Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Two months ago i posted about my dog,he was hit by a car and had two fractures,one on the front right arm and another on the back left leg. Well,i originally posted here to have some advice on his recovery after we came to the conclusion that it was a worth a try to have him go under surgery and place screws and plaques on both fractures.
We went to visit him several times after that,but upon advising us to stay away since he tried to stand up whenever he saw us,we kept a little distance. Finally,my dad got tired of waiting for them to release him,and talked to the vet,a month after the surgery. but,it came again to him staying more time. as the owner of the clinic felt it would be better to give time to the fractures to heal more and not have the work lost. Then, beginning this month again we asked when was he going to be released from the clinic,she said she would like to keep him for 15 more days with no additional cost,as we would have to have him in a single room without allowing him to move,and after he healed up,to give therapy,like swimming.
His front arm was useless because of permanent nerve damage,so,in other words,he would have had to learn how to walk again.
They called us today,he stood up,and walked a little bit,just a few steps....Then suddenly jumped,and fell...dead.
He had a stroke.
My family think it was depression,as he loved us very much,he cried out every time we left after visiting him,we tried to go see him,but he was having a minor surgery to replace a screw..I feel horrible,he died wanting to see us,i have no doubt about it.....
I would like to know,what made him jump? what was he seeing...He loved to jump on us,on people he cared for.
They are doing an autopsy to him,so we may know if something deeper happened,I feel weird,like an empty feeling,thinking about him,good or bad memories makes me want to cry,and even more,when i look at my other dog and a puppy we got a week ago,that they will never know......It feels strange,so many feelings at the same time.
I don't or try not to,recall anything when i'm with them,cause they feel it....
Its just...I don't even know,i would love an explanation to the way he died...You fight so much,and yet,they end up passing away by the simplest of things....
This was him. 16/2/2013. he had surgery on 5/2/2013. Passed away today, 27/3/2013...he was only one year and a half old. R.I.P. Maximilian(Maxi for short). i will miss you buddy.
So sorry for your loss. It is so hard to know what is right to do and you loved Maxi very, very much and just wanted him to get better. You can never second guess your decisions. I'm not sure why a vet would keep you separated and I can tell this was hard on all of you. We will be thinking of you.
Luanne and Shooter
Spirit Shooter was a Miniature Australian Shepherd who was diagnosed with a MCT and had a LF amp 1/28/13 at 13-1/2 years old.
Shooter crossed the Bridge on 8/28/13, his 7 month ampuversary and two weeks from his 14th birthday.
Soooooo sorry for your loss and there are never any words to help when you are so overcome with grief. Maxi do indeed know he was loved and I'm sure e was the darling of everyone in the clinic so they were caring for him and I'm sure giving hi lots of attention.
Learning not to second guess yourself is o e of the life lessons that we all try to overcome...and very few of us succeed. Every decision you made was out of love and you know that to be true. We trust our vets and follow their advice. Try not to ask questions you will never be able to have answered a and won't change the outcome anyway----easier said than done.
Maxi would not want you to beat yourselves up----he would want you to know he felt your love and he wants you to feel his----he will always be with you.
Our hearts cry with you and we can only let you know we are here for you and wish we cold push your pain away
Peace to your soul, Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
I'm so sorry for your loss. You fought hard for him and he knew that. May his spirit run forever free.
Marla and Daisy
My Two Tripawds...Biscuit 
and Spirit Daisy 
Of course we remember you! I'm so very, very sorry that Maxi has gotten his wings. You and your family were wonderful to try to help him survive this awful tragedy. You did everything you could. Sometimes even all the love and all the technical skills in the world can't overcome these horrible unexplainable medical events. I wish I could give you the answers you seek.
Never forget that Maxi loved you as much as you loved him. His spirit will never be far from you or your beautiful home full of animals.
If it helps you to talk about him some more you are always welcome to share stories about your life together. We are always here to lean on.
Please know we are thinking of you and sending our deepest condolences.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'm so teary for you. This makes me incredibly sad. Something about this story and your love for Maxi has gotten me terribly upset. You fought so hard for him and tried to do your best, then something like this happens. It's awful. I'm torn for you. I'm so sorry for your loss. At least now he can run and jump as much as he'd like and can! MANY ((((HUGS))))
~ Katy
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Oh God! Thank you all!! ;_;
We will always remember him,he was one of those dogs,that have the perfect temperament,bold,mellow,friendly,not afraid of anything or anyone,not aggressive,yet protective,somewhat respectful. we got a new puppy two weeks ago,my mother always wanted a Yorkie,and so,to add another light to the family,we got one. It was a good decision he had helped so much just by being here,and,in many aspects he is very much like him,bold,playful,mellow,i think,that subconsciously i picked a dog with the same energy as him,and that matched my other dog. I didn't choose him from looks,same as i did with Maxi.
He was born here at my house,we adopted a stray,and let her give birth here. eight puppies. We kept him and found homes to the rest,then,she gave birth again to the same number of pups,he was so kind with them,licking and laying down to play with them,his mom only allowed him near them,any other dog was dead meat xD.
He was respectful as to not go inside the house,door open and everything,only a peek,but,that was all. he stayed still for baths,waited patiently for food if asked.
If that is proof that i knew how to raise him,then i hope I raise this new little friend that has become part of our life,just as good as i did with him.
that is so sad im sorry u for your loss im sad just reading it and im glad to hear u adopted a stray pup u have a heart of gold and if u need to talk we are all here for u ok
I am so sorry to read about your loss. I know it was very hard for you and him to be separated for so long. Know that you did what you needed to do to help him recover. I hate it when things happen beyond our control, but they do on occasion and it isn't something you should feel responsible for. You are in my thoughts, and I sincerely wish you peace as you begin life in a new normal.
RIP sweet Maxi. Run Free at Rainbow Bridge.
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.
Stephanie, I'm as sad as everyone else reading about what happened to Maxi. You gave him a lot of love in a short time and you made a lot of sweet memories. It isn't fair, for sure.
Please try not to feel so guilty about not being there when he died. Since he was with the vet and their staff for over a month, you know Maxi found his way into their hearts, too. They had to love him because of how sweet and special he was. They loved him and they were with him. I know that does not change the fact that you were not with him, but he was not alone. People who cared for him very much were with him.
As for the jumping, I am not sure exactly what it looked like but I had a dog who had a stroke when I was with her. I saw what it looked like. It was not calm or quiet or peaceful. Because a stroke is a neurological injury and can be in different areas of the brain, I imagine the initial presentation, or the things that it causes the dog's body to do, can be different. I would think it was possible that the stroke could have caused Maxi to appear to jump. For my dog, she did just the opposite. Her head went down, nose almost to the ground, and her rear kind of curled in. She looked like her body was forming the letter "C."
In Maxi's case, he did not spend a lot of time in pain or distress. That is a very good thing. Believe me, though, I understand how hard it is to lose a dog unexpectedly. My Dakota died in December and it was not expected. I still feel the tremendous unfairness of it, but if I had to pick weeks of pain so I could say goodbye or quickly with no warning, I would pick the one that caused the dog the least pain. And I know you would choose the same.
Try hard to remember how much your family loved Maxi and how deeply the vet staff must have cared about him. Maxi knew you all loved him and his opinion is the only one that matters, as hard as it is to believe that. When you see him again, he will tell you how much he appreciated how hard you worked to make his life better.
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
I am so sorry to hear about Maxi. I agree with others do not feel guilty. I know its really really hard not to do. You did the best you could for Maxi. He knows you loved him with all of your hearts. Rip Maxi Run free at the Rainbow Bridge.
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."
Gosh, I am so sorry. I remember your first posting about Maxi. Please don't torture yourself with "should haves" or "what ifs". I can't imagine your anguish at not being there with Maxi but as others have said, Maxi would have been with people he had grown to love and who loved him. He was not alone. You took the advice of the professionals by leaving Maxi with them to recuperate and it sounds like sensible advice although I know it must have been hard to be separated all that time. If you had brought him home and something had happened you would have found it very hard to forgive yourself.
Please know that you did everything you could but sometimes things outside our control happen and when they do we should not beat ourselves up. I hope the autopsy can give you some peace. My heart goes out to you.
Karen and Spirit Magnum
Magnum: 30th May 2002 to 5th May 2012. Lost her back left leg to osteosarcoma on 5th Sep 2011. Lung mets found on 20th Mar 2012 but it was bone mets in the hip that ended her brave battle. Magnum's motto - "Dream as if you'll live for ever, live as if you'll die today" (James Dean). Loyal, loving, courageous and spirited to the end. My beloved heart dog, see her memoirs from Rainbow Bridge ...... http://princess.....pawds.com/
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