Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives

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…term.  They may be able to assess her pain level with the leg as well. 

If they think amputation is best they may also be able to determine if a prosthetic would be a good option.

I have a little rear amp Tripawd who lost her leg when she was 7 months old after being hit by a car.  Elly turned 10

…questions about a partial amputation. With a front leg it's best (from what I've seen here) to take the entire leg unless you are going to try a prosthetic, and if that is the choice it needs to be planned before the surgery.  When a dog has a partial front limb it seems to cause ongoing injury problems

…pay for your first rehab visit
. If you'd like help finding a therapist let me know.

A partial stump may mean that he is a good candidate for a prosthetic, which can be a game changer and delay osteoarthritis. Again, a rehab therapist is the best person to evaluate for success.

Hopefully he will not

…have a community to reach out to. It will be my mom and I taking care of my dog, but unfortunately it looks like Jax may not be a candidate for the prosthetic. Our vet says they only amputate up to the hip and keeping any type of bone could risk keeping the infection around. 

We are trying to

…leg the doctor can leave behind without fear of him being imbalanced," do you mean you are working with an orthopedic surgeon who is experienced in prosthetics
? The link has lots of info about prosthetics
for dogs if you haven't seen our articles. Prosthetic devices are great for the right candidate,…

… and they can make all the difference in mobility if the dog and the parent is well-matched to the kind of work it takes for prosthetic success. 

We are also looking for any advice on how to prepare for recovery, 

Great job looking for answers! You've come to the right place.…

…a canine rehab therapy evaluation. Tripawds Foundation
can even pay for your first rehab visit
. This is so educational because 1) if you get a prosthetic for Jax he's going to need that kind of support team, and 2) even if you opt out of one, a rehab therapist can guide you on safe and unsafe activity

…three years ago, and he is a tall German Shepherd weighing currently at 103lbs. We are very nervous for this next surgery and we were wondering if a prosthetic would be good for him, but we are trying to determine that fast before his surgery to see how much leg the doctor can leave behind without fear of

…Fred,

Thank you for reaching out to us. We love students and are always happy to help. Keep in mind that if you are creating a prosthetic for this project, we urge you to do it under the guidance of a veterinarian who is knowledgeable about prosthetics
. Making a device without

… my name is Fred and I'm creating an extensive project on using Prosthetic Limbs in Dogs for school. To do this I thought I would survey the wonderful owners of three-legged dogs and by doing research I was led to this

…out with his mobility. Based on our many conversations with orthopedic vets and rehab therapy practitioners, it's the rare cat who will adapt to a prosthetic. Not to say that Puddy cannot, but it will take training, patience, and the exactly right sized prosthetic to help him get used to it. I don't know…

…own artificial dog or cat leg. But I hope you will show your design to a rehab therapist before trying to attach it. You'll see in our posts about prosthetics
that unless you have a background in animal biomechanics, an incorrectly sized prosthetic can lead to more problems down the line, like pressure…

…sores, spinal issues, and more. Even a micromillimeter off can lead to problems. Since animals cannot tell us where a prosthetic hurts them, we must be really in tune with their movements to watch and compare how they walk with and without one. A rehab therapist can do that

…cats. Right now we are keeping them separate, but that's a topic for another day. Today I wanted to ask if anyone here has ever tried using prosthetic legs?

I have a 3D printer, and a quick search revealed that someone had indeed posted the files needed to print a 3D prosthetic leg for a cat.…

…like me (with 3D printers) are more or less left to try and figure it out ourselves.

So I'm just wondering if anyone here has ever tried using a prosthetic leg for their 3-legged felines? And if so, if you have any tips on how I might go about getting it connected. Thanks very much.

…said

If you do so, will your dog's gait be normal or will it limp?

Hi Nicole. Do you mean if your dog wears a prosthetic? If so, the goal of prosthetics
is to minimize the abnormal gait that a Tripawd has, in order to encourage better body mechanics. A limp with a prosthetic is not a good sign that the device is a good fit for the dog. Why do you ask?

…I must consider that as he ages, mobility will be more challenging.  It seems a wheel type unit would be smoother on the remaining leg than a stiff prosthetic post. Should I consider one over the other? I need to find something to get him accustomed. Have had him almost 2yr. Your thoughts?

Age:

…you! Trey has most of his hind limb. It was amputated right at the “ankle” joint, so I’m hoping he will be a good candidate for a prosthetic. He can actually stretch out that leg and ALMOST touch the ground when he is fully upright, so he does try to use it constantly. 

I will

…
Now this may not be an option for her depending on the break, but if she can be assessed asap by an experienced ortho surgeon for the possibility of prosthetics
, that would benefit her greatly if you have the ability to put the time and money into a device. This has to be done before amputation, however.

…who have partial amputations. Some need to have an amputation correction, hopefully Trey will not.

If he has at least one joint he might be a prosthetic candidate. I'll be curious to see what the NC State team thinks about the possibility of prosthetics
for him. I hope he can get in soon.

Here

…I infection. 

How much of the limb is left?  Sounds like enough that he iries to use it a lot.

One thing you can ask your Vet about woild be a prosthetic .  Not sure of this would be an option for you to consider. 

Thank  you again for showing Trey what love feels like.  Yoj are do an excellent 

…!!!

He looks like he could be a good candidate for a prosthetic. Hmmm...

…already on the market or things that I did not have developed yet. “Hey, you know, my, my dog had his limb partially amputated. Can you make me a prosthetic?” No, I can't, but I know several companies that can, and here they are.

I was always referring people out to all of these different…

…are there. Not just our products, it's everybody's products.

It also helps veterinarians as well, because let's say a dog is looking for a prosthetic. You know, a pet parent is is is looking for a prosthetic for their pet. There are several prosthetics
companies out there. And so the…

…veterinarians can look through all of those prosthetics
companies. All the companies that make prostheses for dogs, and then they can review all of their choices with the pet parents. They can get

…increase distance, but now that weather is changing for the better I can get back to that if work slows down.

I did however manage to modify his prosthetic from a stiff leg to a piston-like spring resisted setup. To absorb impact and make it easier on him. The first 2 outings went great. He did

…
Get answers to all your questions about prosthetics
for Tripawds with Dr. Mandi Blackwelder on episode #122 of the Tripawd Talk Radio podcast.

Tripawd Talk Radio
Episode #122: Continuing…

…our discussion with Dr Mandi from Healing Arts Animal Care, today we're taking a deep dive into the world of prosthetics
for amputee pets. Is your dog a good candidate prosthetic use? Which prosthetics
are the best? Find out with Dr. Mandi on this episode of…

…Tripawd Talk Radio
.

Learn what you need to know about artificial limbs for pets.

All About Prosthetics for Tripawds with Dr. Mandi Blackwelder

This episode is all about prosthetics
for Tripawds. How do you know which dogs are the best…

…candidates for prosthetic use? How much residual limb needs to remain for prosthetics
to work? How do dogs adapt to something attached to their body? Dr. Mandi Blackwelder answers all this and more,

Dr Mandi is a canine…

…. And she is currently expanding her practice at Healing Arts Animal Care in Beaverton, Oregon.

Listen to the Tripawd Talk Podcast All About Prosthetic Legs for Dogs and Cats

Subscribe to Tripawd Talk Radio in your podcast player app!

Learn more about Dr. Mandi or make an…

…appointment at https://healingartsanimalcare.com/.

And if you're thinking you want a prosthetic, you need to have your prosthetic maker involved in the decision about how the surgery should go. You have to have the surgeon and the prosthetic maker talking to each other. Just…

…the dog uses it doesn't mean it's good for body mechanics.

Dr. Mandi Blackwelder, DVM, CCRT, CVA

Watch Our Podcast Discuss Facts About Prosthetics for Tripawds on YouTube

<!-- wp:embed {"url":"","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,…

…for your Tripawd's first visit with a certified rehab therapist at https://tripawds.org/rehab/

Read the Transcript: All About Prosthetics for Tripawds with Dr. Mandi on Tripawd Talk Radio #122

TRIPAWDS JIM: [00:00:21] Got questions about prosthetics
for tripods? Get…

…all about rehab again, continuing our discussion with Doctor Mandy from Healing Arts Animal Care. Today we're taking a deep dive into the world of prosthetics
for amputee pets. Doctor Mandy Blackwelder has been practicing veterinary medicine for more than 25 years. She is a certified canine rehab…

…helping amputee dogs love life on three legs.

Oftentimes, the first thing people ask about when joining Tripawds is, Where can I get a prosthetic for my dog? What do prosthetics cost?

Unfortunately, this conversation usually happens after the amputation, and as you'll learn on this…

…episode, the best time to talk about prosthetic use is before surgery. Even better, discuss it with a board certified orthopedic surgeon. But we don't always have the liberty of time to get the…

…answers we need in the case of traumatic injury, for example. So how do you know what dogs are the best candidates for prosthetic use? How much residual limb needs to remain for prosthetics
to work? How do dogs adapt something attached to their body? Doctor Mandy answers all…

…. It's great to continue this discussion.

TRIPAWDS RENE: [00:02:14] Thanks for being here. We're so excited.

The Basics of Prosthetics for Tripawds

DR. MANDI: [00:02:17] Of course anytime. Always happy to chat about what I do.

TRIPAWDS RENE: [00:02:20] Yeah…

…well you do a lot. And one of the things that you do is work with prosthetics
and wheelchairs in your practice, and we want to talk about that today. And we're going to specifically start with prosthetics
, because that's a…

…topic in our community. And we would like your input on that.

TRIPAWDS JIM: [00:02:39] We get a lot of questions about wheelchairs and prosthetics
. Unfortunately, after people get the amputation, and we love to tell people, it's really important to discuss that beforehand to get them to work…

…best. But I'd like to back up just a minute and ask, you know, can you just define prosthetics
for pets? What is a prosthetic versus all of the other, braces that we've seen out there and or, you know, how does how do prosthetics
work best for animals?

A Dog's…

…Perception and Adaptation to Prosthetics

DR. MANDI: [00:03:07] Yeah. So a prosthetic is anything that replaces a part that's not there. So you could have a prosthetic finger, you could have a prosthetic leg and pretty much anything…

…in between. So prosthetic is just basically a replacement for, you know, what's missing? And when I'm talking about the possibility of a prosthetic with a client, the thing that that we don't get as people is that if we were to have an amputation and we were given a prosthetic, we would go, “Oh!…

…me!’ And that is, that's a real different thing.

The temperament of the dog is so essential. And a lot of times the folks that want a prosthetic for their animal are really active people with really active dogs. And, and some of those dogs, many of those dogs are, in my opinion, better off…

…in just, ‘Hey, there's a thing and it's going to follow you around, and then you have to learn how to use it.’

How Does a Tripawd Dog Prosthetic Work?

DR. MANDI: [00:04:51] Or if you have a really active dog that doesn't have a lot of patience or manners, and sometimes people aren…

…t aware that their dogs don't have manners. you know, any time we have a prosthetic, it has to be suspended from the dog in some way. It's not just like you snap it on there like you do with us, because we if we're talking about a…

…and effort to put on, and also take some time and effort of adjustment when you're first learning.There is a massive learning curve when it comes to prosthetics
.

Then to answer your other question we were talking about earlier. the, the, the type of amputation is very important as well. Most…

… if it's being amputated for cancer, a lot of times, yes, that's appropriate because you're getting the biggest margin.

The Role of the Pet Prosthetic Maker and Surgeon Communication

DR. MANDI: [00:06:24] There needs to be some thought into how that goes. And if you're thinking you want…

…a prosthetic, you need to have your prosthetic maker involved in the decision about how the surgery should go. You have to have the surgeon and the prosthetic maker talking to each other.

The reason for that is most of our prosthetics
require two thirds of the lower limb remaining. So that's the…

…their openness to the concept, they may be like, ‘Ah, that's just easier to take it all the way off.’ And there's other surgeons that are used to prosthetics
. They go for it and they're like, ‘Yeah, let's figure this out!’

Assessing the Dog's Lifestyle and Owner's Ability to Manage a Prosthetic

TRIPAWDS RENE: [00:07:52] We're starting to see more and more vet surgeons say, no, leave as much as possible. they need it for balance.…

…residual limb. That is keeping all the back muscles stronger, all the neck muscles more balanced.

Veterinarian and Owner Conversations on Prosthetics, and The Complexity of Prosthetic Decisions in Traumatic Cases

DR. MANDI: [00:11:08] I think what veterinarians are learning and kind of…

…care for it? Or is it better to take the whole limb? You know, finances obviously play into that. Is this somebody that who would love to have a prosthetic and are aware of the challenges and expenses involved? In which case now we have a different discussion about it.

As you guys well know,…

…in the veterinary community need to learn to make have a new conversation in these moments of trauma.

Who is the Ideal Candidate for a Dog Prosthetic? Cancer Cases and Prosthetic Considerations

TRIPAWDS JIM: [00:12:23] What kind of dog is the best candidate? And what do you need to know…

…personal trauma to the whole thing, as far as, you know, the owner being in the midst of, ‘Oh my God, oh my God!’

The Veterinarian's Role in Prosthetic Decision Making

DR. MANDI: [00:14:18] It really it falls on the veterinarian to be the one to say, ‘Okay, here's our priorities, here's…

…feel like we as veterinarians need to do a better job of discussing it, but also, there's not enough people who have any experience at all with prosthetics
to be able to kind of talk about the ins and outs, you know? So what happens is I see the dog, you know, six months later and now we have an…

…amputation. I feel like there's a there's a gap in the veterinary piece of this that needs to be filled.

The Future of Prosthetics in Veterinary Medicine

DR. MANDI: [00:15:47] Unfortunately, there's not enough of us out there like me who love public speaking and get…

…out there and be like, ‘Hey, let me tell you something.’ I feel like better education about prosthetics
, I think, to a lot of veterinarians have, you know, even if you're open-minded and up for that, a lot of veterinarians have had an animal that was…

…done a prosthetic by somebody who doesn't do a lot of them. And it was an unmitigated disaster. Their one experience was a bad one. because it's hard.

Prosthetics are hard to do! I mean, even me who's done you know, I've been doing exclusively rehab for ten years. I've done five. It's kind of tricky. It's…

…panic situations with other clients, when the clients are freaking out, they remember ‘I heard about this, this community that was talking about prosthetics
.’

It's interesting that you say you haven't done a lot of prosthetics.

They're not that common because that's really a different…

…we get out there on social media. what the tripods community tends to see are lots and lots of pictures of dogs having a great time with a prosthetic.

But the reality is, like you said, they're not all that common. One thing that we see is we see wound healing issues with a lot of people…

…and whether or not they wanted to have a prosthetic. if a lot of the residual limb is still there, we've had members go through amputation corrections in the past where they just had to go back and…

…learn how to use their limb to hold their Kong? Or is this the dog that's not going to figure it out and drag it behind them?

When I do a prosthetic with clients, I literally say ‘Expect this to be a pain in the ass.’

I literally say that! And, be really thrilled when it's not. Because…

…you know, we all have that picture in our head of the dog running across the field in their prosthetic. But the work that it takes to get there until that dog has that light bulb moment of, ‘Oh! This works like my old leg!’ Because they don't have…

…people that I have met with or I've heard the other half of the conversation in my reception staff and I said, ‘Nope, not this person!’ I won't do a prosthetic for this person, because they're all about that vision in the field and they're not listening to what we see .. wounds, we see sores. We have to…

…situation where you have a residual limb post-operatively, there is swelling. And so even if we cast at the amputation so that we get that prosthetic ASAP. We may have it may be too big in two weeks. And then we have to re-mold it, reshape it, and then the dog starts, starts using it. And now…

…to go back because it's too small. All of those types of things.

And then you add to that, that when we set up, when we do our casting for prosthetic, we get the, the prosthetic on. This is not an articulated joint. Even when that light bulb goes off, they're still like, ‘Oh, hey, I got to swing…

…what I'm thinking? I'm thinking that there needs to be an owner assessment tool for veterinarians. Does anything like that exist when it comes to prosthetics
? Is there a quiz we can take?

DR. MANDI: [00:23:19] Maybe we should brainstorm a little bit on email. because that would be a great…

…Like, ‘Is your dog a good candidate?’ We could talk about pricing because, you know, they're not cheap. Certainly.

The Financial Aspect of Prosthetics: Understanding the Costs

TRIPAWDS RENE: [00:23:38] Tell me what not cheap means.

DR. MANDI: [00:23:40] It depends depends…

…on companies. Most of the time a prosthetic device, the device itself is usually $1500 to $2500, somewhere in there. But where the price can really go up from there is rehab, you know, like…

…people like your people are creating the demand. And where there's demand, somebody's going to fill it up.

The Possibility of Full-Limb Prosthetics for Dogs

Going back to your original question. One is there are prosthetics
for a full amputation. And I have never done one. but I the…

…that works out of my office. He has a young mastiff patient with one, and she does amazing with it. The challenge with a full limb amputation and a prosthetic is that there is no muscle to propel that leg.

DR. MANDI: [00:26:26] The dog is having to lean and swing with their body to advance the…

…the benefits and the negatives, intersect? When is it a better idea to just say forget it for a device like that? I've seen rear leg amputees with prosthetics
who do amazingly well over time, and we haven't had the ability to see that with front leg amputees yet with devices. We'd really like to see some…

…for sure. Hind limb amputees are always easier, whether we're talking about how you walk as a three legged dog or how you, you know, or holding up a prosthetic because you've got more angularity to it.

Angularity as far as like in a back leg, you've got the foot, and then it goes up to the point of…

…a lot more places where the body has a ankle that can hang on to the device. okay.

Versus the front legs straight. And so if we're doing a prosthetic in the front, they have to have a harness. There has to be something that goes over the dog to hold it on, versus hind limb. We can, you know, if…

…everything. They're harder to find lamenesses. They're harder for amputations. Their forelimbs are just hard.

The Complexity of Choosing Prosthetics: Considerations Before Deciding

TRIPAWDS JIM: [00:30:24] So we talked about how your use of a prosthetic can be a very costly investment…

…for the dog.

So what kind of harm can be done if the people are doing it because they see it on social media and say, ‘Oh, my dog needs a prosthetic’ versus evaluating and going into rehab?

TRIPAWDS RENE: [00:30:55] For example, they have their local high school engineering crew…

…have all the weight on the other side. It's like wearing a high heel shoe on one side. You would be wonkish.

Innovation and Caution in Pet Prosthetic Development

Having practiced in a small town very far from any type of specialty center, I don't discourage it, per se. as long as you're sort…

…a lot of us out here, folks, let's figure this out!’ I think that's where, you know, genius comes from.

There's a new product. It's not a prosthetic yet, but they're doing, braces out of Germany. It's called Wimba. And, instead of casting, they you do a 3D model.

DR. MANDI: [00:32…

…s one thing we haven't even talked about yet is little bitty dogs. Yeah. whether we're talking about an orthosis, a brace, or we're talking about a prosthetic, if it's heavy and you weigh 11 pounds, that's life limiting, right? And those dogs on three are like, ‘Hey, I'm good!’ But I think it's that…

…are inventing things, ‘How are we going to strap this on the dog? Well, what if we this. . .’

How to Work with Your Veterinarian for a Prosthetic

DR. MANDI: [00:34:12] I get very frustrated with fly by night companies that don't know anything, right? But at the same time, you know,…

…to get through physics?! Like, honestly, please don't do this.’ But it's very, very true that that those are the most successful. Orthotics and prosthetics
are ones where the physics are appropriately balanced.

What to Look for in a Prosthetic Maker

TRIPAWDS JIM: [00:36:40] So what…

…types of prosthetics
are out there on the market today, and which ones are best for what type of situations?

DR. MANDI: [00:36:59] I'm probably not the…

…functional device.

What's more is that you're you're potentially creating sores and pain for your animal. I haven't had any experience with prosthetics
that were done that way. But but I've had a couple of orthotics that have come to me that way. The hinging was not in the right place, so I felt…

…board. We are in the infancy of this. And so these devices are not FDA-approved. There is no governing body for this.

The Future of Pet Prosthetics is Exciting!

TRIPAWDS RENE: [00:42:15] It’s been really exciting since we started tripods in 2006 to see where things are headed. And…

…like yourself, we're in for better days for pets with three legs.

TRIPAWDS RENE: [00:42:32] This was supposed to be a show about prosthetics
and wheelchairs, but your conversation about prosthetics
was so fascinating. I didn't want to stop. So can we have you back for a show? Just on…

…Mandi, thank you for your time and the work you're doing at Healing Arts Animal Care in Beaverton, Oregon. I really hope any listeners considering prosthetics
are hearing this before their dog surgery, but I know that's not realistic. So hopefully you'll heed the words of Doctor Mandy and do your…

…homework before investing in a prosthetic for your three legged dog.

And the best way to do that is to consult with a certified canine rehab therapist. Don't forget, the Tripods…

…Foundation can pay for your first consultation to determine if a prosthetic is in your pup's future, and provide plenty of exercise and treatment options. If not, learn more at tripods.org/rehab.

TRIPAWDS JIM: [00…

…for more pet amputation tips from experts, and claim your free gift just for listeners at downloads Tripod.com slash podcast.

Tripawds Prosthetic Articles & Vet Interviews

https://tripawds.com/tag/prosthetics/

Subscribe to Tripawd Talk Radio

https://tripawds.com/radio

…a review if we start a policy on her. We could cancel the policy if we don't like what the review says they will or won't cover.

I also asked if prosthetics
and assistive devices are covered, and he couldn't confirm but said he would find out for me. That was over a week ago so I doubt he remembered.

…that it's suuuuper important to get a veterinarian involved in a project like this. You want a vet focused on orthopedics, with experience using prosthetics
in their patients. They should have the knowledge of how a dog's biomechanics work to create a prosthetic. That way the limb will fit well and…

…won't cause pressure sores or throw their gait off any more than it already is as a Tripawd. Prosthetics that are not designed with this kind of knowledge can do more harm than good. So we really appreciate all of the thought you are putting into this

…been tasked with creating a product that helps someone or something and I thought it would be awesome to help out a local tripod kelpie by creating a prosthetic limb for her. Before I can start designing and creating the product I need to do heaps of research into the issue. 

If you have a tripod it would

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…Enjoy it! And never ever feel bad for not being here more. Make the most of every day with your guy, that's what we all want for you.

As for the prosthetic, I'm happy to know you are going to ask the therapist. Please don't buy anything yet. Not only are the costly and not returnable, the fact is that…

…Tripawd needs one. It is SUPER SMART to wait to buy one until you have that convo with his therapist. We have a very interesting conversation about prosthetic devices with a rehab therapist, coming up on tripawd talk
in a couple of weeks. 

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