Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Tungsten's visit to the vet today was good...we did xrays and there are no skeletal issues noted. Lung xrays back with the same two small (pea sized) nodules in the same place they were before, they have not grown...good news there. The doc said that the way he is curling his toes when trying to stand may be indicative of a pinched nerve making it difficult for his brain to send the message to the leg to make it move. They put him on prednisone so hopefully that will alleviate the issue and he can get back to moving on his own...until then we have to carry him outside...he just cant stand to pee or poop. Keeping our eye on him 24/7.
Cheers,
Barb and Tungsten
Tungsten Blue, diagnosed with osteosarcoma August 2016, rear leg removed 28 October 2016, left us on 12/13/16, he will be greatly missed.
I am praying all is well withTungsten. I know you are worried. Keep us posted. Hugs. Deb and Angel Bandit
Oh Tungsten! This is a crazy journey full of ups a dd dow sJones! Usuae the "dow s" don't last very lo g though, so hang in there!!
Pinched nerves happen a lot around here. So in a bizarre Tripawd Community way, thats good news! It's treatable!!
Glad that the lung xrays are staying stavle...really good news!
We're cheering for you Tungsten!!
Lots of hugs!
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!
Thanks everybody for the healing prayers. Tungsten is still on bed rest. Still cant walk/stand. Wetting his bed so we have put towels down for easier washing. Eating well as long as I sit with him and hand feed him (I think he has trouble lying down and eating out of his bowl). Drinking well. Still on prednisone and tramadol. Still curling up his toes when we try to stand him up to go outside. He is getting ice pack on his back and light massaging. Hoping to see an improvement today.
Cheers,
Barb and Tungsten
Tungsten Blue, diagnosed with osteosarcoma August 2016, rear leg removed 28 October 2016, left us on 12/13/16, he will be greatly missed.
Praying for some improvement soon! Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers daily Barb and Tungsten Blue. Hugs!
Thanks everybody. The biggest change in Tungsten that I noticed today is that his eyes are brighter and he is more alert. He has the desire to get up and even tries but still is not able to get his leg under him to stand. I did run my finger from his hock to foot and got a response.....so I know he has some feeling there. The biggest issue is that since he is on the prednisone it makes them pee more often...he has not crying or anything to let me know he needs to go out so we have some messes on his bed....at least it is washable so nothing more than an annoyance. Maybe there will be some more improvement tomorrow.
Cheers
Barb and Tungsten
Tungsten Blue, diagnosed with osteosarcoma August 2016, rear leg removed 28 October 2016, left us on 12/13/16, he will be greatly missed.
Thinking of you guys and hoping for improvement. Come on Tungsten!
I had pretty constant pee issues with the pug girls. I took a couple old bath towels, folded them in half and sewed the seams on the sides to form a pocket. I put a puppy pad inside the towel pocket. The towel kept the puppy pad in place and it was more comfortable for the pugs to lay on.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Progress is good! We will keep praying. I like the idea of making a pocket for the pee pad. I bet that was a great solution. Deb and Angel Bandit are rooting for you!!!
Hopefully the brightness in his eyes is signaling an overall improvement!
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.
As of this evening Tungsten is still paralyzed...just drags his back leg if I let him move about. We have been carrying him outside to do business, but otherwise he just lays on his bed...does not move. It is a real chore for him to poop, and he just pees on the pee pad we have lining his bed. I was really hoping the predinsone would have made some difference by now. Maybe by tomorrow
Cheers,
Barb and Tungsten
Tungsten Blue, diagnosed with osteosarcoma August 2016, rear leg removed 28 October 2016, left us on 12/13/16, he will be greatly missed.
Barb, you continue to stay strong, okay? We are right here with you TRYING to be patient too! These "types" of things can take their own sweet time in healing.
Something came to mind that Cooper's Mom posted about his Vet saying he had a stroke like event when he lost use of his back legs. She did some research and found FCE. Anyway, it's something to asknyiur Vet zbout.
Do you feel like a ssecond opinion is an option? Did the Vet mention a "Plan B"?
Glad you are seeing .ore sparkle in his eyes and glad he's not in pain.
Thanknyoh for keeping us updated...even if there isn't any big breakthrough...YET!!
Sending hugs!
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!
How's Tungsten doing today?
Keep us posted, your in our thoughts
xxx
Karis and Zuki with Wings
Zuki Wuggafer 30/09/06 - 11/11/16. Right hind tripawd due to Osteosarcoma. He had a strong 5 and half months as a tripawd but unfortunately a secondary issue with his spine ended our battle. He loved life, loved our family and was the best dog I could ever ask for. Truly my first love, forever in my thoughts and heart.
Read our story: http://zuki.tripawds.com/
Is FCE what Pofi had? This sounds similar.
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.
Still paralyzed this morning. It is heartbreaking to see him drag his leg around. For the most part he just lays around. I read about FCE and it sounds alot like what we are dealing with, just from what I could get out of the articles. If there was a "stroke" at the spinal cord that section of it will essentially be dead and it could take a week to 10 days to see any beginnings of recovery.
Cheers,
Barb and Tungsten
Tungsten Blue, diagnosed with osteosarcoma August 2016, rear leg removed 28 October 2016, left us on 12/13/16, he will be greatly missed.
Hello:
Have been a little hesitant to speak up on Pofi's experience because we lost him in the course of dealing with the back leg weakness and I don't want to sound negative.
Some things of note - yes, we did really hope when after 5 plus months post amp he suddenly had back let weakness that it was due to FCE or a disc/nerve issue as a dog can frequently recover from those either with no intervention or little intervention. In the end, for Pofi, it was unfortunately what the surgeon first felt was the least likely possibility, his STS was back and in the spine. Editing to add this - with FCE it is usually, per our surgeon and neurologist, the worst it will be within 24 to 48 hours. You don't usually see continued decline. But there is a very active and supportive FCE Facebook group that can give you great support and info from an owner's perspective on FCE and on disc /nerve injuries, too. You might want to join it.
I'm going to stop here - I am not a vet and I don't want to be negative. What happened with Pofi is not at all necessarily what is causing Tungsten Blue's paralysis - it surely can be nerve/disc and rest is definitely in order to see if it begins to resolve. I should post elsewhere to describe those few weeks for reference and if Barb thinks she wants to read it, she can, but not here, I think. I'll do that later.
I'll end by sending my very, very best wishes for Tungsten Blue and his loving family.
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.
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