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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.

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Another Tripod Adoption! (hopefully!)
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Member Since:
5 July 2010
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5 July 2010 - 4:52 pm
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My husband and I were looking for another dog, and after a few months of thinking about it we finally went to a shelter to look at some puppies we saw on Petfinder. Unfortunately, NONE of the dogs we saw on the site were still at the shelter. However, we saw Axel playing in the yard. When we first laid eyes on him he wasn't what my husband and I had in mind. He looks like a collie mix and is about a year old AND he was missing all of his left front leg. We were looking for a hound mix puppy. (I don't particularly like adopting puppies over adults but hubby wanted a pup!)

Anyway, Axel comes running up to the fence and was whining and SO HAPPY to see us so we had to get more info on him. He was picked up as a stray. He came in with an old injury to the leg that left it totally unusable so the shelter decided to amputate. We had our 2 children, ages 2 years and 5 years old, with us. They brought Axel into the lobby and he absolutely floored us with how sweet he was. He took to our 5 year old like glue!

My husband really likes him, but he has questions about caring for him properly and whether or not he would be suitable to our family. I really think so, but I wanted to get an honest opinion from people who care for "tripawds" on a regular basis.

Our number one fear is him hurting himself on our floors. We have all hardwood and linoleum floors. I have no problem with putting non-skid rugs down. We have some already in use. Our next house will likely have carpet though.

He seems to like running and playing with the other dogs. We still have to introduce our dog to him, which we will do prior to adoption so we know if they'll get along. Our dog is a 6 year old 65lb hound mix who shares a very similar temperament to Axel.

We are a military family and we move every 2-4 years. We have a very long move to be made by car coming up in October. Our dog and cat are both very well traveled (They've lived in Oklahoma, Indiana and North Carolina) and they go with us everywhere. Being able to travel well is a must.

 

I read the guide and everything seems pretty straight forward. Don't over exert, raise the food bowl, joint-care meds are a plus, etc. Those are all things I thought you should do for dogs anyway. winker

I really like this dog. Once we saw his personality his disability disappeared. How can I put my hubby's mind at ease?

 

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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5 July 2010 - 5:18 pm
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bunnerz said:

How can I put my hubby's mind at ease? 

Show him some of Jerry's videos of tripawds running, playing and swimming just as good as any four legged dogs! Watch Wyatt run or view some of the early videos in Jerry's playlist to see how much fun dogs can have on three legs!

Three legged dogs are perfectly normal, they just no longer have their spare leg. We traveled in an RV with Jerry for nearly two years so relocation should not be a concern. You will want to provide a non slip surface for him to get around the house, and we've included links to some recommended traction solutions in the Required Reading List along with lots more three legged dog care tips and advice.

As a puppy, Axel should adapt well, rebuild his strength quickly, and grow up never knowing he's supposed to have a fourth leg. And without cancer being a concern, there's really not much to worry about when it comes to care, other than providing an elevated feeding station and carpet runners on slippery surfaces.

Your husband is actually exhibiting another perfect argument himself for adopting Axel. Most people feel the way he does, questioning their quality of life, so the majority of three legged dogs do not get adopted and often end up being euthanized.

Thank you for registerring! Your posts will now appear immediately without requiring moderation.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Member Since:
20 May 2009
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5 July 2010 - 5:37 pm
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Even after amputation our Emily could still run like the wind!  She could also jump onto our trampoline.  Other than using a harness for uneven terrain and the use of nonskid rugs like you mentioned there is not a lot you have to do for a three legged dog that you would not do for any dog.  I think you would not be sorry to have Axel as a part of your family,

Debra & Angel Emily

Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.

Las Vegas, Nevada
Member Since:
14 August 2009
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5 July 2010 - 6:42 pm
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Welcome!

I think I'm the oldest tripawd here so I'll chime in!

I adopted Comet when she was a pup and here it is 11 1/2 years later!  She was born with a front left leg deformity. We love Comet so much - she is just so special.   In our world, it's "all about Comet"!  

Comet had/has emotional issues from neglect so that's always been the glaring problem with her, not her 3-leggedness.  We have spoiled her so rotten that hardly any stranger can touch her.  It is a game to her now and she's sassy about it.  So, the 3 legged part hasn't been a big deal to us since she could do everything a normal dog did....jump on the couch (and bed as a puppy), run, play, run up the stairs. 

The downside that could happen is blowing out the back knees.  Here's my article on it.   http://tripawds.....f-the-leg/

 

But here she is running up the stairs and she's had to do it for all these years since we live in a 2 story house.

 

 

I hope your husband comes around.  The worst that will happen is you will love him too much like we have with Comet.

Her Retired AvatarComet - 1999 to 2011

She departed us unexpectedly  January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.

She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.

On The Road


Member Since:
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6 July 2010 - 8:57 am
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What? A Border Collie mix missing his front left leg? Hmmmm....sounds familiar!

Three legged Jerry Plays at Vickers Ranch

My Dad (Admin) gave you some great advice. I just want to say that if that bond is there and you felt an emotional connection to this pup, go for it! There's very little you need to worry about with a Tripawd, especially one who isn't battling cancer. It sounds like he'll fit in great with your pack.

 

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Wherever the Wind Takes Me, Dude

Member Since:
25 July 2009
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6 July 2010 - 9:00 am
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Well, as a pup who lost a leg before being adopted, I can tell you that nothing stops me! In fact, people like to say "Imagine how crazy he would be if he had FOUR legs!"

While there are some things that take a harder toll on my body (oh, like hiking 10 miles with a pack...I just won't do that), for the most part, my life is as active and wild as any Sheppie my age.

Axel sounds like one cool pup. We hope you'll give him a furever home.

Wyatt Ray Dawg . . . The Tripawds Leg-A-Cy Continues!

Read all about my adventures at my Tripawds Blog


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7 July 2010 - 12:03 pm
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My husband opted not to go for Axel, much to my dismay. I actually cried. He plans on doing a lot of hiking through the woods etc with him, and was hoping to teach our new dog to do agility and retrieving, something Axel would have great difficulty doing. If hubby would've told me this prior to getting so hooked on Axel it would've been easier. Ehh.. I'm still tearing up over it. 🙁

However, hubby and I are paying all of Axel's adoption and surgery fees, so all he needs to find now is a loving, deserving family. The shelter he is in is a no kill shelter, and they treat their dogs very well. (Free access to a large outdoor run for every kennel, cushy dog beds for everyone, quality kibble) So while I'm really down about it, I hope he finds a home that will love him as much as he deserves! He's an amazing dog!

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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7 July 2010 - 12:10 pm
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Bless you for taking care of Axel's expenses. Hubby must have missed Maggie's agility videos.

Just for fun, here's some more from the Tripawds Three Legged Dog Agility Playlist...

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Member Since:
24 April 2010
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10 July 2010 - 12:58 pm
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We adopted our tripawd "Viggo" in April. All we have is hardwood and vinyl floors. No problems yet what-so-ever. We even laid a rug down in the kitchen, he actually ended up just bunching it up so we got rid of it. lol. He only needs special care from other problems, and he's very picky about stairs. Just like any other dog though, he does fine now that he's been here for awhile.


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5 July 2010
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12 July 2010 - 8:45 am
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UGH!!! I'm so frustrated!! When we took our dog in for routine shots the vet told us about these *ADORABLE!!!* puppies that were abandoned there. 15 of them. All under 6 weeks of age. She knew we were looking for another dog, and knew we were very good pet owners, so she asked us to look at them. I was a little ehhh... not into it. At that age there's a LOT of work involved, and I knew I would be the one to have to do it. So anyway, the vet tells us they simply cannot take care of them all and needed to find homes. I wasn't thrilled, but I let hubby know anyway thinking he'd want to wait until the puppies were a little older. Lo and behold he goes back to pick up our dog's heartworm prevention and comes home with this little 5wk 6day old lab mix puppy. Guess who's playing the up all night? Me. I'm just frustrated. I told him I didn't want a puppy, I wanted a YOUNG dog, no younger than 5 or 6 months. He wants to bond with the pup and make him "his."  If we hadn't already brought the dog home I would've said no way. Don't get me wrong, puppies are sweet and adorable, I'm just not the kind of person who would pick a puppy over a full grown dog. I hate puddles and poopies, needle teeth, being up at night and potty training a dog small enough to be seriously hurt if he gets underfoot. Did I mention I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old who LOVE to hold the puppy even though I've told them not to? My son dropped him yesterday. ugh The puppy was fine, I was not.

Axle was still doing well this past Friday when we went in for the adoption fees etc. The vet's office wrote off over half of his surgery costs and the shelter absorbed half of what was left, so all in all we ended up only paying 1/4 of the surgery costs and his adoption fees. I hope he finds a good home! He's still a sweet sweet boy!

Sorry about the rant. And I swear, I'm not Cruella DeVille when it comes to puppies, I just think they're too much work. 😛

Las Vegas, Nevada
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12 July 2010 - 2:25 pm
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But on the upshot, a needy puppy got a very good and loving family!   (I know you hate the puppy, Cruella - but we'd love to see pics of him! Puppy pics make us melt!)laugh

 

I know you'll help in getting Axel adopted and that is fantastic of you!  Anyone that adopts a 3-legged dog will be a good home.  So, I wouldn't fret that one.

 

 

 

Her Retired AvatarComet - 1999 to 2011

She departed us unexpectedly  January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.

She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.

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14 July 2010 - 6:01 pm
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I'm not a puppy person either. Our last puppy was 4 years ago. I don't get puppies because I know who takes care of them, ME. lol So no puppies in our house unless "I" want one.
Someone will adopt Axl, although I do believe it will take time. We don't know how long Viggo waited at the shelter as our shelter has no idea what they're doing or HOW to operate. I'd really love to get it under new management or shut down. Our dog had a massive infected wart in his ear that the shelter staff didn't know about, they had a dog they thought was rabid with the general population (to where lil kids could stick their hands through the wire), and Viggo was massively underweight.

Winnipeg
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13 July 2009
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15 July 2010 - 12:38 am
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Hello

Shame that you and your husband don't see paw to paw on adopting Axel. But it is wonderful that you are helping him to find a good home.

Maybe I missed it: where do you live now and can you post a picture of Axel (better yet a video) or is there a petfinder site that has a picture? That will help lots of us and others who are keen on tripawds see him.

Tazzie - a border collie cross

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