Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

Hello, my name is Sierra and I am a mom of a Tripawd named Dawson. Dawson is an 8 year old Komondor. In January 2019 he tore his Cranial Cruciate Ligament and had TPLO (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy) surgery. A couple of days post op his leg did not look normal and I took him back in to see the orthopedic surgeon that did his surgery. We found that Dawson's bone was splitting due to the strength of the metal plate that was put in his leg. We ended up taking him to the University of Tennessee Veterinarian Medical Center to get this corrected. After a second failed surgery, lots of prayers, and lots of discussions the decision was made to amputate his right rear leg and give him a better quality of life.
The road along the way has been rocky, it took Dawson a long time to walk on his own as a tripawd, and we still face challenges today. I am so thankful for this Tripawd site, it was this site that I would spend countless hours on at night reading success stories, advice from fellow tripawd parents, and gaining hope that Dawson would be okay. It is my hope that I can help other tripawd parents (especially those of large breed dogs) navigate this stressful time and have faith that their furry family member will be just fine!