nicely has struck a couple of hogs for me and is my go to in runner country. But about six weeks ago his front right shoulder swelled up at first I thought it was a broken shoulder but the vet said no its an abscess or possible spider bite and leave it alone and let it run it's course while on antibiotic. Did that the swelling popped and drained and within a week it was healing that was 3 weeks in the making. He has lost all mobility and muscle mass in the leg but still has feeling. My question is do I have leg amputated and hunt him pen dog him or something or do I put him down?

[spazhogdog]

Can he move it at all or just hold it up and not bear weight on it? The muscle mass you are talking about is it in the shoulder or the upper part of his leg?

[BarrNinja]

A dog man once said, "I rather feed a good 3 legged dog than sorry 4 legged one". I had to agree.

What was the vets take on amputation?

[MrsLouisianaHogDog]

Is it causing him pain? Did your vet to x-rays? I'd have x-rays done and based on those results, I'd have it amputated if it were me. I bet he'd hunt just fine! I have seen MANY a three legged dog haul arse and I bet it wouldn't hinder him any!

[dwhd93]

Well if it was me I'd have it amputated let him get used to just 3 legs then hunt him probly won't have as much wind as before. And if he's as good as yo say then y cull him?

[RBB Roper]

He holds it up or it just stays up I can't really pin point that one, and from time to time I think I see him moving the foot but when I stop to look it doesn't happen again. No there were no X-rays done. The loss of muscle is on the shoulder it's now nothing but skin over bone that's how it feels. He doesn't act like it hurts him what so ever he bounces around and raises hell when we leave without him. I have pinched the toes and he will wince. I don't want to cull him what's so ever but I'm trying to look at it from a what's fair to him standpoint. I have not asked the vet about amputation yet and nor has he sugested it as an option. But that was 2 weeks ago. I appreciate yalls feed back.

[jimco]

Let me just throw something out there to you. You said he still has feeling in his foot and leg which is a good sign. He MAY have lost mobility and muscle mast because of a condition caused atrophy. It happens from different things but one of the things that causes
atrophy is lack of use of a limb and muscles associated with that limb. If this is the case you will have to physically move the leg back and forth and get his range of motion back first. Then start exercising him and he will build back muscle. All this will take a lot of time and effort on your part.  Let me give you an example of my experience with atrophy. I fell off a roof and totally separated my shoulder. I Went through surgery and they put me in a sling block with no movement what so ever of my arm for 6 weeks. When they removed the sling block my arm was locked and no way to move it. By not using the arm and muscle for 6 weeks it caused it to lock solid. This is called
atrophy. My muscles in that arm really shrank. It took a few months of physical therapy with him pulling and stretching to get my arm to loosen up and get my range of motion back. After that I worked on building back the muscle.
         Maybe this is the case with your dog. Maybe not. But I wouldn't rush to amputate his leg. Bring him back to the vet and let him decide what course of action to take. Sorry for the long winded reply but I thought it might be helpful. Keep us posted.

[RBB Roper]

Jimco, no need to apologize for a long winded reply, you have brought up a point that I haven't thought about.   I'm going to call the vet today and set up an appointment to go back in. I'll keep y'all posted on his progress, if anybody else has thoughts or suggestions please post. Thanks again!

[RyanTBH]

Hey roper, I am speaking from experiance when saying this... if that dog has feeling in the leg, he is not chewing at it, and has some movement in it still I would wait to amputate. The amputaion process is a long and hard one, and only a strong dog will survive. If I've read correctly, you said that it was his front leg? That is a little different IMO than a back leg. They use their front legs a lot for balance, and climbing up creeks, and ect. I had a dog get tusked in the rear, and I HAD to get his leg cut off. BUT I did this because he could not feel nor use his leg any more, and started chewing at it. I ran 4 rounds of steroids through him and probably 5 rounds of anitbiotics, and still had to get it amputated. SO, if it were me and my dog, especially if he is a good one, I would try everything you possibly can before getting it cut off. Ask the vet for a round of steroids and see if that and antis will get him going. I will say though, if you do have a good dog then I would only amputate if you absolutely have to. If you think that he is strong enough to push through the procedure, if he ends up needing it, then yes, do it.... just know that it is going to be a long road. And btw, he still gets around good, but his was his back leg... so I don't know about the front. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Good dogs are good dogs, and you'd like to be able to keep em all around forever. Just, IMO, there is a point to where you have to decide wether you are doing it for the dog, or for yourself.

This is Diablo right after the surgery.


This is Diablo after the surgery. 

[Logan-99]

ive hunted behind a 3 legged catch dog and he was faster than all the bay dogs! i guess that extra weight was holding him down but really nothing should be wrong

[cajunl]

I have had both. I have a 3 legged dog now. 

With a front leg gone he will never have the stamina or endurance to hunt like you want him.


But there should be no reason to take off the leg unless there is nerve damage. Everything else should heal.

[dub]

If he is that good you could always use him for breeding. If the genes are there an injury does not change that. I know I have said it on here but I duck hunted with a guy that put life jackets on his dogs. So if a gator pulled them under they would float up and after a few tries the gator would give up. I told him the dog would be chewed up and no good even with the life jacket. H esaid he could still use them for breeding because he liked the genes.

Hopefully you can save the leg but even if he can't hunt you can still have a use for him. like Ninja said

A dog man once said, "I rather feed a good 3 legged dog than sorry 4 legged one". I had to agree.

[-JB-]

i have a 3 legged red cur dog about 5 yrs old that lost his back leg and he will hunt his butt off, slowed him down on his speed but not on how far he hunts out or how long he travels to stay with a hog.... 3 legged dogs make great puppy trainers since they dont just run off and leave em behind!!!

[spazhogdog]

Being this is a recent injury you really might consider some phyical therapy.  We had a dog with her achilles cut into, after surgery, cast 5 weeks, 2 weeks rest and 5 weeks of swimming in a pool and then hand walking to we got her back to about 90%.  I know if you had access to lasar therapy it helps speed healing. Swimming might help him but if you do, I would take it real slow and maybe help support him till he can move his leg.  Just a suggestion.  Let us know what the vet said to do.

[SwampHunter]

physical thearpy , belive me i had tore all the legiments in my leg had surgey an couldnt move  my leg for about 3 weeks an lost about 90 percent of the muscule in it , couldnt hardly move it up after the 3 weeks i had physical thearpy for 3 times a week for like 3 months an it is almost as stong as it was before now , he might not be strong enough to move it , move it for him for a few days ana bet he will start useing it a little more

[RBB Roper]

Hey guys I just wanted to give y'all an update. The vet is on the fence about amputation doesn't think we need to go that drastic just yet because nothing is broke (x-rays showed nothing) and he still has feeling all thru it. I asked about the physical therapy and she agreed stretching it and walking him to try and encourage him to use it. Which I have started. She wants to reevaluate in 30 days and see if any changes if not then we will prolly resort to amputation. Thanks for all the advice and input stayed tuned and I'll try and keep updates posted. Thanks again