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My Mom’s eyes are all wet. I just heard her telling my Dad that our pal Holly lost her battle with osteosarcoma today. Her parents Stu and Carol said:

Sadly Holly unexpectedly lost her battle this morning at 4:15am in our arms. She was truly unselfish in all the joy and love that she shared with everyone she met. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

I’m sad too. I will always remember the day Holly and I barked at each other at Moosehead Lake in Maine, back in September. That was a beautiful fall day.

Life can be so sad and ruff at times. But I know that Holly’s brave battle helped to show humans that even when facing a hard time, if you remember to think like a dog and live in the moment, all the beauty in life can still shine through. Think like a dog and you can get through anything.

Treasure each moment everyone, life is too short.

My people just heard from Rocky’s person who is one strong individual. She and Rocky are both troopers! Just check out her story and you’ll see why…

My 8 year old dog, Rocky, a German Shepherd mix, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in July 2006 (right before my husband went back to Iraq w/ the Army). It was awful news, and I was crying for a long time…

I had his leg amputated w/in a week, and put him through chemo. They got the cancer early! He is cancer free, and doing GREAT. I’m so happy he’s a fighter and is with me. He’s my special boy – my other 2 dogs are females.

Here’s some pics! Thanks for sharing … It’s nice to know we aren’t alone ..

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We got the sad news that our friend Timber lost her fight with osteosarcoma. Timber was a beautiful nine year old girl who became a tripawd last July.

Being a tripawd didn’t change Timber’s quality of life. She used a doggie door like a champ. She still played fetch with her favorite soccer ball, and loved pushing around her 13 pound bowling ball.

Her Mom, Crystal, deeply saddened by the loss of her beloved family friend, wants to remind us:

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Join the discussion about canine cancer and life on three legs in the new Tripawd Discussion Forums!

In our continuing efforts to provide a community of support for three legged dogs and their owners, we are proud to announce this exciting new feature here at tripawds.com. Simply browse for a topic of interest or start your own in one of the open discussion groups.

• Bone Cancer in Dogs – Share your thoughts on the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment for osteosarcoma and other cancer in dogs.
• Life on Three Legs – Talk about health concerns such as diet, fitness, mobility and the size/age of three legged dogs.
• Tripawd Tributes – Success stories. Horror Stories. Love stories.

Guest participation is allowed, but please register to take full advantage of the discussion groups. All guest posts will be moderated. Registered users will have posts appear immediately and receive notice of replies. Registered members also get a public profile with photo. Subscribers who have registered for Jerry’s blog are automatically forum members.

Remember, these type of community forums are only as helpful as those who participate. And new forums need content. So get barking now and be one of the first to post! Ask questions. Answer questions. Or just share your story. We look forward to hearing from you . See ya in the forums …

If you haven’t been following the Big Dog’s blog, you’ll be happy to hear that a date has been set for his 2000 mile hike from Austin to Boston with his boys Hudson and Murphy. On March 16, 2008 these two courageous dogs and their super human will embark on a journey to rid the world of cancer.

If you are anywhere near the Austin area on February 16th please join us at the pre-launch cook-out for canine cancer. My people and I will be traveling through and are honored to help host this informal event.

We will probably gather in Zilker Park from 1-6 p.m. for some god ol’ barbecue, beers, and a chance to meet the amazing team of folks that is making the 2 Dogs 2000 Miles hike a reality.

Bring your dogs, your passion to help find a cure, and some food to throw in the grill or a side dish. Enough to share or a couple bucks to pitch in for the event would be much appreciated. See y’all there!

We just got a question from Sami’s Mom in L.A. She is looking for another vet and/or oncologist to help them get through Sami’s bone cancer battle. Michelle says they can’t decide who should administer chemo to Sami:

” . . . the other vet we checked out was really nice and a lot more compassionate. but he doesn’t have an oncologist on board, he administers the chemo himself. We are hesitant to use him because we have read it’s best to find an oncologist.

It seems, the oncologist we have doesn’t care about our dog, but may be more qualified. On the other hand, this vet seems to be a lot more caring about animals, but may not be as qualified.

Have you heard any stories from people that had a general practice vet administer the chemo?”

Do any of you have any experiences you can share with Michelle to help make her decision easier for Sammy?

We just heard a great story from Presley, a new tripawd. Presley turned 10 years old on January 15, and her Mom says “She’s doing well since her leg amputation in October due to osteosarcoma, with some days better than others.”

Here is Presley’s story, as told by Michelle:

“Although the surgery itself could be considered a success, we’ve had several challenges and setbacks with her treatment. She did not respond well to chemotherapy. After her first round of chemo, she ended up in the hospital with a fever, so we discontinued that. She has also rejected her supplements. At one point she was taking 7 different supplements twice daily, but we’ve had to discontinue most of them due to upset stomach, runny stool or because she won’t take them.

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My best gal Lalla has a neighbor, Beverly, who was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer at the same time that Lalla was, in August of 2006. Here is a wonderful story about Beverly’s courageous battle, written by her human, Avner Bernheimer, a famous screenwriter and journalist. Enjoy!

Read Beverly’s Story here.

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My pal Calpurnia has a question for you;

How long did your fur take to grow back after surgery?

Here is a photo of her, four months post op. Cali’s human, TC, says:

Cali only has fuzzy undercoat, but the longer guard hairs are few and far between. I wonder if it has something to do with the chemo she had before surgery? She doesn’t have much more fur than she did 4 weeks post op. I’d love to hear from others if they have had similarly slow regrowth. It doesn’t seem to bother her at all.

So tell us, how long did all of you tripawds take to get furry again? It took me about four months until my fur grew back.

I’m enjoying my fifteen minutes of fame thanks to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Their recent story about animal amputees featured yours truly! The editor chose to run my photo with full page interview with Dr. Mike Henson from the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center.

The story discussed amputation as the treatment of choice for canine cancer, improved quality of life, and other common concerns.

“With our pets, it is not just about the length of time we have with them, but their ability to enjoy that time to its fullest. That enjoyment is priceless - and is sometimes worth an arm or a leg.“

I couldn’t agree more! Many thanks to the Star Tribune for helping to spread the word that it’s better to hop on three legs than to limp on four.