Hello Everyone!

Thank you Sally for posting Venga's Christmas photo! It was such a relief to finally get him to the spa! With the all the surgery's prior to amputation, it was impossible to get him groomed, now he is looking spiffy and clean again 🙂

Venga continues to do really well!! He is pretty well back to his regular furry fun self again. We did get consultation with a rehabilitation specialist, and they recommended a few key exercises to keep his spine mobility agile and to give relief to that front leg that is bearing all the weight now. 

One exercise involves a side stretch, using a treat to guide his nose toward each side of his hind and back toes.

The second exercise involves using a treat to guide him into a figure eight motion between our legs, again to encourage spine flection - it seems that this one helps with balance as well! 

We also have a massage technique to release tension along his entire spine as well as for his front bearing leg. 

We have been advised to give him supplements, a fish oil for overall health as well as a supplement for joint health. 

My only concern is that when he is walking around the house, he hobbles. I wonder whether this is normal for a Tripawd? When he is outside and walking/running, his gait is very smooth, and you can hardly tell that he has three legs! But when in the house and walking around slowly, there is a distinct hobble/limp. I would appreciate feedback on that, to ease my worry 🙂

He has no problem going up the stairs, however, we have not given him the chance to go down the stairs on his own - that defiantly seems risky, and we guide him using the ruff wear harness , and that works great. Thanks so much for the recommendation 🙂

Thank you again for your support. I am so grateful and happy to see Venga doing so well.

Warmly,

Lara, Cameron and Venga 🙂

Thank you both so much! Thank you Sally for posting the photo of Venga 🙂

We are very proud and in love with our beloved Venga. Our neighbours are in awe at how incredible he is doing. They were reluctant and scared when we were making the decision to amputate, and today, they are beside themselves with how well he is doing, and commending us for the choice we made for him - it has been so validating to hear the words 'you made the right the decision' come from people who were such big skeptics!

I would love to help spread the word about Tripawds and see that there is a Tripawd day approaching in March. Please let me know how I might help? I thought I could encourage or educate our local pet hospital and shelters by offering this resource to people who need it. Do you have recommendations on how to get started? I would love to give back to this community in some way, the support has been invaluable. 

With love,

Lara, Cameron and Venga