tripawds.com

Our roving correspondent, Lalla, would like to educate humans about what tripawds really want for the holidays.

Bedding – your Tripawd deserves special consideration here, because there are special orthopedic concerns and Tripawds need to rest quite a bit. Avoid baskets and bassinets, as your Tripawd does need to stretch out a lot and the curves could cause muscle strain. Your best bet is a simple pad which is not too thick and not too thin. A dog trainer friend recommends buying a baby cot mattress (or a small child size one if you’re a biggie) coated in latex; it’s also very easy to clean with a quick wipe down. Invest in a couple of flannel stretch sheets which you can wash and change alternately – and voila! For warmth, use a TV fleece blanket.

Read the rest of this entry »

This article first appeared in:

Animal News
The Morris Animal Foundation
Vol. 7, Issue 4
Written by Heidi Jeter

“Osteosarcoma.” Greyhound lovers are all too familiar with this dreaded word. For yet unknown reasons, this beloved breed is highly susceptible to bone cancer. Unfortunately, treatment options haven’t changed much in the past 20 years. The good news, though, is that new therapies lie on the horizon. In a current clinical trial, scientists are evaluating an already available drug to determine its effectiveness in helping dogs diagnosed with bone cancer, including greyhounds.

The clinical trial is part of Morris Animal Foundation’s (MAF) recently launched Canine Cancer Campaign, whose goal is to cure canine cancer within a dog’s lifetime – the next 10 to 20 years. World-renown scientists will work together on MAF-funded research projects that will lead to breakthroughs in prevention and treatment for dogs with cancer.

“One in four dogs will die of cancer and half of all dogs will suffer from it,” says Dr. Patricia N. Olson, president/CEO of MAF. “This clinical trial is part of a large-scale effort to encourage collaboration on a national level to address this serious health problem.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Some people wonder if big dogs have it ruff when they join the Tripawd club. Well, all you need to do is look at a stunningly gorgeous lady like 5-year old Darcy Deerhound, and you’ll see how much pure strength and resilience a statuesque gal like her has, and how easy it is for dogs of any size to bounce back from amputation and chemo. Here is her story:

Read the rest of this entry »

The Big Dog at 2Dogs2000Miles.org has just launched a web store featuring the new Puppy Up!™ brand on apparel for dogs, and people too.

Puppy Up! Now isn’t that just brilliant? I’d like to consider that the new “Live Strong” battle cry for us canine cancer survivors. But what’s even better is that proceeds from the Puppy Up! store will go to the 2 Dogs 2000 Miles Foundation for Canine Cancer Prevention and Awareness.

And now you can tell everyone you know to Puppy Up! with a T-shirt for your dog, or one for yourself. You’ll also find sweatshirts, ornaments, mugs, bumper stickers, and much more!

If you missed my post about this walk for a cure, you can read all about this incredible journey and the memories of Malcolm on the Puppy Up! blog.

As you may know, I have my own Tripawds Web Store complete with three-legged dog merchandise and gifts. But while I was checking out all the cool stuff in the Puppy Up! store, I also came across The 3 Legged Dawg Store which includes lots of stuff with the 3LD logo.

And if you’re interested in setting up you’re own online store it’s really simple! Just click the link below to find out how…

Last week, I drank the waters of the Fountain of Youth. No, really, I did. Mom and Dad took me to St. Augustine, Florida, and we found the Fountain of Youth together. They walked inside and filled my water bowl and I drank and drank and drank. Now I feel so good, just like a young pup all over again!

Sometimes just believing is the best medicine there is.

You know, the stupidity of humans never ceases to amaze me. Why can’t they be more like us dogs?

I got a letter the other day from Codie Rae, a two-year old rescue pup from Oakland California. Codie is a tripawd, not because she got cancer or got into a car accident, but because some stupid mean horrible human wrapped a wire around her leg and left it there. Her leg got infected, and couldn’t be saved.

But Codie Rae never lost that German Shepherd spunk, and one day a really cool human showed up and instantly fell in love with her. Codie Rae found her forever home, and is now loved and cared for every day, every second, forever and ever. She is a very happy girl.

“Life with 3 legs is no problem at all. I want to let people know that tripawds dogs are totally awesome, and they (people) should never fear walking that path with their dog if need be,” she says.

Here here, girlfriend! Codie Rae, you are too cool. Keep on keepin’ on.

[Show as slideshow]

Ok canine cancer buddies, I know that you’re probably all dog tired from doctors poking and prodding and sticking you with needles, but if you can put up with one more teeny tiny blood draw, you can make a great contribution in the fight to end dog cancer:

PetScreen is a pioneering company dedicated to improving cancer detection and treatment in pets. We have developed the first ever screen for lymphoma cancer in dogs and we are now working on additional dog cancer screens for the other major canine cancer killers.

We are currently recruiting blood samples from dogs who have been diagnosed with either Mast Cell cancer or with Canine Osteosarcoma (bone cancer). If your dog has recently been diagnosed with either of these conditions and you would be willing to donate a small blood sample (just 1 ml) it would help us speed up the availability of new tests for these dog cancers and thereby help other dogs in the near future.

Thanks Lalla, for making us aware of this!

  Yes, it’s getting to be that time. For all of you holiday shoppers, here’s a great idea that benefits a wonderful cause that’s close to all of our hearts.

Cru Vin Dogs, a wine importing company from Colorado, has announced:

In honor of our newest charitable partner, the Morris Animal Foundation, we will donate an additional 10% of all wine and merchandise purchases made from November 16th through December 31st, 2007 to the Morris Animal Foundation’s Canine Cancer Campaign.

So if you’re doing the gift giving thing this season, give the gift of fabulous wine, and help put a stop to canine cancer.

People have asked my Mom and Dad why they didn’t go the chemotherapy route with me. They say that their main reason for not doing chemo was that they wanted our time together to be about quality, not quantity. My vet clinic was six hours away, and all of that driving, plus any side effects I may have gotten, would have taken a lot of fun time away from us! That’s just one reason.

If you’re a tripawd, and your parents decided that chemo was the best route for you to go, what were their reasons for doing it? What did you experience? Did you feel great afterward? Did you get sick? Was it a good thing? A bad thing? A non-thing?

And if your parents didn’t do chemo, what were their reasons for not doing it? 

We would love to hear your stories and experiences about chemo, so share them here!