“What a beautiful day we had for the Paw Rade in Mainstrasse Village!” says Barb. “It was great to have the opportunity to talk with so many pet owners, rescues and shelter people about the best group of folks around–the Tripawds community, our extended family.”

Barb and John’s “Mission of Hope” is their way of honoring the support they received while their Hope went through her own amputation journey and soon after succumbed to kidney failure. The Youngs have started this outreach program to offer information and support to Tripawd dogs in the Cincinnati area.

“Tripawds folks gave us so much support and encouragement after Hope’s surgery, that in honor and remembrance of her, we have started the Tripawds.com Cincinnati Outreach Program, ‘Mission of Hope’” Barb told us.

“It was easy to tell people how all of you have taken the path that is before them, and how you can help them along the way.

So many people told me that they wished they had known about tripawds when their pet had surgery,” she added.

Create Tripawd Awareness in Your Town

Spreading the word about the amazing capabilities of three-legged dogs is easy and doesn’t have to cost a lot. Print our free Tripawds fliers, then pass them out to your veterinarian, dog food store, beautify salon . . . “Anywhere and everywhere,” says Barb, “because there are people out there who need YOU and the support you and this community can give them.”

If you have an opportunity to set up a booth at an animal function, “do it!” Barb says. “It’s easy and you will get far more out of the event that you put in. Email me and I will give you all the info you need to do an event!”

At the Paw-Rade, the Youngs set up a beautiful table, and had beautifully-packaged, tasty homemade dog cookies ready for hungry pups.

Barb turned her kitchen into a biscuit bakery, and baked several different types of treats for the event.

Although competition was stiff among the many different treat vendors, Barb added a classy touch to her offerings. Instead of grabbing treats out of a jar when a customer requested some, she used tongs to bag their order. This gave her treats a cleaner, more sanitary look than typical treat vendors.

In addition to dog treats, Barb addressed the feline fans at the Paw-Rade, with her homegrown catnip treats.

They even had Charger, a Tripawd pup staff the booth to show everypawdy what three legged dogs can do!

“It really was a great time for everyone and gave me a good opportunity to talk with other rescues about tripod animals they might rescue in the future,” says Barb.

We’ve never seen a more well-dressed bunch of pups anywhere!

Thank you Barb and John for all of your hard work to raise over $100 to help Tripawds.com, and show the world that Tripawds Rule!

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Join the forum discussion on this topic.

Many future Tripawd pawrents assume Tripawds is only for dogs who lose a leg to cancer.

But as Tripawds Spokesdawg Wyatt Ray can tell you, that’s just not the case.

Beyond Cancer: All Tripawds Welcome

Tripawds began when Spirit Jerry lost his leg to osteosarcoma, but his community is now the world’s biggest resource for animal amputees because of the many different circumstances in which they lose a leg.

While the majority of our members are dogs facing bone cancer, we’ll always be here to provide support for anypawdy facing amputation or life with a malformed limb. Our Beyond Cancer Discussion Forum shares many of their stories.

And yes, all species, even cats(!) are most definitely welcome!

Below are just a few examples of how some members became Tripawds.

If you have a Tripawd for reasons other than cancer, share your story in the comments below or in the Forums.

Our Spokesdawg, Wyatt Ray Dawg lost his leg from abuse and neglect, and so did the rest of the Oaktown Pack (pictured left to right, Travis Ray, Codie Rae and Wyatt Ray.

Gerry had irrepairable damage to his left rear leg.

Nemo the kitty was the first non-canine Tripawd we heard about.

New members Cubbie and Reggie were born without paws.

Comet had a fourth leg but she couldn’t use it. Honorary Tripawds definitely count!

JoJo is a sweet little pup who was hit by a car and adopted as a Tripawd

The Petite Princess Shelby was found overseas and brought to America as a Tripawd.

 Molly the Tripawd Pony is a hero of ours.

And finally, Henry the Tripawd Cat is doing pawesome social work with his book series that helps Tripawds.com!

As you can see, Tripawds is an all-species community for any animal who’s lost a leg.

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.

Healthy Paws helps pet people prevent, prepare for, and respond to pet health emergencies.

We’ll talk about:

• how to assess your dog’s health status
• what to do if your dog is in distress
• how to make your pup more comfortable during bad weather
• signs that say it’s time to go to the vet.

This promises to be one of our most informative shows yet for Tripawds and quad-pawds alike. Mark your calendars to tune in and ask your questions!

Date: Sunday, July 24, 2011
Time: 6:30pm EDT (3:30 Pacific)
Duration: 30 min.
Call In Number: (310) 388-9739

Tune In Here: Pet First Aid, CPR and Safety for Dogs
Share Link: bit.ly/ttr072411

Post questions for Jillian with a reply to this topic, or join us in the Tripawds Live Chat during the show!

Recommended Reading:

Pet First Aid – What To Do In An Emergency
Healthy Paws Pet First Aid, CPR and Care Classes

DISCLAIMER: Information provided is for entertainment only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice.

Join the forum discussion on this topic.

During our video chats about canine bone cancer with Dr. Johnny Chretin, head of oncology at VCA Animal Hospital West Los Angeles Oncology Center, we asked him some questions that Tripawds members often ask, such as:

“Can Removal of the Primary Tumor Expedite Metastasis in Dogs with Osteosarcoma?”

Dr. Chretin states that in a small pilot study at a veterinary teaching hospital (likely Colorado State University), researchers studied a small group of 15 or 20 dogs who didn’t undergo amputation after being diagnosed with bone cancer because their owners didn’t want the surgery or couldn’t afford it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The pilot study followed these dogs throughout the remainder of their lives and concluded that there was no difference in the rate of metastasis among dogs who had amputation surgery versus those dogs who did not. This has also been the case in Dr. Chretin’s practice at VCA Animal Hospital.

Will Radiation Help if Postponing Amputation?

Another study at Colorado State University showed that a large percentage of osteosarcoma dogs who were treated with stereotactic radiation therapy instead of amputation had good long-term survival rates. Instead of succumbing to sudden pathological fractures or untreatable bone cancer, the cancer eventually metastasized as it does for dogs who do undergo amputation.

Why Amputate Sooner Rather than Later?

Although stereotactic radiation therapy is showing great promise for bone cancer dogs, it’s only available at Colorado State University and the University of Florida. For the majority of dogs who cannot undergo this therapy, their pain must be addressed promptly to avoid additional suffering.

“There’s no way to completely get rid of the pain, except taking the leg off,” says Dr. Chretin. “We can do quite a few things that can make them feel pretty darn good, but there’s no way to take all that pain away from them if they have that leg intact. By delaying amputation, the dog is at great risk of a pathological fracture and “that’s as bad as pain gets in animals,” says Dr. Chretin.

Historically, cancer researchers believed that the longer the cancer tumors are left in the body the more time it has to spread. However Dr. Chretin states that this theory is being challenged. Nobody really knows for sure at this point.

“That’s why medicine is really interesting and challenging,” says Dr. Chretin. “Just when we think we understand cancer and say ‘OK this is how it works, this is how the cancer has behaved over the last 20 years,’ all of a sudden someone asks a different question (and everything changes).”

Does the Location of a Tumor Matter?

Finally, we wanted to know, does the location of a dog’s bone cancer tumor determine the severity of the cancer or a prognosis?

Click here to view the embedded video.

“I’m not aware of anything that says that radius versus humerus is any different,” says Dr. Chretin. Each individual dog’s cancer presents its own unique challenge. For example:

“If anything, having a tumor on a scapula might be better because (your dog) doesn’t necessarily have to lose the leg, you can just lose the scapula. So if you look at things from that perspective, then it’s better to have the tumor higher up.”

When a dog has a leg tumor it can be more challenging to treat, not because the cancer will behave more aggressively but because there is less tissue to work with when attempting to removing the tumor. This is why amputation is often the recommended treatment.

Moving down the leg, clinical studies show that if osteosarcoma is below the wrist, those patients tend to do better and live longer even without chemotherapy. The cancer will still spread but it seems to take longer. Unfortunately, it’s rare for osteosarcoma to present itself in that location.

What about limb sparing for lower extremity tumors?

Limb sparing is often presented as an option for dogs who aren’t amputation candidates or for pawrents who are hesitant about removing the limb. However, the reality is that a limb spare is a lot to put a dog through, plus there is a 30 percent risk of infection and a 30 percent risk of the cancer reoccurring in the same limb. Usually, the limb will have to be amputated anyways.

Stay Tuned for More Canine Cancer Oncology News

This is the latest in a series of video interviews with Dr. Chretin at VCA Animal Hospital West Los Angeles. Stay tuned for additional interview clips with Dr. Chretin that offer informative advice about canine bone cancers, such as:

• Cisplatin and Doxorubicin Side Effects in Dogs
• Canine Chondrosarcoma and Chemotherapy
• Thoughts about combining holistic and traditional oncology therapies

Tripwds sends sincere thanks to Dr. Chretin and his helpful staff for allowing us to bring this impawtant information to you!

Recommended Reading

North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine: Osteosarcoma in Dogs

PubMed: Palliative radiation therapy for canine osteosarcoma

PDF: Bone Cancer in Greyhounds, Dr. Guillermo Couto, DVM, dip. ACVIM

Dr. Charles Louis Davis, DVM Foundation: Outline of Veterinary Skeletal Pathology

Veterinary Practice News: How to Treat Osteosarcoma When Surgery is Refused

All content Copyright Tripawds.com, July 2011. If you like this article enough to mention it on your website, we simply ask that you attribute the source and contact us when you post it.  Thanks!

From last November’s 2 Million Dogs event in Washington to the Fort Collins Doggie Olympics, if there’s an affordable dog event in our path, we do our best to be there.

Last week we put Tripawds Spokesdog Wyatt Ray to work at the Larimer County Humane Society 21st annual Fire Hydrant 5k Fundraiser and Pet Expo (which raised over $55,000 for dogs in need!).

Our Tripawds display included Tripawds Gear and canine fitness equipment, books, fliers,  Tripawds handmade jewelry and lots of doggie snacks.

The event was extra special because our Tripawd Pal Dakota, his sister Evelyn, Mom Shari and little brother Aidan came to help.

Who could resist sweet Dakota?

We were so hoppy to see that one of our exhibit neighbors was Doug Koktavy, author of The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer.

Doug’s book is one of the best tools for helping pawrents cope with their dog’s serious illness. Read it if you haven’t already, it’s a keeper!

Later the afternoon turned into a Tripawds reunion when Spirit Peyton’s people and little brothers Dillon and Rhys stopped by to say hello.

One of the highlights of the day was meeting Kara Pappas, Development Manager at the Larimer County Humane Society, along with her three legged rescue dog, another rear legger named Wyatt!

Kara was so happy to meet us in person, because Tripawds had been such a great resource for her when recently, a sweet, three legged lab came into the shelter.

Kara wanted to adopt him but she wasn’t sure if a tripod dog would require lots of care. She looked online, and Tripawds.com alleviated all of her concerns. Our discussion forums, blog stories, tips and resources all helped cinch her decision to give Wyatt a furever home.

Hearing stories like Kara and Wyatt’s are why we exist…

To show the world that canine amputees can have a good life and really aren’t any different from quadpawds.

And it’s because of the pawrents like you who contribute your time and financial support that we can do it; from taking the time to share your Tripawd experiences and offer support to new members, to shopping through our blogs and our Etsy store.

Every click, every dollar you spend on or through here makes the world a better place for three legged dogs.

Thank you so much!

As part of our ongoing commitment to show you where your financial support goes, here’s what this event cost Tripawds:

Exhibit Space: $75
Tent Canopy: Borrowed
Sales Tax Permit: $8
Total: $83

In last week’s video interview at California Animal Rehabilitation (CARE), we learned about how Lobo regained his health, thanks to the doctors at CARE and his pawrent, Dr. Lisa Swan.

In the following video, we learn about Lobo’s acupuncture sessions, how canine rehab therapy can benefit Tripawds and how to find a qualified practitioner.

After the video, you’ll learn more about these topics and where you go for more information about effective canine rehabilitation therapy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Acupuncture Alleviates Pain in Dogs

Lobo is a front leg Tripawd who has returned to the clinic after suffering from severe back pain. Dr. Jessica Waldman, VMD, CVA, CCRT, explains that Lobo has a weak front wrist, which is most likely caused by overuse from years of excessive weight bearing on the remaining front leg.

Front leg Tripawds like Lobo are at risk of this condition, which happens when the fibrous tissue in joints breaks down. Spinal problems are also a potential challenge Tripawds may encounter. Both of these conditions are the result of aging, as well as living life on three legs.

Dr. Waldman says that Tripawds “put a little more stress on their back. It is going to happen with older dogs too, but with Tripawds we see it a lot more.”

This is because Tripawds must alter their natural body mechanics to get around on three legs. It’s similar to when a human walks with a limp; eventually the limp will lead to back pain. If a dog’s natural gait is totally altered over a lifetime, aches and pains can arise.

Core strengthening exercises and fitness games done at home can help to offset this compensation. Additional benefits can be enjoyed by regularly consulting with a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner to learn how to alleviate age-related aches and pains.

In the past, pain medication wasn’t helping Lobo to feel better. Just one month prior, his back pain was so bad he couldn’t walk. But now, Dr Waldman explains that with rehabilitation and acupuncture, Lobo is back to “his old rowdy self and ready to go!”

What Can Acupuncture Do?

According to an article in WholeHealthMD,

“Acupuncture practitioners believe that the therapy stimulates the body’s internal regulatory system and nurtures a natural healing response.” The article explains that acupuncture works by “release of endorphins and monoamines, chemicals that block pain signals in the spinal chord and brain.”

Acupuncture is a safe, non-invasive way to help alleviate pain when performed by a skilled, certified practitioner. When considering what types of pain relief options are available for animal patients, Dr. Waldman says:

“I tell patients that acupuncture can’t hurt. There’s so many things that we can do that do hurt. Surgery has a lot of good and bad things about it. And medications have side effects. So why not try this plan?”

Anyone considering acupuncture should keep in mind that for the best results, you’ll need to make an ongoing commitment to the therapy. At Dr. Waldman’s clinic, pawrents are encouraged to try a comprehensive, four week acupuncture treatment plan before moving on to more invasive options. If a pawrent doesn’t see results, or the doctors at CARE don’t see improvement, treatment can be halted. Usually, though, acupuncture helps.

“Once they see that their dog is improved, they’re sold (on acupuncture),” she explains.

How to Find a Qualified Acupuncturist and Rehabilitation Therapist
Canine rehabilitation is a growing field and practitioners are opening rehab centers all the time. How do you know who’s qualified and who isn’t?

Dr. Amy Kramer, PT, DPT, CCRT, co-founder of CARE, advises pawrents to seek out practices that have a veterinarian and a licensed canine rehabilitation practitioner working together.

“If there’s no therapist and no veterinarian involved, then I think you’re missing a link in the chain of what works,” she says.

This collaborative approach works because canine rehabilitation veterinarians are trained to recognize and diagnose animal diseases, but canine rehab practitioners are not.

When a dog is undergoing rehab therapy but his condition is not being monitored by a rehabilitation veterinarian, small signs of disease and illness could be missed, which puts the patient’s health in jeopardy and possibly lead to additional treatment costs.

Pawrents can find certified canine rehabilitation practitioners by visiting:

• The American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians (AARV)
• The Canine Rehabilitation Institute, which awards the certificate of Canine Rehabilitation Therapist (CCRT)
• The University of Tennessee’s Outreach and Continuing Education Department (in conjunction with Northeast Seminars), which grants a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CCRP) certificate.

These organizations certify veterinarians, veterinary technicians, physical therapists, and physical therapy assistants. Both U.S. and International practitioner directories are available.

Acupuncture therapists can be located at:

• The Association for British Veterinary Acupuncturists
• The American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncturists
• The Chi Institute

Additional Reading

Therapies: Acupuncture, WholeHealthMD.com

“The Benefits of Canine Rehabilitation & Conditioning”, Whole Dog Journal, by Lisa Rodier, September 2009

Many thanks to everyone at California Animal Rehabilitation Center in Los Angeles for helping us bring this series to you. If you are lucky enough to live nearby, be sure to visit their facility and see how staff can help your canine amputee stay strong and live hoppy!

Learn more about Lobo in Part 1 of this series with CARE, “Canine Rehab Therapy: Senior Tripawd Bounces Back with CARE”

Join the forum discussion on this topic.

The end of life discussion is difficult, but necessary for pawrents to ensure a peaceful transition for their beloved animal companion. In a recent Tripawd Talk Radio show, we gleaned valuable advice about this topic. And an in an ongoing discussion about how pack mates say goodbye, Tripawd Calpurnia‘s Mom, TC Wait, offered more enlightenment.

If anyone knows about coping with this process, TC does. As a sled dog family, TC and her husband have always had a large pack comprised of rescue dogs of all ages.

Sadly, they’ve gone through end-of-life care many times. It never gets easier, but TC has learned a lot through the years and wants to share it with this community.

Transitions
by TC Wait

“One of the hardest things to face when you have a large pack of dogs you live your life with is when one becomes sick, old, or otherwise ailing. These dogs give us their all, consistently, all the time. They give our lives direction and meaning. Our dogs are family members. Each one is individual and cherished.

Calpurnia, our 16-year old, three-legged dog, is not doing well. She has had a long life, lead more teams than I can count, logged thousands of miles in harness, has survived starvation, a broken femur, laryngeal paralysis, and cancer.

But she has reached a point in her life where we are not able to fix what is wrong.

You can’t fix old age. Dying is part of living, and she has indeed lived a long and glorious life. We have been blessed to be a part of it.

After our return from Alaska, she started winding down. Almost as if she had crossed the last thing off her “bucket list” that she wanted to accomplish. We took her to the vet to make sure there wasn’t anything treatable going on. But we guessed from her gaze that she was seeing trails and teams that we could not see.

Dogs know things that people don’t, or won’t see. The pack behaves differently when a member is in transition, getting ready to cross over. This week the younger dogs started bringing Cali “gifts” of pine cones and sticks, and laying close to her. Even Ivy the cat has been curling up with Cali on her bed. Sitting vigil. Saying their good-byes.

Things to Consider When Facing End-of-Life Decisions

Transitions can take a long time, but really there is no way to tell. There are cycles of good days and bad days. End-of-life care for a friend requires patience and comfort.

I have been down this road many times, and with as many furry family members as we have, have only scratched the surface of how many more times we will be here. I don’t have any answers, but I do have some thoughts to share on the end-of-life that we ALL will face at some point.

There is no “right” or “wrong” here. Each dog, each situation, each day varies. All you can do is what is best for your particular friend on that particular day. Maybe it is allowing nature to do its thing, maybe it is aggressively treating an issue, maybe it is euthanasia.

I have gone all these routes (and some others too) based on each unique situation. No one can tell you what is best for your situation. YOU know your animal better than anyone else, and you need to keep their needs in mind.

Everyone dies. No one gets out of this contract. Dying isn’t something to fret or worry about because it is pointless. We do what we can with the time we have – as long or as short as that may be. Each day is a gift, each moment precious. Make them count.

I don’t remember being born, but I can’t imagine that it was a painless process (certainly not for my mom). In that same light, I think that there is some natural discomfort in dying also. Our bodies are programed to keep fighting, sometimes beyond what they are capable of.

That being said, as a pet owner I think you need to closely evaluate what level of discomfort your friend is facing and do what you can to help. I wouldn’t be afraid of pain, rather see it for what it is and try to figure out what it is telling you. Go with your heart.

Lots of people like to tell you what to do. They don’t know. They can’t possibly know. YOU do. YOU have to make the decisions, do the hard work, get up a million times during the night, etc. Every time someone makes a snide comment about your decisions, keep that in mind. And try not to punch them in the neck, that just leads to legal issues.

Transition from life to death can sometimes take a long time. It definitely takes a stress toll on you, and pack mates that may live with you. As much as you can, try to keep life as normal as possible. Get out and walk, watch a sunset, make a nice meal, laugh. Do the things that keep your spirit filled. Your energy keeps the pack happy, stable, and feeling secure.

Calpurnia Chooses Her Own Path

Calpurnia is very peaceful. She does not appear to be stressed or in pain. We have had a series of cool, snowy days which seems to have perked her up a bit. She watches life around her, but makes little effort to be involved. More as if she is reminding herself of this life so she has memories to take with her. She takes comfort in her team members being around her.

We will not rush her – we will allow Calpurnia to choose her own path and her own time as she has her whole life. We will take each day as they come and enjoy the precious moments we have left with our sweet girl.

When the time comes, she will follow that trail to her teammates waiting on the other side who will be so happy to see her. Her spirit will live on in the lessons she has taught us, the memories we have shared together, and the continuation of the journey we started together.”

Written by TC Wait. Read this in its entirety at The Adventures of the Odaroloc Sled Dogs.

Calpurnia has a special place in our hearts. She has been a member of Tripawds since 2007. When she and Spirit Jerry met in 2008, it was love at first sight. We’ll never forget it.

Our hearts are breaking knowing that she will no longer be leading us down trails here on earth, but we take comfort in knowing that Spirit Jerry will be there to welcome her into eternity.

More Ways to Cope with End of Life Decisions and Grief:

Tripawds Grief Support Resources

Help for Coping with Anticipatory Grief

Pet Loss Books to Ease a Child’s Broken Heart

‘For Every Dog an Angel’ Celebrates our Bonds

How to R.O.A.R. and Recover from Pet Loss

Lobo is an older rescue dog who’s made an amazing recovery from years of neglect and abuse, thanks to the loving care of Dr. Lisa Swan, a veterinarian in Pasadena, California. Dr. Swan adopted him after animal control authorities rescued him from a neglectful human.

When Lobo arrived at Dr. Swan’s clinic, he could barely walk. He was incontinent, had a bum wrist, severe arthritis, muscle atrophy and a slew of other injuries from years of neglect. Dr. Swan was asked to “patch him up” so he could be held as evidence to prosecute his former abuser.

Despite his defensive, cranky attitude, Lobo won the heart of Dr. Swan, who adopted him when the case was over. Lobo became a regular at California Animal Rehabilitation (CARE) in Los Angeles (see our ongoing video series about CARE).

Lobo began receiving acupuncture treatments, participating in active exercises and therapy stretches with CARE’s team of professional therapists. After only about 12 sessions, he showed amazing improvement. Lobo’s recovery is proof that with the right kind of trained therapists and “homework” exercises, senior Tripawds can get around beautifully.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Every CARE patient is evaluated by a team of trained veterinary rehabilitation therapists, like Josh Arellano, who began his career as a physical therapist for humans and then transitioned to canines.

Any pawrent who’s considering taking their Tripawd to canine rehabilitation therapy should be aware that even with the best therapy, it won’t live up to its potential without the commitment and dedication of the dog’s human.

CAREs team of certified technicians gives each pet pawrent homework assignments to do at home.

Pawrents learn how to do stretches properly. All home exercises and recommendations need to be followed, like not letting the Tripawd jump off furniture, out of cars, or overdoing it at the dog park.

Most importantly, pawrents learn how to avoid injuring the patient, which, according to Rehabilitation Technician Catherine Shields, is one of the hardest things for newcomers to figure out.

Today Lobo continues to receive regular treatments as needed. To manage his chronic back pain, he gets ongoing acupuncture treatments and stretches. Stay tuned for another segment of Lobo’s acupuncture session with the good folks at CARE.

Many thanks to everyone at California Animal Rehabilitation Center in Los Angeles for helping us bring this series to you. If you are lucky enough to live nearby, be sure to visit their facility and see how staff can help your canine amputee stay strong and live hoppy!

Our apologies for the low audio levels of this video, CARE is a busy place, making it an extremely challenging environment to record interviews!

Join the forum discussion on this topic.

The Tripawd experience brings pawrents together from all over the world, but chances are, there’s probably Tripawd pawrents in your own city that you didn’t even know about.

Why not get to know your local Tripawd families by organizing a Tripawds Chapter Party?

Organizing your own three legged dog pawty is easy.

1. Visit our Discussion Forum Topic, “Tripawd Parties”. Let people know you want to organize one.
2. Post an announcement in our Tripawds Three Legged Dog Facebook Page. We have tons of Facebook members who don’t visit the Discussion Forums, and vice versa. Tell Facebook fans to visit the Forums to help plan the event.
3. Choose a date and location. From dog parks to beaches to backyards, Tripawd pawties have been held in every type of location.
4. Share the logistics with us in the Tripawd Parties topic. We’ll help promote it here and on our Facebook Page.
5. Download and create a Tripawds Pawty Flier if you’re really ambitious, to post at local dog parks and pet stores!
6. Name Your Price for Tripawd Bandannas! The bandannas make great pawty favors and all proceeds go to help maintain the Tripawds community.

That’s it! Once you nail down the logistics, we’ll help remind people and promote the big event.

Tripawd pawties are building camaraderie, support and friendships everywhere in the world. Why not get one started in your neighborhood?