Our question this week was:

Dr. Debra My cat has lost his front left limb. He does not have much of a stump and when walks his front is low to the ground. I am frighten this will twist his back and cause the other front limb to wear excessively which I feel will shorten his life span. Is there any artificial solution?

Jane Carter

Answer

Hi Jane– thanks for your email. You wrote that your cat has 3 legs – he has lost is left front leg. Certainly when an animal has 3 legs – there is more wear on those 3 than normal but most pets do great. Both dogs and cats. I don’t know how awkward your cat is or how recent his leg loss but most cats really do very well. In fact, I have seen some cats run and had to do a double take to even realize they were 3-legged.

As far as the back – secondary back injuries from a gait problem are very common in people but relatively rare in dogs. And..there is really nothing you can do.

As far as “artificial solutions” – it is possible for animals to have prosthesis but it is very uncommon. They often don’t deal with them well and they can be hard to fit. However, if this is something that interests you – I’d recommend that you go to a college of veterinary medicine closest to you and discuss this with the orthopedic surgeon there. They should know your options for your particular situation.

If you don’t know where your closest school is – ask your veterinarian.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra