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
Drs. Foster and Smith comfort lift harness looked perfect, but it didn't work for us. http://www.drsf.....082 The sling part was too narrow, and Daisy has a long body. We got a medium based on weight but maybe a large would have been wider? The picture shows the sling fitting from the front armpits to almost the rear ones, but on Daisy it actually only made it a quarter to a third that far so it wasn't much help for lifting.
Excel paw protector: a wax with rosin it to help with traction on paw pads (also for protection from salt). It's okay. I've only used it once. She isn't slipping as much but I think it's partly because her balance is getting better.
Muttluks hot doggers boots: http://www.drsf.....539 She promptly took these off. I need to try to put them on tighter to see if that helps, but she's not very receptive to the idea.
I finally just bought a bunch of cheap runner rugs. She likes them.
Ouchless first aid tape: It takes about a $4 roll to bandage her once, it didn't hold the pad in place long, and when we unrolled it to try again it wouldn't stick again. Ace bandage worked better. Regular first aid tape would not stick to her fur.
I find the Bil Jac liver dog treats soft enough to hide a pill in, and much cheaper than pill pockets. Hot dogs or cheese would probably work, too.
What are you glad you bought/ sorry was a waste of money?
Candace in Oklahoma
Mom to Daisy, Tripawd since 8/05/2010
Kaiser, huge 4 legged labradoodle
Babs, old crunchy toy poodle
Rosie, scrappy little rescued chihuahua
Two human teenagers and one 5yo boy.
candace said:
Excel paw protector:…
What are you glad you bought/ sorry was a waste of money?
Great topic! Thanks for sharing your feedback. We'll add any positive suggestions people have to the Tripawds Gear shop.
Another paw wax other members have found helpful is Musher's Secret.
PS: If you're tying to hold a heating pad or ice pack in place, consider the Bella's Hot/Cold Pain Relief Pack.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Wow, I'm sorry your shopping spree wasn't a more posiitive experience - I hope you can return at least return the boots and harness. I have the Ruff Wear Bark n boots (Grip Trex) and have mixed feelings about them. They are difficult to get on tight enough to keep them from turing, and if they slip(turn) they can rub a sore. I bought them thinking I would keep one on Trouble's front foot all the time for protection and traction , but I rarely use them. Only when I am taking her somewhere that has a tile/wood surface or somewhere that I don't know what type surface she will be on.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Before Corn's amputation he had to wear a cast for several months. The vet university gave us a PediPaw to cover the cast. It's longer than the usual dog boots, we have tried those and they fall off, or our hounds rip them off to easily. Not sure if PediPaw is a brand name but its just like the dog boots but goes up to his knee height. Slips on easily then to velcro belts wrap around to hold it on, there is also a cinch thing at the top that you can pull so no rain or water can get in the top. I'm looking to find 2 more for his other feet for bad winter day walks. Will ask at the University thursday where they get them.
[Image Can Not Be Found]Oh and look, the Medipaw can be found here at SitStay.com!
Thanks for bringing our attention to these, we hadn't heard about them.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
OOooo, what a great topic!
Harnesses:
Win,place and show…Ruffwear. I bought the Animal Suspension Suit but it arrived just a week before Daisy died so in all fairness it had a limited trial in our house. I found it cumbersome to take on and off but Daisy was pretty much an invalid toward the end so it involved a lot of manoeuvring to velcro her in. I also bought the Help Em Up for Samson- I know Fortis' dad had trouble with their customer service but I actually had a very positive experience with them. I ordered it late at night, found the right size according to weight and then went to the drop down which gave me 2 choices, regular and male. (OK- I DIDNT READ THE ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS) I just chose male since Samson is a male. When it arrived it had the metal pelvic support which didn't fit him right. After re-reading the ordering instructions I found that you have to order regular or male depending on if your dogs penis is set forward or back. Mmmm, OK, I guss I never looked that close. I called customer service and they sent a regular one right out. I had not even sent the incorrect one back yet. After all that I just couldn't get it to fit right. There is a lot of adjusting and you have to use both the front and back together. Daisys Physical Therapist said she would be glad to fit it to him next time I am up but I just haven't had time. All in all, the simplest and most efficient harness has been the ruffwear.
Boots: We bought tripawd Daisy Pawz, the balloon like boots. They worked well but I was reluctant to leave them on more than a 15 minutes because they don't breathe. We now have wussy tender footed couch potato monkey dogs. When the temp drops down below 15 degrees they do not want to go out without footwear. We like the canvas and velcro Ultra paws. They do not provide the slip resistance that a TP needs but they work well for monkeybutts. I have to embarrass my hubby Bob now….he was in Bed Bath and Beyond and bought…Pugz. They look like Uggs except dog size. The large are not big enough for a Dalmatian, they may fit a border collie or fat pug so if anyone is interested, PM me and they are yours
Beds: I hate to think of the $$$ we spent on dog beds from the pet store. I know G'lena mentioned a baby mattress last week and yes we bought one of those too. I wasnt thrilled with the baby mattress because it was too firm and the dogs didn't like it and ended up laying on the floor next to it. I now buy a 4" thick queen size memory foam mattress topper from wallyworld and cut it into 6 beds. You can buy replacement covers fairly cheap from Fosters and Smith.
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
I have spent my entire inheritance on dog beds and finally gave up. Dakota likes to sprawl out in doorways, not on beds. He just won't sleep on a bed. If I put a Kleenex on the floor, he will lay on it. No padding needed, it's just the principle of the thing. If he can claim it, he will. But not if it's padded. Go figure. For awhile I did buy the egg crate mattress pads and cut them up, then just put a blanket on them so I could wash them easily. But once it became apparent that Evelyn is the most territorial thing alive in terms of things like that, I threw them away. She pees on every one of D's beds (not her own) so I just leave him in the doorways with his Kleenex.
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/
somehow the picture of poor little dakota, with a tissue box...trying not to be peed on...it's just too sad...
charon & spirit gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
We liked the Musher's Secret! It seemed to help Abby deal with our hardwood floors when her agility started to go downhill because of her hypertrophic osteopathy. I knew she would refuse to wear boots and would also likely go around any throw rugs, so this was the best/easiest/quickest option for us.
On the subject of beds (and, yes, what a sad image of poor Dakota... Oh, that Monkeybutt Evelyn!)...
Anyway, Ab
The only bad thing about it is that every time I see the "Medium Deep Dish" label on the back, I get a craving for pizza...
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Now hold on. Dakota likes sleeping on nothing! He really does! Evelyn has a cozy bed that sounds similar to what Abby had, with sides that enclose her. Dakota just likes to sprawl. When he's asleep, he does some kind of metamorphosis and becomes bigger than he is. I guess he violates the laws of physics.
I've not seen anything here about canine fashion wear, but I will be the first to say that I haven't found any company that makes shirts/sweaters/whatever for bulldogs. They can't wear regular dog stuff. I think that's a crime.
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/
Speaking of fashion... I meant to ask in my previous post... What's on Dakota's head in his new avatar?? It looks sort of Asian-inspired.
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
I now buy a 4" thick queen size memory foam mattress topper from wallyworld and cut it into 6 beds.
OMG! I just bought a $190 - 5.5in memory foam King size mattress topper and it was like sleeping in a bog! The " Help! I'm sinking in quick sand!" feeling lasted two nights and now it's rolled up and tied with a rope! I was going to made doggie beds with it since we can't return it! I'm glad to know it will work!
So, don't buy a new one Julie if and when you move here! I will have plenty!
Poor Evelyn - you get a bad rap on everything!
Abby was so lucky! What a great bed!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
AbbysMom said:
Speaking of fashion... I meant to ask in my previous post... What's on Dakota's head in his new avatar?? It looks sort of Asian-inspired.
I was going to ask the same thing- I thought it was a static clingon from the laundry basket. Bahahahahaha!
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
Dear Samson,
You are a poopy head.
That is a samurai headband, but I think I will take it off and have a new picture made.
Love, Dakota
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)
