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Please join us for an “Ask an Oncologist” live chat, Tuesday December 2nd at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific.

Meet my oncologist, Dr. Marie Mullins, DVM, MS Diplomate ACVIM (Oncology). Dr. Mullins practices at Animal Hospital Center in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Mullins recieved her Bachelor of Science degree from Moravian College in 1997, graduated with honors from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2001, and completed a one-year internship at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital and Referral Center in New Jersey. She completed her medical oncology residency and Master’s degree at Colorado State University.

She has a special interest in an integrative approach to cancer treatment, designed to alleviate pain, stimulate the immune system, and to ultimately provide the best quality of life for the patient. In addition to conventional treatment, complementary treatment options Dr. Mullins also provides acupuncture, nutritional consultations and supplements, Chinese herbal therapy and Reiki services to clients.

When my people were recently in Portland, Oregon they got to see my old friend George. He’s a howler and wondered where I was.

I saw George last when we picked up our trailer and started our cross-country adventure. But he was also the last dog I really played with on all four legs.

When we came home after meeting him back in 2006, I started limping bad for the first time. My people distinctly remember noticing me stumble when I jumped out of the truck.

Seems like a lifetime ago … but then again, I guess it was.

This week we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday here in America. It’s a day to reflect and remember all of the gifts, big and small, that we each have in our lives, and to give thanks for their blessings.

Here at Tripawds, we are incredibly thankful for our Tripawd heroes and their pawrents. The love, support and encouragement that’s shared in our community is unlike anything we ever imagined this website could be. We are so thankful for the friends we have made, and feel deep gratitude for allowing us to be a part of your lives.

Our dear friend Sasha, Spirit Lalla’s Mom, has created a beautiful Tripawd Thanksgiving poster featuring many, if not all, of our Tripawd friends who have submitted photos at one time or another. If we missed anyone, we are very sorry, please know it was accidental.

You can print your own copy of this beautiful 8.5″ x 11″ poster, by downloading the high resolution PDF file here.

From all of us to you, we wish you a beautiful Thanksgiving. Peace.

We received over 80 submissions from canine cancer survivors for the “Cancer Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down” 2009 calendar, made possible by 2Dogs2000Miles.org and tripawds.com.

The 2 Dogs crew have been busy and we’re happy to announce that all the dogs are now online and voting is live! There’s only room for 12 dogs. Voting ends at midnight December 5, so cast your votes today and stay tuned for updates.

When my people recently met three legged English mastiff Tazzie, there was the cutest little black and white bundle of energy running around. More of a blur really … meet Pogi, one of the fastest little three legged rescue dogs we’ve ever seen.

She slowed down just enough for us to make this video interview with her mom about adopting a three legged dog:

If you think your three legged dog is fast, post a video to YouTube and send us the link with a photo and brief story. We’ll gladly publish it here.

Check out these original blog posts from  2 years ago when I had my amputation surgery and the happiest Thanksgiving ever.

Please join my spirit in celebrating nearly two years as a happy tripawd, by remembering that it is better to hop on three legs than to limp on four. Tell a friend.

As promised, here are five more questions we often get asked from nervous Tripawd pawrents-to-be. Click here to see the first five.

Question #6: “My dog just had surgery a few days ago, and the incision area is all puffy and swollen. Is it normal?”

If your dog is about to undergo amputation surgery, it’s important that you know about seromas. They can occur anytime after a surgery like amputation, spaying, etc., but they are relatively harmless.

But what exactly is a seroma? According to Michigan Veterinary Specialists,

“Seromas may occur at the surgical site. A seroma is an accumulation of fluid in the tissues. The body will usually absorb the fluid, but the fluid is sometimes drained if needed.”

Think about it; a body is full of fluids that circulate around, right? Well, if a limb suddenly goes away, where’s all that fluid going to go? The body can reabsorb most of it, but sometimes fluid can build up at the place of least resistance, the surgery site.

Check your dog’s surgery site daily, and look for a puffy, watery build up in the area. Keep some hydrogen peroxide wipes handy in case you see fluid leaking. If you suspect a seroma, call your vet to discuss it, and find out if you’ll need to go in and have it drained (an easy, in-office procedure).

A hot/cold pack, like Balla’s Pain Relief Pack, will help reduce swelling.

To see more seroma photos, click here.

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Here’s another mighty fine dog my people recently met … and I do mean mighty!

Tazzie is an English Mastiff who weighs in at about 175 lbs! Whoever says giant breed dogs and amputation aren’t a good fit obviously hasn’t been hanging around the Tripawd Discussion Forums long enough. Tazzie is cared for by Dr. Pam who is a regular contributor. Boy, that Tazzie is one lucky dog!

We helped the 2 Dogs crew gather more entries than expected for the “Cancer can’t keep a good dog down,” 2009 calendar. Hudson and Murphy are working frantically with Yer Big Dog to compile all the submissions and make voting possible.

Later this week we’ll announce when you can start casting votes for your 12 favorite canine cancer heroes and survivors. With so many stories to choose from the competition may be tight. So tell a friend and stay tuned …

Every day, sadly, another four legged friend gets told that a leg must go.

“Ok,” we dogs say, “so when can we play again?”

Humans, on the other hand, have a harder time with this news.

There are tons of questions our pawrents have before and after surgery, and many people are doubtful about the benefits of amputation. To help you through this hard decision, we’ve come up with a list of the Top 10 questions that pawrents have asked us here at Tripawds. Here are questions 1 through 5. Questions 6 through 10 will follow soon.

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