Tripawds Community member boothc1979 is recipient #64 of the Maggie Moo Fund for Tripawd Rehab. Read on for details about the benefits of free canine rehabilitation for three legged dog Chewy.
See all Tripawds who have received free rehab sessions thanks to your support.
❤️ Help Keep This Program Going!
Chewy Gets Free Canine Rehab Session from Tripawds Foundation
Chewy is a 4 ½ year old mastiff / labrador mix. Chewy was involved in a hit and run car accident about 5 months ago in which his leg could not be repaired. Though we had to borrow money and open up a credit card to pay for Chewy’s amputation, we decided that he just had too much life and love yet to live and give to put him down. It just was not an option for us. Though the rehabilitation team said that Chewy was in excellent shape and health, we requested that they provide us with exercises that we can do with him on a daily basis in order to maintain his health and promote preventative care.
On a daily basis, Chewy already is receiving a variety of physical therapy exercises in his natural environment which includes digging holes in order to stretch out his front leg and provide extension, morning hikes on a rocky terrain that help with balance and building muscle in the body. Chewy also plays catch and goes for short walks in order to provide cross training opportunities for him. The exercises that the vet showed us how to do at the office and of which we have been doing several times a week at home include hip flexion and extension stretching, in order to extend and flex his hip joints. We also provide shoulder flexion and extension stretching, in order to keep his shoulder lose and mobile. We also do neck, back and tail traction, giving a slight tug in order to keep spine limber and aligned.
The one thing that my sister and I learned most from this experience is that we have the ability to actually care for and support Chewy ourselves, within our budget, which gave us a lot of hope. We learned that we are already supporting great health for him and also some simple and effective stretches that not only keep him healthy, but also help him to feel better and more relaxed.
The Rehabilitation Clinic I visited was Healing Arts Animal Care in Beaverton, Oregon. We were seen by Mandi Blackwelder, DVM, CCRP. We heard about Maggie Moo Fund for Tripawd Rehab through an online search to find resources for Tripawd dogs.
~ Carrie and Chewy (aka: boothc1979)
Support Tripawds to Maintain This Free Canine Rehab Program!