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 minature schnauzer, Lilly, was just diagnosed with Melanoma cancer and she has to have one of her hind legs removed in order to prevent the cancer from spreading. It really helps reading your story with some suggestions on how to deal with the situation. Thanks for letting your story be heard! My Lilly is just under five years old so I am praying that she will adjust quickly to the change.
When is Lilly going in for the operation? She is young and also a smaller dog, so I’ll bet that she will be back to her usual self in short order. Also, dogs support more of their weight on the front legs, so a hind leg operation is usually easier to adjust to. Let us know how things go.
Shibashake,
I wrote you about a month ago regarding my Mastiff Grim. I am happy to report he is doing much better and romping around with his brothers like a normal happy guy. I want to thank you again for this article! It was a great help!
Lila, I am so happy to hear that Grim is back to his usual happy self. But … he may need a different name now. 😀
Thank goodness to doggie heroes like you who are willing to lend a helping hand to dogs in need!
I have never looked for others with tripods until today and find myself doing so because I believe we are coming to the end of a wonderful 11 year oddysey.
Alex lost her left foreleg for reasons unknown to us. She was reportedly a 3 yo American Rottweiler, with a fresh surgical wound when we adopted her from a shelter. She has touched many with her jaunty little walk. Often people would assume at first that she was limping, but woould then stop when they noted a missing limb. After hearing her story, many would then continue on with their day with a little more “can-doedness.”
Arthritis has taken the grace from her step and cataracts have clouded her vision, but her nubby tail always greets us with a rapid wag and makes us feel loved. The shelter staff still keep in touch with us and often remark at how lucky Alex was to find a home with us. However, it is clear that it is us that should be giving thanks for the blessings that she has brought to us.
For those of you just beginning with a “tripod wonder” and wondering how it will impact your family. Both of our daughters were yong when Alex came and both learned about tolerance and acceptance in the procee. One is finishing her doctorate in physical therapy and the other is in her first year of premed, as tribute to what they have learned.
Sorry for the windedness, but just wanted to share what we have gotten in exchange for our little bit of effort. We will certainly miss our Alex when her years are done. God Bless to all of you just taking up this uncertain and sometimes painful path…it is worth it!
What a lovely story Nicole! Thanks for sharing it with us. I am going to post it on my blog next week. Hope that is ok with you. Now that I think about it, I will make a new article that contains all your stories. I have enjoyed all of them very much and I think others will as well.
Thank you all for sharing. Tripods are pretty dang awesome and so are their owners! 🙂
Thanks…sharing on a blog is a great idea
My dog who is 5 now has been a tripod since he was 1. He is missing his back right leg. This weekend while playing in the park he tore his back ACL. He will have surgery this week but in the meantime refuses to walk or go to the bathroom. I am very concerned about how he will get around while recovering from the surgery. Has anyone else with a tripod had surgery of this kind on the remaining back leg? If so, is your tripod back to normal or does he have more trouble walking. Any insights would be appreciated.
Try reposting on Jerry’s tripod dog site. There are many helpful people there who may have experience with this. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
http://tripawds.com/forums
HI WE JUST ADDOPTED A 10 WEEK OLD STAFFY PUP AND FOUND OUT SHE NEEDS HER LEG AMPUTATED (FRONT RIGHT LEG) OR TO BE PUT DOWN AS WE TRIED TO SAVE THE LEG BUT IT IS NOT A OPTION.KIRRA GOES IN TOMORROW FOR THE OPERATION AND ALTHOUGH I FEEL WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE IM STILL QUITE WORRIED ABOUT IT.ALTHOUGH THE THOUGHT OF PUTTING HER DOWN WAS JUST IMAGINABLE AS SHE HAS BECOME A PART OF THE FAMILY IN A MATTER OF WEEKS.THANKS FOR SOME GREAT ADVICE.
I felt the same way when Shania had her amputation. I was sitting by the phone all day and pretending to work on my computer. Actually I was surfing through tripod sites (like Jerry’s site) and reading tripod stories or just dog stories in general which helped me significantly.
It really is the right choice, and given that Kirra is so young, she will recover quickly, and bounce back so fast you won’t believe it. That was how it was like with Shania. I remember that she kept wanting to go out on walks and she really wanted to play with my other dog. I was very happy when the stitches came out and she could play again because I felt like an ogre for keeping them apart 🙂
Shania sends many sweet licks and her super-charged positive Husky energy!
HI THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING YOUR KIND WORDS HAVE EASED MY MIND A LITTLE,ALTHOUGH SITTING AT MY COMPUTER I FIND MYSELF WANTING TO RING THE VET AND SAY STOP THE OPERATION BUT THER JUST ISNT ANOTHER WAY OUT OF THIS.I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW KIRRA GOES AND WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT YOUR WEBSITE.
SHANIA THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPER CHARGED ENERGY AND SWEET KISSES IM SURE TO PASS THEM ON.
Good to hear from you Belinda. Is Kirra home now? How is she doing?
hI JUST RANG THE VETS AND SHE IS SLEEPING SURGERY LASTED 3 AND A HALF HOURS BUT APPARENTLY SHE IS O.K.MY POOR BABY.IM A BIT WORRIED ABOUT BRINGING HER HOME (SHE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO COME HOME TOMORROW AT 10.30 SO I WILL LET YOU KNOW.) I HAVE 3 GIRLS WHO ARE GREAT WITH HER BUT MY 2 YEAR OLD JUST DOESNT UNDERSTAND.I FEEL REALLY BAD I DONT KNOW WHY AS I DIDNT HAVE ANY OTHER OPTION.THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND REPLYING BACK ITS NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT UNDERSTANDS.
I felt really bad too – first when the surgeon told me the prognosis, and then again during the amputation. I think I had hoped that we could have saved the leg, somehow, right until the operation. The good news is that dogs have a much easier time adjusting to it than we do. When Shania got home, after the surgery, she was very sleepy from the drugs so she slept most of the day. The next day, she was her usual, happy self. 🙂 Lots of love to Kirra.
HI KIRRA IS DOING SO WELL THE VETS WERE SO IMPRESSED WITH HER THE NEXT DAY AND SHES GETTING AROUND SO WELL.TRYS TO DO THINGS THAT SHE REAKKY SHOULDNT BE DOING AS YET.I STILL LOOK AT HER AND FEEL SORRY FOR HER, IT MUST BE VERY TIREING. THE GIRLS ARE SO GOOD WITH HER,I THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE SCARED AND THOUGHT SHE WAS UGLY(IN A NICE WAY) BUT THEY LOVE HER THEY SAY THEY ARE LUCKY AS THEY HAVE A REALLY SPECIAL PUPPY.LETS HOPE KIRRA JUST KEEPS DOING WELL.THANK YOU SO MUCH.XXOO
Hi im sixteen years old and im getting a golden retriever puppy who was born with only three legs. Jeter is perfectly fine and healthy like any other 10 week old puppy but im nervous about stairs. i live in a two story house and im afraid when i bring him home he’s not going to adjust. Do you have any helpful tips to teaching them to go down? thank you. im very nervous about his health since he is going to be completely my responsibility.
Hi Kayci, Is Jeter missing a front leg or a back leg? Shania is missing a front leg so she has more trouble coming down stairs. She is usually a lot more careful and slow coming down; whereas she zooms up the stairs. The opposite will be true for dogs missing a back leg. Make sure the stairs are carpeted. Wooden stairs are too slippery and not good for tripods.
In terms of teaching them about stairs, Shania just did it on her own. Being a puppy, I think Jeter will quickly learn how to do it. Don’t hurry him and it is most important for you to stay calm and positive. Dogs can easily sense our inner energy, and if we are worried and fearful, they may become worried and fearful as well. Just go up a few steps, sit down, have a tuna sandwich. The smell of the tuna will soon make him follow you. Make sure to praise and treat him well when he comes to you but be patient and let him do it in his own time. If you are concerned, you can first find some practice stairs that have wider steps, which will be easier for a tripod. Hope this helps.
It is tough not to be overly protective of a tripod. I always have to keep reminding myself of this when Shania is tearing about the backyard chasing a squirrel or playing with my Shiba 🙂 Good luck and remember to have lots of fun.
Thank you so much for this wonderful information and for Shiba! My boyfriend and I have recently adopted a tripod Pitbull, he was hit by a car and had to have his right front leg amputated. He is 4 months old and this occured only about 4 weeks ago. We adopted a few days ago and were so concerned about how to raise him as a tripod, what was too much excercise for his new adjusted leg and what different problems we might run across. We walk him around outside and he so badly wants to run like a crazy maniac in the grass but tends to stumble forward and fall. Sometimes he seems to get just plain discouraged, he will not move all together and would rather just sit and wait to be carried! Anyhow, thanks again for all of this awesome information! It’s nice to know our little Gunner isn’t alone!
lol – Shania is a crazy maniac too. I often get a bit worried when she is running around at top speed while playing with my Shiba. However, doing a not too controlled slide and roll on the grass doesn’t seem to faze her. She *does* get many grass stains and some bald spots from all that skidding.
The one area where I have to be especially careful with her are hard, smooth surfaces. Falling on hard surfaces such as tiled floors or even wood floors can be quite painful so I invest in rugs or institute a no-playing rule in those areas. Also no playing on the stairs or any hilly areas.
As you described, walks can also be challenging. Shania seems to do best when she is walking at a faster pace. Slow is more difficult for her, because of balance issues. It is actually amazing watching her at a full run (while in the backyard) because she goes faster than my Shiba and has no problems with balance. During walks I go at a faster pace and sometimes run with her. When she is going a bit too fast for my old bones though I will stop her by using a combination of the leash, and also by holding her at the chest. This helps give her support so that she doesn’t get unbalanced from the leash pull. Using a harness helps a lot with balance but gives you less control over the speed of the “walk”. Powerful dogs like the Sibe and Pit can pull really hard on a harness. One thing you may try is the head halti – it is great for controlling pulling, and it does not disrupt Shania’s balance. However, Shania really dislikes wearing it, so I only use it when I take her for long walks in the park. The park is so interesting that she tends to forget about the halti until it is time to go home.
Hugs and kisses to Gunner! Shania and Sephy sends lots of licks 🙂
Shibashake,
This is a really great article and was glad to find it. I have recently “inherited” a tripod named Grim. He is especially challenging because he is an 180lb mastif. Unfortunately, his last owners kept him in the house all day, and did not exercise him. He is 5 years old and such a sweet boy. I am very concerned for him though because it’s one of his back legs that was amputated and he is very shaky on his feet. I have been trying to build up his strength by taking him on short walks, but he is really weak right now. He has many playmates to romp around with in the yard, so I am hoping this will help also. I have had him for about 2 weeks now. Do you think he is too big to get back to a normal, unshaky state of being, or am I just being a worry wort?
Thanks!
Lila
Hi Lila, I was a worrywart with Shania as well. Probably still am. 😀
Shania was a bit shaky too at first but she nowadays she is a bouncy ball of energy. I am sure Grim will bounce back to his usual self soon. He is a bit older, so he may take a bit more time to recover, and relearn his balance. I think you are doing the right thing in terms of the short walks and letting him do things at his own pace.
I also talked to my vet a lot in the early days, and they were able to give me good advice on how I could help Shania, what to expect, and what things to look out for. I am always very glad to hear from “worrywart” dog owners who obviously care very much for their canine companion. 😀 Shania wanted me to send her love and lots of wet kisses to Grim.
Send us a picture when you have some time – would love to see Grim.
Your article about the care of tripods was very helpful. You mention a lot of things I would never have thought about. I have a 4 Y.O. Weimeraner named ‘Dieter’ aka ‘Der Blau Hund’. Dieter’s female companion , ‘Gabi’ likes to chase the garbage truck up the driveway. Dieter was injured by the garbage truck while he was herding Gabi out of the way. As a result, his right rear leg had to be amputated and he’s now a ‘tripod’ in the recovery stage. He’s adapting readily but is having some dietary problems (can’t seem to tolerate dry/solid food) and is drinking much more water than usual. He’s only 5 days post surgery and hopefully his problems will resolve. Thanks again for your sage advice.
I have a greyhound tripod after surgery our vet advised a light diet of chicken,he also seemed to drink a lot more water.Although he is a large dog he is as fast as ever.Dieter will start to feel better after a couple of weeks it is really surprising how well they adapt.Our dog has a good quailty of life and his only problem is scratching his nose.
[Dave] Dieter sounds like a very brave and loyal dog. Gotta love Weimeraners! My Shiba Inu, Sephy, is always uninterested in food whenever he gets home from the vet. He would also sometimes vomit from eating kibble. My vet tells me that it is probably because of the anesthesia. She also says that kibble tends to be richer/denser than other foods. As suggested by fast dogs mom, using a bland diet of just boiled chicken and white rice may help. The water drinking helps to flush the system of the meds. What you mention sounds normal but I would keep your vet updated on Dieter’s progress. I always err on the side of caution, and call them up when I have concerns. Hugs and kisses to Dieter and Gabi.
[fast dogs mom] You bring up a really good point. Shania has problems scratching her nose too. There are also certain spots on her body that are more difficult for her to reach. I always try to help her with the scratching. My Shiba Inu also likes to help her with scratching and grooming 🙂 I must add this to the article. Thanks!Â
I have a tripod puppy that is 4 weeks old (I have her mother and siblings too!) I have decided to keep the tripod as I feel I can give her the home and love that she deserves. She was born with very little of the fourth leg, but it is a nub and useless to her. The puppies have been to the vet and he recommended that I amputate her nub. I have very strong feelings about this. I don’t want her to be exposed to any undo pain or stress. The vet has said she may do okay, but he says I need to decide before she gets too much older.
I would welcome any advice. She is the sweetest and most loving puppy I have ever seen and want her to be happy. Other than the nub issue, the vet says she is doing great! Please help me decide!
Thanks so much in advance!
Hi Amy, It is great that you are keeping your little sweetie. After we received Shania’s diagnosis, we had three choices: 1) Don’t do anything, and leave the leg. She will have limited use of it, but she would usually hurt herself while playing because it was only slightly weight bearing. She would only sometimes use it for balance. Eventually, the leg will start to give her pain and will have to be amputated. 2) Amputate; 3) Try to realign the bones through surgery. I picked option 3, but unfortunately it did not work, and the surgeon recommended amputation. While trying to make these difficult decisions, I decided that it was best to do realignment or amputation because 1) Young dogs heal much faster, and 2) Her crooked leg was frequently causing her pain during play, and other heavy activity.
Your case is different, but I would be most concerned over the nub getting caught on something. She may also fall on it during play, thereby causing her pain which may discourage her from playing. I haven’t gone through this particular situation, so I do not know if this would actually occur. I would definitely quiz your vet on these issues, and all the possible upsides and downsides wrt. surgery and no surgery. Did your vet say why he recommends the amputation?
If you are really unsure, I would visit another vet and get a second opinion. I do believe though that if the procedure would improve her health and/or quality of life, the short-term pain is worth the long-term rewards. Hope this helps.