Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Well today has been 2 LONG weeks since Buddy passed over the Rainbow Bridge! It has been so hard for all of us, with everyday smiling a little more about the great stories of our Buddy. As of mentioned before my husband has had Buddy since he was a puppy in 2000 and his mom & sister sent him a beautiful Scrap book of pictures today! Although there were a few tears there were lots lof laughs & smiles looking at it.
Blue (Buddy's brother) is not doing very well though, I think he is going through a bit of Depression and we aren't sure what to do for him. He will only eat if we put a little gravy or mix a little wet food in with his dry food. I thought at first he was just trying to trick us into getting the extra treat but he will go 2 days without eating so we have to get some wet food mixed in.
Just wondering for those of you who have lost an amazing dog, and still have another how you've dealt with depression or tried to help them understand. I so wish we could have gotten Blue into the house to smell Buddy but he wanted no part of that with the Vet inside. It's not all the time that he acts depressed if you say do you want to go for a walk (which we do twice a day) he gets super excited and loves to go walk or car rides too! But when he's in the house, he just lays around, we can get him to play some but he gets bored fast. We take him to the neighbors a couple of nights a week, they have a dog and they play for about 10 mins and then Blue's done. I feel like he's always waiting for Buddy to come home, he sits at the front door looking out most of the day.
Any thoughts would be appreciated and everyone is in our thoughts & prayers! Although we know our loss is hard but our pups are having a grand time now without pain!
Missing our Buddy Lee,
Missy, Greg & Blue
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Sorry to hear Blue's got the blues. These first few weeks are ruff, we know. Just remember, dogs get really focused, really well, really easily. Whatever you can do to distract Blue as soon as you notice his "depressed" behavior, get him interested in something else. Aside from that, let time heal. Best wishes.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
When we lost Wrigley our other dog Rookie was very confused and appeared to show signs of depression. Wrigley was his friend and playmate. And Rookie being a German Shepherd was used to protecting and I often wonder if part of his confusion was he thought he may have failed in some way to protect her.
He went for weeks of moping around. We were advised to carry on our normal routines. Not to make a big deal about Wrigley not being here. Dogs will sometimes mirror our emotions so if we acted happy and normal, so should the dog. If I was depressed and crying all the time, the dog will sense something is wrong and react. I do believe he was depressed all on his own though- It was hard because everytime I pulled up in the car he would search it to see if by chance she was back yet.
At the end of about 2 weeks for us we found another dog/companion for him. We adopted a German Shepherd mix from our SPCA. It was very hard for me to do, because I was still missing Wrigley so much. But for Rookie, he needed a companion. When we brought Willow home he played with her like he played with Wrigley prior to her amputation- chasing each other around the yard at full speed. It was good to see him run like this.
For us getting another dog was the right thing to do at the time. Every dog is different.
I am sure Blue is feeling some sense of loss of where did his buddy go. I would just recommend extra walks, some new treats, lots of extra love. I also believe in talking to my animals... I do believe they can understand us.
Sending lots of love your way - hope things get better soon.
Seanne and Angel Wrigley
I believe dogs go through a grieving process just like humans. Just as you will adjust, so will Blue. Pamper him a bit and give him time, he lost part of his family too.
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.
Thank you so much for posting your experience... Blue is getting lots of extra things, walks, rides, etc... he actually ate his food tonight without any "extra treats" in it! I know it will take some time I just don't want him to go through deep depression, as with us it's one day at a time although it's hard, we keep going. (somehow)
Good luck to all, and thanks again for posting you experince in this, we are thinking of everyone and I keep reading all the new stories and praying for all the tripawds & family!
Lots of Hugs & Licks..
Missy, Greg, Blue & Buddy in spirit!
Hi Missy, Greg & Blue. In January 2001, we got our very first puppy, a border collie/lab mix we named Shadow. Four months later we got our second pup, a husky/lab mix we named Max. They were the best of friends. In January of 2007, Shadow came down with an immune disease we never saw coming. Complications from the disease came along, including hemorraging and a blood clot that landed on his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the waist down. After 4 1/2 days, we made the decision to let him go in the ICU at the hospital. Max continued to look for him at our home for the next 2 - 3 weeks, always expecting him to show up on the side of the house, or in a bedroom. We stayed with him as much as we could until we had to go back to work. Our next door neighbor checked on him one day, and he was standing head first in his doghouse howling. Max was very depressed, and we knew what we had to do. It took a total of 2 months to find the right partner, but we eventually adopted a 1 -2 year old female (Linda) from a local rescue. The change in Max was immediate. It was like someone turned a light switch in him. It took about two seconds before he became the "old" Max again. As of last November, Max became a tripawd due to osteosarcoma, but his best friend still loves him and makes him happy. I don't know what your financial or home situation is, but if Blue stays blue, I would consider finding a new best buddy for him. It may make a big difference in the long run. John and I believe to this day adopting Linda was probably one of the best things we've ever done.
Di & John & Max & Linda
Dear Buddy's Parents,
Hi. My post is twofold. First, I want to check and see how you are doing. Secondly, I wondered how Blue is doing. Is he doing better? I have two other dogs and both of them are showing signs of depression following the loss of Emily. I so hope that Blue is doing better. Bentley and Marley have each other and are still "off" so I can't imagine how hard it is for Blue and how hard it is for you to watch him mourn the loss of Buddy Lee.
Debra
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
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