Three legged dogs - your thoughts/knowledge

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Hedwards

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Hi, just a quick post - I was having a conversation the other day with a friend about rescue dogs (as I'm currently lining up to resuce one - when the right one comes up) - and we got onto the subject of 3 legged dogs - my friend said she wouldnt even consider a dog with 3 legs as it wouldnt be able to go out for long walks and the associated health problems etc.

Now i had thought that so long as the rest of the dog was fit and healthy 3 legs shouldnt affect them too much (obvious consideration for joints and weight would be needed) - can anyone tell me what you think/know the special requirements would be - this is purely for my own knowledge and to see if my thoughts were correct...

Oh and just to point out I wont be discounting any dogs based on how they look etc. they just need to be dog friendly and cat safe!
 
Funnily enough I'm in the process of moving a 3 legged lab to a new rescue who have said they'll be able to rehome him straight away (round here it's very rural and we're struggling to find him a suitable home). In his case it's his back leg that has been removed and therefore we have on vets advise told prospective owners they will need to strictly monitor his weight (which with a lab we'd tell them anyway!), he will need little and often exercise and we've recommended a joint supplement as a preventative as the dog is only 2 but for his future well being we'd like a supplement started now. He can run and play like any other dog, he just finds steering a problem and does run out of steam so needs enforced rest when he's done too much.
 
It's bound to affect them, putting more strain on the other limbs - it's basic bio mechanics. But I guess the smaller the dog, the less impact it may have.
 
It wouldn't bother me TBH, but of course it has wear and tear implications on the other limbs but no disability would stop me having a dog if I fell in love with it :)
 
I feel worried about a 3 legged dog in our local rescue. He's a rottie and only 10 months old. Probably not a lot going for him in most peoples eyes.

I so hope someone can offer him a loving home though.
 
No doubt there is additional wear and tear but there were loads of them in Sri Lanka and they flew along as fast as the 4 legged ones and didn't seem in any worse condition than the other strays.
 
There is a 3 legged lab who does flyball. Admittedly in one of the slower teams and only runs a few legs of each race, but my goodness you can certainly see how much that dog is enjoying himself.
 
I imagine it would depend on the temperament of the dog, as trying to keep a high energy, over excitable dog calm, and on restricted exercise may cause a problem.
 
Hind legs seem to be far less of an issue than front legs - other than tiny terriers, most dogs with a front limb amputated seem not to be very happy, hind limbs hardly notice. I think that much like horses, dogs take most of their weight in front, and hindlimbs generally provide propulsion rather than balance and steering if that makes sense.
 
Angua 2 on here has a 3 legged staffy.
Jakey must be at least 10 years old if not more & is still going strong although age is getting to him now, but as a youngster he was a mad thing & very strongwilled, if he was gongi for a walk then he WAS & likewise if not then no chance. mid 2002 we spent the day at an open air mueseum at an archery competition & he walked around with me for the whole day, only stopping for 20 mins at lunch.
but im sure she will come along soon to add her views.
 
When Dizzy had his osteosarcoma false alarm I looked into three legged dogs because I was worried it would be cruel to expect a GSD to cope with a front leg amputation...how wrong was I!!!

This is a brilliant site for three legged dogs with loads of stories of large dogs with front leg amputations coping just fine: http://tripawds.com/
 
I had a three legged alsation cross, he had a front leg removed because the previous owner used to kick him so much when he was a puppy it was damaged beyond repair. Tex lived an active life, ran and chased a ball and walked for miles with no problem. He did as he got older develop a curve in the spine but it never seemed to affect him. He lived to a ripe old age and had a lovely life. The only problem I ever had was with other peoples reactions, numerous occasions I was verbally berated for "being so cruel keeping a dog with 3 legs" strangers would come well out of their way to give me their opinion !
 
I have had a couple of friends with 3 legged dogs.

AFAIK they had no problems with them. One was a collie and one was a GSD.

One friend is a vet nurse who has a complete menagerie of animals with parts missing!:)
 
Many years ago I also had a three legged bitch ( a lightweight mongel). One of her hind legs had to be amputaded because of a shooting wound (some idot mistook her for a fox). I also got a lot of verbal abuse for keeping her alive. She got used to the missing leg in no time and was actually faster on three legs than our other dog was on four! More incredibly, a year later a horse trod on one of her forelegs (the diagonal of the missing hind leg) and it was fractured. The vet put it in plaster and told me that she would have to lie down until it healed and that the prognosis was a bit doubtful. One day later she was up and about on two legs with the leg in plaster stretched out in front of her! The leg healed perfectly but for a while she was still going around on two legs. She had a long and happy life but some people were still freaked out by the sight of her.
 
I've seen a 3 legged dog do agility and you struggled to see it was 3 legged doing the course, it was a back leg and a light dog. My friend's Springer had to have a front leg removed after a car accident and he seemed to struggle. Another friend has a Rottie that had a front leg removed last year and she has been doing a little flyball.
 
Have been present for a number of leg amputations(vet nurse btw) and the concern is that owners worry their dogs will somehow become depressed with losing the limb. They dont-half of them suprise not only their owners but vets aswell when they come round!
Unlike humans who have many emotional issues.:o

All dogs and cats were able to get around quite well on 3 legs. And also have seen dogs doing agility and working so I would suggest the dogs life will only be "lacking" if the owners were to restrict the dog in living its life?
:rolleyes:
 
Saw one yesterday looked miserable :( Obviously very lame on remaining front leg, properly sinking down with every step it took on it. Owner was walking on ahead with no words of encouragement for poor dog who stopped halfway down field and just looked few up :9 TBH didn't look like it needed walked.. More like a quiet fireside home and is lameness chronic.. pts.
 
oh thats sad... my friend rehomed a 3 legged whippet.. who she called Peggy (!). Whippet had lost a front leg and seemed to make no difference to her at all but she was of course a smaller and lightweight dog.
 
This is coming from my friend who is a vet and actually owns a 3 legged springer spaniel.

It does depend on which leg is missing, if its a foreleg then the one remaining foreleg is holding up 60% of the dogs bodyweight and issues like arthritis can occur.
Also age can be a factor. if its a very young dog and a foreleg is removed then the chance of arthritis is massively increased.
With missing hindlegs, dogs cope much much better, they are under less stress and arent responsible for much in the way of balance or steering. they also muscle up much quicker than forelegs.
 
I think it very much depends on what breed it is. A long backed breed would be at a severe disadvantage I think, particularly if it was a heavy boned breed too. Each case should be taken on its merits with a very un-rose-tinted spec's view and not be persuaded by vets that can only see pounds flashing before their eyes without a thought for the dog's capabilities, both mentally and physically.
 
Id have no problems considering a 3 legged dog as a pet.They may need extra consideration and watching for joint issues.But they can still be just as good as any other dog!

When looking into amputating a leg these are generally the points considered.

The size of the dog,smaller the dog the easier the recovery.

Which legs they are losing.Hinds are easier to adapt to the loss of than forelegs(as someone earlier pointed out these hold more of the dogs weight)

..and crucially the weigh and fitness of the dog...a obese dog rarely will cope well with an amputation whereas a young fit large breed will often thrive.

The breed can be a issue.
Long backed breeds like the Dachshund could have more potential problems.However this is more due to genetic predispositions to other issues.Its just means that the change in biomechanical loading along the back could trigger a problem already lurking there like disk problems.
Giant breeds is more a sheer amount of weight spread across only 3 limbs and joints issue. In general amputation isn't advised in giant breeds. :(
However in a young heathy dog showing no other health problems amputation can always be considered.Particularly as the alternative is generally PTS.

In the case of Rotties and Osteosarcomas(they are particularly predisposed)amputation may be a lifesaving treatment or a pain reducing and life improving one.Depends on the stage of the disease however.In advanced cases its generally just adding another surgery to the dogs last few months of life and I personally dont agree with that.Though many owners will consider it in order to have a few more weeks/months with their pet.


A dedicated owner is also important.Sadly this is often the issue seen.A dog may have a limb removed as the owner isn't willing to pay for a fracture repair and the other option is pts...these tripod dogs are the ones I would be most concerned about as the aftercare may not be up to standard..but still they would still be getting a chance at life.....can be an ethical dilemma there.

The biomechanic's means that the other 3 limbs will have increased loading on them but a good diet with the dog kept trim and fit,suitable exercise and an owner who is watching for signs of dog not coping mean that many dogs thrive on 3 legs.

The main contraindications are simply concurrnet illness and the giant breeds

I've met a few amputee dogs most cope just fine and seem unaware of their missing limb..in fact one young lab who was missing both a hind leg and half his tail due to being hit by a train!(yes i kid you not an actual train!)Was in to get neutered in the hopes it would lower his energy levels because long walks weren't dong the trick.He was more than capable of bouncing round on his 3 legs and getting up to plenty of mischief!

As for long walks well as long as the dog is gradually increased in fitness rather than just suddenly expected to be able to cope then that shouldn't be a problem in the majority of cases...I can imagine that the tripods i met would all be more than capable of long walks than many of the overweight and obese dogs that visit the vets.

Sorry for the essay.Its just im studying amputations at the minute and couldn't help but throw some of the imformation in.

I'm afraid I would seriously disagree with you on the money point Maesfen.I'll admit im slightly bias as a vet student .However my two cents.

Amputation isnt an expensive procedure compare to fracture repair.And that's where Ive seen it used most.It has other indications but thats the most common...As a salvage to save a dog being PTS where the owner wasn't willing or able to afford to pay for more complex sugery.(insurance for pets over here is still uncommon)
However I can see the point of view that in some older dogs it may sometimes be better to just PTS it isnt always that easy.People rarely want to give up on their pets and in general when it comes to this operation dogs do cope and thrive as long as they don't have other health issues.
They adapt easier then people give them credit for.
 
Our medium sized mix breed, Sadie, lost a hind leg last November. She runs and plays with the other dogs just fine. She goes with me to feed the horses and accompanies us on short rides. She jumps in and out of the truck, swims in the pond and does anything the other dogs do. She is naturally on the thin side and I plan to keep her lean to minimize strain on her other legs. She is just as happy and goofy as she was prior to her amputation.
 
I have a 3 legged lurcher, his leg was amputated over 3 years ago after
many problems with his bad leg. He is a hind leg amputee and is no
different to my other dogs at all.

He does long walks with my other 2 and runs with his toys and balls
etc.

He runs, jumps, goes up the stairs and does everything a 4 legged dog
can do.

I do expect him to get arthritis in the future and if it shortens his life
then so be it as he's certainly had quality of life for the last few years!

My motto is quality not quantity.
 
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