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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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Calling all feline front leg amp pawrents!
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18 February 2014
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9 January 2015 - 2:47 pm
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I have lots of experience with a rear leg amp cat (Steve!), but I just took in a front leg amp cat foster (blog post with pics to come after work tonight). 

I know the basics, but I'd love to hear tips from those with experience with a front leg Tripawd kitty! Right now he's confined to a walk in closet for a two week quarantine as shelter protocol. If I have him longer than two weeks, he'll get to see the rest of the apartment and meet the rest of the crew. That's when I'll start building steps for him to get to higher places and that's when tips will REALLY come in handy!!

Thanks so much! <3

Right rear leg amp due to injury from unknown cause (but don't tell her she's missing her spare...yes HER!)

Read our blog here: http://stevetheprettytripawdkitty.tripawds.com/

And find Steve's new Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/stevetheprettytripawdkitty

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On The Road


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9 January 2015 - 5:33 pm
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Ooooh! Could there be a foster failure coming? ;)

The one and only Fang is a front leg amputee, be sure to post on his blog and Chantal will get back to you. Point her here when you do, would love to read her suggestions. Someone recently shared in their blog that they have put down a lot of places for their front leg TriKitty to land, with boxes and furniture and that sort of thing, to ease the impact of landing from high up places. I wish I could remember who it was but I'm spacing on it right now. It'll come to me. Hopefully someone will remember first, could be a while!

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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9 January 2015 - 7:38 pm
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How lucky this kitty is to have you to help during recovery!

Mona is a front leg amputee. She easily leaps up to my bed (30" high).  I put a low box and a chair beside the bed to go up and down. The only time she uses the chair/box to go down is when she has used it to go up. When she jumps straight up on to the bed she tends to get down by sliding her front leg down, pushes off and then lands first on her hind legs then her front leg. Sometimes she just runs and dives off which makes me cringe. If I'm in bed and see her getting down I assist her so she goes down slower.

She also hangs out and walks hops back and forth along a half-wall (40" high and 5" wide and 12 feet above the staircase on one side). This makes me nervous mostly when she turns around. She jumps up on the the file cabinet beside the wall and then on to the wall ledge. To get down she uses the file cabinet and sometimes the box beside the cabinet and other times direct to the floor.

Stairs are no problem up and down. She bunny hops down and runs up very fast. In summary, Mona does what she chooses but I suspect this is based on confidence. I've also done core strengthening exercises with her and daily massage which the loves.

This will be fun! Looking forward to the photos.

Kerren and Mona

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Virginia



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9 January 2015 - 9:25 pm
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MONA! You've got a great mom who clearly has your best interest at heart!!! Great information!

STEVIE! You're gonna have a tripawd companion kitty!! YAY!! This is i ne lucky foster kitty to have someone well versed in the needs of a tripawd!

If it's similar to front dog amps.,he'll have an easier time going upstairs than down. Thats avout the only thing I can offer...whic may not even be valod.

And we love failed fosters!!

Very nice of you and Steve to open your home to this little kitty. Looking forward ro the pics!

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( HUGS. ))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!

Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!

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10 January 2015 - 8:00 pm
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Thanks for the info learned from Mona, Kerren!! And I'll definitely check out Fang's blog and pick Chantal's brain! 

So far, I've been impressed with Esteban's ability to stand on his hind legs for extended periods of time. The humane society staff seem to think that the injury that led to his amputation was recent, but I think he's had it a long time. He's built up the muscles in his hind legs from using them more than a normal cat would have to. I suppose I'm already sensitive to noticing things like this from Steve.

Right rear leg amp due to injury from unknown cause (but don't tell her she's missing her spare...yes HER!)

Read our blog here: http://stevetheprettytripawdkitty.tripawds.com/

And find Steve's new Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/stevetheprettytripawdkitty

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10 January 2015 - 8:56 pm
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Smore is a front leg amputee as well. Jumping up is not a problem at all. She can easily jump up on the back of the couch from the floor (from behind obviously).

As Kerren mentioned, it's mostly coming down that front leg tripawds have problem with. Smore also will slowly lower herself down until her front paw touches something. She will also just jump off things. She doesn't seem to use the boxes I put up for her to help her down. It makes me nervous every time.

Coming down the stairs is slower than going up the stairs. You'll be amazed how easily Esteban goes up the steps. (He and Z - sorry can't remember how to spell her name - are adorable btw).

She has mastered the meerkat pose as well where she balances on her hind legs. In fact, she's easily able to sit up and grab toys on wand toys and stuff them in her mouth with her front paw. You'll discover front amputees are good for hugs as well. :)

Kerren - Could you share a video or an explanation of the core strengthening and massages you do for her?

Tina and Smore

(with the spirit of Pebbles watching from the Rainbow Bridge)

 

Smore is my tripawd kitty who adopted me one summer evening. She had an injury to her front left leg and had to have her leg removed July 17th. She was only 3 or 4 months old at the time. Now she moves faster than some four legged cats!

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10 January 2015 - 8:59 pm
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Yup, Mona does the meerkat pose. She never sat this way before her amputation but it's easier to sit and and back to hit my other cat with her only front paw. Actually it was part of her rehab - to develop her core. She's sporting a six-pack now! And so is Estaban clap

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Virginia



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10 January 2015 - 9:13 pm
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SMORE!!! Good to hear from you!!!

Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!

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10 January 2015 - 9:28 pm
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Hi Smore's mom,

Sounds like our experiences are very similar. So much for our well thought out placement of boxes to come down, eh?

I don't have any massage videos of Mona but used the dog massage videos on this page http://tripawds.....?s=massage to find what would work for Mona. Where they might use the palm the hand on the hips I use only 3 fingers and Mona really pushes into them. I also go slow to keep her relaxed otherwise she becomes over stimulated and starts kicking and playing.

I also learned how to walk my fingers down either side of her spine from the chiro vet. If I ever find a video I will show you. Here's a photo of her vet doing it. Note one hand under and fingers along either side of spine. Mona fell asleep at the vet's for this. With me, Mona rolls on her side but I do it anyway. I'm not sure how effective I am.

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The chiro vet said it's also important to keep a good range of motion in the front leg so one good way is to have the cat reach forward - like for a feather or food bowl. In this photo I was just trying to get Mona in her meerkat pose for a photo but she just grabbed the bowl. I hold the bowl high up so she does a good stretch with her front leg. I hope you will update us with Smore photos.

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10 January 2015 - 9:29 pm
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Meerkat pose!! That's totally what Esteban does! I'm sure he doesn't hold it as well as a seasoned Tripawd, but he definitely holds it longer than a cat who is new to life with one bum front leg. 

Everything you are all saying about coming down from high places doesn't surprise me. Steve has no trouble jumping down from high places, but really depends on her claws and upper body strength to pull her up to where she wants to get to as she can't jump to the heights her brothers can. She stopped using any steps I made for her about 6 to 8 months ago and just goes with what I call rockclimber mode.

We don't have any steps in our apartment except for those that lead out, and those are behind a door, so Esteban won't get to try out his legs on stairs under foster care. I will, however, pass on all of this advice to his new home. NEW HOME!! No more foster failures!! I will also encourage his forever family to join this site and start a blog!

Right rear leg amp due to injury from unknown cause (but don't tell her she's missing her spare...yes HER!)

Read our blog here: http://stevetheprettytripawdkitty.tripawds.com/

And find Steve's new Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/stevetheprettytripawdkitty

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10 January 2015 - 9:38 pm
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Oops, I tried to edit my posting about the massage videos. I doesn't look like they are on the page I referenced and I don't know how to find them. Perhaps an Admin person could direct us to where they are?

Thanks, Kerren

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10 January 2015 - 10:52 pm
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I love all of this advice!

Right rear leg amp due to injury from unknown cause (but don't tell her she's missing her spare...yes HER!)

Read our blog here: http://stevetheprettytripawdkitty.tripawds.com/

And find Steve's new Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/stevetheprettytripawdkitty

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11 January 2015 - 11:09 am
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kazann said
Oops, I tried to edit my posting about the massage videos. I doesn't look like they are on the page I referenced...

Hmmm...not sure specifically which videos you're referring to, but the search results you linked to do include lots of pet massage tips and this dog massage demo video.

More massage videos can be found in the Tripawds Downloads blog or on the Tripawds Youtube channel, and in the Tripawds e-books .

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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12 January 2015 - 1:50 pm
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Well the massage photos/explanation seem helpful. I'll check out the videos. Thanks!

 

And for fun, pictures of Smore putting the cat in Meerkat. Sorry they're blurry!

 

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Tina and Smore

(with the spirit of Pebbles watching from the Rainbow Bridge)

 

Smore is my tripawd kitty who adopted me one summer evening. She had an injury to her front left leg and had to have her leg removed July 17th. She was only 3 or 4 months old at the time. Now she moves faster than some four legged cats!

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12 January 2015 - 6:05 pm
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Smore!! Simply amazing. I'm going to show Mona, I think she could stretch up a bit higher like you do. She's somewhat rotund...

Smore is so beautiful and looks like a happy cat. He's so lucky to have found you. I hope you have a happy, healthy, playful year.

Kerren and Mona

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