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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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9th birthday cancer diagnosis
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Member Since:
6 September 2016
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4 October 2016 - 9:19 pm
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Hey everyone - sorry it's been so long since I posted an update! Izzi had some complications with her wound healing so it's been a very busy few weeks. She stayed in ICU for a couple days after surgery and then I had the following full week off work to stay home and care for her. She came home on a Sunday and by Thursday we were back at the vet because she had a small opening near her stitches that didn't look right to me. Her vet was out that day so we saw a different doctor who started her on antibiotics and asked us to return the next day just to confirm with her vet that everything was okay. We went back the next morning and he agreed antibiotics were needed and we had to devise a way to keep her very heavy fluid drainage under control. We ended up using a pair of gym shorts with a poise pad pinned inside. That was fun... Anyway, after a few more days the wound was getting much worse and the drainage was getting thick and cloudy. Back to the vet we went. It was determined that she had contracted an antibiotic-resistant infection which would require much more serious treatment. They wanted her to check back in to ICU but eventually decided against it because she gets too depressed in there and they were afraid she wouldn't do so well. So we did a laser therapy session that evening and went home with some crazy drugs that are apparently dangerous for humans. They required me to wear gloves when handling them. That freaked me out a bit! The new pills started helping pretty rapidly and the wound started to close up but she felt *miserable.* It was awful. I had to give the new pills strictly every 8 hours and we had to do laser therapy every other day. She started picking the pills out of everything because they were huge and impossible to hide. So every 8 hours became a battle of wits with me trying to trick her into eating a laced hot dog and her demanding about 3 hot dogs before she'd accept the pill...but finally after 10 days of therapy the wound is looking fantastic so she was able to get her stitches out yesterday! She's been off those antibiotics for a couple days too and I can tell she feels 100% better. She's back to her old self again and I'm so relieved. She's getting around fairly well and adjusting to life on 3 legs. She struggles with the stairs some days more than others. She has a custom ramp that she can use if she wants but sometimes opts to go for the stairs instead. Seems like down is easier than up most of the time. She has gone out the doggy door once but it's pretty difficult for her to negotiate that leap right now ..it might be awhile before she gets the hang of it. Sometimes she seems to forget that she's down a leg and takes off running like the wind! She's amazingly fast but she gets exhausted really quickly. I worry about her other leg because she's had two knee surgeries on that side and I know it's arthritic and sore sometimes. I just hope we can keep that under control and keep her feeling as good as possible for as long as we can. Unfortunately, that leads me into the not so good news: the biopsy came back as osteosarcoma which we knew was the most likely scenario but still not what I wanted to hear. We're going to take photos with a pet photographer in a couple of weeks which I'm pretty excited for. We also went and got her first ice cream cone a few days ago. I'm really having a hard time accepting this and all I want to do is hide in my room and cry but I know for her sake I have got to stay positive and make sure her days are all happy. The initial shock has started to wear off and it's getting a little easier I guess. But it still just really sucks. I hate that this has happened to her because she sure doesn't deserve it. None of them do.. But anyway, I'll stop rambling now. I hope you all are well 🙂 goodnight! big-grin

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14 February 2016
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5 October 2016 - 4:33 am
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Glad she is doing better.  And paws up for figuring how to make one pill equal three hotdogs. Blots of dogs on this site would love to master that trickbig-grin

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.

On The Road


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24 September 2009
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5 October 2016 - 9:03 am
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Wow, you two have been through a very heavy ordeal, that's so tough! But you handled it like warriors! Kudos to you for staying strong and pawsitive, it makes a huge difference.

I'm sorry about the osa diagnosis. Your attitude will get you through the shock though, and help you focus on living life to the fullest each day.

I'm really curious about the MRSA drug they prescribed, do you have the name of it handy?

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

Minneapolis, MN
Member Since:
23 April 2016
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5 October 2016 - 12:16 pm
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Wow, you did get put through the ringer a bit on this with the infection and all!  So glad to hear the gloves only drugs and laser therapy have worked - I have seen laser therapy do amazing stuff for a wound that just was too large to close on its own, but the laser has been miraculous.

Izzi is just a doll and I am glad she is feeling better and I know you are very overwhelmed, but she is happy to be with your still and I know you are happy to.  Concentrate on the present and enjoy it fully!

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.

Blog: Pofi, Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Amputation



Member Since:
21 May 2016
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6 October 2016 - 7:03 am
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Gosh, what an ordeal you and Izzy have gone through ....

So glad to hear it's all finished and stitches are out ... uf ...

Sorry about the osteosarcoma diagnosis, it sure isn't what anybody wants to hear but you are right in making the most of each day, Izzy is blissfully unaware of her condition and enjoying life, that is all that matters for your sweet girlheart

Sending you a big hug and lots of cuddles to your beautiful girl, how about posting some pictures of your cutie pie? 

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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9 October 2016 - 7:25 pm
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otisandtess said
Glad she is doing better.  And paws up for figuring how to make one pill equal three hotdogs. Blots of dogs on this site would love to master that trickbig-grin  

Haha! She's an expert at detecting pills!! Too smart for her own good 😉

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9 October 2016 - 7:28 pm
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jerry said

I'm really curious about the MRSA drug they prescribed, do you have the name of it handy?  

Yes! It was called Chloramphenicol. Scary stuff but it really worked wonders. Made her feel terrible though 🙁

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9 October 2016 - 7:44 pm
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eurydice said

Sending you a big hug and lots of cuddles to your beautiful girl, how about posting some pictures of your cutie pie?   

Thank you heart Here are some pics of the sweet girl.

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On The Road


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24 September 2009
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10 October 2016 - 3:27 pm
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Aww what a sweetheart. Looks like she's getting treated like a queen!

Thanks for the info about the mega-drug. What kind of side effects did she have? The reason I ask is I'd like to update our MRSA information and include this in it. Was it indeed MRSA that she had?

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

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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10 October 2016 - 4:14 pm
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She really is a beautiful girl!! I believe she has a touch of Royal in her genealogy. She looks so Regal!!

Yes, please share more about her actual diagnosis with the MRSA ...if it was that at all. We've seen a couple of cases on here. Seems like it's not as "rare" as it used ro be.

Looks like you got a good handle on this early in. Good job!

Hugs to that sweet girl! Love her pictures!! 🙂

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!

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10 October 2016 - 8:25 pm
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jerry said
What kind of side effects did she have? The reason I ask is I'd like to update our MRSA information and include this in it. Was it indeed MRSA that she had?  

jerry said 
What kind of side effects did she have? The reason I ask is I'd like to update our MRSA information and include this in it. Was it indeed MRSA that she had?  

No problem! Mainly she was just lethargic and had no appetite. She didn't even want to drink water so I'm guessing that was related to an upset stomach. However, she didn't have vomiting or diarrhea. She was just really down and not herself at all. The culture did come back as methicillin resistant staph as well as acinetobacter. The staph tested as highly susceptible to chloramphenicol so Doc did a great job of guessing that. (Culture results didn't come back til almost a week later) I can post a pic of the wound if you would like. It's just pretty gross. 

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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10 October 2016 - 8:33 pm
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Soooo glad your Vet fot ahead start in this!!

And I'm sure a photo would be helpful to the update Jerry's doing. That's just me fuessing tboughwinker

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!

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10 October 2016 - 8:45 pm
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benny55 said
She really is a beautiful girl!! I believe she has a touch of Royal in her genealogy. She looks so Regal

Thanks so much 🙂 I have to agree - she's definitely a queen!! We did have a culture done and it was methicillin resistant staph + acinetobacter. Nasty little bugs!!! 

Livermore, CA




Member Since:
18 October 2009
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10 October 2016 - 10:47 pm
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Those infections are quite scary, so glad she has recovered!

She is quite regal and has a wonderful smile.

I bet if you put foil around the edge of that cone it will greatly improve your radio reception big-grin

Karen

Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.

1999 to 2010

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

Norene, TN
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21 October 2014
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11 October 2016 - 2:35 pm
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She's beautiful!!!

Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.

"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."

- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey

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