Tripawd Boston Terrier mix Finnway benefits from free canine rehab evaluation and at-home therapy thanks to Tripawds Foundation Rehab Grant #209. The consultation, and rehab exercises help Finnway stay strong and love life on three legs. Read his 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.
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Finnway is a two-year-old Boston Terrier mix. My brother started fostering dogs, and he was the first. Naturally, my husband and I fell in love instantly. We believe he was about four or five weeks old when we got him, but other than that he was a healthy and happy four-legged puppy, who had a love for life and adventure.
A year ago, he had a freak fall when he was jumping off our bed. He landed on his knee, causing his tendon to tear away from the bone taking with it a very small piece of his tibia. The surgeons said it would be nearly impossible to reattach the bone if that was the only issue, but the tibia was also fractured. Trying to reattach the tendon/bone would very likely mean further fracturing of the tibia. Amputation became the clear choice with the fastest recovery and most knowing outcomes.
Canine Rehab Helps Tripawd Boston Terrier Mix Finnway After Amputation
We met with Dr. Chandra Heider of Veterinary Rehab of St. Louis. Dr. Heider brought a list of eleven different stretches for us to work on with him, with the goal of preventing future problems and implementing good practices while he is still young. She said to do these stretches 2-5 times daily, depending on the stretch. For example, in one exercise she had him stand on a step like the K9 FitBone with his front legs, while his back leg was on the floor, and then encourage him to lean forward and backward.
The exercise is used to increase balance strength. All of the exercises she provided are there to either help with balance, keep/work on range of motion, relieve tension, or to help strengthen certain parts of his body. In addition to the stretches, she also taught us how to give him a massage to keep his muscles happy and relaxed.
Lessons Learned from Finnway’s Rehab Consultation
The biggest take-a-way that I had was that it is never too early to start working on making sure our little guy is healthy. He is still fairly young and does not have any other apparent health issues, and I am so grateful! But, I think that led me to believe there was nothing really to work on with him. So, as cliche as it sounds, I am very grateful to have found and be able to work on these resources now in the hopes of avoiding problems down the road.
I stumbled upon the Tripawds website during a ravenous internet search and needed a question answered. The question did not seem obscure for our situation, but I guess it was very niche. I was able to ask questions on the Tripawds Forums and got great and timely responses. They provided recommendations and resources, and seemed so eager to make sure my little buddy gets to live his best life.
~ Julia and Finnway