Welcome to Rocket’s world!
We recently adopted an 11 week old Papillon that was born with an “angel wing” on his right front leg instead of a normal leg. (sometimes we call it his chicken wing). The breeder said he has been a feisty fellow since he first started moving around and figuring out how things work. Since he knows nothing else, he has no idea that he is supposed to have four legs!
I am hoping that with this blog I can help anyone else raising a “since birth” tripawd and make navigating this joyful decision a little easier.
Except for having 3-legs, he is like any other normal puppy – goes like crazy with wild bursts of energy and the next minute sound asleep. His life consists of playing, eating, sleeping, pooping and peeing. Strangely enough, his favorite playmate is the largest dog we own who is still a puppy herself (only a year old), but weighs 25 pounds so we have to watch closely to make sure she stays gentle and doesn’t get too excited. She has been a surprising saint with all his puppy antics.
Our first challenge has been the fact that his little leg is actually there, but is deformed and wasted. When he gets to playing too hard the paw end moves too much and can occasionally cause pain. We are assuming it becomes hyper extended or bends just wrong as there are no tendons or ligaments within that bottom portion to keep it held tight. He does not like it at all when we try to cover it with something snug to hold it still and all the doggy t-shirts out there are WAY too big for him at this time. If anyone has a suggestion that will get us by until he gets big enough, it would be appreciated. He saw the orthopedic vet yesterday and he said it would be best to remove the leg once he gets big enough. My next step will be to touch bases with a rehab specialist to see what and when we should start doing things to make sure the rest of his body stays strong and healthy.
I love this community as it helped me through a difficult time with Shooter and I’m looking forward to keeping everyone updated on Rocket’s Journey!
CUTENESS ALERT!!! CUTENESS ALERT!!! This little 2 lbs of crazy is THE most ADORAVBLE thing evvvver!!!
Cannot wait to follow the adventures of this tiny tyke.
Refresh my memory on the pack you have now. Testing my memory here, but didn’t Shooter send you Whiskey?.
Cant help on advice of how to keep that “wing” from being a hindrance. Wonder if they make “onesies ” for tiny preemie s, or something along those lines?
So glad to have you andnyour crew here to chronicle sweet Rocket’s journey.
Lots of love♥️
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Hi Sally-
So good to be talking to all of you again and for a much happier reason.
Shooter did send us a new member – Goose who is now 7. All of Shooter’s brothers and sister have now joined him across the bridge (Rosie, Frosty and Papi) so our kids are all new and besides Goose we have Duck, Lola and (of course) Rocket.
Take Care! Team Rocket
Luanne you always give your dogs the best names! He is SO DANG CUTE!! I can smell puppy breath from here, congratulations! This dog scored when you found him, and we are thrilled you started a blog to document his journey on three. So many people ask about raising puppy Tripawds, and this is going to be a very well-cited reference around here!
Just curious did the ortho vet mention anything about a prosthetic? When we interviewed Martin, founder of Ortho Pets, he explained that chicken wings are very useful for attaching a prosthesis. I’m just wondering if it was mentioned, or if you’re at all curious about that route.
Hi-
The vet did not mention the possibility of a prostheses. I will have to check into that interview to get the info. He did say that his little bones in that piece are fairly brittle and seemed more inclined to remove it completely. That would not happen until he has reached close to his adult size. He is so tiny that at least we don’t have the worry a big dog would. I will keep you updated as we move forward.
Oh my goodness. He is such a cutie. I have never owned a little dog and especially one that small. You will do what you know is the best for him Luanne. Already doing the consults and everything 🙂 Can’t wait to hear more about this little cutie.
xhugs