It’s hard to believe it will be two years since we adopted our Tripawd, Cooper, just two weeks after his amputation. He is my “comfort dog”, who loves going for rides in the car above all else! He loves everyone, especially our senior dog, Hobie. Here are a couple of recent pictures just to keep everyone up-to-date.
I’m looking for ways to include him in activities. His able-bodied brother (they are litter mates), Charlie Brown, is able to go to dog-rescue events, the beach, and so forth. Cooper can’t keep up as he keeps “slamming” his one front leg. Any suggestions would be welcomed. I was thinking about getting either a stroller (he weighs 75 lbs) or one of those doggie wheelchairs. The most well-known company that makes them is right down the street from us, conveniently enough! But, our entire house is stairs, so the only place he would use it would be the back yard, the road, etc. Again, any ideas/suggestions for a house that has no large play areas. He does very well inside the house, and on stairs, I would just like to include him in our activities elsewhere, as he seems to be missing out. He is still so young, only 2 1/2 years old. I want him to have a long life with us, and the constant “slamming” of his leg has me concerned.
Ok, enough of that, here are the photos!
Cooper and Charlie upside down on the bed
Cooper and Hobie ha ha
My pack of three! Two brothers, and an ol’ guy
Love the pics, especially the nose to butt one! Thanks for updating, it’s always great to hear from you.
I can definitely see your dilemma, nobody wants to leave behind another pup, especially a younger one so full of energy. Instead of a wheelchair I would consider two things:
1) Rehab therapy to help him get strong. Slamming into his leg is a a sign that he needs to build up core muscle strength, which builds stamina and allows him to do m ore things. Our e-book, Loving Life on 3 Legs, is full of ideas about how to do that, as is our Gear blog:
http://downloads.tripawds.com/store/
http://gear.tripawds.com/
2) Consider a stroller/jogger instead. Check out Oreo’s blog and see how many cool places she goes. ANd yes, they do make them for big dawgs:
http://thedreadedwoodenspoon.tripawds.com/
http://amazon.tripawds.com/2013/10/28/big-dog-strollers-from-pet-gear-help-tripawds-get-out-around/
Let us know what works for you and remember we’re here to help so don’t hesitate to hop over to the Forums for more ideas.
Smooches to the pack!
I met another Tripawd (front leg) at a local pet expo event recently, his pawrents had him in a wagon. They had two other dogs on leashes and said he had a hard time keeping up. He was a big dog too. I think the stroller is an awesome idea. If my pup Jake were here (he was a front amp), I totally get the stroller too!!