Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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It has been 16 days since my Ty has become an angel at the bridge. This week somehow did not seem quite so raw. This morning, I was realizing that it all sort of sees like a dream. I think I am avoiding the finality of his death. I started thinking, really thinking about him because I am not sure it is fair to him to avoid doing so. I have always sort of had the ability to totally "shut down" and just go through the motions. It just hurts so much to think about. I am shedding my first tears in days as I type this. I really miss my boy! I like sleeping, not because I actually dream of him, but somehow I feel closest to him in that small window between sleeping and waking. I write this risking that you all will think I am some sort of nutcase. I guess everyone deals with emotion differently. I just feel that this 3rd week for some reason is going to be worse than the 2nd. I think I am starting to chip away at the wall of denial that I had put up. It is just sad! He had just turned 8. I was supposed to have more time with him. 
I think most of my family feels that it is over now, no big deal, it was just a dog. they don't really know that I still feel sad. I just feel like there is a chunk missing from my heart.
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
I understand how you are feeling. It will be raw emotion for a while. No one can tell you the right amount of time to mourn because each one of us does that differently. Heck its been 8 months going on 9 for me. I still mourn for my Sassy Sugar Bear. I have moments where I call it melt down. To me its never "just a dog". They are my babies.
Christine with Franklin said something on one of her posts and I can't remember the exact words but she said that she will always have dogs and will always have room for one more in her heart. I know I am the same way but it doesn't mean I ever forget any of them and Sassy has the biggest portion of mine. All we can do is mourn them and it does get better with time. It doesn't hurt as much. I know it doesn't seem possible at this moment but it will happen.
You will start to smile at the memories & not cry. Besides if I think you are nuts then I am too 🙂 We don't think that at all.
hugs
Michelle & Angel Sassy
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."
((((hugs))))) Lori ... I know how you feel... week two wasn't as horrific for me as the first and then the third week was brutal and I am coming up on one month and I feel lost and afraid. I am also really good at shutting down and blocking things out - it's a coping mechanism, I think. I found that after my father passed, I became a zombie for 6 months, didn't leave the house, slept 10 -15 hours a day (I also quit my job)... finally, I pulled myself out of it. I was truly lost. I fear the same with this (except I can't quit my job this time). But I do sleep - a lot. It's my escape. I don't have to cope with the loss and the pain.
The reality sometimes kicks in and then sometimes... feels like a dream. Shelby comes to me less and less in my dreams now and that makes me sad.
I am sorry your family doesn't understand. We will be your family - we get it. I get that too "just a dog" .. "move on" ... "get another one"... but when we are not only mothers to our kids but caregivers in such intensity, I think that bond is even stronger. Lean us on. We are here for you. Shelby was my soul mate - that will never change and people who dismiss that, I dismiss them!
XOXO
Alison and her Shelby fur-ever in her heart
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Yeah...and if you and Michelle are nuts, then this nut job (me) is surrounded by the very best nuts in the Universe!! I am privileged tl be part of this chapter of the Tripawd Nut Community
You keep posting here Lori, okay? We sure do get it like no others can. You, me, Michelle, all of us, contiue to evolve and add more layers of consciousness to our soul's growth as we feel the unbearable sadness for the "loss" of our loved ones.
For me...and this is just me...I don't allow te words "finality",or even "reality" to enter my thoughts. They create "fear". The don't serve me in a way that empowers me and they keep me "separate" from my eternal connection to Happy Hannah.
Let me say right now, some of these thoughts I'm sharing...yeah, they're what I believe to be true for me.....does that mean I'm "practicing" these beliefs right now or they are brnging me comfort and easing my sadness?.....Heck no!! Does that add to my "frustration? Heck yeah! But as Rene said, even the Dali Lahma can't be the Spirit of Dog all the time!! But I DO fi d co fort in knowing on a soul level, that my "belief systems" will, slowly but surely, reclaim my "being".
I wish I could do justice to some of the things I'm trying to say so it won't sound like "nut ramblings"! A wave does not "die" to become the ocean, it has been part of the water all along...it merely changes form. There is no "finality" to the wave...it continues on.
Ha! My computer is starting to freeze.....maybe the Universe is trying to save me from embarrassing myself!!! anyway...I'll keep on and may have to come back later!
The wave is not "separate from"...it is part of the ocena. We are not "separate from" our dogs or cats, we are all o e with each other...part of each other
Tey are infinitely present in the consciousness of every life they have touched co
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!
try again...yes Alison...we are family for each other...well said.
Just want to say there is no "finality" when you KNOW the essence of Ty is within you..always has been...it's in every single cell of your body His love, his happiness, his joy, his kind soul., his humor...all lives n through you.
Actually, that reminds me...oh dear, here I go again....we, all living beings, are shedding hundreds/ thousands of cells daily...every step we take...Ty's cells have been "reborn" into the earth, into the grass, into the flowers, into the trees...no finality...just a continuation of his "aliveness" We have "no life span"...our energy never stops flowing through ne open door into another.
Now, if I can just "practice what I'm preaching"!!
Geeez, I'll stop now!
We are all with you. We nderstand. We are your "soul family" and we love you and Ty!!!!!
Holding you in our hearts.
Sally and Happy Hannah
And, o e more thing...it still boils down to...time.....time.....time......time.....time......time
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!
Put me in the nut category too. Lori, I know how you and all the gals who wrote on this post before me feels. If I think about Libby too long I cry. I just want her back.
I've seen Libby in my dreams and I even dreamed I had lung mets and tried my hardest to cough them out.
There's such a big hole here without her. I know Sammie (our other lab) misses her too. She seems kind of lost without her. She always reacted off of Libby's actions and now she just doesn't know what to do, it seems. There is more room in our hearts for another and I know one day we will meet that dog. None can replace Libby and we won't try to.
Like Alison said, we will be your family because we TOTALLY know how you feel.
Hugs,
Amy & Spirit Libby
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
You can commit me to the looney bin as well because I know exactly how you feel. It IS sad, there IS a piece of your heart missing, that is undeniable.
You're not in denial, you're going through normal feelings and processing what's happened. You're not crazy.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
If you're a nutcase, then we're all nuts and this is the nuthouse. Like you, I can easily just "turn off". It always eventually catches up, and once the tears start they are hard to stop. Ty was so loved by you and that love doesn't stop just because he isn't physically here. Some weeks will be better than others. Its been 4 months for me and I had one of the worst days I've had yet just the other day. Glad we can all lean on each other here, theres no people like dog people 🙂
HUGS
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
Just call me an almond. I'm in that bowl of nuts right along with the rest of you and since that's my favorite variety, I'm claiming it. Lori, when you write about how all of this is affecting you, I feel like you've hijacked my brain because you pretty much capture my thoughts just about exactly. More than any other emotion, even missing her, I feel profoundly sad for what my Jersey Girl had to go through in her short little life. My sweet little angle was nothing but love, love, love (like all her angel friends) and what happened to her was horribly unfair, undeserved and heartbreaking. I feel deeply sad that she had so much pain, that our only solution was so extreme, that she had complications and struggled to heal, that she wasn't one of the lucky ones. Going into this I BELIEVED, with every ounce of my being, that she would be one of the lucky ones. How could she not be? She was just SO AWESOME that anything short of a complete miraculous recovery was inconceivable. Wrong. Unjust. Downright criminal. Oh how wrong I was. How very wrong. I digress. Let's get back to why I feel deeply sad for her. As if all those challenges weren't bad enough, she gets another blow in the form of a belly tumor. Seriously?! That's just not right. Of course this tumor couldn't just hang out in her body, it had to attack her rear legs and leave her incapacitated. Seriously? Heartbreak is watching your front leg tripawd baby fall on her face when she tried to get up or fall into her pee when she tried to squat. Even a sunny disposition struggles to deal with 1 out of 4 working legs. She sooo didn't deserve that. To make matters a little heavier (because that's just what we all need), a few years earlier she'd had an accident with a retractible leash that ended in tail amputation...and the year before her leg amputation she had her knee reconstructed. Are you kidding me? All THAT in 9 little years! My heart broke for her. It still breaks for her. Nearly 3 months later I catch myself saying out loud "I'm so sorry baby. I'm sorry for what you had to go through". Now it's not all sad. I HAVE made progress and I don't cry too often anymore. I no longer feel guilty, like I did this to her. Hurray for little victories! I recognize that Gregg and I did / would have done anything for her. I also realize she didn't dwell or wallow in self-pity. She woke up every day wagging her tail (stub), ready to make the best of her glorious life. Ha! Isn't that what we all strive for? Oh to Be More Dog !
Now some very good news. CALLING CHRISTINE AND ANGEL FRANKLIN!!! Your post a week or so back LIFTED ME UP. You said something about how you were destined to be trampled by muddy paws at the rainbow bridge because you just can't stop yourself from loving dogs. Well, girlfriend, you just never know what's gonna resonate with people. THIS BEAUTIFUL IMAGE that you whipped up has changed everything for me! A light went off in my brain telling me YES, I too can love many dogs! THEN the day came. I was walking our black lab, Hitch, when we came upon a 13 month old yellow Labrador rescue named Lacey. She was with her pawrents so I couldn't steal her, but OH how we connected! I knelt down to say hello and she jumped into my lap, smothered my face with kisses then rolled onto her back for a belly rub, letting all 4 adorable legs flop around. She got up and played with Hitch, barked for more, MORE attention pleeeeeze! I fell in love, she was so stinkin' cute! Hitch and I ran into her every day for 4 days and each time we repeated our playful dance. I'm happier, noticeably so. I started looking online for our next yellow girl. I've started a list of potential names. It may take awhile because I'm picky. Very picky. I want to see her and feel the way Lacey made me feel, exactly the same way Jersey Girl made me feel. I'll find her, I know I will. The next yellow girl I'll love. Wanna know what makes this even more spectacular? I BELIEVE with every ounce of my body that Jersey Girl, my sweet sweet angel Jersey Girl, guided me to Lacey. I think she was saying "it's ok Mama, LOVE AGAIN. I want you to LOVE AGAIN!" Thank you CHRISTINE! Your beautiful words opened my mind and my heart, making me ready to receive my girl's message. There's nothing I want more than for all of my angel pawrents to feel this way. BELIEVE. It will happen!
Sending you all paw love (the very best kind of love)
Claudia and smiling satisfied proud Angel Jersey Girl
Oh, Claudia, you I'll find her. Jersey Girl will lead you right to her. That is what I am telling myself also. If I am to have another, I will just walk into the situation. I have a Border Collie and a Corgi still and my husband says no more. I cannot help it I love Labs! So if I am to have another, the situation will have to literally drop into my lap. I am with you on the it is not fair card. I have said those exact words,"I am so sorry baby!" To my boy. He also was dealt a terrible hand. He went through so much for such a short time here on earth. I too thought that my guy would beat the odds. He was so in the moment and goofy and happy. He truly was my " Heart Dog". I think that loving again shows what a great journey we had. I think the part of my heart that was Ty's will always remain his, but the heart is capable of expanding to love many. You will know when it is right. Jersey Girl will show you. I am so glad that you met Lacey. She too will help bring healing. I am also glad it is a bit easier for you and you are not crying so much. Jersey Girl, Hannah, Shelby, Ty and all of the angels here will NEVER be replaced, but rather our hearts will just keep getting bigger. Our hearts are forever better because we had them in our lives. Love from, Lori and Ty Guy
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
Claudia that is beautiful! Your Jersey girl was sending you a message through that little puppy.
How did I miss this beautiful statement: "you were destined to be trampled by muddy paws at the rainbow bridge because you just can't stop yourself from loving dogs". I want this too!! Jake was my only dog and when I lost him I couldn't stand the thought of ever having another one; but, my house was SO lonely and I realized I can't live like that! I truly believe that Jersey girl will pick your next baby for you, she'll have her paws all over that! I picture them gathering around the rainbow bridge, showing us off when we welcome another soul into our homes. They're saying, look what a good job I did with my human! Every time we open our hearts, our angel pups are beaming with pride.
HUGS!! Can't wait to see what Angel Jersey Girl has in store for you 
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
I love reading that Claudia!!! I so hope Shelby will send me a fur baby when she thinks I am ready. It's too soon and too quiet (even though I do have some names picked out.... just sayin'). Our fur babies know what's good for us!!! Their love is eternal and forever!!!
Hugs!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Oh gosh...waterworks city over here!!
Yes, I've told Christine many times, her "specialty", one of her many specialties on this site is her avility to be able to convey such great support when the pain of loss strikes. Michelle has the courage to continue to be on here to in Sassy's honor helping us all. And as Elizabeth's tribute video showed, the dogs in transitin since the first of the year (and some of our beloved tripawd heroes who passed before that) have been waaaaaay too many.....and then the last thirty days have been pounded with loss sfter loss. And, as we try and comfort ourselves and each other, the support and wisdom from those who have already "been there" and jave seen the light at the end of the tunnel gives us strength.
Yes, I will ALWAYS share my life with dogs! In my opinion a life without dogs is not worth living!!! Ahhh...the things we can say on this site without judgement!!! This is THE first time I can remember since I was born...and that was a long time ago....and yes, my childhood was never without a dog.....that I have not had a dog sharing my home inside and sleeping with me. And yes, Happy Hannah will pick one for me!
Yeah Claudia, to have everyone on this "grief train" to write so openly, especially Lori and Alison, gives the rest of us the opportunity to let them do all the "work" and expose their raw emotions, and we can just go "ditto"! THANK YOU!!
Claudia, I've wanted to reach out to you so many times, especially when you've talked about guilt. All I can say.....and I have no magic bullet....is it jist seems to be embedded in oir human nature to always find something to feel gulith about...at first. Then, for me, omce I can turn something into a "growth lesson, a learning lesson, then tje experience is dealt with on a different level of awareness. We've become better prepared for the next experience because now we can handle it differently.....maybe. And maybe that "difference" is not in handling the "circumstances" we are given.....but rather in how we handle it internally...how we view it in a more empowering way. Make sense?
Example.....you metioned not knowing a vet would come to your home for the "bridge trip"...now, as a result of Jersey Girl being in your life and bringing you to this site she took you to another level of awareness that you had no way of knowing before. To feel "guilty" over something for which you were completely unaware...no, no, my dear friend...that's just not fair to you, okay? I have one experience where one of my dogs crossed over in an ER situation. She'd never, ever spent the night at a vets and shook if she had to get in the car. And she gave me a "please don't make me do this" look like I'd never seen before. stayed and stayed until they told me she was stable and to go on home (I think they just didn't want me back there with her anymore so they could go "nap"). Of course, a few hours later they told me she passed...and get this.....that she was in pain!!! Talk about a guilt trip!! Now, I jave yet to find a growth lesson from this or a learning lesson that empowers me. I share this to say so etimes the "lesson" simply..."it is what it is...and we'll never know the why". We always have to remember we did everything out of love and that may be the only awareness we will ever get from a situation.
I do firmly believe ten thousand per cent our partnerships with our dogs and cats is all about taking our love and compassion to a deeper level ...a different level...with each one that comes into our lives.. And these wonderful souls could give a hoot avout what circumstances this journey surrou ds thm with.....all they care about EVER, is being surrounded with our love and making us hapy. And THAT is why they would never want us to feel guilty about the cards they were dealt...because they wouldn't trade their lives with us for anything!! Nor would we!
JAKE, JERSEY GIRL, POLLY, SHELBY, LIBBY, SASSY, FRANKLIN, HRH ROXY, CHUCK, SHOOTER, SALEM, ROXY, TJ, ERRY and all the beautiful souls who've graced us with their presence.....nope...if you said to them..."Hey, your life might be a little 'easier'...but you won't get to be with Elizabeth, Claudia, Lori, Amy, Bonnie, Michelle, Christine, Liz, Jim/Rene, LUANNE or Alison. Do you want a 'do-over?" And they would all WOOF WOOF...HELL NO!!!!!!!!
And, I know this goes without saying.....but obviously to name all our beloved souls...well, just know this is about ALL our dogs, cats and horses!! But you already know that.
Sending EACH of you so much love and gratitude and wishing smiles and warm hearts everytime your heart beats with your soul mate's name flowing throughyou.
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!
One more thing........Happy Hannah just tolde me all the dogs are wagging their tails...and nubs...in agreement about everyone sharing their lives with more dogs and cats!
She said she taught them all to eat chocolate ice cream topped with salty peaNUTS in our honor!!
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!
Oh, Sally you are so sweet. The reminders seem to be everyplace. I guess you know that well. My stomach is hurting today. I knew I had some Pepcid in Ty's medicine box. I had just put it up in the cupboard to deal with later. I pulled it down and there is all of his meds. I always made each dose up in a small ziplock snack bag and hung them on the side of the fridge. I would then move the empty bag to the back so I knew he had had that dose. So....in the box is the rest of his last day's meds already made up:( meds I did not get to give him. K9 Immunity also and he LOVED those. Just kind of like a punch in the already hurting belly. Guess I should get rid of them but just cannot seem to yet. Kind of like the slobbers that are still on the windows.
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
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