It is difficult to share this sad news, because I know how much it broke my pawrents heart to hear it. But on Saturday, April 28,my dear friend Eisen earned his wings in Colorado.

I will try not to be sad, and hope that the hoppy memories of me and Eisen will dry the tears in my Momma’s eyes. You see, Eisen was the last surviving pup in my circle of Tripawd friends who I played with. We are all angels now.

He is no longer on earth, but what an amazing, beautiful life he had, for 13 years!

Don’t cry because it’s over.  Smile because it happened.  ~Theodor Seuss Geisel

What makes Eisen especially remarkable is that for the last four years, he beat osteosarcoma, and proved that nine out of ten statistics are wrong!

As one of the earliest Tripawds members, it feels like Eisen and I have known each other all our lives. When his mom wrote to us in 2007 after he got diagnosed with bone cancer, I told her “Don’t worry Ma! Eisen will be fine. Remember, his name means “strong”!

Eisen lived up to his name.  Chemo? Forget it. He didn’t have any. Instead, he and his momma made the most of the cards they were dealt. After the diagnosis and amputation, they listened to their hearts and focused on quality of life, not quantity. Perhaps he beat the odds because they followed the holistic advice of Dr. Charles Loops. You just never know what cancer will do.

The last few years were met with some of life’s toughest challenges for Eisen’s pack, but in typical German Shepherd fashion, he was always there to put things in order, and perspective.

Eisen made sure that everyone understood their mission: to live life to the fullest!

Our play dates seem like a million years ago. Those picture perfect Rocky Mountain days will always stay in my pawrents’ hearts, forever and ever. And when they think of me and Eisen playing together again on the big mountain in the sky, they smile.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Eisen my friend, it was an honor to have you in the Tripawds community. You will be missed tremendously, and remembered forever.

Click here to view the embedded video.

What a joy to hear he’s still doing great!.

Greetings from Eisen

“Well, friends, a few weeks ago, I turned 13. As I understand it, that’s pretty old for my “breed” (whatever that word means!). Since Mama tells me several times a day how handsome I am, I’m guessing that “handsome” is my “breed”!

My dinner that night was pretty extra great, I got my favorite “cheat” snack: a full Quarter pounder with cheese (without the yucky human fixin’s on it: just meat, cheese, bun!)! Oh boy, just thinking about it now makes my mouth drool that good kinda drool that goes from my lips all the way down to the floor in one solid stream! YUM!

I might have to give Mama ‘the look’ to see if she will go get me one tonight. hmmmmm…

For those of you keeping count, I am now over 4 years post cancer. Mama credits it to the grace of God, the power of prayer, my own strength of spirit (after all, my name means “iron” in German!), and of course the natural remedies that I have taken since the beginning of my journey as a tripawd.

It’s getting a bit tough in the “being 13 department.” My body is feeling the age and my muscles have gotten kinda wimpy which makes it hard for me to get up and down and all around, if you know what I mean.

But, I’m a blessed guy. I have a Mama who helps me with all that, doesn’t complain (too much) when I have to expel some stuff in the house (again, if you know what I mean) and she has to clean it up, and she brings me water when I’m too tired to get up to get it. Yes, sometimes I do milk that one. It’s cool having a human hand-servant!

My girlfriend Daphne is as gorgeous and loving as ever and I have a new little buddy named Gracie. She’s a small tortoise shell colored cat who looks like she is still a kitten, and she is funny! For some reason, she likes chewing and rolling on my feet.

Mama tells me that we remind her of some Warner Bros cartoon characters (huh?) named Marc Anthony and Pussyfoot/Cleo. Let me tell you: Gracie is a great napping buddy.

Sometimes I forget how small she is and how big I am and I just flop my whole head across her warm soft belly like she is my personal pillow. Gracie doesn’t like that too much, but she doesn’t hold it against me.

Time for me to grab some shut eye. Gotta grab some beauty sleep to hold true to my ‘breed.’

Blessings my friends,

Eisen

Learn More About Eisen’s Amazing Life

Tripawd Talk Radio: Listen to Eisen’s Momma StacyDiscuss His Holistic Cancer Care

Birthday Boy Eisen Beats the Bone Cancer Odds

2 Years and More, Eisen Fights Bone Cancer with Homeopathy

Happy Ampuversary to Eisen and Calpurnia

Jerry and Eisen Have a Six-Legged Play Date

Eisen Update

Eisen Seeks Pre-Amputation Advice

Wyatt isn’t a Tripawd because of cancer, but when the lump appeared last Saturday, we couldn’t help but have flashbacks to when Tripawds Founder Jerry was diagnosed.

Wyatt is only 2.5 years old, but we’ve seen Tripawds as young as 15 months get diagnosed. After his local vet couldn’t diagnose the swelling, we feared that this awful disease was happening to us again.

Old Shoes Hurt

Fortunately we’re only an hour from one of the best veterinary teaching hospitals in the world, Colorado State University. That’s where Wyatt had three of the hospital’s most experienced soft tissue surgeons looking at his stump this week, trying to figure out where the swelling was coming from.

The wait was excruciating and put us right back into the shoes everyone wears when they first join this community. Wearing them again was painful.

Good News: No Cancer

Tests confirmed he didn’t have cancer, so Wyatt went into surgery on Wednesday for 2.5 hours to uncover the cause. After digging and probing, surgeons concluded that Wyatt’s amputation site was infected from “foreign material” that was trying to work its way out of his stump. The material and infected tissue is being sent out to a lab for evaluation and a final diagnosis.

Wyatt is finally home, high as a kite on Tramadol and looking very spacey, nervous and tired. Here we are once again, taking care of a post-op Tripawd.

We’re a little smarter than we were last time, but it’s still nerve wracking. Wyatt’s wearing a surgical drain that been stitched into his side. The drain looks like a hand grenade and we’re supposed to empty the fluid as it accumulates. This is something new to us.

He’s also on pain pills and anti-biotics, has post-surgery bruising and we need to watch him carefully until we take him back to CSU on Monday to have the drain removed.

The Bad News: Hip Displaysia

We’re thrilled Wyatt doesn’t have cancer, but at the same time, we were devastated to hear the surgeon tell us that he definitely has a good case of hip displaysia.

As a rear-leg amputee, hip displaysia is not going to be easy for Wyatt to cope with as he ages. Some day far in the future, the condition will impact all of us in a big way.

But for now, we are going to take things one day at a time, and enjoy every minute of our young, wild and vibrant Tripawd’s life.

Thank you everypawdy for your concern about this crazy kid. We’ll keep you posted when we have the lab results next week.

Today, we’re thrilled to announce that Tripawd Member and Girldog Extraordinaire, Miss Codie Rae, can now add “Hollywood Superstar” to her street cred.

Tripawd Member Stars in New Patrick Stump Video

In January rock star Patrick Stump (of the band Fall Out Boy) was looking for a three legged dog to be in his new video for Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia) from his brand new Truant Wave EP.

We happily fulfilled his request and brought the incredible Codie Rae to the attention of producer Joe Wein.

Today Patrick released his new video which stars the one and only, Codie Rae!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The video shoot took place in January at a dog park in the Hollywood Hills.

It was a grueling day as three Tripawd Members Travis Ray, Wyatt Ray and Codie Rae vied for the attention of the cameramen.

In the end, Codie’s gazelle-like intensity caught the eye of the Hollywood dream machine as she leaped her way into stardom and into the hearts of Patrick Stump and fans everywhere.

For the first time ever, Codie Rae’s unequaled zest for life and overly-enthusiastic prey drive is being rewarded with instant fame and glory.

In the last 12 hours, media and fan feedback on YouTube has been phenomenal:

“It may very well be the best video Stump’s ever been associated with . . . the end result is a truly captivating, unapologetically positive experience.” – MTV

“The dog made me cry o.o”

“perfect editting–slow motion dog running on the most building part of the song~”

“I almost started to cry, that dog is just so beautiful!”

“I wish I had three legs too… “

“I’m not really sure why, but this video made me cry when it came to the German Shepherd.”

“When I saw that dog with no leg manage a leap I almost cried :’)”

“Thumbs up for the awesome three legged dog ”

Who knew that a girldog who started out abused and neglected on the mean streets of Oaktown could find such fame and glory with a beloved rock star like Patrick? Dreams do come true in Hollywood!

Be sure to tell everyone you know about the world’s newest Tripawd Rock Star, and get your Codie Rae-inspired Tripawd gear soon, before it sells out.

This is such a huge public awareness victory for the capabilities of three legged dogs everywhere. We’re so proud of Codie and are proud to say “we knew her when…”

Now, see if you can catch her and get her pawdograph . . .we’re betting it’ll be worth a million bones soon!

That’s why we are so grateful for the ongoing help and feedback in the Discussion Forums by Dr. Pam Wiltzius, a pawesome veterinarian in Puyallup, Washington.

Dr. Wiltzius has firsthand experience with amputation and bone cancer. Her beloved Tazzie was a beautiful Mastiff who battled bone cancer for just over a year. Although Tazzie earned her wings in October, 2009, Dr. Wiltzius continues to share her expertise with Tripawds nearly every day. Thank you, Dr. Pam, we are so grateful!

A Shepherd’s Itchy Mystery

Last Fall we were lucky enough to shadow Dr. Wiltzius at work. In the following video, Dr. Wiltzius meets Gunther, a regular patient who was brought in because he’s been scratching and itching more than usual.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dr. Wiltzius performed a skin scrape on Gunther to see if he had mange, which he didn’t have. But Gunther’s symptoms weren’t typical of a flea or pollen allergy either. Since German Shepherds are highly susceptible to allergies, Dr. Wiltzius suspects he could be developing an allergic reaction to something, and a blood test could be in his future, possibly even allergy vaccines.

Itchy Skin Recommendations

Before spending the couple hundred dollars for an allergy test, Dr. Wiltzius recommends looking for common signs of pollen allergies, including red, sore ears and feet, and a general overall itchiness.

Additionally, she suggests:

• Frequent bathing every seven to 14 days with hypo-allergenic oatmeal shampoos (aloe-oatmeal combinations are best). Bathing can help remove any allergens that are sticking to him and making him itchy. And as long as an anti-itch shampoo is used, his skin won’t dry out even with weekly bathing.
• Trying a stronger, but gentle, shampoo if itching gets worse. (See recommendations below.)
• Temporarily using a prescription antihistamine (with a very low dose of prednisone) to break the itch cycle. While it’s not desirable to have a dog on prednisone for a long period of time, the amount in this antihistamine is a temporary solution to help Gunther stop scratching.

As you can see, Dr. Wiltzius is a fantastic vet. If you live in the area, your fur kids will be in great hands by having her as their veterinarian. She practices at River Road Animal Hospital in Puyallup. Stay tuned for more informative videos from our visit with Dr. Wiltzius

Recommended Pet Shampoos:

Here are some great shampoos we found that can help a dog with itchy skin:

Canine Earth Roll Over Oatmeal Aloe Skin and Coat Cleanser Shampoo For Dogs.

Castor & Pollux Head to Tail Aloe Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs and Cats

Pet Naturals of Vermont Soothe Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs and Cats

It’s hard to imagine what our lives would be like if we had never laid eyes on the one puppy in the shelter who had destroyed every toy in his kennel, who barked, jumped right into our laps, licked our faces and said “get me out of here!”

The world hasn’t been the same since.

Thank you, Jerry.

We will love you forever.

Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow is but a vision.

But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day.

-Sanskrit Proverb.

As far as we know, the Amputation and Cancer Care Survey is the first of it’s kind to ever address amputation and the Tripawd lifestyle.

We hope that pawrents will be able to see what others have experienced with their own Tripawds, and find the kind of  information they need to make smart decisions for their pup.

Eventually you can download the information as one spreadsheet to draw and share your own conclusions, but first here’s some basic data for your review.

Meanwhile, please keep in mind that:

• We aren’t statisticians
• This is a small, relatively unscientific sampling
• Some questions were left blank within each survey

Tripawds Amputation and Cancer Care Survey Analysis Part 1:
Locations, Gender, Amputation Reasons and Surgery Side Effects

Where are All the Tripawds?

California Tripawds make up the majority of members, with 16 reponses from the Golden State. Texas and Colorado follow closely, and then the rest are thinly scattered in groups of 3 to 6 per state throughout North America. Overseas members from as far away as Portugal and New Zealand also responded but comprised less than 5 responses.

Reasons for Becoming a Tripawd

Survey responses show that the number of male Tripawds to females is evenly split. But, bone cancer has affected more female pups than males here; 43 females became Tripawds because of bone cancer, versus 33 males.

Most interesting of all, it seems that more male Tripawds are missing a leg because of accidents and abuse (10 total), versus only three females.

Females

• Cancer = 43
• Accident = 3
• Birth Defect = 1
• Bacterial infection = 1

Males

• Cancer = 33
• Accident = 9
• Birth defect = 2
• Bacterial infection = 2
• Abuse = 1

Breeds Most Affected by Bone Cancer and Amputation

Most Tripawds members join the club because they’ve been diagnosed with bone cancer. According to the Veterinary Cancer Center of Santa Fe, each year over 8,000 dogs are diagnosed with bone cancer in the U.S., and most are large dogs. Our small survey sample backs this up.

Most Common Tripawd Breeds:

• German Shepherd / German Shepherd Mixes = 10
• Labrador / Labrador Mixes = 10
• Golden Retriever = 8
• Rottweiler = 7

Other Tripawd Breeds:

Alaskan Malamute = 1 (cancer)
All American=9 (4 cancer / 2 accident/injury / 1 birth defect / 1 unknown)
American Bulldog=2 (2 cancer)
Australian Kelpie Mix=1 (cancer)
Australian Shepherd=1 (accident)
Australian Shepherd Mix=1 (bacterial infection)
Belgian Sheepdog=1 (cancer)
Border Collie Cross=1 (cancer)
Boxer=1 (accident)
Boxer Husky Mix=1 (cancer)
Cane Corso=1 (cancer)
Chihuahua=1 (accident)
Deerhound=1 (cancer)
Doberman Mix=3 (3 cancer)
English Mastiff=1 (cancer)
English Shepherd=1 (cancer)
English Springer Spaniel=1 (bacterial infection)
Flat Coated Retriever=2 (2 cancer)
Flat Coated Retriever Mix w/Spaniel=1 (accident)
Great Dane=2 (cancer)
Great Pryenees Mix (Samoyed)=1 (bacterial infection)
Great Pyrenees Mix (Collie)=1 (cancer)
Greyhound=1 (cancer)
Jack Russell=1 (cancer)
Jindo=1 (accident)
Leonberger=1 (cancer)
Pitt Bull=2 (1 cancer / 1 bacterial infection)
Pitt Bull Mix=4 (cancer)
Rat Terrier=1 (accident)
Saint Bernard=1 (cancer)
Schnauzer = 1 (cancer)
Siberian Husky=4 (4 cancer)
Siberian Husky Mix w/Lab=1 (cancer)
Standard Poodle=1 (cancer)
Wheaten Terrier=1 (cancer)
Wolfdog=1 (cancer)

Common Post-Amputation Difficulties

While all dogs are different in how they respond to amputation surgery and recovery, the most common amputation surgery side effects are:

Bruising = 33
Emotional Distress=29
Appetite Loss=27
Restlessness=26
Mobility Problems=23
Seroma / Swelling=20
Constipation=17
Nausea=6
Bleeding=5
Diarrhea=3
Respiratory Problems=3
Phantom Pain = 1*

Three dogs were lucky enough to experience no symptoms at all!

Conclusion

We hope this has given you some good background information on the Tripawd journey. If you would like us to present the information in a different way, have questions or would like to add your feedback, please do in the Tips and Resources Forum Discussion we started for this post.

Stay tuned for our Downloads Blog post, where you’ll be able to download the survey in its entirety.

*We’re sure there are more Tripawds who experienced Phamtom Limb Pain, but we accidentally forgot to include it in the potential answers, and their pawrents didn’t mention it in the “other” field for this question.

But not all of the pups we meet because of Tripawds are three-legged; some actually have four! Hedi, a quadruped who became my YouTube friend in early 2007, was one of them.

When we met up with her in August of that year, we went on a play date. Romping through the pretty green fields where she explored behind her house was one of the highlights of our journey.

Our hearts were broken when we learned that Heidi passed away recently. She was one of the most gentle, sweet souls we have ever known. Her Shepherd spirit will always live on in our hearts.

And now, we’d like to pay tribute to Heidi, by sharing these fun YouTube videos we made together.

Here’s Heidi playing it cool the day we met:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And here’s a  video mashup that Heidi’s brother, Creekracer, and mine put together:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Run free Heidi, we love you.

You see, Martha and Ralph were not only responsible for introducing Wyatt Ray Dawg to my people. They have been generous enough to contribute to Tripawds in the past, and they are planning the upcoming Northern California Tripawds Party.

So please drop by their blog to read all about the Life & Times of Codie Rae, Tripawd Girldog Extraordinaire, and leave them a gracious thank you comment for us.

You might notice how the Tripawds Rule! blog no longer has any banner ads. For details about this and other Tripawds Supporter blog enhancements, please read our Tripawds Supporter information.

As time went on, I tried to tell my pawrents that it was OK for them to want to share their life with another dog. And that dog didn’t even have to be a Tripawd, I just wanted them to be happy, to once again feel the joy at sharing life’s great wonders as a pack.

Throughout our travels together, we sought far and wide for land where I could live out my final days. Though I didn’t make it there with them, they did finally find my perfect resting place. Having made a vow to wait until they found our new mountain home, they now wondered if they were perhaps ready to open their hearts and welcome a new member to the pack.

In July, my friend Codie Rae’s pawrents, Martha and Ralph, posted this announcement about a young pup named Wyatt, who had just been rescued by some very kind people. Being just a little partial towards Shepherds, Wyatt’s big ears, deep eyes and handsome mugshot caught the attention of my pawrents.

“Did you see that Rescue Forums post that Codie Rae put up on the site?” my Dad said to Mom.

“He’s gorgeous!” Mom said.

Mom and Martha were soon on the phone talking about Wyatt. Mom wanted to learn more. Why was he a Tripawd? What was he like? Did he have any issues?

Seems that Wyatt is a well-bred Shepherd puppy who spent the first few months of his life tethered to a rope, in a backyard in Oakland, California. He was underfed and neglected by stupid humans that likely paid a lot of money for him, probably because they just wanted a guard dog. One day his cruel owners went outside and saw that Wyatt’s leg was tangled up in the rope for who knows how long. They took him to the vet to fix his leg, but it was beyond help. When the vet recommended amputation, the owners said forget it; euthanize him. They didn’t want a three legged Shepherd.

A kind vet tech at the clinic named Lucie said “No way!” She knew that Wyatt was destined for greater things, so she took him home, and called the good people at German Shepherd Rescue of Northern California for help. The group paid for Wyatt’s leg amputation, his post-op care, and all of the things necessary to help him get ready to find a loving home.

This group is the same one which helped save my friend Codie Rae from the exact same situation last year. In fact, Codie Rae was 8 months old at the time they found her, and she’s even from the same neighborhood! Her pawrents Martha and Ralph are active volunteers for the group, and that’s how they found out about Wyatt.

Finding out about Wyatt was such perfect timing; it seemed like the universe was conspiring to put him and my pawrents together.

See, last November when Mom and Dad met Codie Rae for the first time, it was only about a month after my passing. Mom and Dad were so heavy in mourning, that they just couldn’t imagine being able to bring another dog into their lives. Today, ten months later, it seemed only fitting that Codie Rae and her pawrents introduce them to the next great love of their lives; my legacy, Wyatt Ray Dawg.

Leg-a-cy. Get it?!

Last week, Mom and Dad went out to Northern California to get their stuff out of storage. Along the way, they made a stop in Oakland, to meet this very special Tripawd! Yes, it was puppy love at first sight. Wyatt made the three day journey back to Jerry’s Acres, and appears to be loving his new life.

And as my pawrents begin their new chapter in Colorado, Wyatt will be there alongside them to share all the joys that life has to offer. And, he’ll continue showing the world that “It’s better to hop on three legs than limp on four!” I’ll be watching over the pack as their travels continue.

Stay tuned for more details about our new Tripawds spokesdog, and read more about Wyatt on his Tripawds blog, Way to Go, Wyatt!

Did you know you can now sign up for your own free Tripawds blog? More big announcements about that coming up soon!