Ever since my people started giving me the Synflex glucosamine supplement, I’ve been feeling great! They have even cut back on my Metacam nonsteroidal anti-inflamatory medicine since I started using it.

They noticed such an improvement in my mobility and endurance with Synflex that we went to the Synflex factory to pick up a few extra bottles back when we were in Florida. And the kind folks there were nice enough to donate a couple bottles which we raffled off at the 2 Dogs 2000 Mile cookout to support the Big Dog’s walk from Austin to Boston with Hudson and Murphy.

Whether you have three or four legs, I recommend Synflex for arthritis pain. Or even two legs … they make it for people too! OK, I guess they did that first and discovered it works so well on pets that they added a beef flavor!

My people just discovered this new book about the benefits of proper nutrition for your three (or four) legged friend. The best part? It’s free!

You can download this healthy dog diet book in PDF format, or review various articles on canine health by author Steve Brown:

• Make your own dog food
• Optimize Dog health with Fresh Food Diets
• How Broccoli Stalks Help Prevent Cancer
• Extend Your Pet’s Life with Brazil Nuts
  
• And much More!

Here is a great way to introduce your dog to a BARF (bones and raw food) diet, if you haven’t already. My pal Sasha, Lalla’s mom, sent this to me:

This is the recipe for Turkey Neck Soup that my father Eli cooks for Lalla; he thought Jerry might enjoy it too. Lalla’s vet Andre says that Turkey necks are the best food for dogs, and that as far as he’s concerned, Lalla could live off ‘em alone – an opinion she definitely shares with him as she is transfixed by the result, and refuses to eat anything else as long as it’s available. Easy for them – they’re into meat. It is also very, very economical.

Ingredients:

• Large turkey necks, cut into pieces
• 3 carrots
• 3 celery sticks or celery root
• 2 small onions
• A piece of pumpkin (optional)
• Parsley

Place turkey necks in large soup pot. Cover with water. Boil for 15-20 minutes. Scrap and discard any froth. Add. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium for 1 hour. Add pumpkin and parsley and cook for another 2 hours on a low light. When cool, strain soup and store in necks and soup in separate containers. Soup can also be poured over kibble.

Being a travelin’ dog is hard work. And hopping around on three legs all day tires me out a lot quicker than when I got around on all four paws. But that’s OK. It doesn’t mean I’m depressed; that’s just such a human thing. And it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m uncomfortable. It just means I’m tired.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t still need my exercise! It’s even more important for us three legged dogs to remain fit! Don’t go feeling sorry for us and just let us lie around all day. There’s plenty of time for that after chasing the chickens. Or squirrels if that may be the case for you.
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Join the Tripawd Forum discussion on this post

My people just heard from Louise the Baker who has a three legged dog blog for Carver, her 12 1/2 year old colabshepradollie. She has the following question about the Ruffwear Harness …

I have a question about fitting the Ruff Wear harness on a front amp – my harness keeps swirling around his body. How do you keep yours fitted well on his body?

I just added this topic to the Tripawd Discussion Forums for others to comment on since this is all my people could think of saying…

Yes, the harness does have a tendency to slip around since my front leg is missing. They have come to realize, however, that this is primarily an aesthetic issue since they can still grab the handle and straighten it out when needed. But they are still always adjusting it!

They do suggest adjusting the front buckles so the neck strap is snug, but not too tight. This does help a bit, as does keeping the chest and belly straps snug, but again, not too tight.

Please join the forum discussion on this topic if you have any words of advice for Louise and Carver! We look forward to hearing from you.

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 …

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?

Join the Tripawd Forum discussion on this post

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.

Lalla from Tel Aviv sent us a great article from Scientific American Magazine, called “Cancer Clues from Pet Dogs: Studies of pet dogs with cancer can offer unique help in the fight against human malignancies while also improving care for man’s best friend.” We thought you might want to read it.

If you’d like the full story with photos, please email us and we will send it to you.

It’s hard to believe that one year ago, everyone thought that I wouldn’t live to see another Christmas. But here I am in 2007, celebrating Santa’s arrival with my Mom and Dad! You silly vets, I fooled you good, didn’t I?

Here’s to another year, and here’s to all of my Osteosarcoma Miracle Dog friends, living large and living strong! May we all stay healthy and happy for years to come.

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