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 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.
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 ]]]
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!!
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.
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
Joel, That is a very good point and I should include it 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.
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.
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
Hello Jenny, Glad to hear that Belle is doing so well. She sounds like an awesome girl with a very awesome mom 🙂
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.
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.
That is amazing. Kudos to you for helping out so many dogs in need.
I do give Shania glucosamine tablets. I used to give her chicken jerky treats that contain glucosamine as an additive, but now I just give her a glucosamine tablet per day.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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 🙂
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!
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 🙂