Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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six weeks post op. I came home from work tonight and I neglected to put her cone on her today. She did lick at the line and irritated it some so I put the cone back on her again now. There is that mass though and it's mean, angry, hot and growing rapidly. I will get some video of it here in a bit, she is resting on it right now. So sad and depressed about this. This is not fair. NOT FAIR at all if it has returned. I am not prepared for the return of this disease. not at all. I understand that we are not Vets. Originally when I took her in the Vets were dumbfounded about it also. I truly do want to think positive, but when I feel it... it's the same as the knee was. man, this will be such a bad deal if it has returned.
Taking her into the hospital to drain a seroma is what dr. s wants me to do. going there now. 🙁
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HEY!!!!! Okay....deep breaths!!!! If this is a seroma that's good news!!!!!
Is this your regular Vet...ER....or the Surgeon???
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!
I think I was avle to link the video you did at yiur blog of the lump.......let's see if it works
So you talked to the Surgeon? Is that Dr S ?
And weve got to make sure that cone stays on for a vit more when you aren't there, okay? 🙂 That Ruby is a sneaky gal 🙂 🙂
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!
Update us when you get baxk from the Vet, okay? Sending healing energy.
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!
we just got back. I almost put her down tonight. She has a guardian angel though that intervened. The Vet at the hospital was someone new that we never saw. Who was talking with Dr. S ruby's surgeon while I was there. Dr. on call there tried to extract fluid from the mass. Again it showed the signs of hemorrhage. The same fluid it showed the first two surgeries prior to amputation. To me that signifies Cancer came back. They asked what I wanted to do and I said well gosh i don't know I can't force her to live and let the cancer eat her away and if I take her home I might never bring her back. You know.. all the ways you feel when you are deciding to kill your friend. Then I just went and smoked a cigarette and went back into hospital and told them just to put her down. I can't afford to continue to do all these tests and go thru this like a broken record time after time. This is all just how it started in the first place. Except now I'm $3,000 in debt and my dog is hanging on to keeping her life by a thread. They called Dr. S and told her what I had decided. That was when Dr. S said that she will take her back and keep her in the hospital for a few more weeks until she gets thru this. I brought Ruby home tonight and I am taking her to Ft. Wayne, back to Dr. S, on Thursday. I only know it will be for a few weeks until she gets thru this. She might have to go back inside and cut the bone higher. I CAN NOT BELIEVE ALL THAT WE ARE GOING THRU. How this all has unfolded. How Ruby has almost died quite a few times throughout this entire process. I was crying thinking I was getting ready to hold her goodbye and was just told they are going to continue to try and save her. That we have gone this far and they do not want to give up on her. I'm in shock. Numb. I have no idea how to feel, but I still have tears in my eyes. I don't even know anymore. It's a broken record repeating itself over and over and over
Oh my dear Trish, I don't even know what to say. I just feel soooo bad about allmof this.
For tonight, don't even try to process anything. You jave to be so emotionally drained a d physically exhausted.
Remember, Ruby isn't aware of any of the drama swirling arou d her. She's still feeling good and has her happy face on!
I will say this, before you go any further, formulate any and every question you can think of.
I gave you a couple to ask in yiur earlier blog.
And then find out EXACTLY what additional surgery will be done and what rhe xhances are for a complete and full recovery! You don't have to proceed with anything if you don't feel like it's in Ruby's best interest. Possible there are other things thst can be done thst may not give her a lof time, but at least it will be good quality time
Maybe we could all help you formulate some written questions to email Dr S and ask thst she email the answers back to you. Would thst help you feel more confident about whatever decision yoy make?
I'm just so sorry all this has unfolded this way. You are stro ger than you realize though, that's for sure!! And Miss Ruby sure is too!!
There is one question right off the bat you could ask Dr S. If she's going back to amlutate further into the hip bond, how long could you ssfely delay that since Riby has had soooooo many major surgeries back to back to back to back? Not to mention needing a vlood transfusion during the amputation and having to stay at the Vet for two weeks.
Aleight sweet Trish, TRY and get some rest. You jafe to be completely exhausted!
With lpve
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS. Did you get my message on your VM that I left from the Helpline??
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!
thank you. i would love to submit questions if anyone has any. this is just overwhelming process.
blows my mind that it showed signs of hemorrhage... again...again... again. three times now.
the strange thing is she appears totally healthy.
the kind of sarcoma "soft tissue" level II ? We didn't test the leg/tumor to figure out what kind of cancer it was. It was suggested amputation. the report I showed talks about the sarcoma
Okay, put everything aside for now and we'll all help formulate some questions romorrow, okay?
Yeah, I read the report the same way you did...of course without a degree jn Veterinary medicine!!! Those sarcomas are tricky. It sou ds like the first amputation maybe didn't get "clean margins"...or it did but the nasty crap spread anyway. It can happen!!
Once we get some of these questions and answers together, you can make an informed decision from a calm and confident place. I wouldn't think waitr a few more days would be a problem....then agaun....aho knows on this crazy journey!
And Ruby's probablyably sound asleep right now having wonderful dreams about cheeseburgers!! 🙂 Okay now, you've had a rough night and you need to get some rest too, okag?? Nonworries, Ruby's gonna get through this in the best way lossible for her! 🙂
Lots of love
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!
Oh no! I am equally baffled at what's going on, but at least she is in the care of a vet.
First, be proud of yourself for being so observant and following your instinct about the lump.
Next, don't panic. As Sally mentioned, she gave you some great questions to ask your vet in an earlier blog post you wrote so be sure to refer back to that OK?
And keep in mind that Emergency vets are not as familiar with cancers as oncology vets, so this may not be as bad as it seems.
What exactly did Dr. S. say when you discussed the current situation? Does she have a plan for treating this latest situation?
Poor Ruby. That gorgeous girl is so strong though, she can pull through. And you will too, I know it. Hang in there and let us know what morning brings OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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Dr. S said to me that she does not think it is cancer again. She believes it is sernoma. I thought, yea that makes sense and isn't as bad as I thought. She had me take her to the hopsital so they could draw out fluid. When the new Vet came back and showed me the fluid that she pulled, all my spirits dropped. It's the same fluid that was pulled the first two surgeries. I don't understand it. I talked with Dr. S on the phone before I got to the clinic. The vet tech came in and was telling me what was being said back and forth between the two Vets. When I said I couldn't afford to do anything more and I'd have to put her down, Dr. S said to leave her at the hospital and she would pick her up next week. I didn't know how to respond to that, but I said that I would rather take her home and drive her to Ft. Wayne myself on Thursday, my day off. Dr. S told the other Vet she might have to go in and cut the bone up higher and remove any remaining stuff if it is cancer. I'm just confused. very very confused by all of this entire situation. I couldn't afford to have the leg tested when we removed it. So none of us even know really what we are dealing with other than "soft tissue sarcoma". Well, I do know that Ruby is really happy to be home and beside me. She won't leave me at all.
None of this seems real anymore. I heard from Dr. S that is was swelling around the bone and fluid buildup, my heart tells me it is cancer. I don't know what I can do for her anymore than just love her and hold her. You wouldn't even know that she is sick or in pain... or anything. Ruby appears 100% fine in lab work and in the flesh. Than what is the growing bulge? It wasn't fluid, it was hemorrhage. They kept asking me the same questions about it like they did in her first two surgeries... "did she fall" "could she have bumped it" "is she eating and drinking" I just can't believe... it keeps happening over and over so much. She eats, drinks, runs and everything fine. Just something is growing on her, again. Is all I can tell them. unbelievable. our story is truly unbelievable.
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