Hello Everyone,

Sorry its been a few days.  Thank you all for your advice regarding visits and the harnesses!  We did go along with Jerry and not visit, I was also told by a friend who has a breeder guide dog that visiting is bad for the dog.

We got a call this evening from the surgeon and she said that Max's lymph nodes were cancer free!!!!!  The Oncologist at LIVS is still concerned about microscopic cancer cells being in his blood stream and are recommending chemotherapy.  They say there is a 50% chance it could reoccur somewhere else. She said if we are in the good 50% then he is cured, if not they give him 18 months.   We are waiting for the oncologist to give us the protocol and percent success rates tomorrow. 

However, my holistic vet disagrees.   He also says no chemo. He believes the cancer will not return.

We are just so happy that the nodes are clear and the chest x-rays were clear that I feel in my gut that my holistic vet is right!  He told us this cancer only stays local and I the 3 1/2 years, that is the only place it has returned. 

Max is due to come home Friday providing he keeps doing well.  I will keep you posted. 

Again any advice is appreciated!!!

Thanks Again,

Theresa, Max and family

Hello Everyone,

Sorry it's taken me so long to update everyone.  Max finally came home tonight! He wasn't ready to b released on Friday, he was having some pain and vomiting.  So over the weekend I shopped and must have bought 20 area rugs and runners to cover every tile and wood floor! It was very stressful worrying about him, hearing he was in pain, they started laser therapy to help with the pain and they had to change his medicines  because of the vomiting. 

I was seriously questioning myself if it was the right thing to do.  I was so relieved and happy to see him tonight! The whole family went to pick him up. He ran(hopped) to all of us!! He was soooo happy! His tail couldn't wag fast enough! We were all soo happy to finally see him and hug him! They showed us how to assist him up and down the steps, and how to lift him in and out of the car. 

He is on pain medicine carprofin 75 mg twice daily and Gabapentin 600 mg half pill twice daily.  They told us to keep,him fairly conifined for now. Lots of rest and TLC! 

The physical therapy person felt the ruff wear web master was not supportive enough for lifting him in the fron. She said the handle was too far back. Anyone ever hear of helpem up harness?  They also recommend that one. I suggested the ezy dog but they never heard of it. I'm going to order both and see what fits better.  The therapist said to bring him by once I get them and she will tell me which one. Anyone using the helpem up? It looks too complicated!

thank you all so much for all your advice, help and support. I never would have gone through this without hearing rom all of you! I'm taking the next 3 days off from work to be with Max!!!!  

Love be and hugs to all, 

 Theresa 

Hello Everyone,

I have been so busy taking care of Max that this is the first chance I've had to respond.  He was eating and drinking at the vet.  Physical therapy was twice a day, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon.  Right now he is eating fine as long as we hand feed him and put melted butter on his food!  He is drinking fine now also.

We had a scare on Thursday night into Friday, he managed to jump up on my bed in the few seconds I turned my head!  Once he was there a while he stood up to change position and let out a cry.  We kept him on the bed with us all night.  Friday my husband lifted off the bed and we saw that he was very hesitant to go down the steps and back up.  Which was not how he was the two days prior.  When he tried to  lay down and get up he would cry. I immediately took him back to the Vet Hospital and they said he probably gave himself a soft tissue injury and we needed to keep him really confined for the next week.  We also needed to limit the stairs to twice in a 24 hours period.  Thank God my son can carry him for the other potty breaks!  He seems to be much better today, and he hasn't cried once since we confined him.

I need to keep watching the videos of Pofi and Eurydice and all the other tripawds to keep my spirits up, and know that Max just needs to get stronger and he will be like them!  It is hard to see him get so tired when he goes for a potty break and it seems to be a struggle for him to stand and eat at his bowl.  He has a raised double bowl for water and food.  He will only drink the water from it, he won't eat his food from it for some reason.  Not sure if its the spoiling he got at the vet hospital with the hand feeding.  We will see, hope fully he will adjust back to his food bowl when he feels stronger. 

Is that normal for it to be hard for him to stand in one place for a while?  I see he still hasn't fully adjusted to putting his front foot in the center, he still keeps it to the right side a lot, so his balance is kind of off a little.  Pofi and Eurydice make it look easy!

Pictures of Max coming soon! I'm waiting for my husband to help me post them, he is more tech savvy than me!

Love to all!

Theresa

Hi, Theresa:

One thing to keep in mind about Pofi is that he really was not using that leg for a few weeks before surgery  - not at all.  And prior to that he had been only partial weight bearing for a very long time.  So he really was sort of used to being a tripawd already and it was therefore a bit easier for him to adjust.  He just had to get used to not having the weight of that leg - a bit of a balance rework.

But - Max should get there with a bit more time.  And, I did a LOT of hand feeding post surgery.  I think it was somewhat all the meds and feeling a bit off color - sticking his nose in the bowl seemed to just be off putting.  But a little bit at a time was more palatable.  I also actually find even know he does better eating if I hold his bowl for him - a bit higher than the raised bowl feeder we have.  I think the taller a dog is, the tougher to hold their balance when bending neck down to eat.  Drinking takes less time - so easier.  At least that is how it looks to me.

Pofi definitely also did not do a lot of standing in one place for any period of time for many weeks past surgery.  Out to potty, back in and a lie down. Or if it was nice, he would lie down on a bed or blanket we put out for him.  Even now, 3 months post op, when he wants a break if we are out at dog park or walking (we do more park than walking as he just doesn't seem that keen on leash walks anymore) we take one.  A tripawd uses more energy and oxygen getting around.

Hope you feel like you see some incremental gains - little by little!