Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello group! It's been a while since I posted so
there's a fair bit to say. The main point is that Darcy Deerhound celebrated 33
months (yes, thirty three months) post amp for osteo on 16th September
🙂
Apparently there can be three problems with Deerhounds. Osteo,
Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Bloat. Well, you have to move around a
fair amount for bloat so we can pretty much rule that one out (LOL) and she's
seen off the beast of Osteo (eyes, legs & fingers crossed), but Darcy did
manage to get herself diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy on 25th August this
year. On the day of diagnosis at the emergency referral we'd gone to, she was so
unstable that they wouldn't allow us to take her home. When she did come home
the following day, the outlook certainly wasn't bright (to say the least). She'd
been started on two drugs and she had to go back on Monday 13th Sept for a 24
hour heart monitor test. Before the test she was rescanned and the fabulous news
was that her heart has shrunk a significant amount and that the pumping action
was improved (yayyyyy). And then today we got the results of the 24 hour heart
test and it showed that the drugs have also worked to rectify the runs of
irregular beats she was suffering - which put her in a high risk group for
sudden collapse and erm...you know. So in the words of the cardiologist - "it's
all good news" and for today at least, the miracle continues xxx
[Image Can Not Be Found]
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
Oh wow. Thirty-three months! Oh my.
LOVE the picture. Classic pose.
Good news on any day, even if it's just for a day, is always worth celebrating. Happy the drugs for the heart; hope they continue to.
Thank you for this truly inspiring update!
Catie -
Birthday – November 4 2003
Amputation – January 13 2010
Crossed the Bridge – June 2 2011
That is terrific news! We'll have to have extra treats and ice cream to celebrate. Also, isn't it 35 months???
Paws up!
Cathy/Jane/Spirit Skyler/Chloe
wow, wonderful!!! congrats and hopefully you have the other challenge 'under control'. ice cream and cheese for everybody. love that picture, what a great way to take a nap!!!
gayle & charon
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
Golden Girls said:
That is terrific news! We'll have to have extra treats and ice cream to celebrate. Also, isn't it 35 months???
Paws up!
Cathy/Jane/Spirit Skyler/Chloe
Yes!! it's 35 months!!! I think I had a bit of a typo followed by a brain fart LOL
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
Thirty-five months is just too awesome! I feel forturnate to be at 22, so you are an inspiration for us! Sorry about the new development, but sounds like it is under control. That is fantastic.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
I have often wondered how Darcy was doing. Did your vet start her on Vetmedin? That has helped dogs with DCM feel a lot better and survive longer than digoxin alone. I'm glad that she is such a survivor!
Pam
Yes, she's on Vetmedin and also Enacard 
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
Wooooo hooooo!!!!! Congratulations Darcy, you are the current Tripawds member record holder for living with osteosarcoma!
Bev, what do you think is contributing to her longevity? We are THRILLED!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
You know - I don't think there is anything I can say which has contributed to how well Darcy has done, other than pure luck. I wish I could say it was a food we fed her or a supplement we added to her diet but in all honesty, although we did feed her reasonably carefully during the early days, she soon went back to eating standard food and I've not used any supplements. It would be easier if there was A THING we had done or a path we had followed because then we could share and hopefully others would get as good an outcome but - I really do think it's down to the luck of the draw. And that's the really crappy thing isn't it, when a person is faced with the decision about whether to amputate and do chemo or whether to just offer palliative care right from the start. Some of the dogs who you think may do well, don't - and others get lucky.
The figures in the UK show that in 98% of cases, dogs with osteo will already have some sort of spread BEFORE you even know your dog has the disease. But I always maintained that this still leaves 2% who do not have any spread by the time they are diagnosed. And I know we are lucky (and thankful) that Darcy managed to plonk herself in that very tiny 2% bracket.
When she met the cardiologist re her heart for the first time, a few weeks ago, the cardiologist thought that "someone had got their figures wrong" when she read about Darcys osteo survival. She said she's never come across another like her. I personally do know of others like her, although of course there are not as many of them as any of us would like.
Oh I'm rambling on now 
but - when we found out about her dilated cardiomyopathy - although we were very upset, we tried to look at it like this.....
If Darcy had seen another vet (other than our own) on 16th October 2007, she may not have been given a chance to even have an amputation and chemo because many vets just say "oh they don't survive" or "oh these dogs are too big" or some other such thing. But she was given the chance, we took it and she's here 35 months (and 8 days 
) on. Had she not been given the chance, we'd have lost her when she was five and a half. But we didn't
I'm not sure if that made any sense what-so-ever LOL but I know what I mean 
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
I think you are correct in saying it is simply the luck of the draw. That is what I believe about Trouble. Yes, I feed her well, but I had to do that before because of her allergies. I give her supplements, but most are related to her mobility, not cancer prevention. Dr F recenlty attended a seminar on osteosarcoma. Trouble has beat every statistic at this point. He is as much in awe as we are. I'm so happy for you guys.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
I'd have to agree Bev, is sucks but we just never know who will beat the odds. When they do...WOW!!!!
Darcy is a miracle on three paws, we are just so hoppy for her. Like Trouble, will always hold her up as a shining example of what is pawsible after a diagnosis.
Shanna, do you think Dr. F. would be willing to do a live chat to talk about what he learned at the conference?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
33 MONTHS! (as in almost 3 years – no typo, right?)
That's doggone fabulous!
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.
Guess what?! (I'm a bit over excited LOL) Darcy has just played (on her bed) with a toy 
She's not shown ANY interest in toys for months and months and months but tonight when I gave her two new ones, she had a little play 
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And I swear, in this picture, she really was laughing with me (I was laughing as I was taking the pic and she looked so pleased with herself!)
[Image Can Not Be Found]
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
cometdog said:
33 MONTHS! (as in almost 3 years – no typo, right?)
That's doggone fabulous!
Well it was a typo because I meant 35 months (as in even closer to 3 years) 
And a party is planned for 16th October 2009 (as we had in 2007 and then in 2008)
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
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