Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Maya is 3 weeks post surgery and a few days ago she had a cough, I tried to not freak out but it stayed in the back of my mind. Today she ran to greet my husband at the door and she started to cough and hack but stopped. I am so terrified that these are the first signs of lung mets. Is it possible that the mets are showing up so soon after surgery? She had her first chemo last week and x-rays were fine but I also know that most of the time by the time that osteo is diagnosed the micro mets are already present. She will also be doing the vaccine trial but the first shot is due next week I believe. I am so scared that she will not have much time after going through all of this.
I'm going to say yes, you are overthinking....but it's what we all tend to do when dealing with cancer in our pups 
From what I know about lung mets it would be really, really, really unusual for them to show up so soon after surgery, and you just had xrays last week that were clear, right? And also, a cough doesn't necessarily develop at the first sign of mets, it isn't until the lungs get compromised.
Remember that whenever you are really concerned a chat with your vet might help.
I also want to add that as hard as it is, please try not to waste time right now on worrying about when the end might come. When my Pug Maggie was given 6 to 9 months after her amp for mast cell cancer I spent most all of that time waiting for her to pass. Lucky for me Maggie ignored my sense of dread and pretty much got on with her life. I finally realized that I was missing her life worrying about something that I not only had no control over, but that was just a guess by the vet based on stats from dogs that weren't Maggie.
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
DITTO KAREN!! Spot on!
Yes, we all become members of the Qorry Wart Club at first. Then we get it. We get the lessons our dogs are teaching us. Leave in the moment! Live in the now! Be More Dog !! Do not waste one second of the gift of the present by letting that piece of crap disease interfere with the glorious time you and Maya are having every single moment of every single day! Maya isn't worried about a thing...Be More Maya😎
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!
Thank you both for making me feel a little better. It’s so hard not to get paranoid! I have been reading a lot of posts about cough which probably are not helping me with my anxiety. This disease is so scary and unfair and I love my puppy so much... I know I need to let these feelings go and live the present so Maya can enjoy her mom and get spoiled as she deserves. I will keep trying not let the cancer take that away from us
Hi. I understand how scared you must feel. It is so hard to ignore a symptom that you have read to be associated with the disease progression. This is such a scary disease, and we all want it to just disappear. I agree with the others that it seems unlikely that it would be Maya's lungs since you had clear x-rays last week. I would check with your vet just for your own peace of mind. I will keep you and Maya is my thoughts and prayers.
Pam
I can only say "Ditto" to everything that's been said here. And I can relate to your worries. But it's so true: don't let cancer rob you of precious time having fun. Maya isn't worrying and neither should you. Worrying doesn't do anything to fix or prevent a situation, it's a completely useless state of mind and we all do better without it.
There's a great book called "The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer" that we highly recommend. It's a classic, but just as relevant today as it was when it was published. I know you'll find it a good read.
An inspirational and constructive memoir about dealing with the painful emotions we go through as we care for and say goodbye to our terminally ill or aging pets. The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer describes Doug Koktavy’s own journey through anticipatory grief when his beloved dogs were dying. During this time, he was engulfed with fear, guilt and hopelessness, but found strength and powerful solutions when he began to listen to his wise dogs. The award-winning book illustrates how we can learn to stay present, cope with emotions, and ultimately find peace in the most difficult situations.
There are many lessons we learn from this disease. Living fearlessly is one of them. You can do it! Just follow Maya's lead.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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