A tripod dog is a dog with three legs. The loss of a leg can be due to many reasons including cancer, leg trauma (car accident), or congenital deformities (born with a deformity).
I am privileged to share my life with a three legged Siberian Husky called Shania. She had a congenital deformity called radial head luxation, i.e., the bones on her left front leg were misaligned, and she was unable to put weight on that foot. This condition is rare, especially for a Siberian Husky, and we were never able to determine its cause.
We speculate that it may have been from birth trauma, since she was a c-section puppy. We had hoped to correct the problem with orthopedic surgery, but unfortunately, there was too much cartilage damage in the joint, and the surgeon recommended amputation.
It was a shock when she came home with three legs and a BIG bandage around her torso. However, Shania recovered quickly from the surgery and is now a happy, bouncy, and somewhat spoiled member of the family.
Here are some things to look out for when living with a three legged dog -
1. Keep a three legged dog slim.
The most common health issue with three legged dogs is that they may develop arthritis earlier than other dogs. Because they are missing a leg, more stress is placed on their other legs, and there is more wear and tear on the joints. That is why it is especially important to keep them slim, so that they do not have to deal with additional joint stresses from excess weight.
Feed a three legged dog a healthy and balanced diet but do not overfeed her.
2. Keep a three legged dog’s foot-pads clean and healthy.
Proper foot care is very important for a three legged dog.
Tripod dogs may develop cracked foot-pads because they must support more weight on each leg. I now apply DermaPaw cream to Shania’s footpads to help keep them protected.
Previously I was using Tuf-Foot by Bonaseptic, but I find that the DermaPaw cream brings better results, is easier to apply, and stays on for much longer than Tuf-Foot.
Also make sure to keep a tripod’s nails short, and to trim the fur at the bottom of her feet. This allows her to walk comfortably, and without slipping.
3. Watch out for Elbow Hygroma.
An Elbow Hygroma is a fluid-filled swelling around the dog’s elbow. Elbow Hygroma occurs when the elbow bone causes trauma to the soft tissue around it. This usually happens in younger dogs who are also constantly lying down, or falling down on a hard surface. It may also happen when a dog leans, or consistently places too much weight on one elbow.
As a dog matures, a callus will form to protect the elbow and prevent this condition. Dog beds may help with this problem, but some dogs prefer to sleep on cooler, hard surfaces.
Young three legged dogs are especially susceptible to elbow hygroma because their elbow calluses have yet to form, and their activity level is high. Shania developed this condition when she was less than a year old. However, the swelling was small, and our vet advised us to let it heal on its own. In more serious cases, where there is an enormous amount of swelling and/or infection, surgery may be needed.
We now have a cool bed for Shania in her crate. It helps to keep her cool during the summer and provides her with a nice soft surface to lie on. Remember to regularly clean and air out the water bed, so that mold does not accumulate on the its wet undersides.
For outside the house, we use the Coolaroo outdoor dog bed. It is durable, provides a soft surface, and is elevated from the floor. The elevation allows free flow of air during hot days, and prevents water from accumulating during rainy days.
4. Manage slippery surfaces
Make sure that there are not too many slippery surfaces in the house.
Three legged dogs have less balance, and can easily slip on hard surfaces like wood, tile, linoleum, or marble. This is especially true when they are running or playing.
If there are many hard, slippery floors in the house, it may be time to go rug shopping! Rugs also provide a nice, soft surface for a dog to rest on.
I get natural hand-knotted rugs, that can stand more wear and tear from the dogs. Also consider getting a light, earth-tone colored rug, that can hide dirt and dog hair more easily.
Check out all the uneven ground in the backyard, and make sure that there are no deep holes. Three legged dogs can trip on uneven surfaces and hurt themselves. I also clear away large piles of sticks and leaves. Larger sticks may sometimes catch on a dog’s nails and cause damage.
Get some raised water bowls, so that a three legged dog can drink without having to bend down too much.
5. Let a 3 legged dog be a dog
When we share our life with a three legged dog, we naturally want to protect her from as many things as possible. It is important, though, to let a dog be a dog.
If a three legged dog is kept from doing all the things that dogs love to do, she will have lived an unfulfilled life.
“A life lived in fear is a life half lived” ~ [Spanish proverb]
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I have a three legged dog called Shania. She is an awesome dog, has a great temperament, and enjoys life a lot more than my other dog. However, because three legged dogs are unusual, they attract more people-attention during walks. Dealing with people may be one of the more challenging aspects of living with a three legged dog.
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I have a three legged coyote mix named Ruby, and I feel that calling her tripod is like calling a person in a wheel chair iron sides. I do not care for it, it is derogatory. That is just our opinion.
I am not sure why calling a dog “three legged” is descriptive but “tripod” is derogatory. As far as I can tell, there are no negative connotations associated with the word “tripod”, nor have I heard anyone use it in a derogatory fashion with respect to dogs. Perhaps, it is just because the word is less common.
In any case, Shania’s best friends are the people who give her cookies, tummy rubs, and are positive as well as friendly. She puts less weight on the words that people use, and more on their actions and state of mind. She is a clever girl.
Hello,
My family adopted a tripod 3 months ago, and she is amazing. We were told she lost a battle with a badger and needed to have her front right leg amputated when she was 2. She is now 6 and gets around very well. We watch her weight and take her on 2 walks a day and supplement her with Glucosamine(HCI) She is an amazing addition to our family!
Thanks for sharing your story with us Leslie. Also some great advice on 3-legged dog care -
watch her weight
take her on 2 walks a day
supplement her with Glucosamine(HCI)
I just started with the glucosamine pills a few months ago on the recommendation of my vet.
Hello I have a dog with 3 legs . She is missing the front rte. When young she fell out of a moving car. She is now 2 and she limps realy hard. I was wondering if there is a wheels char I can get. I saw some for dogs with 2 legs gon but idk if there is some for 3 legs. If u know of a web sight pleas messeg me thank you
Hello Haley,
The Tripawds forum is a great place to connect with other 3-legged dog owners and get information.
The handicappedpets.com site also seems to have some good information about dog wheelchairs, although I haven’t bought anything from them, so I cannot say how good they really are.
Try posting these questions on the tripawds site. There are many great dog owners there who are very knowledgeable.
Thanks.Ill post a picture of him was my camera gets fixed.His name is Nick
I read your website and it has helped with a lot.I recently adopted a 3 legged rat terrier he lost his leg as a puppy due to a accident.Ive been doing some reading and should I get him a elevated food bowl and should I put a ramp leading to my bed so it wont jump up there
Hello Joseph,
Congratulations on your new dog and kudos for adopting a three legged dog.
The elevated bowls are helpful to Shania because she is a larger dog, and would otherwise have to bend quite a bit, thereby putting additional stress on her one front leg.
I would observe your new dog and see how he does. Since he is a smaller breed, he may be fine without it.
The ramp is a good idea. Make sure to train him on how to use the ramp properly with fun and food rewards. Go slowly and do not rush him up the ramp so that he always associates it with something positive.
Do you have a picture link? Would love to see him. What is his name?
Thanks for your comment Luckie and congratulations on your new dog! You are truly awesome for helping out a dog in need.
Drop us some pictures when you can.
I love the look of shar-peis. They always look like they are deep in thought like a philosopher
This is a really good page that you’ve set up. I actually confirmed the decision to adopt a four-year-old, three-legged sharpei mix from the Humane Society after reading the info that you have provided. Your input has helped me tremendously! Thank you!
Sorry to hear about the bone cancer.
I think that dogs can have very full and happy lives even after amputation. Here are some great stories from people with three legged dogs –
http://shibashake.hubpages.com/_brec/hub/Three-Legged-Dog-Stories-Tripod-Dog-Story
Also check out the tripawds site. They have a great community there, and many members have had to go through cancer and amputation with their dogs.
http://tripawds.com/
Hugs, kisses, and licks to Gypsy. Let us know how things go.
hey my dog is called gypsy and she has bone cancer i am really upset and she might have to have her leg cut off and if she doesn’t then she will be put to sllep. i was wondering do dogs cope well with three legs and does it hurt the ??
Hi Mandy,
Shania does run around a lot so she does get cracks and such on her pads because she places more weight on them. Sometimes, while playing with my other dog, she will also skid on the grass. I put DermaPaw on her pads which has helped.
In general, when they are playing I make sure they play on the grass rather than on the concrete. Having many carpets around the house also helped.
Foot issues can also sometimes be from allergies and chewing on the paw.
Keep activity low and supervise whenever she is outside to make sure that she doesn’t overstress herself while things are healing.
You can also repost your question on the tripawds site –
tripawds.com. There are many people there with a lot of knowledge and experience on three legged dogs.
hi my dog cookie recently got her front right leg amputated about 11 days ago due to a tumour yesterday I had to take her back to the vets as she has skinned her pad of one of her back paws. does anyone know if this is common and what I can do to prevent this. she now has a bandage on her back leg for 3 days and is struggling to walk. Many thanks for all your tips they were really helpful
Hi Sue,
That is a tough situation.
I know there are companies that produce strap on wheels that will enable a two legged dog to maintain a good amount of mobility.
However, I have not had any personal experience with this, so I cannot say what the quality of life is for the dog. I imagine it will be different for different dogs, depending on their temperament.
Shania I think could adapt well to something like that, but Shiba Inu Sephy would have real problems with it.
Hugs to you and your dog. Let us know how it goes.
One of our rescue dogs just lost her front feet due to complications of a surgery to remove what was thought to be an abdominal tumor. I can find no help for a two legged dog. What kind of life is this dog going to have?
Hi Julie,
Yeah I was in a similar position with my Siberian Husky. There was a possibility of doing surgery to straighten her leg bones – but I had to weigh that against the down time and multiple surgeries she would have to go through.
Ultimately, I decided to try the straightening surgery because she was very young, and I wanted to try and do all that I could to save the leg. She would have to go through some short-term badness but I think the long-term good would have been worth it.
Sadly though, the leg straightening operation did not work, so they had to amputate ultimately. Still though, I was glad I tried it or else I would always be wondering if I could have saved her leg.
I still wish the bone straightening thing had succeeded. She has a lot of fun now, but many things would be easier for her with 4 legs – including wrestling, digging, and many of the physical things she likes to do.
It is a tough decision … my bias is towards only doing amputation as a last resort.
Hi, This may sound strange but I am looking for your thoughts on if I would be doing my dog an injustice or making his life worse by amputating his hind leg. Sad thing is I dont have to dont even know if the vet will let me. I have a surgical consult next week. He has a cruciate ligament injury which seems like no big deal, common problem for dogs and there are 3 different surgeries. However, he already has a plate in that leg because he broke his femur bone as a puppy. So he is already getting arthritis and with the new surgery he will get even more. I had to keep him quiet from the time he was 5 months old til 1-1/2 years old. It was not easy!!! He is a very very active boxer. So the thought of crating him again and then thoughts of him having severe arthristis later which will limit his activity due to pain. I am wondering if he would be better off to have his leg amputated. It is not just cause I dont want to keep him quiet I just want him to be able to do what he loves the best which is laps thru the field and back around thru the paddock he has his own little track in his head at least. I want him to be able to run and be happy for the most amount of time possible. And all these dogs seem so happy! Please help. Thanks Julie & Whitee
Hey Dylan,
Kudos to you for adopting a dog in need, especially a 3 legged dog. Great name too!
I think tripods are pretty amazing. Shania just goes about her business and it is usually the humans who make a big deal about the missing leg.
Great article. Thanks! I just adopted a three-legged dog last week. Her previous owners didn’t know how she lost her leg, since they got her that way too. Anyway, she needed a new home. Her name is Misty.
I am so sorry to hear that bellavista. My heart would be broken too.
Sounds like Twiggy had a great and active life, with a very loving family. And you will always have her with you, in your heart.
[[[ HUGS ]]]
My three legged greyhound has just died of a very swollen spleen, apparently athletes can have this problem I wonder if the uneven distribution of weight damages the spleen????
she was 8 years old her name was twiggy and my heart is broken.
Hi Mary,
That would be a great thing to have, but I do not know of any such thing. I do sometimes use a harness on my tripod so that I can give her better support, but only when she trips and such. I also stop a lot on our walks so that Shania can rest whenever she wants.
I have also heard that hydro-therapy can be helpful for a tripod with arthritis issues, but I have not tried it out personally. Theoretically, the hydro-therapy can help them build up muscle strength without placing too much stress on their joints.
Have you been to tripawds.com? They have a fairly active community, so you may want to pose your very good question there as well.
Let me know how it goes and if you find any good solutions.
I have a tri pod dog!! I dearly love him. His leg was amputated about March 09. He still can’t walk around the block. He goes 5 or 7 houses up the street and then back and exhausted. Now his back leg may have a touch of arthritus. Is there a good leash which I can use my on weight to help hold him up so he does not tire easily. He used to train with me for my 1/2 marathon.. Any help or ideas would be beneficial!!
Joel, That is a very good point and I should include in the article.
You are right that tripods do seem to be more susceptible to ear infections. My girl can’t balance very well, and when she scratches her ear she tends to do it very hard. This tends to break the skin, which causes the dirt to get in, which makes things worse.
Last year she developed an ear infection and we had to treat it with ear solution from the vet.
Now, I clean out her ears regularly with a wipe. Thanks for bringing up this very important point Joel.
Hello Jenny, Glad to hear that Belle is doing so well. She sounds like an awesome girl with a very awesome mom
Have you found that three legged dogs have problems with their ears (dirt, wax, infections) as they may unable to scratch the ear like their four legged companions? Our Freddy is starting to get a dirty build up in the ear on the side he is missing his rear leg.
Thanks,
Joel
My girl Belle recently became a 3-legged dog. It has been just over a week since her surgery. Cause was a large tumor. You have given me many things to consider. Both my dogs are voice trained and responed well. We just went to the park for the first time. They had a blast. She is not running yet, but loved walk/hopping around. She was all grins. Your page has made me realize that she does need more than just a collar. I realize that I could easily throw her off balance when they are on leash. I will be getting her a new harness soon. One that is padded so as not to chaff the 2 inches of leg that is left. Plus, when we start making the 40 minute trek to the dog park I will be very careful until I am certain she is at ease with the other dogs there. Thank you very much.
Jenny
I have a wonderful tripod named Philo. She is a 4yr old American Bulldog and lost her right back leg to cancer 2yrs ago.
Prior to amputation she was toy and food aggressive. Because of her spazzy and crazy energy we didn’t allow her to really socialize post amputation. About 3 months post-amputation she exhibited fierce dog aggression and we’ve since kept her away from other dogs. My question is has anyone ever seen a dogs aggressive behavior rehabbed post amputation?
For the first time ever, she did enjoy a side by side walk w/ my friend and her very mellow dog. It was amazing!!
Hello havoc,
Shania’s behavior did not really change post amputation. Since she was born with a crooked leg, I don’t think things changed too much for her. She has always been very submissive wrt. other dogs, so I always supervise and make sure that nobody is bullying or overwhelming her.
I think Philo probably feels more uncertain around other dogs, especially high energy dogs. One thing that may help is to slowly desensitize her to other dogs, starting with your friend’s mellow dog. As she gets more and more positive experiences with other dogs, she will gain confidence, and that will help with the aggression.
Here are some of the techniques that helped me with my dogs wrt. food aggression and dog reactivity,
http://shibashake.com/dog/stop-food-aggression-stop-resource-guarding
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression
Love to Philo and congrats on the walk. I think the fact that she can succeed in the walk, shows it is a behavior that you can rehabilitate.
Well, all these info and comments from others who have tripod dogs have been so helpfull to us because last week our lovely Ralph was hit by a car and lost his back right leg, we were just so sad but after he left the hospital it was like nothing happened, he is walking, of course in a small area, little by little but it is amazing how they recover so fast, still it is sad to see him like that, but I am sure as soon as his hair grows back, it will be just the same Ralph as always because all he cares about is to be with us….We are just very upset because the driver run away and he was speeding in a very quiet neighborhood where there are so many kids and dogs, I have to say thank God it was a dog and not a kid, I just can not imagine how this person will live with that in his mind, but I believe in Karma
anyway, the bill was just huge and we made the mistake of not having our dog insuranced so please I just ask to everyone who has pets, get insurance because that can help a lot……Thank you for this space and good luck to every person who is going through something like this.
Hello Laura,
Personally, I think you are doing the right thing.
Shania is out walking for about 1.5-2 hours total every day. Dogs need their exercise and they need to be out and about to explore the environment. If they have to stay home all of the time, they would get bored very quickly and not enjoy life very much.
As for the joints, your trainer is right in that three legged dogs do place more weight and therefore more stress on their joints. They will probably get arthritis and other joint issues earlier than other dogs because of this.
However, if dogs are not walked, they will have pent up energy and will need to release that doing running around at home anyway.
There are probably some things that we can do to reduce joint stress – e.g. walk on even, flat terrain, and don’t let her jump too much. However, at some point, dogs should be let to enjoy their lives.
Shania likes rough-housing, running around, and going out on walks just as much as the next dog. I let her do these things, but just make the environment safe for her with rugs, no holes, no stick piles, no playing on stairs, etc.
Your vet can probably give you the best advice on this issue since he knows Meisie’s full medical history.
Hope this helps
Hi,
Meisie and I started puppy training class last thursday and did realy well. i was so pleased that meisie showd all the four legged dogs that she was as good (if not better) than them. However the trainer kept on saying ‘Meisie doesnt have to do this if she cant manage it’ ‘You just sit this one out’ it really annoyed me, especially as Meisie as we have worked hard teaching her all the basic commands and i had informed the instructor of this before attending the class.
At the end of the session the instructor took one more step to annoy me by saying that we are doing too much with her. Now its made me worry!
We have only taught her basic positions (sit, down, stay, leave, drop) and take her on two walks a day – one in the morning 15mins and one at night about 30 mins. Is this too much? she said that we were putting her at high risk of a hip replacement. I really dont want her to experience the pain she has in the past and definately dont want it to be because of us ‘pushing her too much’
When we initially saw the vet post op he said to let her lead the way (only go as far as she felt comfortable) doing the ammount we are doing at the moment she still gets back and goes ‘loopy loo’ in the garden so blatently not tired.
What do you think? should we reduce her walks and do less with her? she is on her own in the day time so dont want her to have too much unused energy while we are not there (not saying i want her to sleep all day!)
Thanks in advance
Laura
Very informative hub. Your dog is beautiful and lucky to have you as her human.
“Oh and i am also pleased to report, that i have taught her to sit. She now sits for everything because she knows shes going to get lots of fuss!!”
YAY! Way to go!
“should i keep her out of there or let her have fun?”
Hard to say without being there and seeing things. With a 3 legged dog it is always a difficult line to walk between safety and living a full life. I do my best to ensure that Shania doesn’t take extreme risks – e.g. playing on the stairs, but other times I let play in her hyper style
Shania will sometimes slide on the rugs too, but unlike the tile floor, it is a controlled slide and she doesn’t lose her balance and fall. I observe her closely to make sure what she is comfortable with, what I am comfortable with, and try to strike a balance.
Glad to hear that Meisie is doing so well! Give her a cookie from me for being so clever with her training
Hello Dawn, Congratulations on your adoption!
She sounds like a really beautiful girl.
And yeah you can never really have enough rugs – lol. My girl is also very hyper. She is either on or off – no in-between settings needed. Just make sure not to let them play while going up and down the stairs. When Shania is on the stairs I make sure my Shiba doesn’t bother her.
Hugs and kisses to Mabel!
hi all,
Just thought id ask you guys what i should do about my new rescue… ive only had 7 month old, Meisie for about two weeks (note my story above) and she is doing great. we got her home soon after her rear leg amputation and she has soon built up her strength and is now running round like a loony toon!
Im really pleased with how well she has adpted in such a short time but now i fear she is getting a little too daring. she runs into the kitchen at full pelt and just slides on the floor. it is carpet so its not even that slidy!! she seems to love it and wont listen when i tell her to slow down. should i keep her out of there or let her have fun?
I know i sound like a wittling mother but she really is my baby and although i want her to lead a life as any four legged dog would i dont want her to get hurt.
What do you guys do?
Oh and i am also pleased to report, that i have taught her to sit. She now sits for everything because she knows shes going to get lots of fuss!! hehe.
Thank you for this site! We adopted Mabel yesterday. She’s a 4 year old greyhound/dalmatian mix. Right rear leg gone for 1.5 years after an auto accident. We’re trying to adapt her 35 pound frame to her 95 pound younger, hyper brother. I’m going out at lunch to buy an outdoor rug for our sidewalk which was slick this morning and she tumbled playing. Thanks so much for all the wonderful advise. My shopping list has glucosamine, harness, foot cream, and more rugs!!
Hello Laurel,
That is amazing. Kudos to you for helping out so many dogs in need.
I do give my dogs some small amount of glucosamine. In particular I give them chicken jerky treats that contain glucosamine as an additive.
I did ask Shania’s surgeon about supplements, and my best interpretation of his doctor speak is that I don’t really need to give Shania any supplements, but glucosamine is fine because it isn’t going to hurt her – lol. That’s a doctor for ya.
Hi there! I have 3 adopted tripods – two are missing a back leg and one is missing a front leg. I was wondering if you give your dog a glucosamine supplement and if so, what kind you give? My 10 year old is developing significant arthritis and I have him on Cosequin. But I want to get my other two on something now.
Hello Laura,
Congratulations on your new dog. I am always so happy to see people like you who are not only willing to rescue a dog in need, but also a dog with special needs.
Re Walks – Meisie may feel a bit unsure of herself when she is outside. One thing you can try is to take some really yummy food with you. Then during the walk, try playing the Find-It game with her. Take out a yummy treat and throw it a very short distance away from her and say “Find-It”, when she gets it – get really happy, praise her well, and repeat. Once she understands the game, you can try throwing it a bit farther away. Later on, you can even throw in a Recall. This will make walking seem more like fun, and she will quickly forget about her fears.
You can also try playing games with her outside using her favorite toys. This way she will start to associate positive things with her walk.
Also make the walks shorter initially, and let her stop and smell bushes and such whenever she wants to.
Re Sit – Hmmm I am not sure about this one. Shania is missing one of her front legs so she does not have problems doing a Sit. If Meisie has issues with it – I would say forget about it and just get her to do other commands that she can more comfortably and happily perform. Down is always a good one to have, and I find that Rolling onto their Side is also a very good one especially during grooming
Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes and hugs to Meisie.
We have just adopted Meisie after a painful 4 weeks. she was taken into the rescue centre as a stray who had been hit by a car and broke her right hind leg. She had a cast put on by the wardens vet and was cage bound for 3 weeks. The first time we saw her we fell in love, and visited her every day. she got quieter and quieter, until she didnt even lift up her head when we arrived. After all that time another vet checked her. The leg had been fused in the wrong place and her skin had rotted. She had an open wound over 2inches long! The vet amputated her leg and we went to collect her two days later. she was up wagging her tail and i dont think it has stopped since!!
1 week on she is doing great. she is playing with toys again running round the back garden and playing with other dogs. She is our special little girl and we will give her all the love her little heart can take.
There was no doubt in our heads that we were still going to adopt her despite the amputation and sites like this really do help.
You may be able to help with a few questions though….
she doesnt seem to like going out on walks – she stops all the time. at first i thought she was tired… so after a while i picked her up and carried her home BUT when she gets home she runs round on the back garden like a loopy loo! any ideas?
How to teach her to sit? she doesnt seem to like it… should we bother?
Congratulations Melynda! And extra Kudos licks for adopting a tripod dog!
I am very glad I have Shania – she brings happy licks and her bouncy sunshine energy wherever she goes.
Give Okemo an extra hug from me on Friday! Very exciting. Also drop us a picture link when you get the chance.
Thanks so much for the information you have here. We are adopting Okemo a tripod boxer (friday can’t come soon enough) and I have been serching for information. It was nice to have many of my questions answered all in one place!
Hi Janet,
You may have already done this, but I would definitely take him to the vet.
Shania tires a lot more easily in hot weather, but when it cools down at night – she goes a bit nuts letting out all her energy that she accumulated during the hot day.
Do you notice your boy being more active at night? How is his appetite? How are his movements? Sometimes, it could be a joint issue.
Definitely see what the vet says. Hopefully, it is just the weather, but better to make sure it is not something else.
I have a border collie who was initially a farm dog from Ireland. He was hit by a farm vehicle and had his front leg amputated when he was about 4/5 months old. He came to me at 7 months old. He had lots of fears at first but we gradually worked through them. Unfortunately he is still terrified of children and will bark if they come near him which we haven’t been able to change. He absolutely adores adults and will do anything for a fuss. We have however noticed that over the last four weeks he has suddenly stopped to rest far more than usual. After several runs chasing a ball he lies down and this continue until we arrive home. I take water but this doesn’t make any difference. I do not take him for long walks but he is still having difficulty. He is just under 3 years old. He does tend to pant heavily even in cooler weather.
Thank you for your answers, we appreciate the help and advice. Gretchen’s coat is very similar to a Rott’s coat, course & short. I feel so bad for her when she goes to lie down as she uses her chin as a “guide” and has rubbed most of the fur off of it. We try to get her to lie down on a soft blanket, but in the heat (St. Louis) she would much rather lie on the tile, or carpet. I will give the harness some thought. I have not tried a head harness, not sure that I’ve seen one. Will take a look at Petsmart next time I’m there. Thanks for everything, I learned alot on your website. Have a great 4th of July!
Hi Paula,
I share the same concerns as you do. Our surgeon did advise us to keep Shania on the slim side. I am careful about how much I feed her, but I feed her regular adult kibble.
I also bought a home scale so that I could check her weight regularly and make sure she is not putting on more than she should. I adjusted her food intake some initially to make sure that she stayed at a healthy weight.
I think the best thing is to check with your vet and get some second opinions online as to what is a healthy weight for Gretchen, given her breed, age, height, etc. Then adjust the amount you feed her to maintain that healthy weight. Personally I would go with the regular adult food as that is formulated for a normal, healthy, adult dog, which is what Gretchen is. The reduced calorie food, as I understand it is formulated for overweight dogs, which Gretchen is not.
And yes I also have a RuffWear WebMaster harness. I like the way it is built and it provides good support for Shania. There are two key issues with it though for me -
1. It does make Shania hot because it covers a large part of her body. This will be less of an issue with you given that Gretchen probably does not have the thick double coat that Shania has.
2. Shania can pull like a train when she has the harness on. Ultimately I just ended up using the head-halti when I take her on long walks in the park. In the neighborhood, I am training her – slowly – not to pull on a regular flat collar.
Since Gretchen is much larger, it may not be feasible to use the harness if she is a big puller.
Hope this helps. You are awesome to rescue a dog! Congratulations on your new puppy
We have a rescued 10 month old 80# Great Dane mix (we think). Gretchen was born with a deformed left front leg that was smaller than the rest of her legs. My main concern is her size. The amputation was done when she was just a few months old. She gets around pretty well, but I have concerns about keeping her weight in check. We have a 3 year old AmStaff and they play like there’s no tomorrow! The vet recommended we take her off the puppy food & go to adult formula, but did not want us to switch to reduced calorie. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Also I am considering purchase of the WebMaster halter that I saw on Tripawd.com. Have you used one? Is it helpful. Thanks! Paula
Thanks Paula, Shania is the same way in terms of wanting to lie on the tile. She will sometimes go on her elevated bed tho – which is pretty cool because there is air circulation underneath. She also has a cool water bed for at night.
More information on dog beds -
http://shibashake.com/dog/finding-the-best-dog-bed
The Gentle Leader head halti is useful for a large dog that pulls. So it all depends on how Gretchen is on a leash. If she does not pull much, then I would definitely go with the Ruffwear body harness because it really does provide good body support. Siberians are big pullers tho – so it is pretty much impossible to train/walk Shania on just the harness. More information on head-halti -
http://shibashake.com/dog/leash-training-your-dog
Happy July 4th weekend! Hugs to Gretchen
Hi Trina,
Thanks for visiting and sharing your story with us. I am sure Chica will recover well – she is young and will bounce back so quickly you won’t be able to believe it
Just separate the dogs until the stitches come off – which is usually in 2 weeks. That was what I did with my two dogs. I set up a dog pen and had Shania stay inside so that Sephy couldn’t bug her, and so that she wouldn’t be tempted to play before she was fully recovered.
Let us know how things go with Chica in the next few weeks. Many hugs to the both of your dogs.
Hi there shibashake,
thought i would let you know that i have been searching for a site with insite on 3 legged dogs and yours has been by far the most helpful!
My 1 1/2 yr old white female boxer chica had her left leg amputated.. she is such a beautiful puppy, so sad this happened. She was playing in our yard with her little brother 6 months old, and some how tumbled so badly she broke her left elbow in 4 spots. 3 different vets and a specialist told us to amputate, it was so severe they thought she had been hit by a car.
Finally we found a vet willing to do the surgery but during the surgery we got a call today that he found multiple hair line fractures and nerve damage and a chance the leg might die after he tries to put it back together because of blood flow.. she is my best friend and i dont know what its going to be like when we get her ina few days.. I am so worried, what if she breaks her other leg? our puppy chopper is so hyper and might knock her over.. I just pray everything will be alright, your page has gave me so much informationand hope.
Very grateful new tripod owner,
Trina
Hi NikkiLove,
lol – I like the “snugglepuppy” ritual. My Siberian is also tentative about new objects, especially objects that have to do with footwork.
How high is your bed? The easiest thing would be to consider getting a new, lower bed frame.
How high are the stairs? Another thing you could do, is let her learn to navigate the stairs in her own time. Just place some yummy treats on the steps, and a really good one on the bed, and let her get to them in her own time.
**ONLY do this though if you are totally confident that she can’t hurt herself on the stairs. If the stairs are too high, and she can fall off and hurt herself, then I would NOT attempt this. Just go with the lower bed.
Hi. Thank you for your helpful and encouraging site. Our 9 year old siberian was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma and had an amputation. She is 5 weeks from the surgery and adjusting well on most fronts. She is a spirited and sweet thing who loves to romp in the field next to our house with her cat friends, Oliver, Caroline and Minnie. For years now, every morning, her “mama” calls her into the bed for snuggles.The “snugglepuppy” ritual is very special to Nikki and to her family, but since the surgery she cannot get into the bed. We’ve purchased doggie stairs, 16inx18in, and with some coaxing and guiding she made it up them twice. But she refuses to do it now, and resists when we try to guide her. She uses a ramp to get in the car, and that works fine, but the bed would be too steep for a ramp. Can you give us any advice about beds and/or doggie stairs so that we can restore our joyful morning ritual?
Many thanks, Nikki and her family
Hi Colleen, I am sorry to hear about your dog’s accident.
Amputation or not is a very difficult and painful decision. With regards to quality of life, I can only share what I have observed from Shania.
Shania can still run very well. If she doesn’t have to turn, she can actually run faster than my Shiba Inu!
Shania also loves to dig holes. There are many of them in our backyard
Her holes are long and narrower because she can only use one leg, but some of them are quite large.
Shania is a great hunter. She does a great job at keeping out the voles in our backyard. My Shiba Inu is pretty useless when it comes to hunting. I think he doesn’t want to dirty himself – lol
Shania doesn’t get any real bones, but she gets the plastic Nylabones. She is quite adept at manipulating them and chewing them. True, it is not as simple as a 4-legged dog, but she manages quite well on her own.
Shania is also great at working on interactive toys and she plays very well with my Shiba. She probably gives him more than he gives her. I know that he is one always doing the squealing
However, there are changes that we had to make around the house, during outings, and during walks to accomodate Shania. Shania has a hard time negotiating on slippery surfaces, so we covered up all the tile floors with rugs and runner rugs so that she can always walk on a rug surface. We are also careful with our backyard. We covered up our drainage ditch and made sure there are no large holes around.
Hope that this is of some help to you. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.