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 it. This condition is rare, especially for a Siberian Husky, and the cause for it is unclear.
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 tripod 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 remaining joints, and there is more wear and tear. Therefore, it is very 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 our dog’s foot-pads clean and healthy.
Proper foot care is very important for a three legged dog.
They may develop cracked foot-pads because of the additional weight placed upon each paw. 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. However, Shania will often try to lick the cream up, so I apply it right before she takes a nap (e.g. when we come home from our walk), and I supervise until she settles down.
I also keep Shania’s nails short, and 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. It occurs, when the elbow bone causes trauma to the soft tissue around it. This usually happens in younger dogs who are 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, 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 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 air-flow 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. Consider getting a light, earth-tone colored rug, that can hide dirt and dog hair more easily.
In addition, I check the backyard, and make sure there are no deep holes. Shania can trip on uneven surfaces and hurt herself. I also clear away large piles of sticks and leaves. Larger sticks may sometimes catch on a dog’s nails and cause damage.
It helps to get raised water bowls, so that our tripod 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 tripod 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]
My dog lost a leg 4 -5 months ago; surgery and recovery went well. She has now developed an infectious disease….is this common in tripawds?
hello,
i love reading your blog and has really helped me when i adopted my dog Toti (crossbreed of Jack Russell and Ibizan Hound) who has his left front leg missing. I wanted to ask you about what types of food are better for a three legged dog. I have always fed him high protein Salmon foods since i was told was better for his joints. However he LOVES eating, and from his past as a stray dog has a lot of anxiety around food, so i am struggling with no over feeding him – i find that most high protein salmon foods require a lot less amount of kibble than other types.
i will find extremely helpful any advice or info about what you feed your lovely husky.
thanks
Thank you very much Patricia and big hugs to Toti. Yeah, I give all of my dogs high protein kibble. We are currently using Wellness CORE. Also definitely agree with the fish oil. My vet also tells me that fish oil is good for the joints.
Shania really loved food too. I broke her food up into smaller pieces, and I used it for rewards of various things. I also used certain appropriate interactive toys so she didn’t eat too fast. No kibble balls or toys that put undue stress on her legs. She also loved being outside, so we went on lots of walks and later on hung out outside, where she could smell things and look at people, cats, and dogs.
Here is a bit more on how I pick food-
http://shibashake.com/dog/feeding-your-dog-a-healthy-diet
The Dog I’m looking at is missing his Left front leg! I also need to know about care and diet! I have been told to keep my dogs thin, looking for their next meal! Thin waist line!
hi everyone. i live in south africa. i have a beautiful three legged german shepherd named shadow. i wanted some advise. i am a pretty short girl but love going for walks with him. but it can be dangerous sometimes. is it possible to still take shadow for attack dog training or is it not a good idee?
please email me your answers. thank you. God bless
I have a dog, Daisy, that recently became a tripod. She has been a part of my family since she was 8 weeks old, she is now 8 months. Her and my other 2 dogs were close before, they played all the time and hated to be apart. But now my other dogs won’t have anything to do with her. Any suggestions for re-integrating them?
my 14? Year old husky lost her back leg 11 years ago…seems her remaining leg has had it…she can barely walk a few feet….
Any ideas out there¿
Thanks!
My dog has Cancer at the bottom of his foot and I have to decide if I want to amputate his two toes to remove the growth and do chemo or amputate the whole paw up to the shoulder? He is 8 yrs old and a boxer lab mid
I have a tripod pit bull names hope she lost her leg around a year old and is just a loving energetic 2 year old pup . When we go to the dog park I find it’s easier for her to run rather than walk and gets tired faster. She is all around just a wonderful dog and love seeing people being able to let a dog be a dog even after losing a leg
We recently (june 27th) had our german shepard/newfie’s front left leg amputated due to cancer. Within the last week she has been having a tough time getting up at down. Ive noticed her right front leg has become wat im assuming is beefier. Is this normal? Im starting to worry it could be more than that.
Do most 3 legged dogs learn to walk without some kind of aid?
I am trying to get some help for my 13 year old Husky. We have just recently been told she has cancer in her left rear leg. Our family is unsure of the option of keeping her leg and just let her live the rest of her life the way she is or take her leg off to remove the cancer. Being 13 years old her risk of arthritis is very high.
Amanda, I’m wondering about the same “beefier” style paw!!
Hi can i ask you do you feel u made the right choice i have bull arab x that just found out she has a bone tumor in front leg and we are lookimg at amputation im scared well terrified can u give me your personal opinion and if you think it was the right choice ? Thanx april
Can anybody help us. We want her health and happy. Hate to see her hurting.
Jennifer, have you taken her into the vet? it sounds as if she was incredibly young to be left without a mother. if she’s missing just the paw she might need to have a partial or full amputation to keep the rest of her leg healthy. it’s possible that they can figure out a way to wrap it or make a prosthetic for her, but i would not recommend you try any of this without first taking her to the vet and asking for their advice. thanks for saving her life and making sure she has a long, healthy and happy one. please give an update when you take her in. good luck! 🙂
Our spaniel Tommy has been without one of his front legs now for over 6 years. When we first got him 5 years ago he ran about like any other dog, no problems. However as time has gone on so he has found it more and more difficult and now he struggles quite a lot as he has developed arthritis in his other leg. Although he still tries he does need a lot of help. When we go for walks he now has to go in a push chair for much of the time and there are a lot of times when he needs to be picked up and carried. He does get to have a swim sometimes which he loves and of course tis takes the pressure off him when he exercises. However the longer it goes on the harder it gets. Would love to hear from others who may be in a similar position and the things they do to help.
I am in the same situation. My Golden lost his front left leg at 5 due to bone cancer. Now, at 12 1/2 his existing front leg seems to be weakening and he’s having some hard times. Not a lot on the web about caring for senior tripods.
Thanks for the comment Shannon. It’s encouraging to know that we are not alone. It’s amazing to realise how much they trust and depend on you. They become more special as time passes Tommy likes to be carried a lot these days, downstairs, off the bed and even to his food bowl. Mind you a fox in the garden still gets him going. Good luck with your boy.
We got are little buddle of joy. About 5 weeks ago. She was a week old. The people who had her left her out in the sun to die. I seen her and brought her home. She was born with a missing front foot. My other dogs love her. She runs around and plays . But her stump gets raw. Is there something I can do to help???
Our family pet is called Chino, he had his left leg removed after getting knocked over when he was 2yrs old. At first it broke my heart to watch him but he would show us not to worry by out running the other dogs in the park, He is now 14yrs old not so much of a runner these days, a few weeks ago i noticed he was off balance with problems just trying to walk I massaged and bathed him, then i remembered that my mother suffered an ear infection that made her of balance so i massaged Chinos ears and a day later he was walking again. So i guess i just wanted to pass on this information for anyone who was having the same problem,check your pets ears i hope this helps
Alfie lost his leg at 2 is now 11 hes stuggling these past few days. Hes leg seems to be bending out the way. I need tips im petrified of losing him.
All tip welcome..id really be so grateful if someone took time to ahare what they do for their little 3 lgged doggys. And is anyones doggys on steriods? Anyone use natural remedies?