Nikki is now 2 and a half years old.
We got her from a breeder outside of town.
She was the cutest puppy!
She's a little on the small side for a golden retriever,
but we love her all the same.

Nikki was hit by a car when she was just under a year old.
My mother found Nikki a few min after it happened and rushed her to the vets.

The vet thought it would be best to put her down, as she had internal bleeding, road rash, and nerve damage in her leg.

My dad and our close friend also agreed but my mom could not say yes because Nikki was my dog and she felt she needed to give her another chance.

Well Nikki pulled through and for a while there was hope that the use of her leg would come back but after a few months we booked her in for surgery.

It was a success but was difficult to watch her struggle to walk.
It took a while but we can now walk her just about as far as we used to.

She can even still swim (under supervision of course).
She is an incredible dog and brings joy to everyone who meets her.
She is full of ceaseless spirit and spunk.

This web site brought information and hope to me,
and I hope Nikki's story will also help someone.

Thank you so much.

Chalene Kuefler
Monday April 9, 2007

Hello - I have been blessed with a beautiful three-legged dog named Peggy. I did not, however, give her this name, the shelter who found her injured and amputated her leg did.

In any case, we have had Peggy in our lives since she was approximately one year old.

Apparently Animal Control found her wounded on the side of the road
and after trying to save her back left leg, they had to amputate.
My husband found her at a local Humane Society when we were looking for a companion for our beagle, Dante. She is fantastic!

She runs like the wind and likes to hunt little critters that dare come into her yard.

She has even been honored with the distinction of "Dog of the Day" on Pet of the Day, as well as her brother Dante.

In any case, Peggy is now approximately 8 years old and there are signs of her slowing down. I am concerned about her back leg that bares so much weight.

We try to keep her weight under 40 lbs., per the vet's advice,
but this evening I noticed something I had never noticed before.
She was having trouble hopping and was leery about coming up the back two stairs.

I checked her hip and entire leg for any reaction but she seemed fine.
Do you have any advice on how to take care of our little three-legged wonder and keep that back leg strong and pain free?

Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
In the meantime, here's Peggy with her brother Dante!

Kind Regards,

Julie Sachs
Monday April 9, 2007