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Ronnie, suspected Osteosarcoma amputation this week.
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4 April 2019
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10 September 2020 - 9:38 pm
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I was just thinking of you two the other day. So happy to hear the wonder news!

Great job Ronnie, and you too dad!

My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019.  With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer.  I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud!  He will live forever in my Heart!

Brownie Bubba Bell

04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020

"March Saint"

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10 September 2020 - 10:26 pm
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This is the best news ever!! He looks so energetic and hoppy, I’m so thrilled that life continues to be full of joy and smiles for you guys! Congrats on another great check-up, cheers for many many more!! 

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

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4 March 2021 - 3:14 am
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Morning all!

It's been a while but I wanted to pop in and say that we had our latest visit to the Small Animal Teaching Hospital in Ellesmere port this week and Ronnie received yet another clean bill of health. 

It's been 2 years now since his diagnosis and it was the 30th April 2019 that Ronnie became a Tripawd and he continues to thrive! I was a little concerned going into this appointment as he had developed a small fleshy lump on his side, but the CT scan confirms this is just a fatty lump and nothing of concern and they have confirmed that he continues to be in 'clinical remission' from his osteosarcoma. 

To say I'm over the moon is an understatement and we will obviously be celebrating his Tripawdaversary in a few months time but i wanted to check in and thank you all for your continued support and advice.

John and Ronnie.

https://www.ins.....4fYhvH3kj/

https://www.ins.....gQcjbHyiP/

https://www.ins.....Ca_vTnHCa/

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4 March 2021 - 6:01 am
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WAY TO GO RONNIE AND DAD!

I have to say, since you don't post often (hint hint) when I see you posted my heart skips a beat.  But always so excited to read that Ronnie got another clean bill of health!  Two years!!!!  Where has the time gone?  I remember when you and Ronnie first started this journey all the ups and downs you were having.  But look at Ronnie now!  Amazing!

Ronnie is one strong little determined dude and most of all looks so happy!

Ronnie deserves extra treats!sp_hearticon2

GOOD JOB RONNIE!  Continue to make your dad happy.  He loves you so much!

My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019.  With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer.  I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud!  He will live forever in my Heart!

Brownie Bubba Bell

04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020

"March Saint"

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Virginia



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4 March 2021 - 9:41 am
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I'm sure I'm not the only one who broke out into the biggest smile when I saw that first picture of Ronnie!😁😁 Holy cow that dog is adorable! 

I'm sure I'm not the only one who broke into a great big smile and "awwwww" when I saw that second picture of Ronnie sitting up so proudly. I want to smooch his tummy!😘 Cuteness oozing out all over his face....that one of a kind precious mug!    And then we have that third picture, I'll just say...  ohhhhh. myyyyy😲🙄

YAAAAY for a great update!  Ronnie is. indeed, a Tripawd RockStar who continues  to I aspire, as well as make the world CUTER!!   Two years DiagnosticVersary!  YAY!!  Calls for cheeseburgers!!

This really made our day!  Tha ks so much for touching base and especially  for the pictures!!!

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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4 March 2021 - 11:30 am
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Ronnie the ROCK STAR!!! Two years is astounding and so inspawrational! You have reached a milestone that we all dream of when someone joins us with the osteosarcoma diagnosis. It's really an honor to be part of this big day 🙂

I love that you had his remission verified with a CT scan, that's pretty cool. He is getting some terrific care, great job! Thanks for updating your topic, it means so much to people here to see that there IS hope!

giphy.gif

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

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5 March 2021 - 7:40 am
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Thanks all, 

He continues to do great, i just wish he wasn't so full of beans all the time as he tends to pull up with muscular pulls every few months and then needs a week of no walks but it's a small price to pay for my little guy still be here now when things seemed so bleak 2 years ago.

He currently just takes a weighted dose of meloxicam (metacam) once a day and then i give him his Cosequin DS for his joints daily also. 

The fact that we are insured with Petplan in the UK is fantastic as they continue to support any required additional treatment related to an injury or illness for the life of the policy so with a £4,000 policy limit and CT scans costing roughly £750 each visit we are able to have a CT and contrast every 3 months and all i pay is the first £100 each January at the start of the policy year. The policy itself increases each year but even now my annual premium is around £600 and in return I'm claiming around £3000 of treatment each year so it's utterly essential.

I'll really try and post more!

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5 March 2021 - 10:53 am
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You're right, definitely a small price to pay as long as your on top of the issues that come up, which clearly you are. Great job!!

I wanted to ask about your pet insurance, thanks for bringing it up. Petplan sounds pawesome. It's amazing and wonderful they will pay for the CT scan checkups! Radiographs are helpful, but they can't catch the smallest lung metastasis. A CT is the only way for a parent to know for sure if the mets have returned. The bummer is that many people rely on radiographs because the CT scans are so expensive, I wish everyone had pet insurance so that they weren't left wondering.

We always love Ronnie updates so yeah, feel free to stop by anytime!

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

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6 July 2021 - 4:27 am
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Morning all!

Apologies for the delay in an update, but things are still all good here and Ronnie is still rocking! We had a few hospital days with a pancreatitis scare but he's back to his bubbly self again on a modified diet and in June we attended for a CT scan and received the following on his report;

'This has now been 2 years since Ronnie's amputation and this is excellent we have not found further spread. Only 20% of dogs reach this stage and we are happy he is one of them. After 2 years the chances of spread are much lower and we are thrilled he is doing so well.'

So needless to say we are happy and healthy and here's a few pics!

https://www.ins.....NWzQwH3CN/

https://www.ins.....bGFnASH/ 

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Virginia



Member Since:
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6 July 2021 - 9:28 am
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SPECTACULAR  UPDATE!!!   ABSOLUTELY  SPECTACULAR!!!!👏👏👏

Ronnie gives everyone  hope that  victory at this level can be achieved.   And we all celebrate  with you  and  love knowing how Ronnie is blowing negative statistics  out of the water!!!😎😎

Over the moon Happy to hear how well Mr Adoravle is doing.  And then to see THE cutest picture  in the world of mhis Happy smiling self is a delightful  bonus.   Can't  stop grinning at his smiling face😁

Wasnt able to make the 2nd link work, so I just kept looking at the first one mover and over because  it made me so Happy to see him so happy😊

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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6 July 2021 - 1:39 pm
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WHEEEE! We sure love it when no news is good news. No apologies necessary, you and Ronnie are making the most of your life together! We are thrilled that he's beaten the odds and is doing so well! This is what we all hope for whenever someone joins this community because of cancer. He is a true inspawration!

smiley_clapLove the pic (couldn't see the second one). What a hoppy boy! Thank you so much for inviting us to the celebration!

giphy.gifImage Enlarger

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

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31 August 2021 - 5:16 am
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We have a Ronnie update today, not an osteosarcoma related one, but a frustrating and disappointing one nonetheless.

After coming back from a walk with a limp last Tuesday and the vet prescribing some gabapentin and rest as he couldn't put weight on his back right leg (amputation was front right and his weight balance leans all on the left side he rested but showed no improvement. 

Back in today for an X-ray and its cruciate disease in the right hind knee joint. He is being referred to our local ortho vet for a TTA/TPLO surgery to correct the knee placement. 

Obviously i'll update once we consult with the ortho and i know about impact of recovery etc on a tripod dog but generally feeling a bit gutted today that every challenge possible is being thrown at my little guy and another surgery and subsequent recovery is ahead of him....

It of course could be worse, but still i just feel for him so much. Anybody know about or seen similar in a tripawd? thoughts on recovery, post recovery mobility etc etc. 

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31 August 2021 - 5:20 am
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Just read back through the thread and noticed @benny55 your front paw also had a TPLO? i could really use some reassurance so anybody that can share their experiences would be greatly welcomed...

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Virginia



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31 August 2021 - 7:39 am
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Just saw this and will wete more later, okatpy?

Yes, Frankie is a front Lego who has had two knee surgeries on his remaining back legs a year apart. It is definitely a doable situation! Not necessarily a fun situation for several weeks, but definitely doable! And once recovery does take place just fine. There were two types of surgeries originally offered to Frankie, one was a procedure they called the fishing line procedure. It was less expensive and seemingly just as good a surgery. If you are able to afford it, go with the tplo. Recovery was a little bit easier with that, faster and the first cruciate surgery did fail after 2 years. The right now Frankie is dealing with one front leg, one rear leg with a good tplo surgery. And the other rear leg with the failed surgery but he uses it anyway.

Again, I'll be back but just wanted to definitely reassure you that this is a good solution for Ronnie. I'll give you more specifics about recovery and things you can do to help him through it at cetera. Also Karen who is Mom to lots of pugs has been through this several times to. I'm sure she'll chime in. We also have a new member who is dealing with the prospect. So you'll have lots of support so you'll have lots of support here and lots of good information on how to get through recovery and back on track. Definitely a bummer that Ronnie has to deal with this but he'll handle it like a champ.

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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31 August 2021 - 7:50 pm
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Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that!

This type of injury is so common in Tripawds, if that's any consolation. The thing is, when you meet with an ortho vet, they're going to want to do surgery without question. It may benefit you and Ronnie to meet with a physio for a consult, to see if the injury can be managed with conservative, non-surgical care. See:

https://tripawd.....s-in-pets/

Non-surgical treatment may not be an option but it could be. A surgeon won't be totally in favor of conservative management, so you may end up with two different opinions but at least you'll have more information before deciding.

If you do decide to go through with surgery, it's not an impossible recovery. And Ronnie's size should make it easier to manage too. So there's the plus side.

Some more info for you:

Postamputation Orthopedic Surgery in Canine Amputees Study

All About Remaining Leg Surgery Recovery for Three-Legged Dogs (a conversation with Sally!)

What to Know About Remaining Leg Surgery on a Tripawd

Remaining Limb Surgery Recovery for Tripawds

When a Tripawd Needs Another Leg Surgery

Keep us posted on how things are going OK? 

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

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