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.
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I talk to my dogs, we both do. We probably have more conversations with them than with each other! I'll go one further, if I ever meet your dog(s), I'll talk to them too! I like to talk to dogs, they are always appreciative of the attention.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
I love this!
This may seem nutty, even to dog lovers. I have gotten a LOT of guff over this BUT,
you know your a dog lover when... your dog's life hangs in the balance between paying for their amputation and chemo, or the two teeth that just broke off in your head because of the stress.
Sammy is more important than my smile right now. I will get them fixed soon as I get some of my credit card paid down. I couldn't imagine getting my teeth fixed but Sammy dying over it.
Is that too much? Not to me, but it does embarrass me when people notice. It makes me feel like a hick. So, hmmm, I know I am a dog lover when I love his smile more than my own!
Elizabeth and Sammy
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
Not nutty at all...we just met a couple who has health insurance for their dogs, but not for themselves!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
krun15 said:
Whose dog are you talking about?? Doesn't sound like W.R.D. !!! I wouldn't even do that with Obie at this point… he's small, but deadly!.
She sure is!
Yesssiree, that's me. I might be as loud as a lion but I know how to take food from a human like a lamb!
Wyatt Ray Dawg . . . The Tripawds Leg-A-Cy Continues!
Read all about my adventures at my Tripawds Blog
cometdog said:
When you get your dog, her own dog.
So true! Done it twice for Comet!
Or, you can them their own cat named Pup, once they get too old to romp with young dogs (did that for my previous dog, and now Pup the Cat has outlived two dogs.
And from Maggie:
Your carefully picked out, color matched furniture is covered with
blankets of random sizes and colors to try and keep it sort of clean.
This would be instead of simply keeping the dogs off the furniture.
Or, more likely, you pick out the furniture and car interior and, when possible your own coat, to match the dog fur that sheds.
You not only talk to your dog, but explain non-dog lovers to him so he won't feel bad. ("It's not you Gerry...")
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
Your dogs eat better food than you do.
example:
My parents hosted a New Year's Eve party, my dad prepared a prime rib (it cost about $100!). The day after he came over to help me with the dogs (I was still in a sling and couldn't walk them on my own) and he brought a couple of small left over steaks. He showed them to me and said that he thought they were a little undercooked, and he asked 'how do you like yours?'. I said- 'I like mine cooked just a bit more'. So he got out a fry pan and browned them a little and showed them to me again- I said 'they look perfect!'.
He then cut them up and fed them to the pugs.
Karen and the well fed pugapalooza
Hahahah! I can't stop laughing! All these are GREAT!!! Dogs for dogs as pets (or cats), losing teeth, missing out on gourmet food, talking for your dog (I do that one too), apologizing to your dog to non-dog lovers who just don't "understand"...
These responses are awesome! Can't wait to read what comes next! I have one more:
You know you are a dog lover when....
You get your dog groomed more often than you get something done for yourself (hair cut, manicure, pedicure, massage or whatever else)
-Chloe's mom
Chloe became a rear amp tripawd on 7-29-10. Another tumor was removed on front leg 2-20-14. Found 3rd tumor on neck 2-2015, but she's still kicking cancer's butt at age 14. Chloe's blog
Ginger's mom wrote:
The problem is … if one of us talks to her, the other answers – for her – in a special voice. For some reason she has a southern accent but has never been Georgia
HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHAAAAAAA!
We also ask questions to the other human in their voice! "Oh, Daddy, will you scratch my ears?".
I thought that was part of my job - interpreting her thoughts!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
You know you're a dog lover when…
* you wake up in the middle of the night with less than 1/4 of a king-size bed to yourself, but just snuggle in closer to the pup cuddled against you, rather than disturb him/her (for when there is one dog in the bed).
* you wake up in the middle of the night contorted into positions a human body should never be in for extended periods of time because your pups chose to fall asleep on extreme opposites on your half of the bed (for when there is more than one dog in the bed – one on your right at your feet, and the other at your left right around where your back should be).
* you don't mind being a human burrito under the covers when both dogs decide to snuggle up on either side of you before you have a chance to pull some extra covers over before they lay down.
* you drive your Jeep all over your backyard to make tracks so the dogs aren't up to their chins in snow/ice.
* you're actually happy to be finishing your vacation on a tropical island because it means you get to go home & see your dogs.
I chuckled over the comments about talking to your dogs – completely normal in my book! In fact, I didn't realize how much I did it until we had Zack about 6 months, and our downstairs neighbor in the apartment complex we lived in remarked one day, "If that dog doesn't learn to talk, it will be his own fault."
We do the song thing, too – although we're not creative enough to come up with originals. We just change lyrics of existing songs (ex from a Rage Against the Machine song: "rally 'round your family with a pocketful of shells" became "rally 'round your Zackie with a pocketful of treats"). He also had several theme songs – Freak on a Leash, Got the Life, and one other Korn song with lyrics from nursery rhymes where they sing about Old Mother Hubbard and "give the dog a bone."
And, if non-dog lovers think we're crazy, I don't care – it's the best kind of crazy there is!
Zack, King of Dogs, 1996 to 2010
Zack lived a full 14 years, even to the end.
The joy and memories he provided us will last a lifetime.
Surviving him is his sister, Izzy, a 12-year-old boxer mix quadpawd.
And the latest addition, Zula, an 11-month-old pit bull mix tripawd.
hugapitbull said:
I'll go one further, if I ever meet your dog(s), I'll talk to them too! I like to talk to dogs, they are always appreciative of the attention.
I just realized I do the exact same thing. Every time I drop Chloe off with Bailey, I give him a verbal greeting and a pet on the head. Every time I go to the beach and a dog comes up to me I talk to them. Apparently if I met any of these dogs I would talk to them too!!
grpescp said:
And, if non-dog lovers think we're crazy, I don't care – it's the best kind of crazy there is!
Chloe became a rear amp tripawd on 7-29-10. Another tumor was removed on front leg 2-20-14. Found 3rd tumor on neck 2-2015, but she's still kicking cancer's butt at age 14. Chloe's blog
grpescp said:* you wake up in the middle of the night contorted into positions a
human body should never be in for extended periods of time because your
pups chose to fall asleep on extreme opposites on your half of the bed
(for when there is more than one dog in the bed – one on your right at
your feet, and the other at your left right around where your back
should be).
That is sooo true! There is really not enough room in the bed for me, my husband, Ranger and Athena. It helps a little if the 2 humans get in the bed first, but usually we have to squeeze in between the 2 dogs. Oh, and if I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, Athena always moves up to my pillow while I'm gone!
Here's another one: You know you're a dog lover if you buy your furniture to accommodate your dogs. (we bought a sectional with a huge ottoman just so the dogs could lay on the couch with us.
You know you're a dog lover when you tell your resltess dog bedtime stories... "once apon a time, there was a dog named Kelly, and she was sooo kooky that her parents nicknamed her Kooky Kelly......"
Sadie is my 9yr old Rott/Shepherd mix. Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her right scapula 1/28/10. Our brave girl had her amputation 2/13/10 and her last chemotherapy on 6/6/10. Unfortunately, a tumor appeared in her back right leg and on 10/7/2010 Sadie's earthly journey came to an end. On 10/24/2010 we adopted Ranger, a handsome Rott/Lab mix tripawd (got hit by a car) I think Sadie sent him to us.
http://ranger.t.....pawds.com/
Here's one for you,
People will talk about their kids and show me pictures. We don't have children, but when people ask if I do I say I have 3. One is 13, one is 10 and the youngest is 8. Two boy's and a girl. Then I show them the pictures of my babies 🙂
Elizabeth and Sammy
I am reading a book about interesting facts regarding people and their dogs. I will have to bring it tomorrow and post it. It is normal and healthy to talk with your dogs, in fact, according to the research done from one Ivy league university, a staggering percentage of people do it!
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
These are all great comments, they've made me laugh!
I just thought of 2 more (that we actually did)
You know you're a dog lover when...
You have to pick out the right size car so the pups have enough room, and not be squished together.
You buy a house with plenty of backyard space for them to play, and making sure there is a fence all around it.
Golden Girls said:
You know you're a dog lover when...
You have to pick out the right size car so the pups have enough room, and not be squished together.
This is so true. Jeep wrangler was our preferred brand of vehicle, we had 2 in Shelli's lifetime:
- quick dry seats and carpets - for after swimming and getting muddy
- convertible - maximum air flow, no need to hang head so far out window anymore
- 4 wheel drive - for the beach and the trails
The only problem is they are very high off the ground and when Shelli was sick, she couldnt jump in anymore and i had to pick her up.
The quest for world domination continues on three legs. Comply minions!
http://ritables.....ipawds.com
Read about my big sister Shelli who just passed away to the lymphnode sarcoma
http://bellesgo.....press.com/
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