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]
Hi-My name is Sara & I adopted a 3 legged Jack Russell. He is just 2 years old & built like a linebacker! My question is I’m not sure what type of collar/harness to put him in. He pulls & chokes himself during walks but I’m not a regular harness will work? Any suggestions?
Hello Sara,
Shania used the Ruffwear Web Master Harness when she was younger and it worked very well for her.
http://www.ruffwear.com/Web-Master-Harness
It is a nice heavy duty harness that gives a tripod good support. In the hot weather though, it got a bit too hot for Shania, since she has a double coat. But this is likely not as big an issue with a Jack Russell.
Another thing I noticed is that a harness gives the dog even more power to pull. As a result they are difficult to use to leash train a larger sized dog.
We just adopted a tripod Border Collie. She was doing the same thing, shes’ built really strong too, and pulled hard on her collar. We got an Easy Walk, on the recommendation of my sister who works at the ASPCA, and there was no pulling from the very first walk wearing it.
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.
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.Ill post a picture of him was my camera gets fixed.His name is Nick
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!
Thanks for your comment Luckie and congratulations on your new dog! You are truly awesome for helping out a dog in need.
I love the look of shar-peis. They always look like they are deep in thought like a philosopher 🙂 Drop us some pictures when you can.
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 ??
Sorry to hear about the bone cancer.
I think that dogs can have very full and happy lives even after amputation. There are many comments on this article with great stories from people with three legged dogs.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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.
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. 🙂