This free Ruffwear Flagline harness from the Tripawds Gear Fund has been awarded to Emily (aka: tapatio) for rear leg amputee Dudley.
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Meet Rear Leg Amputee Dudley
As a pet parent to a previous dog with mobility issues, I decided/was chosen to adopt a rear leg amputee as my next dog. I already had a ramp entrance built for my small trailer and didn’t have to worry about stairs being an issue. I also had done a large amount of research on mobility assistance through harnesses, wheelchairs, etc. Dudley is a recent amputee (his leg was removed in February 2022 after the decision that his badly healed femoral fracture was not repairable) and he is also young. I want to be able to provide him with as much stability as I can now to reduce any issues that will develop as he gets older.
I have only had him for 2 months and am noticing that he is getting that “C” shape to his spine when he runs. After doing a lot of reading on the Tripawds website and getting valuable information from the community, I realize that a harness will be something that will help with repositioning his body as well as the stability exercises. He isn’t fond of wearing a harness but I think that once he realizes that it is actually going to help him, he will get used to it! We’ve already had the battle about going out in the rain and he finally realized that he would rather get wet than wear a raincoat!
Picking a Harness for Dudley
I had originally been looking at a support harness from Walkin’ Wheels that is meant for rear amputees but knew that I wouldn’t be able to afford the $160 price tag right away. I’m really excited about the design of the Flagline harness as it doesn’t involve having to lift the legs to put it on. I was mortified the first time that I lifted Dudley’s front leg while he was standing and had him topple over. I hope that the design of the harness helps straighten out his spine when he’s running but know that there are many dynamics involved in addressing the curving. The handle and weight distribution across the stomach is also a bonus.
Currently Dudley rides on the floor board of my car in the back seat but I would like to have him up on the back seat. I had a harness with a handle for my GSD the whole time he was with me and used it to provide assistance when needed, especially going in and out of the car. I will be combining the harness and acupuncture as well as stability exercises to keep rear leg amputee Dudley in tip top shape.
Dudley gets used to his new duds…
We are slowly working on him wearing the harness in small doses. He isn’t fond of wearing harnesses from past experiences which is why the straps are still a bit loose. I have used the harness to lift him into the back of my mom’s Subaru and was amazed at how well it worked! Part of Dudley’s resistance is most likely related to him not being in control of when he moves forward. That is our biggest issue with using the martingale collar is that he will resist with his neck and front legs if he doesn’t want to walk, etc.
I know that once he gets used to the idea of wearing the harness, we will be golden! We both absolutely love the design of not having to lift his legs to put the harness on and the secure straps. I tried to get some pictures of him walking while wearing it.
~Emily and Dudley (aka tapatio)
Read Dudley’s Tripawds Blog
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