Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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pss....
Bud had blood in his urine and loose bowels..... it was the antiobiotics. Both went away after treatment!
Oh I know how you feel... it feels like you are fighting a losing battle (I went through that yesterday and the day before with our growth of the flipping mets). BUT look into Ty's eyes ... he IS fighting too and for that, we continue. I can't speak about the husband thing (I am single) but I think a lot of my friends have the same assessment of 'how much more are you going to do'? But we fight until there is NO fighting to be had. NO one is telling you to say goodbye - not the vets, not us, not TY. So chin up, buttercup!!! We are here for you!
Now about that poo, Shelby had that a few times post-chemo and pure pumpkin (not the pie but just pumpkin) fixed that up. And a dose of probiotics but you probably don't want to add anything else. Maybe some bland food like rice and/or chicken. Banana might work too.
Hang in there... I KNOW it is hard and I know it's frustrating! We celebrate together and we cry together! We love you both!!!
Alison & Shelby
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
Hi there
Just chiming in to give my support!
Ty's bloodwork is good...he can have the antibiotics....and his tummy will settle I'm sure.
Ty is still fighting....the twinkle in his eye...the shoe in his mouth....and climbing on the couch....all say he is fighting hard.
Many hugs
Linda and Tucker
Thank you for your awesome perspective on this tough battle Angel, you are truly an angel!
Here is Spencer's Blog.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Someone please let me off this ride! We have hit bottom again:( Ty cannot put any weight on on his remaining front leg. I am really scared for him. He is breathing fast also. Of course it is Sunday. I can't put him thru any more. He is not having fun. I have spent a lot of today just loving on him. I know he has to poop, but I am not sure we can get him back outside again. Of all things, it Is snowing again. So it is skippy everyplace. I don't know if I should call our farm vet to just come out or give him till tomorrow to see. I would really like to not have to take him someplace. I am afraid I hurt him getting him in or out of car for vets yesterday. He is still pretty heavy for me to lift, so I have to get creative to get I'm in and out. He has to use that front leg to help. He goes to stand up an it starts sliding out from under him. He has eaten very well, his darn tail is still tappin the floor and he had a Kong and treats. He is tooting but I am not sure he can stand long enough to poop. I just do not know what to do. My husband is busy all day tomorrow so I will be on my own. There is no way I can take him anywhere to be pts. I can't stop crying. Why can we not get a break? I am so stinking angry!,!
I hate this disease. The thing is , he does not appear to have lung mets, his bloodwork is good and this morning when I decided that maybe his compression bandage was putting his leg to sleep so I cut it loose a bit.From the tiny bit I can see, the wound appears to be healing nicely. So why this now? Sorry it just helps to write on here. I am going to go now
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
I'm in chat now
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!
Ok ok ok. Breathe. Breathe.
First: I am sending you a HUG b/c I know you're alone. You're alone with Ty and your hubby is having a hard time dealing with this. Just when you need some support, too, you're alone. HUG. HUG. HUG.
Second: I'm intrigued that his tail is still wagging and he's eating. Those are good signs. Does he still have that sparkle in his eyes or is he miserable? That's important to know.
OK, so tell us b/c it's unclear: did you get him on the RIGHT antibiotic finally? It's CRITICAL that you keep him on the right one. That can only be determined by your office having done a culture and challenge assay. Which antibiotic is best? Is he on that one?
He's on prednisone? How many days?
You MUST get the phone number for your vet! Ty finally and clearly got some great care this past week - the vacu-pack and drugs were sublime! But, the practice sent him home knowing Ty is still critical. Did they give you the number of someone to call when things go bad? If not, demand it!
To help him move, have you set up a sling yet? A canvas shopping bag, cut down the seams helps a lot. You can support his chest and help him move by holding the handles of the bag. Does this help?
When you massage his front limb, does he express any tenderness? Any pain? Feel near his wound. I wonder if there's a buildup of fluid in there? Stick your nose in there again. Any rotten smells? I wonder if the healing wound there is causing some tightness or other weird feelings when he moves. So it might not be he "can't" put weight on his front leg, but he doesn't want to b/c it feels yucky. Help him move through that. Give his front leg a range-of-motion stretch. Massage in there. Get it moving all about. Let him feel you carefully, slowly guide his leg around.
I'm concerned that his infection has returned b/c he's not on the right antibiotic. You MUST find out which is the best one!!!
Until you can get that answer, I'd hang tight since his tail wags and he's doing OK....well, I'm assuming his mood is OK. If it's not...that's different.
Hang tight if he's OK. Keep him calm. Keep his meds going. Get some food and water in him. And when you can, get him outside to poo.
Come to chat!! I'll be in and out for the rest of the day, but my heart aches for you and I want to be there for you. You shouldn't feel so alone. We want to help.
~ 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!
DEEP.....DEEP.....BREATH! Poor thng, yoj are sooo overwhelmed and emotionaly exhausted! Keep n cominghere...kee n purging...keep on holdingto us.
Tymis earing!! Ty is wagging his tail!! That is an improvement..HUGE! I'm sipure it does exhaust him when he goes to the vet...emotionallh and physically! His wound is healing. His leg realy good be having issues because of the bandage...that makes sense to me.
And when a dog is exhausted or having walking issues, they will put off pooping as long as they can, which, of course, makes it worse. I rely do believe that's causing his "anxiousness"...his heavier breathing. bet when he does poop, that pattern will be more normal.
If he's not standing very well and has to pooh pooh in his little puppy pantts, he willl!
His leg could be sooo weak from ot using. He's never realy had time to rebuild his mobility before this infection hit..
So, let me ask you this.....if you were not so worried about gettinghim in the car...or taking him out to poop...would alleviating just those two things help reduce your stress and worry? The fact that he's eating with all those powerful meds is a HUGE VICTORY!!
You have answers now! You are on the road to getting this resolved. Keep reading Bud's link.
Sooooo, who can you call on to help him get around until his leg starts working again? A neighbor? Friend? Even the mailman? Maybe even a vet tech.....or even a mobile vet service. Are you takingnhim in for the blood work? Why couldn't a vet tech or a "mobile vet" come to the house for that?
Hang on!! We've got you!! LUCY.......WE'RE HERE!!!
Hgs and love!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
He just seems to have lost all his Ty.....ness
I am waiting till tomorrow, just to be sure. I think everyone thinks I am cruel for that. Even his backend seems weak. He is laying funny just real relaxed but not normal relaxed. He was cultured and the injectable antibiotic is the one his infection is sensitive to. He seems tender at the 1st joint after his paw. From what I can see looking
into his bandage, the wound looks good. He ate a TON today. My husband has helped to get him out to pee today. When I kind of press on his ankle he whines a bit. He seems in no pain just resting. He actually stood a bit outside. Realy relied on the sling "AKA the blue shopping bag"
Now is when I wish I would have gotten a real sling. I think I could have made it work even with his bandages. I have called a friend that does cremations and kind of talked with him as to what I want. Hopefully I am being premature, but want that stuff taken care of when I am not hysterical. Was wagging tail outside. Also, when I brought him his dinner. Hopefully the Prednisone and some rest will paint a different picture tomorrow. He has always been such a big presence, that it is breaking my heart to see him like this. He has gone from this big trapping 85 lb. Guy that drug me around on the end of his leash to a shadow of his former self. I now have to do the dragging. He got a Ty Taxi ride tonight. We had moved his bed into the laundry room for the day so that he did not have to walk as far to go outside. We drug his bed back into our room because that is where he always sleeps. I do not want him to feel punished or left alone although Lucy sleeps in there at night. I am having a deal of a time potty training her. She is the hardest dog I have ever had to potty train. The fact that she is a fair weather flower doesn't help. Anyhow, my husband is back and forth on tomorrow also. Maybe it is better if we do not know. Have a glimmer of hope for the AM.
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
You've come sooooooo far and you've seen him so much worse off! Isn't he so much better ......relatively speaking.....than before he went into the hospital?
You are seeing signs of recovery, right? He's only been home days and only on the right meds for a short time.
The leg could simply be sore from the injection.
It has to hurt you so much to see him like this. Check ith Ty...see if he wants to go on or give yp..
Sending you peace and clarity.
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Ohhhh wow I'm just catching up. I'm so sorry, you sound exhausted and who can blame you? This is a difficult situation but doesn't it seem like he's making bits of progress? Could this be just a minor temporary setback? Maybe he's sore from doing so much other than laying around at the vet's office? I don't know, I'm not there, but I just have all the hope in my heart that tomorrow is better for you. Please let your vet know, and keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I understand this physically and emotionally exhausting....
It was 3 weeks before I saw any Budness....and from what I'm hearing there are some really good things happening with Ty!
Eating, tail wagging, wound healing, good blood work...those are all GREAT things...
Still praying....hope you both feel better tomorrow!
Good morning
Just here to give you and Ty some support!
I agree with many of the posts here - Ty does seem to be doing a bit better in many areas. This last hurdle seems insurmountable but you will get there.
Both you and Ty are strong and courageous.....please don't let the naysayers get you down....I still get people the odd time that shake their heads when they see Tuck just because of the amputation.
Try to surround yourself with pawsitive and supportive people.....come here....we will help you celebrate the successes.
Good Luck today....I will continue to surround you with thoughts and prayers.
Hugs
Linda and Tucker
Morning! How are things? I hope at the very least, they are the same and not worse. I hope, too, that things are MUCH better!
Have you reached his vet yet to discuss his condition? To get some phone numbers? To see if you can finagle a mobile visit from them when things are questionable...or terminal?
Ok, enough of that terminal talk!!!!
I'm glad the shopping bag trick worked. I'm glad your hubby helped out some. I'm thrilled tails are wagging and he's eating! Did he eat some bfast today?
So when you say that injectable antibiotic is the one that works, is that b/c they've run a culture-challenge assay against his bacteria with it? Does he need anymore doses of that? Could any of these side effects (paw tenderness) be related to the new and mistaken antibiotic? Or, did you get him off Baytril and back to Clavamox (or, was it the other way around? I'm unclear about how this drug mix-up was solved. Or not?)?
Speaking of all his drugs, is he just on the antibiotic and things for his tummy? Or, is he on some anti-inflammatory, like metacam?
I'm HOPING SO BADLY that the night went OK and that things are either stable or better today!!!!
~ 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!
We're thinking of you and Ty today and hoping it's a good day for you.
Thanks fro the great insight Katy, those are awesome questions to ask.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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