Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Polly is just coming up on her 2 month ampuversary. She has been getting around remarkably well.
The only scary thing that happened is she slipped on our deck (its wood) when we got some snow and broke her toenail down to the quick. Of course it had to happen when we were having our furnace cleaned and the poor man is trying to talk to me while I have my tripawd in one arm and a big wad of bloody gauze in the other. She whines like a big baby when she is being held. There was blood alll over the place. I assume the metronomics causes their blood to be thinner?
But what I wanted to say was this; We have been walking polly a little more every day trying to get her used to her old walks ( we did 2.5-3 miles every single day until she started limping). She always pulled and once she started limping she stopped pulling. Well- now that shes a tripawd and what i can assume is in no more pain she pulls me the entire walk. Last night we did 2 miles. She pulled the entire time. Although she seems to get out of breath a little faster than my non tri-pawd (and thirstier as well) the long walk doesnt seem to bother her. It is the opposite actually. She wants to keep going and when we turn for home, she always keeps trying to go the other way.
Is this normal? Does anyone else have experiences where their dog just got along as if nothing ever happened so quickly? Of course i'd like to think Polly is an amazing superdog, but I worry that its not normal and that she will injure herself being so active.... I do find once she walks, has dinner and her nightly treat she just gets right in her bed and that is where she stays until morning.
What is everyone elses experiences with thier tripawds and exercising?
Hi there! First of all...ouch!..to the toenail. Us girls all know how that feels when we break a nail to the quick. Hope she recovers quickly from that.
I'm envious that Polly wants to continue on her walks. Libby is still building up her stamina. She loves to go for walks but seems to known when she needs to go home. We can only go about 1/4 of the way we used to. So, I guess I would say we can trust our pups to know what they can tolerate? Polly is small enough to carry her home if needed?
You don't have to think Polly is an amazing dog...she is an amazing dog! 
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Dogs are different in how they respond- and I have seen a range of activity levels in my time here.
I couldn't get Maggie out of her bed for almost 6 weeks! But then she was and obstinate pug. It took us 6 months to work up to half the walking distance she used to do, and that was her peak. Mag was a rear amp with mast cell cancer. She was doing chemo for those 6 months so I think that slowed her down a little.
A local friend's front amp, Caira Sue, was flying after she recovered from her surgery. Caira was one of those dogs that had to be made to rest at the park. Almost no one noticed she was a tripawd because she was always running somewhere fast.
One thing you might consider with Polly is working on her strength, not just the endurance she gets from walking. Strength goes a log way keeping Tripawds healthy and moving smoothly. There are some ideas in the Gear Blog under Fitness or Exercise. I find fitness games with my quad-pug fun and provides great bonding opportunities.
She sounds like she is doing great- go Super Polly Dog!
Karen
Wow! And Ouch! Wow, b/c those are some long walks. And Ouch, well, b/c that friggin' hurts!
Jackson is back to his normal walk lengths and routes, but we never took him on daily >1mi walks. We'd only do that when hiking, but we certainly realize that with 3 paws, those hikes are out of the question. I'd say that he has pretty much been back to all his routines, routes, play times, and energy like he was as a quad-paw. OK, so he doesn't play as long, but he plays with just as much love, energy, and passion.
Polly is amazing! Way to go! I can't believe her walk lengths. Good for her (and you)!
~Katy
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Oh Polly you deserve a pawdicure and spaw day when your nail heals! Owwww.
You know like Karen said, every dog is different in how active they remain after surgery. Yes, Tripawds do pull because the momentum they need to stay balanced forces them to go faster. However it's up to their humans to be mindful of how much activity a Tripawd is getting to avoid overuse injuries and joint problems. Canine rehab experts tell us that Tripawds should never walk more than 15 minutes at a time. For three-leggers, it's best to take a few short walks throughout the day than one long one. But again, you need to judge how far and how long she can go.
If she still seems like she has energy to burn you can turn to some fun mind games like those found in our Gear and Amazon blogs (just search for "games). Challenging mental stimulation can tire most dogs out faster than any running or walking -- maybe even Polly!
Hoppy early ampuversary Polly!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Boy, you really hit it on the nose with me. My Maggie is used to 3 plus mile horseback rides. I,ve been taking her on about 1-2 miles and she's fine so last Sunday I wore a GPS so I knew how far we would go and at the 3 mile mark she was getting tired. So I think that will be her limit unless I can get her to ride a horse?? That's one of the hardest things is can one continue to do all the things your dog loves when they become a tripawd. Since we are responsible for their welfare we have to balance their fun with their health. Polly sounds like she is doing great.
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