Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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CharlieBear's BFF and love of his life had a brief collapsing incident last week and a much worse one this morning. She is at the Vet School being assessed but they are very suspicious that it may be a brain tumor due to the clinical exam signs. Neuro department exam and chest x-rays and bloodwork were scheduled for late this afternoon and a possible MRI tomorrow.
CharlieBear is simply adrift without her constant presence: she is an absolute tank and really, with very few incidents, has never been sick. EmmaRose is now 14 years young and as she is an Australian Cattle Dog/Great Pyrenees cross, quite outsmarts and outwits the rest of us.
If you have the time, please send hugging paws and prayers her way. It would mean the world to us.
Meanwhile, I am going back to crying...
Oh gosh! So sorry to hear Emma Rose is having challenges, to say the least.
You better believe that your entire tripawd family is sending out positive thoughts and healing energy to help Emma Rose. She's our family too!
You cry all you want to, we certainly understand. We're right here by your side, okay?
Having Emma Rose with you for 14 years, by your side day in and day out, is certainly a small miracle within itself. Obviously she is one tough cookie!
Absolutely surrounding you with hugging paws and prayers, and 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!
Best thoughts for you and Emma Rose.
I know how precious it is to get to 14 years old, I've only made it once with Tani.
I hope what they find is something you can treat.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Sending MANY hugging paws and prayers to Emma Rose and you!!!
HUGS
Holly & Purrkins
Loads and loads of love and very best wishes for the indomitable and dear EmmaRose. I hope it is less of a big deal than feared...
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
Oh no! I'm so sorry. I am thinking of you so, so much and praying for good news. Please update when you can. We are here for you.
Sending a massive hug and lots of love,
Meg, Clare and Elsie Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted 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 Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers and paw hugs and support. EmmaRose is much like the infamous Meg: and, Lisa, she really is indomitable.She is an enormous presence in CharlieBear's and my life: some dogs rely on you and some dogs you rely on. EmmaRose is the latter. She is my North Star.
We will start with the better news: She is FIERCE. She is at the Vet School. She ate last night. She is cognizant. She does not seem to be in pain. She had a fairly unremarkable blood panel ( slightly elevated WBC, ALT, and cholesterol). Her chest x-ray came back without mets!!!
Worser news: Likely has a brain stem brain tumor. She developed heart arrythmia in the evening. They managed to get one under control and a second type of arrythmia not so much. Vets now think either she has a primary heart issue AND a primary tumor or another cancer which is causing both. Emma is being seen by neuro, cardio, and internal. Cardio a priority. Echo and ultrasound will be done today. And likely abdominal ultrasound. We will go from there.
What is incredibly hard is the absolute shock as she has never had a bad day in her life, was completely NORMAL the day before, and is, much like Meg. a tough, tough cookie and a corker. CharlieBear is adrift. As am I.
Although she is 14, she would be one of those dogs that lived until 18 ( and I have had 15 and 16 year old dogs, 21 year old cats, a 36 year old horse...)
Your kind words, hugging paws, and prayers have helped me to stop sobbing and pull myself together. Thank you from all of us. Emma would say thanks but she is much like Meg: what do you mean, people?!?! I am FINE!!!
Me and Eurydice are sending lots and lots and lots of healing thoughts and keeping our fingers, paws and tail crossed she will overcome this !
She is an extremelly courageous girl so if anybody can do it, it is our gorgeous girl !
Please do keep us updated asap.
Stay strong for your girl we are ALL here holding your hand and her paw
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 :-)
I have been thinking of you all day. It IS really good news that Emma is not in pain and that she is eating and cognisant. No mets is also wonderful news. I am just praying with everything I have that this is something treatable.
I know exactly what you mean about the shock of this hitting such a strong dog out of the blue. My Billie had a brain tumour (as did my father, actually). Billie wasn't an especially tough cookie. In fact she was a bit of a wuss, but she had always been so healthy. It is incredibly shocking. Like being knocked off your feet by a giant wave that just appears out of nowhere.
Not knowing is also incredibly hard. But let's just hope that Emma Rose will confound the experts, that she will turn out to have something treatable, or manageable at the very least. She comes from a long lived stable, let's hope...
I LOVE the way you describe her as your North Star.
Sending you such massive hugs you won't even feel the wave for a moment.
Meg, Clare and Elsie Pie xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted 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 Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
We are keeping all things crossed and will keep hugging paws and prayers coming.
I see the word likely! Not confirmed. Hang tight try to breathe , get all the tests back and see whats for sure. Praying its treatable and not as bad as expected! She's not giving up! Eating at the hospital ! Go EmmaRose
Primary heart issues are treatable and can be managed with meds!
I had a dog with Congested heart failure and she was given months to live!
She lived 3 years after the diagnosis! Medication, diet and supplements & lots of love!
We are staying PAWSITIVE
HUGS
So sorry to hear Emma might have a brain tumour and developed arrhythmia ...
But on a pawsitive note your girl is the strongest and more driven of all girls !
I keep my fingers tightly crossed and Eurydice told me to say she is sending lots of healing woofs in her direction.
This is such a difficult journey, full of ups and downs ...
You are the best Mom ever and Emma has the best professionals looking after her too.
It's even harder for a pawrent to deal with this when our babies were in excellent heath up to this moment happened in out lives...
My heart, thoughts and prayers are completely yours and Emma's, I SO want her to overcome all of this!
Sending you a huge bear hug and cuddles to your cutie
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 :-)
Awww, I am so sorry, I am keeping you, EmmaRose, and the rest of your pack in my thoughts and prayers today. It sounds like she has had the best life ever, and I know all those happy memories along the way will surround you with comfort as she and you deal with this serious situation. There is never enough time with our fur babies, that is for sure ❤️🐾
Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers,
Bonnie, Angel Polly, Pearl, and Zuzu 🐾💘
Can only ditto the hopes for the best positive outcome for sweet and fierce Emma Rose!
She's eating and her tests have come out pretty darn good!
Once the tests are done and the arrhythmia is under control, maybe you can bring her home?
Lots of pawsitive energy, hugs and love continuing your way...
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!
Oh my heart goes out to you... brain tumors are terrifying (and likely what happened to Shelby in the very end ... the cancer had spread). But it sounds like Emma Rose is eating (which is GOOD) and seems to have her energy and spark back!!! Sending you lots of love and healing energy!!!
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Drats, a brain tumor? Woah. I know that's a shocker, I'm so sorry! At least she is fortunate enough to have some terrific specialists who can pinpoint the issues and help you give her a good quality of life for as long as pawsible. That clinic sounds great. Emma Rose is so lucky to have you too, good job!
We are thinking of you both, so let us know how she's doing when you're able.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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