Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello Everyone- We received our diagnosis yesterday after a very emotional week (OSA) Maya is my 7yr old Bermese/ Retriever Mix. I rescued her as a Pup - she has been the joy of our life. She still acts like a puppy chasing - trying to catch the birds in the sky; the ducks in the lake. So when she started limping on her front paw we assumed her antics had cause a muscular/joint injury - I just increased her joint meds and watched her. After 5 days she could not bear weight on the leg and there was noticeable swelling. A trip to the vet and xrays identified destruction of the bone above the wrist - and some bone loss - her lungs are clear. So she had a Core Bone Marrow biopsy - looking for a possible bone infection or cancer. The test results showed no infection or cancer cells - so a negative - However, cancer is suspect so we have scheduled the amputation for Tuesday - To say I am terrified is an understatement - even after spending hours educating myself and reading all of your stories its so hard. But what keeps me motivated is Maya - giving up is not an option. I am just feeling incredibly overwhelmed. I shall let you know how it goes. Wish us luck! Best regards, Kristy
Hi Kristy, welcome to you and your beautiful Maya. Your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm sorry cancer has brought you here, but as you have seen by reading the stories, 'here' is the best place to be.
Don't feel bad for being terrified- this is a big deal...at least for us humans! Our pups usually have some down time then just get on with their lives. Keep looking at those beautiful eyes of Maya's and soon you will be wondering why you were so worried.
Most pups bounce back in 2 or 3 weeks, some sooner. Some like my pug Maggie take their time getting used to their new normal. Stay positive and be a good strong pack leader- show Maya everything is OK.
Good luck on Tuesday and keep us posted.
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
Hi Kristy - wow, Maya is beautiful! We all understand exactly how you are feeling! It's so scary. Murphy was also 7 when he was diagnosed...he also had an inconclusive biopsy. His final diagnosis ended up being histiocytic sarcoma which is highly aggressive and not commonly found in the bone, usually found in the organs. But it's been over 2 years since his surgery and he's still going strong!
The first 2 weeks are usually the hardest. They are on pain medications that can make them not quite themselves. And sometimes they just don't want to eat. We cooked some rice and poured chicken broth over it, then added some chunks of chicken to it for Murphy. If you have wood floors, you'll want to put some rugs down to help with traction . We live in a ranch-style house, so stairs weren't a problem, but we do have a step into the family room and 1 down to the front door where he likes to lay, so for a little while I put a couple of those little tap lights in those spots that I would click on when we went to bed so if he wandered around he could see the depth in those areas.
you definitely have come to the right place! Everyone here is amazing! Even if you just have a bad day and need to vent, feel free.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
MAYA!!! MAYA! I want to jump through the screen and smooch that adorable mug of yours!! What a beauty!!!
Yes, we all understand far to well the emotional roller coaster this journey puts us through. I felt l i ke I was stuck in a nightmare. I even cancelled the first scheduled surgery for my Happy Hannah! I can tell you, recovery was no picnic for almost three weeks!
And I can also tell you it was the best decision EVER!!! Her sparkle came back bigger and brighter than before! We had THE most gloriously happy time together!!! OMD!!! You think you spoil Maya now...just wait! Nothing like spoiling a tripawd!!
And remember, Maya isn't worried about a thing. Silly diagnosis doesn't mean squat tonher! She is her own dog and ready to get in with life WITHOUT that painful leg!!!
We are all here for you every step of the way! You are not alone!! We understand like no others can!!
Sending hugs and love!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Welcome Kristy and Maya, you have found the best place to be with your upcoming journey.
What a sweet, sweet face Maya has.......she is beautiful. We all definitely understand the uncertainty, the terror, the feelings of being overwhelmed, it is a completely normal response to this start of your "new normal". But you are educating yourself the best way possible, and there is so much here that can help you along the way, especially at the beginning when everything is so fresh and frightening. Sally and Donna also gave some great advice.
My own precious angel Lab Polly lost her leg to another type of ugly cancer, hemangiosarcoma, and I remember the fear all so well. But she beat her prognosis by more than double the time given, so please keep the fight going for Maya, never say never when is comes to hope in beating this crappy disease. Polly also did fantastic with her eventual amp surgery, after 2 unsuccessful surgeries to remove the cancer in her leg. She never missed a beat and was practically back to her normal routine the day she came home. (minus the playtime!) Every dog is different, and most do well, some may take a bit more time.......but by the time they reach the 2 week mark, they rebound back to their happy, energetic selves.
Please keep us all updated on her, and like Sally says, we are all here for you to help you along the way.
Best wishes,
Bonnie, Angel Polly, Pearl, and Zuzu
Hi Kristy,
You and Maya are in my prayers. I know how hard that decision is. We took my Moby in for amputation today and the surgeon threw us a curve ball. I had mentioned debulking and radiation, and she did some research and found a small study that showed good success. So now we are waiting for the ct scan results to determine what course we are going to take. I am actually praying that she thinks it is I think that will be the easiest for Moby. Dropped him off at 8am, and still waiting for results. I am going crazy! Anyway, although it is a hard decision, I think you'll find once you wrap your mind around it, it's the best solution. You'll find great support here 🙂
Beth
Welcome Kristy and Maya!! So sorry for the OSA dx. You have found a wonderful community here full of information and support as you've already seen. Maya is simply gorgeous and I'll be keeping her in my thoughts as she goes through her procedure. Get some rest if you can as the first few days of recovery can be pretty tiring (fur kids are pretty dependent on us at first).
Keep us posted on Maya's progress!
Sahana and her Angel Leland and Lucian too
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
Hi Kristy & Maya! Maya is gorgeous! What a sweet face.
So sorry to hear about the OSA diagnosis -- our Molly has the same. You are doing the right thing by engaging in this community... it helped me SO much during our pre- and post-amp over the past few weeks! And big kudos to you for doing what you think is best for your baby, even when it's hard for us as humans to swallow. Maya is lucky to have you!
Keep us posted on your progress and read lots of Tripawds blogs . Those stories helped me a ton. Here's ours: mollymoose.tripawds.com. I blogged every day for the first week and it was so cathartic to write everything out (and read everyone's encouragement!).
BIG HUGS,
Kirby & Molly
Hello Everyone - Sorry I haven't checked in sooner - First of all I must thank all of you for your encouragement. Maya did fabulous and is back to being the Diva Queen that she is - I believe this experience was harder on me than it ever was on her - mentally anyway - Yesterday was Maya's first day home and it was very surreal to see her now as this "Tripawd" beauty. She seems to be adapting well. We had some pain in the night but other than that she had a good first night. She has a good appetite - and drinks good. I am thankful that I am able to stay home with her thru this since I work remotely out of my home. I feel extremely blessed to be able to be here 24/7. It is so difficult not to baby her - outwardly I am this strong pack leader - but inside I want to hold her - and let her be. Its a day to day thing - I know it will be good and bad - I am just so thankful that I found this site - Today I am ordering her Tripawd harness so that it is available when she gets her stitches out. I have realized that it is all "trial and error" - keeping her routine as normal as possible seems to be the best way to go. I shall keep you all in the loop as we move forward - Best regards, Kristy and Maya
Good morning Kristy and sweet Maya,
So very happy to read your update on your girl, it sounds like everything is going really great, and very normal. The best thing is she is eating, drinking, and acting like not much has changed, very much like my own Polly was. You are doing a great job with her, just keep her comfortable with meds for the next week. She may have a few ups and downs, but nothing you can't manage for her. I was actually a little guilty of babying Polly though, just a few times in the first few days, I just needed it for me mostly. But I did stay upbeat, and tell her how proud I was of her, and what a brave girl she was while hugging her tight. This is definitely hard on us too.
I agree that keeping her routine the same is the best thing to do......they still expect normalcy, even if things are a bit different. You sound like a very strong pack leader, so I know everything will go extremely well with Maya's recovery.
Please do continue to keep us all updated on her progress, and I know it is a huge relief for you to have this part over with, and that you can spend the time at home with her for her recovery.
Keeping you and her in my thoughts,
Bonnie, Angel Polly, Pearl, and Zuzu
So great to hear she is doing well! And it IS a blessing that you are able to stay home with her 24/7. We were lucky to have a nurse in the family who was home 24/7 to take care of Mac and I count my blessings every day for that!
The first week is definitely a little rough so your optimistic attitude is extremely reassuring and is really great for Maya, too! She sure is adorable, by the way!
As Sally says, there is no spoiling like Tripawd spoiling!!
Try to relax and breathe easy now - the toughest part is over. Now let the recovery begin. You will be so amazed within a week at Maya's progress! They are truly incredible animals.
We ordered the super heavy duty harness because we have stairs that Mac has to go up daily, and it was/will be very helpful in the future. At this juncture, he actually won't let us use it to help him! So don't be surprised if Maya doesn't want the help, either.
Mac is a front amp too and it is definitely a little tougher for them to readjust and find their balance, but don't worry, she will get there. We are taking Mac to PT now, which I think is very beneficial if you are able to find someone nearby/can afford to do it. If not, maybe your vet can provide you a printout of good exercises to help strengthen her remaining front leg and her core. You would be AMAZED at the things Mac can do on his back legs now after PT and strength training - and he's 11.5!
There certainly are ups and downs in this journey, as well. So don't be alarmed if you start to see a drop in Maya's recovery, and then another 'up.' All dogs recovery differently, but the pain medication can be a real doozy on their recovery until they have been tapered off the heavy duty ones. YOU ARE DOING GREAT!!!
We'd love to see some more pictures of your beautiful girl! Keep us in the loop 🙂
Hugs,
Jamie and Mac
We adopted Mac in June 2014 from the GRCGLAR and he is our little baby boy, despite the fact that he is 11.5! Almost a year of bliss turned into complete devastation when he started limping on his front right leg and it was discovered on April 16, 2015 that he has bone cancer - specifically Osteosarcoma. We were luckily directed to Tripawds by our oncologist, Dr. Avenelle Turner, which changed our lives and guided us through the amputation process.
Read more about Mac's incredible story on his blog: http://teammac.tripawds.com/
So happy for you that Maya's amp went well, and she is home where she belongs. Praying for an easy adjustment and speedy recovery.
Kristy and Maya, thanks for letting us know things are going well!
The fact that you are conscious of knowing you shouldn't baby her too much is huge. As long as you keep that in mind and do your best to 'normalize' her life so she can recover without worrying about why Momma is so upset, she will get through this just fine. Dogs just want their pack to be the same. When we do things like baby them, it really messes with their head.
I'm often in the chat throughout the day so stop by any time (uh, except for today between 11 and 2 mtn time!). Glad you can be home with her, it's such a good spot to be in. Keep us posted OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Great support from everyone as always.......special hugs to you Beth, big special hug! For you to post words of encouragement right now...yiu are a very, very special soul.
For Maya ro be eating and drinking...yeah...that's ahead of the curve! How about poop? We love to celebrate first poop around here!
Yeah, trying to do "normal" behavior is good. But at my home, "normal" consists of SPOILING non-stop and just laughing with my pups and enjoying every single second of letting them be their adorable doggy selfs!! Yeah, I babied Happy Hannah waaaaay too much and....shhhhh.....just between the twonof us....I .don't regret on second of it! At first she would not drink water! I tried trick after trick. Finally I put a scoop of ice cream in her water and got her to drink that way. She considered ice cream a nutritional supplement! Anyway, after a two weeks or more weeks of this, I finally stopped putting ice cream in her water...tough love!!! I felt horrible about it too! Finally, after several hojrs she got up and drank some water!! So that was my one experience with tough love!
Can't wait to see pictures of sweet Maya! She just looks so darn smoochable!
Sending love!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Hello Everyone - I apologize for not posting sooner - it has been a rough one - the slump arrived with a vengeance! Sunday was the worst - Maya had issues with upset stomach - restlessness and basic lethargy. Not just herself. She has went the bathroom several times - is well hydrated - no fever - the meds just wipe her out - We did get the final results of her biopsy it has been confirmed that it is Osteosarcoma - I expected it - Chemo is scheduled for next week. And the weird thing is I feel so calm and determined? I think all of the reading and research I did prepared me for this. The Vet has lowered her meds because she is starting to get a bit constipated and I noticed this am that she is getting a bit of her spark back - the appetite and all still needs work - but she drinks as much as she wants - today is day 8!! Saturday she will get her staples removed - If you had asked me Sunday if I had regrets about this decision I probably would have said yes - but that would have been the sleep deprivation talking. Looking at her today and seeing this slight improvement - Makes me realize that I am without regret - wherever this journey takes up it is well worth it. I will keep you all in the loop - without you all I would be lost - Al the best Kristy and Maya
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