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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Good evening everyone,
Today is already the 2nd year angelversary of my most special girl Polly..... I went back to my post of a year ago, and spent time reading all the wonderful posts and tears rolled down my face, it reminded me of how far I have actually come to having my heart almost whole again. I do realize it will never be completely whole ever, because every time you lose someone special, or a special companion in the animal world, you do lose a piece of your heart that you will never get back. But we do learn to live again, and love again, how can we not? And I can say for sure, that yes, it is much easier to breathe again as well .....
I found a few undiscovered pictures and a video that I am not sure if I have posted before, but both of them are way before either one of Polly's 2 cancer diagnoses, they make my heart happy..... 
Love to all,
Bonnie, Angel Polly, Pearl, and Zuzu
Awwww Bonnie....
Polly was a cutie pie! I hope shes having a blast with Zeus and shes showed him the ropes. He tends to be a follower not a leader.
Im happy youre feeling better.
Love and kisses,
Deb, Angel Zeus and Belle
Oh my sweet Bonnie .... you are in my thoughts today for sure. I cannot believe it has been 2 years. YES.... you have come a long way! We all have... to see the light at the end of the tunnel... knowing that the grief has forever changed us but knowing that we now have the strength to go one more. To go from the depths of sorrow (for me, eating brownies and watching endless netflix) to being able to be a part of society again.
We are ALL changed when our Tripawds leave us. But from that sorrow has come some of the best friendships I have made in my life in the longest time. ...
I know Sally can say it all better but I wanted you to know that I see your strength and I see how far you have come. And with Pearl and Zuzu ... SO much joy in your life. Polly is watching over all of us and smiling to herself.... she knows you will be together again and it will be like no time has ever passed.
SO Much love and hugs and endless support ....
LOVE!!!!
alison with spirit shelby in her heart (and the sidekick)
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
Awww Bonnie. I am thinking of you today. I love that picture of your sweet girl. 2 years already seems like yesterday in some aspects. But you are right they send babies to help make our heart whole but it never is the same and never will be but we love because that is what we are meant to do. Chris aka Franklin's mom said one day her heart will be all dog and I know mine will be too. I love them all in their own special way.
Polly we celebrate you today and hope you know your mom will be looking for you on that day she meets you at the Bridge and I know you will be the first one to her side 🙂
xxooxox
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."
In honor of Bonnie's Polly...Bonnie's Maggie...Bonnie's Duchess
Alison said it so well: "We are ALL changed when our Tripawds leave us. But from that sorrow has come some of the best friendships I have made in my life in the longest time. ..."
Andno, we had not seen that adorable picture of Princess Polly! I am smooching that sweet mug right thru the screen!
I wasn't able to see the video...said private. I'll keep checking back. Don't wanna' miss this!
I also go back periodically to the post I made the day Happy Hannah transitioned. I'm not sure why. It always leaves me crying. It also reminds me that Happy Hannah touched loves and that makes me smile. It reminds me how everyone here touched our lives.
You and Polly continue to touch our lives. It's such a beautiful love story of devotion, of connectedness. There wasn't a single second in her thousands of days with you that she didn't know she was loved, so very loved.
I, along with a few others here, had the privilege of meeting Bonnie, her hsuband John (Merry Myrtle fell in love with John), and the lovely Miss Pearl. You could feel Polly's presence surrounding them. You really could.
Yep, Polly will always be with us. And we are eternally grateful to Polly for bringing us sweet Bonnie..such a gift
Love from my heart
Sally and My Chunky Spiritual Being Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
Sweet Angel Polly, look at her saying "Hey Mom I'm ready to go tap dancin' in my new shoes!"
Wow Bonnie I can't believe it's been two years, it seems like yesterday. I admire your courage for going back and looking at your post from a year ago. I have a hard time doing that with my own posts after Jerry transitioned, even now.
How fortunate we are to have you as part of this community all along, to walk every stage of your journey with Polly, even now as she watches over our community from the heavens. It's an honor to be there for you all this time and share in your steps back to a healed heart. It's all Polly ever wanted, to know that you would open your heart again, love and share in the joys of life. You've done her proud.
Much love to you on this very special Angel-Versary, and always after. xoxo
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Awe Bonnie the grief never goes away but I do think it goes to a special place in our hearts where it gets mixed with the joy of having had that special heart dog in our lives. Your Angel Polly is beautiful and I'm glad those pictures could show you the strength you have and how far you have come. Hugs
Linda, Ollie, Riley & Spirit Mighty Max
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, Deb, Alison, Michelle, Sally, Jerry/Rene, and Linda, we all are so alike and I feel very fortunate to have found all of you here in this wonderful community, you are friends like no other....... I find it amusing at times that I really cannot relate to any person, unless they love their pets like I do, I know that sounds terrible, but it is the truth. With my introverted personality, I am very relaxed, and amazingly able to be just myself with all of you and that makes me so happy.
Sally, thank you so much for your lit candles honoring each of my beautiful angel Lab girls over the Bridge, I will always miss all of them..... Each of us knows so well that pain of letting go, and eventually healing enough to move onto loving again..... Deb and Linda, I know your pain is fresh, but in time, the terrible ache will subside, and that fog of grief will lift, but in the meantime, take all the time you need to grieve. 💜
And the last thing I want to say, is I think we got the video fixed so everyone can see it, YAY !! I sometimes sit and watch every video I have of Polly when I get to missing her a lot again, and it warms my heart to know I had a very special bond with her, and THAT will never die...... 🐾
Much Love to all of you 😘
YAAAAAAAAAY FOR TECHNODOLT BONNIE! I got to see that DELIGHTFULLY fun video
Polly's path around that swing...sooo funny! I would LPVE to know her thought bubble...her reason! And you can bet she had a good reason!
I love how, when she was done, she just avoided you and headed on over to the porch.
I'm always sort of taken aback by her outward beauty...her gentleness and her inner beauty. The beauty of an Earth Angel.
Lots of love always sweet Bonnie
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
As far as your statement...."....... I find it amusing at times that I really cannot relate to any person, unless they love their pets like I do"...my thought...eh.eh..., "Why on earth would you want to?"
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!
Bonnie, 2 years. It can seem like yesterday and forever ago at the same time. How is that? Maybe that is how our hearts work. I agree with relating to animal lovers vs non. Polly was a beautiful soul. Those beautiful Labby eyes. I know Ty has a huge crush at the Bridge. It is amazing how we can miss them so much and yet start to feel whole again. I had an experience yesterday which made me realize how far I have come. Chandler has a huge Lick Granuloma. The vet felt that Laser will help it heal. Yesterday, we went in for our treatment and were led to that dreaded "room 4" for some reason, I have not been in that room since I let Ty go. In we went and the big blue bed was there on the floor. The same bed where I held my beautiful boy as he left this earth. Chandler pretty much refused to lay on it. As I sat on the floor with Chan Man in my arms, I could not help but flash back. It hurt, but I did not fall apart. I remembered how peaceful he was. A year ago, no way would I have kept it together. Healing happens, yet we still have moments of grief, moments of I wish. Opening our hearts to other fur babies does help ease the pain a bit and I think that is what our pups want for us. Thinking of you on this day. Lori, Ty and Gang
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.
Wow Lori. That was a tough one. But what an extraordinary leap in your healing to be avle ro hold it together and remember the peace he felt.
I do hope Mr. Chan Man is getting results from his laser treatment. Such a sweet Soul...like his Momma!
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!
WOW Lori... that is tremendous growth. We have all come so far!
And I agree - I find it hard to have relationships with people that don't understand the love I have for my pets. People comment to me that I post too much about Jasper on FB... but I am like, she's my child and deserves her place in this world .... still struggling to change that profile too. Perhaps that will feel more cathartic than I think!
Hugs and love to my family!
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
Polly looks like a sweet, sweet girl. Cassie & Murphy quickly wore a path around our pool when we moved in our house...and all 3 dogs have to come back to that path to come back to the house no matter where they are in the yard ... lol funny how dogs are about things like that!
I'm glad that you're still here to share your wisdom
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
I am glad We could fix that video, and Sally, I have never heard the term technodolt before so it gave me a good chuckle, although John as always is the techy here for me, lol !! And in the video where you see Polly running past me to the patio, she was actually responding to my hand signal to end playtime..... I was very proud of the fact that she was very well trained by me, and I could take her anywhere off leash and she would never leave my side for any reason, she was definitely my soulmate, protector, and best friend.....
Lori, I am glad you posted, it seems like forever that we have chatted here, and I loved your story about going to the vet with Chandler..... Healing does happen, but we definitely know it also takes time ....
Alison, I am with you on the profile pic thing..... Pearl and Zuzu deserve a place now with fb pics, but Polly will always be my cover photo or profile pic.......
And Donna, Polly absolutely was a sweet, soulful, precious dog, she crawled into my heart and soul the day we met when she was 9 weeks old....... As far as any wisdom from me, lol, I just do my best, sometimes it seems hard to express how I feel or any experiences into proper wording, but I just keep trying 😊
Hugs to all 🐾
Beautiful Polly, I will always picture her with her ravens gear on! I can't believe it's been two years, it's just so hard to imagine. I too get the pics. I can not take Roscoe off the pups FB profile pic, just can't bring myself to do it. It's really amazing how far we have all come isn't it!! I can't wait to get together this year again to celebrate these pups and all the new additions to the family.
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”
1 Guest(s)
