Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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More love and support from Brody and me in Sacramento. These must be agonizing days for both you and Mac. There are no easy decisions or answers at this point. Time will tell and help dictate what direction to take. Look in Mac's eyes and you may be able to see the answer. As so many have said, you are not alone. You have a whole community of support here and in the universe.
Brody and Pat
Hey Jacki,
Ugh – family! Mine have been almost perfect on the subject of Yoda, but there certainly are other topics I work hard to avoid with some of them. Your sister means well, of course, but she doesn' t know Mac like you do, she hasn't been through all this with him from the beginning. Even if it is time, or nearly time, it's really silly for her to think she can walk in for a visit and assess the situation better than you. There are ups and downs to consider and lots of reasons to doubt. So do your best to let what she said go and not influence you either way (I know hearing something like that for me would be a good way to get a knee-jerk "no way is he ready to go yet!" response).
I had the same struggle over whether to try and pursue holistic treatment with Yoda after the lung mets were found. I wanted to pursue something, but didn't have much left to go on and certainly didn't want to use up money I might need later for any unforseen complications, you know? Plus, picking one, without having much luck finding info on which holistic vets in the area were competent and trustworthy, was intimidating. So I pretty much let it go (I did get K-9 Immunity and Transfer Factor though, so that I was trying something new) and in hindsight, yeah, I really have needed that money I held onto for his conventional care at the Vet School.
I know you've probably tried everything, but for hiding pills, liverwurst is currently working (knock wood) brilliantly with Yoda. Besides having less of an appetite, he became way more sensitive about whether there were pills hidden in the treats I was giving him (wet food, hot dogs, hamburger – all of which he's happy to eat without pills) and would spit them out. But with liverwurst he gulps it all down. So, just throwing out one more suggestion, in case you haven't tried it and it could help make taking the pills easier.
More thoughts and prayers comin' your way!
Yoda&Mom united: 9/5/06 …….… Yoda&Leg separated: 6/5/09……… Yoda&Leg reunited: 10/14/09 ……… ……………….………….………….……. Yoda&Mom NEVER separated! …………………….….……....….…… Though Spirit Yoda currently free-lances as a rabbit hunting instructor for tripawds nationwide
Huge hugs to you both Jackie and Mac! Hope today will be better. Best thoughts for you!
A friend of ours uses the pill 'toss' theory. She cuts up pieces of hot dog, chuncks of burger, whatever you want to use to hide the pill. Toss a chunk with nothing in it, toss another chunk with nothing in it, when he's swallowing without chewing, toss one with the pill. Follow by another one or two without.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Jacki,
I'm so sorry to hear about everything that's been going on with Mac. I don't know what else to tell you. You are doing everything you possibly can! I'm also sorry about your sister's comments. I know that many of my friends and family are probably thinking the same thing about me and my Jake, but luckily so far, they haven't told me to my face. If they did, they would be incredibly sorry... Obviously, your sister doesn't understand. She is not on this forum, doesn't live with Mac, so how could she possibly know what he's thinking?!! Please don't take her comments to heart. Only YOU will know when it is time to stop everything... You are Mac's mommy... and know what's best for him.
I also worry about what's to come with Jake. We're already so strapped for cash with just his amputation... I can't even think about what we will do afterwards, when the time comes. I know you've probably already heard it all... but have you tried coating your meds with tons of peanut butter, then shoving them down Mac's throat? He'd be licking the peanut butter afterwards and it would help him swallow his meds... plus give him a little extra energy...
I don't have any other words of wisdom for you... but I just want you to know that I'm thinking about you and am sending good thoughts and lots of prayers your way!!
Jake's Mom
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
Tripawds don't worry about what's to come. Doing your best to make the most of every moment with them at all times is the best thing you can do.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Whoops! Should have known liverwurst was too good to be true. Just an FYI, Yoda's liverwurst had onion powder in it and onion is toxic. Yoda probably didn't get enough to hurt him, but it is not the great recommendation I thought it was for hiding pills - unless you can find some without onion in it. Fortunately, Yoda's appetite seems to be improving to the point that he's letting me hide his pills in wet food again without spitting them out. Phew!
Yoda&Mom united: 9/5/06 …….… Yoda&Leg separated: 6/5/09……… Yoda&Leg reunited: 10/14/09 ……… ……………….………….………….……. Yoda&Mom NEVER separated! …………………….….……....….…… Though Spirit Yoda currently free-lances as a rabbit hunting instructor for tripawds nationwide
You guys are so wonderful with your thoughts and prayers.
Mac won't take pills in any food at all, even meat, nowadays...he won't even eat food barely at all. So it's been just the manual push down throat and squirt water technique for a while now. I saw jakesmom's suggestion about coating it first with peanut butter. I tried that several times to get him to take a pill to no avail, but I haven't tried it when shoving it down manually to get some extra calories. I'll try tomorrow......man he's gonna have peanut butter on his whole face and neck fur I can see it now lol. I just don't want him to try and chew the pills cause that will bring them forward on his tongue and he'll spit them out. We'll see. I wish manufacturers would coat the white powdery pills better--if they spit them out then they're basically dissolved somewhat already and crumble, and man do they taste bitter...especially the metronidazole. Poor Mac gags and shakes his head when that one crumbles in the back of his mouth.
Jack stopped taking his pills in peanut butter once he figured out he could lick off the tasty goodness and spit the pill back out. Then I tried butter and it works like a charm. He takes them on the first go-round and comes back for more. I spread a glob on the pill and put some on my fingers so when he takes the pill, he keeps licking my fingers for more butter which makes him swallow the pill. It's pretty awesome 🙂
Jackie and Mac, you are in my prayers and I know if Koda was to meet him he would be fussing all over him to help him. Jackie you may feel like nothing is working but you are doing everything you can, in your power and Mac knows that.
Don't forget to stop and enjoy the time you have with him! I have to box up the part of my brain which stresses sometimes and put it away so that I can enjoy Koda, and be happy and laugh with him.
Thinking of you guys,
Storm and Koda:)
Jackie and Mac,
I can't believe I missed this yesterday! I'm so sorry you are going through all of this!!! Cancer SUCKS!
I'm sorry about your family not being very supportive. I know that is hard. With my family, after we amputated, they have never questioned it, but I know they don't agree. The other thing that drives me bonkers is the way that they look at him with pitty in their eyes. "Oh poor McGwire, he's so sad, blah blah blah." Poor McGwire, my tush! He's our rock star! He now is the talk of the neighborhood and loves all of the extra attention he gets. He eats better than we do, and gets away with murder! Don't pitty him! Your sister's comments were totally out of line, and even though I'm sure she said them out of love, were just plain cruel!
I'm also more of a supporter, not an expert, but I have to say this: when you decided to amputate, you made that decision based on all of the information that you had at the time. Turns out, he has hemangiosarcoma not osteosarcoma and his other issues (kidney, liver, these skin things) aren't helping the situation at all either, but 7 weeks ago, you didn't know all of that would happen. You made the best decision that you could at the time. Now you have to look at the information you have now and make the decisions. You can't look back and berate yourself for amputating and 'putting him through all this for nothing', you've got to look at the present and the future. It may be spending the money for holistic treatment, or it may be other decisions, but we are here for you! Like has been said before, we can't make those decisions for you, but we totally support you in whatever decisions you need to make. It just sucks that we have to make them at all!!!
((HUGS))
Amy and the other Mac
I would shove Shilo's pills in hotdogs, and for awhile it worked. Once she caught on to that though she would just spit the whole thing out cause she really wasn't wanting to eat at the time either. I finally found cutting a small hotdog slice sticking the pill in it, and putting it in her throat to swallow seemed to work well and she didn't fight me.. Now of course in order for her to eat hotdogs you have to open the middle to she can see there are no pills....
Our thoughts and prayers are with you I know how scary it is when you are trying to do everything you can but, worry if it is the right thing. You know here any decision made is in the best interest of our babies and we all understand that. You are doing what you need to do for Mac don't feel guilty about any of that. Mac knows you love him and it is clear to all of us here that you love him too..
Shilo & Alisa
Shilo diagnosed with osteosarcoma 9/4/2009, amputation 9/9/2009. ShiloAnne lost her battle 11/23/2009 where she regained her fourth leg and is patiently waiting for her parents to join her. We will always love you baby girl.
Jacki
I don't know if this is any help at all, but I just read this Dr. Dressler post about stomach upset and tumors. He talks about some simple, relatively inexpensive ways to help alleviate nausea and diarrhea. Hope it's useful.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Well Mac was eating a little bit better for the past couple of days…mostly bologna and beggin strips. The peanut butter on the pills just made the pills stick to my hands and the regular butter was a no-go so I bought one of those long dispensers that look like tampon applicators and it's worked pretty well. The newest problem is that he's been crying a lot and not able to get up on his hind leg like he has been. We've gone back to helping him up and down like soon after the surgery. I don't know why he can't get up…he might just be too weak, or in pain, or too depressed.
Those cysts that are either hemangiomas or hemangiosarcomas are now up to almost 10. And they keep getting bigger. They're on his neck, shoulders, armpits, foot, chest, side. I had another emotional defensive argument with my mom when I mentioned how he hasn't wanted to get up in the past day and the new growths and she said he should be euthanized. I'm just so spent cause now it seems like he's being taken over with blood tumors. I am in the process of scheduling another ultrasound (the doctor didn't call me back) to see if it looks good or if it looks like a bomb has gone off inside him. I did some research to see what other appetite stimulants and energy stimulants were out there and B12 shots were mentioned so I scheduled one tomorrow morning so I'll see how that goes.
I'm just…so frustrated with doctors and everything. That one holistic doctor at South Paws never got back to me when I called almost 2 weeks ago and again yesterday. The receptionist just said "he hasn't responded to your message yet but I'll ask him again". And trying to find out about donating Mac is going badly since several people haven't responded to my repeated emails.
What Amy said about me doing the best thing at the time is true. I really try to tell myself that because I couldn't have known how it was gonna go down but one of my really bad personality flaws is always looking back on things in the past. I am bad with decisions and always ask what if. Little things like "Should I have gotten the soup instead of the pasta?" to "If I had started him on chemo right away would he be doing better now?" Tazzie made a point of his age, and I am so unbelievably grateful that he's lived 13 healthy years. He's been my only friend and my life for 13 years. It's my silver lining….still, he's all I got. Soon I'll have nothing.
So, if Amy (macsmom) or Heather (Zeus) would like to meet Mac….to say hi and/or goodbye…we should probably meet up soon.
I'm so sorry that you're both struggling so right now, Jacki.
I understand how it feels like you'll have nothing when he's gone. I'll most likely be living alone again when Yoda passes and that's scary. I had felt a little safer before that my roommate's dog would be around because even though he's not my boy, there would be less emptiness in the house. But they'll be moved out by the end of the week. I know from when my last dog passed, that you expect to see them out of the corner of your eye, or expect to hear them get up when you do, etc. It's really hard. But, if you can press on and hold on to the good memories, you can be there for another pup, who needs your love and care, when you're ready. From personal experience, I'll just offer, that after the time comes, it may help to reach out to an animal shelter/humane society to help exercise the dogs there or something like that.
Also, it's rotten that doctors are being unresponsive! We and our dogs can't fight cancer alone, we need the professionals. I'll pray that they get a wake up call and help you with your tough decisions asap!
Yoda&Mom united: 9/5/06 …….… Yoda&Leg separated: 6/5/09……… Yoda&Leg reunited: 10/14/09 ……… ……………….………….………….……. Yoda&Mom NEVER separated! …………………….….……....….…… Though Spirit Yoda currently free-lances as a rabbit hunting instructor for tripawds nationwide
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