Fifteen month old Tripawd Lab mix Buddy benefits from canine rehab therapy thanks to Tripawds Foundation Rehab Grant #164. The free consultation and at-home rehab exercises help him regain strength and stay strong to 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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Meet Tripawd Lab Mix Buddy
Meet Buddy, our 15 month old Tripawd lab mix. Buddy had his front left leg amputated March 11, 2023 by the Arizona Humane Society after he was hit by a moving car. We fostered Buddy from the AZ Humane Society beginning March 18, 2023 and immediately fell in love with him and officially adopted him five days later on March 22, 2023. Being a previous dog owner, this was our first tripawd, Google became our friend where we learned about tripawds.com and the tremendous resources and community it has to offer.
Buddy’s harness came from the Tripawds product reviews and recommendations. We also began following the Tripawds Blogs community. In addition, by listening to the Tripawd Talk Radio podcast we learned about the foundation and rehab reimbursement program. Thank you so much for your commitment and dedication to Tripawds and the humans who are trying to do the best they can to ensure positive quality of life for our furry loved ones.
Hip Stretch Rotations for Tripawd Lab Mix Buddy
Buddy’s Amputation Recovery
Tripawd lab mix Buddy is adjusting extremely well to three legs and is full of love, energy and spirit. He loves to play with humans and dogs of all ages and sizes. Our main goal is to preserve his mobility and joint integrity of his remaining limbs.
On September 26, 2023 we were able to have our appointment with our certified rehab therapist at AZ Canine Rehab. An excellent one hour session of evaluation included assessing mobility of legs, flexibility, spine assessment and hip measurement. With all being positive, the therapist showed us five distinct beginner exercises for Buddy to do 3 x a week for the next 4 weeks increasing reps not to exceed 7 reps per session. He will have a follow-up appointment in 30 days to measure progress and add additional exercises.
Buddy’s Rehab Exercise Regimen
As with all exercise programs, begin with stretching first. Flex and bend Buddy’s legs, elbows, massage back to loosen and encourage self stretching as much as possible.
Exercise 1 – Sit to Stand: From a sit position stand up ensuring a flatten back with minimal arch and take a few steps forward. This is a modified squat to strengthen back legs.
Exercise 2 – Down to Stand: From a down position, stand up ensuring a flatten back with minimal arch and take a few steps forward. Walk forward ensuring all three legs move as one unit. This exercise strengthens his core.
Exercise 3 – Down to Stand to Down: From a down position, stand and balance, return to a down position. This exercise strengthens his glutes.
Exercise 4 – Hip Touches: While in a standing position reach head around to touch left hip with nose and repeat to touch right hip with nose. This is a spinal flexibility exercise.
Exercise 5 – Belly Crawl: From a down position crawl forward on belly (motivated by treats) to help stretch and elongate the spine.
We conclude with providing Buddy a full body massage ensuring legs, neck and spine are loose and monitor for any hot spots which can be an inflammation issue.
Daily activity recommendations: Mild to moderate low-impact activity is recommended on a consistent basis to help maintain mobility. High-impact activities like wrestling and playing balls should be limited both in frequency and duration and ideally done on surfaces that help absorb some impact, such as grass. Running is permitted but should be limited to surfaces that help absorb some impact such as grass. These activities increase force and stress on the joints and are more likely to cause additional injury, pain, or discomfort. However, walking slowly may cause more impact as Buddy does not walk but rather hops, which is a mini jump. It is recommended to keep him moving quickly whenever possible.
The assessment, prescribed exercises and recommendations were invaluable to us. Learning how best we can support Tripawd lab mix Buddy to ensure he has a long and healthy life was exactly what we accomplished. I would highly recommend Dr. Sonnet and will continue with follow-up appointments as needed.
~ Denise & Buddy