I am so happy Butch is doing better. Titan has hit a couple of speedbumps but I know he will be ok. Just give him space if he needs it. I have really been working on not rushing to Titans side everytime I hear him. He is staying at the vets tonight he had a seroma that burst but I think thats why he has wanted to be left alone. When that burst he was wagging his tail, getting up and ready to go. It was like a release so now I know he was telling me he didn't feell good. I know it's hard to be patient but we have to be.

Heidi

Annie, Butch and Family

Hang in there

Heidi and Titan

I've been in Sydney with a crashed computer so I haven't been able to get my daily fix of Tripawds.com.  Nice to be back. Butch had his stitches out on Friday and the long awaited pathology came back and confirmed osteosarcoma so whilst he was there he had his first chemo.  They say he should have 3 doses 3 weeks apart, on friday he had 522mg Carboplatin.  His bloodtest showed, Neutrophils 7 and platelts 200 supposedly quite good (?) I read the comments from the lab though regarding the tests on the amputated leg and they said "The microscopic presentation of osteosarcoma in this patient falls towards the more alarming end of the spectrum encountered in this tumor type"

I find it alarming that a lab uses the term 'alarming'. The oncologist told us to expect 12 months and if he survives that then more chemo.  He's off all meds and doesn't actually seem in pain.

But he's moping again though eating quite well, possibly because we only hand feed him freshly cooked chicken or beef and the odd favourite biscuit..

We take him for a drive most days and let him walk around a little at some of his fave spots, it didn't cheer him up today at all.  He found a tree with a branch hanging low and dug himself in underneath it and lay down, hiding again.  He still does this in the garden, digs a little a lies down half under a hedge.  A doctor explained to me on the weekend that anaesthetic interferes with the seratonin in your body (the happy hormone) well Butch had 5 in 5 weeks whilst being (mis) diagnosed so his moping is probably well justified.

I've e-mailed some photos directly to you Jerry I hope you don't mind I'm just a technodope, let me know if you get them.

Annie and Butch 

I think once Butch gets everything out of his system he will slowly get better. He may not be use to getting tired so soon and hiding is his way to rest by himselfas Jerry said not show weakness. I have noticed Titan has been better since we took him off that 1 med. But he still walks with his tail between his legs (he never did that on 4) I think once he gets his strength up he will forget all about it. I think the same with Butch. Don't get discouraged Titan has been recovering for almost 2 weeks. Did you ever buy that book Without Regret? I think that would help. It's about a mastiff with rear leg amputation. Hang in there!

Heidi and Titan

What an absolutely lovable face!!  He just makes you want to hug him.

Thank you all for your encouragement and thank you Jerry for finally helping me get some photos across, can my anonymous 'contributor' icon now get a face?  (yes I haven't a clue how do that either would love your help)

I read a little bit more everytime I surf around the Tripawds.com pages and I have come across some interesting cancer diet links.  I've found we've been feeding Butch fairly well an anti cancer diet since he was 7 weeks old, my own boiled (boned) chicken, lean meat, tuna and fish oil, eggs and the Hills dry food (ours was the fish oil/glucosamine variety they recommend the tinned n/d) He has never had commercial pet food, he has never slept outside nor on hard floor, he actually slept in our bed until he was 5 months old. I don't know if there's anything we could have done to have prevented Butch having cancer given what I've read and how he's lived for the past 3 years.  We're not blaming ourselves as much as we're wondering what we could have done differently to avoid finding ourselves where we are now, is it genetic? should we have used an organic flea treatment rather than Frontline..?  I'm probably also taken aback by the amount of cancer afflicting dogs, I lost a Rottweiler to osteosarcoma in 1990 he was 9 years old and whilst I was devastated I didn't realise I wasn't alone and that I had choices like amputation. I thought his cancer was a freak occurence because I hadn't heard of any other.  Isn't the level of cancer in dogs alarming? I hear statistics like 50% of all Rotties die of cancer..  If that was a human statistic it would certainly get some attention, is the cancer occurence increasing or just the information we're abel to access through sites like Tripawds?

Annie and Butchus Beautifulus (he had another moping day today maybe tomorrow will be a bit brighter)

Hang on in there Butch - good to hear you're getting your appetite back.  As everyone else has said - patience is the key - he's had a major op and it will take time - 2 weeks is nothing - he'll get there, slowly but surely.  It's so much easier to give advice I know - when you're out through the other side, but you'll be there soon and Butch will amaze you with how well he adjusts.

My recovery really started to speed up when the staples came out - about 16 days post op.

Best wishes,

Max