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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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Pennsylvania
Member Since:
16 August 2008
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1
11 September 2008 - 6:02 pm
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August the 16th soon became the worst day of my life thus far. At 9:00 in the morning I was told that my best friend had an aggressive form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma.

Gracie began limping on her back leg in July. We first thought that she jumped off the bed and hurt herself. We took her to the vet who told us that Gracie may have an ACL tear. She gave us some pain meds & told us to give it some time to see if it gets better but…if it doesn't she would possibly need to have an operation to repair the tear.

We took Gracie home & she seemed fine. There were days that she was very playful and others where she kinda limped a little. We thought that she just over did it and needed to rest. A few weeks went by and Gracie had a couple bad days in a row. She didn't want to even put weight on that leg. This is when we knew we had to take her in to get x-rays to see what our options were for ACL surgery.

Sitting in the exam room we waited while they took her to do x-rays. When the Dr. came back he told us that Gracie had a black spot inside her leg bone and it was most likely bone cancer. This hit me so hard. For a moment the world stopped….. I felt sick……It was so much for me to wrap my brain around. I thought to myself… this can't be, she tore her ACL right?

The Dr. took us back to show us Gracie's X-ray. He showed us a normal leg bone & then Gracie's. He said this type of cancer eats the bone from the inside out. He also told us it is very painful. We went back in the exam room and sat down. He brought us a box of tissues and told us what our options were.

He said that to control her pain we should have the leg removed asap. He also told us that we are dealing with a very aggressive form of cancer that moves to the lungs. He then said no matter what step we took next Gracie's life expectancy would be 3-6 months. Then he left the room to take chest x-rays of my little girl. The chest x-rays did not show any masses but…he told us that it is possible that small cancer cells could be there and just too small to detect.

I sat there…3-6 months. I wasn't letting it sink in...... my dog didn't come with an expiration date. I began to get mad..... Why Gracie? My husband & I have done nothing but take the best possible care of her. She is our child & we treated her like one. She has her own bedroom, her own Bulldog Christmas tree I set up every year. She is the queen of our couch (we sit where she allows us to). I bought her the best foods, best treats. She comes first. Didn't I do everything right? Why her?

Soon the Dr. brought her back into the room. My husband & I did our best to collect our emotions. We did not want her to know or sense that we were upset. We kneeled down & kissed her & told her how strong she was & how we needed her to stay strong.

The drive home seemed like it took hours.

We now had some hard discussions to make. I got on the net and read everything I could about osteosarcoma. Everything the Dr. told us was right. But…what he didn't know is our little girl has a drive like no other (remember…she's a Bulldog).

After reading all we could about this type of cancer, we quickly decided to have her leg amputated. This was a very hard decision but….I knew we were doing the best thing for her.

Gracie went in on August 20th for surgery and we picked her up the evening of the 21st. When they brought Gracie out she was a real trooper. You would never know that she had four legs in the past. She amazed us. They even said she bit their office cat. Yep…that sounds like my girl. It was so good to see her & bring her back home with us.

We know that we are in for the fight of our lives. I can't tell you that Gracie has had all perfect days since her operation but…I can tell you that we are very hopeful & are going to do everything we can for her. As long as she shows us she has a drive for life…we will keep going.

Gracie has been so strong though all of this (so much stronger than her mom & dad). She is not only my best friend…she is my hero.

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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11 September 2008 - 11:34 pm
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Wow Gracie, thank you for writing such a beautiful, incredible story. We know it will help so many other pawrents of bone cancer dogs out there.

My pawrents can totally relate to what your family has gone through. I'm a spoiled rotten fur-child too! We were totally shocked when the doc said I had bone cancer too. I mean if anything, we thought that my hip displaysia might give me trouble as I got older, not cancer!

Being diagnosed with cancer stank. But my pawrents and I have always tried to "re-frame" it and look at it as a gift. Since I got sick, we have looked at our lives together, all those ordinary, and not so ordinary moments, and learned to treasure each and every one, even moreso than before. Heck, my pawrents even sold their house and business and hit the road with me so we could see more things in the precious time we have together.

The diagnosis for us was a wake up call that all of us eventually have "an expiration date," and not knowing what that is, well, we need to make the most of each and every day together. The docs said I only had 3 or 4 months too, and look at me, I'm at 22 months! Woo hoo!

Well, I'm so glad you wrote your story, and I know you're gonna do great. You're a bulldog after all!

xoxo

Jerry 

 

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Michigan
Member Since:
26 July 2008
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12 September 2008 - 7:15 am
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Hi Gracie, 

Thank you for sharing your story.  This dreaded disease immediately makes us think the worse but you made the right decision for Gracie.  This wonderful site has shown me that there is hope for our wonderful dogs to have an equally wonderful life after amputation.  Just look at Jerry who is such an awesome ambassador for success.

Big hugs to you

Connie & Radar

Member Since:
28 August 2008
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4
12 September 2008 - 9:59 am
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Wow, Gracie and Family!

I just know that with your bulldogged toughness, you're going to do great.

Thanks for sharing your story.

Hugs,

Pogi and Mary

Member Since:
2 September 2008
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5
13 September 2008 - 1:21 pm
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Wow, thanks for sharing Gracies story! We know that you are going to do awesome. Keep up the pawsitive thinking.It's hard to believe that our furbabies are in the fight of their life and they truly are our heros and inspiration.

Cody and Cathy

Member Since:
30 March 2008
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13 September 2008 - 8:35 pm
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You keep on trucking Gracie!  I think that for all our pawrents the first time they say we have cancer they go into a trance, then shock and then thank goodness they wake up.  In my case, when they told my pawrents I had osteosarcoma it hit my Mom even harder than when they told her, she had cancer.  She is a fighter and face hers with all the support, courage and strenght her family and friends could offer....well guess what?  We found the same in this site with all the friends you have here.  With Jerry that keeps us going and going like the duracell bunny.  My Mom figure that, like you, I am also a fighter and we were not going to give up on either one.  Her on me, and me on  her.  She did all the research she could think of and read lot and lots of books (most of them found through the links on this site and the suggestion of other tripawd members).  Yes some days are better than others but the way we look at it is, just like Jerry and his pawrents, we were given a second chance to spend some more happy moments together and to smell the flowers.  To the point that my pawrents also bought an RV so that we can go on trips and spend some beautiful time together.  You will do great and we are glad that you are here with us.  The best of luck to you in the days ahead and let us know how you are doing.  xoxoxoxoxoxo

Kellie

Member Since:
27 July 2008
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7
19 September 2008 - 4:58 pm
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Gracie's Mom and Dad,

Just remember, Jerry wasn't given that much time to survive and as he stated above, he's 22 months post-op!  Osteosarcoma is indeed a very aggressive form of cancer, but you may be a lot better off than you think.  Do you have an oncologist?  Will they be doing chemo?  I don't know if I missed something here, but I'm just curious.  Hopefully, Gracie will have a lot more time than the Dr. predicts.  It's not a set schedule, at all.

Love, Blazer, Kimber & Vicki T

Portland (Lake Oswego), OR
Member Since:
19 July 2008
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20 September 2008 - 1:31 am
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Gracie and Pawrents -

Smokey had his surgery the same day!  August 20th... you're the first I've come across that we share that day, which I will always and forever remember. 

I'm so glad to hear Gracie is doing so well!  Smokey is as well... I found myself laughing out loud about your comment on how she bit the office cat :).  Smokey wanted to chase every other animal that came near him!

Your story sounds so very familiar to mine... when hearing the word cancer, I completely shut down.  I feel very lucky that I have the best vet I have ever had.  She knew that I wasn't able to say much and she is so amazingly supportive.  We email and she checks in all the time to see how Smokey is doing.

I have spoiled Smokey more than I've ever spoiled anyone else!  I take him for rides in the car, just because... he has the run of the apartment, sleeping on the couch, on our bed... anything he wants, he gets.  He has been my best friend for 11 1/2 years... he's been with me through the good and the bad and I'm not about to give up on him.  He's a fighter!

Smokey is sending Gracie lots of move!

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