Thanks all for your comments, it is so wonderful, helpful and comforting to read all of your experiences. Our dog has seems to be hopping on his two back legs. I am hoping he is just getting used to walking and maybe he is a little tired on the remaining front. Our vet scared the life out of us when she said he looks lame. We need to watch him. Sam is home with his Dad. I can’t wait to get home and see my babies
i think maybe it takes a little time to develop the ‘three legged gait’. i know if gayle is going slowly, like room to room, she definitely hops – like planting the front and catching up with the back two in unison. but when she gets outside or has to hurry to be first in line for a treat, she gets a more flowing gait…almost like the front leg hits the ‘beat’ between what used to be two front legs hitting, and the back legs go back to being in rhythm where they were before. (sorry, music analogy seems to work best sometimes). so, long story short…i think sampson needs time to get his ‘sea legs’.
gayle
From my experience with Jake, and from reading all about everyone else’s tripawds with front leg amputations, it sounds like they all do the ‘hopping’ gait afterwards… I used to call Jake my little ‘bunny’ after his surgery…
Does your vet have alot of experience with dogs post amputation? It may be that they aren’t familiar with how they actually get around afterwards…
Angel Jake’s Mom
Major, too, is a front amp and definitely does the tripawd hop, especially while moving slowly as Gayle was saying. I call him my Bunny Boy these days.
Rachel (Major’s mom)