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
Hi everyone! I don't know why it took me so long to post to the forum, but here I am! Other than introductions though, I would like your guy's opinion.
Lizzie has been struggling with weight issues for awhile, my parents had a habit of overfeeding her when I lived with them (she went from 55lbs to a whopping 78lbs!) and it's taken over a year to slim her back down. I thiiiiink she's back to a good weight, but I wanted to see what you guys thought. My car is all full of stuff from moving so I haven't been able to get them to Petsmart for a weigh in.
I know it's not the best angle, but I have the darndest time getting photos of these two! Any thoughts? Thanks so much!
Proud mommy of a Belgian Malinois tripawd named Lizzie, who is completely spoiled rotten, loves kids, and will be going into therapy dog training as soon as I can afford it. You can find her blog here.
Also proud mommy to Vito, 3(?) yr old GSD. Adoption weight: 58lbs. Current weight: 90lbs. Goal weight: 85-90lbs (ACHIEVED!). Tested positive for EPI on March 30th, 2011 and stable ever since.
"Sometimes it takes an imperfection to create perfection."
OMG! Love the picture! WELCOME!
We have a nutrition section that may help answer your diet questions. It sounds like you've done well to get the weight down though! Here:
http://nutritio.....pawds.com/
My only suggestion, is to make sure Lizzy doesn't feel hungry. Frozen treats are great for filling the stomach since it takes a long time to eat. Just make sure that whatever you freeze is mostly water. (watered down can food or meat broth made from scratch)
Again welcome!
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.
The little chart at the vet's office (if I'm remembering right) shows an outline of the pooch as viewed from the top. You should be able to definitely see a waist line and see the shape of her ribs, but not see ribs sticking out.
Hard to say from the pic. She looks good - maybe could lose a couple more pounds?? Like I said, hard to say from the photo.
They say it's best to keep a tripawd slim. Actually my vet said - long before Abby was a tripawd - that it's best to keep ALL dogs slim. She said a study showed that being slim (even a couple of lbs underweight) helped dogs live longer than dogs that were 'normal' or even just a pound or two overweight.
Good job for getting the extra lbs off her that your parents packed on. Sometimes it's hard to do the 'tough loving'. (We are all about the 'easy loving' at our house! But Abby is not a chow hound so stays naturally thin...).
They both look very happy!
All the best,
Jackie, 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!
Cool, I'll check out that link!
Yeah, it's just been interesting, for a long time I was trying to get Liz to lose and Vito (the black one) to gain. For awhile she actually outweighed him...of course, he was skin and bones at the time. I can definitely feel her ribs without pressing, and she's got a good tuck to her tummy, but I think you're right, another few pounds should do it. Now if only I could lose some weight too!
With Vito I like to keep a few extra pounds on him so in case he has issues with his EPI he'll have some fat to burn through before he starts losing muscle again. But normally yeah, I totally agree about the weight thing.
Thanks for the input!
Proud mommy of a Belgian Malinois tripawd named Lizzie, who is completely spoiled rotten, loves kids, and will be going into therapy dog training as soon as I can afford it. You can find her blog here.
Also proud mommy to Vito, 3(?) yr old GSD. Adoption weight: 58lbs. Current weight: 90lbs. Goal weight: 85-90lbs (ACHIEVED!). Tested positive for EPI on March 30th, 2011 and stable ever since.
"Sometimes it takes an imperfection to create perfection."
Oh boy, I hear you on the trying to lose a few myself thing...
In fact, I had Abby blogging about this just the other day... (if you click on the 'detailed' blog in my sig, the post before last she shared her health and beauty tips...) 🙂
If you can feel her ribs and she's got a good 'tummy tuck' (wish I did!) then she sounds good!
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 remember seeing that! I thought I commented, but I might've forgotten to. =( You have an awesome blog, Abby is very photogenic! Unfortunately all I have to take photos with right now is my phone, so they don't turn out as nice. Plus the bratdogs won't sit still for pictures! The only way I got that one up there was by waving a bowl of food around!
Proud mommy of a Belgian Malinois tripawd named Lizzie, who is completely spoiled rotten, loves kids, and will be going into therapy dog training as soon as I can afford it. You can find her blog here.
Also proud mommy to Vito, 3(?) yr old GSD. Adoption weight: 58lbs. Current weight: 90lbs. Goal weight: 85-90lbs (ACHIEVED!). Tested positive for EPI on March 30th, 2011 and stable ever since.
"Sometimes it takes an imperfection to create perfection."
Oh, yes - you did comment! Sorry - I forgot! At the time I saw the comment, I didn't recognize your name (of course, I knew Lizzie's name... isn't it funny how we always remember the dog's names but not the human's??).
I had to get a better camera when I got Abby! She's hard to photograph too because she moves around a lot. I have hardly any decent puppy pics of her - they were all blurry! Got a used camera off of ebay and now i can get some good pics of her! (Which is important since she is such a supermodel! It's actually pretty funny now because she really seems to love the camera, like a good model should. She'll be doing something, like kissing her daddy, and I'll get my camera to take a pic and as soon as she hears the whirr of the lens focusing, she'll stop kissing him and turn and look at the camera. She's becoming a total ham!)
Love the image of you waving their food bowl around to get the pic!
Jackie, photographer for supermodel Abby
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!
Hi there,
From the picture it looks to me that she could stand to loose a bit more. Can you feel her ribs easily? Does she have an 'hourglass' figure when viewed from the top of her? What do you feed her? A lower calorie food maybe would help?
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
Maggie,
Well, she doesn't quite have an hourglass yet, and those 'lovehandles' there are actually muscle. I can feel her ribs without pressing, and she's got a good tuck on her tummy, but I think you're right, a few more pounds should do it.
Abby,
Hopefully once I move I'll have a little more cash to spare, then I can afford a decent camera. Fingers crossed! I tell ya though, the only way to catch these two are with food or when they're asleep! Those aren't happy to see me faces, those are 'Mooooooom! Feed us already!' faces!
Proud mommy of a Belgian Malinois tripawd named Lizzie, who is completely spoiled rotten, loves kids, and will be going into therapy dog training as soon as I can afford it. You can find her blog here.
Also proud mommy to Vito, 3(?) yr old GSD. Adoption weight: 58lbs. Current weight: 90lbs. Goal weight: 85-90lbs (ACHIEVED!). Tested positive for EPI on March 30th, 2011 and stable ever since.
"Sometimes it takes an imperfection to create perfection."
It's so good to see you here! We've been Lizzie and Vito fans for a while.
Now, don't you know it's not polite to comment on a girl's weight?
But since we're talking about Tripawds and how impawtant it is to stay svelte, I will break that rule and say that yes, she could lose some weight.
Being thinner than most s bad for humans but good for Tripawds (think: Kate Moss with fur!). Not only will it help her get around better, but she may actually live longer than the average hefty dog, according to studies I've read.
Here is a Tripawds Nutrition Article I wrote that explains what to look for and the basics of staying slim:
Staying Slim Makes for Hoppy Tripawds
You may also want to check out some tips from Trouble, who lost weight and kept it off without Jenny Craig OR Slim Fast!
We're here to help you all the way. Good luck!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Well if Ms. Priss wasn't such a couch potato then we wouldn't be discussing it! 😛 Mellowest Malinois on the planet, I swear! She's giving me a dirty look…I swear this dog can read. 
I managed to confuse her into standing still for a couple photos…I wish I could take her to Petsmart, darn move. Darn tiny car.
And because he can never be left out..One of Vito.
Proud mommy of a Belgian Malinois tripawd named Lizzie, who is completely spoiled rotten, loves kids, and will be going into therapy dog training as soon as I can afford it. You can find her blog here.
Also proud mommy to Vito, 3(?) yr old GSD. Adoption weight: 58lbs. Current weight: 90lbs. Goal weight: 85-90lbs (ACHIEVED!). Tested positive for EPI on March 30th, 2011 and stable ever since.
"Sometimes it takes an imperfection to create perfection."
Oh my dog they are just so darn cute.
So you can see Lizzy's waistline, that's great! But yeah, losing a pound or two could do wonders to keep her in good shape.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yeah, I think another 2 or 3 lbs off of her would do her a lot of good. She looks good - but it is best for tripawds to be thin.
They are both SO cute. Love that big goofy grin on Vito.
Give them both some kisses from Abby and me!
Jackie, 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!
I most definitely will! Thanks for all the input! I have a couple more questions that are unrelated to weight but still about Ms. Liz.
I don't know if any of you have pups like Liz, who still has the limb but it just doesn't work...but she has a problem with 'icky pitts', dirt and dead skin get stuck under there and it gets really nasty if I forget to clean it regularly. I've been debating taking a sleeve from an old long-sleeved shirt and putting it on the leg to keep the skin from rubbing and getting as dirty, but I dunno if that would help or just chafe. Ps: She is gonna be so mad at me for revealing this. 
Ms. Liz prefers to keep everyone under the assumption that she is perfect, always.
Also, do you know if a vet would be willing to remove the claws on her bad leg? I know normally it would be a horrible thing to ask, but she has no nerve endings there, and the claws grow crazy fast, so they can be uncomfortable to her...plus when I trim them sometimes there's rough edges (she HATES my rotary trimmer, so I can't sand it down) which is even more uncomfortable. 
Thanks again guys!
Proud mommy of a Belgian Malinois tripawd named Lizzie, who is completely spoiled rotten, loves kids, and will be going into therapy dog training as soon as I can afford it. You can find her blog here.
Also proud mommy to Vito, 3(?) yr old GSD. Adoption weight: 58lbs. Current weight: 90lbs. Goal weight: 85-90lbs (ACHIEVED!). Tested positive for EPI on March 30th, 2011 and stable ever since.
"Sometimes it takes an imperfection to create perfection."
"Cometdog" still had her limb, so maybe she will weigh in. If she doesn't see your post you can always PM her.
I assume a vet would be willing to remove the claws - but since they would have to knock her out it might be kind of expensive. (I don't think that is a horrible thing to ask - you just want your girl to be more comfortable.) Worth talking to the vet about it and getting their thoughts/an estimate.
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!
1 Guest(s)
