Simba, our ten-year-old silver lab, is truly remarkable. Throughout the course of his life he has taught us so much: patience, strength, determination, fun, happiness, and adversity. He has struggled throughout his life with skin and hair problems due to his allergies. He started to receive desensitization shots monthly, which helped his allergies immensely.

We took Simba to our vet (Best Friends Animal Care) in May of 2014 to get new vials of allergen. While visiting with our vet, we discussed a pea sized bump between his toes on his right foreleg that had been present for a couple months. Our vet tested the bump and delivered news that no pet owner can prepare for. With relative certainty, our vet informed us that the bump was in fact a mass cell tumor that needed to be addressed soon. This information prompted us to travel to the Fox Valley Clinic in Appleton, WI.

The surgeon at Fox Valley did a wonderful job of outlining our two options to address the tumor. Option one involved surgical tumor removal (as completely as possible) followed by six weeks of chemotherapy. This option did not have a guarantee of a cancer free pet. Option two was to remove the limb including the scapula with a high likelihood of removing the cancer from his body.

The news was devastating, however we knew which option was best for Simba. Additionally, both our vet as well as the surgeon assured us this was the best course of action and that they learned in vet school that animals are born with three legs and one extra. The surgery took place within a week of our consultation and we were amazed when the surgeon called and Simba was up and had gone to the bathroom an hour after surgery!

When we arrived the following day to pick Simba up we felt awful about what had happened to him and he was very confused. He was so happy to see us that he pulled the vet tech down the hall to get to us!

The next few weeks were challenging to watch him adjust. He would yelp when he got up (possibly from the feeling of a phantom limb), but the pain medication helped him get through it. The surgeon was very helpful and called to check on him twice after we took him home.

Day by day we were amazed at what he could do. He could still chew his bone and would manipulate it with his remaining foreleg and one of his hind legs. He still retrieves a ball, plays Frisbee, swims, and enjoys car rides.

We are so proud of him and he helps us to appreciate each and every day. Everywhere we go people want to know his story and immediately feel bad for him. It is important to understand that there is no reason to feel bad for a tripawd. It is however important to understand that just because they want to do everything they did before, doesn’t mean they should. There is greater risk of damage to other legs and building strength in the core is critical.

Simba is a true inspiration and an important reminder of how precious life is. We are forever grateful for all he has taught us and for his unconditional love.

Picture of Simba

Picture 2 of Simba

Picture 3 of Simba

Picture 4 of Simba

We have found the following resources helpful:

• Ruff Wear Vest
• Ruff Wear Boots
• Peanut Core Strengthening Ball
• Tripawd Book – Loving Life on Three Legs