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Maddie's tripawd story... so far!
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Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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17 November 2020 - 7:29 pm
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So glad Stacy chimed in as she always has good feedback....a  lot of times from first hand knowledge!  Let is know if the Velveeta works.

The pictures are so sweet.  And to see Maddie wagging her tail from a Happy dream....I love that!!  I bet you were jn her dream and that's  what made her wag😊

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!

On The Road


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18 November 2020 - 12:23 pm
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What adorable photos! Her tail THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! says it all...."I'm just taking a little break to heal, people, and when I'm done I'm going to show cancer that nothing can stop me!"

The rollercoaster of emotions you are going through is something we totally get. And yeah, those days and random health oddities remind us how much cancer sucks! It really changes everything. But as you can see with Maggie, it hasn't changed the essence of who she is and how she looks at life. Adaptable indeed! She's not one to let anything get in her way of living life on her terms. You are doing a great job following her example!

Paws crossed that those lumps behave themselves and she's feeling better soon. Keep us posted.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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20 November 2020 - 11:12 pm
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And, try Velveeta for pills.  Griffin used to love Pill Pockets but he figured them out, just like Maddie did, and for a few weeks I was pushing pills down his throat until I tried Velveeta.  I make sure to give Griffin a few "blank" Velveeta squares before and after the ones with the meds so that he eats them quickly and doesn't stop to figure out what is in the other ones! ~ Stacy
  

Velveeta — what a great idea! I’ll have to get some and give that a try. Will report back after allowing Maddie extensive “blank” testing opportunities. 😀

Maddie bounced right back to the happy, playful pup we have been seeing. Those first couple days after chemo are hard for her, but otherwise she just seems to feel so good. Such a striking contrast to how she was moving pre-amputation.

Because Maddie’s counts were a bit low the last couple weeks, they wanted to do a blood draw today, one week post chemo. Glad to report things looks good today and they don’t need to see her again for two weeks until her next scheduled chemo. They will also be doing another set of xrays as part of this visit. Nerve-wracking to think about, but happy we have the next two weeks to just enjoy stuff, including the holiday weekend safe at home.

We are thinking about trying a short visit to the beach tomorrow if she seems up for it. 🥶 

Virginia







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21 November 2020 - 9:20 am
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Glad to hewr Maddie is being Maddie again👏👏You have a gest Vet team.

Yes, a beach trip would be therapeutic  for all!  And we MUST see poctures  and videos!!  Hewwt way to celebrate  a great sogfu!

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!

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22 November 2020 - 5:24 pm
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Jeremy, Maddie, and I made it to the beach yesterday. We have had rain most days the last couple weeks, but thankfully yesterday stayed dry and sunny before the rain came back again today. Yesterday was a perfect late fall/early winter day to go to the beach. It wasn't even too windy so we didn't get too cold.

It is a short trek from the parking lot to the beach (probably between 0.1-0.2 miles each way), so we went assuming that the journey to and from the car alone would likely make Maddie a bit tired and that we shouldn't go too far on the beach since we would have to get her back to the car. Add to this that walking on sand is more work than concrete AND the mental stimulation from all the new smells, etc. We barely walked up the beach at all and mostly just let Maddie wander and sniff.

Although we were not there very long and did not go very far, Maddie got to have a bit of an adventure and seemed very happy to be there and out. (It was also nice to take her on a car ride that didn't end up at the vet...). She was tired but pleased, and seemed perfectly comfortable with her new tripawd beachbawd. 

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Here is a video of her hopping up the beach: https://i.imgur.....ySZA6i.mp4

She thought for a second about trying to get the seagull, but that would require getting more than her toes wet so she quickly gave up on that.

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Video of her second-guessing (and then sticking with) her seagull decision: https://i.imgur.....H02mMG.mp4

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Hope you enjoy the videos and photos. 🙂

Thank you for this community -- I am thankful for it. 

Livermore, CA




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22 November 2020 - 7:36 pm
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It's nice to see how well Maddie is doing- and the beach trip looks awesome!

My first TriPug Maggie could be a real terror when trying to get meds into her, she tended to chew anything I gave her so she would find the pill. My other Pugs usually would swallow without chewing as any self respecting Pug would do smiley4.  Once she found a pill in any food she wouldn't eat that food again for weeks!   She took lots of meds while doing her chemo for mast cell cancer so I had to find a way to fool her into swallowing without chewing.

Like Stacy I found the blank method was useful as well as making what I call the 'cheesy plate'.  I don't like velveeta so I use cheddar cheese that I always have around.

A couple years ago my current Tripawd Elly had a very invasive dental surgery and she was on pain meds for awhile so I took the opportunity to make a video showing some of my pilling methods.

Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls

Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.

1999 to 2010

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

New York, NY
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22 November 2020 - 8:06 pm
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Hi Jessica!  Maddie looks so very happy on the beach.  I'm glad the weather held out for her adventures!  Good luck with finding a method of administering meds that works for Maddie and keep us posted when you figure it out.  ~ Stacy

Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com

Virginia







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23 November 2020 - 8:33 am
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Thanks so much for sharing this glorious beach day with us!!  Had me smiling the whole time!😁   And it clearly had maddie smiling the whole time too!  Made my day!

Love your mask😎

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!

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4 December 2020 - 11:46 am
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Thank you so much for the cheesy plate tip! I tried it the other day and got some a couple pills down no problem. The tweezer tip was a good one, too -- I hadn't through about the fact that trace amounts of the pills on my fingers might be more than her sensitive nose will take. I still need to get my technique down, but will definitely be utilizing it again.

The last couple weeks have been lovely. We had two weeks between her blood draw and next chemo (today). It was nice to take a bit of break from constantly thinking about cancer, chemo, treatment, blood counts, etc. Things just got to be normal for a bit, and it was nicely timed with the Thanksgiving holiday here in the states. Maddie has been pretty playful and is moving great. There is pretty much nothing she isn't doing that she did before -- she is just slower and gets tired more quickly.

The week of Thanksgiving was our eight weeks post amputation and nine weeks from the oncologist's confirmation of osteo diagnosis by our vet. They told us that osteo is so fast that if we did nothing she might have about two months to live. We have passed that! It is a milestone I noticed come and go with so much relief because my dog seems so good and is so pain-free. 

And today is chemo round three. Maddie is there now and things are looking good. They did xrays today and the oncologist still isn't seeing obvious nodules. The radiologist still has to review, but I'm still taking it as a good sign!

To try and combat Maddie's symptoms after chemo/sedation, they are going to include an anti-nausea medication with her chemo, so hopefully she'll bounce back a bit faster today.

All in all feeling thankful and relieved. 

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On The Road


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4 December 2020 - 12:10 pm
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Awww she looks relieved too! Must be the cheesy goodness 😉

Super happy that the x-rays are clear and things are good. You're right, this is all such a huge accomplishment. YAY that you are celebrating it together and with us, it's a joy to be part of it.

I hope today goes really well. No matter what happens, I know that your optimistic attitude will keep you and Maddie so strong throughout this journey. Big hugs to both of you!!! ((((HUGS))))

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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5 December 2020 - 11:30 am
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Amooch9ng that sweet girl thru the screen! Want to come over and snuggle with her!!

So glad to know Maddie is thriving!  That's  what we like to hear!👌

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!

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22 September 2020
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10 December 2020 - 6:09 pm
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Well sadly Maddie's post-chemo reluctance at eating did not seem any better this time, despite being given some anti-nausea by the oncologist and being sent home with Cerenia. We didn't feel like she seemed any better than previous times. But as before, give it a couple days and she is back to normal. 

We have noticed that she is VERY disinterested in walking much and doesn't seem to want to go down the stairs or ramp to go out the backyard for a couple days. It seems like more than the typical Maddie-stubbornness, and has us wondering if something about the chemo process physically hurts her legs or joints in some way. Has anyone else noticed this after chemo? But as with the other symptoms, after a couple of days, she is back to normal.

But for the real news. The radiology report says, "no evidence of pulmonary metastatic disease" and describes things as "unremarkable."smiley_clap

So really it's no-news, but with cancer, no-news is the best kind of news.

Virginia







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22 February 2013
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10 December 2020 - 10:47 pm
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We love UNREMARKABLE news around here!!!  YAY for the REMARKABLE  MADDIE being UNremarkable!!

Bummer about the chemo aide effects. MMayge the Onco will reduce the am a bit next time as it is cumulative.

Do you think Maddie has some sort of muscle strain that coincidentally showed up at the same time as chemo time?  Try massaging  all up and down her spine, her neck, her shoulders....any sign of tenseness?  Any signs of back issues?  

Is her leg where she received  the chemo  swollen or tender in anyway?  I would  mention it to the Onco if that's  the case.

And yes, no news IS good news!

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!

On The Road


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11 December 2020 - 12:24 pm
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You are so right, no news IS good news when it comes to cancer! And YAY for clear xrays! smiley_clap

How is Maddie doing today? Regarding her being weak and tired after chemo, it makes sense. All the excitement of being at the vet, and then the physical process of how the body accepts the chemo, well, it can be pretty tiring I imagine. I hope she's feeling better today.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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11 December 2020 - 7:33 pm
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Do you think Maddie has some sort of muscle strain that coincidentally showed up at the same time as chemo time?  Try massaging  all up and down her spine, her neck, her shoulders....any sign of tenseness?  Any signs of back issues?  

Is her leg where she received  the chemo  swollen or tender in anyway?  I would  mention it to the Onco if that's  the case.

How is Maddie doing today? Regarding her being weak and tired after chemo, it makes sense. All the excitement of being at the vet, and then the physical process of how the body accepts the chemo, well, it can be pretty tiring I imagine. I hope she's feeling better today.

 

We haven't noticed any muscle strain or swelling. Maybe slight tenderness if I grab the area where she receives chemo, but that seems reasonable with a fresh IV site. This has happened after each chemo visit and disappears after a couple days, along with the other symptoms. She just may be over-fatigued from the ordeal of day added to the impact chemo has on her body. It had us wondering though, because she would still show some excitement about going outside, but as soon as we went out she would dig in and basically refuse to move. (have I mentioned she is a stubborn dog, haha...)

But we only have one more treatment, so hopefully won't have to worry about it much more.

She is back to her usual self now, with no real residual signs of chemo.

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