Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all, I'm Cadence. I am sure you have seen posts from my mom. There in winter coming here in Chicago-land and will be my first winter as a tripawd. I am a little nervous. I even get nervous when I have to cross mom's slippery granite floor sometimes between two rugs. My pawrents bought me these great pairs of boots so that problem was helped, but now I am not sure what to do about winter. I love snow, and I love playing in snow. But what should I expect now? I heard mom and dad talking about me ice skating on the deck and hurting my other leg or falling on my stump and they sounded really worried. Won't my boots I use now help? The deck gets very slippery and I even sometimes had to slow down when I had 4 paws to walk on that. My pawrents try not to use salt because it can hurt my pads. Winter does not sound as pawesome anymore as it used to. Do I need to purchase ice skates now or maybe I won't be able to take as many pawesome walks with mom and dad? That doesn't sound fun at all. 
Cadence Faye: Born 10/30/04, stepped into our hearts 12/23/2004. Rear leg tumor found 7/24/11 by mom and dad, Xray on 7/25/11, Osteosarcoma suspected 7/26/11, amputation 7/29/11, Carboplatin started 8/23. Met free so far!
Winter is NOT fun if it gets icey I have yet to find a good boot for ICE conditions...there are plenty that advertise for snow and protecting feet in salty conditions etc. But would like to know if anyone has an ice pick design of a boot!
When the footing isn't good, I just hang onto Maggie with her Ruffwear harness ....and me with MY ice picks on.
Feel your pain...we HATE icey winters...and hoping that we don't have one this year.
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Cadence Faye: Born 10/30/04, stepped into our hearts 12/23/2004. Rear leg tumor found 7/24/11 by mom and dad, Xray on 7/25/11, Osteosarcoma suspected 7/26/11, amputation 7/29/11, Carboplatin started 8/23. Met free so far!
Ajax's first winter as a tripawd was last year - you may remember the pictures of NYC with cars buried under snow, etc. We don't have as much ice as it sounds like you have on your deck - city streets mostly - but interestingly Ajax managed the snow much better than I anticipated, and better than the slippery floor at home. I flipped out every time we were near the ice as he did slip, but it only took a few times for him to self-select out of the things he wasn't comfortable with. Obviously good to be careful, but all in all it was better than we anticipated.
Eh, I don't want to jinx it or anything, but Gerry doesn't seem struggle with the snow and ice any more than I remember my four-leggeds in the past. If it is easier for him to slip – he must be making an effort to be more careful.
Not that it looks like he is in this video:
http://www.yout.....oylBDzCCxc
I know, not actually that much snow or ice there, but truly, there's not much difference when it is.
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
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