Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi everyone!
So I've read that tripawds shouldn't be jumping in and out of cars and such (I think that's what I read?) Well ever since Cody has been off of exercise restriction he INSISTS on jumping on and off our bed (which is kind of high). When i see him wanting to get up there I always lift him and so does Tim. We also try to make sure to always get him down... but he is so quick and independent lately. I was wondering if this is okay for him to do now that he only has three legs. Any advice on this subject would be greatly appreciated!
To show our thanks... here's Cody and our cat, Houdini...
https://www.you.....e=youtu.be
Cody is our 7 year old Australian Heeler mix boy. Diagnosed on 2/20/14 and became a tripawd 2/21/14! We chose a homeopathic approach and he is being treated by Dr. Loops our of NC.
Love that video, he looks so hoppy!!
Great question you ask here. And Yep, you read that right. Rehab therapists tell us that allowing any dog, especially three-leggers, to jump from high places will put undue wear and tear on their joints. Now, the reality of course is that most of us let our dogs do this from the time they're puppies, so when a dog loses a leg at an advanced age it's extremely difficult to retrain them not to do it. Sure, you can control how they get in and out of a vehicle, but jumping off furniture is another matter.
But, the good news is it's not impossible to get your dog to do things differently. Many folks have added stairs and ramps to their beds. With a little bit of training (and lots of treats) most dogs get it and prefer an easier way up and down.
This may help:
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
And for the stubborn dog (
Codie Rae) who will insist on NOT using said stairs or ramps we string a rope with little towels hanging on it between our bed frame posts. Lucky for us we have posts and there is only one side of the bed she used to jump up on so we only have to do it on that side. And yes, it is quite the addition to our bedroom decor
CR has been a tripawd since she was 8 mos old and is now 8.5 yrs old. She is starting to come up lame on one of her front legs so it was imperative that we prevent her from jumping on and off the bed. I feel like we should have been doing this all along--most recently we lift her in and out of the truck (we used a ramp there for a long time and it worked well) but ignored the bed as there was no space to use the ramp. We figured if we spent the money on a set of stairs for the bed that she wouldn't use them. Its one thing to get a dog like CR to use something like that when supervised but another thing to expect her to use it when left to her own devices. After all its so much easier to fling yourself off the bed rather than carefully walk down a ramp.....
Hopefully your Cody has a little more sense!
Woohoo! Tripawds Rule!
Regulator of the Oaktown Pack, Sheriff of the Oaktown Pawsse, Founding member and President of the Tripawd Girldogs With 2 Names ROCK Club, and ... Tripawd Girldog Extraordinaire!
Wow! I've never read that. My dog jumps in and out of my car, jumps on the couch and bed. She'd be so sad if I didn't let her. None of them are too high though, it all makes sense after I read it.
Yeah we didn't know either until we started talking to rehab vets. The challenge is that dogs are so used to doing it, that when they lose a leg and suddenly we don't want them doing it, they get confused and do it anyways out of habit. The more you can avoid it the better off they'll be in the long run.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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