Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Well Holly is still with us after 8 months but I am not sure about her current health. 2 days ago she started with a silly cough, I refer to it as silly as it is infrequent and she is like she is coughing something up. It's not hurrendous by any means but just when you think it has gone she does it again. We took her to the vets thinking it could be kennel cough and he ruled that out due to temperature etc. He listened to her chest and said it didn't sound bad at all. He gave us codeine and sent us on our way. However I am not sure about his diagnosis and my own view is that it could be metastatic cancer in the lungs. She is also groaning a lot when she sits down. I am giving her metacam, tramadol and codeine to manage any pain she may have. However I would really appreciate any thoughts on this. Am I over worrying or do other owners feel the same as me? Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Steve and Di ( Holly's very worried mum and dad)
Have you had recent chest xrays? I would get them done. Not sure that listening to the chest will tell you if there is cancer. And I know that there are meds the vet can give you to ease the cough. Otherwise, is she doing ok? Even if it is cancer, many dogs live quite a while, with a good quality of life, after mets appear.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
No chest X-ray as yet. This will be our next step. This morning she refused food which is really unusual. I spoon fed her and eventually she ate it all. We have just had her out for her walk and she is still eager to go and looked displeased when we cut it short as didn't want to overdo it with her due to the cough. She may just be under the weather with a cold but we get very nervous with her after all she been through. Thanks Steve and Di
Hi Steve and Di,
I would also get x-rays. We had our first set done 6 months after and are now at every three months as of late. A vet once told me about getting x-rays done: it always depends on if you want to know what you can't change.
and I guess that makes sense to a certain degree. I, however, always wanted to know.
all the best to you and Holly! keep us updated!
tina & Manni
Guardian of Manni the Wonderdog. -Or was it the other way around?
Osteo and amputation in Dec 2015. Second, inoperable, primary osteosarcoma found in June 2017.
The end of our adventures came Dec 10, 2017. 2 years to the day.
HAPPY EIGHT MONTH AMPUVERSARY HOLLU!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 yYou keep 'em coming too, okay sweet girl!!! 🙂 🙂
It sounds like Holly's energy level is still strong and that's really good!! Being picky with her food could simply be because of the med mixtures she's on, so I wouldn't be too concerned about that. Just keep try really good stuff...drive thru cheeseburger...cheese pizza ...bacon...a scoop of ice cream,etc.
Dogs really are having a lot of allergies this season, even if they've never had them before. A bit of a hack/gag cough can be a sign of that.
As far as xrays...THE most individual decision that is so personal! For me, after doing four rou ds of chemo for her, I pretty much knew I wouldn't do any more agressive treatments after that, so I had no reason to "need to need to know".
I decided that IF symptons started to show, I may do them then simply because there were some non agressive things without potential bad side effects things that could be done to relieve symptons and possibly extend quality time....prednisone,...metronomic....holistic.....etc.
And for whatever it's worth....my Happy Hannah never missed a meal and I don't remember any cough at all!!! She was getting very low energy though. So try not to be too over the top with worry if Holly has a cough or turns her nose up to food. And that was just in Happy Hannah's case, not speaking for any others.
Hopefully you are just dealing with allergies.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING REGARDLESS THIUGH, IS LET NOTHING INTERFERE WITH STAYING IN THE MOMENT WITH HILLU!!! Holly has NO worries! Holly is just making each moment with yiru be an eternity and loving every second of it!! 🙂
Hope Holly gets some cake and ice cream for her HAPPY EIGHT MONTH AMPUVERSARY 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Love
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Hey guys, I'm glad to hear Holly's been kickin' butt for the last eight months, that's awesome!
Her recent cough could be anything from a dust bunny to springtime allergies. It's so hard not to panic, can't blame you at all. I'm hoping you get a good report back from the vet today. Please let us know OK?
Sending lots of love & hugs to you all!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Oh...mea t to add....the groaning when she sits down coukd be a touch of arthritis or a clear sign she may be overdoing it. Massage up and down her spine, her hips, her back and see if she shows any sign of tension anywhere. The Metacam should help.
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Well this morning she seems brighter. She has only coughed twice during the night. She is currently eating her breakfast and doing so with her normal vigor. We are going to see how she goes over the weekend before we head back to the vets. I know she not in pain as I am managing it and she always lets me know by being restless if she is in discomfort. It is interesting to read about allergies as yesterday we were cutting the lawn and she was then sat on it and her coughing was much worse so fingers crossed it is that. She is so beautiful and bright eyed and bushy tailed it would be tragic for her to lose the battle against this awful disease so soon after surgery. so may say she has already done well but like all that love their dog I want more much more. Thanks to all for your advice. Much appreciated. Steve and Di
GREAT UPDATE!!! Perking up and eating better already...a really good sign!! 🙂 🙂
Miss Holly isn't going anywhere anytime soon! YAY HOLLY! 🙂
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
That sounds very positive. I'm glad she seems brighter and that she is troughing her breakfast. Interesting what you say about the lawn. There are so many allergens around this time of year. My Elsie often coughs outside, as though there's something stuck in her throat.
Big hug,
Meg, Clare and Elsie Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Hi Steve, Di and Holly 🌻🌹🐶
Eurydice has lung mets for 5 months now and she looks as goofy and energetic as ever and no cough so far.
Nevertheless for the past couple of weeks she wakes up with some stuff inside her eyes, greyish colour, which I remove every morning.
I thought it could be cancer related but no!
Vet laughed when he saw her and said it's all due to the pólen in the air !
That could really be Holly's situation, it sure sounds reassuring she coughed more when you cut the grass.
Keeping fingers and paws crossed here, let us know what the vet said !
Hugs, kisses and cuddles flying your way 😘😘😘
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Hi there!
Any news ?????
Huge hug and cuddles 😘💕🐶💕
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
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