Tripawds benefit from dog wheelchairs too!

Tres, a Great Dane tripawd, in her wheelchair

We have often questioned the myth that dogs who lose a leg due to an amputation can get along just fine.  Dogs carry up to 70% of their body weight on their front legs,  and 30% of their body weight on their rear legs.  A three-legged dog is forced to hop, which puts tremendous impact on all the joints, including the spine which has to stretch and contract with each hop.  We owned a three-legged cat for several years, and over time, his spine curled to one side, and when he overdid it, he was immobilized for days.

We often celebrate tripawds for their ability to accept their disability and seemingly  rise above it.  Surely it is "better to hop on 3, than limp on 4" - as long as that hopping is painfree and not causing injury.  Young dogs, especially seem to get around just fine on three legs.  But even young dogs can injure their remaining legs and spines by over-compensating for their missing limbs.  We built a rear wheel cart for Tres, a one year old Great Dane who lost a rear leg due to a birth accident because we could see his remaining rear leg pronating out at the hip, and the knee was shaking.  The owner hopes that taking Tres on daily walks in his wheels,  she'll maintain good muscle mass to support her hip and knee so that when she's at home, she'll move in comfort and ease out of her cart.