Front leg Tripawd Grace benefits from free canine rehab therapy thanks to Tripawds Foundation Rehab Grant #146. The free evaluation and at home rehab exercises help Grace get strong and stay fit. Read her story, 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.
Help Keep This Program Going!
Grace is a 2-1/2 year old, Hound/Aussie mix. She was chasing a rabbit, along with her brother, when all three were hit by a car. Grace was the only one to survive the accident. Her left front leg was broken and her right front leg was paralyzed from nerve damage. Her owners knew that she had been hurt but refused to come forward. She was taken in by Multiple Breed Rescue and they made it possible to have her left leg repaired with a plate and screws.
Amputation for Front Leg Tripawd Grace
After 6 long weeks of crate rest, she went in to have her right front leg amputated. My husband and I had been following Grace’s recovery because we volunteer for the rescue and have a soft spot for 3-legged dogs. During the time that Grace was recovering from her amputation, we lost our rear tripawd Murphy. It was an unexpected loss that left a huge hole in our lives. We realized that finding out how Grace was doing had started to fill that hole. We’d fallen in love! As a result, we adopted Grace in October of 2021.
We started to be concerned for Grace’s joint health after hearing her shoulder pop every now and again. After talking to her vet, we decided to start Grace in physical therapy. We started her at Up and Running Canine Rehabilitation in December of 2022. Dr. Julie Letosky, DVM, CCRP, CVAT is a Certified Ultrasonographer. She found that Grace’s joints were all in good shape, including her shoulder, and that her body condition was perfect.
Help for Common Front Leg Tripawd Injuries
I learned that failure of her carpus joint would be the most common injury for a front leg Tripawd. Dr. Letosky suggested that we fit Grace with a brace to prevent carpal hyperextension. She suggested that Grace wear the brace on walks or when playing. Dr. Letosky did find some trigger points along Grace’s back and in her right hip. Grace received acupuncture to relieve the trigger points.
The doctor showed me how to massage the fascia of Grace’s back to help relieve stiffness. Dr. Letosky also suggested that swimming would be very good exercise for Grace because the water would reduce the pressure on her joints while strengthening her muscles. Unfortunately, Up and Running only has an outdoor pool, so we will have to wait until spring. Grace went back two weeks after her initial appointment to see how she responded to the acupuncture and to discuss a therapy schedule.
She is currently receiving laser treatment, to accelerate the repair to her trigger points along her back muscles, and acupuncture a couple times a week. I’ve visited the Tripawds website so many times over the past 8 years it’s hard to remember how I first came across it. It was most likely while doing a web search on 3-legged dogs after adopting my first tripawd in 2013. I did just find out about the Maggie Moo Fund for Tripawd Rehab after doing research on front leg Tripawd dogs.
~ Kallie and Grace (aka: murphygrace)