Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
What a great topic....let's see...first off I have to say this....I really am missing my husband (lost him two years ago March 23...) because whenever we would get an animal we played the "we shoulda named you....." and I am doing that now with Casper!! It sure isn't as much fun without Bob to do it with. (rereading this I can see where some of you are going.....)
Shadow...two dogs named Shadow...one when I was pregnant with son (he is 43) and she got hit by a car, lost her tail (it rotted), my husband (at the time) got mad at me and took Shadow (a shepherd mix) and Bridget (a rescued chow who hated him) to the pound and would not tell me which one and I didn't drive and his family wouldn't help me find them.
Shadow...(never calling another dog Shadow) ANOTHER shepherd mix but I think she was "mental" from adoption onward...she ended up biting a kid in a campground (she was being teased at home by kids pounding the fence...her NEW leash collar combo separated during a thunder and lightening storm on her FIRST camping trip while kids were running by our campsite and we were down at the lake)
Shaft - already named HUGE shepherd mix (have no idea what the other part was but he was a giant) rescued from a guy who had to go back to school and couldn't keep him...my first "heart" dog
Wolf....we played the what shall we call the wolf for way too long (our first wolfdog...which we thought was practically all wolf..of course not...the common error made by people going into wolfdogs)...so he never got a "real" name, just Wolf by default - he was a sweetheart...lived to almost 16 although the last 2-3 years those back legs and hips were pretty bad but he was 135 pounds so....
Bandit...another I think shepherd mix, from a box outside of KMart....he had that mask that looked like a bandit
Echo....just cuz we liked it and he did have a really nice howl....and is the coverboy for a book called "Wolfdogs A-Z" and is also on a calendar from many years ago
Magic...I have no idea...one of those going through names til something sounded good that we both liked!! AND that there weren't a million of that we knew of
Patches...a wonderful beautiful Calico girl kitty (first kitty I snuck into a rental...Stephen was probably a year or two old then)
Frosty...cuz he was grey and white and looked "frosted" kitty
Gidget...have no clue....she was adorable but nuts...kitty
OJ...Orange Julius the Butterscotch Kitty...well the interesting thing is that he fit his name looks wise and his IDENTICAL brother got named BC (black cat) because the gal who took him had wanted a black cat and got an orange one!!
and here we are with Casper the Friendly Ghost...well he is all white but the "I shoulda" game has him as speed racer so far this morning......
I just found this topic, can't believe it only has 2 pages...
I didn't know how Jerry G. Dawg and Wyatt Ray Dawg got their names, so I'm glad I found it!
We are glad you found it too! Glad you liked their name tales.
I remember this topic, it's a good one. Thanks for bumping it up.
So now it's time for you to chime in, Jet! Do tell! And everypawdy else, come on, how did your critters get their names?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Well lets see....
With Gypsy our australian shepherd we picked her name before we picked her. If fit perfectly though, she was a wanderer! She use to make rounds to the neighbors kids everyday lol
Roane our anatolian we got to keep gypsy and mom company when dad started traveling for work. In some culture's roane wood is used as a symbol of protection. We figured guard dog=protector=roane. Shes lived up to it in a big way, nothing gets by her! True anatolian she can hear a mouse sneeze 3 houses over and shes on it!
Nurse moe cat was originally named gizmo by my daughter but ended up being more like moe from the stooges!
We also had a cat named Happy that my daughter named when she was little. "Mama listen she makes the happy sound" yup it stuck!
Hugs ❤ Bev, nurse Moe cat, Autumn's Angel Roane & Angel dog Gypsy 🐾
My sweet soulmate Roane was diagnosed with osteo in June of 2019. Had a rear leg amp on July 2nd & crossed the rainbow bridge to be with her sister Gypsy on the first day of Autumn Sept 23 2019.
This is always fun!
Here are other threads from years ago with the same theme: How did you name your dog?, from 2011 and this one from 2010: Whats in a Name? (or nickname?).
Here's a summary of my post from 2011:
The pug girls:
They were bred by my Uncle Paul who was an actor who lived in LA. He named all his pugs after Shakespearean Characters, he used Avoncliff as the breeder name. The girls are sisters from different litters. Their mom was Cordelia (King Lear), their grandpa was Malvolio (Twelfth Night). Mag's litter mate brother was Enobarbus (Antony and Cleopatra).
I picked Maggie's name with deference to my uncle: Avoncliff's Margaret, since there are several Margarets in Shakespeare's plays, and I was POSITIVE that I would name her Molly. The first time I saw her at 10 weeks old I knew she was a Maggie!
Paul named my other pug: Avoncliff's Titania. Titania is the fairy queen from A Midsummer's Nights Dream. That is a mouthful for a name, so my mom and I came up with Tani. I brought Tani home at 10 months old.
Maggie's main nickname is Spud. Why? Well just look at her. It also helps to know her a little- she is just a spud. And sometimes I use the collective Spuds when talking about both of them. I also call Tani monkey dog because she is kind of crazy and throws her body around. And then there are the standard Magster, Tanster, Maggie Mae, Tani Fae.
Of course when they were younger both of them were named 'NO!!', or '#%@# NO!!'. But with pugs NO is usually followed by some amount of giggling because what ever they are doing is pretty funny.
And now for pug boy Obie:
After Maggie crossed I adopted Obie from the local pug rescue group, his name was Diego. Because I already had Titania I knew he had to be Oberon. Oberon is the king of the faeries from Midsummer (see Tani's name above). Obie learned his new name in about a week. I am glad we changed it for two reasons: he really looks like an Obie, and he really didn't have a good start in life- I like that he has a happy new name to go with his now happy life! He doesn't really have a nickname yet.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Now for an update:
Tani passed in 2105 at almost 15 years old. Obie was recovering from his second knee surgery at the time, and soon after I was able to retire from my job, sell my house, and move across town to the house I grew up in, moving in with my Dad. So about 8 months passed with only Obie who had decided he was my Dad's dog!
I was perusing petfinder one day and saw Elly's picture- and that was it! Her name at the time was Dottie (because she is piebald with ticking- lots of 'dots' in her fur). She had a rough start too with being hit by a car at 7 months and when she came to me at 10 months I was her 4th home!
She is only part Pug so I decided against a Shakespearean name, but wanted to keep the family literary naming tradition alive in some way. My Mom's two favorite authors were Shakespeare and Jane Austen and her favorite Jane Austin was Pride and Prejudice so I named our new addition Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Elly for short. I often call her Elly Bea, or sometimes El.
Oh, and today is Obie's adoptaversary (9 years) and on Monday he turns 13!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Baxter
No story here as I just kept his shelter name. Almost changed it to Riley to continue the five-letter ends in Y naming convention (that was totally unintentional), but Baxter is the first non Cocker Spaniel we've had, so he gets to go with something different.
Rocky
He had a different name at the shelter, but I changed it. As a proud University of Tennessee alum, part of his name came from "Rocky Top" (our unofficial fight song). But it was also partly inspired by Rocky Balboa. Even before his cancer diagnosis, Rocky had been through a lot. But he came through it all like a champ.
Nicky
We got him on Christmas Eve, so his official name was Saint Nick.
Corky
The first dog we had growing up, he was a black Cocker Spaniel. Got his name from a Little Golden Book we had. I'm surprised I could find a picture of it online.
David and Rocky (and Baxter now too!)
Rocky had his right front leg amputated on Valentine's Day 2017 after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
He joined the September Saints on September 3, 2017.
He is the toughest, bravest, sweetest and best friend I'll ever know.
@roane226 thank you for sharing your pack's story. I love the different names of your critters, and how they suited their pawsonalities.
David I love the way your previous pup's names had such significance to you, even as a child. So special! And how lovely that Baxter gets to be his own dog. Apparently it means "Baker." Hmm, what do you think he's cooking up for you?
Karen you have such history with us! Thank you for retrieving those links and sharing Elly's story. And HOPPY ADOPTAVERBIRTHSARY OBIE! Lucky 13 is a pretty pawesome milestone!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hey all, thanks for sharing your stories!
And Karen, thanks for the additional thread links, and the update.
No cool story about Jet's name. That was his name when I got him, and I like it ok. My 4-legger cat Jery, I named after my friend who gave her to me. I know, yawn.
But I rarely call either cat by their name, just nicknames. Usually I just call them Boy and Girl lol.
Oh, and here's a link to a video of a song my good friend Paul wrote about Jet:
This IS a fun topic! Just saw it for the first time..
Thor - first dog (Westie) as a married couple. Thought a "tough" name would help hubby embrace a small dog; hit by car at 1 1/2 yrs old
Bear - Westie, full of attitude, tough as nails, passed at age 12 yrs
Thor - first Dobe, beautiful red male...totally fit this magnificent beast. Passed at age 6 of lymphoma
Harley - Dobe, red female; passed at age 6 of cardiomyopathy
Kodi - (short for Kodiak) Westie, keeping with the "bear" theme started by Bear; still plugging along at age 15
Nitro - black Dobe, and my heart dog! Saw the name somewhere - long before Dodge used it; passed at age 11 1/2, cancer warrior
Grizzly - Westie, also keeping with the "bear" theme
Tucker - Cairn, adopted at age 5 mos, came with the name and kept it cuz it fit him
As a child, my parents named every German Shepherd we had Major - and they were all females 
Nitro 11 1/2 yr old Doberman; right front amp June 2014. Had 6 doses carboplatin, followed by metronomic therapy. Rocked it on 3 legs for over 3 years! My Warrior beat cancer, but couldn't beat old age. He crossed the Bridge peacefully on July 25, 2017, with dignity and on his terms. Follow his blog entitled "Doberman's journey"
"Be good, mama loves you".....run free my beautiful Warrior
Paula I LOVE the backstories behind the names. I had no idea you were a long-time Westie fan before the Dobe's came into your life. You chose such terrific names for all of them.
Your parent's choice of "Major" for the GSDs made me laugh! I thought of friends of ours, who had two pet Boa Constrictors that they mated. They had a slew of baby boas, which my friends named "George," since it was difficult to tell the difference between any of them! And also, apparently George Foreman named all of his kids "George" too! 
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I love hearing the stories behind the names! Thank you for the major the German shepherd story. It made me think of my great grandfather and smile. He called all the animals in the house butch, regardless of there real names. 3 cats and a dog all butch lol!
Hugs ❤ Bev, nurse Moe cat, Autumn's Angel Roane & Angel dog Gypsy 🐾
My sweet soulmate Roane was diagnosed with osteo in June of 2019. Had a rear leg amp on July 2nd & crossed the rainbow bridge to be with her sister Gypsy on the first day of Autumn Sept 23 2019.
Well, if I go all the way back our first dog a Samoyed named Frosty, then Delilah (Deli) then Frosty had pups and we kept one Samson , Deli had pups King and my girl Kandi Kiss ( loved candy and to kiss so that was how she got her name) Most of them had biblical names.
then went to college and the softball team gave me a yellow lab who I named Dusty and my brother and mom found a litter of pups Australian Shepherds or something and kept one and named her PJ. (Short for peanut butter & Jelly)
Then our first Rottie (actually my brother's dog) his name was Dr. Pepper ( knocked over a bottle and started drinking it) shortened to Doc
My first Rottie girl was Shadow (followed me everywhere) then came
Bosch whose name meant little spark plug
And Sassy’s full name is Sassy Sugar Bear. She got the Sassy part from a couple days after getting her she would turn and bark at me when I was talking to her. Like she was giving me sass. Sugar Bear just came from her just being a sugar and looking like a bear. So that is how she got her name
Then we got Princess Jasmine (Gracie named her as she is their dog "technically") and
SnickersDoodle Bear She got her name Snickers from my mom Doodle from Karma and Bear after Sassy.
And we will soon have a little guy joining us but his name is to be determined when we get him on Aug 3. He was born June 3, 2019
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
As a child, my parents named every German Shepherd we had Major – and they were all females
This triggered a memory from childhood...
My parents decided to get my little brother a dog when we were kids- you know, to help teach him responsibility (right!). He picked out a little girl puppy mutt from the local pound (they weren't called shelters back then). I remember my mom spending hours going over every girl name she could think of with my brother. He decided to call her Snoopy!
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Paul HATED Fallon's name, he said it could be anything else--so we tried a few other names--don't remember them now--but Fallon was the only one she would respond to, so Paul got used to it.
We always kept the name our dogs were called at the track, because our adoption group is big on keeping the dogs' call names through adoption, because that's what they know. But turns out Maggie's name was changed at the adoption group, because she is a pretty girl with what they thought was a weird name. Recently we met her trainer on Facebook. She told us her name history. When she was a puppy on the farm, they called her Angie, but after that, she was Braggin' --her racing name--or Brag. so I started calling her Brag. She does perk up when I call her that. Paul only calls her Maggie.
And Danica is just Dirty Danica.
Fallon 8/28/06--9/6/18. My Heart.
Fallon's left front leg was amputated due to osteosarcoma on 10/11/17.
Nothing But Love in Her Heart - dawn3g.tripawds.com
1 Guest(s)
