Amputation

What is amuputation?

Amputation of body parts is often performed in dogs and cats. In this case we are talking about amputation of body parts for medical reasons, such as severe damage or tumours, rather than fashion reasons, such as in tail docking, ear cropping, declawing in cats or the removal of dew claws in dogs.

Will amputation affect my pet?

Most owners are shocked when amputation is suggested by the vet. This is because the procedure is thought of as having severe psychological consequences, at least in humans. Pets are not affected by this and will often have totally normal and happy lives after amputation of body parts. This includes toes, legs, tails (or part thereof), ears, nails etc. We will describe all of those in turn.

Why is amputation performed?

Toes are sometimes amputated when they are severely damaged, for instance after a road traffic accident, or affected by a persistent infection or tumour. Most dogs and cats will cope perfectly well with one or even several toes less than normal. The procedure is comparatively simple and most patients will walk normally within days.

An entire leg can be amputated as well. This can be a front leg or a hind leg. This is done for the same reasons as those mentioned for toes. Cats especially are very good at coping with three legs. They will often be able to jump and run, even climb trees, within days to weeks. In dogs, the larger breeds have more difficulty with coping on three legs, but it is never impossible. It is a prerequisite though that the disease process does not severely affect any other parts of the body, and that the other legs are strong enough to carry the entire weight of the animal. In nearly all cases, amputation of a single leg is a better option than euthanasia, which is often the only other ‘treatment’ option open to the patient. Tail amputations are performed for several reasons. Again, severe damage and tumours are common reasons. Paralysis is also a common reason though, especially in cats. Cats can be suffering from paralysed tails after accidents, where damage has been done to the pelvic area, involving the nerve supply to the tail. Some cats will get some feeling back in the tail, but if they do not, the tail can be easily damaged, causing possible further problems for the cat involved. Therefore, it is often suggested to amputate permanently paralysed tails in cats. In cases of damage or tumours, only the affected part of the tail needs to be removed. Most vets will try and save as much of the tail as possible.

Ears are sometimes amputated, or parts of them, especially in cats. Again, damage or tumours are possible reasons, but in cats there is another: cats, especially white ones, can be affected by sunburn, to the extent where the earflap is severely burned and infected. They can also have a certain type of skin cancer, which requires amputation of the ear flap. Apart from a very individual look, these cats are not affected in any way by the amputation. Nails sometimes have to be amputated, for instance in cases of severe bacterial or fungal infections, auto-immune diseases or parasitic conditions. Even if all the nails have to be amputated, pets can still walk perfectly normal. In all cases of amputation your vet will be able to discuss with you the pros and cons of the procedure, as well as the expected quality of life after the procedure. Never make a hasty decision not to have your pet treated in this way, based on ideas from the equivalent in humans.

Disclaimer

This article is for reference only.

If your pet is showing any symptoms or distress, and you suspect your pet is ill CONTACT YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY.