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
Let me put in my 2 cents worth! There is a reason why your heart was moved to even look into the rescue, and the fact you were interested in only another tripawd and the likelihood of you finding one there? Hmmmm...just might be fate.
Deb and Bandit
It was almost two years for me between my golden girl Samantha (a rescue) and Milo. For whatever reason, we still had Samantha's bed and collar and dishes and all that stuff I just couldn't get rid of. Because of my husband's allergies, I didn't think I'd ever have a dog again He quit needing his inhaler a week after Samantha passed. (I had her before I had him.)
Well... 12 years later, Milo still wears Samantha's collar and uses her dishes. He also used her bed until we came home one day and he was standing in his x-pen knee deep in batting, the remains of the bed!
BTW, Samantha's now been gone nearly 12 years and I still find her fur in the basement, and on back shelves, and all sorts of strange places. I suspect I will be buried some day with Samantha fur on me! The joys of a Golden Retriever. By comparison, Milo is an Australian Labradoodle -- bred to be an allergy friendly service dog -- so the only fur we ever find is if his tail gets stepped on or stuck somewhere.
At the other extreme, I had an Otis growing up. Our dog was hit by a car on a Saturday night. I saw an ad in the paper for "free dogs" from a backyard accident on Tuesday. I convinced my mom to just take a look, and Otis, the runt of the litter, picked me. My dad came home from a business trip a few days later and said she was the ugliest thing he ever saw and was going back. She lived to be 15 and had my dad wrapped around her "ugly" little dew claw to the end!
Bottom line, there is no right answer. There are so many good paths through life.
Peace,
-Jenifer & Milo
Just to close out this story - I finally was able to confirm that Birdie has already been adopted. But, I suspect I will be hanging around rescue events in the future. Tess has not escaped again, and she seems to be doing ok, but the house is so quiet. (With 3 cats, a dog, and a teenager???).
But, I have learned some interesting things during the past almost three weeks:
1. Otis was not the dog responsible for emptying my daughter's backpack whenever she left food in it. Tess is quite clever about dragging the evidence to the beds that he preferred.
2. Otis shed a lot! I used to sweep my floors twice a week. It has been eight days since I last swept, and it really didn't look horrible.
3. Otis kept the peace at night. Without him here, the cats feel a need to stand outside my room and hiss and growl at each other for hours! Somehow, Tess just doesn't keep them in line. Probably because she decides that it must be breakfast time (2 a.m.? Really?)
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Amazing how some things work huh 🙂 When the right one is there you will know it. Otis will guide them into your life that I am sure of.
Now 2 am eating time that is crazy lol
xoxoxo
Michelle & Angel Sassy
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."
Went to the rescue today. No one there who would work for us - a load of puppies from Arkansas and two females who need to be only dogs. There may be a 5 year old male lab mix coming in mid-week, but he is still under evaluation. Anyway, I left my name and "specifications," including that I would take a Tripawd, so we will see what happens.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Just saw your post about Tess getting vusted for things she used ro be able to blame on Otis!! Tess, you better hope Otis sends you a new friend soon, otherwise you have no one else to blame!
I know opening up your heart to another dog who needs love is exactly what Otis wants for you and Tess! He knows he is nestled safely in his very own corner of your heart, but he left room for others.
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Whichever dog Otis sends you and Tess will be one lucky pooch, that's for certain! I wonder where they are right now. I wish we could somehow send them a message. 'Hey, don't worry, everything's going to be just fine. You have the best forever family just waiting to welcome you!'
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
It's a really cool rescue. They bring dogs up from kill shelters in the Southern U.S., but also work with a lot of the other rescues in the area to place dogs. Pre-cruciate repair, Otis and Tess did daycare and overnights there, so they know Tess' personality. My guess is that if there is a suitable Tripawd in the Midwest, I will soon know.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
1 Guest(s)
