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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I saw all my emails and just didn't want to open them, I was afraid this is what I was going to read!
We are so sorry for your loss! Very happy he got to come home and have his heaven on earth even for a short period!
Being home and with all of you and 3 double cheeseburgers of course, were all that Otis could of asked for in his last hours.
You guys should be proud you gave Otis everything and more! I always say our animals are temporary gifts from God! What gifts they truly are!
Otis is whole, pain & cancer free ,running on 4 legs again he now he has some beautiful new wings to try out.
You did Otis proud! He lives on, You will carry him in your heart always, until you meet again!
Sending you all the Biggest of hugs!
Holly, Mark , Purrkins & Saxton
I am deeply saddened to see thiat Otis has left us. I'm very sorry for your loss. He will furrever be your beautiful boy in your heart and mind. He knows you adored him and that is the best gift you could give him. Hugs and love from Deb and Baby Bandit
Oh Christine I'm so so sorry! The connection you have to that beautiful boy is so beautiful. You always seemed to instinctively know when something was even just a little off with him and moved heaven and earth to make it right. What a special bond you two have and I'm sure his transition to the bridge will not sever that bond. He will always be by your side in spirit. Otis brought you here too where you have helped so many just starting out on this journey with your insight and wisdom. Sending you and your entire family so much love as you travel this last and the very hardest part of this journey. You be kind to yourself you were absolutely the best mom to that sweet boy. Lean on us to help you. Tess will help you too. Know your boy touched us all and we will always remember him. Fly free Warrior Otis fly free young and whole to the bridge where all our Warrior Princes and Princess' wait to meet you.
With much love,
Linda, Riley & Spirits Mighty Max & Ollie
Ohhhhh I was so afraid to look today. I'm so very, very sorry. I just can't believe how fast it happened. . .
My heart hurts for you and Tess, and your family. All of us feel the loss of such a sweet boy, an angel on earth and now in the heavens. You have all brought so much love, humor, joy and support to this community in such a short period of time. The impact you've all made will last forever, and Otis' life will always be a cherished part of our world.
Otis, run free and be with our Tripawd heroes. I know you will be so much fun up there at the Bridge.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I cherish those 3 T-Shirts he wore during his recovery!
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
I'm so sorry you had to say goodbye to Otis. I read your blog this morning and applaud you on the care you took for Otis ensuring his happiness and comfort.
The photo of him at the fence with the rainbow rays shining through is priceless. There's a woman who raises great danes as service dogs who says "You give your dog a good life, then you let them sleep." I see Otis sleeping on the rays to the Rainbow Bridge where he'll awaken to play with the other loved pets. It's clear he'll always hold a place in your heart.
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
My sympathies.
My son shared this Reddit post with me, around the time Milo had his amputation. It's written from the point of view of the dog. He doesn't die, he just goes to sleep in your heart forever. That painful feeling in your chest is his thumping, wagging tail. (
)
Wishing for peace and strength for your family as you make it through this painful thumping and wagging.
Jenifer & Milo
I'm so sorry for your loss. But I'm so happy also that he got those last hours with you, with a belly full of cheeseburgers and then his passing was peaceful. I say it all the time to my non-pet friends - the fact that we are blessed with the ability to let them go when it is time is absolutely the best gift we can give them. He moved on knowing you and your family's love, which he always had and will always have. He had the best care and love that a dog could ask for, and he'll have some serious bragging rights at the Bridge!
You'll know his spirit still visits - I have to say I've never been a big believer in signs or whatever, but when my old guy Murray passed on, there was a hummingbird who followed him on his last walk around the neighborhood. It practically landed on him. I really think that was his angel waiting for him, and now whenever I see a hummingbird, I think of Murray and know he's well.
Otis will let you know that he's fine, you can bet on it.
My thoughts are with you and your family.
We are sorry for your loss. The pictures on your blog post were fitting.
Oh Christine, my heart broke into a million pieces when I read your post this morning.
I couldn't reply until now, felt sick all day and devastated for your loss.
I just cannot believe this happened ...
Otis was like family now and I was convinced he would keep going for a long time and would kick statistics in the butt.
This is the most horrendous disease of all and takes our babies away from us way too soon.
I am really sorry, so, so, so sorry, more than words can say.
You know you did absolutely everything you could for him but I imagine somehow that is a weak consolation.
He is the brightest of all stars in the sky, just like Sally says, a wonderfully beautiful sweet new star called Otis.
He will live in your heart forever, in that little corner that is just his.
And you can be sure he will visit you in your dreams and watch over you and your family from above, for ever.
Time will somehow ease the pain ... and one day you will remember him with a happy smile rather than tears.
My heart is with yours and Otis, sending you all my love 
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Oh I'm so sorry. Kacy called me to tell me that Otis had died. It's so funny how we have come to know all the people on this site in just two months, really less. My heart hurts for you and Tess right now. You really did all that you could for him and it is good to hear that you had so many great months after his amputation. That is all any of us hope for going into this. Take some time to spoil yourself and Tess and recover from this emotional rock roll journey you have been on. Our thoughts are with you.
Lisa
Home with Denver the Golden and Ozzie Girl the Lab/Boxer mix
I am so sorry I wasn't "around" as all this was happening, Christine. I was trying to have a productive weekend and we also took the dogs on a drive to meet a virtual dog friend who was visiting someone else in MN yesterday. It ended up being a little bit heartbreaking as they had carefully chosen a flat easy loop trail in the park so maybe Pofi could walk it, but he just had no stamina and we went to sit at a picnic table while Mia and Ken and Leslie and her friend went on the short hike. We did have a nice visit for a while and the tripawd ended up not just trying to countersurf the picnic table, but making it all the way up onto the table on all 3...
I am sorry this was too swift, but so glad you had this last day at home to say a loving good-bye to your sweetest boy. My heart grieves your loss - take care of yourself and dear Tess.
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
My heart breaks for your loss of Otis. As I read through your journey, I didn't want to read the next message, knowing what was coming. But that's it isn't it? We all know what's coming, we just don't know when or how. How wonderful it was that you were there for him, able to give him release; the last final act of devotion and love.
Peace be with you and your pack. Time doesn't exist at the Bridge. Know that you're already with him catching up on missed rubs, scratches and sloppy smooches.
xoxo
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
Christine,
I haven't been around, so only just now saw that your big, beautiful boy has moved on. I'm so very sorry.
Belated hugs and tears for you and Tess.
xoxo
Julie and Koda
Mom of Koda, 150 lb male Anatolian Shepherd age 6 1/2 (DOB 10/4/09).
TPLO both knees - one 11/2012 and the other 2/2013;
Underpants-ectomy (a/k/a blockage removal) 8/2013;
Osteosarcoma in front left leg diagnosed 3/1/16;
Joined Tripawd Nation 3/4/16
Forever missing Koda's big brother, Sully (a/k/a James P. Sullivan), our first Anatolian and the Original Big Man (tm), who passed at age 10 1/2 from degenerative myelopathy on 6/27/13.
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