Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi, Tripawd Community!
We are in need of support right now.
Today we are 11 days out of surgery. Ruby had her back left leg amputated on Aug 29. Because of where the cancer was in Ruby’s hip we were unable to do a biopsy without major surgery. We decided to do the amputation at the same time, because we knew we would do amputation and we didn’t want he to have to do surgery two times.
We found out that she has Osteosarcoma (it is very surprising that it is this type of cancer because per the oncologist it is not a normal place for it to start). They did say they got “great margins”, and from her scans two weeks ago, they said had not spread from what they could see. We had an appointment at the specialist tomorrow to remove the staples and they have suggested we start chemo tomorrow along with removing the staples.
We have decided to do this.
They will be alternating every 3 weeks using Cisplatin and Doxorubicin (Adriamycin). Any guidance around Cisplatin and Doxorubicin (Adriamycin)? Tomorrow they will be doing Cisplatin, and we have to be there by 8:00am. They said it will take 6 hours to administer the chemo.
We are nervous. We are sad. We are struggling to stay positive, but we know that our girl needs us to. She is ALWAYS proving people wrong, and we are confident she will continue to do so.
We had not fully prepared ourselves for this, so we are trying to get all the information we can.
We are nervous about side effects and quality of life.
Any feedback you have is appreciated!
Thank you all so much! I am so thankful to turn here for support during such a hard time in our lives and Ruby's life.
-Laina and Ruby
I am sorry I don't have any advice for those 2 chemo drugs. We used Carboplatin. Good luck
Hugs
Michelle & Angel Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
Hi Laina and Ruby,
so sorry you are going through this. Like Michelle's Sassy, my golden retriever Johnnie is being treated with Carboplatin, also in 3-week rounds. The advice I can give is to use an anti-nausea medication ( our onco prescribed Cerenia ), given first thing in the morning, before any food. In Dr. Dressler's book he goes through the different chemo protocols for osteosarcoma and dogs' reactions.
If you browse through the blogs you most certainly will find dogs with similar protocols, which I know is one of the options for osteosarcoma. Look into Charley's blog, link below - there is this tip: Charley did take Cerenia (anti-nausea) starting on day 2 after the Doxorubicin for 4 days since the Doxo is harder on the GI system and GI side effects are the worst from days 3-5.
http://chocolat.....om/page/2/
good luck and send updates on Ruby.
Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet. Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues. Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle. October 17: started having seizures. Taking fenobarbital for seizures. April 18: started prednisone.
Here is another useful link:
Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet. Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues. Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle. October 17: started having seizures. Taking fenobarbital for seizures. April 18: started prednisone.
Hi Laina & Ruby. Our boy Max also did Carboplatin, so I can't really speak for the two chemo meds Ruby will be given. But I have some "weird" advice for you 
Looking back on Max's chemo treatments, I wish now that I had asked to be with him when it was administered. It wasn't a big deal, and I don't have any regrets for not doing it; but I told myself that if something like this ever happened again, I would request to be there. So, that's something to think about. They may tell you "no," but it never hurts to ask. Also, as was already mentioned above, ask about anti-nausea meds if they don't offer any to you. They probably will, so I doubt you'll have to ask. In the meantime, know that all of the Tripawds Nation will be thinking about Ruby and sending her positive thoughts. She is a very beautiful girl; please tell her she has a lot of folks wishing her well!!
Okay, I know your head is spinning and I also know there is no "rule" that you have to start chemo tomorrow!! DEEP BREATH!!!! DEEEEEP. BREATH! Ruby will be fine!
A few days delay so you can gather your thoughts, do your research and get your questions answered.
My Happy Hannah...osteo. rear leg amp. did four rounds of Carboplatin.
I can tell you this.....when Hap p y Hannah got her treatment of Carboplatin, shehad a scedulted time and we were in and out in less than thirty minutes. It may be different with the kinds of chemo Rubyis getting, but I agree with Maximutt, if possible, stay there. ALSO, and again, it may be different with her chemo, but it seems you could be given a specific time for her treatment rather than leave her there for six hours! UGH!
And remember, you can cancel tomorrow's appointment and re schedule. Hap p y Hannah had her stitches out at day fifteen and didn't start her chemo until about twentyish days after amp. Hap p y Hannah had no issues with Carboplatin. If for some reason Ruby does have problems, you can always stop.
We are right here with you, okay.
Sending you HUGE HUGS AND LOTS OF LOVE!!!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
I wish you the very best with the chemo-Lily did 5 rounds of Carboplatin. We decided not to do the 6th because she was just too tired after her fifth. That was really her only side effect. Good luck!
Thinking of you,
Joan and Lily
Our beautiful Lily was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her front leg on 12/14/11 at age 8 and had amp on 12/16/11. She completed 5 rounds of carbo. She was so brave and kicked cancer's butt daily! She lived life fully for 4 years, 3 months, and 15 days after her amp. My angel is a warrior princess. I miss her so much.
Hi, Wonderful Tripawd Community!
Thank you for all of your feedback, support, and advice. The initial shock has worn off, and we have accepted that this is what we will do. We will keep fighting and keep going until her quality of life is affected. Right now she is happy.. and doing great.
We dropped off Ruby this morning at her first Chemo. Along with the info here and our good friend that is a vet (not Ruby's treating vet, she is seeing at a specialist clinic) we were able to get some clarity and comfort last night.
The reason that she will be there for six hours is because they do fluids for the entire time and the chemo. Sadly, I was not able to stay with her. I am sure that if I pushed I would have been able to, and in the future I might. Ruby has anxiety and believe it or not it is worse when we are at the vet with her. They have let us know that if she is too anxious they will ask us to come in to be with her (we really love the place where she is and trust them. After her surgery they called us in because she was acting anxious... she doesn't like cages). Ruby really likes the oncologist team and even walked back with the tech today willingly and not crying out (this is HUGE for her and made my heart happy). They do treatments on Wednesdays and will be in the room with her the entire time.
The biggest reason that we have been so quick to make decisions is because our wedding is in one month. We have been trying to time everything so that we can be with her and not be away during recovery or treatment. By starting this week it allow us to do her 2nd treatment the week before our wedding and she will not have treatment the week of, or the week of our honeymoon. She will have her 3rd treatment the week after we get back.
We have so much good going on and I can't wait to marry the love of my life. But we are having a hard time focusing on anything but Ruby's treatment. She is a HUGE part of our family (as I know all pets are). We are keeping our faith and staying positive for our girl.
Thank you all for your support.
Go Ruby!
I didn't get a chance to post yesterday, but I can sympathize with the shock of the diagnosis to some extent. My pug Maggie had a different cancer- mast cell, but going into the surgery it seemed that the amputation would be curative- or mostly so. We had done a ton of pre-op tests and had not seen evidence of cancer anywhere. About 3 days after surgery the oncologist called and said there were lots of cancerous mast cells in the lymph node removed with the leg and the cancer had most likely spread. With chemo her prognosis was 6 to 9 months. I think I told you before that Mag lived almost 4 years after her amp and didn't pass from mast cell- there is always room for optimism and hope!
We did a completly different chemo regimine so I don't have first hand knowledge of Ruby's meds. I have heard here that the doxy is sometimes less well tolerated- but every dog is different.
Also be aware that sometimes chemo has to be put off a week or two when the white blood cell counts are too low. Don't panic, it is a common occurrence, it happened to us once.
Awesome about your wedding- congratulations!
Karen and Spirit Maggie
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
My girl, Shelby, didn't have OSA but she did have those two chemos. She had the Adriamycin for her first 5 treatments and finished up w/the last one. She didn't have any major side effects ... slight nausea but they give you meds for that. She did get slightly anemic and we got her on an iron supplement and that helped. Also I gave her steak and liver bits. And spinach.
Overall, Shelby did great on chemo and like Ruby, didn't care for cages/crates but she loved getting loved on at the vet.
Sending you and Ruby lots of well wishes!
Alison with the Spirit of Shelby fur-ever in her heart (and little Jasper too)
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
You really have a full plate! Oh my my goodness! I love how you are working all the scheduling out for Ruby's best interest and so you can make sure you are with her! She is so loved...and she knows it!!!
Yeah, this journey will turn your world upside down in a split second! We call it a roller coaster ride around here!!
A little bit of insight that can make this journey, not only emotionally easier but oddly enough, a journey of soul growth from the lessons Ruby wil'll teach you, a time of THE most loving and spoiling with Ruby that you could never have imagined existed before, a time of joy and happinessm and fun! I know it's hard to see these "gifts" right now, but they are there!
From this point forward....LET NOTHING ROB YOU OF YOUR TIME TOGETHER WITH RUBY RED.....SHE SURE ISN'T LETTING ANYTHING INTERFERE!!
This journey is all bout LIVING IN THE NOW....STAY I NG MORE PRESENT...BEING MORE LIKE YOUR RUBY...BEING MORE DOG!!!!!
Ruby doesn't give a rip about any ole stupid diagnosis, statistics, prognosis.......all those terms mean nothing to her!!! Kick 'em to the curb!!!! Ruby is her own dog and she'll make up her own rules!!!
No dog or cat comes with a time frame stamped on their butt!! Just ask Bart, Pug Maggie, Charlie...all who were not given a very good "prognosis" (as Jerry says, "prognosis schmognosis") and have loved life to the fullest for YEARS!!!! Regardless, it's all about QUALITY and that overrides longevity without quality any day!
That was really nice of you to take time to share all the treatment info. I certainly applaud you for all the thought process involved and why you wanted to get things started quickly.
I m really glad Ruby didn't seem to mind being at the vet's today. Having staff that treats her well can make such a difference.
Keep us posted and update as you can! We're all cheering for you!
(((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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 all for your words of encouragement and support! I am so thrilled to hear that others have had positive experiences. I needed some hope and this is it.
Krun5 - The shock is exactly that... shock. I had to go sit outside and cry by myself last night. I am doing better today. It warms my heart every time I hear Maggie's story. What a fighter!!!
Mom2Shelby - Ruby and Shelby have seemed to have a similar path so far, so I hope that Ruby continues to do great like Shelby did! Thank you for your comments that Shelby was on the same Chemo as Ruby will be, I am glad to hear that others had an overall positive experience with these drugs.
Benny55 - Thank you for your post. We are trying to remain calm and know that this is all a part of the master plan. We remind ourselves that we are blessed. Blessed to be young (25 (me) and 30) and in love. Blessed to support each other like we do. We are blessed we have Ruby to love. We are blessed she loves us. Blessed she is a fighter. And most of all we are blessed to be in the position to help her! I agree 100% with saying that this is a journey of soul growth. We feel it already. I do not have kids and Ruby is my child. I realize how petty other things are and how important life is. It is a journey but we are living it, and fighting the good fight each day!
I will try to be more in the moment. Ruby does a great job of that 
and so does my fiancé. I am a planner and always looking for what is next. It is a good reminder to slow down and enjoy the now (for many areas of our lives).
Jerry - You are right. Every dog is different and Ruby will do things in her own time, in her own way. She always has
I say this at the end of a lot of my posts, but I am soo thankful and grateful!!! I could not have gotten this far without this amazing support team.
Thank you all for loving us... strangers. We love you all!!!
VIRTUAL HUGS TO ALL!
Cheers,
Laina & Ruby
Yesterday was a great day!!
Ruby did great with her chemo! She did not get sick at all! (and they said most dogs get sick during the first hour after).
When I was leaving the specialist vet yesterday I was asking questions to the tech that was discharging Ruby. She was an answered prayer! She helped calm my mind and have a new perspective on things. She told me that we are doing this for Ruby so that she can be a "normal dog" and right now we are treating her like she is not normal. She said, while we need to be aware that she is different, we need to have the goal to make her life as normal as possible.
Yesterday Ruby also got the all clear to be able to take longer walks, be off the leash in the back yard, start doing steps, and start being normal.
When we got home yesterday we let her be Ruby! She really did have a great day yesterday. Part of it I think was all the fluids she got and part of it was she did not have any pain meds yesterday. She hopped around the back yard, and when she went to the back steps she hopped right up them!! Then turned around and hopped back down.... I cried I was so happy! She did it!!! She even hopped across the wood floors without slipping! She wants to be normal just as much as we want her to be!
I know that we have to ease her back into activity, and there will be good days and bad... but yesterday was much needed! I am proud of her!
I LOVE what that vet tech told you! That is wise advice and sounds like you're living it, yay!
Here's to a Ruby kinda day, we're proud of both of you!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
YAAAAAAAAAY. FOR RUBY...AND MOM!!!!!!!
And YAAAAAAAAAY. FOR NORMAL!!!!!
Is this just the most glorious feeling or what??? Got a few tears of joy welling up over nere!
Keep up the good work Ruby! We are all cheering really, really loudly for you! Listen!! Yeah, that background noise is us cheering!!
Hugs to all!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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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