Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

Seven weeks ago today, we said goodbye to our sweet girl Mysti after her cancer spread to her lungs and likely her nasal passage. As a puppy, she always kept us on our toes and enjoyed time visiting family and playing on the beach. She became an even better travel companion when we moved across the country and curled up in the tiny space in our moving truck. We took her on dozens of hiking and backpacking trips, always sure to bring her rain jacket as she was never fond of the PNW rains. In the beginning of October, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her right front leg and we amputated it by the end of the month. We started chemo in November and she tolerated it very well. In January, we celebrated her 8th birthday and almost exactly 5 months after her initial diagnosis, she passed. She had an enormous heart that loved unconditionally, as our heart did for her. Mysti will always have a part of our hearts as we make the transition to a life without her.  

It has been difficult, to say the least. No one to tell us it's 6pm dinner time, no one to tell us the mail-lady, UPS, or that there's movement at the neighbors house, no one to warm my toes at night. Our home is quiet, even with a toddler around. I don't know what to do with the mostly cleaned peanut butter jars or the leftover stalks of broccoli. Our hearts are broken. But we are healing. We have pictures of her around the house and I think about her in almost any song lyric or when I hike and that brings me joy. I miss her every hour of every day but it's not always sad. Sometimes, I think now how easy it would be for us to take her places (she's cremated in a small wooden box) or how we can leave meat on the grill-side table without the risk of turning our backs.  Her last day was spent running free on our property, oblivious of a huge bull elk, a fight she would have clearly lost, but wanted to try, almost an entire package of hot dogs, chocolate cookies and cake pop, ice cream, and hopefully enough hugs and kisses to let her know she was loved until eternity.  I can't thank everyone on here enough for the help during our too-short time of learning about osteosarcoma and the wonderful support that is here during her amputation and chemo.