Hello Cassie and friends,
It is August 27, 2007.
Our sweet boy is Kodiak, a nine year old golden retriever.
He is pictured after a good swim and a bit of play.
We use tee-shirts instead of the head cone because he would lick himself raw. I can find silly tees at thrift shops and the neighbors think it's great fun to see what he's wearing.

For Halloween, we may dress him up as a pirate!

Kodi is in his fifth week of recovery (HA!) after his amputation.
We thought his arthritis had gotten so bad that a bone might have broken, but it turned out that his elbow had been consumed by cancer (synovial sarcoma).

It was an immediate decision, and we did not hesitate.

Surgery was on a Friday and we took him home the following day.
We've been absolutely astounded by his recovery.
Our wonderful vet was emphatic that just removing the arthritic leg that he'd been limping around on would make him feel better;
The rest, we'd have to cross our fingers for...
So far, no more cancer has been found.
We are scheduled for a comprehensive x-ray on Oct 1, 2007.

After five weeks, we can't believe the difference.
Kodi is acting more like a pup than we've seen in a long time.
His favorite pastime is swimming in the 12' round x 4' tall above ground pool we purchased for him.
It's great rehab and he LOVES the water.
At 70+ Lbs it's a challenge for one person to lift him in and out so this week I'm set on building a set of stairs so I can take him in anytime.

We've had Kodi since he was 8 weeks old,
within the first week we found out he had juvenile cataracts
and the kennel offered to replace him; not a chance!
From the moment we met him, he was a member of the family.
At age four, Kodi showed signs of arthritis
and by his fifth year he'd had knee surgery.
He has arthritis in both rear legs and hips and also has spinal spondylosis which results in occasional spasms of paralysis.
We'd been successful curtailing the paralysis and spasms
by keeping his weight down in the 80 to 90Lb range.

Our vet recommends keeping his weight low even more,
so now that he has one less (front) leg, we've tightened the reigns even more.

All along, our greatest diet aid has been green (string) beans,
a wonderful supplement that fills him up.
Kodi loves them and we offer them at the end of the day
when he's begging for more food.
He thinks they're a great treat.
We buy them by the case.

I've also been making my own cookies and frozen treats,
many low fat or special diet recipes are available.

We only have one concern since he's been home
and that's this bit of yipping he does.
The vet thinks it could be phantom pain or nerve pain.
It comes on suddenly, he jumps up and runs over to one of us
like he just got shocked or bit by a wasp.
If I rub his side where the shoulder was, he relaxes and nudges me,
so I'm inclined to agree with the vet.
Has anyone else had issues with phantom pain?

Thank you so much for being there, Cassie and friends;
it has been good to read some of your tails (;-D)
isn't the internet wonderful!

Tricia & Bob & of course Kodiak Lowney
Fairfax, Virginia
USA
Monday August 27, 2007

UPDATE:

Cynthia,
I haven't written in a long time,
but I check the site and read up on all the new members.
I'm glad they (we) all find you!

Kodiak has been doing great since his surgery (July '07).
He still has a clean bill of health
and I'm getting ready to put up his swimming pool, for the summer.

We did dress him up as a pirate for Halloween,
and the children in the neighborhood loved it.

He graced our Christmas cards as one of Santa's Helpers.

Since April '08, we have been volunteering with People Animals Love (PAL). Kodi is a certified therapy dog.

We visit the veteran's hospital, nursing homes, and even go to the
Public Library where children read to him to help strengthen their
reading skills and confidence - that's one of my favorites.

We've purchased a set of Neo-Paws that help us with traction on some of the floors.

At 10 1/2 years, Kodi is slowing a little, but loves his PAL visits.
Most folks notice a 'limp,' not a missing leg.

The amputees at the Veterans' Hospital
say he's just "one of the boys," and they LOVE him!
Kodi always wears a smile, and gets one back!

Tricia, Bob & Kodiak Lowney
Wednesday June 3, 2009

Hello.
I'm so glad to find your website, as I have had a 3 legged
German Shorthair for 7 months.

My husband and I live on the Oregon Coast and have been here for 9 years.

When our beautiful Rottie-mix Autumn died from bone cancer in mid-September of 2006, we were devastated. She was everything to me, especially, as she saw me through my depression, illness, and all sorts of other life events.

Although we clearly weren't ready for another dog for a while,
my husband asked our vet to keep a lookout for a dog we might like to have.

Since he is a friend as well, our vet knew about our being particular.

His assistant called us a month later with a heartfelt plea we could not ignore. That's when we met Daisy, a 19 month old German shorthair,
who had been living with the assistant's grandmother,
who had become too ill to care for Daisy.
Thus, they were looking for a good home.

I was very reluctant at first, not knowing anything about three-legged animals; I wondered if she could even walk!

However, the assistant told me that Daisy loved to run,
and needed lots of room for her favorite activity.
Knowing we live in an acre of forest and lots of good hiking trails nearby, we were tops on their list for adopting Daisy.

Jim and I met Daisy at the vet's office
and as she literally bounded out of the car, we fell in love with her instantly. The assistant told us that Daisy had been an abused puppy.
A purebred and trained for hunting, she was mistreated
and her leg broke (I don't know the particulars, nor want to).

Somehow she ended up at the vet's office and had to have her leg amputated. I guess it was very severely broken.

I cry just thinking about her being so abused!

Alas, the assistant raised German shorthairs,
and knew her grandmother would provide a loving home.

The grandmother was very distressed to say goodbye to Daisy;
you could tell she really loved her,
but she knew that she just couldn't provide the kind of home Daisy needed.

She handed over the leash and Daisy,
and turned back to her car (I felt so sorry for her).

Daisy, on the other hand, took to Jim and I eagerly.

When we brought her home, the first thing we did was let her out the back yard, and she ran forever.

Since then, I have walked Daisy every day,
4 miles on the logging road where she runs up and down hills,
chases small animals, carves trails in the salal and finds cool streams for drinking and cooling off.

Not only has Daisy adapted well to her new home,
she has mended a hole in my heart.
Although not a replacement to Autumn,
she gives Jim and I so much joy.

And, as a bonus, because she absolutely MUST walk every day
for a good hour and a half, I have lost a considerable amount of weight
and feel so much healthier as a result.

My legs are toned once again, and I have lost a full size in seven months. So I tell people that she is my "weight loss program."

Recently, Daisy and I took a short trip to Washington State for a vacation. She rode beautifully in the backseat in a soft-cloth carrier.
It was easy to unzip and she would jump in and out of the car,
no trouble. Everywhere we went, people were surprised by her mobility and strength. She is a strong, well-muscled dog.

I'm sorry this is so long,
but one last thing I must tell you,
I went to the Oregon State Fair yesterday,
and happened upon a veterinarian who was volunteering at a pet booth.
I asked him if I had reason to be wary of Daisy's health, being 3-legged and all. He said that although it is actually easier for a dog
who has lost one of its hind legs to carry on,
a dog that lost one of its forelegs has a good chance of keeping fit
by not allowing it to get too fat.

The younger the dog is that has had an amputation,
the better chance it has of getting more muscle around the bone.
He said that the shoulder will be more affected later on,
and if the tissues swell from an injury to use hot and cold packs alternately. If there is more of a problem, he suggested anti-inflammatories.

But because of the good amount of muscle protecting the shoulder bone, she is in good shape. He said that was very important.
I thought it useful information.

German shorthairs are very active dogs (don't I know).
She is the best thing that has ever happened to me in the past year,
and I just feel like Daisy was sent to us by Autumn, knowing I needed a good friend.

Thanks for your allowing me to share my story of Daisy.
And thank you for your wonderful website.

Deborah and Jim O'Roak
Oregon Coast
Wednesday August 29, 2007