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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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Brand new Tripawd owner! How long should we walk?
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Member Since:
5 March 2018
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5 March 2018 - 10:44 am
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Hello, 

Last week I adopted a beautiful cross breed Tripod. She's 2 and lost her leg after being hit by a car in Romania where she was a stray. 

She walks well on her lead and harness and doesn't seem to tire. 

I've been walking her between 1 and 2.5 miles per day and I'm worried it might be too much. She is missing her front left leg. 

I am also after tips on caring for her other paws, as it's so important she keeps them healthy. 

Thanks!

Emma and Peggy 

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Livermore, CA


Member Since:
18 October 2009
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5 March 2018 - 11:35 am
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Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.

Congratulations on your new pack mate! How big is she?

Distance is really not good for a Tripawd- even though she doesn't seem to tire her hopping will take a toll on her body over time.  And since she is only two she has years and years of hopping in front of her!

Here is a great blog post on how to avoid injury in Tripawds

Here are some great starter exercises to get a Tripawd Fit.

Within those links I gave you are other links to more information on conditioning and exercises.

Core strength is very important for Tripawds to help their bodies cope with life on three.  I understand how hard it can be to tire out a young Tripawd.  My current Tripawd Elly lost her right rear leg after being hit by a car at 7 months old. I adopted her at 10 months old and although full of puppy energy she wasn't very strong.  We work every day on some type of core strength or balance exercise through food games and puzzles, balance exercises, obiedience or trick training or Nose Work.  We don't do the same thing every day of course and aside from some of the balance exercises Elly just thinks we are playing games!  And it is amazing how much brain games or sniffing games really tire her out!

You might want to look at our ebooks available on the site- Loving Life on Three Legs has lots of info on keeping Tripawds healthy.

Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls

Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.

1999 to 2010

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

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Member Since:
21 May 2016
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9 March 2018 - 10:47 am
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Hi there 🌺

So heartwarming to hear you adopted a sweet Tripawd 💕🐾🐾🐾💕

When was the surgery?

One should only go for very short walks until our babies are well healed up, increasing the amount of hopping progressively and never forgetting to allow for the time needed to walk back to where we started.

Once they are strong and mastered the art of being on three legs, then we can potentially have longish walks depending on the dog, of course. 

As Karen says it's really important to work their core muscles and your baby being so young it becomes particularly important.

Tina, Mani's Mom, did lots of rehab (and even competed in the Dogs's Paralympic in Germany 🐾🏆) I'm sure she'd be happy to share her knowledge with you if you so wish. 

Sending you kisses and cuddles 😘😘🐮✨💫🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

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Sally and Jesse Bear
4
17 January 2020 - 2:41 pm
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Hi, so heartwarming to read the posts - 

I live in San Diego and have a beautiful mixed breed tripawed female I named Jesse. She is almost 6 and lost her front left leg at 8 months old, hit by a car. I adopted her out of Rosarito, MX. She is 38 lbs, medium size and my heart. 

I was also curious about walking her on a leash and even though I walk fast I want to make sure I am not creating future damage to her right shoulder. I prefer to let her off leash but then she just sits on the grass and watches for bunnies. I know she needs exercise so i try to look for places I can let her run, like hiking but I just worry about her so much she will take off chasing something. 

if anyone can give me tips on keeping her healthy that would be great and BLESS ALL OF YOU WHO ADOPT and love these dogs. 

my favorite breed is a rescuesp_hearticon2 🙂

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On The Road


Member Since:
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17 January 2020 - 4:35 pm
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Sally and Jesse Bear said
I was also curious about walking her... 

Welcome. Please consider registering to take full advantage of these forums so your posts do not require moderation. Join and start a new topic to give your question the attention it deserves.

Walking on leash and off-leash play time are both fine. But walks do not build strength, only stamina. Focus on rehab exercises to build muscle and strength. Consulting with a CCRT or CCRP is best, and Tripawds Foundation can pay for the first visit from the Maggie Moo Fund for Tripawd Rehab.

If you ever need help navigating the blogs, start here for help finding all the helpful Tripawds resources and assistance programs or watch this quick tutorial video.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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