Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Jerry,
Does the 15 minute walk apply to off leash walks as well? I know Sasha will run around and then lay down and chomp on her ball while we catch up but leash walks definitely are tougher for her. Do you think it's best to keep all walking/running exercise to 15 minutes? I think she'd drive us crazy! 
She can easily go for an hour off leash when she can go her own pace.
Kermit's onco has a tripawd that was high-energy pre-amp and just wasn't happy getting such limited exercise post-amp, so she takes him running with her every night just like she did before!
I think as long as you let the dog make the decisions (and keep in mind that wherever you go, you have to get HOME from as well! My dogs forget that part & prefer me to carry them home!) that you're probably ok, as long as you're well past the healing phase.
expectingrain said
@Jerry, I play tug with her and we are teaching her to "crawl" to help strengthen her core. Hmm, that is interesting to know. Once it warms up a bit more I want to take her swimming (have to find a life jacket for her first) so once I have her swimming I will probably shorten her walks quite a bit. Would using glucosamine as a precautionary measure help at all?
You're being very conscientious, that's great! We have lots of tips in our ebook, Loving Life on 3 Legs, if you're interested in learning more at-home exercises you can do with her. A life jacket is smart, and a great investment. We love the Ruff Wear K9 Float Coat.
As for glucosamine, we give it to our Wyatt Ray because he's got hip displaysia. But according to the rehab vets at CARE, they don't recommend using supplements until there's a definite issue. This interview explains their viewpoint:
Canine Rehabilitation: Pain Meds and Supplement Tips from CARE
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
dharma said
and keep in mind that wherever you go, you have to get HOME from as well!
For sure!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
sashadog said
Jerry,Does the 15 minute walk apply to off leash walks as well? I know Sasha will run around and then lay down and chomp on her ball while we catch up but leash walks definitely are tougher for her. Do you think it's best to keep all walking/running exercise to 15 minutes? I think she'd drive us crazy!
I think you have to really figure out what works for your dog, and consider that they age just like people do; as people get older, crazy antics that might have come easy at a young age are much harder the older one gets. Rehab experts tell us that "explosive exercise" like chase and dog park fun like that, are very tough on a dog's body over time. When you are playing together, keep asking yourself, how do you want Sasha to feel when she's much older?
When it comes to our Wyatt, we do allow him to go off-leash but we make him take time-outs, and we never let him go longer than 20 to 30 minutes at a time. It's such a fine line, we know exactly what you mean about it being a struggle to keep high energy dogs happy. Another thing to consider that we've learned from behaviorists: mind games are just as exhausting as walkies, so that's something you can do to break up the weekday routines.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
"Keep in mind that just like a human, as time goes on, physical activity gets more challenging for dogs, especially Tripawds. Louie's Mom is just finding this out as he's now 4 years old and really slowing down compared to his younger days"
Hi all! Louie's mom here...Actually, Louie is only 8 months Old- he had his right front leg amputated at 4 months old due to a freak accident playing in the house - But over the past few weeks he has really slowed down!
Just today on our morning walk, he lay down to rest several times. Normally, he was like Destiny...very very active. Now I'm second guessing myself and hoping I didn't let him overdue it for a few months!! I'm Definitely going to monitor his exercise more going forward, but it's not easy with and active puppy. I find good bones and chew toys keep him active for hours in the house.
I definitely want to protect his joints from wear and tear. He has long life ahead of him!! Good luck to Chance! I hope you find a good balance that works for both of you! I'm sure he'll settle into his new routines before long.
Louie and Andrea
Andrea, my apologies, I don't know why I thought he was four years, not four months! Hope he's feeling better with each new day.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We did find that in the early months and even now, an extendable leash (provided your pooch is well trained) gave Sasha a lot more leeway in being able to go her own pace and takes breaks as needed. I don't think we could even really walk her on a regular leash for more than 10-15 minutes because it would be so exhausting for her. Also, we kept up her training during walks so that it gave her mind some exercise while resting her body in between walking spurts. She loved it and it really helped us keep her busy without pushing her too hard. She also now has a rock solid "down-stay" 
A long leash DOES work wonders, I forgot about how nice those are to have on walks. For us a retractable leash wouldn't work, but just a plain flat long leash allows Wyatt plenty of room to go at his own pace. Thanks for the reminder!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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