Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello all of my tripawd friends...It has been a long time since my last post. Things have been very tough for us of late. One of my other dogs, Princess (Not a Tripawd), was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. She was put on a cocktail of medications and she was put on a strict No Sodium diet...which she loved since it was all home cooked food! It was a rough time, Princess was rushed to the Vet twice because her lungs had filled with fluid and her gums and tongue had turned blue due to lack of oxygen. Both times I thought I was taking her to the vet for the last time but somehow that tough little thing made it through. Unfortunanly, she lost her battle on Monday, Feburary 7 at 2:18am. I am devestated...she seemed to be doing so well, then out of nowhere, she was gone...
Sadly, we have more bad news...Brandy (our Tripawd) is at the vet today because she began to limp on her back left leg. She had her front left leg removed due to Osteosarcoma back on May 18, 2010. As you can imagine, she is having an extremely hard time getting around with only two good legs, and what we call the "kick-stand", because she is not using that leg for anything more than holding herself up. The vet is going to knock her out and do x-rays on her to see what is ailing her. Is it possible she could get cancer in another leg? We had her lungs x-rayed about a month ago and they were all clear...I can't imagine this happening to her again. I should get an answer soon and I will let you all know what happens...
Please keep her in your thoughts...
Love,
Brandy's Clan
I'm very sorry for your loss and for the difficulties Brandy is having. I will keep you all in my thoughts and hope for a favorable reportfrom Brandy's xrays.
Cynthia
Offline
Let me first tell you how sorry I am to hear about Princess. She doesn't have to be a tripawd for us to care about her and your loss. It is so hard to lose any of our babies.
When is your vet going to x-ray Brandy? I am sorry that she is having problems with her leg. There are many reasons she could be having problems. Unfortunately, while I do not believe it is common it also is not unheard of that a dog get a second cancer on another leg. It is also possible that the cancer has spread somewhere else like her spine. Try to to borrow trouble though until the x-rays are in. You could spend days worrying about a cancer that may not be there just to be told it is dysplasia.
Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Debra
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
So sorry for your double trouble... hopefully the vet can shed some light on what is happening. Best of luck and good thoughts your way.
-Chloe's mom
Chloe became a rear amp tripawd on 7-29-10. Another tumor was removed on front leg 2-20-14. Found 3rd tumor on neck 2-2015, but she's still kicking cancer's butt at age 14. Chloe's blog
So sorry to hear about Princess. Perhaps Brandy just pulled something or maybe arthritis? We hope for a positive outcome. Daisy has 2 front and 1 rear and a few months ago she strained her right front. It took about a month of home massage and wet heat packs to get it to heal. Please keep us posted.
Daisy earned her wings on Oct 22, 2011 at 14 years old
She is now the official greeter at the rainbow bridge
Everyone is guaranteed a welcome sniff and Dalmatian smile
teresa808 said:
Is it possible she could get cancer in another leg?
It is quite rare, but can happen. More often, a remaining leg is injured due to taking up the extra weight. This can usually be addressed with rehab, but even if another surgery is required (FHO/ACL/TPLO/ETC.) complete recovery is possible. Chuy Maloney recovered from two surgeries on his remaining rear legs after becoming a Tripawd and is still happily hopping along!
Good luck, please let us know what you find out.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I just got Brandy back from the vet. It is not Cancer, thank goodness!!
She has a small chip fracture and her hip dysplaysia is bothering her. The doc thinks to compensate for the fracture, she is putting too much stress on her hips. They were going to splint the leg, but due to the dysplaysia, he is worried she will put even more pressure on her hips because her leg will be splinted. So, he is putting her on Deramax and tramadol and we will have to keep her as rested as possible. Hopefully the fracture will mend so she will be putting less stress on those hips. The vet also wants us to get Brandy to lose 3-5lbs, they said the weight loss will really help her. Better to be underweight than overweight. I will keep you posted on how she is doing...
Thank you so much for all your kind words. It has been a tough couple of days.
Brandy and Family
Whew - while not the best news, definitely better than the C word.
Sorry about the passing of Princess - it is never easy to lose them, even when we know they're sick.
Zack, King of Dogs, 1996 to 2010
Zack lived a full 14 years, even to the end.
The joy and memories he provided us will last a lifetime.
Surviving him is his sister, Izzy, a 12-year-old boxer mix quadpawd.
And the latest addition, Zula, an 11-month-old pit bull mix tripawd.
Thanks for the update. Please do keep us posted, and good luck getting that weight off!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I am so very sorry to hear of Princess. That is just heartbreaking especially after everything you have been through. I'm just so very sorry she was lost so suddenly after having so much hope. It is not easy but try to hang onto the happy memories.
That is great news about Brandy! Let's all keep our "good" paws crossed for a speedy recovery!
I can only imagine the fear you must have had after losing a fur-baby a few days ago. I feel so bad for you after the trauma of just losing Princess.
Don't be a stranger, come over more often. We can offer support and an old fashion shoulder to cry on knowing how upset you must be for your loss of Princess and now Brandy's recovery.
Hugs.
Angel Comet's Mom
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Ohhh, we're so sorry about Princess. You are such a great dog pawrent, and you did so much to help her.
As for Brandy, here's to chipped hips! (Never thought we'd say that!). Sounds like she has some great medical care! Remember that rehab therapy is also a good idea, you can find a qualified rehab therapist near you with this directory. And of course, check out Trouble's Slimming Down Diet for some weight loss tips. Let us know how we can help OK?
Like Comet said, come back anytime, we miss you!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I too am sorry for the loss of Princess. Any loss in the tripawd family is felt by us all. If they are your family, they are ours as well.
Trouble had a similar evaluation a few weeks ago, her mobility issues turned out to be arthitic changes. As Jerry mentioned, Trouble has a great reducing diet. It is home cooked (ok, I use canned veggies so there isn't much cooking) and has really kept the weight off her. I considered changing her back to kibble, but don't want to risk a weight gain. She is getting very old, so I keep everything as status quo as I can. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
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