Tripawds Community member hlc1 is recipient #88 of the Maggie Moo Fund for Tripawd Rehab After Amputation. Read on for details about the benefits of free canine rehab for three legged German Shepherd Tripawd puppy Logan, and learn how you can get a free veterinary rehab evaluation for your dog or cat.
Yes! Tri-kitties qualify for free feline rehab too. See all Tripawds who have received free rehab sessions thanks to your support.
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Tripawd Puppy Logan Benefits from Free Canine Rehab
Hi Tripawds Friends!
A few weeks after adopting Logan we noticed a slight change in his walking regarding his remaining rear leg. I posted on the Tripawds discussion forums as I’m not educated in puppy Tripawd things and I was encouraged to take him to a PT person. I had no idea it would be so dang difficult to follow through with that commitment due to Covid! The PT center we take our other Tripawd kiddo Sophie to had a cancellation list of 65 clients wanting appointments. I reached out to other centers and was told December or January at the earliest. We are so grateful that we found the Salem Oregon Animal Rehabilitation (SOAR) center that could see us within a few weeks, it’s an hour drive each way but Logan loves the car so away we went last weekend for our initial evaluation.
I was hoping to get photos of the first part of the appt. where Dr. Julie was giving him a once over however my job at that time was to keep Logan (& his mouth) occupied as he was in a bit of pain and discomfort when she moved his leg in certain directions. Logan luckily enjoys snacks so I kept him focused on cookies. After discussing his body and needs, we had time to check out the place and even get in for an underwater treadmill session. I wasn’t sure how he would take to that but Dr. Julie and Ms. Sarah helped him feel comfortable right away. We did it in true Shepherd style, let everyone know that we were in the building with his yelling. 🙂
Tripawd puppy Logan is just shy of five months old and joined our family at 10 weeks of age after having his rear leg amputation at 6 weeks of age. Logan was given to a hospital from a family who stated they had a farm and Logan was part of an unplanned litter. At 4 weeks of age they thought he had been stung by a bee in his leg but after 2 weeks his leg didn’t get better so they thought maybe he had been kicked by or stepped on by a horse but weren’t sure. Logan at that time was named Drax and the next day had emergency surgery to remove his leg as it could not be saved from his injuries. After recovering for four weeks he was listed on PetFinder where I just happened to be looking through photos of kiddos to adopt. We lost our golden retriever Jerry two and and a half months prior and Sophie was having a difficult time grieving, not wanting to eat, or finding joy in day to day activities as Jerry was her BFF for almost 12yrs. I wasn’t planning to adopt immediately but I saw a little face with soulful eyes, floppy ears, and that he was missing a leg so I inquired about him. In less than two days they had received 75+ applications! We were selected with a handful or other families to come out to visit him. We made the hour and a half drive to meet him and after the meet and greet with Sophie and interview process he joined our family! He didn’t act like a Drax but if you look at him from behind, his ears make him look like Wolverine so he is now known as Logan.
Rehab Evaluation Appointment details:
We discussed what exercises we are currently doing with Logan (benefit of having a Tripawd kiddo already, we are versed in stretching and enrichment opportunities we can do at home to help). Additionally at our puppy manners classes, we are taking part in enrichment such as floor ladder walking, scent training, and light agility work. At future PT appointments Logan will receive underwater treadmill, massage, laser, etc while at home we will focus on keeping his back strength up by using our lick mat on the door (putting it a little higher so he needs to elongate and stretch to reach it). We’ll make Tripawd puppy Logan do “puppy pushups” by having him stand with his two front paws on a raised step and stretching to reach a cookie, doing the cookie stretch where we move the cookie from front to side to side to side to keep our range of motion good.
The number one thing I learned from this evaluation is that every PT place offers different opportunities to kiddos. At Sophie’s PT center she receives the same PT each visit and we added chiro and massage and swimming outside of those visits in addition to at home stretching to give her the best well rounded care possible. This PT center evaluates the patient at the beginning of each visit and tailors the visit to what is needed that day. Both kiddos will get the stretching routine at home and we just got Logan cleared with Sophie’s massage therapist to receive massage.
I am so grateful to have found the Tripawds family just shy of two and a half years ago when we were faced with the news that our other kiddo Sophie had myxsosarcoma in her rear leg. She was not a candidate for radiation and we were scared to take her leg at 11yrs old. That was sooooo 2018 though and Sophie is doing great! 🙂 We have appreciated the support we receive from the Tripawds family online.
~ Heather and Logan (aka: hlc1)