Tips on 3-legged chin set-up

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Inca-bink

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
63
Location
Lynnwood, WA
Hi All!

It looks like I'll be rescuing a sweet little 3-legged chin from a pretty awful situation, and I'm looking for tips on housing.

Anyone have experience with chins with disabilities? I'm just looking for some guidelines beyond the normal so I can create a safe place for her.

Thanks,
Steph
 
Honestly, there's not a whole lot you need to do different with a tripod. Those little suckers get along just fine. In fact, you would never even know they were 3 leggers in most cases. My fastest chin ever was a tripod. She wheeled like a demon, and when she escaped, look out.

I would take the same precautions you do for any other chin. If it's a tall cage, make sure there are plenty of ledges, shelves, and hammocks to break falls.
 
I agree with Peggy. Most tripods are just fine with a regular chin set up.

The only thing that I worry about with a chin with that type of disability is when the chin first goes into the cage. That's when it would be most likely that the chin would fall and get hurt because she wouldn't be used to it yet.

With any cage you want to make sure that there is no place for the chin to fall and get hurt, no places for the chin to get caught, nothing to get tangled in and that chin safe items are used.
 
It also depends to a certain extent on whether it is a front or rear leg & how high the amputation site is. For example a low amputated back leg with a remaining stump which can be "walked" on (i.e. has pressure put on it) needs to be monitored daily for signs of pressure damage (redness, swelling, pain, split skin, weeping, ulcers etc) and will require extra soft padding in the cage to reduce the risks of developing pressure sores.....
 
I have two tripods here that came to me after their surgeries. Lily had a high amputation at a year old and then proceeded to swallow a surgical staple so was sick for months after surgery. She's never been a climber and can be left in the playpen without a lid and never tries to get out. Lily gets on wooden houses and ledges without any problems. Counter that with Sophie who had a below knee amputation at 7 months old and is a ping off the cage, somersaulting, surfing, crazy chin. Nothing keeps Madam Sophie down, she was pinging off the cage a few days after surgery.

Here's a short video of Sophie doing her thing in the playpen that is 2' tall. She will actually jump and surf for a good 30 minutes when she first gets in the playpen.

 
I have a tripod...the only thing that I changed was the height of my cage. Just got him a new cage that wasn't real tall and was longer. But other than that I kept everything the same. But he is amazing, would never know he had only 3 legs!
 
I have a tripod and one that is looking like he may have to become one but is currenly in a splint. Both get around fine. The tripod became one at 3 weeks the other is 6 months. both had no issues adjusting. both get around as good as any other chinchilla despite the back legs being either gone or fairly usless. Pima, the tripod is in a tall cage with a few extra shelves to help her get un and down...I am talking 6ft tall
 
I have my Little Two Paws in a long guinea pig cage that is only one level.

He lives in fleece-lined luxury, since his little nubbin on his back left leg is very tender and gets irritated very easily. The cage is covered with flannel and I have 1 low shelf with a fleece pillow on it, a fleece cuddle cup, a fleece tube, a hammock and a hanging corner bed from Alli. He is able to skitter about pretty well, and go from the cup to the hammock to the hanging corner bed with no trouble at all. He likes to curl up in his fleece tube, too.

He is not able to use a wheel, but I do let him have playtime on my bed covered with a flannel sheet, which he really enjoys.

I will say that I have noticed that animals in general seem to be more adaptable to what they have to work with than some humans that I have known. They "don't know what they are supposed to have" and just manage quite well with what they have. :thumbsup:
 
I'm just curious, but why isnt he able to use the wheel? mine runs super speed on his wheel with no problem.
 
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