"Today Cora went to see the neurologist. I was struck by the difference in her as we calmly walked inside this big and busy building. She isn’t the same pup who went to her first few vet visits, not able to walk much at all and barking and stressed the whole time. She did get scared when I took her to the bathroom with me. I don’t blame her, bathrooms are noisy places and the door made this odd groaning noise. Instead of falling over and erupting into barking she let me pick her up, hold her and comfort her...

 ...He thinks physical rehabilitation will help a lot and gave me exercises to do with her and all sorts of information and contacts. He also gave me information on a behaviorist who deals with special needs dogs. He wants me to keep in touch and seemed really positive. I’m almost giddy."

Read the rest of the story at Cora's Tripawd Blog

The Stroller has Arrirved

Discover more about this day at her Tripawd's Blog

A Bad Vet Visit

"When I was trying to decide what my next step would be, I debated between going to a neurologist or a physical therapist. Neurology is hard to fix (and expensive), so I took her to a canine rehabilitation specialist with a mix of dread and hope. He said he’d never seen a dog quite like Cora and asked if he could observe her for a few hours and consult with the orthopedic veterinarian. I didn’t like leaving there, but I said yes. When they called me to pick her up, they said the vet wanted to talk to me and I knew. He spent a lot of time saying “To be blunt…” and then telling me just how impaired and hopeless she is. He told me I had to make my own decisions but mentioned euthanasia multiple times. I understand that he saw her at her worst and wanted to prepare me for the worst. Cora and I went home and she was defensive and unhappy that night. I was too. The visit was traumatic for both of us. By the next day she had recovered. She spent time playing in the yard and insisted on taking a bath with me. She loved it. To be blunt, I think the vet was a bit of an ass. Telling me she had severe mental deficits was the responsible thing to do, but after that he was out of his area of expertise. He made a judgement on her quality of life, without knowing her. I am not giving up on my determined Cora." Read the rest of the story at Cora's Tripawd Blog

I Can Do It Myself

"Since I'm not going to have any human children, the parents curse has come in the form of a cute, black tripod puppy. A couple decades after I left childhood behind, my parents would still get an exasperated tone in their voice when they talked about my "I can do it myself!" proclamation. Apparently, I learned those words early and used them often. Now, little Miss Cora scolds me with the same sentiment.. Last night, she slid across the kitchen floor barking angrily, hunched and with her back leg thumping wildly. It looked awful and my first thought was "Seizure!" I couldn't help it, my brain had jumped back to Schmoozer the Wondermutt and all the seizures he had. Schmoozer lost his battled with epilepsy a few years ago, but I guess those thought patterns are still there. While there was plenty of drama going on, it was a much simpler sort. Cora had an itch."

Read the rest of the story at  Cora's Tripawd's Blog

Cora's Adoption

"Blind, temperamental, tripod looking for a good home? Not anymore! Today it became official, that Cora is joining the family. Cora had a rough start to her life. As happens all too often, she was part of an unwanted litter and found herself in the shelter. The shelter isn't a good place for any pup, and Cora was born blind and with a club foot. Lucky for her, the Motley Zoo Rescue group took her in, so she'd have a chance at life. The best thing to do for her mobility was amputation. So on January 4th she became a "tripaw' and got spayed at the ripe old age of three months. She had a wonderful foster family, that took care of her before and after the surgery."
Read the rest of the story at Cora's Tripawds Blog