Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Tess and I cleaned the house last Sunday morning, in preparation for our lab rescue home visit. It is Saturday morning - normally, I would get up and start vacuuming the dog hair. But, other than the areas around the litter box, my house still looks great. Even my bedding seems reasonably fresh. Obviously, don't have to clean the backyard. Tess did not shed nearly as much as Otis, but this is a really weird experience. Never thought I would miss dog hair.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Hi Christine 💕
Yes, once our babies leave us, we do miss all the hair and disarray that our furry babies produced around the house😞
Kinky has left me 5 1/2 years ago and I still keep all her toys, blankets, collar ... and still smell them although after so long it doesn't smell like my baby anymore.
Some might think I am crazy but my daughters are under strict instructions to stuff all those items plus my dogs and cats ashes with me when my time comes ⚰ to join them💘
I so know how you feel, it is the hardest thing not to have them here with us anymore😞
I hope Gator will put a happy smile in your face again soon, he will never replace sweet Otis and Tess but will be your new baby and will no doubt fill your heart with joy again 💘
Sending you a huge bear hug 🐼 and lots and lots of kisses 😘😘😘
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Since I don't have any cleaning to do, guess I'll jump over to the auction and bid on things I no longer need, in the hopes that the right dog comes along to take possession before the auction ends.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
I think Happy Hannah's slobber trails have pretty much disintegrated now, but not because I washed them away! I had every intent of keeping "everything Hannah" as long as I could! Plus, it was a great excuse not to clean!
Yep, the things we miss.....
Teresa, I also have a whole lot of ashes that will be joined with mine when the time comes!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
All we had to do was move some very large, heavy furniture a year after we lost Murphy. There he was...lying in wait for us!
Kathi
PS. I almost forgot to ask. Is there any Gator news?
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
A clean house is vastly over rated, IMHO. Rooting g for the right dog to appear soon!
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
Here's hoping a hairy friend finds their way to messing your house up soon....
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Note to self - when food (say a piece of cooked chicken breast) falls to the kitchen floor, the human has to bend over and pick it up. The days of it magically disappearing are over.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
I always wondered how people raised children without dogs to clean the floor after every meal.
OMG .. yes!!! The first week without Shelby I noticed right away how food just stayed on the floor OR if it was bad for you food (chocolate, raisins, etc) how I realized I didn't have to fly down there to get it first. That was a tough one for sure. ((((hugs)))))
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Hmmm...go ahead and leave it on the floor a bit longer. There maybe someone soon to come by and pick it up!
,I know the loss of routines.. loss of the rituals..loss of the habits...just the suffocating void are so painful.
Lots of hugs
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
It's Saturday morning, and I am vacuuming up dog hair.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Exactly as it should be!
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
It sure is!
Kathi
Murphy is a five year old Lab/Chessie cross. He was hit by a car on 10/29/12 and became a Tripawd on 11/24/12. On 2/5/13, he had a total hip replacement on his remaining back leg. He has absolutely no idea that he has only three legs!
UPDATE: Murphy lived his life to the fullest, right up until an aggressive bone lesion took him across the Rainbow Bridge on April 9, 2015 and he gained his membership in the April Angels. Run free, my love. You deserve it!
Oh my!! Huge smile plastered on my face!! Yet another seal.of approval from Otis and, Tess! They knew you missed all that fur!! Keep shedding Gator! 
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
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