Can anyone guess what the most common fear among Tripawd pawrents is?
Most pawrents fear that their Tripawd will lose the use of another limb.
What if a rear-leg amputee grows old, and hip displaysia takes it’s toll? Or a front-leg Tripawd takes a bad fall and severely injures the remaining leg?
What would you do if your Tripawd lost the use of another leg?
As much as it hurts to think about it, it never hurts to be prepared, just in case.
That’s why we talked to the good people at Doggon Wheels in Bozeman, Montana.
Since 1994, Doggon Wheels has been one of the world’s top creators of mobility aids like wheelchairs, for physically challenged animals.
We asked Doggon co-founder Lori, a few questions about how Tripawds can benefit from wheelchairs, and here’s what she had to say:
Can wheelchairs work with Tripawd dogs?
“Yes- we do make wheelchairs for amputees. They are most commonly used by older amputee’s who are starting to have difficulties compensating for the missing limb (front or rear), or for pets with birth defects. We also make wheelchairs for pets with double amputations.
Generally they do really well with using wheels and appreciate being able to go for longer walks or on more varied/difficult terrain.”
The biggest fear some Tripawd pawrents have is for their dog to lose function of their remaining rear or front leg. We know of one Tripawd who needs a hip replacement, yet he is also a rear-leg amputee. Would a wheelchair help?
“This is legitimate concern and why we recommend that you take into consideration putting the remaining rear leg up in the stirrup during periods of intense exercise. Generally the dogs using amputee wheelchairs are doing so because the other limb is overly stressed or arthritic. Putting the remaining limb into a suspended position allows it to rest during the most stressful periods of exercise.
Owners who do this find that their dogs are able to get around easier on their own the rest of the time, when not in wheels. A wheelchair for the pet above would be useful for both long term use to avoid stressing the remaining limb post surgery, or if the humans opt not have his hip replaced.”
How do you measure a Tripawd for a wheelchair?
The measurements are the same for all of our chairs, except for a Tripawd we need to know:
- Is s/he a left or right amputee?
- Does the dog have any part of her leg remaining? Is the amputation site partial or flush? Most amputations are flush, however if there is enough leg remaining that you can measure the circumference around it, a different support might be needed, other than our amputee support.
To see how mobile a dog really is when using a wheelchair, check out this beautiful movie of Popeye, a dog currently available for adoption through Walkin’ the Bark Rescue in Northern California:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUOAVdbvGz4[/youtube]
Learn more about wheelchairs for your three legged Tripawd dog at the Doggon Wheels website.
How do I apply? My sweet MJ had cancer 3 years ago. We had to amputate her leg to stop the cancer. She jumped off the table after surgery and immediately did just fine! She’s now 14 and in the last few days her other back leg is giving her serious pain and I can hear her help when her hips move. She is still eating and going potty and moving, just in pain. It breaks my heart! She’s a rescue and her 14 year old and 6 year old sister rescue come running when she winces! We need help!
Nikki, please get MJ to a canine pain management / animal rehabilitation (physio) therapist asap. Wheels are not the answer right now, at least until she is evaluated. If you are in Canada or the U.S. Tripawds Foundation may reimburse for your first rehab visit. Also please post in our Size and Age Matters forum for feedback from members. See you there.
I am looking for a wheelchair for my wonderful 70 lb boxer. Orbit is of course loved by us all, but is especially loved by my special needs son. Orbit is an alert,energetic, happy boxer that loves to run on the beach. He has unfortunately started to go lame in his hind quarters. Thank you for your assistance.
Carma if Orbit is a Tripawd, please review our blog post about when a wheelchair is right for a Tripawd. Best wishes to your pack!
My son has a 5yr old Husky and she was born with a chicken wing in the front leg. She is in need of both hips and knees to be done and they have to wait until she older or they would have to do it more then once if they don’t wait. Their in need of a wheel chair of some sort to help her until she is able to have her operations which will cost over 10thousand dollars which they don’t have either. They have 2 children ages 10 and 13 so money is tight is there anywhere they could get a free wheel chair even if it’s to borrow until she has the operations. Please help steer us in the right directions to help their family dog whom is loved very much.
Debra, have them try Red Flyer Wheelchairs, it’s a non-profit that does this sort of thing. Best wishes to your pack, we hope everything goes well.
A very good friend of mine recently adopted a rescue dog who required a front leg amputation (no stump, the site is flush).
The dog is a St. Bernard mix, and he has a fair amount of difficulty maneuvering, and tires very easily. I’ve often thought he could benefit from some kind of mobility device. Would you be able to help a big dog (like a St. Bernard) with a missing front leg? And if so, could you give me a ball park of what it might cost?
Big dogs can certainly be helped! But we don’t manufacture the carts. We suggest your friend contact Doggon Wheels who we interviewed for this post. A bit of rehab and exercise may do the trick, however, have your friend visit the our discussion forums and video playlists for more helpful advice.
Dont mean to bother anyone but my little dog 19 years had a stroke and lost her leg use on right rear.She is very alert and in no pain.She is corgi dachund mix the love of my life.Only kind of cart is going to be a cart I can push her around in.Well thanks for listening anyway.My heart is broken and I cant put her down.Had to talk to someone. Thanks Gary
No bother at all, thanks for the comment! Sorry to hear about your pup, but if she only lost use of one leg, is amputation an option? If not there are plenty of small dog strollers available. Bless you for taking such good care of her. You will find much more advice and help in the discussion forums.