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.
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So....I have two dogs with rear leg issues. One is two months post amputation. The other has very limited use of both of his rear legs due to multiple torn ligaments/tendons due to a drug reaction. We built our home around the fact we would have dogs and this included a walk in dog shower. My perfect house plans never took into consideration that I would have dogs that couldn't stand long or balance well in a shower. I am currently trying to support with one hand while washing/rinsing with the other (killing my back) or kneeling down and putting one knee under their belly for support (killing my knees). Does anyone have great tricks or know of a support device that can be used while grooming/bathing a tripawd or disabled dog?
The first thing that pops into my head is one of the peanut shaped "balls" that they use for PT. Would that work?
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
What about one of those shower stools? Many of them are height adjustable, some had suction cup feet so they stay in place. I have a family member that has one and it has a bit of a saddle shape so I'm envisioning it cradling the dogs belly. And they are made for the shower.
Another thought is one of those fold-up plastic stools. The ones we have are maybe 10-12" high. They fold sort of flat for storage, and form a one step stool when folded out.
Let us know when you find something that works!
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
I was thinking even is you could somehow put a bar across, like through the handle of the ruffwear harness , and secure that on the sides of the shower? Then that would support upwards ... you would have to have it just the right height, so their feet are just touching. They have shower curtain rods that are tension rods, or maybe if you just made it removable - put the holder at the right level for each dog, so you can take the rod out in between.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
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