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
We just adopted a 5 year old German Shepherd. Her right front leg was amputated about a year ago due to a congenital defect.
She's a big, lanky girl, about 80 pounds. Everything about her is lean and long.
I want to make sure we keep her healthy and happy. She loves walks but tires out easily. Her foster home would take her for one 20 minute walk a day, and let her use the backyard for other times she needed to relieve herself.
Would two 20 minute walks a day be too much? 10 minutes better?
She really has to hop to get around, so I can see why she gets tired.
Hello and welcome! I'm in the chat room right now if you want to talk. I'll be back in a sec...
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks for joining. Your future posts won't need approval so post away. What a very lucky girl to have been adopted by you! What's her name?
I love that you are so conscientious about her activity level and physical needs. As you can see, a front-leg Tripawd needs to do a lot of work to get around, so staying in top shape is the best way you can help her avoid joint stress and injury. I'll share our best tips with you now:
The Tripawds e-book, Loving Life On Three Legs is all about staying happy and fit on three.
The Tripawds Gear blog has tons of fitness tips too, like: Why Core Strength Matters for Tripawd Dogs
The Tripawds Downloads blog has three great video interviews with Dr. Kennedy, a fabulous rehabilitation veterinarian: Learn Rehab and Fitness Tips for Tripawd Cats and Dogs, Part 1
And the Tripawds Nutrition blog has lots of diet tips about staying lean and just the right size. Your goal is to keep her leaner than most GSDs. Any extra weight on her is going to do damage to her joints, so think lean.
As for walks, rehab vets tell us that shorter, more frequent walks of no more than 15-20 minutes (for a Tripawd in top shape) are better than 1 or 2 long walks. Think about other ways you can make her day fun, walks are not the only thing to do together. You can have lots of fun doing fitness games, nosework, and other training activities that will keep that GSD brain happy and content. Developing these activities together now will go a long way as she ages.
I hope this isn't too much to think about. Let us know what other questions you have, we're glad you're here!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Howdy and welcome!!!
Can't wait to see pictures of your sweet girl! Bless you for adopting her.
pam
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
Thank you for the warm welcome!
Sochi is such a special girl. I can tell she's tempted to lay down a lot because even getting from one end of the house to the other seems to be an exertion but she has such a great spirit and attitude.
I've looked up hydrotherapy options as well. Mostly I just want to make sure she enjoys life!
I'm happy to give her multiple brief walks a day. That works well for us.
Ohhh what a sweetie pie! Adorable!
Regarding rehab therapy...Yes! And we actually have a program by the Tripawds Foundation that will reimburse for your first visit to a certified rehab therapist. See: http://tripawds.....-tripawds/
I noticed you have hardwood floors. Be sure to have lots of carpet runners around so she has plenty of traction , it makes it a lot easier to walk. Keeping the fur between her toes trimmed is also very helpful.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
She is gorgeous! And very lucky to have found a home with you, I can tell.
My tripawd is also a front amp and young and it's taken some trial and error to find the right length walk. She loves being outside and we've overdone it with walks in the past. Now, we try to give her as much low-activity outside time as possible and alternate entertainment, like Jerry suggested.
I spend quite a bit of time sitting on the front steps of my apartment building and at the grassy patch across the street while she watches the world go by. We bought a stroller recently and I also take her out in that for longer weekend walks in a nearby state park that has a paved trail. I get a few sideways looks for pushing a dog around in a stroller, but she's happy and that's the most important thing to me.
She's adorable! And obviously so lucky to have found you.
Looking forward to more pictures
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
She's simply stunning ... what a lucky girl to have you!!! So pretty!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
1 Guest(s)
