Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I think many of us have been in the position of needing to put boots on our tripawds for traction at some point. My girl is a rear amp, so getting the front boots on is pretty easy. I ask her to sit and lift one front paw at a time. The rear leg is a struggle. Either I need to try to support her back end while holding her leg up and pulling the boot on or I need to try and shimmy the boot between the paw and the ground/floor.
I had an idea over the weekend, which I haven't tried yet. I'm wondering if I could get a ball that's about the height of my dog's pelvis that she could lean on to support her rear end while I lift her back leg to put a boot on. Has anyone tried something like this? Or have any other tips/tricks for putting on boots? I usually don't have another person to help, which would probably be the easiest solution.
That's an interesting idea! I would definitely want that ball to have some kind of rubber surface to rest on so it doesn't slide around, or put it in a corner so it's wedged securely.
I would normally put boots on Wyatt by myself, just as you described, by having him do a sit, and then shimmying that boot between the paw and the floor. He didn't seem to mind too much, but if you find an easier way we want to know! Good luck!
Loki haaaaates her boots and having her paws manipulated. We've been actively working on boots, surfaces, and core strength recently, which all coalesced into this (wacky?) idea. If the ball is bearing at least half of my dog's weight, I don't think it's going to roll freely. Have you ever sat on a yoga ball like it's a chair? It's got a little give and wobble, but your weight keeps it in place.
Yeah I've seen those yoga ball chairs. It might be a little tall though?
I was just using the yoga ball chair as an example of how the ball would hold fairly still while supporting weight. I'll have to measure my dog and find an appropriate sized ball to provide support. A child size yoga ball might do the trick... I bet that's a thing.
What about using a peanut instead of a ball? Takes some of the balance issues away.
I have one that I use with Elly. One of her exercises is to stretch her back leg/hip with her front end elevated and I find that it is much more stable than a ball. I put it up against a step where Elly stands and so it can only really roll in one direction and I block that with my body. Just to clarify- the step is an entire room, there is one step down to my living room.
The other idea I had was to use a leash as a strap on his harness to lift his back end a little. When I dry Elly's feet before we get back in the truck after a walk I lift her back end with the back loop on her harness to get her back foot off the ground. Elly is only about 15 pounds so I can lift with one hand and dry with the other. If the strap could go around your shoulder like a bandoleer then you could lift with your body and keep both hands free.
It would depend I guess on how his harness fits him and where the leash attachment points are. When I pick up by the back loop on Elly's webmaster harness it tips her forward.
This is another reminder that I need to start working on booties with Elly. She still doesn't really need them but she has slipped a couple times on NW searches and she is getting older.
Good luck!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls and Boy
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
The peanut ball is also something to consider... The downside is it would take more space in my car.
I think using the leash to lift the back end is a good idea with smaller dogs. All of my leashes are paracord, so they're very thin, and I think it would be uncomfortable for both me and Loki to lift her back end with one. Although, maybe I could make some sort of sling from paracord and some sort of fabric...
I'm so jealous that Elly doesn't have flooring issues. Loki sees a shiny floor and just panics. The frustrating part is she can walk on them, she just psychs herself out. I've been bringing in anything I can find that's small-ish and laying it on the floor for her to interact with in a safe/controlled environment. Loki is a very smart dog and I think in this case it bites her in the ass. She's still very young and going through adolescence. I'm hoping in another year or two, we'll be largely passed this issue. Those adolescent big feelings aren't helping anything.
One of my good nosework friends is begging me to do an L1I with her in a couple of months if Loki passes her ORT. I need to talk to the host about what kind of floors the venue has. I think I'll probably be a volunteer and not a competitor that day. Tempest already has that title, so Loki would be my only option to compete with my friend.
Another thought on the ball- you can buy or make a stand for the ball which would help with stability and wouldn't take up much room. You may not need it depending on if Loki will be still while on the ball.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls and Boy
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
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