How to Care for Two-Legged Dogs

A two-legged dog presents challenges to an owner that a four-legged dog does not. The main concern is the dog's limited mobility. The inability to maneuver adequately can result in the dog getting stuck in small spaces or unable to get up from a lying position. You'll need to utilize specially-made tools to ensure your two-legged dog leads a normal life similar to four-legged dogs. There are several other health factors that also need your attention as well.

Things You'll Need

  • Cloth
  • Craft wheel chair
  • Tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place protective padding around your dog's leg joints. Your dog will likely fall down a lot. Continual falling with damage your dog's body, including the remaining legs. Since the last two legs are imperative to keep healthy, you need to do everything you can to keep them protected. Wrapping cloth around the joints with tape will protect the dog's joints from potentially harmful falls.

    • 2

      Feed your dog a strict diet that keeps calories at a minimum. The dog's two remaining legs will be holding most of the dog's weight. Said another way, two legs will be doing the work of four legs. This will create significant wear and tear damage to the joints. Reduce the amount of wear and tear on the remaining joints by keeping the dog's weight down.

    • 3

      Feed your dog fish oil supplements. Fish oil is an anti-inflammatory that will help keep the remaining leg joints healthy and strong, and will reduce pain when the joints do become sore.

    • 4

      Exercise your dog with low-impact activities. Even though your dog has difficulty moving around, staying active is still important to your dog's physical and mental health. The best exercise for a two-legged dog is swimming because it has little impact on the remaining joints. Jump in a pool with your dog and use your arms to guide the dog's body. Your dog will naturally kick and swim about the pool. If a pool isn't available to you, light walking with the wheelchair is also acceptable.

    • 5

      Consult with your local veterinarian to determine the type of wheelchair your dog will need. A two-legged dog will need some type of assistance walking around or, at the very least, use some type of assistance to take the dog's full weight off the two legs. A wheelchair will provide this assistance, but the design of the chair will depend on the dog's size and which legs are missing. Your veterinarian will be able to put you into contact with a dog wheelchair specialist and help you determine the wheelchair's specifications. Some dogs may be able to walk successfully with just two legs, but the wheelchair is also meant to evenly distribute the dog's weight and keep the remaining legs healthy for as long as possible.