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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I wanted to get some tips and advice for when I take my Birdie(16 month old Pitt with front leg amputation) that is two weeks post op to my local off leash dog park. I know she won’t be ready for that for several more weeks or months. I was just wondering what other tripped owners do for their pups while at the park. My local park is pretty large. It’s one of the largest urban parks in the country at 4500 acres. Only about 100 acres is designated for the off leash dog park. I was wondering if long training leashes are appropriate to use with tripawds. I don’t know if I will want her to go off leash for awhile yet until she has gotten stronger and has gotten the hang of walking on three legs. I already know which harness I want to get her after looking at the reviews on this site. Any tips or help is greatly appreciated.
Sarah I'm so glad you asked this important question!
We wrote a story about it here:
Is It OK to Take Tripawds to Dog Parks?
You can certainly use a long leash on her outside of the dog park. We used them all the time for Wyatt Ray , and now our Nellie. I'll be honest, we are not huge fans of dog parks, and our vet agrees that off-leash dog parks can put too much joint stress on a dog who is physically compromised. So think of all the sudden, explosive movements dogs make when they're running amok with other dogs, and how they barrel into each other. It's much easier to prevent a major impact when fewer dogs are in once place.
I know that for some dogs, getting back to the park is essential for a happy quality of life. And for those I just say, be careful. Make your Tripawd take rest breaks. Don't allow unregulated activity to go on too long. If your dog wants to sit and rest, that's a sign that it's time to go. Just be mindful if you do go, and let us know what happens.
Don't forget you can take advantage of the Tripawds Rehab Reimbursement program, which can pay for Birdie's first rehab visit . Those experts can tell you how to manage her in situations like this, since all dogs have different levels of stamina and strength. They can also help speed up her recovery so she's strong as possible when you do go to the park (sounds lovely!).
I agree with Jerry, I'm not a big fan of dog parks. However, I understand they are an important resource for dog people who don't have access to a fenced yard.
One not about using a long line leash - make sure you don't let it get so slack that Birdie's legs can get tangled in it. I also don't recommend letting your dog drag a long line - it's too easy to tangle a person or another dog in one. Last year my tripawd was jumping my fence, so I kept a long line on her until I could get it replaced with a taller one and we had a number of issues, including me getting wrapped up and losing a big patch of skin on my ankle. I have the scar to prove it.
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I used to take my first Tripawd Maggie to the dog park in my neighborhood. That park was divided into 2 sides, one for smaller dogs and one for big dogs. Pre amp Mag would run around a little but mostly liked to sniff. We often met up with a group of people and dogs- we all knew each other and the dogs knew each other. After her amp if there were a couple dogs racing around Mag would just sit down- I don't think she was comfortable on three with all the activity. My second Pug actually got pretty snotty toward other dogs so then we only went in the park if no other dogs were there.
That was more than 13 years ago. Unfortunately the dog parks are not kept up so well and there are lots and lots of people who just don't watch their dogs and don't know pay attention to what is happening around them. I do take my current Tri Elly in the park when there is no one else there- or with a dog or two we know but she isn't interested in playing with other dogs. I am now retired so I can get the dogs out to the park when there are very few or no dogs around.
One thing that happens at our parks is that people allow their dogs to dig holes and with the length of the grass there are lots of holes you can't see so one thing you should look at is how the ground in your park is. We also have lots of foxtails in the parks now, just starting to dry out.
I take Elly to daycare once a week or so. She really doesn't play with other dogs but it is good for her to have the exposure. The staff there know us and are very careful with Elly. The bring her into a room a few times a day and let her rest away from the other dogs. I like the more controlled environment and all the dogs have been evaluated to make sure they are good in a group environment. There are several people (they call them wranglers) watching the dogs at all times. They don't have live cameras but do post videos and pictures throughout the day.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls and Boy
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
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