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 tripod Charlie has adjusted well, but hops around. I have tried tirelessly to get him some physical therapy but they are very long car rides away, which are very difficult for him. He has some hip displaysia as well. I am wondering if this hopping is dangerous for him, and if there is anything specific I can do for him. I do give him some joint supplements every day.
Are you able to take a video of Charlie "hopping"?
If you video him...."share" to YouTube.....then tap the dot on the right "share video"...tap "copy link"....paste here.
It may be that his hip dysplasia is controlling his gait like that, but that would be a Vet question. Is he on any anti inflammatory or a pain med for the dysplasia?
We do have a lot of videos where members have filmed some of the rehab therapies/techniques you could do at home. Seeing a video might help is guide you better to practices at home.
Also, what is his activity level like?
It sounds like overall Charlie is doing realky well and that is great news!
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!
Hi Sue, welcome!
Tell us more about Charlie. What age? Breed type? Why the amputation?
Hopping is a very normal gait for a front-leg Tripawd. That's why we say "Better to hop on three than to limp on four." They move that way in order to propel themselves forward. Front leggers also walk much faster than a four-legged dog, in order to maintain balance and momentum. Eliminating the hop is nearly impossible, but you can minimize it with core-strengthening and balance games and weight management.
Rehab therapy is awesome and there's a lot you can do on your own. Have you seen these at-home rehab therapy videos? Our vet friend Dr. Waterhouse put them together for exactly this situation, when someone can't get to a therapist.
Also, the best thing you can do for his joints is to keep his weight down. One extra pound on a dog equals five on a human. The more overweight a dog is, the harder of a time they will have on three legs. Keep the weight down and he will thank you for it with better mobility and happier joints.
We look forward to learning more about Charlie!
Oops! I may have misunderstood how I interpreted the "hop". Basically I was thinking he was keeping this two rear legs sort of "locked together" in a hop, not moving independently atqll.
FWIW Ive attached a video of my front legger about two weeks after a TPLO rear knee surgery. The goal of the rehab at that time was touise his two rear legs "independently" (hopping independitely) of each other. She actually had me sort of assisting him with a harness to try and slow him down some so he was forced to isehos back legs more independently. walkibg him slowly. As Jerry mentioned, tripawds need to go at a faster pace f0r all the reasons she mentioned. The slower walk for Frankie was only for tplo recovery practice but, as you can see, he also used that gait when going fastwr.
I'm probably clear as mud ........ I do understand the challenges you have getting to Rehab Specialist
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!
Oh yeah true, Sally. There is a "bunny hop" that is often connected to undiagnosed pain. Basically it's when both back legs are hopping at the same time, together, in very small increments. They often do this bunny hop because it hurts too much to move their legs in a normal stride.
And there is the "Tripawd hop" that is simply the way a 3-legged dog moves on three legs. This hop is generally done with longer strides than the bunny hop. Hope that makes sense.
If you can upload a video to YouTube and then return here to paste the video URL, we will take a look to see what kind of hop it is!
Hello Everyone!
My little hoping Charlie lost his left front leg due to Osteosarcoma, this past June. Sadly he was misdiagnosed with Arthritis. He is a 72 pound mix of many breeds, including Lab, beagle, and Akita. He just turned 10 this past May. Before the amputation, he was extremely active, walking sometimes 3 or miles a day. Now even though he has recovered from the surgery, he has very little stamina, and can only walk about a block or so, then he flops down. Part of it is this has been one of the hottest summers ever, here in New Jersey. Charlie has always hated the heat and now even more so. He is the sweetest most loving dog ever.
Hi Sue! I think you were responding to so e of the questions from your previous post. You showed up as a new member so make sure you sign in as a regular member. Let us know of you have any challenges with it okay?
If Charlie is walking a full block in the heat at this point and needs to rest before heading back, he's showing you that he's already walked too far and needs to rest.....not unusual. It takes a tripawd a lot more effort to walk, especially if he is having trouble with his gait and he is walking in extreme heat.
Have you been able to take a video yet to show us how he is walking/hopping? Were you able to look at ay of the at-home rehab therapy videos?
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!
Sue Yedwab said
Hello Everyone!My little hoping Charlie lost his left front leg due to Osteosarcoma, this past June. Sadly he was misdiagnosed with Arthritis. He is a 72 pound mix of many breeds, including Lab, beagle, and Akita. He just turned 10 this past May. Before the amputation, he was extremely active, walking sometimes 3 or miles a day. Now even though he has recovered from the surgery, he has very little stamina, and can only walk about a block or so, then he flops down. Part of it is this has been one of the hottest summers ever, here in New Jersey. Charlie has always hated the heat and now even more so. He is the sweetest most loving dog ever.
Sue, it does sound like he is just going too far on three legs. Keep in mind that even though he was pretty active before, his body is still adjusting and with the heat, it will take much longer for him to adapt and build stamina. Truthfully he probably won't get back to those three miles but you can still take him out to enjoy short walks, and when you bring a dog stroller along he can go further without exhausting himself. I encourage you to check out our e-book Loving Life On Three Legs for lots of detailed info about senior dogs on three legs.
Sally's advice is spot-on. I'm also curious if you were able to check out the at-home rehab therapy?
1 Guest(s)
