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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Hello,
we have an option to adopt a six year old podenco front leg tripawd. The amputation was done because the dog was found with a severely injured leg that had multiple untreated fractures. It was a stray dog. What do we need to consider if we adopt him.
do all tripaws need continuous pain medication ? Does he need specific foods? What therapy is recommended and how can we manage his mobility in the future. And will he be more prone to osteoarthritis and how much more prone. We have so many questions please help.
we are in love with the dog but we also have doubts because of the amputation and consequences for his future. Like if we can manage such a dog.
thank you in advance for answering.
Welcome Dana. Your future posts will not require approval.
Thank you for considering adopting a tripawd! You have some very good questions. I'll answer what I can and others will chime in with their knowledge as well.
- Do tripawds require continuous pain medication?
- No! Pain medication is necessary for a few weeks while they recover from amputation surgery (which is MAJOR surgery). After that, pain medication shouldn't be required for daily life.
- Does he need specific foods?
- Not specific foods, but it's good to keep a tripawd slim to lessen the wear and tear on their remaining joints. Find a diet that works for your dog and keep the portions a little smaller than you would for a 4 legged dog of the same size/energy level. Feed treats/chews in moderation. If you have a particularly treat-heavy day, maybe cut the regular meal portion a little.
- Will he be more prone to arthritis?
- Yes, due to the increased wear and tear on the remaining limbs/joints
- What therapy is recommended?
- Rehab is great for tripawds! The Tripawds Foundation offers reimbursement for your first rehab session!
- How can we manage mobility and future needs?
- Priority number one is making sure you have surfaces in your home with good traction for your tripawd. If you have slippery floors like tile or laminate, adding throw rugs or yoga mats will give your tripawd safe places to walk
- Minimize stairs for your tripawd. Front amputees tend to have a harder time going down stairs and rear amputees tend to have a harder time going up stairs.
- Get a harness with a lift assist handle, such as the Ruffwear Flagline or WebMaster. You may not need the handle often, but it's a useful feature to have
- If you take your dog in the car frequently, you may want to get a ramp to make it easier for your tripawd to get in and out. Feel free to follow along with my Training a Ramp thread while I work on this with my own dogs
I agree with the above summary. The most important thing is to maintain a healthy weight and I would consider a joint supplement. Do you know how much this dog weighs? It is a bit harder to lose a front leg vs a back leg but even large and giant breeds can maintain their activity. Stairs may be a problem for some forelimb amputees.
Pam
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