Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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First off, let me just say that this question is not appropriate for a good many of our tripawds--I know that most of our furry family members are tripawds because of cancer, so this question only pertains to those of us who have a tripawd because of accident.
I just finished reading the thread about "carting" as it pertains to having your tripawd buddy use a 2 wheeled cart or wheelchair for mobility. But has anyone used "carting" in the traditional sense for exercise for their dog? We adopted a tripawd pit-boxer mix in January (thanks to this website's help,) and she's a very vibrant, energetic 10 month old dog (who lost her leg after being hit by a car) and needs to be exercised...a lot! We had her in training and the trainer suggested that pulling a sled in snow or a wagon in nice weather might be a good form of exercise and therapy for her (it's her right rear leg that's missing.) So my question is: has anyone had any experience with using this type of activity with their tripawd, and if so, have any recommendations about it? Or is it a bad idea altogether? Thoughts...
Thanks!
Wow…I would be very reluctant to engage any tripawd in this type of exercise. You have a young dog. There are a lot of years of stress her lower spine and remaining rear leg. Even if your dog were an appropriate breed for carting it's a bad idea.
I would even be very careful about any traditional repetitive training motions.
There are a lot of ways to stimulate her mentally & physically without the stress. Can you consult with a rehab vet for some guidance?
I would perhaps look into finding a trainer who has a better handle on her needs and ability.
Your question isn't specific to "accidental" tripawds. We all struggle with finding appropriate forms of exercise for our dogs and not only senior dogs get cancer.
WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with Cynthia! I personally wouldn't chance injuring the remaining rear leg - ACL injuries come to my mind... a very common leg injury in the rear of large dogs. I worry about that all the time with my rear legger.
FWIW, if you can mentally exercise your dogs mind as well with tricking training, for instance, I find mental work just as taxing on a dog than physical. I also used to find with my younger dog, the more exercise I gave her the MORE she wanted.
My rear leg amputee used to compete in agility and still could to some degree(certain classes) but I choose not to.
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
It's great to hear from you! How pawesome that your gal is doing so well.
But...yowza! That carting thing sounds really harsh, no way, not a chance would we ever recommend that, based on what we have learned from canine rehab practitioners like California Animal Rehab. While Tripawds can do just about anything a quad-pawd can do, there are certain things we should just stay away from. My gut tells me this is one of them.
Like Maggie says, exercising a Tripawd is less about getting tired physically than it is mentally. A dog doesn't need to go ballistic at the dog park to get tired (OK for quad-pawds but not so great for Tripawds). Check out our Gear Blog for some fitness tips and get on the road to finding something you can do together for mental exercise.
Our Wyatt Ray is a crazy Sheppie who goes NUTS if we dont' tire him out every day, but we dont' do it with walking or running, we do it through consistent training and obedience games as well as the strengthening exercises we talk about in the Gear blog .
Let us know what ideas you come up with and what works for you, we're all game for new games and activities!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Nose work can be mentally challenging and ultimately exhausting, but a lot of fun for both of you....Nose work is not Tracking....that is to physically demanding for Tripawds.
Nose work? What's the diff?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Nose work is generally inside, not physically demanding…finding objects like something you've scented in a random pile, box or bag, gradually increasing the difficulty. It can get pretty serious and morph into competition, but it's becoming a popular, fun (especially in bad weather) class around here. Isabelle loves it…it's perfect for Tripawds! As long as you find a recreational class, it can be tailored to your dog's ability.
Tracking is too physically demanding, even for young Tripawds. The courses are long, terrain unpredictable…and no one's going to wait for them to rest! Isabelle was experienced, but she can't do it anymore.
I'm signed up for a Nose Work workshop next month! 🙂 It's going to be a part of the Wag It Games that Maggie(and my quadpawd) compete in now! Can't wait to try it.
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Susan,
This type of workshop is generally geared toward more competitive Nose Work. A good handle on intermediate (& maybe advanced) obedience & the ability to focus around distractions would be required. It probably wouldn't be appropriate for Cocoa at this time.
Check with training facilities in your area for a recreational introduction to Nose Work class. It would be best to have Cocoa complete a basic or intermediate group class first, so she develops the skills to work with the distraction of dogs, people and other stimuli.
In the meantime, there are some nice books available with exercises you can do at home that will help her develop her "nose" and are fun. Check the WDJ archives for suggestions too.
Cynthia
Jerry, thanks for asking...Zula is doing very well! She's extremely energetic and definitely needs exercise. We've been doing indoor mental stimulus with her-she has a busy cube that she loves to play with, she flips out for tennis balls (chews them into little pieces,) and then crashes and snuggles on the couch with us. But the poor weather around here is preventing outdoor exercise, and she needs that, too. I didn't think everyone would be so against the carting idea! I wasn't planning on having her pull a wagon of rocks up the driveway, just a little extra resistance to build muscle. I would think that a traditional 2-wheeled cart would put too much weight on her remaining back leg, where a 4-wheeled wagon would not put any weight "on" her, she would just then be pulling the rolling resistance of the wagon, which she definitely has the energy to do. Guess it's back to the vet that did Saint Zackie's amputation for some advice...
Have you thought about asking a Rehab vet? Surgeons(especially) & general vets really have very limited experience with this type of thing & are the last practitioners I would look to for advice…
Pulling anything (and if it truly is "up") the driveway is still a slippery slope & asking for complications. Your dog no longer has a "spare" leg and has an entire body compensating for its absence. Even with a conscious effort and extreme diligence, they all end up tweaking something. You have to protect her remaining parts for what is hopefully, a lot of years to come. If resistance is what you're looking for to build muscle, than it should be water. For energy expenditure, you have to get creative, incorporating complicated mental challenges into her routine as Rene talked about with Wyatt.
Completely agree with Tracy regarding dogs wanting more when they get more, because that's all many of them know. Most behavioral issues in dogs can be much more easily managed if more focus was placed on mental stimulation instead of expecting dogs to exercise themselves into exhaustion. Being tired is just that, (it may seem easier for humans in the short run), but it teaches no skills. There's not much long term benefit to dogs ( or their humans) who run unchecked at dog parks or anywhere else. It only reinforces undesirable behaviors. These open sessions should always be used as a training opportunity and appropriate responses should be expected…or the free play stops, especially with young, inexperienced dogs.
First off welcome Zula! Your question is very appropiate! I would have been kicked off a long time ago if inappropiate questions weren't allowed!
Okay, had to jump in since I had a tripawd for 12 years.
Short answer to pulling anything behind a tripawd with added weight...No. Long answer...Hell no! 
Comet was born with a deformed leg so she was a puppy once also. I know what you mean about needing exercise but don't add any stress to their body. She retrieved tennis balls like crazy in the house and outside and that was good exercise. Not so much as she got older. She was obsessed, so I couldn't stop her.
She loved to stand on her hind legs and dance and twirl - seemed okay to me until she tore a cruciate ligament in her back knee. And then she blew the other one a year or so later. Forget what a dog goes thru after the cruciate ligament surgery, it's a breeze compared to what you'll go thru!
If you ever want to become a wack-a-doodle, then go through the 8-12 weeks of recovery of cruciate ligament tear on a 3 legged dog! They should not use the leg that has been repaired until it's healed. Hint: that's a 2-legged dog for 8-12 weeks! Comet's surgery cost a mere $3500 per knee also!
Just try to remember there is already a tremendous stress on their body from hopping. When they become seniors, this will be very apparent. Mobility will become an issue. So even as a puppy, try to stimulate mentally not physically.
Like littlmanjake said, if you can do swimming - do it instead. We don't have a pool so we bought an Intex pool for around $100 and it was great for Comet. Tip: Buy the filter with it to keep the algae out.
Good luck!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Thanks Cynthia. I appreciate your feedback.
Cocoa has been doing much better with the stiffness. I've been massaging her and doing stretches. Lessons start this weekend!
Comet: thanks for the idea about water--unfortunately, it's not warm here yet, starting to look like it never will be! But on the walks I've taken Zula on, it looks like she does like water, so I'm hoping swimming will be an option for her as it warms up (if ever.) Taking into account the added stress on her bones and joints is a good point--even though I don't think of her as "handicapped" right now (because she gets around so effortlessly and has boundless energy,) what her condition will be like when she's older is an important consideration. She seems to have a good technique for hopping--she's very lean in her hind end (most of her "bulk" is in her shoulders and head,) and that's definitely going to reduce the stress on her remaining leg (as long as we can keep her lean!) We have a boat-load of lakes, dams, and ponds nearby that could easily serve the purpose.
Jake: thanks for the advice on the water and the vet. Our vet team is based in one of the best vet hospitals in PA, and they handled Zack's amputation, recovery, and treatment with such professionalism that I trust them implicitly. I would totally recommend them to anyone in the area that has a tripawd (or a dog with cancer that may need to become a tripawd.) I'm a people-PT, too, so I have some rehab background. 🙂 The key to building muscle endurance without causing long-term repetitive micro trauma to the area is to keep the weight light and the reps higher, which will allow her to build that endurance without damaging any important musculoskeletal structures. So it looks like we'll be doing lots more walks and (hopefully) swimming when it warms up and shelving the carting idea.
Thanks again, all.
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