Hello everyone! My name is Jenny and I volunteer to foster Great Pyrenees in my home. This past Monday, 11/16, I picked up our newest foster. She came into our rescue group from another state as an Owner Surrender. Who knows her true past and frankly, it might be too sad to hear. When she arrived at our vet her left rear foot was missing and oozing with sores. Not sure if she was born this way or an accident happened, but she appears to have been through a lot in her short life span. On Thursday, 11/12, they amputated her entire leg. She came through surgery with flying colors. Bella Grace has been doing well with her movements and balancing is getting better. With the pain management we are on currently, I feel confident that she will only get stronger. I would like to learn as much as I can to help her and assist her so she can have a full and fun life ahead. She is really underweight right now and I want to focus on beefing her up and getting her comfortable with three legs. Any and all suggestion are appreciated. I was asked today at work would I get her fit for a prosthetic. Is this something we should look into with her being a larger dog and the possible issues down the road with her front legs maintain most of the weight? So many questions and so much to learn. We are on day 3 with her in our home and we have fallen in love with her!
Welcome and thanks for sharing your story! Search the forums and bookmark the Reading List to learn the most you can about recovery and care, or consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers. Overwhelmed? Start here.
Prosthetics must be planned for far ahead of amputation. For complete details about orthotics for pets, watch our Orthopets Video Interviews.
Hi Jenny and Bella!
Bella is certainly a lucky girl to have found you. I’ve been pawrent to three Pyr mixes (including my current boy Toby) and one Pyr so I know how they worm their way into your heart. Ellie was our 100lb Pyr mix who lost a left rear leg to OSA. She adapted really well to 3 legs, including still going up stairs two at a time! The best suggestions I can give are to make sure you have non-slip flooring everywhere Bella is likely to go and to learn some basic massage and stretching. We wish we had done more (and earlier) with Ellie. Keeping her a bit under weight is also a good idea.