Let me introduce myself. I am Sheryl Baton from MA and the proud owner of our dog Brady. He is a healthy and vibrant 2.5 year old miniature pincher that we have owned since he was six weeks old.
Brady has and continues to bring so much joy and happiness to our Family. He is like our Son, not “just a dog.”
Brady suffered a bad break to his front leg on 10/12/14 as a result of a freak accident at home…..simply jumping with excitement as he usually did, but this time he landed on it wrong and possibly hooked it on something , twisting his leg and breaking his radius and ulna…..we didn’t see the accident actually happen…..just saw him laying on the floor with his leg flopping around broken and him yelping in pain :/ It all happened so quickly and we never imagined just how much this experience could turn our life up side down in SO many ways.
Unfortunately after 6 weeks of being in a cast and my husband and I giving Brady the best home care possible, his leg is not healing.
On 11/26/14 we had to make a decision we never expected we would have to face…..Our dog Brady is to have his front right leg amputated in less than a week on Wed., Dec. 3.
Such a rollercoaster of emotions. I feel I want to do nothing but spend time with him. I want him to feel as loved and safe as possible before he starts this new journey.
I have read that this transition is harder on us than our dog. I hope that is really true for our situation.
At this time, my worries are that Brady will pull through surgery well, his pain will be managed well, he will be OK in his crate all day while we have to work 🙁 AND that he will heal quickly and adjust well.
I am so very thankful to have found this website and look forward to hearing from and continuing to read about others and their 3 legged furry family members xo ……………Just bear with me as I figure out how this blog and site work……LOL
I can’t express how much it helps me to be able to come to this website and not feel like the only person going through this. As with many things in life you just have no idea how many people go through certain things until you are faced with it yourself. And Wow ! I had NO idea there were so many animal amputees out there !
There is so much helpful information offered on this site ! It has been such a god-sent so far and we are literally just getting started on this journey.
I am hoping everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving xo
Brady came with us to visit family today. The last day they will see Brady with four legs. When the next holiday comes around…..at Christmas….he will be our 3 legged Brady Boy <3 I still can’t visualize or imagine it to a degree 🙁 In my heart I feel he will be fine…..but there is also a part of my heart just breaking for him and at times I feel so full of anxiety over this 🙁
We are blessed with very supportive family & friends as they gave him their love and well wishes today for his surgery and us going through this process xo
During this process so far and moving forward my daughter has been taking care of our 14 year old cat for us. There are too many things I feel guilty about so far , having to do this is one of them :/ But I step back and KNOW I NEED to stay focused and realistic…….Brady is VERY excitable and unfortunately with our Macy here Brady was just getting way too wound up and wasn’t resting as he should. Macy is very happy with my daughter and she and our Granddaughter enjoy having Macy with them 🙂 So thankfully it is working out for all of us so far xo
I hope this blog will post properly for people to see and give me any feedback. I appreciate any information from experienced owners out there and look forward to hearing from you or anyone reading ofcourse 🙂
Thanks for reading xo
Sheryl
Hi Sheryl and Brady,
Welcome to Tripawds! First off, please do not feel guilty, things happen beyond our control sometimes…….as far as amputation in our pets, you are exactly right, it is much harder on us emotionally than on them. They will have to heal from the physical pain, but trust me, once healed they do not let being 3-legged bother them at all. Most pups and kitties here do lose a leg to cancer, as my sweet angel Polly did, and even they do great on 3 legs while still battling cancer, and even knowing an amputation will make their lives more pain-free, and possibly give them a better chance at hopefully extending their life, it is still a very difficult choice to decide on. Your little guy is very young, healthy, and will do great with an amp…. smaller dogs generally do better than larger dogs as far as physical adjustments.
It also sounds like a very good arrangement to have your kitty stay with your daughter for awhile, because Brady will need a few weeks to recuperate. Those Min Pins have a ton of energy!!
After surgery, it may be a bit rough at the beginning with healing, and then again maybe not, just make sure his pain is well managed.
We will all be here to support you and help you along with any questions and/or problems you may have…..there is a ton of experience and knowledge here so keep us posted on your sweet little guy. You can also hop over to the discussion forums and post Brady’s story there in either the “Share your Story”, or “Beyond Cancer” forums…..many more members will see your posts and will jump in the conversation.
Keep us posted on Brady, and sending as best wishes as possible for his upcoming surgery.
Bonnie & Angel Polly
Hi Bonnie !
First I want to say how very sorry I am for your sweet angel Polly. Did the amputation help to save her life ? Is she now cancer free ? I hope that isn’t an inappropriate or upsetting question for you :/ The reference to “angel” Polly I am imagining means she passed 🙁 HUGS !!!!! I am so sorry you had to go through that 🙁
I honestly did not realize, and I apologize I guess for my ignorance in not knowing, how many amputees on here have been as a result of cancer 🙁 It just breaks my heart to think of what so many of you have gone through and are going through.
I am getting so much amazing information and support on here already ! It really is helping me get through. But it has barely begun for us yet.
Thank you so much for the great information and support.
I look forward to keeping in touch ! And thank you for telling me how the “discussion forums” work ! That will be very helpful as well xo
Hi Sheryl and cutie pie Brady!!!
Okay….first order of business….B R E A T H E……..B R E A T H E……DEEP BREATHS IN……EXHALE SLOWLY…….B R E A T H E!
Now, go through every drawer, every csbinet, and find some CHOCOLATE!!! If need be, put the computer down….run to the store and buy eleven bags of Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses!
I’ll wait…………
Okay, good job!
Now, yest this is a craaaaaazy roller coaster ride of emotions! The ups and downs prior to surgery will drive you whacky. Yeah, it is major surgery and recovery is NO picnic for about a week or two!
Every dog is different…every recovery is different. My “Plus Size Model” Bull Mastiff Happy Hannah took about three weeks to recover to the point where her sparkle came back. And it came back magnificently!!! Unfortunately, like most dogs here, the amputation was due to osteosarcoma. We still had the most GLORIOUSLY happy and loving time for one year and two months!! Once your Brady recovers, you should have a full life span of loving and spoiling and a bond that you can only find with a tripawd!
Because Brady is a feisty little fella’, generally recovery is faster with these little guys. He is already used to three leg mobility so there shouldn’t be too much adjustment time there. You wil be AMAZED at his resilience and how much better off he is without that useless leg that has to be bothering him!
Unfortunately, we see amputation as an end result in a lot of cases like yours, even with the best of care that you have provided! But I lromise, he will be so much happier without that leg!!
This site is a wealth of information! You’ll want to check out Jerry’s e-books……Living Life on Three Legs. If you have hardwood floors, you’ll want to get non skid scatter rugs for traction. Brady will need to avoid stairs, jumping up and off things for the first couple of weeks…..especially jumping off/down things.
After recovery takes place, there are different core strengthening exercises he can do to keep his muscles and joints strong.
And goodness….nothing to feel guilty about! You are doing everything exactly as you should for Brady’s well being AND Macy’s well being! I’m sure Macy is enjoying her vacation!
Stay connected to us! You are NOT alone!!! We understand like no others can! Vent scream, cry, panic here with us….we all do it too! Then, as you are already doing, go back and be a strong confident pack leader for Brady!
Remember, Brady is living in the moment, the present, the NOW!! He isn’t worried about a thing!
One more suggestiin, when you pick him up at the vets just ignore his incision site znd look straight into his druggy eyes and tell him what a good boy he is!!! Enjoy the sloppy kisses!
Surrounding you with hugs…..don’t forget to BREATHE and eat CHOCOLATE!!!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Oh My Gosh Sally ! You sure know how to put a smile on my face 🙂 LOVE your first few lines….Lord knows how chocolate is therapy for ME ! :/ LOL
Thank you ! Thank you ! For your extremely helpful information !!!
I am so happy to be part of this group xo Such a blessing !!!
Looking forward to talking more soon 🙂
And I apologize ! I forgot to mention how sorry I am for the loss of your Dear Hannah. I can not even imagine how difficult still having to face the fact your animal has cancer after dealing with the amputation. But as many do, I am sure when faced with the situation, you find the strength and happiness some how. As well as embrace the happy moments that much more and probably spent time making many happy memories to cherish forever xo
Welcome Sheryl and Brady!!
Oh boy do I know how that rollercoaster goes! But you’ll do fine. You’re already a wonderful pawrent. And like others will tell you here in the community, “Be more dog.”
We’re always here when you need us! I’ll keep you guys in my thoughts.
Pam and Sweet Harmony
Thank you so much Pam and your Sweet Harmony <3
I can't tell you how much this helps me xo
I know this may sound stupid….and I apologize….but what exactly does "be more dog" mean ? Try to see things from my dog's perspective ? Not let it bother me so much ?
Trying to stay positive and keep busy right now, as well as spend as much quality time with our Brady Boy as I can.
The anticipation is really making me crazy as his surgery date get's closer :/
Sheryl, Brady and family, welcome to the club nopawdy wants to join. I’m sorry you’re going through this but we will be here to help you through the journey. It’s not easy but as you’ve seen, he is handling it better than any human can. You will be AMAZED at how much better he does than you ever imagined.
You are doing GREAT with the blog! Good job! Don’t forget to play around with photos and get those up here too, we can’t wait to see more pics. And if you need any help don’t hesitate to ask.
Oh, be sure drop by the Discussion Forums too, lots of great insight and help there when you need it in a hurry.
Hope you are having a relaxing weekend together. Keep us posted and let us know how we can help.
Thanks Jerry !
Are you the creator of this website ? If so THANK YOU so much for thinking to do this ! And if not….thank you anyway so much for reaching out and giving me the kind words and support needed at this challenging time.
At this moment, The anticipation of the surgery, drop off and pick up…….makes me sick to my stomach :/ But as I always do, I trying to stay positive & busy.
We are having a nice relaxing weekend together 🙂 Trying to get him out for his short walks while we can. I hope you and your family had a great holiday and are enjoying a stress free weekend 🙂
I know these may seem like silly questions…..but a few things I have been thinking of:
Since he will be on heavy pain meds after surgery do I need to prepare some how for him soiling his crate ?
Will he be conscious enough to go out to do his duties when I place him outside ?
Should I buy a harness for him prior to surgery ? or probably just use the regular neck colar for now, until he will be healed in about 1 month, when taking him out to connect his leash to? I know he won’t be taking off quickly, atleast at first, and would think that maybe the harness would be better to help control his body balance just after surgery ?
I was thinking a harness might be easier for helping him get around, and while helping him adjust to his “new” center of balance so to speak after losing his leg, in addition to using it for his leash ?
However I am worried a harness may rub up against his incision site ?
I am so thankful Brady doesn’t know what he is in for in a few days :/
I greatly appreciate any advice xo Thank you so much !
Hi Sheryl and Brady,
Welcome!! We know that this decision is absolutely gut-wrenching, but know that sweet Brady is going to be hopping around pain-free a month from now. He will be resilient and back to his friendly, active self soon. You may even be surprised when you hear people say, “Oh, I didn’t even realize he had three legs!” He has his whole life ahead of him, and you’re helping him to enjoy it to the fullest. We’ll be thinking of you in the coming weeks as you begin this journey. I was fortunate in that I was home on maternity leave when my dog needed surgery. Perhaps a dog-loving neighbor or even a dog sitter could come to check on him, make sure he is getting enough water and meds to keep him comfortable.
With Love,
Lara & Daisy
Sorry, as I said in my 1st blog, I am trying to figure out how this site works, LOL….Not so computer savy at times, lol….
Lara thank you so much for your encouraging words. It means so much to me right now xo
Been so busy with the holiday but I will be sure to check in again soon !
Sending Love You, Daisy and Your Family’s Way xo