Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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I LITERALLY was holding my breath when I saw you mae a new ppst..."Please, please let it be good! Please!" I can breathe now!!!
YAAAAAAAAAY FOR BELLE!!! This gal is a MIRACLE PUP (SENIOR PUPPY)! 🙂 🙂 🙂
HAPPY FOUR 1/2 MONTH AMPUVERSARY SWEET BELLE!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Keep 'em coming!!
You are doing a splendid job of making every day count and staying in the moment!! SPLENDID!!! 🙂
I kept my supplements prerty simple for my Happy Hannah. Omega Fish Oil. You can also give her sardines. Sometimes the Fish Oil capsules can give them an upset tummy. I also gave her k9 Immunity Plus (they are yummy chewables). Also Apocaps . I did some Vitamin C, some E, some bone powder,and on ocassion some other things I can't recall. But I stayed consistent with the K9 and the Apocaps .
I did some homecooking and used The Honest Kitchen, or Orijen Six Fish, or EVO and sometimes Merrick Organic. And ICE CREAM!!! Happy Hannah convinced me thst a scoop of ice cream was a great supplement!! And POPCORN!!
Others will chime in with a lot more suggestions.
Looooove!!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Thank you fir this BRRRRREAT update!!! Really did make my day!! Such a great way to start the New Year!! 🙂
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!
Great news! Â Glad to hear Belle is doing well. Â We also used the K9 Immunity . Â Both the oncologist and the regular vet said that there was no scientific proof that it worked for osteo, but that it was a safe supplement. Â Plus Otis and Tess loved it! Â Otis was also on fish oil and Dasaquin for his pre-existing arthritis. Â They were also on a grain free diet, but a commercial brand.
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. Â
Wherever they are, they are together.
Is there a "normal" way Belle should be walking? She seems to have a definite turnout these days where her back, right leg (remaining rear leg) turns out to the right. Thanks!
Hmmm. It's probably normal, after all, their bodies do lots of compensating for that missing limb. Wyatt Ray has a remaining rear leg turns out a bit as well. You can sort of see it here
Do you have a photo you can post? Here's a post about adding images to the forums. Holler if you'd like help.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi everyone! I thought I should take a moment to update you all on Belle.
At the beginning of January, Belle was diagnosed with lung mets. I took the news very hard but Belle hasn't missed a beat. At 14 1/2 years old, she still has the spirit of a puppy so that makes this mama super happy!!!
We had a check up last week. They did x-rays and there has been minimal growth in the two places in her lungs and no new growths so we did a little happy dance after that!
What's funny is the vet said they cannot find another dog on record at Belle's age that has gone through as much as she has and is still kicking so I thought I would ask you all. They say we are in uncharted territory. So far she has endured:
Tumor removal at age 7 from her back.
Tumor removal from right leg age 13. (very invasive surgery
 )
Amputation of left leg at age 14.
5 rounds of radiation on remaining rear leg.
Several rounds of chemo
How in the world she is still with us, to me, is a miracle. I would love to hear of other senior dogs who are beating the odds! Please share the good new with us!Â
All our best,
Brittney and Belle
P.S. It's been 6 months since her amputation! Thanks to EVERYONE here for the encouragement and for helping me feel at peace with my decision back in August. Much love to you all!
YAAAY! Hoppy Six Month Ampuversary Brittney and Belle! That is SO pawesome, thanks for letting us know. If you'd like to write a Tripawd Tuesday feature to share Belle's story with even more folks, we'd be happy to run it. Just PM me and we'll talk!
Cheers!!!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
OOOOOMMMMMDDDDD!!!! How in the world did I miss your January update????? Had I not seen a reply you just made in athe other post roday, I would not have gone back to catch up on Belle!!
Sorry to hear about the mets but, as you can tell, Belle doesn't give a rat's a*s about any ole' xrays! She hasn't given a rat's a*s this whole time about any kf this "medical" stuff!
I am ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDED at EVERYTHING this MIRACLE DOG BELLE has overcome!!! Look up miracle in the dictionary and you will see Belle's story! 🙂 🙂
We've had other seniors do remarkably well after amputation who were around 13, maybe 14. And one or two small dogs who were maybe even a bit older. But none that I know of who endured everything Belle did prior to amputation at 14 yrs young!! PLUS, she overcame a really rough recovery in top of that!! Oh, and don't forget to add a couple of mets into her list of "challenges". And she's sympton free!
And now we get to celebrate something that, seven months ago looked pretty impossible!
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 HAPPY SEVEN MONTH AMPUVERSARY BELLE 🙂 :-):-) 🙂
It just lifts everyone up here when we have Miracle dogs like Belle beat all the odds!!
Keep on rockin' Belle! Looking forward to celebrating many more ampuversaries AND birthdays! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Love and hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
I agree, Sally! Had missed the other posts so THANK YOU Belle on updating us! As you already know Belle, you are not only a ROCKSTAR but you are a SUPERSTAR!!! Even at the young age of 14 1/2, you have NO boundaries! And phoey with the news of any other complications or challenges! You, Belle, know the truth of life far better than the vets, or us, or anyone, really
And, although not a TriPawd, my North Star Emma Rose DaBear, who until January 2017 was a 14 year old rock solid dame, has similar complicating factors now: brain stem tumor. thyroid cancer, heart mass, and now, a recurrence of heart worms due to not being able to give the meds during her other treatments...sigh. However, Belle, she has NO idea that all of this is going on: EmmaRose runs around the pasture, guards her horse, kicks my butt, barks at the moon, and, in general, is a major corker who is the Betty White of dogs. And THAT is what I try to honor as you do for Belle. Semper EmmaRose! And Semper Belle!
Belle and North Star Emma Rose DaBear are SUPER SENIOR STARS, that's for sure 🙂 🙂
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!
Thank you ALL for being so awesome ♡
Yesterday was Belle's 8 month ampuversary! Her spirit is still strong and she is still heading to the door every morning for her walks. We are so thankful.
She is no longer a candidate for radiation as she has hit the threshold of the amount of treatments allowed. We are saddened by this but absolutely understand their reasoning.Â
Since the tumor in her remaining rear leg has grown slowly over the past 8 months, we have opted to place her on prednisone which has actually relieved a lot of pressure in the tumor. What was rock hard flesh is now soft so we know she is more comfortable.
We talked to our vet and we did also add gabapentin (for nerve pain in front legs) and tumric:)Â
She is slowing down a little bit but overall still doing her thing! Of course we have no idea what the future holds so we just take it day by day and embrace every, single second she is still with us.Â
Virtual hugs to you all and your sweet tripawds!
Love,
Brittney and Belle
What a happy and wonderful update! Â I love Belle's spirit! Â And I truly think this all sounds like the right approach to keeping her happy and spirited - radiation is no picnic.
Much love to you all! Â 
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. Â 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.
Yes, ditto Lisa!!! Quality and focusing on her continued well being with no more poking and prodding sounds like the best treatment of all!!! Thst, along with all that loving and non-stop spoiling she gets every day! 🙂 🙂
Getting to celebrate a HAPPY EIGHT MONTH AMPUVERSARY with a senior tripawd is a BEAUTIFUL moment! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank you for inviting us to the pawty!! 🙂
Belle is having a pawty, right? Ice cream, cake, cheeseburgers and steaks!! YUM!!! 🙂
So glad she is doing so well! She is such an inspiration here for everyone, but especially for ...er..."mature" pups!!!
Hugs and love
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
That is wonderful she is doing so well! Not every dog or cat is a candidate for amputation surgery, so when we can find out how they are doing with palliative care, it's such valuable insight.Â
I'd love to write.a blog post about your experience. Would you happen to want to share more photos of her? We would be so grateful!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We would be honored if you wrote a blog on Belle!
Where would you like me to send photos?Â
Brittney and Belle
Pawesome! Oh you can feel free to embed them here. This post about adding images to the forums explains. Otherwise feel free to private message me. Thank you!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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