Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I just found these. These were pictures that I took in probably November or Dec. He looks perfect. Yes he was limping, but maybe I could have done just pain meds. Maybe then I would still have my boy. I have even been thinking, what if he really did not have cancer? What if the vet just wanted to make some money from me? Why did she know so fast when no one else could find anything. If I did not take his leg, he would not have gotten MRSA
. Maybe taking it made the cancer spread faster. I am just overwhelmed with doubt and anger at myself right now. I just HAD to know why he was limping. I just couldn't let well enough alone. I feel like I killed my dog 
I want a do over. I should have done more research, I just wanted the cancer off of him. I thought he was going to be the one in a thousand that would beat it. I thought we would take the leg and everything would be ok. I feel like I took all his joy at living the last few months away from him. I just made him sicker and sicker. I want him back!
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.
Oh Ty you are so handsome. You remind me of my Jake with those soulful eyes, the kind of eyes that just pull you in.
We all second guess our decisions, no matter which ones we make. We all look back and wonder what we could've done differently. We look back with full vision of what the future held and we judge our decisions because we expect to be able to make the decision that makes it all better. But there is no magic wand, or little genie in our pockets, that we get to consult. We do the best we can with the information we have. You didn't know what the future had in store for Ty. You HAD to know what was making him limp because you are a GREAT mom. You took the BEST care of him. You didn't take the joy from Ty. You know what he learned those last couple months? Just HOW much he was loved. He learned that his mama would do everything she could for him, she loved him to no end, and he felt that in every moment. Yes, he knew it before then, but he REALLY felt it those last couple months.
I hate these days. The days we doubt everything, the days we beg for a do over, the days that just when you think its getting better hits you like a ton of bricks. We don't know the reasons for why our pups have to leave us, I truly believe when its a soul's time to go that God calls them home. I guess to find the silver lining in this black cloud is that the one gift we have all been given is that we were able to really be in the moment with our babies. Knowing they were sick, we were able to tell them so many times how much we loved them, to hug them and just be with them. I know I did that all the time, but when I found out my Jake had cancer I did it a thousand times more. For that, I am grateful and I just know Ty is so proud of you and he's so proud knowing that he had the best mom he could've ever had. If he had one wish, I bet it would be to send you a sign letting you know that.
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”
Oh Lori, I know how you feel.... I wonder if I should have taken Shelby's leg in June when it broke and we would have found the cancer that THREE biopsies couldn't find ... and I beat myself up for letting her jump in the car when I knew she was getting older and it was getting harder. I hate these days. It's hard and you feel punched in the gut.
BUT you were an amazing mom. I followed your journey with Ty - the back and forth, the fighting. You fought harder for him that most people would. You demanded answers and you got them. You never gave up. You didn't sleep. You did EVERYTHING. I know it's hard to see it now but hopefully you will find some solace in knowing that everything you did was for Ty and he knew it - he loved you so much and he knew each day, each minute.
Sending you so many hugs ... the thing with dogs ... their love is unconditional. They live in the moment ... oh how I wish I was Shelby ... I would give anything to be more 'dog'... Sending you a great big hug and hopefully you feel that. And you feel Ty's love for you. I know we all do!
XOXO
Alison & 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
Thank you girls, I don't know what happened today. I thought I was doing better and then, bang! I was not prepared for this avalanche of emotion. Guess it is the processing of this whole last few months.
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.
Online
My Dear Sweet Lori.....
All I can say is DITTO Elzabeth and DITTO Aloson.
And yo did EXACTLY what everyonen this site would do as far as amputation and believing he would be ne of the "cured" ones. We all go into this with tht hope....and if we didn't do tat, then we would regret not giving them that chance. Please remember, yo didn't do anything to Ty or "give" him MRSA . That piece of crap disease didmit all...not anythingnyou did.
What yo did dois give him a chance, you gave him more love and sttention and shoes than anymother human possible cold! You fought for him way beyond what most humans cold do! You are his hero!
And these pictures are wonderful!! I saw that same hapiness in tose beautiful eyes when je was home with yo during the last weeks togetjer. He was hapy then too Lori!
And Nurse Lucy looks very cute in her "nurse's uniform"! Thanks for sharng these icures ofyour magnificent Ty! Soft velvet h ead to toe.....wjat a cuddly boy!!
Love to you sweet Lori.
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 love those pics Lori, what a handsome boy.
Pleas please don't blame yourself, you did your absolute best with the information you had. Nobody could have done anything better or differently, you did the BEST for Ty and that's what counts.
It's so normal to look back and second guess ourselves, and feel lonely and devastated that things didn't turn out the way we wanted them to. But in all of the sadness, always remember that something good came of it too. First, you are here, you have us to lean on and you can vent all you want and grieve and cry and nobody here will judge you. And even though Ty isn't here now, he is still a part of you and always will be. And thanks to your joining us, now we know his story and can appreciate the difference in the world that he made while he was here.
You made the world a better place Lori, you didn't hurt him or do anything bad. Sometimes the universe just does what it does and it's a true test of our ability to be zen and follow our dog's lead. You are doing really well at that, don't feel badly or regret, you did your best, I can feel it, we all can.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Wow what a handsome boy. I am so sorry to hear about this, and it breaks my heart that you are feeling this way.
Please know...you did NOT kill your dog. There are no right answers in our situations, and the way we act is out of PURE LOVE. There is no way that you could have killed your dog, when all you were trying to do the whole time was save his life. He knows what you were doing, and he knows that you loved him very much.
The pain of losing a dog comes in waves...sometimes you think you're okay...and then your mind starts to wander, and bam, you're back to square one. That's normal, but please don't ever think you did anything to harm your baby. It's not true. If you focus on the "what-ifs", you'll only drive yourself crazy. Just think that you did everything you could for him, because you truly did.
I'm so sorry.
Lots of love from Anna and Tyson
I was reading about the different treatments that some have had here and Carboplatin and Metronomics seem very popular. I have realized that if I am ever presented with this problem again, I will travel to wherever I have to go to get good vet care. Ty got CCNU as his chemo. He showed up with dehydration a week later he spent 2 nights at vets getting fluids. ( I now know I could have done that at home) I asked about the swelling at his neck when I was taking him home from that stay. It was the pocket of infection. Then we spent 2 weeks with me insisting that he had an infection. I am convinced that if anybody would have listened to me, along with the first biopsy that they took of the growth, They would have cultured for infection. They were only looking for cancer. The infection never would have spread as far as it did if it would have been caught. It had to have been SO painful for him to be like that and I could not help him. When we got the all clear on the MRSA finally, I had asked if we could do metronomic and they were totally against it. They said that Doxycycline has NO anti tumor properties. Ha! I know better. They did not seem familiar with this protocol at all. I am sure someone got an all expense trip to Hawaii if they sold enough CCNU. He lost so much time with waiting and waiting on the MRSA diagnosis. I am just angry, he never had a chance! I thought that when his ultrasound did not show anything, we had a good chance to beat this. I asked if CCNU was the best for this and was told definitely. Now I am not so sure. I drove over an hour to get to this vet, but I am not so sure that I should not have looked around a bit more. I was just trying to find out why he was in pain and was sent there. This was the 3rd place we had gone to try and find some answers. Was told they were specialists. What I think now, is they were a huge operation. Make as much $ as you can in as short a time as you can. I just wonder, had he gone to a better vet, would his outcome have been better? I think I have moved from denial to anger! I am just so mad hurt that it turned out so badly for my poor boy!
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 think anger is fair (I have my fair share of it - not about Shelby's treatment but about her outcome and how unfair it was that we fought SO hard and had excellent and very $$$ care that I will be paying off for months to come) and yet our journey ended within 7 1/2 months of diagnosis. But as my mom tells me (and others on this board) that is a lot of negative and stressful energy out in the universe. You fought SO hard for Ty. Harder than most would have. you DEMANDED answers when the vets seemed less than enthusiastic or willing to help.
But if anger helps you process through this - by all means get and be angry ... but please don't beat yourself up. This was such a small chapter of Ty's otherwise amazing life. It is, of course, easier said than done (I am still a work in progress) but I am trying really hard to focus on the positive things and the 'wins'.... and there were many for me and Shelby and there were many for you and Ty.
Sending you love as always ...
Alison & Shelby
PS - we had carbo and Shelby still developed lung mets. 
And as you know, that wasn't even an issue or how our story ended. Flipping cancer in the brain - no one could have predicted that or seen that ... we did everything right. And so did you!
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
Lori, it's definitely OK to be angry as Alison said, nobody can blame you for that. We all do the best we can with the tools and knowledge we have at the time. The best way you can help your heart heal is to turn that anger into a passion for becoming educated about how to find a good vet, it will really help. My biggest tip is to start with Dr. Nancy Kay's book, Speaking For Spot, and also her follow-up, A Dozen Things to Expect from Your Vet. These two books will give you so much confidence when it comes time for future vet care, no matter what the level of care it is that your animal needs. Knowledge is power, and it's confidence.
You are a great dog-mom, never forget that.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Lori, everyone has said it so well. The second guessing happens to all of us. I hate dwelling on the "what ifs" and "if only's" but they creep into my mind. The ups and downs of the grieving process are normal as I read everyone's stories. I also can think I'm perfectly fine and then the littlest thing will trigger me and I'm a puddle of tears. It's just part of the process.
Like Alison said, this was just such a small chapter in Ty's wonderful life with you.
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
PS...there are// dogs treated with CCNU onjere...amd it's still the same crap shoot as carboplating and metronomcs...some do well ont...some do not....some do well without .some do not. Ueah, jard to turn all thismi to someting that empowers. All I can saymis look wat Rene and Jim did with Jerry's situation. Somehow, someway, yo will find a way for this esperience to bring about a positive change.
One thing that may help is to take this post you jist did and fo t the vets with a cop in your hand and ask them the questions and concerns you have expressed here. I would think they would be glad to help clarify their actions. Then move on from there with a renewed sense of making a difference in Ty's honor.
Sending you lpve Sweet Lori...lots of love to you and your soulmate Ty.
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!
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