Introduction

• Amputation of the forelimb at the level of the mid-humerus.
  Print off the owner factsheet Caring for the amputee dog to give to your client.

Uses

• Neoplasia Osteosarcoma: axial skeleton Bone: neoplasia.
• Irreparable fractures.
• Incapacitating neurological disease, eg brachial plexus injury Brachial plexus: neuropathy.
• Severe osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis.
• Incapacitating and medically unresponsive degenerative joint disease Arthritis: osteoarthritis.
• Congenital or acquired deformity.
• Severe soft tissue damage, eg degloving injuries and ischemia.

Advantages

• The procedure is usually a 'salvage' option when no possibility of retention of a functional limb exists due to failure of other treatments or due to the expected course of a neoplastic condition.

Disadvantages

• Appearance and/or the functional locomotion of the amputated patient is usually unacceptable to some owners, even after counseling.
• Certain patients, eg large breed dogs with orthopedic disease in other limb(s), may not be good candidates for amputation.

Requirements

Preparation

Procedure

Aftercare

Outcomes

Prognosis

• Depends on the reasons for amputation.
• If the primary disease is treated successfully, most small and medium-sized dogs cope very well with forelimb amputation.

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Kirpensteijn J, van den Bos R & Endenburg N (1999) Adaptation of dogs to the amputation of a limb and their owners' satisfaction with the procedure. Vet Rec 144 (5), 115-118 PubMed.
• Straw R C, Withrow S J (1996) Limb-sparing surgery versus amputation for dogs with bone tumors. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 26 (1), 135-143 PubMed.