Thank you so much for watching! The joy for me is in the sharing so I really appreciate your  taking the trouble to watch. I’m pleased you could hear little Pie too. 

Sally - I have water and electricity and a wood stove. No central heating but we’re fine. I do miss Pies warm little body. She was so warm and solid and would press herself close into you on the sofa or in bed at night. I was never cold with Pie. Now there’s always a cold space on one side 😢 We have lots of sensible food in so are far from at crisis point. We are running low on junk though and most especially on chocolate. HELP!!! WE ARE ALMOST OUT OF CHOCOLATE! 😱

Alison - I love what you said about forcing yourself to be with your thoughts and feelings rather than constantly distracting yourself from them. Absolutely resonates with me ❤️

Holly - I’m so pleased you saw Miss Pie. I agree, you can see Meg listening too 👂 

Rene - thank you 😊 Yes, Meg is joy in canine form. I cannot think of a better companion to be snowed in with. 

Hi Robyncairn and welcome, and thank you for commenting! I am SO pleased Meg's video gave you hope at such a difficult time. I'm sorry to hear about the problems Bertie's been having, but I am really pleased you have found your way her, as there is such a wealth of experience and support available to help you make the right decision for Bertie. My Meg lost her leg two years ago due to orthopaedic problems so I cannot comment on the Cancer side of things as regards amputation. (Though I will say that I was advised by a leading orthopaedic surgeon that amputation was not an option for her) What I do feel I can pretty much guarantee is that, so long as you can set a strong and positive model for Bertie (and we are all here to help you do it!), he will NOT feel in any way depressed because of the loss of his leg. Dogs just don't think like that, or not in my experience anyway. So long as they are not in pain and able to do the things they enjoy and, above all, to spend time with you, they are happy. Physically, there is an adjustment period. First, there is recovery from the surgery itself. In our case, this was remarkably straightforward, but most people find things pretty full on for a couple of weeks. In terms of pain, this can, and should, be well managed with an appropriate pain killer regimen. Bertie should not be in pain. A little discomfort possibly, as his muscles etc. adjust to his new gait, but certainly not pain. Once the recovery period is over, Bertie will be fully able to go on enjoying being Bertie. His walks will be shorter, but Bertie will still be able to run, swim, play, chase squirrels, or whatever floats his particular boat. In Meg's case all of the above.

I just lost my other dog, Elsie, aged ten, suddenly to a highly aggressive cancer of the liver and spleen. In her case, there was simply nothing to be done, but had amputation been an option, I would certainly have gone for it, knowing what I do now. Elsie was a very different character from Meg, much more conservative and stuck in her ways, but I have no doubt whatsoever that, with the right encouragement and support, she would have coped admirably. Three more years sounds like a lifetime to me.

You have come to the right place. Keep posting and keep asking questions. We are all of us here to help!

And please, please do not lose hope. I know that from the position you are in now, all options must seem unbearably bleak, but I promise you life on three legs can be every bit as fun and full of joy as it ever was on four.

Sending love,

Meg, Clare and Angel Pie xxx

PS I LOVE Cairns ❤️

PPS Something else for the hope bucket...