Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Our Tripaw boy Duke, 8-year old golden retriever with rear right leg amputated after being hit by a car when he was 2, now seems afraid to walk on portions of our wood floor on the main level of the house. It hasn't been a problem for him up til now. At one point several months ago the floor in the kitchen was really slippery, even for me, because I made the mistake of spraying his hair conditioner on and some got on the floor. After mopping the slipperiness went away and he was fine walking on that part of the floor again. But now there are two spots in our living room that he seems quite afraid to walk on, even if there's a treat on the other side 🙂 I've tried mopping and he still seems reluctant. The weird part is that it seems to come and go - one minute he'll walk on those areas just fine and the next he won't. When he's been excited and running and playing with Connor he has slipped a time or two, but it never seemed to phase him.
Any ideas for what we can do to help our Duke feel safe on the floor?
Can you put down some non-slip small rugs over his anxiety spots? He may readjust to the bare floors again in time, but it could be that, like the rest of us, age has made him a bit more leery of slippery places. I recall one of our members (and forgive me, I can't remember who right now) said that their family room looked like a "clown threw up" with all the different colored rugs on the floor.
Kathi and the Turbotail April Angel...and the Labradork
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
Yes, we can definitely put some small non-slip rugs in those spots. We'll do anything to help him be comfortable with walking around. Thanks for the reply!
My pug Maggie definitely got more cautious as she aged. When I first put in my trex deck she was fine on it. As she got older she would not go up or down the stairs (built for a tripawd pug) without rugs in place.
Another thing that worked well for Maggie was keeping the fur between her toes and pads trimmed short.
And Kathi- I think it was Zeus' mom Lisa with the clown description 
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
We don't have any carpet in our house since 9 doggies and wall to wall carpet are not a great combo! So I spent a couple hundred dollars on those bathroom rugs with non-skid backing which I can throw in the washing machine and I have made "highways" for Sketch with these in the most traveled areas as he too was having trouble slipping and sliding on our wooden floors after his rear leg amp.
Trini and Sketchie
Hi Duke and mom!
Ditto everybody else avout the non slip rugs and he is being cautious, well aware of his three leg status. Very smart boy!
Let us know how that works for him.
And yes, your house will probably look like a "clown threw up" all over your floors, but Duke will.love it!!
Hugs to all!
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!
We bought inexpensive carpet runner and Izzy seemed to understand immediately. It was just two days after surgery and as soon as we put it down, she got right up and hopped into the kitchen, following the path of the carpet. I use rubber booties/socks (found at Petsmart) for trips to the vet ... tile floors are tough for her and as much as she must hate them, they do the trick!
Momma to the world's most beautiful American Bulldog, Izzy!! Lost her front leg to OSA 9/18/15. Diagnosed w MCT in June 2016. Celebrated her 1 year ampuversary with knee surgery on 9/18/16! MCT recurrence in Dec 2016. Happy & hungry til nearly 14, earning her wings on 7/31/17.
We went to Target and bought a couple of bathroom type non-stick rugs and Duke knew almost immediately that it was for him. Thanks to everyone who chimed in to help. I love him so much that I always want him to be happy, healthy and safe.
That is so great to hear. Give that boy a big smooch from us!
Kathi and the Turbotail April Angel...and the Labradork
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
YAAAAAAAAAY! That Duke is such a smart boy! And good for his humans for picking up on Duke trying to communicate that the hardwoods were causing him a problem!!
Poctures!!! We'd.love ro see pictures!
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!
Kind of a late post, but I used yoga mats to line Sully's walkways in our house. They were really inexpensive and I like that they are thin, so Sully is less likely to trip over an end of them as he makes his way from room to room. 🙂
Thanks for sharing that! Yep, yoga mats are magical for a Tripawd.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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