Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives
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7:32 am
11 January 2022
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I think many of us have been in the position of needing to put boots on our tripawds for traction at some point. My girl is a rear amp, so getting the front boots on is pretty easy. I ask her to sit and lift one front paw at a time. The rear leg is a struggle. Either I need to try to support her back end while holding her leg up and pulling the boot on or I need to try and shimmy the boot between the paw and the ground/floor.
I had an idea over the weekend, which I haven't tried yet. I'm wondering if I could get a ball that's about the height of my dog's pelvis that she could lean on to support her rear end while I lift her back leg to put a boot on. Has anyone tried something like this? Or have any other tips/tricks for putting on boots? I usually don't have another person to help, which would probably be the easiest solution.
11:51 am
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26 April 2007
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That's an interesting idea! I would definitely want that ball to have some kind of rubber surface to rest on so it doesn't slide around, or put it in a corner so it's wedged securely.
I would normally put boots on Wyatt by myself, just as you described, by having him do a sit, and then shimmying that boot between the paw and the floor. He didn't seem to mind too much, but if you find an easier way we want to know! Good luck!
12:37 pm
11 January 2022
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Loki haaaaates her boots and having her paws manipulated. We've been actively working on boots, surfaces, and core strength recently, which all coalesced into this (wacky?) idea. If the ball is bearing at least half of my dog's weight, I don't think it's going to roll freely. Have you ever sat on a yoga ball like it's a chair? It's got a little give and wobble, but your weight keeps it in place.
12:38 pm
Team Tripawds
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26 April 2007
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Yeah I've seen those yoga ball chairs. It might be a little tall though?
1:32 pm
11 January 2022
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I was just using the yoga ball chair as an example of how the ball would hold fairly still while supporting weight. I'll have to measure my dog and find an appropriate sized ball to provide support. A child size yoga ball might do the trick... I bet that's a thing.
6:41 pm
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26 April 2007
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I'll bet that is a thing too! Yeah let us know what you find.
