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, I have a friend who is fostering a puppy who was born with a malformed and unusable front leg. Its kind of bent in/tucked up and under. Shes a 4 month old siberian husky. Shes a perfect playmate so far for our lab mix rescue pup and weve been getting attached/interested in applying to adopt her.
My main question right now is, is there like a predetermined length of time that is safe/ok for a front leg tripawd to hike around? a general "maximum" they can work up to? I have no idea what we could expect going in. I want to be fair to her and honest with ourselves. I have two boys and we like go for hikes in the woods. It doesnt have to be a crazy trail but we really like going.
Im trying to get a feel for what her life with us could look like and what it cant. Its hard to understand what her limitations are going to be. This will help us decide about considering our family for her.
Welcome! You ask such great questions!
Honestly it's different for every dog, and it's one reason why we have the Tripawds Rehab Reimbursement Program which can pay for your first rehab visit . A therapist can give the best idea of what her capabilities and limitations are now and in the future. Being a Husky it will be a constant balance of keeping her physically and mentally happy.
Im on my phone and can give more thorough insight later but for now check out these posts about adoption and Tripawds:
https://tripawd.....a-tripawd/
https://tripawd.....ion-guide/
I can also connect you with Husky Tripawds members too if you'd like!
Thank you very much for your reply! I appreciate the links, and yes I'd love to be connected with willing husky members. Thanks again 🙂
My tripawd is half Siberian Husky (even though she doesn't look it). I think a very important factor to consider with this breed is their extremely high energy level. These dogs are bred to pull heavy loads through the snow at a run for hours on end. That's a lot of dog!
And then you need to balance that with keeping a three legged dog healthy. If you want your tripawd to live a long, healthy life, they can't run, run, run all day long. They do need physical exercise, but in shorter sessions with lots of breaks. Mental stimulation is extremely important because it will help to tire your dog out as well. I do nosework as a competitive sport with my dogs and I have a collection of puzzle toys I use at meal times to provide additional stimulation.
A young tripawd husky is a challenging dog, IMO. I may sound like I know what I'm doing, but I'm sure my tripawd exerts herself physically more than is good for her frequently largely because she's young and extremely energetic and a little anxious. I'm trying hard to keep her safe and set her up for long term health, but it's a tough balance.
mischief said
My tripawd is half Siberian Husky (even though she doesn't look it). I think a very important factor to consider with this breed is their extremely high energy level. These dogs are bred to pull heavy loads through the snow at a run for hours on end. That's a lot of dog!
Super duper input! yes you are so right, that breed's energy level can be tricky when it comes to walking that line between allowing them to do what comes naturally versus keeping them injury free. It's a lot of dog whether they have three or four legs!
Erin, I'll send a note to Calpurnia's mom and ask her to chat here. She's first on my list. An expert Husky mom and always up for a chat.
Hi! Yes, balancing life/play/health issues with a husky can be challenging, BUT, it can certainly be done. We've had 2 tripawd sled dogs, and you just need to create some positive outlets for their activity, while keeping in mind that they *need* to be active, but sometimes don't make the best choices as far as activity level. Cali was 12 when she became a tripawd, and even at that old age wanted/needed to have something active to do. She became a bit of a team coach, where she would run with the team part of the time, and then ride in the sled and make her husky comments the rest of the time. The pulling seemed fine for her, but she definitely had a limit, so you have to work to find that. BP, on the other hand, managed to set his own limits, and quite clearly tells me when he's had enough or doesn't want to go. Some days he wants to go further or longer, others not at all. But he has managed to communicate that, and I honor his decisions 100% of the time.
One thing I will say, is find something you and your vet are comfortable doing for an activity to drain the energy and make sure to keep doing it. Not many things are more destructive or obnoxious than a bored husky!!! AND, keep him from gaining too much weight, as that puts extra stress on joints and can lead to other issues.
Good luck!!
Cali and BP's human
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