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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
My 9wk old Rottie, Eileen, has been a tripawd since 1 week! She is as active as ever, which makes me so happy! However I’ve noticed her nub getting boo-boos and having very minor bleeding a few times. Is this just something to expect from a tripawd? Are there tips and tricks to help prevent this? It doesn’t bother her, but I worry if this is a recurring thing it could become a problem, get infected, etc.
Eileen and family it is so good to see you here! Thanks for posting, your future posts won't need approval.
You ask a great question, and it's one that many pets experience as they learn to balance, run and play on three legs. While it is "normal" for this to happen, it's still not good and needs to be addressed. As a young Tripawd, Eileen will have extra challenges than adult Tripawds do, as far as getting around. She is still acquiring motor skills, balance and proprioception (the awareness of one's body in space). And as she does this, she will naturally have a tendency to take the easiest path to balance, which is often landing on her butt. Our own Wyatt Ray does this when he gets tired, and over the years he has developed a hard callous and fluid build-up on that aspect of the stump. It's harmless, but it shows that we allowed bad habits to be formed. Re-training him not to land that way is hard, so my suggestion to you is this:
I know you mentioned on Instagram that you want to wait a bit to get Eileen into rehab therapy. But I would urge you to start now, based on this problem you've described. No dog is ever too young to be assessed by a therapist. Check out Spree's story, she had rehab from the time she was a little baby like Eileen, and she did pretty darn great for her entire life because of her ongoing relationship with therapy:
https://tripawd.....-tripawds/
So for now, there really isn't much you can do to keep her from landing on that spot and rubbing the irritation. The best you can do is help keep her activity low-key and managed so that she doesn't fall and land on her stump, but I know that is practically impossible with a young Tripawd and having other dogs in the house. But don't give up! A therapist can advise you on better ways to do that than I can, so get her in soon and take advantage of the Tripawds Foundation program that will pay for your first rehab visit OK?
It will be so much fun to watch her grow up! Thanks again for joining us!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you so much for all this extremely useful information!! I am definitely going to have Eileen start her therapy ASAP. The one rehab center we have here locally happens to be on your approved list, so I'm taking this as a great sign to get things going! I'm stoked to have found this community - the resources provided make the process of getting my little rotten tripawd help so much easier.
Yay! We are stoked that you found us! Watching Eileen is just so much fun!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Nothing better than a spoiled rotten Rottie pupoy tripawd!! Loooove the adorable avat picture and can't wait to see more!
Let us know how some of the solutions and links Jerry gabe you work.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
1 Guest(s)
