Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi All. New member here (joined ~2 days ago and have a couple of posts in the diagnosis forum). My boy Wally is scheduled to have his left hind leg amputated very soon (could be as early as tomorrow - wish us luck). Looking to get him a harness and I'm trying to decide between the Ruffgear Web Master Plus and the Ruffgear Flagline . I'm leaning towards the Flagline b/c it's lighter weight and slips on over the dog's head. I have a car harness that I put on Wally to buckle him in and it slips over his head. So thinking he'll be more comfortable with this since he's used to putting on something similar. Any thoughts between the two? Wally is a Boxer and on the shorter and smaller side for a male at 63 lbs.
Thanks in Advance
Rich and Wally
Here is a blog post with a great chart comparing harnesses.
I've used the webmaster for my past 4 dogs with mobility issues (two tripawds, knee surgery recovery, stroke recovery) - but all are/were small dogs.
I do have a Flagline harness now for Elly but have not used it too much- for me I prefer the Webmaster harness .
The advantage to the Flagline is that all 4 of the attachment points have buckles so you and put it on your dog without them having to step through at all. The webmaster requires that the right front leg lifts to go through the strap. The Flagline is especially helpful for front amps. Elly is a right rear amp and I've not had any issues with putting the harness on her- I usually do it while she is sitting but I can also hold up her rear end while she stands and puts her right front leg through (she weighs just under 15 pounds).
To be honest my partiality to the webmaster is probably partly due to the fact that I've used them for so long, more than 10 years now, and the Flagline
has only come out in the last year or two. I'm not that good at change 
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
Thanks Karen!
Based on the chart it looks like either will be good, so I'll probably let it stew for a bit and decide then.
Thanks Again!
Rich and Wally
Hey Karen thanks for chiming in! You're spot on with what I was going to share.
Hind-leggers have the ability to easily wear either harness. The Ruffwear Flagline is definitely easier to put on, but the Ruffwear Webmaster Plus offers slightly more under-belly support when assisting, which is especially nice during recovery. Some people think the Webmaster is too tricky to put on but we honestly feel once you get the hang of it, it's easy peasy.
We had both harnesses for Wyatt Ray . As he got more mobility-compromised, the Webmaster proved more helpful.
Does Wally go to a lot of places with you? Do you have a tall vehicle? That also makes a difference.
Oh gosh I hope I didn't confuse things even more! Does this help?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks Jerry. Your comments are really helpful and didn't add any confusion at all. Probably leaning towards the Webmaster Plus now if it offers more support while assisting.
We've gotten to be pretty much homebodies over the past couple of years (especially this past year - sigh). I do visit my family in Indy fairly frequenting and take Wally with me when I go. I live in Cincinnati, so it's a little less than 2 hr drive. On occasion I do take him with me to visit friends in town. Other than that he's usually at home unless we're out on a walk. Also, my car is a normal sedan size, so he's able to easily hop in and out of the back seat. I'm sure I'll have to help him with that, at least until he gets his leg under him.
Oh good, glad to be of help!
Yeah I think you'll like the Webmaster. It's so well made too, it'll last a lifetime. And hopefully Wally will get to show it off to his friends and family when you're able to start taking short road trips again.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi, just joined up, and I have a very similar question. I suspect the webmaster is the right choice for my young, extremely active hind amputee heeler mix, but I'm wondering if the math changes for hot climates. The Webmaster looks more robust, but the Flagline would be more suitable for Texas summers. Can't quite tell how to weigh that tradeoff; hoping that those of you with hands-on experience with both might be able to cast a vote.
No tall vehicles or boulders, though he's already at 50 lbs at 9 months. I don't think we'd have trouble putting on either.
Thanks!
jjtx said
The Webmaster looks more robust, but the Flagline would be more suitable for Texas summers...
The Flagline harness may indeed be more comfortable in warmer climates. With the Web Master harness , however, you could remove the Brush Guard in Summer, or get the optional Core Cooler attachment which will keep Ranger's core temperature down on hot days. Check out this harness comparison chart for complete details.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks, admin! I'd found the chart and the reviews, just not sure how to weight the tradeoffs. Looks like a few places in my area are Ruffwear distributors; I'll see if anywhere local has them for an in-person look. Still got a little time to decide anyway as he grows some more!
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