Trixie still tries to stand the way she always has.

Four paws underneath her.

Push.

Rise.

Walk.

Her body seems to begin that familiar sequence automatically.

But now one of those four paws cannot do its part.

The six-year-old Toy Poodle plants three feet against the floor of her medical kennel.

Then her heavily bandaged front paw comes down.

For barely a moment, it touches.

Trixie immediately jerks it back toward her chest.

Her weight shifts before the other three legs can compensate.

Her shoulder drops.

Her tiny body tips sideways.

And she bumps against the kennel wall.

A few seconds later, Trixie tries again.

Once more, the injured paw reaches toward the floor as though her body still expects it to work.

Once more, pain makes her pull it away.

And once more, she nearly falls.

Trixie Arrived With a Paw That Needed Immediate Attention

Trixie had been living as a stray before reaching the shelter.

Exactly how long she had been alone or how the injury happened was unclear.

But the damage to one front paw was serious.

The area was badly injured and infected.

Fur had to be clipped from much of the affected leg so the injury could be examined and treated.

Then the paw was protected beneath a substantial bandage.

From a distance, the wrap makes the leg look almost oversized compared with the rest of Trixie's tiny body.

But the bigger problem becomes obvious whenever she tries to stand.

She still attempts to use it.

The First Touch Is Enough

Trixie pushes herself upright.

Her healthy front paw takes weight.

Both hind legs brace.

Then the bandaged foot lowers.

Contact.

Instant withdrawal.

Trixie's elbow bends and the entire injured limb shoots upward.

Sometimes she manages to remain standing on three legs.

Often she does not.

Losing a Front Leg Changes Balance More Than It May Seem

Dogs carry a substantial portion of their weight through the front of the body.

Removing one front paw from normal use suddenly changes how that weight must be distributed.

Trixie has three functioning limbs available.

But she has not yet learned to organize them efficiently.

When the injured paw disappears from the floor unexpectedly, her body is already leaning forward.

There may not be enough time to correct.

So she falls.

Her Small Size Doesn't Make the Falls Harmless

Trixie is tiny.

That means she does not fall from very high.

But repeated impacts against a hard kennel wall can still cause problems.

She could strike her shoulder.

Her face.

Her hip.

She could land on the injured limb she is trying so hard to protect.

A second injury is the last thing she needs.

Her medical kennel therefore has to account for instability as well as the original wound.