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.
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Griffin just blows my mind!!! Jist thrilled, absolutely thrilled to see this video and to see how well he is doi g AND how happy he is!!!
Speaking of happy! OMD! The picture of the two of you with BOTH of you smiling makes me want to jump up and down with joy!!!
Griffin is such an example of how, even initial recovery from major amputation surgery is far less painful sometimes than the pain of that bum leg prior!
Thank you so much for sharing Griffin's recovery and these great videos- Sich an inspiration! And such a loved boy!❤
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS. I W
watched the videos twice because they made me so happy to see him have so much fun!!
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!
Griffin just makes me so happy! When I found Tripawds, I was struggling with keeping a positive mindset, mad at the world and grief-stricken that my beautiful boy would be felled by cancer. Once I made the decision to move forward with amputation, I finally felt at peace and ready handle whatever life would bring. I decided that we were going to kick cancer's a** and that I would ensure Griffin's life moving forward would be as amazing as his first 10 years. And all I have done since the surgery is follow Griffin's lead. He lives in the moment, he doesn't feel sorry for himself, and he is figuring out that life on 3 limbs is simply his new normal, much like the rest of the world is needing to adapt to a new normal defined by the pandemic. I hope that the videos, photos, and updates I share gives hope to others just like I found on this site.
Griffin is scheduled for an oncology consult (and perhaps first round of chemo) on April 17th and a rehab consult on April 24th, both at AMC. I cannot stress enough how amazing Griffin's surgeon, Dr. Spector, has been throughout this process. I send him daily updates and videos, and he replies every day. Today he asked for permission to share the videos of Griffin playing fetch with people who are concerned about amputation, and of course I said yes. I also asked him to make sure he refers them to Tripawds!
As I have previously shared, Griffin is a therapy dog. We volunteer at New York Presbyterian's Children's Hospital and also with A Fair Shake for Youth. AFSY featured Griffin in their social media post the other day: https://www.ins....._copy_link
Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com
I have to say that is pretty dang cool!
I do have a question. I have had poodles and they went to the groomer every six weeks. Is it the same for golden doodles?
My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019. With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer. I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud! He will live forever in my Heart!
04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020
"March Saint"
Griffin is an F1b, so 75% standard poodle and 25% golden retriever. He has hair like poodles and thus needs to be groomed every 6-8 weeks. I keep his hair on the shorter side to begin with and he was groomed a tad bit shorter before the surgery to ensure he had plenty of time to recover before needing a haircut again. The photos in my first post are about as long as I let his hair grow. I was just thinking the other day that I'll need to make sure the groomer makes special accommodations for him as he will not be able to stand for hours, so any advice on that front will be much appreciated!
Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com
It's been a thoroughly rainy day here in NYC today, so not a lot of outdoor time. I think playing fetch yesterday really wore out Griffin - he has been content to snooze most of the day. We also spent a little time practicing a few of his tricks to see how he does with his new body. Balancing a treat on his nose is a big hit with the kids at the children's hospital. Enjoy!
Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com
Such a good boy!!!! A very smart and very good boy! Did I mention adorable and handsome and cute as a button? Yeah, that too!!
Yeah, I'm sure playing fetch did make him feel like he needed to rest those muscles. He's using muscles in a way that he hasn't done before. A rainy day is a good day for massages for those tired muscles. Of course from Griffin's point of view,a rainy day is also good day for catching treats off his nose.
Griffin is sich an amazing dog Soul on so many levels.😎
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!
PS...that photo of him above....non-stop adorable!!!
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!
Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com
Hi Stacy! Just catching up on you and Griffin. What a joy to see both of you so happy and Griffin doing so well!!! Thanks for all the sharing. In doing so you're helping so many others!
I'm still waiting for Jake's surgery date but will be before the end of the month I've been told. Once he has the surgery I'll start more posts under the heading 'treatment and recovery" with any questions I may have. Keep up the good work!
Oh Griffin I have stars in my eyes when I see you! 
WOW! Your tricks are one of the best examples of working with a new Tripawd to tire out the mind before the body (a much more effective way to reach that happy, tired dog that doesn't feel a need to go on long walks right now!).
YAY!
Stacy how did you teach him the treat balancing trick? I've tried that for years with Wyatt Ray and instead of flipping it around to catch it with his mouth, all he does is wait for the treat to fall on the floor so he can pick it up!
By the way that high five is a super tough thing for any dog to do but for an in-shape Tripawd it shows that his core strength is excellent. This will benefit him soooo much in his new life on 3 legs! Great job!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Connie! I find sharing on this forum so cathartic for me to focus on the positive steps each day of Griffin's Journey and I hope that in doing so, we can inspire other Tripawd families about the infinite possibilities of life on 3 legs. Thank you for your kind words and I look forward to keeping up with Jake's Journey once his surgery occurs!
Hi Jerry! The treat on the nose trick took a bit of time and capitalized on his natural instinct to flip the treat off. It also took a bit of experimenting on the type of treat to use and where exactly to place it. Smaller soft treats didn't work, and neither did large ones. Crunchy medium sized treats almost at the tip of his nose works about 60% of the time. Before recording him yesterday, we had to practice a bit to get back into the habit as his body positioning was not quite right when he flipped the treat, sending it sailing off to the side. It didn't take long, however, for him to tap into that muscle memory! Same thing with the high five. I was actually expecting him to do just a modified "shake", giving me a high five from a seated position. When I saw that he was willing to try standing, which is our usual way of doing high five, I encouraged him to do it. I guess I didn't realize what a big deal it is for a tripawd to do a trick like that. I shared the video with Dr. Spector who said that he never saw a dog with a forelimb amputation able to do a standing high five. Go Griffin!
The video below was taken about a year ago when we were visiting a little boy after heart transplant surgery. It was amazing to see him smile and hear his giggle!
Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com
Ohhh that video is priceless! The look on that little boy's face just made my heart leap for joy! Griffin is true magic. The patients are going to LOVE seeing him when he gets back out and does his job.
Thanks for the scoop on the treat trick. I'm going to try that with our Wyatt Ray and see how it works. Maybe it was just the wrong type of treats I've been using all along! His snout is sure big enough to hold them in place. I'll keep trying.
I agree, it's pretty amazing to see Griffin do that high five. Awesome work! What a team! 
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Griffin was antsy while I was working today, so that is a good sign that he is continuing to improve. We went out for a short walk this morning but then I loaded him in the wagon for a longer stroll along the Hudson River this afternoon. He wasn't as interested in playing fetch today as he was to walk and explore. Each day he goes a bit further and I can see his stamina is building!
Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com
Oh that hoppy boy! It's so good to see you two getting outside for some air. He looks great!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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