Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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eurydice said
Hey everybody 🌺Here's update on Archa!
He had his scan results today and it's better than initially thought 😃
No mestastases anywhere and his tumour is located at the top of the femur but does not touch the hip as initially suspected.
I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed that it won't be Osteo 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Yay Archa! What a great start! We are all going to be 🙏 that it isn’t 💩💩💩💩Osteosarcoma!!! No tumours anywhere else! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
She is really moved by how people she does not know can root so much for her and her baby 💕
Tripawds is, indeed, the best place to be when one is faced with 💩💩💩💩 cancer
I have never felt so blessed to be in touch with such a fantastic and compassionate group of people! We all paws around the love to each other! I say thanks to Tripawd power too! 🤗
Cant wait for pictures and more pawsitive news!🙏❤️
Sloppy kisses from Stewie👅 🐕 🐾
& all the very best from his adoring pack,
Petra, Paul, & his 🐈 siblings, Mr. Spike, Chester Molester & Miss Lily 🐾🐾 🐾
http://stewie20.....pawds.com/
Remember...“live in the moment!“ 
Hi everybody 
Update on Flo and Archa.
FLO:
Flo had a really rough night and her Mom had to give her a maximum dose of Tramadol (3x day) plus anti inflammatory but even at that high dose it didn't seem to help a lot.
Her biopsy's results are back today
It all points to Osteosarcoma, they are doing a "specialised colour" test (don't know what that is) for final confirmation.
Flo's Mom is at Lyon's hospital meeting with her oncologist as I type this.
I'll update as soon as I have further news ...
ARCHA:
Me, Angel Eurydice, Pedro the penguin, Woody the woodpecker and Edouard (Scott the Great Dane's Dad) went to visit Cathy, Archa and her brother Iggy Pop yesterday.
Cathy feels terrible as everyone around her keep on crucifying her for even considering amputation but she is adamant to do everything in her power to help her boy have a happy, pain free life on three, bless her heart
I promised her if amputation is needed I'll do my best to stay with her for the first couple of days as Eurydice was almost as big as him (he's 83kg, Miss Cow was 77kg) so I should be able to cope with the initial struggles of helping him up and out for pee, etc.
At this point in time we do not have confirmation yet whether it is osteo 
or not.
I (not being a vet, of course) have hopes for it not being osteo because he showed no pain when I pressed and generally fiddled with his tumour.
It is far too large for it not being beyond belief painful when pressed upon.
He is on Tramadol and anti inflammatory, but Tramadol is kept at a minimum dose of 1 pill a day and he is comfortable with that.
Archa is an absolute darling and so is his brother Iggy Pop
Pictures to follow ....
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 :-)
Sorry I am not managing to publish multiple pictures on one page, so I'll have to do each individually ...
This is Archa's tumour, way up his femur ...
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 :-)
Archa's right back leg has always been weaker than the left one since he was about 9 months old and her Mom has done all sorts of therapy to help: acupuncture, massages, mesotherapy, you name it.
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 :-)
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 :-)
Meet Cathy, Archa and Iggy Pop
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 :-)
Archa and Edouard
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 :-)
Right.
This is me, Archa
I just want to say I am NOT scared!
My Mom is and she is having the roughest of times with humans making her feel guilty for the choices she may have to do for my sake, but I know auntie Teresa, uncle Edouard and all of you lovely people will be here to hold Mom's hand and my paw during my journey.
I don't know if I need to have my leg removed but truth is I am really not using it fully as is.
I've been practising my "tripawdness" 
for a while now and am SURE I will follow Angel Eurydice's steps and will ROCK'N ROLL 
with my brother Iggy Pop
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 :-)
See, Mom ????
Pedro and Woody are here to tell me Angel Eurydice has her paws all over me and will make sure I will know what to do
I will be OK, Mom, and will show you how fast I'll be hopping on three, if need be
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 :-)
eurydice said
Hi everybodyUpdate on Flo and Archa.
FLO:
Her biopsy's results are back today
It all points to Osteosarcoma, they are doing a "specialised colour" test (don't know what that is) for final confirmation.
Flo's Mom is at Lyon's hospital meeting with her oncologist as I type this.
Flo darling and Mum
I am hoping with al hope that your final test comes back as negative for that horrid 💩 disease!!! But if it’s definitely that 💩 disease, then we will all be here to support you and help you at least with the emotional difficulties of getting through this journey... it’s not an easy one, but the life learning curve is HUGE! Just remember that Like sweet Angel Eurydice, there is in firm time stamp on any of our lives, never mind those we love.
ARCHA:
Me, Angel Eurydice, Pedro the penguin, Woody the woodpecker and Edouard (Scott the Great Dane's Dad) went to visit Cathy, Archa and her brother Iggy Pop yesterday.
Cathy feels terrible as everyone around her keep on crucifying her for even considering amputation but she is adamant to do everything in her power to help her boy have a happy, pain free life on three, bless her heart
I promised her if amputation is needed I'll do my best to stay with her for the first couple of days as Eurydice was almost as big as him (he's 83kg, Miss Cow was 77kg) so I should be able to cope with the initial struggles of helping him up and out for pee, etc.
At this point in time we do not have confirmation yet whether it is osteo
I (not being a vet, of course) have hopes for it not being osteo because he showed no pain when I pressed and generally fiddled with his tumour.
Archa and darling Mum,
i am so very sorry that you aren’t getting the support you need from most of your friends, but they, like so many other people REALLY WOULDNT KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF PLACED IN THE SAME POSITION! There are many people out there that COULDN’T do what we have done... and it’s no fault on them, this is a exceptionally difficult choice to move forward with! If Paul and I hadn’t found Tripawds and all of their miracle stories, then we may not have gone ahead with amputation for our big boy either!
Youre a very beautiful boy Archa (and the size of that tumour! I’m so sorry for you boyo! and Iggy Pop, you look like a Rock Star!
And to both Mum’s...
Vets don’t always give us the optimal view of long life span for our Osteo survivors, they only go by their textbook statistics... but I’m sorry the reality of Osteo, is that life can be lived to the fullest If given the chance!!! Look at all these warriors that we read about here....!!! I’m truly hoping that Stewie gets to be one of those warriors, but if not, in the meantime, he will be living a life pain free of that crap poo disease and loving him to the absolute fullest!!!
Please give both Mum’s a huge hug from Stewie and I and tell them that we are thinking of them and truly hoping for the best outcome!
Sloppy kisses from Stewie👅 🐕 🐾
& all the very best from his adoring pack,
Petra, Paul, & his 🐈 siblings, Mr. Spike, Chester Molester & Miss Lily 🐾🐾 🐾
http://stewie20.....pawds.com/
Hi Petra
Thank you so very much for your kind words of encouragement, I'll pass them on to both Moms they do need all of our support whilst they are at the stage of painfully considering their babies' options and deciding which way to go ...
FLO:
Her oncologist discussed her situation at length with her Mom today.
Sadly, it is osteosarcoma and tumour touches the lower part of her hip after all so she was given 2 options.
1. Amputation including removal of a portion of the hip plus chemo.
2. Bisphosphonates treatment
This is a palliative treatment designed to try to prevent bone demineralisation (weakening or destruction of the bone).
It seems to be well tolerated but side effects may occur.
Oncologist explained this route does not guarantee a pathological fracture may not occur at which point amputation may or may not be possible.
Flo's Mom is considering what to do ...
Thank you for your pawsitive thoughts and energy for Archa and Flo
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 :-)
eurydice said
...Bisphosphonates treatment
It's great to hear vets are finally making this option more readily available!
Bisphosphonates: When Amputation isn’t an Option
(Zoledronate video interview and related reading)
Please keep us posted on the selected treatment plan and prognosis.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Teresa, I'm so happy you are able to provide Flo and Archa's families with wonderful, wise and positive support.
I'm sorry to hear that Flo has osteosarcoma. I'm sure they will make the best decision for Flo. My sister is on bisphosphonates
which have proven to support and hang on to the calcium in the bones. She keeps wondering why I compare her to dogs. 
It's the live in the moment attitude and similar medication. The comparative cancer research between humans and dogs is paying off.
I love the photo with Archa, Woody and Pedro!! Archa is massive. Beautifully massive! I wanted to let you know that Mona's fibrosarcoma did not hurt her when the vet and I pressed on it. The lump did make her limp. Please let Cathy know she has international support with whatever direction she needs to take to make Archa comfortable.
You are a good friend and auntie to Flo and Archa. Angel Eurydice will help guide.
Kerren, Eli and Tripawd Kitty Mona
Hi Kerren
Thank you so much for your kind words
Yes, it is amazing how much human and dog's cancer have in common ...
I will pass your hugs onto Cathy and her boy, you are a sweetie pie
... Eurydice says hi to you, Nancy and the kitties from above ...
(... and I think I just spotted a big smile in between the clouds ...)
ARCHA:
Archa's Mom had her results today.
It is chondrosarcoma, so, better than osteosarcoma!
As Archa had a CT scan done a few days ago and has no mets anywhere he probably has good possibilities of tackling this disease in the bud.
Cathy will be seeing her oncologist in the next couple of days for options.
I have zero knowledge on this type of cancer.
Went onto Mr Google and got to this:
- Chondrosarcoma is manageable, provided there are no mets
- Generally by removing the primary tumour chances of mets occurring are reduced dramatically
- There is no chemo which can be effective to treat this type of cancer
- Radiation therapy is not effective either as a treatment but may help the symptoms
So, I am again asking for your help!
Is the above information correct, according to your experience?
Can you provide any information regarding this type of cancer that could be useful to my friend?
It would be great if she could have your feedback before meeting the specialist at the end of the week ...
Thank you all so much for your advice, support and kind words
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 :-)
Hey Teresa, that is really great news for Archer!
This interview we did a few years ago may provide more information.
Canine Chondrosarcoma and Chemotherapy
And while this post is about Liam and his scapular chondrosaroma tumor, it does show that there IS life after a diagnosis of this cancer:
Liam Runs Again After Scapulectomy Surgery Recovery
LOVE all the adorable photos, thanks for sharing with us!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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