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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ritables said:
When you get your dog, her own dog.
My min pin Mousie, was obtained specifically for the purpose of keeping Shelli company, so thus, was her ward and responsiblity.
I have no idea what you're talking about. I definitely didn't get Cuervo in order to keep Guinness company and teach him how to be a dog... not at all.
You know you are a dog lover when:
You have far more dog beds than dogs.
I currently have 2 pugs, both on the small side. I have 5 dog beds in the house and one in the truck (both pugs easily fit in 4 of the 6). There are four at my parents house where the pugs spend some time (they don't have their own dogs).
Oh- and they sleep in my bed at night.
Karen
....we got Io for Cobweb to have someone to play with as her gsd/dobie other mum was a brilliant mum but couldn't do the rough and tumble
....I won't go on holiday and leave my doggies. You'd be doing well to get me away for more than 2 hours!
....it hadn't even occured to me people *didn't* talk to their dogs. Mind you, I also talk to the wildlife (thank you Robin for that beautiful song, advise hares to stay still I won't tell the dogs they're there, good morning pheasant etc) and my favourite trees but that's a different story 🙂
....I know we shouldn't be attached to non living things but I love my floor and it's now covered with somewhat gruesome foam tiles so Io doesn't slip. I do love my floor but I hope I won't see it for a good long time!
....we have leather sofas so Cobweb can wipe her face on it after dinner and I can wipe it clean afterwards
....we changed my car for a van so it's easier for them to get in and out and they have more room. It has silver pawprints over it, and some silver Cobwebs
....when we got married I came as a package deal with my lil dog, Chico. Then we got Oscar to keep him company. He was my husbands first ever pet, never mind dog. I felt sorry for him because he had obviously had a deprived upbringing as he hadn't been brought up with dogs. He's not deprived any more 🙂
....when I am looking at houses we will buy if we win the lottery the garden/open space is more important than the house. Now we can't have anywhere with steps outside because Io won't do steps.
....I bulk buy the dog food in case there is a disaster. We can eat grass.
....If my dogs don't like you I will believe they have a good reason and trust in their instincts
....if my leg is going to sleep because their head is cutting off the circulation I will try not to disturb them by being thoughtless enough to move
....we will all be buried together and nobody that knows me thinks it's odd (at least to my face!)
this is fun!
-Husband sings to Kenmore every morning, I have my "own" songs to sing
-before new truck was purchased- it was measured to be sure Kenmore would be comfortable
-traded in old travel-trailer for bigger, more expensive one- more dog space for Kenmore
-borrows money from my & my husband's employers to help pay for amputation
- meet people and then run into them a future time & they remember Kenmore's name- but not ours
- we answer to "Kenmore's people" more often then our names
- have our pet's names on our answering machine greeting, Kenmore, Buster & Maxx(cats)
- have pet's photos on wall in office- mine & co-workers'
-gives photos of Kenmore as gifts
-puts Kenmore on phone & Skype so far-away family can talk to him!
and We do these things to only try to love him as much as he loves us!
mandy & Kenmore
yay! how fun!
1) when you wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of your dog about to vomit, and then you actually let them vomit on your comforter because, well, its washable, and you don't want to inconvenience a sick dog
2) you get irritated by people in the park because that means your dog is going to get distracted when it should be thinking about pooping
Human burrito ...yep
Dog has his own voice ...yep
I have been talking to Ajax since day 1. On numerous occasions, well-meaning New Yorkers have felt the need to add in their two cents and ask "does that dog ever answer you?" I routinely respond "Yes, he is a furry genius"
ps has anyone else noticed dog communicates a) more often and b) more clearly than spouse? tee hee don't tell ...
I have a dog loving friend who wanted me to add these:
You know you are a dog lover when...
- your dog food costs more than your food
- people don't recognize you without your dog
- your dog spends more time in your bed than you do
- on those rare occasions when you have a human passenger, you have to scape all of the dog hair off the car seat
-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
I have two that are very close to what others have said, but I don't care -
Not being able to say anything after someone tells a story about their kid, because you can only think of a story about your dog that you feel is similar, but you're pretty sure they won't appreciate.
Reading books to your dog - and not even because they're recovering from an amputation or struggling with cancer, but because you think they'll appreciate the content. (I never read a whole long one at least).
And...
You feel like people who haven't met your dog(s) don't really know you yet. Or at least if you haven't told them all about your dog yet, haha!
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
grpescp said:
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."
Hahahahahaaahaaa!
griffr wrote:
….I bulk buy the dog food in case there is a disaster. We can eat grass.
Haaahaaaahaaha!
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 are dog lover when ...
you encourage them to jump in your lap and they break out your front tooth when jumping in your lap! $1000 later you continue to encourage them to jump in your lap!
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.
kenmoresmom said:
oh, I forgot.....
You know you are a Tripwad lover when, you didn't get buy any Christmas gifts this year, but you got the best present of all, more time with your dog!
This is too funny! The year Trouble was diagnosed, I sent out cards to everyone not immediate family on our Christmas list explaining their gift money would be used for the amputation and chemo bills we were facing with Trouble.
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.
Chloes mom said:
You know you are a dog lover when...
- your dog food costs more than your food
For the 1st month after Daisys accident and the amputation we had to bribe her to eat. We had a grocery cart full of chuck roasts, chicken breasts and hot dogs. Guess who the hot dogs were for
Daisy earned her wings on Oct 22, 2011 at 14 years old
She is now the official greeter at the rainbow bridge
Everyone is guaranteed a welcome sniff and Dalmatian smile
It's freaky how many of these I can relate to!
You buy a king-size bed because the queen-size doesn't comfortably accommodate two humans and Golden Retrievers who stretch themselves out in bed and typically on top of one of your body parts. And this from a parent who, when her children were young, had an unbreakable rule about no kids sleeping the night in her bed.
I'm sure my kids are in therapy because of this.
You hate scratchy bits of biscuits on your sheets yet persist in feeding your dogs their nighttime snacks when they're in bed with you and even go so far as to HIDE them under the covers because you love the sound of their snuffling and sniffing as they hunt out their treats and love, love, love watching the look of sublime closed-eyed delight on their faces as they crunch on their treasures, spewing crumbs and spittle everywhere.
Catie -
Birthday – November 4 2003
Amputation – January 13 2010
Crossed the Bridge – June 2 2011
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