Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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This post has taken me all day to write (and I apologize to everyone for having to wait so long for the news)….
I have started typing and then deleted everything and I’ve repeated this process multiple times. I’ve given up on writing something enlightening and eloquent because I’m pissed off. I hate freaking cancer!
Today is Charley’s 3 Year Ampuversary! I am so proud of Charley for being the OS Warrior that he is and has been for over 3 years! I’m so proud of his courage, strength, and resiliency! I’m blessed to have been given an additional 1,095 precious days with Charley since his amputation! I’m in awe of the lessons that Charley has taught me along this journey! BUT…I am pissed that this freaking cancer has tried to ruin a day of celebration for Charley, for me, for Joe, for my family, for this community (Tripawds) and the other communities (Bone Cancer Dogs, Arte and Cancer group) that Charley is a big part of!
This afternoon, I received the dreaded phone call from Dr. Buss with the results of Charley’s FNA of his “lump”. His 3cm hard lump near his amputation site is officially a sarcoma and as the pathologist worded it, “….strongly suspect an osteosarcoma. The exhibited phenomorphism and noted mitotic figures are very suggestive of an aggressive behavior”. After talking to Dr. Buss, surgery is still scheduled for Thursday morning with Dr. Jill Luther who amputated his leg. Charley will spend the night Thursday at MVRC for pain management and we’ll bring him home on Friday afternoon. Pending the histopathology from the tumor after it’s removed, Dr. Buss wants to try an oral chemo that has shown some good results. Of course I can’t remember the name of the oral chemo for certain because I was still processing the OS return, but I think he said Lomustine (I’ll confirm in a later post).
This evening we celebrated Charley’s 3 Year Ampuversary (he doesn’t know that his cancer returned). I made him his famous “meat cake” aka “3-Year Warrior Cake” with 2 pounds of ground sirloin ( mixed with 2 eggs & small container of cottage cheese), Philly cream cheese for the icing, and natural peanut butter for the writing. Charley would have been delighted to eat the entire cake, but I only let him eat a piece (in addition to his dinner). The cake is a bit crooked (I need a new spring-form pan), but Charley didn’t seem to mind!
Here's some pictures of Charley from this weekend and this afternoon! He's his typical happy Labby self and he doesn't know his cancer is back! All he knows is that he has a great life and his mommy and daddy love him very much!
So far now, we'll continue to pray for a miracle and hope for the best.
We'll pray that Charley has a successful surgery this Thursday and a speedy recovery.
We'll pray that Charley's journey here is far from being finished and that he has plenty of lessons left to teach us.
We're not finished fighting and either is Charley. We will continue this battle with Charley as long as he wants to fight!
Thank you for all of your prayers, positive thoughts, hugs, and kisses. It is greatly appreciated and we can’t thank you enough for all of your support!
♥ Hugs from me and chocolate Labby kisses from Charley! xoxo ♥
♥ ♥ ♥ Here's more pictures of our beautiful boy! ♥ ♥ ♥
Charley's Blog: CHOCOLATE KISSES
DOB: 3-29-08, male chocolate lab
Dx: OSA L proximal humerus 10-19-10
Amputation: L front leg & scapula 10-28-10
Chemo: 5 rounds of Carboplatin
Video (12 weeks post amp):Tripaw Charley Playing
♥♥♥ Lots of supplements and love!!! ♥♥♥
Happy 3 year ampuversary Charley and his family!
Kudos for celebrating despite the terrible news you got yesterday.
Tucker and I have our fingers and paws crossed that all goes well on Thursday and that you have a few more answers about the course of treatment.
From the photos, it is clear that Charley has a lot of living left to do.
Hugs, prayers and chocolate lab kisses from Linda and Tucker
Beautiful, beautiful Charley! He's full of life and love. Hoppy 3 great years, Charley.
I know the diagnosis sucks and I wish you all the very best. You'll be my prayers and I look forward to your updates.
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
(I copied this from my post on your blog. I want to make sure I'm subscribed to your forum posts, so I don't miss a thing...esp with Thurs and Friday coming up!)
&^%*!!!!!! That was my response. I'm angry cancer came in on his THIRD YEAR CELEBRATION. I'm pissed. I know you are too. Drat. Grrrrrr. He's just a baby! WHY?! After three years?! Not right. Just not right! Let's hope that histo report shows something else and that this surgery takes it all out. ALL OUT. I've been holding my breath for you and your pack. Not what any of us wanted to hear. What a blow.
The good news is that he is beyond loved, beyond cared for, and has the best fighting squad behind him (usually after a tennis ball toss!). THAT is some cake! Can you imagine what it tastes like? Blah! But to our pups - oh, man, Jackson would be so lucky! I gotta bake that up sometime.
Charley is going to do excellently in surgery and recovery. We're all really curious how this procedure will go and how that lump will be excised and closed up. I know you'll keep us posted.
Congrats on THREE YEARS! We're all behind you, supporting you.
~ Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Like you said.. he doesn't know it's come back.. and so you should celebrate!!! what a cake!! bet it was delicious for him!!! did anyone else have a piece?
Now... onto that other crap that we have to talk about here... $#^&*^# C word... lets just get rid of that on Thursday shall we? I believe that once that lump is gone.. you will have more time with Choco Charley..... and enjoy that time.. love him up.. spoil him rotten and snuggle many, many, many nights!!
We all hope that he has many years left to be a spoiled little puppy.. but.. because we don't know... just Be More Dog !!
Keep us posted!! We are crossing many fingers, toes, paws and a few other things thanks to gravity, for you!!
Christine..... with Franklin in her heart♥
Franklin, he was the Happiest Dog on Three Legs! Diagnosed 09/26/2012 with Osteosarcoma, amputated 12/4/2012. Had a wonderful 5 1/2 months painfree until he ran for the Bridge on 5/15/2013. Always in my heart, and always a guardian angel of my pack... You can follow his Tripawd Adventures, before and after, in my blog, Frank'n'Farter!
Sooo sorry about the news. But there is no way that dog is ready to give up, and we know you aren't either, it's in his eyes and your voice and we are all behind you 100 percent, standing strong and sending all our love and encouragement.
I'm so happy to hear you guys still took time to have a beautiful celebration. What a lovely way to mark the end of one fight and the start of another that we are sure you will win. Hugs to you and Charley.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Happy, Happy 3 year Ampuversary to Charley!!!!
What an incredible tripawd warrior!! He is such an inspiration!! Please know that we are sending huge hugs to you and Charley--I just know that he is going to do well with his surgery and recovery. Please keep us updated.
Keeping you in our thoughts,
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.
I hate to hear this news. But I love seeing Charley still being his happy self and having a great Ampuversary. Cheers to Charley and here's to an oral chemo doing a great job at holding this nasty stuff at bay.
Adelaide is a young tripawd Husky, from an injury. Her amp was on 10/1/12. She has 4 sisters, Aissa (a senior border collie/chow), Maggie May (a puppy Great Pyrenees), Mathilde and Morrigan and 1 baby brother, Bagheera. We are all watched over by our angel Brendol, who was dx with OSA 1/30/13, amp on 2/6/13, and left us on 8/20/13.
You can read their stories at http://adelaide.tripawds.com and http://brendol.tripawds.com
Happy Ampuversary Charley. I am sorry to hear that diagnosis it sucks. Charley doesn't know he has cancer and hopefully this surgery works. He is a fighter. Keep going Charley.
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."
Hugs and chocolate Labby kisses,
Ellen and Charley xoxo
Charley's Blog: CHOCOLATE KISSES
DOB: 3-29-08, male chocolate lab
Dx: OSA L proximal humerus 10-19-10
Amputation: L front leg & scapula 10-28-10
Chemo: 5 rounds of Carboplatin
Video (12 weeks post amp):Tripaw Charley Playing
♥♥♥ Lots of supplements and love!!! ♥♥♥
I am so very sorry that Charley is facing a second round with this terrible disease. As others have said, and I'm sure as you have thought, it is unfair. But, you've walked this road before and you know the route. You put on the gloves, you fight with ever fiber of your being, and in the meantime you love Charley with all of your heart every minute of every day.
"We will continue this battle with Charley as long as he wants to fight." That, my friend, is the key to this whole ordeal. Listen to Charley and you will have no regrets. But, rest up 'cause I'm betting you are going to be fighting for a long, long time.
Hugs, hugs and more hugs,
Lisa
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
Ellen, it's so hard to stay positive, but like you said he doesn't know. Continue loving and enjoying this amazing boy .
Misty's blog: http://misty.tripawds.com
Sister to Millie, 9 yr old choc. lab
Sister to Lola, 6 yr old choc. lab
Sister to Toby, 7 yr old rottie mix (officially my sons dog, but I'm still his mama!)
Sweetness to Fiona and Bill
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