Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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Yahoo! So glad you're home where you can play carefully with your kitten! You've been through a lot, Dozer, so please take it easy for awhile. Practice some heavy-duty tail thumping till your doc gives you the okay to do more.
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
Hooray for being home again. Hope you all get some good rest over the weekend. You've all earned it.
Jackie
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
So glad he is home and out of pain! Let's hope for better days ahead!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
I am so sorry about your situation but I am so happy that you went to CSU. I just wanted to say that we did the SRT with our dog K in late December for osa tumors on her distal ulna and radius. She has no limp and no pain (as far as we can tell). We're letting her run and jump and play as much as she wants to, and for her, that's a lot! She's had no problems with that leg at all despite doing far more exercise than most dogs.
Alas, they found lung mets prior to her fourth carboplatin treatment a few weeks ago so we are now trying Plan B. I hope with all my heart that you can keep lung mets at bay for a long long time!
I wish that I'd read your post before you went because I live near there and might have been able to help you. If you come back to CSU again, feel free to contact me. I live about 1.5 hours from CSU but I go there regularly with my K.
K, an 8 year old chocolate lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the radius and ulna on 12/23/11. She had stereotactic radiation to kill the bone tumors, and 3 rounds of carboplatin. On 3/16/12, lung mets were found. We tried several different kinds of chemotherapy to slow the lung mets but none worked. Finally, mets appeared at other sites, including her spine. She earned her angel wings on July 15, 2012. K changed my life, and I'll never forget her. Our/my journey is chronicled at romp-roll-rockies.blogspot.com.
I am really happy to hear that Dozer is doing Ok now. Sounds like you had some rough times but I know being home now will help. Praying that Dozer continues to do well. Hoping that all of you have a happy and restful Easter weekend.
Bless everyone and happy easter as well. I had to go to work today to take care of sick humans and had to leave dozer home with my husband- shaun. When I got home there was a very happy dog in the front yard. He apparently had shaun out there most of the day. But he was able to get Dozer down the stairs and outside with minimal assist. This evening he got up and made three strides across the living room without wobbling and later we did the tripawd sprint to the yard for a potty trip. Now, I'm trying to convince him it's time for bed. He keeps rolling on his back and making it impossible to move him. Saint stubbornness, gotta love it.
I had to correct a couple of people today when they asked me how my vacation was. Lord knows it was no easy trip and I'm not talking about the drive of 1200 miles. But I would do it all over again to get the results we have now. I have had to decrease his meds cause he was almost over sedated.
Kbear you have your hands full, thank you for the offer. We were in good hands. I hope everything turns around for your K. We are concerned about the mets, esp. in light of his atypical presentation in the proximal radius and ulna. Just got to take it one step at a time.
We aren't out of the woods but we have made progress.
What a wonderful sight it must have been to see him enjoying the front yard! All those moments are such relief after surgery. Yes, I love the stubborness! It shows that Dozer is still Dozer in spite of meds and surgery! Yay!
Best of luck - hope it's all good news from here on out.
Hugs and Slobbers
Judy and Baby
I'm back to DAMN!!!DAMN!!!!!!!!DAMN!!!!!!!!!
we thought we were doing so good and most signs pointed to that. we have had issues with nighttime comfort. restlessness and heavy breathing to light panting. but with adjustments of anti-imflammatories and room temperature this seemed to improve. we even had a wonderful trip to the beach.
the day after we got home Dozer was scheduled for his 3rd chemo round and survellience xrays. His labs were good, weight only lost 2 pounds........Chest xray FULL of mets. So bad they did not do his chemo. Told us to take him home and make him happy.
Well, now I know why he has been panting, I can no longer chalk it up to being hot. His chest xray/mri were clear 2 months ago. I feel so cheated and robbed. We had a decent prognosis. I am so dumfounded right now. I rationally know what I need to do for him; but still wonder if he would benefit from of the other therapies.
I think you need to ask yourself the hard and serious question about additional therapies: "Is this for my benefit or for Dozer's benefit?"
We get so wrapped up in saving our beloved friends, and everyone is cheering you on and hoping for the best, that sometimes we just have to stop and turn it all off and look into his eyes. Remember dogs are "in the moment", that is what we love about them. How many outstanding, excellent, or even good moments are you going to gain for Dozer at the price of how many uncomfortable, bad or even miserable moments?
Don't feel cheated and robbed. Feel blessed you've had him as long as you have.
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
My heart breaks for you. Sending prayers your way. DAMN, no matter how many times you say DAMN it can't take away the pain. I am so sorry.
Wow! I am new here since your journey began and just read through all you have been through. Now this. Love your Dozer for me and rub his belly an extra time for me today. You have definitely been through the ringer. We are thinking and praying for you, Dozer and your family and wishing lots of happy time together.
All the Best,
Suzie and Rizzo
Jack Russell born in 2001. Mast cell cancer found Dec 2009 and right rear amputation. Five rounds of chemo done before all treatment stopped. Living life to the fullest!! Read my story at http://rizzo.tripawds.com
I'm so sorry to read this. DAMN is right. It sucks how the mets can come on so quickly.
I know exactly how hard this stage of things is. Try to focus on the good times and try to get everything on his Bucket List done. Take lots of pics - make sure you are in them too!! There will be plenty of time for being sad and feeling cheated and grieving later, so try to enjoy this time. (I know that is much easier said than done,)
Hang in there. We are here for you and sending out pawsitive thoughts that you still have a lot of good times left.
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
I really love my tripawd family. thanks. the only reason I would do any additional treatment now is if it were for comfort and not curative. my nurse's brain is still working, but it's hard. our oncology vet here in kentucky gave him 2 months. after the last few days I don't think it will be that long.
one of his favorite places is sprawled across the couch and ottoman. i helped him up and he was resting so well i just curled up with him. that was the best sleep either of us had gotten in several days.
I know he will tell me when he is ready. I have always said he was 1/2 a vocal cord away from speaking acutal words, he does a good job now with his other vocalizations.
Yes, it's very hard. Especially the intial shock of the terminal diagnosis. But this is the sweetest time you will have with Dozer. Sad but very special.
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
Oh wow, I just caught up with what's going on with Dozer, and am so darn sorry. I hate the way cancer just ignores the rules sometimes and does what it wants to.
This is such a difficult place to be in. We all want to do everything we can to help our loved ones live longer, healthier, happier lives, even when all signs point out that this isn't possible any longer. At some point you have to ask yourself, is the time you'll spend experimenting with new treatments worth the effort and time it takes away from your pack?
When we reached this point in our journey, it was heartbreaking and comforting at the same time. It hurt like hell to know that we were close to the inevitable end, but it was also a relief knowing we could toss out the pills and just live life like we used to once again, obliviously living for the moment at hand. If you think you can be comfortable living like this, it really is a beautiful way to spend this part of your journey.
I don't know if this helps or if I've clearly explained what I'm trying to say, but I do want you to know that we are here for you, and totally get what you're going through. {{{{hugs}}}}}
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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