Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Hand hold please. Beloved Labrador hit by car and losing her leg

312 replies

SnowSnow · 22/01/2025 23:55

Hand hold please. Our lovely girl was hit tonight when we were crossing a road and her leg is not salvageable.
It was obvious straight away that the leg would not survive.
The vets are going to operate tomorrow when she is hopefully fully stabilised.

I’ve just come to bed to try and sleep but am just lying here thinking her legs been ripped off over and over in my mind.

I know long term she will manage as long as she recovers well but my poor girl.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
17
Angrymum22 · 23/01/2025 21:00

So sorry to hear about your Lab. Hopefully she has no other serious injuries.
Years ago we had a poodle who had to have a front leg removed and coped really well, very quickly regaining her balance and 90% of her agility.
Labs are clumsy so it may take her a little longer.
Six months ago my lovely lab suffered a spinal injury and lost the use of her back legs. Over a few days she recovered first the feeling and then gradually the function. We had to use a sling for nearly a month. Hard work but worth it. After a month she was able to walk, a bit like Bambi on ice, but had made massive progress.
Two things we had to address were hard/tiled floors and rehab.
She is fine on carpets and outside but struggles on smooth floors. The vet advised rugs so she could move around the house although she was on stocked crate rest for the first two weeks.
Rehab was hydrotherapy. We started after 5 days, she didn’t have surgery so we could get her into the water straight away.
Her hydro was in a tank with a treadmill, she loved it and couldn’t wait to start at each session.
She had two sessions a week, they were covered by insurance because they were prescribed by the neurologist.
Although she still has some weakness on one side she is still improving. She limps while walking or trotting but you cannot see the damage when she runs.
Good luck with the rehab, it’s tough, but you will get back your lovely lab eventually.
The photo shows here eagerly waiting to go in for a hydro session.

Hand hold please. Beloved Labrador hit by car and losing her leg
Seawolves · 23/01/2025 21:10

Wishing Luna the swiftest of recoveries, she's beautiful.

Persista · 23/01/2025 21:12

What a shock x
I'm just glad for you that she survived it. She'll adapt and you still have your girl. Really feel for you x

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 23/01/2025 21:14

This just popped up in active for me and I am so sorry to hear about your lovely girl. Those bikes are a bloody menace. Really hope she is okay, what a horrible shock.

minerva7 · 23/01/2025 22:45

Sending best wishes to your lovely Luna 🐾

Ellmau · 23/01/2025 22:52

Oh, poor Luna and poor you. She looks so lovely.

MelainesLaugh · 23/01/2025 23:03

Wishing Luna a very speedy recovery.

Are you wanting to find the people who hit her?

GiveUsACoffee · 23/01/2025 23:09

I'm so sorry. It's horrific, but I'm really glad she will be okay.

Our dog was run over last year, and we were a whisker away from having her PTS. Thankfully she survived, and is loving and happy again, though a little nervous about the road.
I know things seem so horrible right now, and it will be a journey for you as a family, but at least she's still with you.

Pancakeflipper · 23/01/2025 23:12

Lots of love to Luna.

What a horrid shock and stressful time for all of you. Thank goodness Luna has you to love her and help her adapt.

Original poster
SnowSnow · 24/01/2025 10:14

Angrymum22 · 23/01/2025 21:00

So sorry to hear about your Lab. Hopefully she has no other serious injuries.
Years ago we had a poodle who had to have a front leg removed and coped really well, very quickly regaining her balance and 90% of her agility.
Labs are clumsy so it may take her a little longer.
Six months ago my lovely lab suffered a spinal injury and lost the use of her back legs. Over a few days she recovered first the feeling and then gradually the function. We had to use a sling for nearly a month. Hard work but worth it. After a month she was able to walk, a bit like Bambi on ice, but had made massive progress.
Two things we had to address were hard/tiled floors and rehab.
She is fine on carpets and outside but struggles on smooth floors. The vet advised rugs so she could move around the house although she was on stocked crate rest for the first two weeks.
Rehab was hydrotherapy. We started after 5 days, she didn’t have surgery so we could get her into the water straight away.
Her hydro was in a tank with a treadmill, she loved it and couldn’t wait to start at each session.
She had two sessions a week, they were covered by insurance because they were prescribed by the neurologist.
Although she still has some weakness on one side she is still improving. She limps while walking or trotting but you cannot see the damage when she runs.
Good luck with the rehab, it’s tough, but you will get back your lovely lab eventually.
The photo shows here eagerly waiting to go in for a hydro session.

Edited

Thank you so much for sharing your story. Beautiful girl. I think we will arrange hydrotherapy when she is healed enough.

We have now bought a couple of non slip mats as the rooms downstairs are all laminate or tiles.

OP posts:
Original poster
SnowSnow · 24/01/2025 10:17

MelainesLaugh · 23/01/2025 23:03

Wishing Luna a very speedy recovery.

Are you wanting to find the people who hit her?

We are not searching to try and find them and are just going to try and focus on her recovery I think.

If it was me who was on the bike I’d want to know how the dog was and be posting on the local FB groups asking around even if it was anonymously but there hasn’t been anything.

OP posts:
Original poster
SnowSnow · 24/01/2025 10:19

GiveUsACoffee · 23/01/2025 23:09

I'm so sorry. It's horrific, but I'm really glad she will be okay.

Our dog was run over last year, and we were a whisker away from having her PTS. Thankfully she survived, and is loving and happy again, though a little nervous about the road.
I know things seem so horrible right now, and it will be a journey for you as a family, but at least she's still with you.

Glad to hear your pup recovered well and thank you for sharing with me.

Luna is a bit of a nervous dog about certain things like loud bangs since fireworks so I do wonder if she will be nervous about the road but we will see and just support her as best we can.

OP posts:
Original poster
SnowSnow · 24/01/2025 10:22

Positive update this morning. She is eating, no more regurgitation and she has been up on her feet. A friend who works at the vets surprised me first thing with a video of her up with the support of a sling.

Her breathing is still fast so she is having at least another 24hours antibiotics for the aspiration.

We are booked to visit early evening.

My heart is bursting with love and pride and I think relief too. We aren’t out the woods yet but currently she is on the up

OP posts:
mummysontheginalready · 24/01/2025 10:23

You poor thing that must have been terrifying i can imagine how shocked and helpless you must have felt
many dogs do adapt quite successfully to losing a limb; i think dogs dont over think it like humans so acceptance is much more successful.

she will be fine dont worry! the situation could have been worse at least she will be back with you soon

Nannyfannybanny · 24/01/2025 10:29

Holding your hand! I've had a couple of narrow squeaks..last year taking my 2 borders out for the night walk. I have a Luna she was 8 and a puppy, I live in a quiet village,left the pavement, having looked carefully,no traffic coming. There was a white transit parked further up the road facing the other way. I'm halfway across the road, transit does a u turn and is heading for me, not slowing down. So I pulled the dogs back to the pavement, the puppy is in a blind panic, struggling so much, I've got another dog and a torch in the other hand (I've got a head torch hat now) she has wrenched out of the harness, which is now stuck around her back legs, she's Yelping and struggling,it's pitch dark. Went home, she was terrified of all cats and headlights. Training started all over again, not sure if I mentioned they are border collies. Yes, have seen quite a few 3 legged dogs and cats, they manage fine. Keep us posted 💗

Nannyfannybanny · 24/01/2025 10:30

She was terrified of CARS not CATS!

LandSharksAnonymous · 24/01/2025 10:36

SnowSnow · 24/01/2025 10:22

Positive update this morning. She is eating, no more regurgitation and she has been up on her feet. A friend who works at the vets surprised me first thing with a video of her up with the support of a sling.

Her breathing is still fast so she is having at least another 24hours antibiotics for the aspiration.

We are booked to visit early evening.

My heart is bursting with love and pride and I think relief too. We aren’t out the woods yet but currently she is on the up

That's good news, OP!

Sounds like she has an amazing owner and family to return to once she's 100% recovered.

Floralnomad · 24/01/2025 10:40

Excellent news @SnowSnow hopefully she will be back with you soon

Arran2024 · 24/01/2025 10:41

So sorry, how traumatic for you. know a dog who lost a leg - we see it most days and it copes absolutely fine. And if you are worried, you can buy sturdy dog buggies - I have one, I got it off amazon. I have a bigger dog than a lab and it works great, even on rough terrain, and you can fold it down and put it in the car. Good luck x

Arran2024 · 24/01/2025 10:43

SnowSnow · 24/01/2025 10:14

Thank you so much for sharing your story. Beautiful girl. I think we will arrange hydrotherapy when she is healed enough.

We have now bought a couple of non slip mats as the rooms downstairs are all laminate or tiles.

Show quote history

Just to add, my boy finds our floors so slippy so we bought rugs to put down. We got ruggable brand, which you can put in the washing machine.

OldTinHat · 24/01/2025 10:49

Poor, poor Luna and what a traumatic thing for you to witness.

Sending her speedy recovery wishes from me and TinHatDog.

Flustration · 24/01/2025 10:55

I hope Luna has a good day today. My DDog had an accident last year with a long, difficult recovery period and amputation was on the table for a while. The veterinary hospital reassured me by saying they really only need 3 legs, the 4th is a spare! Not strictly true I know, but it cheered me up a bit. I saw loads of tripaws whilst ferrying him to various appointments and they all seemed to be recovering far quicker than he was!

My DDog developed dog reactivity as a result of negative experiences with other dogs during his recovery (in waiting rooms mostly). I wish I'd known how common this was as I would have engaged a behaviourist at an earlier stage, so my advice is to carefully watch out for any new behaviours and deal with them quickly!

Angrymum22 · 24/01/2025 11:00

Really positive news that’s she’s up on her feet. Best of luck with rehab.

JackieGoodman · 24/01/2025 11:01

Very scary experience but agree should cope fine with 3.
When my DDog got cancer last year the vet had considered amputation so I looked up 3 legged dogs and happily saw on Instagram 3 legged dogs bounding through the woods Smile
It had progressed so wasn't an option in the end unfortunately.

Best wishes to your lovely dog Flowers

0psiedasiy · 24/01/2025 11:07

Hope luna comes home soon