guestbook

499 thoughts on “guestbook”

1. My pup, Piper passed away a few months ago after a month of being a three legged wonder dog! I just wanted to say that your site gave me so much comfort during her struggle with Osteosarcoma. It was one of the toughest moments for my husband and I and it was just so good to read so many hopeful stories! I also wanted to find out if there is any place on here in which I could donate some harnesses we barely used for our gal. I can’t seem to find any place in my own city – Saskatoon – that offers this type of program. Thanks very much! Blair

   • We are so sorry to hear about Piper. To honor her, please feel free to list the harnesses in our Tripawds Angel Exchange forum so others might put them to good use.

     • Thanks very much! 🙂
       Lots of hugs to the pups and their people out there and thanks for sharing your stories with others!

2. wow! I just found this website, and I thought my dog was one of the few who has had their leg taken away! My dog’s name is Buddy, he is a boxer/lab mix. We adopted him from the Humane Society and we got him after he had his front left paw taken away. We don’t know what happened to him, but some times we like to make up silly little stories on how he lost his paw!

3. Thank you so much! I love your site!!!
   http://www.dunawaysurveying.com

4. Thank you soooo much for starting this. This site is getting me through the dark times and into the light. It’s one day at a time sometimes one hour.

   You are a life saver!! I wouldn’t have been able to make it through this without this site.

   Thank you!!!!

   • Awww daisydogger, you are too kind. It’s the great stories, caring and humor of everypawdy here who makes it such a great place to be. We’re sorry you had to join us but we’re glad you’re here. Give your pup a smooch from us.

5. Jerry –
   I’m the vet who amputated Dyre’s leg (see post from Kim Hove above). I never got a chance to thank you for the lovely and complimentary card you sent. Thank you. This site helps a lot of my clients, and I appreciate it so much. Keep doin’ what you’re doin’.
   🙂 Liz

6. Happy new year to all of you who frequent this wonderful site- a quick update on Zena & her progress. It’s been 3 months & 4 chemo treatments since amputation of her front left leg,osteosarcoma. She is doing so well- x-rays today looked good, and she is a tripawd dog superstar! Her career as an avalanche dog is over, but she will embark [!] on a new path, as spokesdog for our ski area, Snowbasin, Utah! Thank you all for your stories, and thanks for letting me share ours. Everyday is a gift with our brave little friends. Thanks to you too Jerry, for being there for all of us!

   • That’s so great to hear, Dan! We would love to know more about Zena’s spokesdawg duties! Come visit us in the Forums OK? And if you ever make it to Colorado, come see us in the summertime.

7. Hi There,

   I came across this site and wanted to let you know about our dog Zeus. He is a twelve year old German Shepherd. Last January he had a slight limp and we took him to the vet. What we thought was possible arthritis turned into osteosarcoma bone cancer =(. It was a hard decision to amputate…but after doing the research I found that was the best option. It took a couple of weeks for him to get back to himself, but now one year later he is happy and healthy and we are so glad to have him for another year. Anyway, there is good quality of life for you and your dog after amputation just wanted you to know. Going on two shorter walks a day is still his absolute favourite thing to do.

   xx
   kaRIN

   • Thanks for the comment and best wishes for Zeus! Please feel free to share his story in the forums or by starting a blog. New members always enjoy hearing inspirational success stories like yours.

   • Thanks a lot for sharing your experience! I have a boxer who got the same diagnosis and was desperate because I thought a 12 year old dog would not be able to recover properly from such an operation. Now I know Scrappy has the possibility to live his remaining years as a healthy dog 🙂

     • Andrea you’ll be so surprised at what dogs of all ages can do. Senior dogs, as long as they are healthy and strong otherwise, typically do great after amputation. Keep Scrappy lean and don’t let him overdo it too much, and he’ll do just great. Keep us posted OK?

8. Thanks for this site, it is most helpful! My baby boy Fifty is running around on his two legs, and his girlfriend is a beautiful tripawd girl. It’s great knowing there’s a whole community of them out there! Fifty the two legged pitbull loves you.

   • Thanks for the comment Kelly! Please consider sharing Fifty’s amazing story in the discussion forums!

9. Just dropped my 9 year old golden retriever off at the vet to have her leg amputated. Discovered the bone cancer 2 weeks ago after my great dane injured her. Feeling like i’m headed into some uncharted water! Thanks for the web site. It will be a good resource as we head forward on this new journey.

   • Thanks for the comment and best wishes for your Golden’s speedy recovery. Please drop by the discussion forums for lots of advice from this community or consider downloading the new Tripawds e-book, Three Legs and a Spare for immediate answers to the most common amputation recovery questions.

   • Hope your golden is doing well. My 7 1/2 year old golden Buddy was recently diagnosed with osteosarcoma after limping for a few weeks (at first I thought he injured himself from stepping into one of the many holes my younger golden digs!). His back right leg was amputated the day after Thanksgiving. I cried the entire first week after the diagnosis until the surgery ( Buddy thought I was sick!). I was amazed to see Buddy WALK out of the hospital after his surgery. He had many challenges such as learning to back himself out of a corner and learning to navigate the house with the huge “lampshade” on his head. I am happy to say that 6 weeks later Buddy is doing amazingly well, taking walks on the snowy shores of Lake Superior with me. He has had 2 sessions of chemo so far (carboplatin) with the only side effect being slight loss of appetite. I give him 1/2 can of N/D prescription canned food mixed with dry Canidae every morning and night and he scarfs it down! I’m so glad this web site exists. Buddy and I still have a lot to learn.

10. Hi! Been reading around your site for a few days. We just adopted a Norweigen Elkhound from the local Humane Society who had his amputation a few months ago. This site has been a great resource already, as our new little friend has gotten quite accustomed to life at the shelter the last few months and prefers to lay down with his belly up for a scratch then actually get up and moving. He conquered our stairs yesterday (with great reserve mind you) and has mastered chewing a bone with his bag legs- it is pretty impressive. We will continue looking to your site for info as we hope to get our boy up to speed. They say he should have had his leg amputated after he was born but the original owners didn’t follow through, so it was only after a few trips to the HS it was finally done. He may have missed his initial rehabilitation period I suppose, but we have faith! 🙂

    • Elkhound? Little Friend? 🙂 Drop by the forums or consider starting a blog to share his story. Thanks for the comment!

11. well it’s 5 weeks tommorow since zena’s surgery, amputation of her front left leg. yup, osteosarcoma! the first week was tough, the second week a little better, and since then, it’s been really smooth & steady! zena is 10, and has been a certified avalanche dog with me here @ snowbasin ski resort in utah her whole life! we are part of the wasatch backcountry rescue organization, which includes 10 ski areas, sheriff’s depts., helicopter services and approx. 35 operational dog teams. this will obviously be a new and different season for zena, but we are hopeful she will still be able to come to the mt. and be a wonderful spokesdog, as well as an inspiration to other tripod dog owners! thank you for your website; the info provided is helpful, inspiring and comforting! take care zena & dan

    • Zena, something tells me that a certified avalanche dog will do just great on three legs, and you’re going to kick that osteosarcoma’s butt off to the moon! Your life sounds really exciting, we can’t wait to hear more. Thank you and your pops for joining us here, and if you need anything whatsoever, you’ve got a great group of folks here who can help OK? Keep us posted!

      • thanks for your kind words jerry! we had our 2nd round of chemo today, 2 more to go. every day is a gift. zena has had so much love and support through this ordeal, and we are so pleased to have found your website and your support! we will keep in touch- thank you again!

12. Hello,
    I adopted a 3 legged dog. What is the best exercise for her? I’ve been taking her on runs around the block.

    Sandy

    • Thanks for asking Sarah! Please review our CARE animal rehab videos for some great stretching and exercise advice for Tripawds. Running is high impact and walks only develop endurance, not strength. Unstable surface work is most important for developing core muscle strength. Consider building a Buja board or check out the FitPAWS canine conditioning equipment in the Tripawds Gear blog.

      Be sure to search the discussion forums or start a new topic for more advice. You’ll find lots of recovery tips in Jerry’s Required Reading List, and even more tips and fast answers to the most common amputation questions in the new Tripawds e-book, Three Legs and a Spare.

13. I have intestinal cancer which has spread to my lymph nodes and I have had chemo for 2 months. I have gotten worse and now I’m not hungry and won’t eat anything – lamb – beef – chicken – veggies – anything. My Mom tried everything – but the other night she brought home a “real” (not fillers etc.) hamburger from a restaurant. It smelled so good that I ate (half at a time) it. I got more today. I know that I am not going to be cured and don’t have much time left but those hamburgers sure are good. At leat there is something that I enjoy for the time being. Hope to all those who are getting better and keep the faith.
    Katie – scottish terrier – 7 years old.

    • Hang in there Katie, it sounds like you have wonderful people caring for you. Prednisone is often the drug of last resort, but it helped Jerry get his appetite back so he could enjoy another couple months of loving life! He liked ground buffalo too! Thanks for dropping by and best wishes, you’ll find much more help and advice in the discussion forums.

14. Thanks for the kind comment, and best wishes to Abby for a speedy recovery. Should you decide to start a Tripawds Blog, the Blogger Importer plugin will automatically transfer all your existing posts.

15. Me and my family are considering adopting a tripawd dog named Copper. His leg got caught in a trap. A dog warden and a volunteer went out to get him, and when the warden saw the state the dogs leg was in, he thought he should be euthanized. But the volunteer said no, and so Copper’s leg got amputated. My mom, little brother and I fell in love with him, since he is a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, like our current dog, Kuna(Kuna has cancer). But my dad thinks that I’m not resposible enough for a tripawd yet. I take care of Kuna really well though! Can you please say something about how rewarding it is to have a tripawd to convince my dad? Thank you! And I love your dedication to this cause!

    • Hi Hanako, that’s so cool that you want to give Cooper a good home! Whoever the volunteer was that saved him is a saint. As you can see here, most dogs get along just fine on three legs!

      As long as the dog’s weight is kept down (they should be a little thinner than most dogs), and you don’t overexercise them, Tripawds are super easy to have as part of the family. They are not by any means handicapped. We started this community to show the world that just because they’re missing that “spare leg”, that doesn’t stop them from living life to the fullest. The only tricky thing about having a Tripawd is understanding that although they are spunky as any dog, most are not going to go on 5 mile hikes or play for hours on end. The biggest responsibility you would have to them is to make sure you try some rehabilitation therapy games (super easy!) to keep them strong, don’t expect too much, and look after them so they don’t overdo it. They can wrestle and play with other dogs as much as any, just use care so that they don’t play for too long and tire out too much.

      I hope this helps. It sounds like your family would be a great one for Cooper and he sure deserves a loving home. If your parents have any questions please have them write to us OK? Good luck!

      • I agree completely! They can do anything they feel up to. They need lots of rest when done and tons of LOVE!!!!! A harness is very helpful when walking and playing. Write a letter to your dad. Letter writing is very powerful. I think he would see your commitment and love for the animal.
        YOU ROCK!!!!

16. Just been reading so many posts, examples, thoughts and support. Although there are many reasons why a pup would have amputation, I am noticing (THINK I notice) that the majority of cancer for amputation is osteosarcoma.

    Rocky has/has had fibrosarcoma…and his cancer chemo regimen looks a little different from some on this site. (btw: rear right amputation)

    Just an FYI..his chemo has included doxorubicin…a little hair loss (he’s a retriever, lots of hair to donate) and no real sickness.

    His last round will be Nov 18.

    I also switched his food to all natural raw, dehydrated. Smells like a Thanksgiving meal, he loves it, has bowel movements that are beyond normal and have…no smell..no kidding.

    Maybe the sickness associated with chemo is reduced with this meal that is easier, better aligned with his digestive track? Who knows…

    Rocky’s caregiver

    • I would say that the majority of amputees that join us here are because of bone cancer but of all different types, including fibro. You can read more about this here in our ongoing Tripawds Amputation and Cancer Care Survey analysis. If you’d care to fill it out, please do, so we can add Rocky’s story to the data.

      You’re absolutely right, feeding dogs real, whole foods is pawesome for their health. Dogs are living beings who should eat living foods! We firmly believe in real foods for dogs too, whether its raw, home cooked or a combination of both.

      Kudos to you for doing such a great job taking care of your boy. We send our congrats for a long, long life ahead! Thanks for sharing.

17. Thank you so much for creating this site. It has been an inspiration and comfort to us all. Today our dog fell off the porch and broke his hind leg and he is scheduled for having his leg amputated next week. Your site has comforted us in coming to terms with the surgery and what can be expected.
    Thank you so much!
    ~ Drake

    • Thank you for the kind comment and best wishes for your pup’s speedy recovery!

18. Hello, Thanks so much for the Bandanna, I got it in the post this morning. Cant wait to try it on my new arrival in November! Keep up the great work!

    • Glad you like it! 🙂 Thanks again for your support.

19. Thank you so much for this website. My almost 10 year old Rottweiler, Benson, had his right hind leg removed almost two weeks ago and I was scared beyond belief about what was to come. Although the first week was traumatic for Benson and our family, this second week has been fantastic. Thanks to the stories I’ve read on his site, I was better able to navigate our way through the operation and post-op care for Benson.

    Benson is now up and walking around happily – he is certainly a very different dog to the one before the amputation, he’s practically a puppy again! We now have the Ruffwear harness and I think it’ll come in handy soon. I’m so happy we could buy it here in Australia!

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you do and the support you offer.

    • Thanks for the kind comments, and bless you for taking such good care of Benson! Please consider dropping by the discussion forums, or starting a blog to share his story. And if you haven’t seen it yet, you might be interested in reading Nikki The Rott’s blog.

20. Jersey May and I want to thank you for having this site for us.I wish I had found it sooner but its the next week or 2 (depending on how Jersey May hold up) is when I think I will need this site the most to help me cope.
    You are the best! Thank Jerrry
    Jersey May and Papa Jon

    • Thanks for the kind words Jon, it’s all the community members that make this site what it has become. Best wishes for Jersey may and facing the weeks ahead.

21. My name is LuLu, but my mom calls me “Lu-the 3-legged laugh attack”. I’m a 2 1/2 year old Chow Chow and German Shepard. I don’t even notice I’m missing a hind leg until someone points it out, but even then my mom says, “chin up little girl, you’ve got this.” I can even fetch…sorta. It’s more of a soccer goalie move to get the ball stopped then I bring it back… sort of.

    The best part about being a pretty, smart, confident girl dog- who happens to be missing a leg – is that I can pretty much make men do what I want. If I limp up to them, they’ll pet me for a long time. If I’m laying down and a man wants me to play fetch with me at my doggy park, I just sit and he throws the ball right to me…and I have taught most of them to fetch when the ball goes past me. I love my life!

    Thanks for starting such a great group of unique furry people like me. I look forward to the next event!

    Chow~
    Lu

    • Thanks for the comment Lu! 🙂 Please consider sharing your story with the Tripawds community in the discussion forums or by starting a blog!

22. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS WEBSITE!! We recently adopted a ‘tripawd’ from the local animal shelter and our family could not be more blessed. When we are out for our daily walks we often here “Aww poor puppy?” — my response if “Don’t let her hear you say that b/c she has no idea she has 3 legs”. She runs around the yard playing catch with my husband and the kids and I’m proud to say when playing with my mom’s 4 legged dog, Addi will win a race to the ball every time with her 3 legs!

    The vet brought her to our house two weeks ago to see how she adjusted and how she and our cat would interact. She wasn’t in the house for 5 minutes and we were totally in love with her (needless to say she stayed)! Thanks again for this wonderful site and community to share our love for our tripawds!!
    ~~ Jen and Addi

    • Jen, thank you for coming here to share Addi’s story. It’s stories like yours that continue to provide the inspawration and support to pawrents when they are faced with amputation for their best friend. Come visit our Discussion Forums when you can, and start a blog about Addi so the world can stop saying “awww poor puppy!” once and for all!

23. I just found this website while frantically trying to find some comfort from what is happening to my beautiful Meea, a 7 year old rottie. She is at the vet right now getting her front right leg amputated because of osteocarcinoma. I am dying inside waiting for the call of how the surgery went. I am so glad there is a community out there for this kind of stuff. I will update when I find anything out. Thank you for all of your stories and having such a good community website.

    • Jeremy, we’re so sorry about your girl, and send our best wishes for a speedy recovery. Don’t give up hope, as you can see, lots of dawgs can live a great life on three legs! Please visit our Discussion Forums and let us know how she’s doing OK?

    • Jeremy hold in there and be strong Meea will be fine and when she has recovered from her surgery cherish every day with her I was where you are now with my Rottie Luda this time last year he had his right front leg amputated due to ostesarcoma too and here we are now 1 year on and still clear and enjoying life to the full. Thinking of you and Meea. xx

    • Well, the surgery went well and she is doing well considering the situation. The part that is hard for me is that she has to stay until Monday. I want my girl back home with me, but I know it’s a good idea to keep her there and monitor her for the weekend. I will update again when I get her home and have some time with her and see how she’s doing.

      • Glad to hear your pup is doing well. Please provide updates in the forums or start a blog where you will receive feedback from the entire community. Not nearly as many readers visit this Guestbook page.

24. What a wonderful resource you have for everyone!! thank you for all you do to help others!!!

    • Thanks for the kind comment Suana!

25. Today is my lab Annie’s 2 year ampuversary. She remains free of the soft tissue sarcoma that she had – and 3 previous surgeries couldn’t beat. She was just diagnosed with lymphoma but so far she is doing very well 🙂 Thanks for your wonderful community!

    • Hoppy Ampuversary Annie, two years is just miraculous! Fabulous! Wonderful! Thank you for sharing your story, you give hope to so many by doing so. Many hugs to you and your Mom.

26. Hi! My name is Kim and my Tripawd is Dyre. His right leg was removed because of Cancer. My vet Dr. Liz Gray from East Lane Veterinary Hospital in Leaburg, Oregon told me about your site. The sight has amazing information. I appreciate the time and support put into this special club. I feel more connected having people going threw the same things. I donated $50.00 to this web site and hope to do more as time goes on. Thank You!

    Sincerely, Kim Hove Eugene, Oregon

27. I am wondering if anyone can help me. My 10 year old Rottie Beau lost his leg (front left) to osteosarcoma. (March 21010) He has had four chemo treatments all spaced apart and will be having his fifth one this coming Monday. Has anyone else done chemo on their dog and how many treatments did the dog go through? He is doing well and I hope and pray he continues to do well. Any help would be great
    Thanks

    • Thanks for the comment, how is Beau doing? Share his story with the Tripawds community and find much more advice in the discussion forums. Also, don’t miss our recent video interview with Dr. Mona Rosenberg discussing chemotherapy for osteosarcoma in dogs.

    • Hi.
      I have Luda who is a 6 year old rottie he lost his front right leg to ostesarcoma and had the initial 5 chemo sessions. He now has chemo every 3 months and I just want to say he is doing fantastic he just celebrated his 1st ampuversay last week on July 15th and he had chemo that day and x-rays and he is still clear of the horrid C. So hang in there and enjoy every day with Beau and make it special. xx

28. I have a log in, but can’t for the life of me figure out where I can post something under Coping with Loss (for Skyler – who earned her wings June 11, 2010)

    • Hi Cathy. We’re so sorry for your loss of Skyler and apologize for any trouble your having with the forums. Log in to the discussion forums and visit the Coping With Loss forum. Click the “add topic” button, give your thread a title, and share your thoughts about Skyler… Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please let us know.

29. Hi, My name is Jordan and I am a 10 year old female collie. I have developed a Chondroma in my left right hip and leg. They tell me this is a people tumor and very rare in dogs. So go figure, I had to be the one to have it. My family is struggling with the findings of the oncologist and surgeons. The only thing that is possible right now is to remove my leg and possibly part of my pelvic bone which then would require reconstruction. The tumor is benign as far as they can tell so I don’t think I will have to have chemo or radiation. My family wants me to be here with them for as long as I can so I will be having my surgery next week. I know they will take good care of me and I want to show them that I can be the same loving dog after the surgery as I was before. My brother, Jag, is part of our family too. He has been a great big brother so I know he will do his part to help too. I’ll be back in touch to let you know how everything goes. Thanks for making this blog available. I think it will help my family a lot.

    • Welcome Jordan, and best wishes for a complete speedy recovery. We’re sure you’ll be showing your people in no time that it’s better to hop on three legs than to limp on four! Please tell them to visit the forums or check out Jerry’s Tripawds Required Reading List for lots of advice, and consider starting a blog to share your story.

    • Hi Jordan, we’re so sorry to hear about your chrondroma, but you sound like a strong girl who can get through anything. I think the surgery you’re talking about is called a “hemipelvectomy” right? If so, check out these forum discussions about the topic: http://tripawds.com/forums/?forum=all&value=hemipelvectomy&type=1&include=1&search=1

      Good luck, keep us posted in the Forums OK?

30. Our red-nosed pit, Ashanti, who’s almost 8 lost a rear leg to osteosarcoma two weeks ago. She hasn’t missed a beat because she apparently hadn’t been using the limb. We aren’t planning to try chemo due to cost and no guarantees. Not even sure we’ll do chest x-rays every 3 months as what would we do if it has spread. The hardest part has been knowing we’ll probably lose her before our 14 year-old cockapoo or 16 year-old beagle. Ashanti’s so gentle and pretty (for a pit!); my neighbor says, “nope but she’s buff”. ha. Had hoped she’d live a long life and continue to be a breed ambassador. Anyway, celebrating her while we have her and thankful for great veterinary care. The day of her surgery, our vet walked her out to me. Ashanti walked out the door, down the steps, and squated without a wobble to potty. Vet said, THAT’s why I became a vet…animals are so resilient! 🙂

    • Thanks for the comment Sharon and best wishes to Ashanti! FYI: Jerry lived nearly two years after his osteosarcoma amputation and we too opted not to do IV chemo – just a healthy diet and supplements, lots of love and plenty of three legged adventures. We chose not to do regular x-ray, but when we finally discovered he had lung mets we started him on K9 Immunity and Metronomics. Ask you vet about metronomic treatment for cancer dogs, and consider sharing Ashanti’s story in the forums or a Tripawds Blog!

31. My beloved borzoi past a year ago (cancer) and not a day goes by that I do not consider myself lucky to have been enriched by his influence. It seems many of the responders on this site agree we have been given a rare opportunity to have connected to these animals in such a way it has changed our lives. We come across certain ‘loves’ of our life that are summed up as rare, beautiful, and limited. Jerry was one of these. Thank you for reminding us how ‘precious the time’ is with our beloved family (dogs and cats).

    • Hunterborz: “rare, beautiful and limited.” You described the gifts we receive from our beloved companions so beautifully, thank you.

      Our sincere condolences for your loss. We know your borzoi will always be by your side, with his spirit in your heart. How wonderful that you shared such a powerful bond together.

      {{{hugs}}}

32. Woof Jerry, I loved your touching story! I am also an angel and hope to meet you flying by on a cloud one day.

    • You got it! Let’s pawty! Thank you your watching, you made us all very hoppy. xoxo

33. Wow… I just watched the PBS video and it went straight to my heart… What a tremendous gift you gave yourselves (all three of you). I mostly just want to thank you for helping me come to peace with the way I handled my sweet Shasta’s diagnosis. She was six months shy of her 13th birthday when I lost that silly girl. The beginning of your story where you point out the CFO part — so much Shasta. I work from home contracting and she definitely was the 5:00 bell. Time to play. Time to rejuvenate the soul!

    I don’t have to tell you the shock of taking a limping lab to the vet for a little arthritis visit and coming out with a diagnosis of bone cancer with 1-2 months to live. I visited an oncologist and, like you, I decided going in and out of the clinic for chemo, etc. was not for us. Amputation at her age wasn’t really an option. I have another tripawd, (rescued from abuse), so I wasn’t really worried about that aspect, but, the condition of Shasta’s spine and other bones would have made for a really tough recovery and it was not recommended. So we chose to live out the rest of her days on pain killers….and just LIVE. I don’t regret the decision, but it’s still so easy to fall into the trap of guilt and questioning myself…. did I let her have long enough, was I afraid of the cancer, did I make all the right choices… for her? I lost her on 4/22 after only 3.5 weeks, but we spent every minute of those 3 weeks in a very present state. It was a powerful time and when I decided to let her go, we were both ready. My 15-yo dalmatian passed (basically of old age) 3 weeks later, so it’s been a rough couple of months here.

    I am so grateful that you shared your story — to be honest, I don’t feel like I’ve had the space to grieve properly yet and I have a feeling it’s going to hit me like a ton of bricks one day when I least expect it. Thanks for providing a little pressure release. RIP Jerry and all the others who’ve battled this crazy cancer.

    • Julie, your letter went straight to our hearts too, what a story. We are so sorry about your two pups, life is so unfair when we get hit with so much all at once. Our sincere condolences go out to you.

      We tell everyone there that the only “right answer” when it comes to bone cancer and amputation, is the one that is right for you and the pack. We’re all so different, and how we choose to handle medical decisions for our animals is a highly pawsonal one. No story is alike. After I earned my wings, my pawrents questioned their choices too, but I came back in different ways to remind them that looking back is a waste of time. I want them (and you) to remember my biggest lesson: all we have is NOW, so make the best of it because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed? I can hear Shasta whispering that to you too. You did right by her and your Dalmatian. Promise me, no regrets, OK?

      Give yourself time to grieve and allow it to happen on its own timeline. Only until it’s all out in the open can you fill that void with the many happy memories of the life you shared together. Then, perhaps some day another pup (a tripawd maybe??? Hmmm….) will come along to help you love again. No rush though, we understand.

      We are grateful you watched, and took the time to write. What an honor. Thank you so much, you made our day.

      Run free Shasta, we know your spirit will always shine on in your Momma’s heart, and ours too. xoxo

34. As many have said…Thank you so much for inspiring us that have had to face cancer with our own dogs…the diagnosis of bone cancer seems so overwhelming and final until it settles in and you realize that the only time that matters to our dogs is the time spent with us…its such a comfort…like they know we need the support and distraction from the reality of the situation…God Bless all the happy Tripawd’s that do so much to help us realize what real living is all about…RIP Dear Jerry and all the beautiful Tripawd souls who hop on eternally in Heaven…:)

    • God Bless all the happy Tripawd’s that do so much to help us realize what real living is all about

      Yes! We’ll toast to that with some ICE CREAM! Thanks for writing and being here with the community, it wouldn’t be anything without the good pawrents like you.

35. I finally got to see this show and was so happy that I did. I laughed, I smiled and I cried. Of course, I know Jerry’s story but it is such a wonderful story of love that it bares repeating. The way dogs impact the lives of so many people is a story that never grows old. We have lost three dogs in two years and two of them to cancer. They touched our lives and we are better people because they were in our lives. It is only because we love them so much that it hurts so much to lose them. It could not have been easy for you both to have the “world” share in your private moments but we all learned because you were willing to let us be there. I know people who saw this show will look at Tripawds in a different light because you exposed yourselves. Maybe some will give their dog a chance at life when they would have given up without hearing Jerry’s story. Thanks for that and for all the wonderful work that Tripawds.com does for those of us learning to adjust to life with a tripawd. I guess we would have made Cherry’s journey without you and the tripawd community, but it would have been much harder.

    Emily, Spririt Cherry’s Mom.

    • Emily, thank you so much for the kind words. You and Bob do so much for the Tripawds family, and canine community in general, we can’t begin to thank you enough. All of the heartache you’ve experienced over the last two years is incomprehensible to us, and is so unfair. But yes you are right, it IS only because we love them so much that it hurts so much to lose them. That is a great way of putting it.

      We do hope that others will see that there is life after a cancer diagnosis for dogs (and cats too). When PBS asked us to be on the show, it was surreal, but at the same time we felt honored knowing that Jerry’s story could reach so many people. He is the reason why we felt OK with the cameras there, as strange as it was. We’re much more comfortable behind the scenes, that’s for sure.

      And again, it’s the incredible family here, like you and Bob and Spirit Cherry, who make Tripawds what it is. This community touches us deeply. Thank you for all you do.

36. I was struck last night by how much Jerry resembled my dear sweet Jessie who passed last year at 13 to lung cancer. Thank you for the gifts you gave Jerry, he was a lucky pup and you were lucky people to know such a terrific dog.

    • Peggy, we are so sorry abut Jessie. Cancer is so difficult. But I’ll bet he’s watching over you making sure that you keep on smiling. Thanks so much for watching the show and taking the time to write. We’d love to see Jessie’s photo if you get a chance. What a coincidence, two J-names! Jerry was mostly Shepherd but also part Border Collie.

      • I always assumed Jessie was all Shepherd, but I adopted her from a rescue at four so there was no knowing for sure. Jessie was a she, but I’m not sure she knew it. She was the first female dog I’d ever seen lift her leg to pee, LOL. She spent the last three years of her life going to work with me, sleeping under my desk, greeting Mr. UPS who carried treats and making everyone who came into the office laugh.

        The AKC will tell you that shepherds are aloof, even distant with strangers but she never met a human she didn’t like. I think it’s her body type and size and her energy that made me think of her when I saw Jerry’s story on Nature. She also dearly loved snow and playing with ice in the winter. She never let on that anything was wrong until the night she had trouble breathing and I rushed her to the vet. I had always asked her to choose her own time because I knew I could never do it for her. Even that she did for me. She passed on Valentines Day 2009.

      • Peggy, what a lucky girl Jessie was to be able to spend time with you all day! She does indeed sound a lot like Jerry and they had so much in common. He too was very social and loved other dogs. He would play all day if we let him, and he also spent time at the office with us every day. Like Jessie, he looked forward to greeting the FedEx guy each afternoon. And if it wasn’t for him, we would have taken things waaaay too seriously during the work day.

        Bless you for adopting that special girl, what a life you shared. We hope she and Jerry have found each other and are having a ball in the snow.

37. What a beautiful story. What a blessed time to have Jerry in your life. What you did for Jerry was remarkable. I know he loved both of you for it. God Bless.

    • Debra, thank you so much for watching the show, it touches our souls knowing that his beautiful story continues to bring smiles to people’s faces. But really, what we did was nothing…it is Jerry who gave so selflessly to us. There is no other love like that of your one true Soul Dog.

      Many hugs to you….

38. I am so honored to have seen you on the pbs program. I cried when I heard you say we will know when he becomes lethargic when he stops eating. I put my little baby man my pom down on Jan 29 after 15 years and four months. He woke me every morning happy boy he taught me so much. My saddest day the biggest loss of my heart and I have lost many folk in my life but none compare. So to see you and your Jerry and the love you had that special bond so touched my heart. You are both such wonderful people I am so happy for the love you shared with Jerry I admire you for what you did and for the people who think you were crazy for what you seemingly gave up I am sad for them for they are not aware of what you gained. You will forever be in in heart.

    • Kathleen,

      We are thanking YOU for taking the time to watch Jerry’s story and write to us. Our hearts go out to you, we are sorry for your recent loss. Fifteen years is a long time for a dog but a mere blip in time for humans. There is never enough time to give all the love we can to our furry family members, is there? We hope that as time goes by the memories that you shared with your boy will lift your heart once again.

      It take a true animal lover to understand the depth of love that one can feel toward these creatures that give so much to us and ask for almost nothing in return. Thank you for sharing your story, you have touched us tremendously.

39. “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”
    Mahatma Gandhi

    I wanted to reach out and hug Jerry as I watched him in his story.
    I thank his pawrents for sharing the story and letting me know I am
    not the only dog/animal lover that would go to similar lengths. I would
    not have the resourses to travel as much, but I did spend a year trying
    to save a rescue I had for only a the year when I discovered a tumor on her belly. I took her weekly for shots and she lived about a year. People think you are crazy to spend the money and effort, but they just dont
    understand the love, the bond.
    I have had others since, all from the shelters and all great dogs but the dog I have now, I truly cant imagine my life without him. He is just the best.
    Other than when I am at work, he is with me always. I take him everywhere I go if in his best interest. I dread the day he may not be with me. While I watched Jerry’s story, it just made me think how much more I want to love my Murphy. At any time we are vulnerable to such
    a sad situation for our beloved pets.
    Thanks again to Jerry and his owners for sharing their story.

    • Mary, thank you for sharing that beautiful quote. It is so very true isn’t it?

      Thank you for watching Jerry’s story and taking the time to write. No, you definitely aren’t the only one who understands how much an animal can impact our lives. What a saint you are for helping your rescue girl, how fortunate she was to have you in her life during her last months on earth. I wish we could foster but our current situation won’t allow it, maybe some day.

      We’re truly glad you found your soul mate. Jerry was ours, and if there’s one thing he taught us was to live in the moment and celebrate our loved ones, even during the darkest of days. So jump for joy and go out and have some fun with Murphy!

      P.S. there’s a great book out there called “Cambium”, about a dog named Murphy, that you might enjoy:

      http://amazon.tripawds.com/2010/01/11/book-review-cambium-and-the-life-of-lanagan-murphy/

      Thanks again for writing.

      —
      Rene, Jim, Spirit Jerry & Wyatt Ray

      • I clicked on the site you provide about the book, Life of Lanagan Murphy
        and the pic of Murphy, is almost my Murphy! My Murphy is a mix of golden and collie and some think corgie. A little more golden that Lanagan Murphy. He looks like a little more Husky to me, but how gorgeous. I shall more than likely buy.
        Thanks for link,

      • Mary that is so weird! Wow! Your Murphy sounds like a gorgeous pup. Cambium is a great book, I’m sure you’d enjoy it, let us know what you think if you get it.

40. Glad PBS found you both and your angel Jerry for their show. I want to share what may be a hopeful future for all of our doggie angels that come to us. To make this short. I will try and gist this story. We lost a 6 year old dog to cancer, who had been on nothing but regular dry dog food her whole life. A couple of years later, I ended up with a wonderful chow/shepard mix angel in my life. She was around 5 when I got her. She was an exceptional companion and found me when my boyfriend and I split up and Gracie stayed back with him. After that, he decided she must be my dog and gave her to me. But, from day one. I never feed her off the shelf dry food. I was determined to prevent her from getting cancer. I feed her cooked chicken, rice, and vegies, everyday.. Only in the end, when she seemed to want more vitmin foods, I incorporated a little of some Bison specialty dry food with her chicken. She stayed with me for 15 years. She never got cancer! In fact, she was in perfect health in many ways when I had to make the decision to put her down, the worst thing that has ever happened in my life. Her blood work was perfect. Her coat was shinny. But, she got which I didn’t understand, strokes, deminitia, lost her eye sight, and hearing. The hearing was actually taken away from her by a careless vet, at the age of 15. The vet drapped her head carelessly over a sink too long when they cleaned her teeth.. and when she came out of the vets office. She was completely.. Deaf. It was the first awful thing to happen to her. But, she managed because she could see.. I was denial of her old age, because she looked so good. It wasn’t until her last year of life that people stopped asking me how old my puppy was. She had turned white and frail. In the end, she could not figure out where she was, how to get up, and how to get around. I guess in doggie years she was around 140. She never did tell me it was time to put her down. She was staying for me, even though she was almost immobile. Anyway, my story is that I believe I prevented my friend from getting Cancer, by NOT, feeding her dry food. I would highly recommend giving your dog real meats and veggies, just like you give yourself. This may not work in every case. But, I think we would see this rash of Cancer in our friends subside with a more natural doggie style diet. I am trying to learn more how to prevent dementia in dogs, and think that I might have been successful with tumeric supplements, but she’s gone now.. Haven’t decided yet to replace my angel with another. Good luck to everyone and have fun each and everyday with your special angel in your life. Sincerely, Wendi

    • Wendi, thank you very much for watching Jerry’s story. We are amazed and thrilled that your special girl lived such a long, healthy life! What a wonderful story, thanks for sharing it with us.

      We agree completely that it’s the commercial pet food out there that is wreaking havoc on their health. It’s funny to think that humans feel it’s OK to feed a living creature a prepackaged dry food that is so NOT alive, isn’t it? We’re just glad that there’s higher quality kibble out there for those families who aren’t ready to make the leap to home cooking.

      With more education and advocacy, the good people like you out there who take the time to write about your experience, will help change this. The animals thank you and so do we. Many hugs going out to you.

41. I foster for a rescue, and take care of private rescues. Have had amputees in the past, and have a beautiful greyhound now. Will recommend your site to owners. Thank you for providing support for these wonderful animals and their humans!!

    • Maggie, you’re such an awesome human for fostering those special Greys. Thanks for spreading the word about Tripawds, if there is anything we can do, like posting Tripawd Rescue Stories or whatever, please let us know OK? Thanks again.

42. I just watched the Nature program Why We Love Cats & Dogs, and I want to thank you for sharing Jerry’s story. I went through a similar experience with my friend Luci, a wolf-shepherd hybrid who got osteosarcoma in first one then the other front paw. She thrived for a few months as a tripawd, and then we had to say goodbye. As devastating as that was, there was something incredibly intimate about the experience. Luci was a true friend, who taught me so much about living, and she remains a blessing in my life, 10 years later. Much love xo

    • Jocelyn,

      We are touched that you took the time to write after watching Jerry’s story, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And also, for sharing Luci’s Tripawd story. Ten years ago, tripawds were even more rare, so kudos to you for being brave and giving her the best life possible during cancer. You are definitely a Tripawd Leader.

      Yes, it is so very painful to say goodbye but if we can quiet our hearts enough to listen even during that time, our fur kids still have so much to teach us. Jerry’s lessons about living and dying will be with us forever.

      Right now, we have a wolf-dog Tripawd on the site named Magic. He is in the advanced stages of osteo, and as much as we are trying to help his Mom Diane, I think that she would really be touched beyond belief to hear from someone who has also been through it with a wolf-dog. If you have the time and care to share your experience, her story is here:

      http://tripawds.com/forums/treatment-and-recovery/magic-back-from-the-vet/page-2/#p29422

      Thank you again.
      —
      Rene, Jim, Spirit Jerry & Wyatt Ray

43. Enjoyed watching Jerry’s story [again] on PBS’s Nature. What amazing life lessons animals can teach us. And thanks to Jerry’s pawrents for being such a great example of wonderful students. I hope when the time is right, a new dog finds it’s way into their lives. I have a perfect tripawd of my own (albeit of the feline persuasion). She brings me great joy everyday *smile*

    • Gina, thank you for watching the show again! You are so right, our animal family members are the wisest teachers of all, if only we would take more time to be better students.

      We actually did add another family member last fall. He’s the opposite of Jerry, pawsonality wise, but again, is instructing us about life in so many different ways. We are new students all over again.

      Tell us more about your Tripawd in our “Share Your Story” Discussion Forums if you’d like. Kitties (and all other 3-legged species) are most definitely welcome at Tripawds!

      Thanks for your kind words.

44. Jerry, what a special, wonderful boy you are!! And what special parents you have.
    I just saw you on t.v. and I cried for sadness and joy! I’m sorry that you are sick and hope that you have beaten the dreadful disease and I’m so happy that you are loved and living life to the fullest.
    I will pray for you, Jerry and tell mom and dad to update us on how your doing.

    • Sharon, you are too kind, thank you for watching and writing to us, we are honored that you took time out to do that.

      I know it was hard to watch my story at times, but I want you to know now that I am no longer in pain or living with that awful cancer. On October 3, 2008 (which coincidentally was the same day as the Feast of St. Francis), I earned my angel wings in Montana. It was a terribly sad day, and although it took lots of time for our hearts to heal, we now understand that our spirits will be intertwined forever.

      You can read more about my last days here:

      http://tripawds.com/2008/11/01/saying-goodbye-how-we-knew-part-1/

      Please take comfort in knowing that our Tripawds community continues to help others who are going through what we did, so don’t be sad OK? I hope that the love of a furry family member will bring a smile to your face, today and always.

      Many hugs to you,

      —
      Rene, Jim, Spirit Jerry & Wyatt Ray

45. I came across you on facebook. I have a website that regards animal welfare, rescue and responsible ownership. One of the pages on it is links to other informative and worthwhile sites. I hope it is ok that I linked your site there. If it is not you can email me and I will take the promotion of your site down. I was just so impressed with what you do here I wanted to share your site. I hope that’s ok.

    • Thanks for the comment! Please feel free to add a link to the Tripawds three legged dog community! We did not yet see the link you mention on your resources page.

46. I’m a friend of Tripoli’s foster mom and I’m so happy that you featured him on your website! I was wondering if you’d consider promoting another tripod that I’m fond of. Morgan’s picture can be found on my blog. She is in a wonderful rural no-kill shelter, but their adoption rate is very low and Morgan really deserves to be in a real home. She was left to die after being shot. Someone was curious about seeing a blood trail and at the end of it, they found Morgan. Unfortunately in the country that is the cheapest form of euthansia – I guess whoever shot her didn’t think she was worth an extra bullet.

    • Thanks for commenting! Please feel free to post Morgan’s story, photos and links in the Tripawd Rescue forum.

47. I never realized there was such a wonderful resource for three-legged dogs. Thank you for sharing Tripoli’s story in your forum. I will let you know when he’s adopted, and make sure to pass on your website to whomever adopts him as well. Thanks for providing such a great website!

    • And thank you for the great comment!

48. My name is Jessica and my golden retriever’s name is buddy. He was shot on May 5, by my neighbor for no reason. He shot him in his left front elbow with a 38. I rushed him to a vet and his elbow was completely shattered. We had the choice to pay $3000 and try to have it repaired with no guarantees. We chose to amputate. I was scared. I went and got him yesterday with my four year old daughter. I went in the room first so I could get over the shock I was expecting. When I saw him it didn’t matter if he had four legs or three. He was so happy it took away all my fears. We are just starting our journey. He hates the E collar so I am putting Tshirts on him. I don’t know if this is a good idea or not because I am new to this so any help anyone can offer is greatly appreciated. He is walking better than I thought he would. He is having trouble balancing when peeing. He can actually jump in the air and catch his treat. I am willing to walk this road with him paw in hand..

    • Thanks for the comment Jessica, and for taking such good care of Buddy! T-shirts are a great way to protect the surgery site from dirt and scratching. You can also lightly tape a sock on Buddy’s rear leg (on the amp side) if he continues to scratch at his stitches. Just be extra careful with that jumping around! Buddy no longer has a spare leg and needs time to rebuild his strength.

      You will find much more help, advice and support in the Tripawds featured blogs and discussion forums. And don’t miss Jerry’s top ten dog leg amputation Q&A.

    • Hi Jessica, I know it must have been terribly scary making that decision to amputate, but I believe it was the right one. I have a tripawd greyhound who shattered his back leg in a race. It was never properly attended to, so healed at an awful angle and was useless. After we adopted him we made the decision to amputate. That was almost years ago and he’s the happiest, easy-going dog around. He’s just as fast now as he would have been with 4 healthy legs.
      I think the t-shirt idea is a great one! Anytime I can avoid an e-collar, I will! 🙂 I can tell you love Buddy a lot and he loves you! Take care.
      Jennifer

49. What a wonderful website! For the past 10 years, we have been blessed with the companionship and love of our 3-legged beagle, Ernie. When he was 3 months old, a group of kids were beating on him, until the police intervened. We adopted him at 4 months of age, shortly after his amputation.

    Our little guy was a blur throughout the neighborhood. People always were astonished and asked, “How does he run like that we 3 legs?” and we always said, “One less to slow him down, we guess.” Even with only his left front leg, he could dig his escape out under our fence in less than 10 minutes, the sneaky guy.

    Now he is 10 years old and slowing down, but he’s still out there, barking and running around the yard, for everyone to see, hear and smile at.

    Blessings to your great work!
    Sarah C. in Wisconsin

    • “One less to slow him down…”

      Good one! 🙂 We’ll have to share that one in the forums, because laughter is often the best therapy for these pups. Or, their people rather. Thanks for the comment!

50. I have a 9 3/4 year old Rottie. His mom had a tumor on her shoulder and died 2 years ago this July. My Beauregard possibly has a tumor on his left wrist. My Vet said it could possibly be a airborne fungal infection. Blood and urine are being sent out to check to make sure. I hope & pray that is what it is. If it is cancer, I was just wondering if anyone has had chemo or radiation done on their dog. What are the t and the cancer came up so sudden and she died within ide effects. I couldn’t do it with Velvet as her cancer was to far gone before we found out, and she lived for another 2 months.
    I have had stem cell done on Beau and he still has cells at the stem cell bank in CA I also laser him 2 x’s a day now. His lungs some to be clear except for a few small spots but she said she doesn’t think they look cancerous. I know he is up in years and I DON’T want anything to happen to him. We also have his brother, they are litter mates.
    If anyone can give me some ideas about chemo & radiation I would appreciate it. If it does turn out to be cancer (yuk) I am also considering having his leg amputated and in hopes he will live longer. His mom was 13 1/2 when she passed and his dad was almot 14 and he passed from old age. Thanks for your time

    • Sorry to hear about your Beau. Thanks for the comment, but you will really find much more advice and support in the discussion forums. Do a search for radiation or chemotherapy and you will find plenty of existing topics. Or start a new one to share your story. Best wishes!

51. What a great website glad i found it as it has put my mind at ease. Jack is a 15 month X jack russell and was born with a birth defect. its been one weeks now since his amputation and he is doing great. Cant wait to go out walks and show off my tripawd ;-).

52. Thank you so much for your website! I haven’t even begun to explore it but already I’m so much more confident in my boy. Xander (Rotti) was struck by a car on November 11th which resulted in several injuries (no broken bones because he’s a tank!) including Brachial Plexus avulsion. Although some feeling came back he has not had use of his leg since then and has started damaging his foot. Today he was booked for surgurey to amputate the limb a week and a half from today.
    I read the quote on the top of the page “better to hope on three legs than limp on four” and the tears came. He’s been doing fantastic on 3 legs so far, I have even more confidence now that he’s gonna do great! Thank you again for your site!!!!!
    Trina & xander

    • We’re sorry to hear about Xander, but glad you found us. Thanks for the comment. Please consider starting a blog or posting in the the discussion forums to share your story with the Tripawds comunity. And don’t miss Nikki’s blog. Nikki is a big Rottie girl one month past her amputation and doing great.

53. i just want to say how great this webpage is. My husband and I just adopted a one year old Sheltie named Jake 7 weeks after his amputation. He lost his front left leg due to abuse and possibly a hit and run. The sheltie rescue found him wandering a field and the community donated money to pay for his amputation. It was love at first sight for us! We nursed him back to health and helped him find his balance without that leg. He has been such an amazing addition to our family and we could have never asked to find a better dog. Jake had a tough go in the beginning and it’s so touching to read these stories. He runs around like a puppy should and loves to go on walks and play in the river. He is learning how to play fetch and loves car rides! Thank you for having such a great website!

    • And thank you for the wonderful comment! Please consider sharing Jake’s story in the discussion forums or with is own Tripawds Blog!

54. I just wanted to say what an awesome website this is! I was recently adopted by a stray kitty (and say I was adopted because she showed up to- and literally just walked into my house..). She seemed friendly, but bit us when we would pick her up or pet her hind end. I took her to work (I’m a vet tech) and we did some xrays to find that she had drastic changes in the bone in her left hind leg. We decided to do an exploratory surgery, and while we were anticipating finding evidence to osteosarcoma- we instead found horrible arthritis and scarring in her knee. At that point we decided to amputate the leg. She is doing great and while I know that the site is mainly about canine tripaws, I just wanted to say that we hope every dog on this site has a wonderful life, as pain free as possible :). She is a completely different cat since the surgery. Best wishes to every tripaw and every human who loves them 🙂 <3.

    • Wonderful story! Thanks for sharing, and bless you for saving kitty. Don’t miss Jerry’s post about Henry, the three legged cat! 😉

55. Thanks for the website….My best friend Hunter had his left front leg amputated January4, 2010. He is doing great….. he was hit by a car and had major nerve damage and a broke elbow…..It is nice to read about all the tripawds…..they are truly all special….He is part collie and weighs about 80 lbs… He is 3 years old…I think he will now be a house dog…..he has adjusted well to staying inside……I was so nervous about the surgery….It has all turned out well…..Had to get more stitches night before last…….about 4 inches in the middle of the incision did not heal good and gapped open…10 more days and maybe all the stitches and staples will be out……

    • Thanks for sharing your pup’s story! Hunter sounds like a trooper.

    • Poor young guy, glad to hear he’s doing well. I have a Pitbull named Hunter and he will lose that same leg due to Cancer coming the 1st of May.

      • Hey Hunter, we’re sorry to hear you’ll be losing your leg. We’ll be here to help you with whatever you need OK? Pretty soon you’ll be loving life again, just wait!

56. Hi and thanks for having this website. Jack had her left rear leg amputated 11/20/2009 because we suspected she had Osteosarcoma. We didn’t do the biopsy because she was in too much pain so we changed the surgury from a biopsy to an amputation. THANK GOD we did. She had to heal for a couple weeks but boy after those sutures came out was she back to her old self. The relief from her pain was amazing. I was hoping that this would have stopped the cancer and we have done three treatments of Chemo but learned it has spread to her hip and other leg. That was way too fast for me but we’re getting through it. We start radiation Monday, hopefully that will help with the pain.

    • Thanks for the kind words, best wishes for you and Jack!

    • John, thanks for visiting. We’re sending our best and will be following Jack’s update on her blog. We hope she kicks that cancer’s butt for a long, long time.

57. I’m an 11 year old golden retriever and it has been 7 days since my amputation surgery. The vet thinks i had osteosarcoma in my right front elbow(we’re still waiting for the exact diagnosis. Hope to have it soon).I’m still not doing the greatest but it may take longer for me to heal since I’m a little older than most of you.. I still have some pain and I don’t really want to get up if I don’t have to. They gave me lots of drugs for the pain so that does help some..My parents are very worried so they took me for another vet appointment today for a check up.. My temperature was normal and everything else seems fine. My 58 staples come out on Wednesday of next week (YEAHH) I still have my appetite so I guess that is a good thing says the vet..My mommy and daddy are still very devistated and they feel very bad for doing this to me, but I know it was the best thing for me. I keep telling them that I’ll be ok,but I see their eyes start watering so I stop… I hope i will recover soon so I can go play and get taken on walks again….I like this website and thanks for sharing the stories about all my new 3 legged friends…

    • Abbey, you sound like a really pawesome doggie! Congratulations on making it through the first week. Yeah, there will be some challenges but we know that it’s nothing a wise pup like you can’t cope with. We’ve had twelve year old Tripawds come through surgery just great, we know you will be fine and out there on walks in no time. We hope to hear more about you in our Discussion Forums!

58. Hi from Cody! My best ever friend, 9 yr old lab mix and canine cancer amputee. His surgery was in Aug 2009 due to bone cancer. These days he is running and playing with my other dogs! Thanks to God, and many people who have cared for him through surgery, chemo and recovery. Every day is a blessing.

    • Thanks for the wonderful comment Linda! Please consider sharing Cody’s story with the tripawds community in the discussion forums or a blog.

    • Yeay for Cody! Thank you for sharing his remarkable story Linda. We hope to see you in our Discussion Forums so more pawrents can see his amazing progress, or better yet, why not start your own 3 legged dog blog here?

      Congratulations Cody, you’re sure a role model to a lot of dogs and pawrents out there. Keep it up my friend!

59. Hi,
    My mom and I just found out our llab-retriever probably has bone cancer in her shoulder. I have had her my whole life and my mommy is very upset. We are trying out more about the cancer and we should do and if there are less expensive ways to do it (my mom is a single mom). I think your website it great, I didn’t know so many dogs had three legs. Any suggestions would be thoughtful.

    • Thanks for the comment Caiti! We are sorry to hear about your pup, but glad you found us. You will find much more advice and support in the discussion forums. Consider starting a topic there so others can provide feedback too. Best wishes.

60. Hi my name is magen and I am 16 years old. About two months ago I rescued my dog Emmit from the pound. A pit bull attacked him earlier on in the year and his front right paw had to be amputated. The owners wanted to put him down but my boyfried, who is the vet tech at the clinic they took him to, re-schudled the euthanization so that he could try and find a home for him. Well he did! Emmit is the best dog in jthe world he is an Aussie and a Border collie mix. He is the happiest dog I have ever met. Well i was surfing the web when i stumbled across your website and I wanted to let you know that this is a wounderful website and it really encourges me that their are other people out there going through the same thing Emmit and I are going through. Thank you for such a wonderful resource.

    • Thanks for the comment Magen! And bless you for taking in Emmit. We would love to hear more about him. Consider starting a Tripawds blog for him if you would like to share his story and pictures.

61. It’s great this site exists to help provide support to newest members of the “Tripawd” community. After waiting months with the hope a damaged nerve in a front leg would heal, I decided to proceed with an amputation. It would seem to be an easy decision to come to terms with; however, it was still painful (although for the best). Nemo, my apx 3-yr old Lab, is recovering remarkably. I know the decision freed him from carrying around a useless leg that proved to be more of a liability. While we may not fully realize the depth of events and how they impact our lives at the time, there is a reason things happen. Nemo chose us as a family (he was a stray) and he has brought so much sweetness and inspiration into our lives.

    • Thanks for the comment, and for all you are doing for Nemo! We look forward to hearing more about him in the discussion forums, or his very own Tripawds blog.

62. Hi, I just joined the site today after reading many blogs, forums and watching many of the wonderful videos on your website. My 10 year old lab mix (Blue) was diagnosd with osteosarcoma 1 month ago and after many vet visits, xrays, 2 biopsies, CT scans, many internet searches and lots of tears..I made the decision to amputate his left front leg. Blue had his amputation today (12/15/09) and is presently recovering at the hospital. As many of you know, this day has not been easy. I wanted to THANK all of you that posted your stories and videos. This website has truly been a comfort and a source of inspiration and I look forward to the day that my beloved Blue is home tripawding around the house and we can share our story with others.

    • Thanks for joining, and best wishes to you and Blue for a pain-free speedy recovery! We lok forward to following his progress.

    • I know how difficult today has been for you, but know in your heart that you did exactly the right thing for Blue. You will be ASTONISHED at how much better he will very quickly. Just remind him every day how special, handsome, and loved he is, no matter how many legs he has! Best wishes for his speedy recovery from Duncan, the SuperTripawdScottie!

63. Hi, just dropped by looking for some information on three legged dogs. We are adopting a 5-6 month old Chow/Lab mix that has a birth defect with his left front leg. He does have a leg but he does not use it, he keeps it tucked up except very occasionally he will use the elbow when on a slippery floor. I see alot of the dogs wear a harness, how is that helpful and I wonder if it would work for Milo?

    • The Ruff Wear harness will definitely help you assist Milo when he needs help – on stairs, or in/out of vehicles for instance. See our review video for complete details.

      Bless you for adopting a three legged dog! Please consider searching the forums for more information about caring for Milo. We have heard in some instances it is better to amputate birth deformaties and partial amputations since over time, spinal issues can develop from the frequent twisting of them attempting to use the remaining limb. Please ask any further questions in the discussion forums where you will receive much more support from the entire community than we alone can provide here.

64. our 5 month old 50 lb puppy got hit in the shoulder by a car. He cannot control hWearing splints is difficult because he has grown and they irritate and abraid his skin. I think it’s his rotator cuff because he cannot rotate his “arm back in front he sort of can swing it but not control it. It has been 1 month since he was hit. How likely is it that his tendon will self heal and re attach?

    • Sorry to hear about your pup. You will find MUCH more support and advice in the discussion forums.

65. Well, we are one-week into tripawdness with our 9+ year old Scottie, Duncan. I cannot believe I’m saying this, but we are SO very very glad that we had the surgery done. Duncan had a neural sheath tumor on his front leg, and as we struggled to get it diagnosed, we watched him diminish from the super-fierce perro fuerte that he had always been into a sad, lethargic little man. The thing that broke my heart the most was the week before the surgery when I saw him hobble-running down the backyard. I thought, “That’s the most I’ve seen him move in weeks!” Of course, turns out he was chasing a skunk… (2009 Record – Skunks : 2 / Duncan : 0) Ah well, it at least told us there was still life left in him, if we could just get him feeling better.
    We were heart-broken to make the decision to amputate his leg. That’s the thing with our babies – we wrack up immense guilt at making tough decisions for them, second-guessing whether they would agree with it if they could. The research we did, though, led us to sites like this where we found encouragement and hope that all would turn out well, and so far, it has!
    He is now the most adorable little 3-legged Scottie we’ve ever seen (parental bias? maybe a bit!). He gets along very well, and his spunk and happiness is coming back in droves. The way he does a little one-armed hop for cookies now is impossibly cute. We agree that we would much rather have a happy tripawd than have him whole in body but broken in spirit from pain and sickness.
    I hardly consider us experts, but my one piece of advice to anyone else going through this is this: Consult the medical professionals, take comfort from the wonderful folks who run sites like this, listen to your heart, and make your decision without looking back. And once you do, shed your tears and beat your breast… but not where your baby can see. Let him have your love, encouragement, and praise every step of the way. It will help you both get through it emotionally whole and lift you up as you both take your first wobbly steps into a brave new world.
    With gratitude, Alisa, Jeff, & Super-Duncan

    • Hi Alisa, thanks for sharing Duncan’s story! Many of our members could benefit from you telling the tale of your perro fuerte in the discussion forums or Duncan’s own Tripawds blog!

      • Thank you, we will definitely do that!!

66. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for this wonderful website! I am so excited that I found you and all of this wonderful information. I am so happy to see the love the people have for our three and four-legged friends.

    I have a beautiful 16 year old three legged terrier mix named Skinny. You lost her front left leg to osteosarcoma four years ago. I think her surgery was emotionally harder on me than it was physically for her and I am amazed at how resilient she became on her three legs. She was up and around and ready to chase her red ball after a couple of days.

    Though her surgery and treatment were expensive and really almost broke me, I would have done the same thing all over again. She has and still brings me so much love and I could not ask for more in such a perfect 30lb. package.

    Though at times she might smell a little “doggy”, that is the smell of unconditional love and I welcome it whenever I am greeted at my front door from a long hard day at work.

    God bless you all and your big hearts! My Skinny girl is not my pet, she is part of my family.

    • Wow, thanks for the comment! Please consider sharing Skinny’s story in the discussion forums or her own Tripawds blog. The whole community would love to hear more about your 16 yr. old 4-year OS survivor!

67. I found the TriPawd site after searching for a harness for a dog I rescued that had to have a front limb amputated. I named her Happy. She loves to go for a walk but I had trouble finding a harness that wouldn’t fall off. I have two Rat Terriers as well. Happy also gets tired very quickly and the RuffWear harness has a handle that I can use to assist her without having to pick her up, since I cannot carry her farther than 5 or 10 feet.

    • Thanks for the comment and bless you for taking such good care of your pups! We’re happy the Ruff Wear harness works well for Happy!

68. Good morning,
    I volunteer with German Shepherd Rescue Northern California as
    a foster dad. I have been asked to take on an 8 mo. old GSD undergoing rear left leg amputation on Tuesday.
    Looking for advice on rehab.
    Thanks
    Don

    • Hi Don, thanks for asking! You’ve come to the right place for sure.

      You must know about Codie Rae and Wyatt Ray Dawg! They are both rear leg tripawds from GSRNC.

      You will find much more advice in the Tripawd Discussion Forums from all our community members than we aloe can provide here in the guestbook. Also be sure to check out our top ten questions and answers about amputation for dogs. Best wishes, we look forward to finding out more about your pup!

69. I have a Tripawd Golden Retriever that was rescued after being hit by a car and abandoned. The vets tried to repair her back leg, but it wouldn’t heal properly. Lucy does great—she chases squirrels with the best of them. Something special about our Tripawds…

    • Something very special indeed! Thanks for sharing.

70. My 8 year old Border Collie had his front right leg amputated last May. He had a infiltrative fatty tumor that was causing him pain and was invading his muscle tissue. It was suppose to be an hour long surgery, but it lasted five hours. I had 2 minutes to make the decision to amputate. It was the best decision that I ever made. Sooty is now a pain-free happy dog. He runs and plays just as much. He sometimes tips over when he is cutting in but he is adjusting. Your website made a big difference.

    • Thanks for the comment! It’s always great to hear a good working Tripawd story like Sooty’s!

71. just wanted to encourage everyone to keep fighting the good fight. Our fight is over at this point as we had to put our almost 7 year old Miss Riley Jo to rest yesterday. I came to this site when she was first diagnosed. She became a tripawd in May of this year as a result of the discovery of osteosarcoma in a front leg. Unfortunately, the cancer had spread to her lungs by this month and it was detected just 9 days ago. It moved so quickly and had overtaken our baby girl within 7 days. we didn’t know how long it had been present in her lungs as she showed no signs of distress until then. this is very difficult to write but i want to encourage all of you with tripawds to love them each and every day you have them.

    • Thank you for the comment Lisa, please accept our deepest condolences for your loss of Miss Riley Jo. We understand how tough the upcoming weeks will be without her, but your comment shows you are strong. You may find additional support in our Coping With Loss discussion forum.

72. Looking for news about my best friend “Tazzie” who is now a tripawed.

    • Thanks for dropping by! Do you mean new Tripawds Forum member tazzie from Winnipeg or three legged English Mastiff from Washington, tazziedog?

73. Tripawds is absolutely amazing! I haven’t visited for quite awhile, so was surprised to see all the changes. Loved this place before, but it looks even better now!!

    • Thanks for the comment CoCo. It’s always great to hear from any other blogging dogs!

74. I’m so glad to have found this wonderful support group and website! My 10yr old Jake was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma of his front leg, and we have decided to go ahead with the amputation. This forum will give me all the support and information I need to help Jake through this whole process… Thank you so much!

    • Welcome to the Tripawds Community and thanks for joining! Best wishes to Jake for a complete speedy recovery. We look forward to following his progress in the forums or his own blog.

75. Enjoying your site -saw the article in the Longmont paper and had to check your website. We just started fostering a 3 legged darling named Missy. She is an Italian Greyhound from Wise Guys Italian Greyhound rescue in Golden. It’s fun learning about other “tripawds” and I love your motto! I signed her up for a blog to share her photos. Thanks for what you do!

    • And thank you for joining the Tripawds Community! We look forward to following Missy’s blog.

76. I found your website when I was trying to make the decision to amputate my longhaired rottweiler Bear’s leg. It was great to read about all the happy tripawds and encouraged me to go for the surgery. I did have a hard time reading all the posts about post-op complications such as leaking incisions and dogs who wouldn’t walk. I am happy to say Bear had no complications. Her incision healed quickly with no draining, she had a good appetite (Umm canned dog food!) and she was walking well the next day. The pain meds seemed to keep her comfortable throughout. We’ve started carboplatin and things are going great.
    Thanks, Ginny

    • Thanks for the comment Ginny! We’re glad you found us and happy to hear Bear is doing well. Please consider starting a Tripawds Blog or visiting the discussion forums to share Bear’s story.

77. I was given an article about tripawds.com from a co-worker and was excited to see something like this existed! We own 2 tripawds…Lucy who is a 7 year old terrier mix whom we rescued from an abusive home where she was hit by a car and never treated; and Mylie, a 2 year old terrier mix who we just rescued 2 weeks ago from a family that didn’t want her after a car accident that left her with an amputation. People are always telling me that I’m “so nice” to rescue these dogs. I just don’t see it that way – they are just loving dogs that don’t even know they have something wrong with them! After I got my Lucy, I swore I’d only adopt 3 legged ones from now on!

    • Thanks for the comment Ann, and bless you for helping out these pups. You should consider starting a Tripawds Blog (or two) to share their amazing tales.

78. MY BABY ZOOM (A BORDER COLLIE) WAS STOMPED ON BY A BULL. HIS LEG WAS BROKEN IN 6 PLACES. HE HAD TO HAVE HIS LEG AMPUTATED SO I TOOK HIM TO CSU VET HOSPITAL. I SPENT THE NEXT 2 WEEKS HAND FEEDING HIM AND GIVING HIM WATER BY SYRINGE. HE IS DOING WELL NOW AND HAS EVEN STARTED HERDING AGAIN (AS LONG AS I AM WITH HIM!!!). MY QUESTION TO ANYONE OUT THERE IS, NOW THAT HE IS DOING FINE HOW DO I KEEP GOING WITHOUT FEELING HE NEEDS EXTRA ATTENTION. I HAVE SPOILED HIM AND NOW HE RELIES TOO MUCH ON ME, OR ME TOO MUCH ON HIM

    • You’ve taken the first step by realizing Zoom doesn’t need the extra attention! Now, just treat him like you used to, he probably doesn’t even realize he’s missing a leg any more.

      You should really start a topic in the discussion forums where you will get much more advice from the entire Tripawds community than we alone can provide here. Thanks for the comment and best luck to you and Zoom.

      PS: Why are you SHOUTING? 😉

79. Ilene had a great day at the dog park! It was great to see all the tripawds in the area. Thanks for organizing such a fun event! Ilene says thanks for ALL the cookies 🙂

    • Thanks for the comment Shawna! We are so glad you made it to the park today.

80. Just saw an event listed for Longmont, Colorado in the DenverPost and it directed me to this site. My 10 year old lab Annie is now 13 months cancer free and a tripawd. She had 3 surgeries to save her leg and the tumor came back more aggressively each time. I was so afraid of amputation but now wonder why the fear. She doesn’t miss her leg in the least and runs fast through the park and almost daily some one new sees her and is shocked to see she is missing a leg. This is a great resource – wish I had known about it when I was having to make the difficult decision 🙂 THANKS!!

    • Hi Casey! We’re so glad you saw the article and came here to check out our site! We would love to meet Annie and you tomorrow, hope you can make it. She’s a rock star, 13 months is GREAT!

81. Hi Everyone,

    I read a short article about Tripawds.com in my local Saturday paper and had to check the website out. It’s awesome! My husband and I adopted a greyhound, Wilbur, in April ’08. According to the kennel owner, Wilbur had a bad racing injury to his back leg. It was not properly attended to and as a result, it had to come off. Wilbur never ceases to amaze us! He can run just as fast as a tripawd as a 4-legged greyhound. He is full of love and is so trusting of people despite what he went through. He brings us joy every day.

    • Jen, thank you so much for coming to visit us here, we’re so excited about that article. Wilbur sounds like a great dawg, sure hope we can meet him tomorrow. Will you be there? If not, be sure to write about Wilbur by starting a Tripawds blog here!

      • Unfortunately, we won’t be able to attend the event, but we will enjoy the website! Will other events be scheduled?

    • We hope to schedule regular Tripawd pawties when we hit the road again to head South for the winter. If there is enough interest, maybe we can have another Colorado gathering before we leave. Feel free to start another Tripawd Parties topic in the discussion forums and we’ll see!

82. What a great site and I am happy to have stumbled upon it. Firm believers that handicapped and disabled pets have a right to a long and healthy life.

    • No handicaps here! 😉 Thanks for the comment!

83. I love this site and so glad I found it. We just adopted a 1.5 year old schnauzer mix who is a tripod. They think his leg had been caught in a trap and left to heal on it’s own. It didn’t and his right front leg was so damaged and beyond repair that the rescue and their vet decided to take it off. His name is Zippy and he lives up to his name! He can do anything a four legged dog can do: stairs, jump on the furniture, in and out of the car, play a mean game of tug-o-war, etc. He definitely does not let his handicap keep him from living and never seems to even realize his leg is gone. He can give great chase to our cats and can keep up with our other rescue dog during their “wrestling” matches. The only down side we see is that he definitely tires out easier so we just make sure we don’t overdo it on walks, etc. I am glad to find some sites with advice and questions on care. We want to be sure we do all we can to allow him a full, normal life. Thanks so much for creating this site! It is now bookmarked in my Internet Explorer!!

    • Thanks for the kind words Amy! You should consider sharing Zippy’s story with his own Tripawds Blog to help us prove to the world how awesome three legged dogs are.

      PS: If IE gives you any trouble viewing this sight, please try Firefox.

84. So glad to find this site. I’ve just adopted my first tripawd cattle dog after losing my closest friend. He was a cattle dog too. Miashi came out of a shelter in Missouri. He had been shot in the back leg with a shot gun and left in the shelter for two weeks with no care. By the time the Cattle Dog rescue found him the leg had to come off. He is loving and now runs like the wind. I still wonder at a dog’s ability to go through something like that and still trust in humans. It took him a long time to be adopted though. Why do so many people want the “perfect” dog. He is perfect for me. Bless you all.

    • Charlotte, thanks for commenting and sharing Miashi’s story. You are a sweet human for adopting a Tripawd, we wish there were more out there like you. Hmm, why do some people want the “perfect” dog? Probably because they just don’t understand how incredibly resilient and strong dogs are, much more than humans. If they saw how dogs can bounce back after such adversity, they’d blush with embarrassment! Come visit our Discussion Forums” to talk to other Tripawd pawrents, or better yet, start your own Tripawds Blog for Miashi!

      • Silly, silly people. I do have the perfect dog, she just has three legs.

85. Hi Jerry,
    I learned of your story last night and read your blog today. I know you are in a great place now. I hope you can meet my friends Maxine and Sambuca and play with them. All of us down here miss all of you up there. Thank you for sharing your story. Lots of Love to you!

    • Thank you for the sweet comment Kimberly! We are certain Jerry, Maxine and Sambuca are all running free and playing at the Rainbow Bridge with all their furry friends who have passed.

86. My human family is about to adopt me after losing a leg to multiple, unrepairable fractures. Tripods gave them a resource for information and products to help care for me. But that’s not all! Viewing Tripawds gave them the confidence of knowing they’re not alone in the 3 legged pup world. Thanks Jerry!!

    • We’re so glad your people found us! We look forward to hearing more about your three legged adventures in the discussion forums. Or, tell your people to start a Tripawds blog to help share your story and help us show the world that it’s better to hop on three legs than to limp on four! Thanks for the comment,

87. What a great website! my dog is actually in surgery right now having his back leg ampuated. He was hit by a truck and his leg was shattered to pieces. Axel, is a 7 month old blue heeler/cocker spaniel mix, he is hyper and the sweetest dog you will ever meet! he loves to play, swim and hunt! he is the most amazing dog I have ever had. he is SO smart and loved by everyone who meets him. I am getting very impatient, I just want to bring him home! I miss him so much. I am hoping all goes well and his recovery is as quick as it can be, with no complications. I know his life will be great, just as it always has been. I know I can not wait to spoil him and give him lots of love! I know he will adjust just fine with 3 legs and will still run and play with our other dogs! he is such a great dog and I would be lost with out him in my life!

    • Sorry to hear about Axel, but were glad you found us! bets wishes for a complete speedy recovery. We look forward to hearing more about Axel in the discussion forums.

    • Sorry to hear about Axel’s accident. Please let us know how he is doing. The first couple of weeks could be hard but very soon he will be running you around. Good luck to you.

88. Hi, what a fantastic site! I am owned by a male staffordshire bull terrier who lost his front left leg after being hit by a car when he was 6 months old. I rescued him from Battersea Dogs Home (I live in the UK) a few months ago, and unfortunately, he is currently recovering from an operation on his left rear cruciate ligament, and once recovered, will have to have the right one operated on too.

    I wonder if anyone has gone through a similar experience and could share their story with me. I am extremely worried about my special boy, paws crossed that he recovers and is back to his bouncy smiley ways very soon!

    thanks very much x

    • Thanks for commenting. We’re glad you found us, and bless you for taking such good care of your pup. Be sure to check out Chuy’s story. Chuy is a three legged dog who had FHO surgery on his back legs. You will also find much more help, support and advice in the tripawd discussion forums.

89. I need some advice… durring my search for a doberman puppy I came across a little black guy with his 4th leg tucked to his side resembling a chicken leg. The woman selling the pups told me he was one in a litter of 12 pups in a 65lb mom and was squished in his sack with no room allowing him to exersize the leg. She said her vet said no need for amputation or to put the puppy down since he was in good health. I can’t stop thinking about this little guy and really want to get him. I need your thoughts. What do you think the chances are on perhaps him getting arthritis in the future or for any reason him needing an amputation? Or is there any special medical needs for this puppy requiring me to have a ton of money to put into surgery, etc? thanks for any help you can offer.

    • Hi AJ. Thanks for finding us. Bless you for considering bringing this special dog into your life. Well, we mostly agree with the vet. When dogs are three legged from birth, they have the blessing of never knowing life any other way except as a Tripawd. They usually get along just great, and can keep up with the rest of them. While we can’t cite any statistics about their risk of getting arthritis, we’re betting that it’s no greater than any other four legger. As for needing an amputation; well, we have seen some puppies grow up and have to have the limb removed due to it getting in the way. So there is the risk that you might need to do it at some point while he’s still young. Meanwhile, you can read about other stories and get advice from more pawrents in our Beyond Cancer Forum . Good luck to you.

90. Hi,
    I found your site today after my daughter’s family little dog sammy got hit by a car; since last night the surgeon has called her several times; there also is my 12 yr. old grandson there who tried to save Sammy by running in the street which is a definite no and then a five year old grandson. They are trying to save Sammy so badly but the surgeon has told them several different things but they have decided on the amputation instead of first trying to save the leg and then if that doesn’t work then amputate; unfortunately, besides going through all of the pain and learning to walk later, the cost is not bearable for them at this time. We feel we do know Sammy better than the Dr. even though he knows the surgical stuff; you see Sammy had a little arthritis in one of his back legs and sometimes he would hop but not for long and that is why the surgeon wanted to try the first surgery before the amputation.
    We feel we will do whatever else we will do for Sammy and see about harnesses; teaching him to walk. he is a mixture of beagle and something else so he is small. My daughter is pregnant and this is not good for her or any one in the family either. I am the grandparent of Sammy and I love him too. I just wanted to write that your site is an inspiration and I will be sending it to my daughter to see; when Sammy has his surgery we will send a photo. He has a young puppy living there also and so after he heals I hope the presence of Alex will greatly help Sam. This is definitely a great organization for animals and their families that love them so much. My next stop will be on your other forums to help with getting tips on how to help Sammy the best. The worse thing that gets me about him getting hit besides his injuries the woman that hit him saw it and did not even stop; she was in a hurry so left the injured Sammy and a young boy crying. Luckily, there were some good people there to help them; it was just such a fluke how he got out of the yard and he just ran so fast following his buddy.
    Sorry for going on so long

    Thank You
    Roberta in Cinti

    • Thanks for the comment Roberta, so sorry to hear about Sammy. He will most likely, however, be just fine living life on three legs if he is otherwise healthy. All to often we hear about people putting their pups through multiple painful surgeries only yo amputate anyway. So they are making the right decision. Tell your daughter dogs are born with three legs and a spare! 😉 Best wishes for a complete speedy recovery. The discussion forums are the best place for help and advice. Pass along this link to our blog post with answers to the top ten dog amputation questions too.

91. Just found your web site through Boxerworld.com. I have a one year old boxer girl who had her front left leg amputated due to being hit by a car. I’m happy to find you site and wiull be purchasing th eharness soon. Thanks for all the great info!!

    • Thanks for the comment Gary, we’re glad you found us too. Best wishes for a complete speedy recovery. You’ll find loads of advice and support in the tripawd discussion forums!

92. Our dog, Skittles was diagnosed with bone cancer and shes only a five year old yellow lab. She just got her front left leg amputated yesterday and is in a lot of pain, but shes a tough cookie. The only thing that we’re worried about is that she has moderate arthritis in both hind legs and we dont want her to be in pain. 🙁 But thanks jerry for being a great inspiration to us !!!!
    -Marianne and Skittles

    • Thanks for the comment Marianne, and best wishes to Skittles for a complete speedy recovery. Jerry had mild arthritis and displaysia in his hips too. He was eight at the time of his amputation so i wouldn’t be too concerned about Skittles. These pups are tough indeed. Consider Bella’s Hot/Cold Pain Relief Pack for the arthritis pain, and start swimming instead of walking once Skittles regains her strength. You will also find much more advice and support in the discussion forums. See ya there!

93. Our baby, Jibbitz (he is a Rat Terrier) got hit by a car and will have his leg amputated tomorrow. Found your website and I can’t thank you enough. Lots of great support and information. You can check out his Youtube debut at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBs3XAefmXI

    • Thanks for the comment! We look forward to hearing more about Jibbitz in the tripawd discussion forums.

94. My 3 year old Golden has bone cancer that has already spread to his lungs. The vets said it was too late to amputate. If anyone has a contact I can talk to on medicine for our Largo, please let me know. Thanks, Linda

    • Hi Linda, sorry to hear this. Please consider posting your concerns in the Ask A Vet discussion forum. You will also find much more help, advice and support by starting your own topic so others can reply. Best wishes to you and your pup.

    • We just received this reply via email … “I am not sure what state you are in but in Illinois I used Arboretum Animal Hospital in Downers Grove and they have other locations across the states (great place!). You can search for them on-line and check their site. Our collie mix had Osteosarcoma bone cancer in November of 08, he had surgery and chemo with Carboplatin at this facility. He is doing great, no side effects, he is a born again puppy and no reoccurance of cancer. Do not waste time if you want to try to treat it and get another option. There is always hope.”

      Aloha Medicinals also has a toll free canine cancer hotline wher you can get professional advice regarding cancer care, diet and supplements for your pup. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

95. Hello 🙂

    I adopted my boy Champ a year ago a couple of months after he had his front leg amputated by the shelter he was surrendered to after his original owners returned him. (They had adopted him from the same shelter a couple of years earlier when he was a puppy.)

    He didn’t lose his leg to cancer, but to a badly broken leg that had healed wrong. His owners left documentation from the vet they took him to a few months after he sustained his injury, but they were unable to afford the costs to repair his leg surgically. Unfortunately for Champ (previously named Charlie – but Champ is a more fitting name!) by the time they gave up ownership, his leg could not be saved.

    I just came across your website today, and just wanted to let you and others know that it’s possible I’ve adopted the Worlds Most Perfect Dog…second only to my 4-legged dog, Bella, who is Champ’s best friend, playmate and partner in crime. 🙂 It makes me so sad when I think of this sweet-natured boy sitting in a shelter for months waiting for someone to adopt him, and even more sad to think he lived with a badly broken leg that was unusable and causing him pain for over a year. According to the shelter, we were the first family to request a meeting with Champ, as others took one look at his missing leg and kept on walking. It was THEIR loss!

    To anyone out there who is considered adopting a 3-legged dog, you will not regret it! I forget he only has 3 legs, as he is able to do anything Bella can do, and is a good-will ambassador to everyone he sees. It’s the most amazing thing – how people who spot him run over to ask about him. He loves the attention. He’s our own little superstar!

    I only wish people would stop referring to him as a “tripod”….for he is A DOG….not a piece of equipment that is cold and impersonal.

    Ya’ll would love him…. 🙂

    • That’s why we came up with “TRIPAWD” … to empower the word, and the dogs. Thanks for the comment!

96. Thinking of you and praying for your continued healing. Hope the weather is in the NW and you get to enjoy the beautiful holiday weekend!

    Wenche Abd Al-Aziz
    Mrs.Wenche Abd Al-Aziz

97. My wonderful golden Lola had her right front let removed yesterday after cancer was found in her scapula. Her prognosis is good and I am looking forward to getting her home and helping her recover. Just found this great website and it was great to see all the other tripawds enjoying a great quality of life. I am looking forward to taking her on a one week camping trip at the end of July.

    Thanks again for the great site and all the outstanding information.

    • Thanks for the comment Jim, and bless you for taking such good care of Lola. She’ll love that camping trip. It might just be a little early for any serious hiking. You will find much more help, advice and support in the tripawd discussion forums.

98. Hello; I need help, I don’t know what to do, I have an 8 yrs. old female Rottweiler, Gretchen which has Osteosarcomas, She had her left leg amputated on 6-3-09, She is doing well, But, I went to see the cancer doctor at Cornell Univ., And she said that I must choose what to do, The chemo they use is Cisplatin, And it would be very costly, I don’t make that kind money to do this, She said, It would make her sick. I don’t want to do this to her, If I do nothing she has 4 to 5 months., I don’t know what to do, I love my girl so much, I had her on K-9 immunity only, And pushing alot of protein (Chicken, gizzards,livers, eggs,) Please I need input, And alot of help! THANK YOU, Chris

    • You’ve come to the right place. But you will really find much more advice and support in the tripawd discussion forums than we alone can provide here in the guestbook. The doctors told us Jerry only had a few months prognosis after his amputation so we opted not to do IV chemo. He lived nearly 2 years. We attribute his longevity to the K9 Immunity, his metronomic therapy, and healthy diet. I hope these links help. Also be sure to check out our top ten Q&A posts. Best wishes to you and Gretchen!

    • Chris,

      Keep the faith. Most larger trauma animal hospitals will allow you to make affordable payments and I was able to get a 2 year interest free loan to pay for the Carboplatin treatments our dog needed. He was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in Nov. 08, had the surgery to remove the right front leg, finished chemo and is like a born again puppy running fast as a tripod and living a happy life cancer-free.

      Kathy

    • Dear Chris,

      Our dog Maddie (she is a 5 year old Bullmastiff) was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and had her right front leg amputated in February. She just finished her last round of chemo last Friday. She had 3 treatments of carboplatin and 3 treatments of Adriamycin. She tolerated the chemo very well. Dogs don’t usually get sick or lose their fur with chemo. They don’t give animals as large of a dose as they give people. Maddie’s chemo averaged out to about $300 a visit. If your hospital won’t make payment arrangements with you, you can apply for care credit and get an interest free loan for 12 months. Whatever you decide to do for Gretchen will be the right decision:) Good luck and keep us posted on her progress. Kathy& Maddie

      • My St Bernard, Bruiser, has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma and will have his front leg amputated on June 25th at CSU in Fort Collins, CO. CSU is an excellant animal hospital and I have every confidence that Bruiser is in great hands. My concern is how a dog of this size, more front heavy, will handle the support of only one front leg and a house with stairs.

        I was reading Kathy Mauger’s entry about Maddie, a bullmastiff and curious as to how long it took Maddie to adjust.

        I’ve been considering a vest to assist Bruiser with stairs and other obsticles and interested in the experience of others using the various types of vests available.

      • Best wishes for you and Bruiser. If he is otherwise fit and healthy he should do fine. Be sure to heck out our giant breeds gallery and the Size and Age Matters discussion forum. Also note that Tazziedog is a 175 lb. three legged English Mastiff who is doing well. We recommend the Ruff Wear Webmaster harness for helping tripawds up and down stairs. It worked great for Jerry! Thanks for asking, you’ll really find much more support and advice in the forums …

      • Dear Michele,

        I’ll be thinking of and praying for you & Bruiser. Maddie handled life on three legs better than we ever expected. She hopped out of the hospital on her own three days after surgery. We were fortunate that steps weren’t an issue at our house. My husband built two ramps for her to get in the back door and off of our deck. She does manage to go up 5 stairs into our vets office and does fine, we do however have to take her down the elevator when we leave the vets. I don’t think that Maddie’s endurance is as good as a smaller breed dog, we make frequent stops to rest when we walk to our corner, but she loves getting out and about, it’s the highlight of her day! She still has plenty of energy to run around the yard in spurts, she just gets tired out quickly. I have no regrets about our decision, she is out of pain and she is such a happy girl! If we had steps I would have purhased the harness for her. Please keep us posted on Bruiser’s progress.

99. my name is haley and my puppi trice is in the animal hospital and she got here leg amputated after falling out of the box of a moving truck. she is doing ok thay said and will come home in 3 days. i was just wondering what to expect.

    • Thanks for asking Haley. Prepare for the worst and expect the best! Trice should do fine. You will find much more support and advice in the tripawd forums than we can provide here in the guestbook. Be sure to check out our answers to the top ten amputation concerns from Jerry’s blog. Best wishes!

100. Thank you for a wonderful website! The stories, experiences, and advice have been the only comfort I have found this evening. My two year old Doberman will join the ranks of the other stoic tripods in the morning. The Vet is almost certain that my little girl has OS. I never thought that my lesson in life and love would be taught by my faithful dog.

     • Thanks Nate. Your comment means a lot to us, since that is exactly why we maintain this site. We understand what you’re going through, as does the entire tripawds community.

     • Nate, We’ll be thinking of you and praying for your girl. My Bullmastiff Maddie is five and she had her right front leg amputated in January for osteosarcoma. She is having her last dose of chemo today and is doing great. The first couple of days will be tough while your girl adjusts, but you will be amazed at how quickly she adapts to life on three legs. Please keep us posted as to how she is doing.

       Kathy & Maddie

101. 6:00 am this morning Rockie and I were up and at em looking forward to a beautiful day. I was making coffee in the kitchen, I noticed Rockie looking intently out the back slider towards the back yard, rabbits. Rock loves to chase rabbits, never catching, chasing, its the pursuit after all isnt it? I let him out. Half way across the yard he went, then the heart stopping yelp of intense hurt. Rockie had broken his front right leg. What, how could this happen? Though 11 years old, he was healthy as a horse. I rushed him to the vet. The doctor took ex-rays. I had never before heard of osteosarcoma. This is the beginning of our new life..I am scared.
     The specialist we were sent to told me amputation was a 90% chance. All this today. From what I thought was perfectly healthy dog to one with cancer and and most likely amputation. I am up late learning about this horrible disease, while Rocky queitly moans with pain on the coach, his leg in a splint. I wish I could make the pain go away. I want to thank you for this wonderful site. You have shown me life is not over just yet. You have relieved a lot of my fears. Rock and I are not done.
     Rockies’ Dad.

     • Life is by no means over. It many ways, as you say, a new life has just begun. Please consider starting a new topic in the discussion forums. You will find much more help and advice there than we alone can provide here in the blog. We are sorry to hear about Rocky, but glad you found us. Best wishes.

       • Albert is doing great… Go tintot he kids snacks today, so its almost like normal.. He is sooo darn happy. Our walk to the lake tuckered him out, about 2 blocks away. He took a few breaks. But it was worth it, even if only to add a month. I just have to watch his weight, I’d been feeding him for the 2 weeks before like I was saying goodbye.
         He too broke his leg where the cancer was… No possibility it could ever heal iwth the cancer there. He had the fibrotic form – it doesnt form bone spurs but is more necrotic… His stitches are out now, so we’re going to try swimming tomorrow. And I need to order a harness from this site… Need to take of that last leg…
         Good luck! My 13 year old Albert is a blessing! Signed up for another therapy dog year by the vet. PLus he gave me a good line now too: A soccer mom and a 3-legged dog walk into a bar… That actually is real 🙂

102. It’s good to see that people love and care for their dogs as much as you do.
     All the best wishes!

     • Thanks Oggy! Back atchya.

103. Our 8 year old Collie mix (45 pounds), Andy, had a slight limp initially in November of 2008. We took him to the vet and thought he might be developing canine arthritis. The vet prescribed Rimadyl. He was better but we sensed something was still not right and went back to the vet 2 weeks later. An x-ray on the front right leg showed Osteosarcoma bone cancer in the distal radius — this was a shock!!! Andy had a bone biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and we decided to have his leg amputated at the end of December, 2008. This was a hard choice but it was amazing how fast he recovered and was up and around in two days! He is like a born again puppy and we treasure every day with him. Altough no sign of spread of cancer from the beginning — we followed the recommendaton for chemo and chose (Carboplatin). No side effects, he is doing great 5 months post surgery, cancer-free and he runs down the parkway like a Greyhound — faster on three legs than four. Best wishes to anyone dealing with this type of canine cancer which generally strikes much larger breeds.

     • Thank you for sharing your inspawrational comments! I’m sure Andy thanks you too. Please consider sharing his cancer hero story with everyone in the tripawds community.

104. Two weeks ago we had to have our beloved 11 year old greyhound, Checkmate’s right rear leg amputed due to osteosarcoma. We just started chemotherapy which seems to be very hard on Checkmate and I am concerned about her quality of life especially considering her age. Also, during this same time, her housemate died after 16 years in our lives. Checkmate appears listless and unhappy—not her normal demeanor. We are very concerned as to whether we have served her well. Any comments/ideas/similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

     • You have certainly served Checkmate well by putting an end to her pain. It’s only been two weeks and I assume she is still on pain meds of some sort. This would explain her behavior. Just give her a bit more time to regain her strength and I’m sure she’ll surprise you. Please consider sharing your story in the tripawd discussion forums where you will find much more help, support, and tips than we alone can provide here. There a a number of members with senior greyhounds who can speak better to your specific experience. See you there…

     • Dear Sandra,

       Our 5 year old bullmastiff Maddie had her right front leg amputated for osteosarcoma in February. The first couple of weeks are the hardest. Maddie actually had anxiety attacks (they think it was from phantom leg syndrome) so they put her on anti-anxiety meds for one week and she was fine after that. She had a set back from an incissional infection so she was almost a month post op before they could start her chemotherapy. She has completed four rounds of chemo and has two to go. She is doing amazing. We were at our regular vets last night for her weekly blood draw and one of the vet techs who hasn’t seen her since her surgery said she does not look like a dog that has cancer. So know that you did the right thing for Checkmate, things should get better from this point forward.

       We’ll be thinking of you!

       Kathy & Maddie

     • RE: chemo, i’ve heard that its quite hard on the dogs esp after an amputation. There is a woman who volunteers for our local boxer rescue in conjunction with LA, California who opted not to do chemo and her female is 4.5 years post amputation. the dog is now 9 years old. i have chosen not to do chemo for i want my little Riley Jo to recover from the major surgery and get strong with her remaining legs. i’ll consult our vet after a time. you might consider giving your Checkmate a little time to recover before subjecting her to chemo. just a thought. 🙂

     • To everyone on this site that has dealt with the Osteosarcoma diagnosis followed by limb amputation, the unconditional love and bond between pets and their owners is what keeps all of us going. I am glad I found this site before making some tough choices and reading the stories of others in the same situation. As my vet told me “no one knows how long any of us have in this world”. That statement helped me make my decision to save “Andy” who has been with us through many tough times in our life. Keep the faith — good things do happen.

105. Hello!
     Thank you for having such a wonderful resource!
     My 13.5 year old dog Albert (Australian Shephard/Husky Mix we think) developed a limp and few weeks was told he had a lesion, most likely bone cancer on his top right femur. It worsened so quickly in 2 weeks that it fractured and made the decision to amputate after seeing that it hadn’t yet spread on the films. It was hard – he was in a lot of pain and I didnt know if I was just prolonging it, but considering he was just running through snow banks a few months ago I figured he probably could handle this.
     We have the best Veterinarian, and he thinks he got “it” all. Albert is 5 days now after his amputation and doing very well, more and more each day! Hops around, wanders in to check on the kids during the night. He is feeling so uch better than he was! He is AKC certified and will get vet cleared again for being a therapy dog with how well he is handling it! Hopefully we’ll have some pain-free time yet even if things come back.
     I just want to confirm that you know your dog – Albert wasn’t ready, was healthy to get through the surgery, and his age is not a factor. I can tell he even knows how much we care about him, he checks on everyone even more now.
     Take care everyone and thank you!

     • We’re so happy you’re taking such good care of Albert and wish you all a speedy complete recovery. Thanks for the comment, please consider sharing your three-legged adventures with Albert in the discussion forums.

106. Chloe was a stray I picked up who was darting in & out of traffic on a busy road. It appeared that she had been “bumped” from a car. The next day the doctor agreed that it seemed she had an injury that had heeled in the wrong location. With further testing we discovered she had bone cancer:)! and heartworms!! Her doctor sent her home with pain medicine and a month to live. Well, 4 months later she had not degressed at all so her doctor reevaluated her treatment but was still hesitant about amputating the leg since her white blood cell count was so high(45,000), so he ordered a biopsy, which was VERY hard on her (and came back inconclusive). She was feeling really badly for ay least 2 weeks. It was finally decided to go ahead and amputate the leg and we are so glad we did!!!!! She is a different dog, so much energy and she’s not in pain at all anymore. She used to flinch when you touched her anywhere because the pain was just radiating thru her body. She is a sweet sweet girl, a small chocolate lab mix about 35 pounds and i just love her to pieces. My husband calls her “the money pit” but she is so worth it. She brings so much joy to our life. I love this web site. I actually had a woman approach me in the dog park to “ask” me to please put her to sleep before I considered amputating her leg!!!! Can you believe that!!! Crazy. Thank you for informing the world that it is indeed “better to hop on three legs than limp on four.

     • Some people will just never understand. Thank you for your comment and for taking such good care of Chloe. Consider joining the discussion forums, I know our members would love to hear more.

107. It’s been 3 months since our Kona became a Tripawd and she is doing okay. She also reached another milestone she turned 13 this past week. That is amazing for a dog her size, she is a 80 pound German Shepherd. No other signs of the cancer spreading, which is a plus of course and makes us happy. She loves to be outside and will drag herself around the yard, we also use the sling and throw her ball so she can play. It was her back leg and being older she has a hard time getting around. We have adjusted our lives and help her with the sling. She is a trooper and doesn’t complain. We are happy that she is still here and hoping for another year. This forum is great place to talk about our beloved pets. We question ourselves if we did the right thing, but reading these posts clears up the doubt. Thank you all very much for sharing your stories.

     • Thanks for the update. We’re glad you believe in your decisions fro Kona, and we’re sure she is too. Bless you for taking such good care of her. Here’s to many more happy birthdays and anniversaries!

108. Jet celebrated his 7th birthday last saturday he has recovered well from his amputation which was 7 months ago. He still enjoys his walks and we are glad that the amputation stopped the pain he was in from the bone cancer.Dogs adapt quickly to life on 3 legs and this site is really helpful .Best wishes from Jet and Fastdogs Mom in England

109. Our five year old doberman, Emily is going to have her back right leg amputated Tuesday. We are so scared for her we can barely breathe. Thank you for the encouragement.

     • We totally understand, but try to remain strong. Emily isn’t scared, she only wants to be free of pain. Bless you for taking such good care of her, and best wishes for a speedy, complete recovery!

     • Emily will adapt better than you will to her new look. Our 6.5 year old boxer Riley is doing wonderful. it’s only been 5 days since her surgery. she’s doing her best to keep up with her bro, 7 year old boxer. she tires quicker but that will change when she builds up more muscle in the remaining front leg. i didn’t have much hope until i found this site and saw all the wonderful pics of dogs with a front amputation. i figured missing a front would be more stressful but was glad to see for myself that dogs are strong and adapt well. we are just so grateful to have our wonderful Riley Jo with us still. you will do fine but just remember that Emily will be special needs now and special care will be expected around her to keep her remaining legs healthy. remember to breathe!

     • Update on Emily: Emily came through her surgery fine. In fact, she got to come home today! When we picked her up from the hospital we couldn’t keep up with her on the way to the car.

       • Thanks for the update! 🙂 Please consider sharing Emily’s progress with our entire community in the discussion forums, instead of just here in the guest book.

110. I am so happy that I found this site. Our 9 month old Belgian Malinois just had surgery to remove her front leg after a freak accident at the local park (she stepped into a sprinkler hole while playing fetch) 2 months ago. We tried to save her leg and paid for a very costly surgery to place a rod, 2 pins, 1 screw, and wire to hold her leg and elbow together. After 2 months of recovery, constant seromas appearing (we have had to have them drained 4 times) we rushed her back to the doctor last week becuase the metal rod in her leg was pushing out of her shoulder. After x rays, we decided to amputate because another surgery to replace all the hardware that had moved, not to mention 3 more months of cage rest with constant sedation, would be just too much on her. She’s just a puppy and is longing to be out of her kennel and be a dog again.

     We were told that she would adapt rather well because she is lean and strong, my only fear is her energy level is through the roof, and I don’t know if she will slow down after the surgery. The vet warned us to keep her from running to keep her from injuring her other leg, but her working drive is very strong. Before the surgery she went through two trainers, they could not believe her energy level, she never stopped!

     She has been at the vet’s office for 2 days becuase a seroma formed after the surgery and they want to monitor it to make sure the swelling goes down. Hopefully we will bring her home tomorrow! I can’t wait to see her again!

     • Thanks for the comment, we’re glad you found us. Your pup will just need time to rebuild her strength in the remaining leg. Try to get her to take it easy for a while until she does. But she should eventually be just fine, and will surprise you with her endurance and strength. We only recommend caution since tripawds no longer have a spare leg, should they happen to injure themselves again. You will fins much more help and advice in the discussion forums. See ya there!

111. We had our beloved Louie home for only one week after his right rear leg amputation…he passed away on March 16, 2009.

     Louie went in for a routine acl surgery on his knee and several visits to the vet later, including xrays, drugs, exams, etc. never revealed what was really wrong with Louie…he had osteosarcoma. Over the 2 months he was trying to heal from knee surgery the cancer had matastized and it was in his lungs.

     Not sure why the vet didn’t see the cancer in the x-ray prior to the acl surgery….and still thought it was a bone infection of some sort at the time of amputation. A sample of his tissue was sent away for the osteosarcoma diagnosis. And at this point….it was too late.

     Just wanted to share our tragic story so that others maybe can learn from it. If a dog isn’t healing from a cruciate ligament surgery and is in excruitating pain…tell your vet to check for cancer!!

     • So sorry to hear about Louie. Every dog’s story is different. Thank you for sharing yours here. It may help others realize not every three-legged story has a happy ending. Bless you for doing what you could for Louie. Please feel free to let others know more in the tripawd discussion forums, where you may find support in our coping with loss forum.

     • So sorry to hear about that. I actually brought my dog in for a cyst removal because he developed a limp and I thought this big fatty cyst was in the way. He had surgery on March 27. He never got better, in fact worse. That is when the the other vet at the clinic that I know x-rayed him and saw a shadow on his leg. We decided to follow him on pain meds and see how he was and decided to amputate after another film and pain meds not touching it in 2 weeks. We sent the sample out to pathology to see what kind of cancer so we know what we are dealing with, it’ll be intersting to see the results.
       I too am surprised though that the first vet didnt do an xray or check for cancer… Like for humans be your own advocate – but its hard to know what you dont know…
       Sorry for your loss.

112. Rene, Jim & Spirit Jerry,
     The Red Dog wants to thank you for all of the prayers and support…she knows you mean it! And we want to express our profound appreciation to you for sharing Jerry’s story and for creating a place where so many others can do the same. We gained valuable knowledge (and tons of moral support) as we faced the rapid-fire decisions that follow an osteosarcoma diagnosis, and now because we were able to make decisions quickly we can continue experiencing the daily blessing that is the Red Dog. You guys ROCK! (WOOF!)
     Brian, Debra & Shiva, the Red Dog
     http://myreddogblog.blogspot.com/

     • Thanks for the kind comments, we’re so happy you found the tripawds community helpful during such a difficult time. Enjoy those daily blessings … The Red Dog is a true rocker.

113. Hi, I’ve am new to the amputee world. just today my boxer Miss Riley had a front leg amputated b/c of cancer. I’m looking for advice, support and good ideas as we move into this new world with our girlie. I found this site last week when i decided to make the choice of amputation to save our Riley. Thank you for being here when i needed it.

     • Welcome to the three legged world, and bless you for taking such good care of Miss Riley. Best wishes for a complete speedy recovery. You will find loads of advice and support from others who understand in the tripawd discussion forums. See ya there!

     • Hi Lisa We are thinking of you and Miss Riley and we have recently had a similar experience with our dog Jet. We were devestated when we found out he had bone cancer,but after amputation he was pain free and we knew we had made the right decesion.He still lives life in the fast lane 40 miles a hour on 3 legs which can give people a bit of a surprise.The first 2 weeks after surgery are difficult and then when off the painkillers Jet seemed to recover quickly.His latest trick 7 months after surgery is digging large holes in our back garden ,he is very bouncy and sometimes we forget about his cancer.Sending our best wishes to you and Miss Riley keep in touch Fast dogs Mom and Jet in England

       • Hi Eve. Miss Riley is doing wonderful on her 3 legs. i do appreciate your comments. our boxers are so fast too and Riley has hardly missed a beat. she’s also got a serious heart condition so this will keep her calmer in the long run. I feel very honored to have such a special dog and to a part of such a wonderful world tripawd owners. take care too of fastdog and Jet. all the best to you and yours from Murphy and Riley’s mom, Lisa in BC, Canada

114. so a three legged dog hobbles up to a bar…. The bartender say’s “what are you doing dog?” The dog say’s ” I’m lookin’ for the fella that shot my paw… lol
     I own the best tripod ever…. he’s a boarder collie who came to me as a puppy
     with a deformed stub leg. His little stub leg was fractured and wouldn’t heal.
     It was decided that amputation was needed, and off it went. ! So now he’s a
     smoothie tripod dog. I just thought I’d sign your guestbook and tell you great job.

     • Thanks for sharing some smiles … reminds me of a joke that ends with an old Cherokee who had a three-legged dog telling a Choctaw, “Well, a dog that good you can’t eat all at once!” 🙂

115. Hello all,
     I found this site to be very interesting and supportive. My dog baxter was adopted from the humane society about three months ago. He was hit by a car in december and lost his back leg do to extensive fractures.
     I am so glad that i was able to give him a great home were he is very happy. The best dog i have ever owned. Staffordshire terrior mix.

     • Thanks for the comment Shawn, and bless you for taking such good care of Baxter!

116. Thanks for the story about Jerry in the Nature show – Why we love Cats and Dogs. I have the show recorded on my computer and watch it for healing every now and then.

     While the show is really good, I enjoyed the story about Jerry the most. I can relate to your story when my my running buddy, Sable, passed away a few months ago. She did not have a leg amputated, but cancer was most likely the cause. While I had her for almost 13 years (she was almost 14), but I know the statement means by how far would you go for a dog. Until you go through that sort of trial, some people may never know what that means.

     Thanks for sharing your story during your family’s difficult time. I do not know if I could have done it. Jerry was an awesome companion and buddy.

     • Thanks for the comment Bob! Jerry was our running buddy too, before his amputation. Now he and Sable are both running free of pain.

117. While I’ve never lived with a tripod, I’ve had the opportunity to share my life with some of the best dogs in the world (my opinion, of course). Your site reminded me these great dogs and the good times we had. I particularly remember my guy, Echo, who was afflicted by cancer. He, too, told us when it was his time. But not before we had some great times. It’s been nearly 5 years since his passing and I still miss him. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think about him- they never leave your heart! Thanks for sharing your adventure. I wish you the best.

     • Thanks for the comment Heather! All the dogs here are heroes indeed.

118. Hello, I am new to all of this. Rudie went in for her surgery today to have her back leg removed. We get to bring her home tomorrow, I am sad and scared for her, and miss her very much. Reading all the stories on this site have made me more optimistic, Thank you for being here, Deb

     • Thanks for the comment Deb, we’re glad you found us. Best wishes for Rudie’s speedy full recovery. We look forawrd to hearing about his progress in the forums.

119. Hi,

     I am new to the site, but would like to send my thanks for all of the helpful information available on here. My boyfriend and I adopted a tripod named Chester two weeks ago. He was struck by a car on March 12th 2009 and surrendered to the Humane Society. While suffering mostly just cuts and bruising everywhere else, the injuries to his right front leg were irreparable. He is a Lab mix just over a year old, and is making an incredible recovery. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks again, this site has been really helpful

     Sincerely,

     Melissa and Chester

     • No … thank you! It is the support of all our members that make this site as great as it is for those new to the three legged world.

120. Our dog just had his left rear leg amputated and it all happened so fast. A routine check up and some X-rays should a tumor and fracture. When the Doctor said they had to amputate I was floored.

     Buddy is part Border Collie and Part Golden Retriever and loves to run and play.

     We love him and will do anything for his recovery and longer life with us.

     • Thanks for the comment Ralph. Best wishes to you and Buddy for a quick full recovery. You will find loads of advice and support in the tripawd discussion forums and don’t miss our top ten questions and answers.

121. My Biscuit got her angel wings today and flew to heaven. My Bissy Girl!.LOVE.

     • We are sorry for your loss, but certainly Bissy is running free now. We’re sure Jerry was there to meet her at the Rainbow Bridge.

122. Greetings to all tripod(ers)! I am new to the site with a yellow lab mix Homer. He herniated a disc, had neurosurgery and failed to recover. He has normal nerve impulses to the rear but one knee is turned in and weak. We bought a cart and he flies around like a champ. But we and the rehab vet believe he can become a tripod. The cart is great for tracking but does little to build up muscle mass etc. Others have suggested devices we could make to suspend him from above on a set of springs or bungee cords. I have crafted all manner for foot protectors and harnesses. I believe he will not age well at the rate he is going. He is suffering from all manner of cuts etc. Too, I have been voiding his bladder by hand for 2 1/2 years and that can’t be good for his urinary system, We have already had one raging infection.
     All who watch him see him ALMOST push himself forward so we know the brain memory is there. TOO, I find him standing to eat dinner now and then. WE ARE ALMOST THERE!!!!!!!!!. I take care of my dad who is 94 with Alzheimer’s and this rescue sweety is my lifeline and best pal of my dad. Is there anyone out there who has rehabed a dog to being a tripod. I will gladly send pictures of my buddy to reinforce what a dynamic loving cupcake he is. He is now 7 to 8 years old. My thanks to anyone who can help and I will forward this page to my vet and any vet I ever meet. Kitty

     • Thanks for the comment Kitty. And bless you for taking such good care of Homer. And your Dad! You’ve got your hands full there. You’ll get lots more feedback on your topic for Homer in the forums, I’m sure.

123. We just adopted a wonderful three-legged chocolate lab. His name is Hutch, he is about 3 years old and we are so excited about him joining our family (we also have 2 other chocolate labs). We were originally fostering him for the local rescue group but we just couldn’t let him go. We are glad to have found this wonderful website and look forward to meeting others with a three-legged friend!

     • We’re glad you found us too! Bless you for giving Hutch a good home. We look forward to hearing more about him in the discussion forums!

124. Our friends at OSU began BissyGirl on a regimen of physical therapy – water tank, cavalettis, etc. We wenttwice a week ( an hour each way) starting last August. At Thanksgiving ’08 her limp became worse and she did not recover after 24 hours so I knew it wasn’t a flare up. To make a long story short, after much insisting by me that something more was wrong the vets found the problem. Osteo carcoma in the same leg with the worst arthritic elbow. SHOCK – amputate or not. What a horrible decision to be faced with out of the blue.We scheduled the amputation and enrolled her in a chemo trial with 28 dogs. 27 have lived longer than a year. March 27th was to be our fourth and final chemo treatment. Biscuit was suddenly in pain that day so once again I was insistent that she had a new problem. Lungs are clear, but a small tumor & fracture on a rib. She could not have any more chemo, it wasn’t working. She is the second dog who will not make it a year. We have two to six more months with her and will cherish every minute. She is a happy dog and has been in the pond with her new Rufffwear life jacket once.
     I will take her to Florida for the last time, soon.
     Our poochie before Biscuit was a Cocker Spaniel and he had lymphoma and we had him for eight years.
     One of dogs before him had a throat cancer.
     I think these dogs have come to us, because we are willing to do everything we can to be sure they have good lives.

     • Bless you Marla for taking such good care of your pups. Thank you for the comments. Please consider sharing Biscuit’s story with our growing community of forum members.

125. Biscuit is my almost 10 year old yellow lab. She is the perfect dog. My family has had her since the day she turned 8 weeks old. She LOVES swimming and inour pond as long as it isn’t frozen. She loves Florida and Lake Erie beaches, boating and pools. Also, other dogs and cats, and of course people. She has always had a hitch in her walk. About 4 years ago she became very lame. Our friends at Ohio State U Vet Teaching hospital found the the cartilege in her toes had worn away. After awhile scar tissue formed and she could walk, run etc. with minor lameness. She loves chasing the ball, and could do it again.Over time she bacame more and more lame – I thought it was her foot, but was severe osteo arth. in her elbow and other places. more following

126. Well done, you are exceptional guardians for one of God’s creatures.

     • Thanks Jerry! Takes one to know one … 😉

127. Thanks a lot 😀

128. Thank you so much for your website. Our bullmastiff Maddie was diagnosed with osteosarcoma the end of January. She had her right front leg amputated in February and is scheduled to start chemotherapy next Friday (her chemo had to be postponed twice because she had a small infection in her incision and is on her second round of antibiotics to clear it up). The first week or so was pretty tough, but she has bounced back amazingly well and she is getting around great! The first consult we took her to told us she wasn’t a candidate for amputation because she is a giant breed and said she only had 3-6 months, but we refused to accept that and took her to University of Penn Veterinary Hospital and they have given us hope and she loves to go there and loves the staff. This site has been a great resource for us.

     • Thanks for the comment and bless you fr taking such good care of Maddie. She’s fortunate to have you. Please consider dropping by the discussion forums to share your story in detail.

129. Thank you so much for devoting so much to these wonderful angels’ needs. My Old English Sheepdog was diagnosed with Distal Radial Osteosarcoma in Oct. of ’08 & I only had 24 hours to decide whether to try & save her or let the cancer take her. She is the center of my universe & the vets assured me that with her health being on otherwise superior condition, she would recover. At first, she had several set-backs, including a very painful & debilitating saroma that put her back in the hospital for a week. Finally, by December she was bounding through the snow trying to keep up with her pals at the park. We used other forms of harnesses that weren’t specifically designed for tripawds and they’d slip one way or the other either choking her or hanging her from her hind quarters putting even more pressure on her one front leg. It was very frustrating. I am so excited to see this fabulous harness you have just for her. I can’t wait to order mine. We have lots of stairs & hardwood floors, so this will give her strained shoulder some much needed assistance.

     You guys are GREAT!

     • Thank you for the comments and for taking such good care of your pup! For the record though, the Web Master harness we offer is not designed specifically for tripawds. It was designed for search and rescue dogs, and we make no modifications. It ships directly from Ruff Wear. On front leg amputees it will have a tendency to slip around the chest, but we never noticed any choking hazard. This issue is merely aesthetic and easily adjusted.

130. Sally, my little Border Collie cross, lost her left front leg as the result of a pick-up truck running over her three weeks ago. The damage to her leg was horrifying and her vet was very reluctant to attempt to save it due to the severe damage to the nerves and arteries. I had only a few minutes to make the decision and was unsure whether it was fair to such an active dog to keep her alive with only three legs, but the vet assured me that dogs adjust well, she is young and healthy, and she had no other life-threatening injuries. So we opted for amputation. Sally is now adjusting so well that my doubts are gone. She once again romps and plays with my other dog and constantly begs me to throw the ball for her (which I am not encouraging yet). She definitely did not lose her spirit. Thanks for this wonderful website. It is encouraging to see other dogs that are going on with a normal life after this surgery.

     • Thanks for sharing Sally’s story Jane! We are glad you found us and happy to hear that Sally is adjusting well to life on three legs. It only gets better from here.

131. As I try to get registered on the forum, I just want to thank you in every way I can for making such a wonderful place for helping all of us dealing with such a horrific time. It certainly brings out the very best right in the middle of the very worst.

     • Thanks Kirby. This means a lot to us since it is exactly why we put such efforts into this site.

132. Jerry and staff,
     Thank you very much for providing so much excellent information on tri-pawds. Our Jerry look-a-like named Louie joined the “Hop-A-Long Club” yesterday due to a bone infection he caught after knee surgery. We have yet to bust him out of the vet clinic, but if all is well we will tomorrow.
     The stories and information on the site are very inspiring and uplifting for us. Please know we are most appreciative for this and it has vastly improved our state of emotion.
     Sincerely, Hop-A-Long Louie

     • “Staff” … that’s funny! We’re so glad you find the site helpful, can’t wait to see Louie. Love the user name!

133. I have had the privilege of hearing all about Jerry’s life from the friend and hairdresser Ross Eliot. We have two fuzzy daughters, Abby and Porscha, that are the joys of our lives. Abby is 2.5 year old Fox Terrier and Porscha is a short jacka russell terrier that is almost 2 years old. We have no children and we can totally relate to how Jerry became one of the biggest parts of your lives. Even though he is gone in person you are so wonderful to keep his spirit and soul alive. It takes committed and caring people such as yourselves to bring awareness to the tripawd life and not to give up on your pet.
     Happy travels! Todd and Victoria

     • Thanks for the wonderful comments Victoria. You’ll have to thank Ross for us when you see him next. If it wasn’t for the inspiration we got from Moose, we may never have gone as far as we did with Jerry.

134. I have a dog that I rescued from the SPCA…his back leg was broken but healed badly & we decided the best thing for him was to amputate. We haven’t done it yet, but it’s scheduled for next week. I’m a little nervous about it & wish I could somehow communicate to Charlie what’s happening, but it makes me feel better seeing this website & knowing for certain that he’ll bounce right back to being a happy dog. Thanks!

     • Thanks for commenting Jennifer. Believe it or not, amputation is harder on us people than it is on the dog. Best wishes to you and Charlie for a speedy complete recovery.

135. love your site.

136. I just saw your story on PBS and could not stop crying. Your are amazing, and your people are cool too!

     • Thanks! Tell jack he must be pretty lucky to have such a cool dad too!

137. Pingback: Complete Survey to Win Free Synflex Pet Glucosamine | tripawds.com

138. Woos and wags your way!!! Just wanted to stop by and say hello. We love your website and your story!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

     • Thanks Princess! Great to hear such pawsitive support.

139. I am so happy for what you did for Jerry. I lost a Rottie to the same kind of cancer but it was too late when we found it. The Vet said the same thing it was arthritis, and it turned out to be cancer. She was 13yrs old when we had to let her cross over the Rainbow Bridge. We tried everything, and she let us now it was her time. She is dearly missed. Now Velvet is running free with Jerry and all of the other animals. We will all meet again, I know!!

     • Thirteen years, wow! You were lucky to have Velvet for so long. And she was certainly lucky to have you! Thanks for taking the time to comment.

140. I just watched Jerry’s story on Nature with my 6 year old Yellow Lab, Peanut. I got her a couple of years after saying goodbye to my Lab/Shepard Rachel. One thing I am keenly aware of in bring ing another dog into my life is that I am giving Peanut (as we all do with any dog) permission to eventually break my heart. She has brought me so much joy that it is well worth it.

     • That’s a good way to put it Ric. If everyone who loves their animals acknowledges the inevitable end from the beginning, it might make their passing just a tiny bit easier. Thanks for the comment!

141. hi–we loved your story! bentley, our 8 yr.old big red doby, has 4 legs & a huge heart. as he gets older, i think about that awful day when we will have to say goodbye. i totally understand why you packed up, sold out & followed your hearts. remember that bumber sticker, “the guy who dies with the most toys wins”? that’s not true! the people who die with the most LOVE STORIES “wins”! in honor of jerry, today we’ll love “the bent” a little more–if that’s possible. thanks for your sharing jerry with us. mickey, sharon & bentley

     • Thanks for commenting Mickey, if that’s true. We’ve already won thanks to all the stories we keep getting from wonderful animal lovers like you. Try not to worry about the inevitable end … Bentley doesn’t! And if you think it will be awful, it most certainly will, when with acceptance, it can be beautiful. Sad, but beautiful.

142. tripaws are the same dogs with three legs they enjoy a good life and everyone has a special tale.

     • Thanks for the comment Eve, you are soooo right!

143. Hey Jerry
     You’re a true shinning star to us all. RIP

     • Thanks for the comment John, that’s really sweet.

144. Jerry just seemed to enjoy every day on this earth…he is an inspiration. I have two shepards at home and the story I watched on PBS touched me. I think what you did for Jerry was awesome and I am sure it was a trip of a lifetime. I know Jerry is looking down on you guys, God Bless Him!

     • Thanks for taking the time to find out more and comment Amy! It’s been and awesome trip indeed with Jerry, and it continues now without him thanks to the Nature program and his legacy which shall live on forever here at tripawds.com.

145. Rest in peace my friend.

     • Thanks Clyde.

146. I have never blogged but…………your story dredged up emotions that I was trying to stuff down because of the acidic effect it was having on my wife and I. SHAME ON ME for (privately) mocking other people earlier in my life for losing a family pet and the “moping” about it. I thought “come on, it’s just a dog!” get over it . I am now cursed with the same affliction. I tried to dismiss the fact that “Sami”, a 12 year old Welsh Corgi, was my therapy. The secret adhesive that held me together. Cancer took all of my grandparents away by age 23 and now took my Sami. We still see her from time to time streaking across the yard ; only to hope with a private scream so loud it would shatter the window you’re looking through, blink hard, and refocas and have her taken away all over again. I’ve resolved that I had too much invested emotionally in a dog. Just the first in a long line of cruel things I will say because of the absence of her influence. I have yet to file away in my mind your story from PBS. Exceptional as it was, I haven’t let myself accept it as a positive or a negative experience. I suppose the well balanced citizen would turn it into a positive. With Sami there wouldn’t even be a discussion.
     I found her favorite toy yesterday, behind some construction material. It’s been 5 months since she died in our our arms. It’s like a stab in the guts with a fillet knife everytime.
     I am now struggling with the guilt when we chose, for whatever reason, to leave her at home instead of taking her with.

     • Wow, we really appreciate this sincere comment. Jerry would be so proud to know that his story has helped someone come to terms with such issues. But he would never want you to feel shame. He never did. And if – thanks to Jerry – we can help get through to at least one person who thinks “it’s just a dog” then we owe a huge debt of gratitude to PBS. Thank you for taking the time to share. Keep up the good work!

147. I miss you Jerry. It’s obvious a lot more people out there do too, and they never even had the chance to meet you.

148. The Jerry story brought back a reminder to me that life should be enjoyed.I lost my darling Portia on thanksgiving day 2007 after only spending two and a half years with her.I lost her to diabetes,she was only five years old. She was a very loving calico and deserved so much.I gave up work for one year as I could not cope with everyday business.I was looking into getting back into a very heavy workload again and then I watched Jerry’s story which made me realized that is not what life is about.

     Thinking of you Jerry,
     Mary ,Heathcliff,Tia,Phoebe and Portia in Spirit.

     • Thanks for commenting Mary. We are happy Jerry was able to remind you about what life is for. Enjoy it! He taught us that every day. Peace.

149. Hey wats up jerr

150. Thank you for sharing Jerry’s story. All who view it are blessed by the love you shared and it is my hope people who don’t understand that dogs and cats are special beings will begin to see the light. My husband and I are 34 years together with Doberman “kids”. We’ve battled cancer 3 times now, lastly with my beloved Zoë. From her I learned not to fear cancer; instead focus on quality of life, nutrition, spirituality. We were told without amputation she had 4-6 months. At 8 years old, we thought it would be too hard for her. The cancer was slow growing mixosarcoma, we opted for radiation and tumor debulking. Then I found holistic vets who used regular medicine, nutrition and alternative meds for the next 6 (yes, six!) years of her life. The cancer never reared its head again. She died at 14 from bloat misdiagnosed by an emergency room vet when our hometown vet clinic decided to no longer treat emergencies. She was my teacher and so very, very wise! She’s waiting for us at the Bridge with our other Dobies and a “herd” of cats who have graced our lives over the years, too! One day you will be ready to open your home and hearts to another dog and Jerry will be glad — because he taught you how to love and live in the “now, now, now”. 🙂 God bless you both — now I must go play with puppy “Quinn” — 4 months old, happy smiles, wet sloppy kisses, big clumsy paws who makes me laugh and learn anew that “now” is all there truly is!

     • We are so happy Jerry’s story is reaching so many animal lovers out there. And if we can even reach one person out there who thinks they love animals to show them how strong the bond can be, even better! Thanks for commenting and sharing the quality of life you’ve had/have with all your furry kids.

151. I have had dogs my whole life and can’t imagine life without them. I currently have 3 rescued kids. Jerry’s story on PBS moved me like no other. What a magnificent legacy. I bawled like a baby when I found this web site and read his whole story. Thank you so much for sharing his story with us and reminding us that the simplest things in life we often take for granted are so, so important. (Like unconditional love!)

     • Thank you Valerie, it’s an honor to know that Jerry touched so many wonderful people like you. The legacy he left us was to share the love he gave us and the life lessons we learned form him. Thanks to the nature program, we have reached so many … beyond our wildest dreams, really. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

152. I was so moved by Jerry’s story I had to sign this guestbook. I watched his wonderful spirit and the wonderful bond he had with you guys! It is so moving to see how much love was shared! I was moved to tears watching his story. Jerry is at peace now. Now that you have graciously shared your story we can all experience how special Jerry truly was!!! I am truly sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your story.

     • Cassie, thank you. We are honored and touched by your thoughtful letter. While our grief is still so new, the kindhearted souls like you out there who have taken the time to write, have helped to lighten our hearts. Thanks so much.

153. My friend Cera told me about your story so I watched the online version this afternoon. What a wonderful tribute to Jerry. Memories of Buck (not that they are ever very far away) and his battle with osteosarcoma came flooding back. Your comments so closely mirror my feelings back in 2005. We had his right front leg amputated in hopes of giving him a few months of quality life. I was so distraught about the lack of “hope” when researching about bone cancer. Buck lasted 4 months after the amputation as the cancer had jumped to the other leg. Buck told us it was time. He had fought a hard battle but he lost the war.
     Thank you for sharing your story. It re-inforces why I continue to fight in Bucks memory by getting the word out that our canine friends do get cancer.
     If you have a chance, please visit http://www.acvimfoundation.org/awareness/chaseawayk9cancer.html
     Thank you for this website!

     • Connie, thank you for the kind words and sharing Buck’s story here. You did the right thing by helping to ease the pain of cancer through amputation.

       When Jerry got cancer, we had no idea that dogs even got cancer. As first time pawrents, we were clueless. Then we got an education in canine cancer that we never wanted. Many thank to you and Cera for all of the incredible hard work you do to help put a stop to this awful disease. Paws up to you awesome humans!

154. Jerry, I miss Monte. If you happen to run across a big st. bernard named Monte, give him a big kiss from his grammy. Thank you

     • You bet I will Grammy! Many hugs to you.

155. I was so moved by Jerry’s story on “Why We Love Cats and Dogs.” I’ve had four dogs with cancer, and I know how hard it is to make decisions about their treatment. What an amazing life you gave Jerry and he you. Blessings, Gayle

     • Thanks so much Gayle, your words are very comforting. But our story pales in comparison to coping with cancer four different times. Wow. We are so sorry you and your dogs had to go through that. What an awesome pawrent you are for being there for them when they need it most.

156. I am glad to have seen your inspirational story last night. We are moved by such stories. Val and i have two dogs and nine cats in our family. All came off the streets of Camden NJ one of the poorest and most dangerous cities in America. We have lost another 16 Kittens over the last 30 years and they rest in our gardens. They all have stories like you. Most lived an average of 18-19 years. Not a likely life expectancy for a stray in Camden but not nearly long enough for us. They gave so much love to us and so many. As much as it breaks your heart to lose them you know you must help the other homeless animals who only want to be loved and give love. Thanks for telling your story.

     • Mike, thanks so much for watching and sharing your own incredible story. What you and Val are doing by helping those cats is just incredible. Thank you so much for making the world a better place by helping so many critters who wouldn’t otherwise have a chance. I can tell by your work at the Camden Children’s Garden that you are the kind of human beings that Jerry wants all of us to be. We need more like you. Thanks again.

157. Dear Rene & Jim–Jerry should look out for Bianca, a Big White GSD who left our family a few months ago. She was almost 13 and had cancer. She loved squeakies, eating toast with butter, flashing her gigantic Big Bad Wolf teeth and boy dogs who treated her like a Queen. My parents’ devotion to her in the last few months reminds me a lot of your journey with Jerry. Here’s to love that is always with us.

     • Indeed, Jerry’s love will always be in our hearts. And it’s an honor to think he has touched so many others now. We’re sure he and Bianca are having a blast at the Rainbow Bridge.

158. Well, we are going through this today, our beloved Kona is having her back leg removed due to cancer. Her leg just broke yesterday and we had no clue, we thought her legs were getting weak from old age, she is 12 years old and will be 13 in May. They said no cancer in the lungs they are clear, happy to hear that and otherwise she is very healthy, that is why we are doing the surgery. No Chemo for her, just take it one step at a time. She is old for a German Shepherd, the doctor said she was in the right home, we love her so much and are at a lose on how fast that this has happened. We are hoping she can make it to 14, if her quality of life is good, we have always agreed, that if she is in any pain we would know it is time to… Say a pray for our sweet amazing girl Kona, she can bark without making a sound, loves hugs, slaps five, and still acts like a puppy, and is a good eater.
     Any suggestions on how to help her get around after the surgery, what type of help will she need, any special equipment? Thanks, Lynn & Rita, Hammonton, NJ.

     • Bless you for taking such good care of your pup! You will find much more advice, tips and support in the discussion forums than we alone can give you. Be sure to read our top ten canine cancer concerns in the blog too. Best wishes for a speedy full recovery.

     • Well, our Kona is now at home, she is having a hard time getting around, Rita is in the process of picking up a sling, (using a towel right now) and ramp today, this happened so fast, we didn’t have time to get anything. It is really hard to see her leg gone, no bandage or anything. Does it need to be covered up? She is eating which is a good sign. No problem with the lungs, it has not traveled there at this time, they are clear. Any suggestions for any supplements to help with the healing? Any help would be good, we are really at a lose right now. We are hoping she will get mobile soon and that she heals fast. Keep her in your thoughts dog lovers out there, we can use them at this time. We love her so much, she really is a great dog, she is Kona the Bona, our nickname for her. Lynn & Rita!!!

       • Thanks for the update Lynne. Jerry never had a bandage or cone collar and he did just fine. You will find much more advice and help than we alone can offer here in the Tripawd Discussion Forums. Ask any questions you have there and you’ll get lots of feedback from many others who have gone, or are going through this.

159. Thank you for sharing your story. My dog, Ayrton ruptured his disc and became paralyzed 4 years ago. We purchased a cart for him so that he could walk. His front legs were very strong, so he was able to take long walks on trails through the woods around our house everyday. His face was smiling and his eyes were very bright with joy when we would go out. Because of his other illness, he passed away two years ago;, however, my husband and I had a wonderful two years with Ayrton. There were some people who criticized us because they think we were cruel. However, I know animals can be happy even they are handicapped. It was clear to everyone who spent time with us that Ayrton really enjoyed his last years. I think you can understand. I believe that Jerry and Ayrton are running freely now. And we will see them again.

     • Some people just don’t get it … bless you for taking such good care of Ayrton, and thank you for sharing his story with us here. We are certain he and Jerry will be having a blast at the Rainbow Bridge until we get there.

160. Thank you for sharing your wonderful story. In these challenging times with so much bad news, it was good to hear that Jerry was fortunate to have parents that loved him so much.

     • And we were very fortunate to have Jerry too. Thanks for commenting!

161. Wonderful story about wonderful people and a fabulous dog!!

162. I watched the show last night and it really touched me. My husband and I have been working at jobs that do not give us much joy – our greatest joy is to be up in the mountains with our now 12-year old dog Angus in a little town called Graniteville where we have a cabin. Lately we have been working, working, working and Angus seems bored and kind of listless. He is also having a harder time getting around due to arthritis.

     Your show made me realize that life is too short to waste the time we have left with Angus. This morning, even though it was pouring rain, I took him up to the local park – we have a lot of open space area here and it’s acres and acres of woods and grazing pastures. I heard a cacophony of sound so we followed the sound and hiked down to a little lake that had thousands of frogs croaking so loud it was deafening! Then I looked down and there were dozens of salamanders, bright oranges in the water. The rain was pouring down and Angus and I looked at each other, and I just thought of what you said about dogs and time, “Now, now, now, now”. I was in a “now” moment. When we climbed back up the top, the frogs just stopped. If I hadn’t walked down there when I did, I would have missed it.

     Thank you for reminding me to have “now” moments and for waking me up to remember what’s important.

     • Thanks for the comment Janis. Life is indeed to short to miss out on the joy. That’s one important lesson Jerry taught us. Here’s to many, more quality now moments with Angus. Check out what fun Jerry had with frogs the first time he saw any!

163. I was very touched and inspired by your beautiful and loving story. As the proud owner of 2 dogs, (one of which nearly died in a car accident when her leg was crushed) I felt a true bond to Jerry. Thank you for being such caring companions to him, and may his story live on forever.

     Cheers,
     Rich

     • Thanks Rich, thanks to Nature and Jerry’s discussion forums here, his spirit shall live on forever.

164. I just saw Jerry’s story on “Nature”. I cried the entire time. Thank you for sharing his story.

     • Vanessa, thank you so much for watching and taking the time to visit Tripawds. We are grateful that good people like you are out there helping to show others all of the wonderful lessons our dogs can teach us.

165. Dear “Jerry”,

     My name is “Duke” and I am Allen’s forever dog. I am an Alaskan Malamute / Shephard mix. He helped me come into this world on May 12, 2000 and I almost made it to age 17 (I got my angel wings on January 25, 2007). My Pawrent Allen was my best buddy and he misses me greatly. A friend of his shared the “Rainbow Bridge” poem with him that has helped him very much in his grieving process. Here is a link to the Rainbow Bridge poem.

     I hope it helps your Pawrents in their time they have left here on planet earth until they too can meet you on the other side.

     Namaste,

     Duke

     • Peace, Duke. I’m sure and Jerry are having a blast at the Rainbow Bridge. I’m sure you were as lucky to have Allen as he was to have you.

166. Sometimes people do very good things. I will never forget this story.
     Long live Jerry!

167. Jim and Rene — Just finished the Nature show, with tears in my eyes. What a beautiful story of your family. Many blessings to you and I’m so sorry to hear Jerry is gone. Thank you for sharing yourselves and Jerry with an audience of fellow dog lovers. Best wishes to you, always….

     • And bless you too for taking the time to share your thoughts. It’s very special to know that Jerry has touched so many people.

168. We were so touched by Jerry’s story, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. We have 2 Bassetts named Bentley and Newton that have seen us through thick and thin. We can’t imagine our lives with out them. I hope that we can give them all you have given Jerry. Our hearts are with you….

     • Thank you for the kind comments, and best wishes to you and your pack!

169. Thanks for all the great info on this website. Our 7 year old rescued Greyhound Seamus has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his left back leg. It has not gone into his lungs. At this point our option is amputation. We are nervous but want to do what is best for him. This website made our decision easier.

     • Thanks for the comment! We’re glad we were able to help during this difficult time. Even if only a little. Best wishes for a speedy full recovery.

170. Rene & Jim:

     I read your fantastic story about Jerry and your trip around the United States in the Eureka Times-Standard on Sunday 02-09-2009.

     You two are great parents. You treat your animals better than most people treat their kids. My wife and I are child less, but we have an 8 1/2 year old lab that we love as much as you did Jerry.

     May God bless you on your journey thru life.
     John S. Somers McKinleyville, CA
     Cindy A. Somers
     Sandy C. Somers (the 8 1/2 year old lab)

     • Thanks for the kind comments John! Best wishes for you and your pup. Next time you’re at Clam Beach or down at Samoa, swing some kelp in memory of Jerry. 😉

171. I heard about Jerry a year ago. I sort of forgot him, because I got lost in the sea of life (this I will never forgive myself for).
     Just a few days ago, I saw him again on the web and remembered hearing about him. I went to this site, and learned he was dead.
     I feel awful now. He seemed like such a cool dog, and I missed him. All because I was drifting through life mindlessly, not taking the time to appreciate how beautiful it really is.
     I’m sorry I forgot about you, Jerry. When I finally get to Heaven, I hope to see you, jumping and rolling around playfully with the pets that I’ve lost over the years. I also hope that you can forgive me for forgetting about you. I didn’t mean to.

     Also, sorry for rambling on like this. I’m probably making a fool out of myself.

172. Today I read about Jerry in the local Times-Standard. What a wonderful story. I once owned a fantastic dog named Rocky. She had cancer on one of her toes. She was to old to operate on. She lived about 6 more months till the pain was to much for her and us to bear. My late husband and I have a great cat named Thumper who has 3 legs. She can do anything all the other cats can do if not better. We are dog and cat lovers and whether it be 4 or 3 legs that is not what makes the friend for life in our pets. To all you who have owned an animal who had 3 legs I think you’d agree we’d do it all over again. Here’s to my best friends Rocky abd Thumper I will always love you.

     • Linda, you are so kind, thank you for reading the article about Jerry, and a big thank you for sharing Rocky and Thumper’s stories too! As you know, it’s all about quality of life, not quantity. These beautiful fur kids of ours do leave pawprints on our hearts, and teach us incredible lessons, don’t they?

       Here’s to our furry kids! The world is more beautiful because of them.

173. I wanted to say thanks for all the great information on your website about tripawds and cancer. Losing Fortune, our 12.5 year old Belgian Sheepdog, to lymphoma, in January 2006, started cancer research for me. I never expected to be faced with another canine cancer decision so soon. Our other Belgian Sheepdog, Indigo, was diagnosed with fibrosarcoma, in the abdomen, in June 2006. After surgercial removal of a large portion of her lower abdomen tissue & muscle, she was given a clean bill of health. We were shocked with a 2nd round of cancer for poor Indigo. In August 2008, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Indigo was 12 years old at time, most people did not understand why we would amputate…the costs…her age…I am pleased to say she will be 13 years old this March and is doing fabulously, in spite of her right hind leg amputation. We have her on a metronomic cancer therapy at home, but so far NO lung mets! I have purchased several tripawd shirts from the website…can you make a tripawd logo with two front legs and one back leg? Thanks for all the great information. May Jerry’s memory remain strong in your live’s forever. XOXO

     • Thanks for sharing your cancer dog story, we’d love to hear more about Indigo in the Tripawd Forums, where visitors are always asking about amputation for senior dogs. We’ll look into that rear leg tripawd logo, good idea!

174. Thank you so much for having a web site like this one. I wish I had known about it 2 years ago, but thankfully, I now know where to turn. My best friend, and soul mate, “Yoda”, passed away from cancer in June 2007. Not a day goes by, that I don’t wish I had know more about canine cancer, and the treatment options available. Yoda was only 5 yrs old. Like Jerry, my pal Yoda, was also a trooper, and hid the pain far too long. I hope they are both happily playing together, and pain free. That is really all we can hope for.

     • Thanks for the comment and the wonderful vision of Jerry and Yoda playing together. May the force be strong for tripawds everywhere! 😉

175. Hi – I just want to say thank you for all the information on this website. Our dog Scooter ( a 4 1/2 year old beagle) was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on her back right leg and had to have it amputated 2 weeks ago today. She is doing amazing and is acting like her normal self. I was devistated when we got the diagnosis…but knew that in her young age it was the only option we had. We had some disagreement from our parents in our choice to amputate her leg (cost) but any amount of money we spent was worth it to have our Scooter-bug in our lives for longer!!!!!! Long live Scooter!!!!!!!!!!

     • Long live Scooter indeed! Thanks for the comment!

176. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that has posted a question or given an answer. It has helped me so much in the past 2 weeks as we go through our ordeal with Paris. I have an excellent ortho surgeon and an excellent vet, but I wasn’t prepared for what we were about to go through. It has been great to get help and also hear of all the stories of what others have been through.
     I have decided that I will enjoy everyday we have her. The irony is she was a gift to myself after caring for my Dad who died of cancer. I hate cancer!
     Thanks to all, I’ll be loving my girl one day at a time.

     • We hate cancer too, gineej! But thanks for the kind words, we are so glad we could be of help to you as you travel the path with your fur kid. Spread the word; It’s better to hop on three legs than limp on four!

177. Wow! As I sit here with my Macy (Australian Cattle Dog, 7 1/2 yrs), I am amazed at all the information on this website. Macy had left front leg amputation today and I’m watching how she does throughout the night. The information here is very consoling! She had 2 surgeries on her leg last year to try to remove the cancer but it was spreading too fast. She’s been a trooper through it all, so I’m expecting the best through this amputation. Thank you for all the information! I’ll be up tonight reading everything I can get my hands on.

     • Thanks Sharon! We’re glad you find the site helpful. Check out the Tripawd Forums for advice and tips. Best wishes for a full speedy recovery.

178. Thank you so much for responding to my post about our dog’s mysterious limp. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help and suggestions. You’ve given me information I’ve been unable to find on my own in weeks, days and countless hours of research. We’ll do whatever it takes to make him happy and get him well. Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to write such a heartfelt and helpful comment about our fur baby’s issues. We have a vet teaching hospital about an hour away that accepts cases by vet referral. Keep your paws crossed!

179. Hi, my name is Nike an I live in Sweden, North Europe. I adopted a german shepard two years ago. He had a hard life before he came here, but is now enyoing life more than ever. I have been reading many of the tripawds stories. I´m overwhelmed! <3 Bless you!

180. HELLO, IAM STRUGGLING TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THIS SITE. SORRY, I THINK IM GLAD TO HAVE FOUND IT. MY 2 YEAR OLD GSD, DAKOTA HAS ALSO BEEN GIVEN 4 MONTHS TO LIVE SECONDARY TO ANGIOSARCOMA, WE WILL AMPUTATE HIS FRONT RIGHT LEG, 1-14-09. IT WILL NOT EXTEND HIS LIFE EXPECTANCY, SO WE ARE TOLD. IM GOING TO UTILIZE YOUR SITE FOR SUPPORT.

     • Please let us know what problems you’re having. We’d LOVE to help.

       The tripawd discussion forums are the best place to find tips, advice, and support from others new to the three-legged dog world. If you have log in trouble, please tell us what’s wrong.

       Otherwise, click on the “Share Your Story” forum, then Add a New Topic! We have many active users who will make you feel welcome. We look forward to hearing from you, and apologize for any inconvenience.

     • ever since me and my mom found jerrys site,our dog barney has been doing great.
       just do the best u can ,hope your dog gets better

       love,
       leann

       • Thanks Cutie! But you’ll notice in the blog that Jerry earned his wings in October, Glad Barney is doing well…

181. Love u Jerry!!!

182. my dads german shepherd died of cancer rest in peace jerry

183. I just visited to get an update on my favorite tripod. I am phenominally sad to hear of Jerry’s passing. He was truly one in a million. Really too bad he didn’t get to meet our four-legged hipless mutt, Winston. Perhaps they’ll meet in the clouds…. Thank you for allowing us to share his life with you. Mine is so much the richer for having known him.

184. Thank you for the resources and comments.
     Our 3 year old German Shepherd mix was just diagnosed with Bone Cancer last Wednesday, and had her left front leg amputated yesterday. We meet with the oncologist next Tuesday and feel so overwhelmed. It is great to have a place to go to get some answers and find out how to handle all of this.
     so thank you, thank you, thank you.

185. My dog toby who just turned 12 fractured his paw jumping out of the car. At first it seemed like it would be an easy fix he would wear a splint for a few weeks and then it would be healed. After 6 weeks they took some new x-rays to find out they had missed the fact that his ligaments connecting his ankle to his paw were damaged. They surgery would cost 5,000 dollars and they cannot guarantee a full recovery, my other option is to amputate. I have been having a hard time with this dicision. He hes older and I have some very serious concerns about how this will affect him. We are going to have his hips x-rayed to make sure if we amputate he will be able to dispurse the weight evenly. Anyone have a dog of this age with an amputated limb? How did they recover? Did they get there personality back after surgery?

186. Cancer is the general name for a group ofmore than 100 diseases in which cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. Although there are many kinds of cancer, they all start because abnormal cells grow out of control. Untreated cancers can cause serious illness and even death.

187. I adopted my Edward this summer because he was “special”. He had gotten in an accident when he was a few weeks old and I had his leg amputated when he was 10 weeks old. He is amazing and not once has that stopped him, he was up and running around the next day. He loves life and particularly like trying to keep up with his greyhound buddies (he is a lab/greyhound by association). Keep up the good work…tripods deserve respect. Your puppy doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.

188. Just wanted to say I am a great admirer of the site. A wonderful resource. Wags to all!

189. I think that Port Authority k-9 dog Sirus was a friendly dog back when I met him in the World Trade Center Tower One. I will never forget you Sirus. Love, Lisa Weiner.

190. I am CoCo the Blogging Dog, and just wanted to leave my pawprint here. Fortunately I don’t have cancer, but my human companion has been through it. Cancer can be even more frightening when your not sure what to expect. That’s why I have such admiration for the Tripawds forum here, where everyone is so kind and helpful to eachother. Thanks for running such a great website!

191. i have only been introduced to your site through 2Dogs, today. i am so sorry for your loss of Jerry. he looks so happy & sweet with you both. i really enjoyed the video about the Three-Legged Red. May G-d hold you all close to his heart as you travel this difficult path.

     stephanie

192. I missed having you around this trip… no tongue to lick, no runs in the yard. I knew you were there, around the house, and tried to tell them all at night. But you know those humans, they just don’t understand a beagle whine.

     I tried to keep your pawrents happy with love and affection and silly antics. And I was sad to hear they left, I made sure to play extra hard for Rene, she needed a cheer up.

     I know you’ll be watching after them as they continue their travels. Don’t let them stray off the scent, and help guide them to a nice green place for you to rest in.

     your paw pal,

     George

193. Hey, really good site and best of luck!

     I received a children’s book in the mail that helps children come to terms with a parents cancer. It’s aimed at younger children and is both thoughtful , warm hearted and even get’s the kids to help out more around the house. The author Linda McCowan is also the illustrator and you can buy her book “Cancer Rhymes with Dancer” [on Amazon].

     My kids read it and loved the illustrations, several which are shared on that author’s site. Mel Wilson

194. Check out what goes into the food you give your dog – this is scary stuff!

195. we love watching videos of Jerry. we wish we had been able to meet him. we love dogs! lots of love, Owen and Fiona

196. Mully lost his battle with cancer yesterday. On Sunday he couldn’t move his hind legs as all. After speaking with his surgeon on Monday, we made the very difficult decision to end his pain. He had a good breakfast of egg and bacon! We were fortunate to have our vet come to the house and on his own bed, in his own yard in the sunshine Mully left us. His pain is over, our is tearing at our hearts. He was just the best and will be sadly missed. His brother, Finnegan, keeps going to our car and looking for his pal…can’t explain to him he’s not coming home but will always be watching over us.

197. Our wonderful “devildog”, Mulligan, was diagnosed in February with OS in his front left leg. After some radiation we decided it was best to amputate –and he’s done beautifully – until 2 days ago. His back legs are giving out — weak and shaky — I’m afraid the scan tomorrow will reveal a tumor on his spine. He’s only 9 and still full of life but this damn cancer is going to win. The hardest part of being a good dog parent is knowing when the fight is over, and I’m afraid ours is ending. But to anyone wondering if amputating is worth it — the answer is YES — we’ve had 6 good months with Mully – he even went back to chasing squirrels in the back yard. We live close to Cornell Vet school – they called him the miracle dog once, perhaps he can pull it off again!

198. God Bless you pal. Your friends from Dogster, Mommie, Weedle (Rainbow Bridge) Goofy, and little Buddy

199. Jerry, I know how the breathing thing feels. Hang in there, it is worth the fight. We Love you.

200. Hi Isabella! We are sorry to hear about your friend, but as you can see, hope is a powerful thing. There are many of us front-legged Tripawds here who do just fine on three legs. Yes, it’s a bit more challenging for front-leg amputees, because dogs do put 60 percent of their weight on their front legs. But if a front leg amputee candidate is in good health, getting along as a Tripawd is usually not a problem.

     Why not visit our Forums to talk with others directly and ask all the questions you need to. Everyone here is really friendly and supportive, no matter what you decide.

     Good luck, and please keep us posted.

     Your friend,
     Jerry

201. Hi, my 9 year old lurcher cross has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma last week. I am rather confused hearing so many conflicting stories about front leg amputations. I do walk with a three legged Spaniel, however it was her rear leg which was amputated and not the front. However, she is doing just great and has been for the last two years.

     Reading some of the stories here and seing products offered to help them cope with the day-to-day activities raises help. Thank you very much.

202. Found this site a week or so ago when we got the osteosarcoma diagnosis. Now I am trying to read as much as possible to be prepared for surgery – within the week probably. Right now the issue is where to do the surgery – my vet has no staff at night and I would have to transfer her to and ER overnight, then back in the morning if she isn’t doing well. I’m a little overwhelmed with all that needs to be learned before the surgery. but your site is very helpful as all the info and links are in one spot.

203. I picked up a new foster dog from the shelter yesterday. Poor ‘Pretty Girl’ was found abandoned in a parking lot with her rear right leg smashed up so badly that she’s now a tripaw. She must have been limping around for a while and seems to be doing OK on 3 legs though her amputation was only a couple of days ago. As stressed out as she was (the shelter is tough even on fit and healthy dogs), she also got kennel cough. Now she’ll get to chill at my house for a few days while she recovers a little. I’ve only known her for less than a day, but I agree: it’s better to hop on 3 legs than to limp on 4 …

204. I am so glad I found this. My Old English Sheep dog, Baxter, was diagnosed with cancer last week. I opted to remove his front leg. He had surgery yesterday and I pick him up on Saturday. I have just been devastated! I don’t know any amputeed dogs. I am concerened about pain, and a normal life for him. He loves to run fast, play hard and jump. He is always jumping my 8′ fence. How does everyone cope?

     Kathe

205. Hi Jerry,
     Our 11 yr old border collie mix, Abbey was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in Feb and we amputated her right front leg 16 weeks ago. It was the best choice for her; she runs and plays and is not in any pain now. She even goes upstairs two at a time! My question is related to her breathing rate. I’m concerned it has increased and can’t decide if I should get a lung xray or not…I just dread it. Any suggestions? What is considered normal anyway? She doesn’t cough and her appetite is great by the way. thanks!

206. I wish I had this forum/information a couple years ago.My beautiful Neopolitan Mastif Zora had a front leg removed due to OS.Wow what a hard decision.I got conflicting info on how a dog that big(140lbs) would handle an amputation.Luckily I made the right decision and Zora was literally hopping around less than 2 days after surgery and learned to walk/run without any assistance from me,she wouldn’t accept any help.

     Most people didn’t even notice she was a tripod as she still ran fast and played like she always did.

     Zora lived almost another2 years before the cancer blinded her in 1 eye and finally took over a back leg also,making it useless.She actually managed to get around on 2 legs before it got too painful!

     Bottom line is the dogs don’t care how they look they just want to be loved and give love in return.

207. I love the site! My 3 year old Vizsla was recently diagnosed with OS and had his front left leg amputated about 2 months ago. It was the best decision I ever made and will never regret it.

     I will anyone who has to deal with this the best of luck. It is a difficult but worthwhile road.

208. Hi there!! How is Jerry doing? We miss having you in the “neighborhood”!! Hope all is well!! Keep us posted!!!

209. Divot’s got a major shoulder injury. We’re having surgery next week and need all the encouragement we can gather. Thanks so much.

210. I enjoyed your website very much; I have a three lagged lab mix whom I adore. She is a great dog anyway, but her “nubby” makes her even more special! Thanks for providing support to fellow “tripawd” owners.

211. Found your website through you tube its fantastic site owner of a Tripod greyhound in england.

212. My 1 year old siberian husky has just recently lost his rear right leg and tail due to a bad accident with a big truck. This site has given me reassurance for doing the right thing and keeping him alive. I will admit that this past week ( it happened on monday) has been really hard to see him in such a state, but seeing everybody’s comments has really uplifted my spirits. He’s starting to become more mobile now ( but not much seeing as his pelvic bone was fractured in the accident) and very eager to get back to his normal life. I give everyone of you credit here because you all pulled together for your dogs and gave them the love and devotion they needed to make it through the rough times.

213. I am the proud owner of Mike . He was born with 4 legs ;but is missing his rear left paw. The vet says that the cord wrapped around and effected the development. He gets around well and climbs steps to come upstairs. As he ages he is becoming less active as he tires when I take him for walks.He is on acontrolled diet but due to inactiveness has become very over weight . Is this a good reason to have him evaluated for a prosthetic extension/foot Please share

214. Hi – My beloved lab Kodiak was diagnosed with cancer in his left front paw over two years ago. Within days of diagnosis his leg was amputated. The human members of our family were all devestated – but not Kodi. Within two days he had jumped the baby gates we had set up to corral him while he healed. Within two weeks he was able to balance and lift his leg to pee like a gentleman again. He is approaching his tenth birthday and all 100 pounds of him is happy and healthy. His illness was such a shock and we felt very isolated in our decision to have his leg amputated, but have not regreted a moment since. It was a wonderful surpise to find this website. Thank you for allowing the spirit of tri-pods everywhere to resonate.

215. Our Puppy Cody had his Left from leg amputated this past Tuesday. He had jumped from a pickup truck which left his paw paralyzed after two months of physical therapy and other treatments there was no other alternative. Cody is recovering from his surgery well and we as a family are coping well. So glad to see that there are resources for our three legged pup!

     Thanks!!

216. Hi,
     My shep/husky had to have his rear left leg amputated in December of 2007 as he developed osteosarcoma (bone cancer) at the site of the metal implant used from his TPLO surgery. Sadly to say, my boy fought courageously against this damned disease and I was forced to let him go when the cancer had metastasized to the vertebrae in his spine. Needless to say, I am devasted with his loss. I would like others whose beloved canine companions developed plate related cancers to get in touch with me. Thank you. Trouble’s Mom

217. Hi Jerry.
     I am in the process of adopting a 3 legged beagle, I finally get him this weekend, we’ve named him Connor. We dont know his story, but we do know it was due to an accident and not to cancer, and have fallen in love with him. Your website has proved to be a valuable resource on taking care of our newest family member. Thanks.

218. I am a new tripaw mom, my Zoey had her right front leg removed yesterday due to cancer – biopsy pending. it’s great to see adaptive equipment such as harnesses available. I am also concerned because Zoey also has hip dysplasia in her right hip. Any advice from experienced tripaw parents?

219. It is with great sorrow that I inform you that on June 24, I had to let Tacoma go to wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge.

     I will miss him greatly.

220. I would like to say thank you for provididing such a wonderful website. My El Lobo (a 20# terrier mix) lost his front leg to a fibrosarcoma on Monday. Knowing what to expect and what to look for has been a lifesaver for me. Thank You.

221. I wish that I had found this web site sooner, we just lost our beloved Shiloh Shepherd (Dakota) to bone cancer today. He was a tripawd since November of last year and he was doing great until various infections set in. He indured all of the chemo and various treatments with great courage and love. Anyone who treated him fell in love with him and cried today when he went across the rainbow bridge to go back home. Dakota was a gental giant and a therapy dog who loved everyone but especially childern.
     The reason I wish I had found this site sooner is that Dakota formed a number of pressure sores and we had no idea how to prevent them. We had daily treatment at the Vet’s office but there was no information on how to prevent the pressure sores. One resource we came across and who informed me of this site is Dogleggs (www.dogleggs.com). They make special vests for amputees that cover the knee and help prevent pressure sores. I found them too late for our Dakota but someone else may be helped by them.
     Once again thank you for your site and helping other people going through the same thing.
     Bob Allen

222. Words alone cannot express to you the sense of gratitude that I have for this website and all the information, comfort and support that it provides. I was devastated, as I’m sure you know, when I found out that Zeus had bone cancer…a self proclaimed neurotic mom, this guy (and my other one too) went/goes to the Vet for every single thing that didn’t look right or feel right in my gut. This dog literally saved my life 6 years ago and everyday I want to show him my awareness of that fact, my gratitude, loyalty and simply…my love for this gentle golden retriever that came into my life a little over 10 years ago.

     It was a slight limp – on and off – for three weeks that I thought was the result of rough housing with Buddy – my adopted golden retriever. But Zeus’ eyes just didn’t seem right…like he was telling me, “Mom, I don’t feel well”…but of course, stoic and regal as he is…he didn’t show it otherwise.

     A simple x-ray and that call that Thursday evening…my world felt like it was falling apart…my best friend…cancer. My worst fear literally came to life. Fear and devastation quickly, like within an hour, turned to survival mode. We met with specialists the next day, had a final diagnosis with all the options spelled out…I “sat with it” for 2 days and made my decision…we amputated. All this happened within 6 days. Thank God 2 close friends are Veterinarians in my area…I would not have survived without them and their willingness to share their knowledge, thoughts and recommendations for hours on end…and of course, the love and support of my family.

     Long story short…Zeus is doing amazingly well. His stubborn personality, his playful approach to life, his LOVE for tennis balls, his affection and unconditional love…all the same. I’ve survived the past 6 weeks by focusing on him and his needs and making sure he gets the best care I can find…What I haven’t really focused on are my emotions and how I feel about all this, his cancer, his mortality and the idea of living a daily life without Zeus (wow – did I really think he’d live forever? no…but I also never imagined a life without him and now, I know that I slowly need to start that process). All these feelings hit me last week like a ton of bricks…kind of out of the blue with (seemingly) no trigger…probably because Zeus is doing so well at the moment and I can relax a little bit and so it all has come to the surface.

     THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your website…I have found a lot of comfort and peace and a little bit of acceptance tonight by spending my time here this evening. I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot from us as we all walk this journey together…

     Be well Jerry…we’re thinking of you. Our gratitude to you and your mom and dad for sharing your journey with us is beyond words.
     Love, Heather, Zeus and Buddy.

223. Just wanted to say Thankyou! Your website and story helped me with my wonderful boy. Tank, my 11 year old chow/collie mix started to limp three weeks ago. I never thought it could be cancer, he had a mass the size of my fist. He had Grade 1 Myxosarcoma in his right front leg, we made the decision to amputate. The surgery went very well, they got the cancer. We are now 1 1/2 weeks out of surgery and he is amazing!!! We took him to his favorate place to recover, Holden Beach, NC. He is walking from our house to the beach, playing with our kids, he is so happy, there is no PAIN! We now have a tripaw and love every minute with him! (He sure is the talk on the beach) 🙂

224. Great site and touching stories. thanks for sharing. Beautiful pictures. dogs are amazing, resilient creatures that make our lives so much better. All the best to you…..

225. Jerry-Great Site. And great story. I’m going to be a veterinarian in a little over a year, and I saw my first bone cancer patient today with the help of the great doctors at CSU. It’s a tough journey, but your courage and strength and joy remind me why I want to be a part of it. Best of Luck to each of you!

226. that`s my granddog !

227. Awesome site. I saw your blog video on problogger.net. I have two alaskan malamutes and recently my lab and other malamute recently passed. They would all appreciate your site very much!

228. Our mix breed Woody is 8 years old and has been a tripawd for 13 days. Woody had a very large mass cell tumor that couldn’t be totally removed from his lower front left leg. Amputation gave us the best chance of stopping the cancer and keeping Woody around for many years. I found this web site about a week before his scheduled surgery and was thrilled with the information and comfort it gave me. There were a couple of tough days following his surgery, but Woody improved daily and is almost his normal goofy self. We are all happy that he is done with his antibiotic pills! Woody is a visitation therapy dog volunteer at our children’s hospital, and after his staples come out we plan to return to his volunteering. Again, thank you for such great information and support!

229. Thank you for sharing that story with me. I am sorry to say we never got the chance to do much with buddy,. We lost him yesterday at Easter. I am so lost for any words. I didn’t even know dogs could get bone cancer let alone go through it. what a terrible thing. when time goes on…my daughter told me mom we need to start raising money for finding a cure. so that others do not have to go through what we did. i held back the tears and realized ;hey maybe there will be some good after all. This bone cancer needs to be stopped. in our world..how could we not figure it out. i just ask you all to pray for our family..and keep us in your prayers. I remember yesterday asking god to watch over buddy..and somehow he made me think of how much love he had to give his only son to die for us. I know that may sound odd. but losing buddy like this..just made me realize how much pain he was in. anyways…enough of me going on and on. i pray that all of you find peace somewhere, somehow and if you can find the peace than pass it on to others who need to find the peace. tis amazing how much we have in this world..but really how little we have that matters until it goes away. cyndi and buddy

230. Ginger, a 10mo. old pomeranian, was a HBC who came in to the hospital where i work. We had to amputate a rear leg that was badly mangled. Well she had a rough first couple days, but she runs better than my 4 other 4 legged dogs. She totally rules my 2 chihuahuas. Gingers story is a sad one because her previous owner couldnt have a 3 legged dog and was going to euthanize her. With the help of the Vet i work for we got her back into shape and she is apart of my human and furry family. i dont understand humans sometimes. Maybe thats why i work with animals they are much easier to please and love you unconditionally.

231. My 3 legged buddy was brought to the animal hospital where I work by an SPCA volunteer after being hit by a train. It severed his right rear leg just above the knee. Amputation was the only choice. After a few days of recovering at the hospital it was time to be discharged to a foster home. The SPCA didn’t have one available so I volunteered to take him home with me. He was cared for not only by my husband and myself but was welcomed into the household by our 11 year old lab and 2 cats. I soon filed adoption papers to make ownership official. He is so loving and affectionate, I find it hard to believe his former owners never looked for him. Well as the old saying goes-Finders keepers…….

232. Solo’s Story

     Solo snuck out the gate just after dark on the evening of a big snow storm on January 6. He returned to the gate with his front leg hanging in a deformed manner from his shoulder. The veterinarian stabilized him and had us take him to a surgeon. The surgeon was not able to “save” the leg, but recommended amputation. The surgeon owns a three legged dog, and felt Solo would be a good candidate. Solo is an eleven year old lab-border collie mix. He has been a wonderful pet and a great companion on horseback rides and walks over the years.

     I have to say I felt extremely guilty during the first week after surgery, looking at our mutilated dog. I found your website which made me feel a lot better about “tripawds.” Today (six weeks later) I am happy to report I took Solo out for a mile walk and romp through the field. He seems to be enjoying life fully again. His tail is usually wagging, his appetite is good and he appears comfortable and content. Thank you for your encouraging website!

233. I have just found out my buddy of 5 years has bone cancer. He is a lab and I am trying to find answers between the tears. I search for answers. My vet told me that he had other areas with the cancer. I am not sure what to do. How much time do they have once they are found out to have cancer??? The kids are a reck..This is so hard. I am under the assumption that taking the leg doesn’t stop the cancer..only removes the pain..Is this true?? Does anyone know how much pain the dog is in?? How to tell??? How to know when it is time to let go??? Any help is appreciated..
     Cyndi

234. Hi,

     My beloved dog (Bob) has just had a front leg amputated today and we are currently waiting for him to come home to the place he loves. He was diagnosed with cancer a couple of weeks ago and following test results the vet advised us to amputate his leg. The thought of it brings me to tears. He cannot come home tonight and I feel very guilty about putting him through it as he cannot make the decision for himself. The vet has advised that he may only have a few months left to live as the cancer has probably spread through his body. He looks at me with those big brown eyes and I know inside that he hasnt changed in personality and he will always be our big barky dog. But the process of getting ready to grieve is making me feel guilty. We clung on to hope that losing the leg may save his life, but we areshell shocked to learn that he may only have a few months left. We are determined to give him a very good last few months of life and take him out as often as we can. He may look different when I see him over the next day or so but we will still love him. He is a very special loving dog who deserves a longer life and we will try and give him a great last few months.

235. Hello, we just brought our dog Lacy (Golden Retriever) home today after having her right back leg amputated due to a tumor. She is doing well and it is great to hear all of the stories of other dogs that get along just fine with only three legs.
     Thank You!
     Erin

236. Glad to see Jerry is doing so well with his os, my bracken (labrador) had os too and had her leg amputated and chemo when she was 7, she was a tough girl and fought it bravely, we lost her in september just two weeks before her 15th birthday, so we had well over 7 years with her as a tripod, she still ran, swam, dug (unfortunately for the garden!) and played and never once missed her leg, amazingly she died cancer free, sadly a massive stroke paralized her, but she had a fantastic life and was truely lucky I found the site http://www.bonecancerdogs.org to be full of great information, bracken also has her own website. Jerry I wish you to do as well or even better than bracken did, enjoy life every day is a bonus

237. OS is an evil cancer!! So far I have lost 2 greyhounds to it, both at the age of 11.5 years. Boston’s cancer was in his right femur and because of pre-existing horrible arthritis, we chose just pain management. He was gone to the Bridge in two weeks. Boy Friend’s OS was in his left shoulder and we elected amputation and chemo for him which he did incredibly well with but the monster raised it’s ugly head again 5 months later in the form of pulmonary metastasis and hypertrophic osteopathy. I will never hesitate to do the amputation again but am not sure whether the chemo was worth it. I am sure I will face it again since I still have 8 greyhounds!!

238. Has anybody had experience with a good seat-belt harness for a foreleg amputee? Most of them have such large apertures that with only one forelimb they tend to spin around on the torso.

239. After visiting your site and the recommendation of our vet, our Tillie’s right front leg was removed because of bone cancer. I was concerned because of Tillie’s age, which is 13. She is an 80-lb. Kelpie, super bright, and after only 2-1/2 weeks since surgery, she is eating well, going up and down the 3 stairs in and out of the house, with no help! I bought the harness you suggested, but haven’t even had to use it. As a matter of fact, Tillie is annoyed with it.

     Tonight, she even went chasing after something in the dark, barking at whatever it was. She already has her spunk and alertness back, even with the Tramadol and Rymadyl (sp?).

     I just want to thank Jerry and his humans for the inspired website for people like us. And, I know, that if Tillie could talk, she would thank you personally! You are Godsends!!!!

     Charmain & Denny Andrews — and — Tillie the Wonder Dog!!!

240. I’m really enjoying your website. I am a veterinarian in the Northern Kentucky area and recently (1 month ago) adopted a tripawd. His name is “Minus”, ha ha. He’s a 40 lb terrier mix that lost his leg after being hit by a car. He’s doing wonderfully, my husband and I feel so lucky to have found him. Right now we’re working on his weight (the rescue couldn’t really regulate the intake of 100 dogs so he’s a bit chunky) and his allergies. We’ll get there, though! Thanks for making a website for folks with these unique dogs, I’ll be sure to let my clients with tripawds know about it!

     Ashley

241. Awesome website! our dog Silas (means 3 in hebrew and man of the woods-you’ll find the name fitting after you read the rest) came to us from an indian reserve…he was beaten, and left to fend for himself when his “owners” decided to move away and leave him behind. he was in the woods forging for food all alone and got his leg stuck in a leg hole trap. for one month he was hobbling around with the rotting leg and a trap stuck to his leg. some ppl in a nearby town saw him hobbling around and finally got him to come to them. when he did, they (turtlegardens.org) took him to the vet right away and got it amputated. we then adopted our amazing dog and he is doing better than ever. it’s only been since july that he’s been with 3 legs, but he’s getting along and keeping up with his brother Tundra just fine. we wanted to thank you for finally putting something out there we (tripawed family) can finally relate to.
     i’ll send pictures of Silas and his brother to ‘ya.

242. We have a 7-1/2 year old yellow lab named “Bear”. He was just diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on his back left leg. I have been reading and looking at videos on this website and it had made me feel much better about what we are going to have to do.

243. Our dog, Chamberlain, is a 12 year old toy rat terrier. She had a cancerous tumor develop on her left front leg about 2 1/2 years ago. We had it removed and with in one year it was back. We had it removed again and we thought it was licked. Then it started to come back and fast. It grew so large I felt really bad for her. The vet recommended amputation about six months ago but we wanted her to keep her leg as long as we could without her hopefully being in much pain from the large growth. Finally over the Christmas holidays 2007 it ruptured open. (Very nasty and smelly!) We now had no choice but to get the leg amputated. It is not anything we have regretted. She was doing well but took a leap off our very high bed when we weren’t looking and we think she hurt herself. The vet said she didn’t see any problems but she just hasn’t been the same. She does nothing now but curl up in a ball and sleep on the bathroom floor all day and night. She won’t come when we call her. We force her to lay with us so we can pamper her. She is eating ok and going potty ok. She is handling small stairs well too. I just don’t know if she is sad she lost her leg, or because of her age she gets too tired to move around, I don’t know. She was a very active dog for 12 years old prior to the amputation. She always has her tail stub tucked down and I used to be able to get her to “speak” on command. Now she won’t. I finally got her to bark with a treat and she yelped afterward. So some how barking causes her pain. Still new to it. I just hope it gets better. It’s really starting to depress me. I know I made the right choice in an amputation vs. put to sleep considering her age, she’s my baby girl, but I just wish she didn’t act so depressed all the time. Well, that’s my story.

244. Our four year old mixed boxer/German Shepard, Kalani, just had amputation last Thursday to remove her canerous leg. She had been limping for the past six months and it finally came time to do something about her. My husband and I love our dog be very much, so we decided to give her a long and healthy life. The last few days have been very tough, but I do not regret it one bit. I just can’t wait until Kalani is fully recovered. Thank you for creating this website.

245. my 9 year old shepherd mix was diagnosed a few days before thanksgiving with Osteosarcoma in a rear leg. But after all that she and i had been through i believed i needed to do more. By the third consult it was determined that she had a chrondosarcoma: to my releif. Her leg was removed shortly after the holiday and we have never looked back. She is adjusting very well and couldn’t wait to get back to running those cows and sheep. We both have gained so much from this, she is my constant companion and hopefully will be with me many more years

246. There needs to be more inspirational websites like this one to help people who love their animals make this incredibly painful decision. Osteosarcoma is not necessarily a death sentence, and the options for treatment are improving every year. Our beloved dog Gretchen survived just over two years and we don’t regret a moment of it. She came to work with me, went hunting, played frisbee, and actually caught three more squirrels all by herself while on three legs. The joy she had for life was in her eyes and spirit, and what she taught me about overcoming adversity will affect my life forever. I hope I will never have to make this decision again, but I would do it in a heartbeat. Good luck to all those lucky animals who have owners willing to invest the emotional and financial efforts involved in amputation and chemo. I promise it will be worth it!

247. Hi, I’ve really enjoyed looking at your site and loved the pics.

     I have had two dogs who although didn’t have amputations, they did have rear legs they couldn’t walk on. They did just fine on three legs. Keep up the good work.

248. Hey Jerry!
     I’ve been admiring your videos over on youtube.com and had to come visit your very own website: Go you!!
     It’s wonderful to see a website like this showing how positive life with a tripod is and also offering lots of helpful advice.

     My own girl is almost two and lost her front leg at the age of seven months. We tried a few ops to save it, but it wasn’t to be. Her wonderful attitude to life despite her hard start to life and the pain she was going through just amazed me. When she got the amputation she just went from strength to strength and she truely has taught me alot about how to live my own life. She is greeted everywhere with smiles and love. Such a joy to live with!

     Her fav thing in life is to race around at high speed with her best pal, my jrt. We call them the dynamic duo!

     Keep up the great work you are doing here Jerry.
     xx

249. thanks so much for such an inspiring website. our 13 yr old lab sami was just diagnosed with osteosarcoma 2 weeks ago. we had to have her back right leg amputated. what a painful decision it was but we didn’t want to put her down. she has such a great spirit so it just wasn’t an option. she is still recovering, getting used to everything. in fact, she is dealing with it better than we are! seeing her like this has broken our hearts but everyday we have with her we are grateful.
     seeing jerry and other courageous and amazing dogs recover so well has helped us tremendously. we just ordered the ruffwear harness, thanks for the recommendation! you guys are awesome! please know that jerry will be in our hearts forever!

250. Hi there! My Frankie boy just had his left front leg amputated due to a mast cell tumor. It is 3 weeks later and he is amazing me everyday! He has already mastered our 3 flights of stairs at our condo, and just 4 days after I brought him home he jumped through my sisters doggie door. Life is good!

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252. Three weeks ago we found our that Samson (Sammy) our 7 yr. old Golden Retriever had Osteosarcoma right front wrist joint. His leg was very painful and kept growing so, after a few days of crossed fingers and lots of prayers, we were forced to have his entire leg amputated yesterday. I am absolutely amazed at the strength and ability to bounce back after such an invasive surgery. Now, almost one week after the amputation, he is no longer in pain, and obviously very happy! He can bound up the stairs, although he is a bit slower going down them. It is truly an inspiration to see his determination and strength. Thanks for a wonderful website.

     Mike Ellis

253. Hi,

     I am so happy to see this website. 5 years ago our Rottie/Shep mix Bailey had his right front leg amputated because of bone cancer. The vet thought Bailey would succumb within a few weeks but this didn’t happen. Bailey recovered and is with us still. He is 12 years old now and is starting to have difficulty walking. I am thinking of getting him a support harness. He is the most amazing dog ever!!

254. Hi, we are in the process of adopting our tripawed little bundle of joy. She is only 5 months old and was hit by a car and her back left leg was amputated as a result. We saw her online and fell in love with her. We get to meet her for the first time tomorrow and we are so excited! Thank you for such a wonderful site we will keep you updated!! Misty and Joe, St. Bernard Louisiana

255. Thank you so much for having a wondeful resource for those of us facing our best friends illnesses! We have just experienced our Gunnison’s osteosarcoma amputation and round 2 of chemo, as well as our Scout’s 2 surgeries for a ruptured cruciate ligament and subsequent fracture (all surgeries in the same week of October). Our home is truly a canine convalescent center! Gunni is doing great and it was so helpful to have the positive reinforcement to assist our difficult decision to go through with the surgery. Scout is actually having the more difficult recovery time, but I know she will eventually be able to keep up with our happy tripod. We have passed your website along to our vet hospital folks and I know they have given it to a few others going through the same ordeal.
     Keep up the great work!

256. Hey Jerry,

     You are one awesome gsd boydog. Love the word tripawd–why didnt I think of that?! Thanks for sharing your story–it is so obvious your dad loves you! I lost a leg to pure human stupidity–bummer. No osteosarcoma, no car accident, someone wrapped a wire around my leg and left it there until it was so infected it couldn’t be saved. But I am one happy girl now (I have found a forever home with people who would never let anything bad happen to me) and life with 3 legs is not a problem at all.

     Woohoo! Tripawds Rule!! That’s my motto! It is great that you have a site to let folks know that fact! I have a myspace page but dont really know how to use it–eventually I will learn and want to do the same as you–let people know that tripawd dogs are totally awesome and that they should never fear walking that path with their dog if need be. If my mom gets it together I will also be making my debut on You Tube soon.

     Thanks Jerrry Dawg. You rock!!

     Love,
     Codie Rae

257. Hey Jerry!
     I run a site called gimpydogs.com, free medical resource links for people with special needs dogs.

     Would you mind if I link to your site? I’d like to direct tripod owners over to you for advice and information.

     Great site, keep up the good work.

258. This site was the first nice thing on osteosarcoma I’ve found since our 11 year old chocolate boy Barley was diagnosed a couple of days ago. It really has given my husband and I hope to see so many happy people and dogs who’ve made it to the other side of this ordeal. Apparently it doesn’t look like it’s spread at this point, and we’ve gone ahead and scheduled him for surgery tomorrow. It’s going to be a different kind of Thanksgiving this year, but he’s happy right now and we hope to keep him that way as long as we possibly can. Thanks again for all the helpful info and sweet stories!! 🙂

     Carey (and Barley)

259. Hi Jerry, this is Berkley and I just had my surgery a couple of weeks ago, seeming more and more like myself every day. My humans are worried about me often and they have been taking care of me like a baby, it’s great to be super spoiled rotten. I had to lose a leg to do it, but then again I was super spoiled before, wait a minute!!! They might have pulled a fast one on me. I hope to play with you some day, I love frisbee too, heck I love everything and everyone, so I’m up for everything. As soon as I am back to being 100%, I wanna meet you Jerry, cuz you have been the inspiration I needed to get better and especially the inspiration for my parents, they need it probably more than I do. My Mom would do anything for me and she does cuz she loves me so much. I know your Mom loves you greatly too. I checked out your photo gallery, nice!!!

     Love, Berkley, sending you lots of Woofs and can’t wait to meet you sometime.

260. Support you in your large warm heart!!

261. Hello, our Welsh Corgi had to have her front leg removed due to cancer. Tripods are special!

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263. Thank you for this site! My 11 1/2 year old Golden Retriever had her left hind leg amputated 10 days ago because of a mast cell tumor. Your site has given me peace and strength at this difficult time. Its so heart-warming to see Jerry outlive the odds.

264. Hello!

     I have a three-legged dog named Luke. He didn’t have cancer, he was hit by a car and his right front leg was amputated. I’m so glad there are websites promoting amputation as an option, whatever the reason behind it. I think it’s great you are traveling, if you come back to northern NY (close to Canada) please feel free to contact us!

     Thanks for all the great work!

265. This is such a great website! I recently adopted a 6 year old lab-rott mix that had to have her front leg amputated b/c of a previous injury that had been neglected. Madison is such a trooper, and its great to know she’s got friends out there that know what its like! Its only been three weeks since her surgery and she’s doing great so far, but now I know how much better she can do! Thank you!

266. No one wrote any books for providing care for our 3 legged friends during their recovery from surgery. If anyone has experience, this is the place to post them.

     Here’s a hint for post op management:

     Take a old Baseball 3/4 length sleeve shirt and cut off one sleeve. then cut it up the side, all the way to the neck.

     Take your tripawd’s remaining leg and put it thru the remaining sleeve, then wrap the rest of the shirt around your buddy’s body. Secure with baby diaper safety pins.

     This keeps your friend from messing with his/her stitches or wound.

     Tacoma had some pretty bad bedsores and the sleeve kept him from developing a major hotspot on his other front leg.

     This worked great on a front leg amputation, don’t know how it would work on a back leg.

267. Hi!

     My name is Tacoma and I am a blue merle smooth collie. My Dad, Glenn, was worried because I was limping, so he took me to the vet. There we discovered that I had osteosarcoma in my left front leg, near my ankle.

     The vet said that my whole leg had to come off. After that, we went to UC Davis and received chemotherapy. That was a over a year ago and now when they take pictures of my insides, they can’t find any cancer. I am a happy boy and love my dad and the rest of my human family. And I tolerate Molly, my corgi big sister.

     Thanks for your site and if you’re ever in California, look us up!

268. Still treking…now in PA! Thinking about Jerry and Rene and Jim and hoping to see you guys at Thanksgiving!

269. hi Jerry, my mom (Tia) met you and your mom in Vermont – I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, but I was teaching my new little puppy sister how to be a GOOD DOG !! I didn’t have cancer, but was hit by a car when I was two months old. I was born a stray, and the person who it me felt bad & took me to the SPCA. They did the amputation, and two months later, I was put up for adoption. That very day, my mom walked into the SPCA and saw me and we fell in love with each other…….I’ve had a very good life, we have 101 acres in New York, near the PA line, and I love to run and play. I can keep up with the 4-wheelers for hours (well….getting slower as I get older…..I’m 8 years old now……).
     My mom said you were a wonderful boy, and wish I could have met you. If you’re ever in Buffalo, NY, please look me up. We can be GOOD DOGS together !!

     • Sadie Hurtubise was put to rest today. She was 13 years old, and the best dog that has ever been.

       • I’m so sorry Tia, please accept our condolences. May Sadie run free like she did when she was a puppy, forever and ever. {{{hugs}}}

270. My mom, Cindy, came across your site and shared it with me. Like Jerry, I also had my left front leg amputated due to osteosarcoma. The surgery was tough, but nothing compared to the pain from the cancer. I have adjusted really well to life as a tripod. It hasn’t slowed me down one bit! I continue to amaze everyone on a daily basis. My mom says I am an inspiration, which I think is pretty cool! You’re an inspiration too, Jerry! Thank you for educating everyone about this awful disease. Maybe together we can find a cure!

     We love you Jerry!

271. I am sooooooooooooo ecstatic over this website, I work at a vet hospital where I adopted a 3 legged Shep mix that we saved from the brink. I never in a million years thought it would be this easy to find helpful resources to help us adjust to her! I will be checking back quite often to this site!

     Kim

     Austin, Texas

272. I lost an eye, and my friend Calpurnia lost a leg. Calpurnia loves Jerry.

273. Hello

     Very interesting information! Thanks!

     G’night

274. Hi!

     It’s Bethanie! From Manitoba. How’s Jerry doing? My dog Maggie is still as hyper as can be!!! My parents are going away to Denver, for a cousin’s wedding. My grandparents are babysitting on weekdays, while my mom’s mom babysitts on the weekend. My parents should be back by next Tuesday. Well, got to go!! Bye!!!!

     Bethanie.

275. Well, Linus had his surgery, and he is getting along well with three legs. I spent the first week with Linus after his surgery….worried grandmother, and I will fly down to visit him and family in September. I’ll send pictures of the handsome fellow, because Linus is still one of the best looking three legged guys you would ever hope to see. Thanks for being there for Linus and our family.
     Proud Granny

276. Hi Jerry,
     Your one brave and cool looking dog. As you know I myself have a dog Bracken with a damage right fore limb and I am on a roller coaster just now about whether to have it removed or not. I’m as confused as hell, my latest entry in my blog can explain.

     Any Best wishes to all,

     Craig and Bracken

277. Hi Jerry, this is Bill from Chicago. Things are going much better for me. In fact I blew my parents minds last week. I had a slight relapse after surgery as I tried to do too much ( and my parents felt real bad) So they had me in a real quite way – and then they had to go on vacation for a week which had been planned for a year. Although I had been getting better, I could see they were worried about leaving me.

     So I got to go to an Animal Hospital that also did boarding. Boy were they nice and the doc was great. Cleaned up my surgery wound a little and my ears and ears ( everything at once I guess).

     Anyhow, my parents came and got me last Monday, almost 4 weeks to the day of my surgery. Mom picked me up and I just went up the 36 stairs to where we live. I was feeling great and so glad to get home – blew her away!

     Then when it was time to go out I went down the steps – cool huh – best part is I am pretty much back to my awesome personality and my routine. Love and care sure helps a lot – hope you are well – take care

278. Jerry, you are such an inspiration and all your tips are so sensible; I’ll have to study them closely over the weekend.
     I had my rear right leg amputated last September (osteosarcoma), and am living life to the max. I’ll send you some pictures soon!

     Thank you,
     Your friend in Tel Aviv

     Lalla

279. What a dog! Thanks for sharing your story.

280. While I’m not a cancer survivor, I did lose my back leg just this past July 5. I broke it in February, and try as I might, the bone died. So, I lost it. But I’m feeling much better now. I’10 years old, so my other legs are really bending.

     Thank you for this site! I love it!

281. What a good Doggie! Thanks so much for the video about the AST harness!

282. Hi! Jim, Rene, and Jerry!

     I think it would be great if you guys could come to manitoba!! i will try to send a picture my dog maggie and I. i’m glad that my nanna let me play with jerry for that small while, and that my mom & dad invited you guys over for a while in the evening. you know how my brothers had a bad cough? well, the youngest one, Greyson, has broncitis, the middle one, Wyatt, has broncitis a little bit and i think i have that too!! oh no!! i hope i am better by satuday! why? becuase my grandma is taking me horseback riding and out for brunch!! I am going to be 11 on the 4th of aug.

     well, i’ve got to go now! bye!!

283. Hi Rene, Jim and Jerry. It’s Bethanie from Manitoba, I met you at the campground in Fargo ND. You came to our site in the evening for a visit with me and my family, do you remember me?

     Do you think that you would ever come for a visit to see us in Dugald? My mom and dad said that it would be great to have you visit for a few days. There is a nice Provincial Park, Bird’s Hill, only a few minutes away from us.

     I will be following your trip through your website. I hope you e-mail me back. I will send a picture of my dog Maggie and I, so Jerry can see her too.

     Bye for now,

     Beth,

     Dugald, Manitoba, Canada

284. I just received the news that my grand-dog has cancer, and one of his front legs will have to be amputed. Needless to say…I am in shock and very worried about the dog whom I love dearly because he is one of my granchildren. Thank you for your website…it is comforting and very encouranging to see how well Jerry has done, and I believe with prayers and great doctors our Linus will do as well. I will keep you updated on Linus’ progress. Again, thanks.

285. Jim, Renee and Jerry,

     My boy Rumpelstilskin, 5 1/2 year old doberman, is due to have his front right left amputated next thursday. I was still very uncertain if this is the right thing to do, but after seeing Jerry, I know it is. He has Hemangiopericytoma which is a slow growing cancer. So we hope that by amputating the leg it will relieve his pain and get him off the medication, and by God’s grace maybe even get all the cancer. Either way I know it is a win win situation!!!

     Glad I found your site!!!!

286. My 11 1/2 year old female German Shepherd was diagnosed with probable osteosarcoma yesterday (right front leg) – biopsy is scheduled for tomorrow and if results come back as expected, we have an amputation scheduled for 6/29/07. Jerry’s story is inspirational! My biggest concern/fear is her age and that her hind end seems unsteady recently. I don’t know if this hind end problem is a reaction/compensation for the pain which is in her front leg or not – so I don’t know if I am doing the right thing if I do the amputation or if I will be making life harder for her.
     Thank you for Jerry’s story – he, as well as my Hannah, will be in my prayers!

287. Hi Jerry,

     Remember us? We camped across from you at Lake Francis this weekend. It was a pleasure playing ball with you and we had a blast! Your such a beautiful dog and we will never forget you. Hopefully we will see eachother again someday. Keep up the good work and stay strong. Your the best, Jerry!! 🙂

     Love,
     Ashley & Kylie Taylor

288. Jim, Renee, and the awesome doggie dog, Jerry!

     I am very happy to see that all of you are doing well! Jerry, keep going strong!

     We just lost our dear friend, Rupert, to canine osteosarcoma this past Wednesday. He was very brave and suffered with dignity. We considered having Rupert around as a tripod but he has a recurring, large lipoma behind the shoulder of his other leg.

     Anyway, it is very comforting and encouraging to see you do so well Jerry!!!

     Thanks for the website!

289. Wuzzup dawg? Hope you like the new site we’re building for you. Let’s see if this Guestbook gets as busy as your last one … keep on keepin’ on you superstar.

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