Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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jerry, thanx so much for replying. first off id like to say how sorry i am to your mom and dad for thier loss of you.
zeus' cough sounds deep but he also acts as if something is stuck in his throat. he coughs then he "trys" to spit something out with no luck. dont know if thats because he has a sore throat or if its something differant, cancer related?
as for the breatheing, i dont think hes weezeing but he seems to take shorter breaths at a faster pace. he even does this when hes at rest and not panting. the runny eyes are like a puss, yellow in color which leads me to think its an infection although im no docter.
hes not eating any of his food, maybe its because he just not feeling well but he will gladly eat any home cooked meal i offer him. his walking is decent. although when he first stands up after a rest, he stumbles on his feet then hes okay after that. he just seems a bit weak and run down.
and your right, i WILL drive myself crazy with this if i dont get zeus seen by a vet soon. i'll do my best to have him looked at by weeks end.
thank you for shareing your experiance with me jerry, it means alot and its been very helpfull.
with love,
-tara&zeus
Sorry for not being here for you sooner, tech issues got in the way. I am sorry to hear about Zeus, and we are holding your hands. Do try to get the vet to see him as soon as possible; keep him as comfortable as possible meanwhile...and that applies to you too.
Hoping that you can come to a suitable arrangement with your vet and that Zeus can be fixed easily.
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
hi everyone and thank you so much for your replys and trying to offer any advice you can. zeus isint any better this morning. hes actualy worse. he can barely walk on his back legs. i tryed to get him to go outside to pee but it seems he just cant get up the energy to do it. i even opened the door as if to let him run out free without a leash (which he loves) and he just layed there looking at me with sad eyes. he just got up off the floor just now and stumbled into the parlor and worked his way on the couch which didnt come easily for him this time. i am in tears and i feel so bad for him. i was about to call the vet to scedual an x-ray this morning untill i realized he cant walk too well. hes a big dog and it would be difficult to get him in the van. even if i could, what would the x-ray tell me that i already know? he isint eating much and hes not even drinking his water that much either. how can i make this transition easier for him? im not sure that i can afford to have him "put down" when the time comes but i cant stand to see him suffer. i am so confused right now as to what is the best thing to do for zeus. i can see it in his eyes that he isint feeling well and the end might be near. i know him very well and he looks at me as if hes trying to tell me something. everyone says that i'll "know" when its his time but im not so sure. this is all so heart breaking. i just dont know what else to say, im at a loss for words right now but i can tell you that zeus is going down hill quickly.
heartbroken,
-tara
Hi Tara, sorry to hear about Zeus. Like others in the forum I am sure that if you look around your area you may find a humanitarian and companisonate vet that will work with you payment wise and/or treatment wise. Where are you located? Maybe some of us are close to your area and can recommend a vet. or where to look. For one, my mom has lots of networking friends that usually provide us with links to clinics, vets, and sources of information and help. I hate to see you and Zeus be going through such a hard and heartbreaking time. Just know that we are all here for you and will help in every way we can.
Kellie
Hi tara - we are so sorry to hear what is going on with your zeus. I have a zeus too and it's so heartbreaking to read this. We are praying for you and mirror all the advice that you've been given. There are compassionate vets out there that WILL help you out, the most important thing is for zeus not to suffer and to ease your worry.
Please keep us posted....
Heather
Heather and Spirit Zeus - Our life changing journey…from the earth to the heavens…one day at a time…always together
Tara,
Sorry to hear Zeus has not improved today. Please don't worry so much about cost at this point . Keeping him pain free and comfortable is more of a concern. My heart goes out to you. Will say a prayer to St Francis for you and your beloved Zeus.
Kim&Buster
Kim & Angel Buster
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
–Anatole France
I'm sorry too, to hear that today hasn't brought an improvement.
I don't think you have any choice but to take him in to see a vet.
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
Hi Tara, I read your reply to my post "What now?" and understand Zeus is having trouble walking and is also coughing. Abbey had trouble walking for a few weeks and then finally woke up with her back legs paralyzed one day. It could be that a lesion has formed on the spinal cord, but maybe not...I'm so sorry but you keep doing what you are doing to keep him comfortable and in your company as much as you can. So long as he is eating and can get up and around, "today is not the day" At least, that's what I always told myself. You will know when it's time but meanwhile spoil him rotten
My thoughts and prayers are with you. di (Diane Riley)
TARA_F said:
... how can i make this transition easier for him?
Come to terms with what's going on and ask yourself: Are his good moments outnumbering the bad?
If not, and you know "his time" is truly near, save your money for a calm peaceful passing while he still has his dignity. Any decent vet should be able to tell with a stethascope if the respiratory issues are cancer related or temporary.
Ask yourself how you want to remember him. Be strong, for Zeus. And above all, prepare for the worse and hope for the best.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Dear Tara & Zeus,
Tara, this just came in from a good friend of ours. She didn't want to post it here herself, out of fear that her answers might not be as hopeful as some might like them to be. I told her not to worry about that, but . . .
As you know, loving and caring for a tripawd with cancer requires walking a thin line between hopefullness and reality, and sometimes, reality should take precidence. We have to be honest and forthright with eachother here, because that's what friendship is all about, right? Trust, care and honesty, in good times and in bad.
With that in mind, here is what our friend had to say . . .
Dear Tara & Zeus,
These are the most difficult and heart wrenching times. The times when you “don’t know for sure”. The times when you hold out hope after hope.
Unfortunately, it is also the time that you have to depend almost solely on yourself for answers. You know Zeus best of all. You gather information, especially from those who have crossed this path before, but we still don’t know your Zeus like you do. These incredibly adaptive, strong, and soulful beings will live through anything to make us happy. You will know in your heart when it is time to return the favor. It sounds like a cliché, but look deep…you’ll know.
If he has lost his spark, his true spirit, you will know. Better than anyone, you will know. You will have the scientific feedback you need. You may already have it.
More importantly though, you have Zeus’ feedback.If it is time, there is nothing that will lessen your pain, your fear or your heartache. It is something that you must feel. Feel it in your bones. Grieve. Cry your rivers, whatever it takes…whatever you need to do. You are normal and you deserve to have your feelings. But, your future will lighten. Your love for Zeus doesn’t become less. Missing him doesn’t diminish. It just becomes different.
Make it through one day at a time. Listen for your angel, Zeus, to speak to you, when he visits you in your dreams or randomly pops into your thoughts. That’s him. Speaking to you. Letting you know he is there, that he is watching over you.
I believe our animal companions are angels sent to us to be with us through a given stage of our lives. Then, somewhere along the way, when their portion of the journey is
complete, another companion angel will enter our lives. We don’t know how the ebb and flow works, but they do. Trust in them.God speed and stay in touch.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Tara,
I'm so sorry to hear that Zeus is having a difficult time. I hope that everything will unfold as it should and that you will know the right thing to do at the right time. Please let us know how he is doing, keep us updated. You both are in our thoughts...
Sandra
Dearest Tara & Zeus,
I have been following this thread very closely, but wanted to see what other's with more experience with the disease would have to say. I really do agree that you need to find a way to get that chest x-ray. I've seen some of the staunchest office manager's say they don't take payments, but if you can get to the vet and ask him (since it is HIS practice), I'll bet cha he'll make an exception for you. Most vet's realize they would go broke if they gave everyone credit and that's why they hire the Office Manager's to protect themselves from getting involved in the billing process. My good friend, Jeff, has a vet that is that way and he says he won't take payments, but guess who's been able to make payments, over & over & over again? So, nothing is set in stone.
Someone else mentioned pain meds and prednisone and possibly albuterol to aid Zeus with his breathing. I believe until you get that x-ray done, you will drive yourself crazy not knowing what's really going on with Zeus. Good luck in whatever decision you decide to make.
Love, Blazer, Kitty Kimber & Vicki T
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