Purina Beneful & Caring for our Three-Legged Dog #PurinaPetPeople

When we were entertaining the thought of adding to our family, none of us ever thought about having a three-legged dog or caring for our three-legged dog!  We fell in love with a sweet, energetic, healthy and happy puppy.  Who would have imagined her ending up with only three legs?

When Cupcake was four months old, she ended up in a farm accident.  Accidents on the farm can happen, regardless of how safe one is.

When Cupcake got run over, the vet said that we had two options. We had to choose between euthanizing Cupcake or letting the vet amputate her leg.  Little One cried, “I’d rather have a three-legged Cupcake than no Cupcake!”

We opted for amputating her leg.  The vet told us because she was so young, she would bounce back and not even realize she was missing a leg.  Also, because it was one of her hind legs, it was easier for her to adapt.  The strength in the hind legs is strong.  Had it been one of her front legs, it would have been more difficult, because that’s where the bulk of the support is.

Caring for our three-legged dog

Because Cupcake was only four months old when she was in her accident, she adapted really well to only having three legs. Most of the time, people do not even realize she only has three legs. One would never know that she only has three legs by the way she runs and jumps over fences!

We have a healthy, active dog.  Because she is a three-legged dog, the vets want to ensure we keep her lean and healthy.  We have to pay attention that she doesn’t become overweight, because a lot of other health issues can arise.  While most three-legged dogs are very high-functioning,  some may face challenges due to age, breed, and general condition.

Initial care upon bringing dog home post-surgery

When we brought Cupcake home, we had to ensure that she did not lick her wounds and undo her stitches. We had to monitor her activity, and assist her when needed.  We had to administer medication for anti-infection and pain relief.

Exercise

Regaining balance and learning how to maneuver without her fourth limb was a challenge for Cupcake the first week or so after her surgery.  When she was ready to move about again, she was a bit clumsy at first.  This said, it was surprising how well and how quickly she adapted.

Because Cupcake is a very active dog, we had no issues getting her out and about again.  Exercise in the form of going for walks and swimming in the lake were instrumental in getting her strong again.  It also helps that we live on a farm.  Cupcake has a few hundred acres of land to run around on.  Little One was really helpful in caring for her puppy and helping her recover.  She gave her lots of extra love and attention.

Nutrition

Maintaining a good diet and good overall health is important in all dogs, but so important when it comes to dogs who have had surgery, or like Cupcake, who have lost a limb.  It is important to keep their weight down.

Our veterinarian was very pleased with Cupcake’s recovery and overall health.  He commented on how healthy her teeth are and how she is at ideal weight.  He was really pleased with her weight, stressing again that it’s important to ensure she does not become overweight because of all the other health implications that come with the extra weight.

I have been feeding Cupcake Beneful Dry Dog Food ORIGINALS, and she really enjoys it.  She comes running as soon as we touch the bag!

I did a dog food trial with the new Beneful recipes to see if Cupcake would enjoy them, and we went from trial to “this is her dog food of preference” now.

She is currently eating BENEFUL® DRY DOG FOOD ORIGINALS with real salmon. She also loves the beef and chicken recipes.

Good ingredients is what you’ll find at the heart of our Originals With Real Salmon recipe. Real salmon is blended to perfection with whole grains, accents of vegetables and other high quality ingredients. It’s 100% nutrition with a taste your adult dog will love.

It’s made with real salmon accented with sweet potatoes, green beans & carrots.  Cupcake really enjoys her dog food.

What I love about feeding her Beneful Dry Dog Food Originals with real salmon:

1. Omega Fatty Acids To Help Maintain A Shiny Coat And Healthy Skin
2. High-Quality Protein To Help Maintain Strong Muscles
3. Antioxidant Vitamin E To Help Support A Healthy Immune System
4. 23 Essential Vitamins And Minerals
5. Accents Of Real Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans And Carrots
6. 100% Complete And Balanced Nutrition

Cupcake also really enjoys Beneful with beef and Beneful with chicken.  Beneful recognizes that having real meat as the first ingredient is increasingly important to dog owners. This is why real meat is now the #1 ingredient in Beneful dry dog foods (excluding Salmon and Healthy Smile® recipes).

As far as flavour goes, Cupcake is a fan.  Beneful has real meat, accents of vegetables, and no added sugar.  The variety of flavour, along with the texture are ideal for our dog.

I have to say that a combination of active lifestyle and healthy diet have helped us keep Cupcake in top form post surgery.  She is doing great, and unless you saw that she is missing a leg, you’d almost forget that she had it removed.  She is healthy, active, and doing fabulously.

She’s got a healthy, shiny coat, her teeth are really healthy, she is at ideal weight, she’s strong, active, and happy!  We couldn’t ask for more.  I told my husband that we must be doing something right!  Okay, Cupcake’s genetics and demeanor have a lot to do with her health too, but I take a bit of credit in assisting with healthy diet and the level of activity she gets!

We’re happy that our vet is pleased with Cupcake’s care and overall health!  Caring for our three-legged dog has been a lot easier than I had originally thought it would be.  She is such an awesome dog!

Disclosure – This is a sponsored post.  This post was written in collaboration with Purina Canada as part of the #PurinaPetPeople ambassador program.  All thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.