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]
Hello! Last year I got a message from a friend saying someone was going to kill this little German shepherd puppy because she was born deformed. So I called the man and told him I would find her a home, little did I know this is going to be my now best friend. When I went to go get her, her deformity was more extensive that he said. She had a left from leg but it was locked in a bent position and only had one nail and was half the size and witch of her other legs. I took her to my vet and he said it had to be amputated. It was a long process but a yr later she is just as fast and full of energy as my other 4 legged dog. She has been the best dog I’ve had and she is so smart. She was recently registered as a service dog and I have plans for her to visit amputee hospitals for kids. I do worry she will have a shorter life do to joint problems or shoulder issues but she has definitely exceeded everyone’s expectations and is such a joy to have.
That is such a good idea! Big hugs to your wonderful girl.
You are three times a hero for saving her life, giving her a happy home, and training her to work with kids. Do you have any pictures online? Would love to see your girl.
I just brought my boy, Jack home from the Vets after he left rear leg had to be amputated. He slipped his lead last Friday night and was hit by a car. He seems to be in really good spirits, although tired and in some pain. I did order an orthopedic dog bed for him which I think will help, especially for his healing process. I can’t believe how well he is doing just 3 days after surgery ! I am trying to keep positive and look forward to helping him adjust to all the new ways of doing things.
Yeah, dogs are really amazing. They just get on with living life – they have fun, do all the things that they can do, and don’t worry about all the other stuff. I wish Shania would be more careful, but she thinks she is indestructible! 😀
I think that is a great attitude. The hardest part with Shania was keeping her activity level low until the stitches came out. She was raring to go.
Big hugs to Jack. Glad to hear that he is recovering so well. He sounds like an awesome boy.
My dog, Remington, is a lab/greyhound mix and is 8 years old. He has had a cancerous tumor on his left leg that has been rapidly growing over the last couple of months. We took him to our vet today and found out the best possible outcome is to remove his whole leg. The vet assured us that Remington would live happily even after being an amputee. This site has really helped me understand that an amputee pup is still the same old pup. Thank you very much!!
Hello Shane,
Big hugs to Remington.
When is he going in for surgery? Let us know how he is doing if you get the time. Shania sends her love and lots of licks.
today my poor baby cloe a chiwawa about 3 years of age. a very close member of our family was attacked by a bit pull. anyway the vet is amputating her front left leg tomorrow. witch concerns me of cores. im just hoping that she can become a happy bouncy dog that she was just this smorning.
So sorry to hear about the attack.
How did the operation go today? She is young and a small dog, so it sounds like she will bounce back quickly. Big hugs to your girl.
My 12 year old is having his hind leg off as we speak. He broke his leg Sept 1st, 2012 and he had a plate and 7 pin put in. Jan 2,2013 he had to have a bone graph. This past weekend I found out 3 of the 7 screws broke, so we have decide to have the surgery. My husband is not sure we made the right choise but he has been using only 3 legs since the surgery and I have read all the articles on 3 legged dogs, so I know he will just be fine in a couple of weeks. I will have to lok into carpet due to the fact all of the house is hardwood. We made him a ramp instead of the staries outside, which really hepled him be comfortable going out to do what ever and when he pleased. We will do anything we can do for our Buddy so we can enjoy him as long as we can.
Thanks for sharing Buddy’s story with us.
Is he back home? Hope he is doing well and big hugs.
I hope your Buddy is doing well after his surgery? My 13 year old lab just had his right hind leg amputated. It feels like I am on a roller coaster- one day hopeful, one day pins and needles. If you would be willing to share more about how your old guy made it, I’d sure appreciate the morale boost.
Hello Wendy,
Have you visited the tripawds forum? They have a very supportive community, and there is a section dealing with amputation for an older dog.
Story of 12 year old Willow.
Big hugs to your brave boy.
Hey
I have a three legged dog she is a year old Kelpie, she had her leg off at twelve weeks old after a very bad accident and breaks in seven places. The vet tried to realign and splint but it was never going to happen, being a vet nurse myself I suggested taking the leg off and It doesn’t bother her one bit. She is a working sheep dog in shearing sheds and does a fantastic job, she tires a lot quicker than the other dog and goes and has a swim or a lye down and she’s back working in a flash just needs regular breaks and she knows when she needs them. She is a much loved dog in the sheds and everyone Is blown away with the way she works. Just to be on the safe side and the fact that she is a working dog I have had the remaining front leg x-rayed just to check there is no damage or twisting from her work and all is fine. She is a happy healthy tripod who loves going to work, being sociable, playing with other dogs and being at home with the family.
it is always great to hear when a dog recovers. Yours was so young when it happened having four-legs now would seem strange to all concerned.
While a working dog needs a purpose, I would be inclined to keep the tripod on very light duty and eventual “semi-retirement” soon. I realize there are two ways to look at it but my dog has a cruciate ligament torn in his only good rear leg. He shouldn’t be walking but nobody told him.
It is getting stiffer and very arthritic, though. I need to drop his weight by about 10%.
Great story…thanks!
Thank you for posting this information. Websites like yours have been comforting and informative beyond what words can describe. Our beloved greyhound Keagen had his hind leg amputated in Sept 2012 after we learned that a leg break was actually caused by cancer. Like most here, we went through the full spectrum of emotion, but the happy ending is that after 4 months of chemotherapy, he is in good health and we hope for similar results during his quarterly checkups. I did want to share one suggestion. Keagen was having a very difficult time walking on our linoleum floor we tried carpets, runners, mats all of which would move causing him to slip. Finally we picked up a package of cork sub floor mats (about 6 per package) and strategically placed them on our floor with doublesided tape. Happy to report Keagen is no longer terrified of running to the backdoor and the look on his face when he realized he would no longer slip was priceless. Thank you again for having a place where people can share their experiences and ideas.
That is awesome! A happy dog is priceless. 😀
I have to try out the cork mats and see how it goes with Shania. She thinks she is indestructible and always leaps first before looking.
Would love to see some pictures of Keagen. If you have some online, please post us a link. Big hugs!
I just adopted a 3 legged dog. Originally I found him on the side of the road with a serious foot injury, unfortunately the front left leg had to be amputated. Its rainy and wet where I live, and the hardwood floors and front deck have caused a lot of falls. I went and bought dog shoes, ( Brand name Ruffwear), from the local outdoors store. Usually these are meant to put on dogs for long hikes, but Ive tried just putting one shoe on his front foot to help with gripping. Its worked perfectly!!! He was a little worried and confused at first having such a strange thing on his foot, but now he’s hopping all over our wet porch and floors without slipping! If any of you have a dog missing a front leg I want you to know that this is a great solution to slipping! Its probably wise not to leave the shoe on continuously, but on wet days or around the house its been a great solution. It seems dogs are more likely to slip and hit their faces when its a front leg thats missing, the shoe gives him the extra traction he needs now that his balance is off. Im so pleased.
Thank you for this site, so many of my worries have been addressed here. It made me feel so much better to see your happy healthy dog who’s missing the same exact leg as mine. I was really stressed out specifically about it being a front leg. Thank you so much for taking the time to help all of us on our 3 legged dog adventures!
Thanks Sarah. That is very useful information.
I did consider getting some shoes for Shania but I wasn’t sure if it would stay on properly. Glad to hear that it works so well with your furry one. I also like the Ruffwear brand, so maybe it is time to give their shoes a try.
Do you think size of the dog will affect how well the shoes work?
Big hugs to your furry one and Happy Holidays!
Hi Sheba Shake!
May i first say, you may be one of the reasons my little girl, Shasta is alive. After I found her, I was worried about the care and the extra needs of a three-legged dog. You put those fears aside. I now am the proud momma of a three-legged rescue, Shasta.
I have 2 questions for you though. (Btw, she is missing half of her right-front), so one, does Shiba’s opposite front leg have any issues? Bending inwards or anything?
Second, (she is a lab/border collie mix about 25 lbs), did Shiba ever experience dogs picking on her? My pup is not even 1 yr yet and has recently been back-to-back attacked by a bull terrier and a pit. The vet thinks it’s because she is missing a leg and therefor is the weaker one.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Love, a new three-legged, proud momma. And by the way, thank you for being the one resource I found that helped aid my decision to rescue a three-legged.
Hello Christine,
Congratulations on your new furry family member!
1. Husky Shania also has a missing front leg. Her remaining front leg is bigger and more muscular, because it has to support more weight. She also uses it for digging, holding bones, etc. Luckily, there were no issues with that leg. The surgeon did x-rays of all her legs, and it was only the one leg that had the disconnected bones. I do not notice any inward bending.
I carefully manage her and protect her, so that we minimize accidental leg sprains and such. I also clip her foot hair so that she has better grip. I check her paw pads often to make sure they are healthy and I try to prevent her from walking on rocky surfaces.
2. Shania is more vulnerable during play and can get overwhelmed by other dogs. I make sure to only do very small and highly supervised play groups. I have strict rules during playtime and I step in if any dog is getting overwhelmed or being bullied. I also have safe zones, and I throw in many play-breaks to manage excitement levels. I don’t bring Shania to enclosed dog parks because there are too many dogs, and too little supervision.
It is difficult to say if Shania gets picked on more by other dogs. I think she does — but I am extra protective of Shania, so that may be coloring my perception. Also, she does not have as good balance because of her missing leg, so she may fall more or get overwhelmed more easily, which probably also affects my perception of things.
Whatever the case, I try to make sure that we don’t get into negative situations. Off-leash neighborhood dogs are sometimes a problem, so I avoid certain houses, especially when they have their garage doors open. We got charged a few times, but luckily, the owners have been good about keeping their dogs secured after they realized that it is dangerous for Shania.
Where did Shasta get charged? Was it from off-leash dogs? Were the owners there to secure their dogs?
Happy Holidays and big hugs to Shasta! Shania sends her love and lots of licks.
I found your website when i googled ‘3-legged dog care’ and this was really helpful! I had to go back and write down all the information though so I wouldn’t forget! Me and my family are adopting a 3-legged black lab mix (she looks like a pure-bred but we haven’t gotten her YET) from North Carolina, and we live 40 mins south-ish of Cincinnati, Ohio, and we have gotten 3 wonderful people to help us get her so the pound wouldn’t euthanize her! Her story is the same as your Husky’s story, but she was also born with no pads on the bottom of her feet (her leg still folds up into her chest though) but she doesn’t know how to walk on 3 legs yet because the pound had kept her and her siblings in such a small cage that they could barely walk, so we are all excited that we were able to save this poor puppy’s life!