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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
He is so handsome!
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Awww Bailey is such a love!
I don't think he's being stubborn, he's just been so well trained by you that it might take some doing for him to figure out that's where you want him to urinate, if he figures it out. He's a good boy!
How many steps does he have to go down into the yard? If he did OK this time, you might want to just allow him to do it if it's easier on you all. Having that harness sure helps, just hang on to the handle and guide him down the stairs so he doesn't slip.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
jerry said
How many steps does he have to go down into the yard?
Fifteen. He seems to be more willing to go down them than back up. I think he'll come around. This morning, before I woke up, he actually climbed 8 of our carpeted steps in the house to try to get upstairs to see me. My husband saw that he was taking a break on the carpeted landing, so he helped him the rest of the way. 
He's attempting to make his way around more and more.
He's so handsome! And, way to go Bailey! Stairs, that's huge! Keep up the good recovery, Bailey. We're pulling for ya here!
I'm wondering how to handle the stairs here. It sounds like you're letting Bailey do what he wants when he can. We also have about 12 stairs to get Jackson out and we've been carrying him in our arms. That's an awkward weight, especially first thing in the morning! I know he wants to do it himself, but we're nervous he'll go too quick or put stress on his wound. We helped him onto the couch (yep - still no leakage, so we're all safe!) and he's loving the change of bedding and scenery. Getting back to his routine is good. Now, if we can figure out the stairs.
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!
fetchon3 said
I'm wondering how to handle the stairs here. It sounds like you're letting Bailey do what he wants when he can.
That's exactly what we're doing. He seems eager to stick to his routine. He's 13-1/2 years old, after all, and he's been doing things the same way for a long time. When he seems hesitant to do something (like take the stairs), we give him lots of praise and encouragement and help him out physically.
Funny thing: we have about a foot of snow all over the ground. I shoveled 6 x 8 foot area in the back yard for him to do his business. I took him out a few minutes ago, and what did he do? Walked through the shoveled area straight into the deep snow! Only then did he pee and (finally!) poop! He likes his routine all right!
Hmmm...fifteen steps are a lot of steps, a real challenge for both Tripawd and human.
Here's how we did it when we had 18 steps to deal with. We only used the back steps, which had linoleum with traction strips at the edge. The wood steps in the front our house that you see in the video were off limits afterward, they were too hard to do for both of us.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Wow!!!! His ability to manage the stairs is incredible. I really like how he uses the wall to steady himself going down. Hopefully we'll see Bailey get this adept at the process!
Dakota lived in a house where he didn't really have to go upstairs after he became a tripawd. He had a dog door that he was using within a week of his surgery, and he occasionally went up the stairs to see what we were up to, but his preference was to stay downstairs.
Then a year ago, we moved into a townhouse where the garage is under the house, so when you go inside the front door you must immediately go up 15 stairs to the living quarters. I put Dakota into his harness the first couple of weeks we lived here, and I kept a tight hand on him. I was terrified he would slip and fall down those 15 steps. But I quickly discovered I was hindering him. When I let him go, he was able to pace himself more naturally and he never fell. He was a front amputee, so going down was harder than going up.
He was managing stairs just fine up until his last day. He really surprised me, but I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.
Funny thing, when Dakota would go back up the stairs, he would make a serpentine route. He would start on the left and end up curving back and forth and ended on the right side of the stairs. I couldn't walk beside him on his way up or he'd run me over.
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
1 Guest(s)
