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
On Thursday, March 29th, we had to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Gabby. We believe there may have been much more than lung cancer happening. She was not coughing hardly ever or breathing really hard at all. She became severely anemic and started to have fluid in her abdomen. We still can't believe she is gone.
This is a link to the memorial page. Memorial
Thank you all for your support.
Christine
I am so very sorry for your loss. You did everything that you could for Gabby. She is over the bridge now and pain free.
You will feel her presence, just watch. The love you have for each other over rules everything.
With heartfelt sincerity,
Jackie and Huckleberry ❤️
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Oh Christine, our hearts go out to you, we are deeply sorry. She was so fortunate to find such loving humans way back when. You took her in and gave her the dream life that all dogs deserve. And when the cancer came, you gave her more quality time that she wouldn't have had otherwise.
It's never easy to part ways, even when our doggies live to such an advanced age. I sure people will agree that probably makes it even harder. But your beautiful girl's spirit will always shine on in your life, and in your heart.
{{{hugs}}}
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I'm so sorry for the loss of your sweet Gabby. What a BEAUTIFUL picture in your memorial posting. And I love the story of how you found her and how she gradually tolerated, and came to secretly love your hugs. She was clearly a very special dog. Just imagine if you hadn't found her as you did. Fourteen years is a wonderful journey to share, but of course it is never long enough.
Run free, sweet Gabby. You were deeply loved and will never be forgotten.
Sending love and strength at this saddest of times.
Meg, Clare and Angel Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 20 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Cancer is so limited
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer your spirit.
If anyone knows how you feel.... it's us here....
Christine... with Franklin & Maggie in her heart...
Franklin, he was the Happiest Dog on Three Legs! Diagnosed 09/26/2012 with Osteosarcoma, amputated 12/4/2012. Had a wonderful 5 1/2 months painfree until he ran for the Bridge on 5/15/2013. Always in my heart, and always a guardian angel of my pack... You can follow his Tripawd Adventures, before and after, in my blog, Frank'n'Farter!
Christine,
I'm sorry that Gabby has gone on across the Bridge. The picture on your memorial page is stunning! I believe that dogs come into our lives for a reason, finding her in the woods was no accident, you were meant to be a pack. She has gone on because her job here was done.
It's hard to see in the midst of grief, but Gabby has left you lessons and gifts that will last the rest of your life. But for now the Tripawds Nation grieves with you.
These special beings never really leave us, Gabby lives forever in your heart and will always be by your side.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
I'm so sorry for your loss of Gabby! No matter how long we get with them it's never enough. The longer we have them the more they interweave in our lives and when they leave its just crippling for a while. Sending you warm hugs and healing light at this hardest of times. I'm so glad you "found" Gabby as much as she was meant to be yours so too you were meant to be hers. Fly free new Angel!
Linda & Spirit Mighty Max
I feel your pain and loss. It's hard but the pain is also your tribute to your baby.
I've had people tell me to move on, get another dog, put away his things and pics so I can forget. But I don't want to forget my baby and I'm sure you don't want to also.
You are not alone.
I came back after my original reply to add this. I was feeling down today about my loss and came back to this board as it gave me so much comfort thru my struggles. When I am feeling bad I call it a Charlie moment. So I saw your post and my heart goes out to you. Come back here often, it's not really easy but it's a family here and there is comfort.
This just breaks my heart tomknow Gabby had to leave her earthly clothes behind.. The heartache is for you moreso than the ONE-OF-A-KIND GABBY! And goodness knows, she was one-of-a-kind!
Please read these ppsts from your trioawd family ocer and over. Hopefuw, you will find some comfort from those of us who REALLY understand the depth of love we share with our furpals. We understand the ddevotion and care giving involved in this journey. And we understand the gut-wrenching when they have ro head to the Bridge.
I hope everyone has a chance ro go over and look at the BEAUTIFUL and HEARTFELT tribute to paid to Hero Gabby. It was such a pleasure to get to know her better and know more about the special Soul she is.
Gabby shall forever be remembered here and shall ALWAYS be an inspiration to any "senior" pups who are faced with the decision amputate. You gave Gabby extended pain free vonus time tomsoak up more loviw and more spoiling and more hugs (somewhat reluctantly on the hugs) and more barn time tonbark at the ponies!
As you can, please post more about your sweet Gzbby and with pictures of her beautiful self. And thanknyou again so much for sharing Gabby with us. We all love her and stand in awe of her spunky "mature" spirit!
Love znd light
Sally and Alumni 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!
I am so sorry to hear of Sweet Gabby's Crossing. Watch for her signs she will send you some letting you know she is ok and still with you. Run free sweet girl until you meet your family again
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."
Thank you so much Michelle, Sally, Charlie, Linda, Karen, Christine, Meg, Jerry, Jackie and anyone I may have missed,
I cry myself to sleep every night and at times during the day just break out in tears. I have thought about making a blog to at least let people what we experienced. I also wanted to make a personal blog of our adventures from the time we found her. We've been going through all the digital photos we have to make a book for us. We have thousands of pictures! On one hand it is fun looking at them until I remember that is all I can do now. 
I really do appreciate all your posts and will come back to read them. And I am looking for signs. One day shortly after I thought I smelled her. I know that sounds odd but she really did smell good.
Thank you all again.
Hugs
Christine
We understand Christine . I know it's hard to be here right now, yet comforting at the same time. And Imkmow it's bittersweet looking at photos, but thank goodness we have those scared treasures to remind us of all the happy tim3s you and Gabby shared!
Yrs, the time leading to transition stays at the forefront of our minds for awhile. We have to remember the thousands of happy times overtake that short time of transition. I think pictures help is remember whwt the loves of our furbabies were really about .
Yes, the waves of grief will subside (NEVER go away completely even years later), but Gabby's joyful life with you for all these years will ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be what Gabby wants you to remember
Whenever you are ready....whenever that may be.....we will always look forward to more stories and photos of this inspiring Soul named Gabby! Things like how she got her name would be fun to know.....although the answer may be in the name!
Love and hugs
Sally and Alumni 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!
Christine,
It is a huge loss (((hug))) I know it. I guess that is just another thing that makes me appreciate this place. Even though you have been there does not mean it won't take time to heal a bit. The first time you get a sign you will probably laugh and cry at the same time. Some things just happen like that. When you are ready I would also love to read your story. Sometimes I think writing your story is as therapeutic as talking, maybe even moreso. Almost 6 years later I still cry over my Rosie. But you learn to live around it. That is a love that will never be replaced, it is unique upon itself.
The funny thing is that Rosie didn't take me here, Huckleberry did. But the connection here for me helps heal the pain I have felt with my Rose.
Hugs,
Jackie and Huckleberry
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
1 Guest(s)
