Holy Molly! Gee whilligers! Good grief Charley Brown! Murphy's law seems to be alive and we lover in Dotty Land!! But this is enough! Dotty is ready to deal with just a regular old traumatic paid full recovery from just a regular ole leg amputation maj

Exactly my thoughts. I think we have done our fair share of modelling all the possible complications involved in an amputation recovery, I would like to move on to just plain old "Getting Better" now.

Dot is quietly letting the day pass her by, barking at visitors from her bed but not making any heroic efforts to greet them. She is peeing and eating well, not so keen on her water bowl but happy to drink broth being held in a gold plated bowl by one of her faithful slaves...lol.

Tomorrow must be a better day, although having said that we are due at the vets first thing in the morning and that could involve further poking and prodding. At least a better night's sleep to start with.

jerry said
Wow! What a day! So was it a seroma that was the issue?

Thank you for the poultice procedure pics (say that 10 times!). Dotty is such a good girl for laying there like that! May I use these pix & information in a blog post? I know somewhere down the line someone is going to ask about it.

Go for it, Jerry. Dotty is always happy to be the centre of attention. Even if it involves humiliating folk remedies involving brassicas.

Thanks again for all the support and good wishes.

Victoria and Dotty

Hi everyone,

It's been another up and down day. It's a familiar pattern by now!

We had a good night's sleep, Dot is still very slow to rouse in the morning, she will just lie there until you physically haul her upright and out of bed. Maybe that's just being 70 in human years, she probably feels she's earned a sleep in at the best of times, let alone after major surgery and infection.

So, off we went to the vet who met me at the door with a brave expression on her face. Our pathology results are in.

The pathologist has identified fibroblastic osteosarcoma, Grade 1. The grade 1 bit is the only good thing about this. The vet and I confessed to each other that we had been quietly been praying for the result to say "aneurysmal bone cyst".

Megan ran me through some chemo stats (none of which differentiated between grades 1, 2 or 3) and basically said she respects our decision on the matter but that she is happy to put us in touch with medicine specialists who may be able to crunch the stats into something that matches Dotty's situation specifically. I really don't think I want to do this to Dot, especially taking into account her propensity for dramatic reactions to medical procedures!

(we checked her abscess site, it's much better but there is still enough swelling for Megan to warn me that tomorrow may involve sedation and a drain being put in for a couple of days. sigh)

I had a cry with the vet, put on a smile for Dot and bought her home for a walk around the block. This was her first complete circuit and she absolutely LOVED it. She has such a natural gait on 3 legs that it's hard to tell she ever walked on 4. Good girl! We stopped at her cousin Duke's house for a rest halfway and a cup of tea with my sister-in-law in the wintery sunshine. I was very brave and didn't cry. We completed the circuit in such good spirits that I was wholly restored to full joy by the time we reached our gate. I really helped myself by delighting in every footstep and every sniff of an interesting blade of grass. Dot's tail was high, her ears were forward and she seemed so happy to be out in the fresh air that I resolved to say good bye to the cancer diagnosis and just get on with having a fantastic time with our dear Dot. 

I came inside, Dotty hopped about the house until she found a nice spot in the sun, scoffed some minced meat (heart, tripe, rabbit, salmon...stinky but so very delicious...apparently) and passed out.

Checking my emails I discovered a second opinion had arrived in the vet's email. The bone expert at Massey University (where all New Zealand vet's train) has read the results and thinks it may be a fibrosarcoma, which is better news according to Megan the vet. They don't spread as quickly so we may have longer up our sleeves.

I don't know what to think. I just know that I don't want to think about it at the moment. I just want to enjoy my dear little dog (crying now) as long as I can.

Victoria and Dotty

Thanks Erica,

Jill is such a great poster girl, I always feel cheered after seeing her determined little face staring out of the computer!

I will comb the forum posts and blogs for chemo experiences and obviously we have to do the sums over it (no pet insurance). 

I am focussing on the fibrosarcoma diagnosis and the vet is choosing to go with that one. And, of course, I remind myself that Dot couldn't give two hoots what the experts say. In her world banana cake, walks and cuddles are the best things ever. End of story. So I choose to live life on Dotty's level for the next little while.

Thanks again for the kinds words, Erica and Jill.

x

Thanks, Shari.

That's all beautifully articulated. Poor Dakota, to be so badly affected by travel. In Dot's case, as long as she's with me she will go anywhere (even kayaking and she hates water, but loves to sit between my legs for nice long paddles in the calm sea by our beach house), so she would be perfectly happy to trundle about to appointments. 

And yes, i need to readjust my feeling that all chemo is Bad and prone to making its patients very sick.

Dot has run up two sets of outdoor steps today! No down yet, only up, but I really didn't expect her to do this for a week or so. Go Dot! Currently snoring on a pillow by the back door, resting up for the next adventure.

Thanks for your reply, it's amazing to think that there is this place here full of wisdom and kindness, ready to help soothe the frazzled nerves of a tripawd parent.

Victoria and Dotty

Sally and Happy Hannah, AMEN.