Hi Bonzo and mommy Welcome to the group, and good question. Due to only having three legs and a body developed to use four, tripaws often develop spinal issues. While a tripaw will never have a 'normal' gait, there are lots of things you can do to help Bonzo maintain as close to normal as possible to minimize stress to the spine and joints.

One of the best things you can do is work on core strength! If you don't have access to a certified canine physical therapist (which I highly recommend) there are still activities you can do at home. I'm sure Rene will pop in and give you a great link to some pawsome reading material here on the site about this A good beginner exercise is using a wobble board and that's where most people begin to build up core strength in their tripaw.

Raising feeder bowls and laying down good traction are other great ideas for reducing stress to Bonzo's back. Also adding in a joint supplement will really help keep arthritis at bay before it can even develop. I like to use Dasuquin with MSM for my dogs but there are other great supplement brands out there.

Finally, never forget to keep your vet in the loop about any unusual behavior Bonzo may exhibit. A great physical exam every 6 months is key for your vet to learn how Bonzo walks and feels so any abnormalities can be assessed more accurately.

Good luck!

Mandy and Mav