Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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otisandtess said
Yes - Otis was put on daily Pepcid A/C during chemo # 2, came off about a month after his last chemo, and went back on for the Palladia. We also had Cerenia during the Palladia, but had not gotten into a rhythm on when to use it. I think Pofi takes the Cerenia about one hour before the Palladia every day he takes Palladia.
Yes, Christine and Sally are correct. Pofi seems to do best with Palladia if I give him Cerenia about an hour before Palladia. He takes 85 mg of Palladia. I did experiment and try with just Pepcid AC when I was out of Cerenia, but I felt like it was perhaps not as effective. Mainly, with just Palladia, he seemed like he was just uncomfortable enough mornings after to not want breakfast. With Pepcid, there was perhaps a little hesitation, but better than with nothing. With Cerenia, he eats in the mornings with the same level of interest as any morning.
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
I am SO relieved to hear this. I can only imagine how you must be feeling. Please let us know how you got on when you can.
Meg and Clare (and Elsie Pie) xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Hi there ❤️🐾
Sorry we are terribly late joining this thread I just read through it and am so glad your sweet boy is much, much better now 👍🏼
My girl Eurydice is 150lb so I can relate to how much more challenging recovery can be.
She only pooped about 5 days after surgery and I was terribly anxious until it happened 💩
Stay pawsitive and hang in there, recovery doesn't last forever, you are doing a great, great job 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Sending you lots of hugs and cuddles to your cutie 😘💩🐶❤️
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Hi everyone! (Warning: LONG POST!)
Sorry its taken me so long to post and update, its been such a roller coaster of ups and downs I feel like I can finally breathe again. So glad Aubrey you have seen the story! Ollie has been such a topic of conversation regarding Charlie's treatment since last Wednesday, I was hoping you would get wind of the influence you have had on Charlie's recovery.
Last Wed the trip to Friendship went well, Charlie was still a bit sloggy from the Ace the night before and calmly laid on my mother's lap the entire hour and 45 minute trip there through morning rush hour in DC (previously unheard of for him in the car). Upon arriving, the office manager (who is more like an upscale resort's conceirge and so sweet with every animal that arrives), Dr. Glassman, and his 2 associate DVM's, all welcomed us at the intake counter. After an exam that showed painful palpitation of his sciatic nerve area, Charlie had an ultrasound that determined both a large amount of fluid (seroma ) still in there, and an inflamed sciatic nerve. He had an ultrasound-guided injection of a combination of steroid, lidocaine-like medication, and a neuropathic pain medication. His antibiotics were extended for the fluid buildup still present. Dr Glassman suggested we wait on taking his staples out due to some crusting that was visible at the incision (from the fluid previously leaking a bit) and hold off on Chemotherapy for at least a week. The whole experience at this hospital is really beyond words. The vets care so much and are so attentive to not only your pet but to you. We were updated constantly of his progress, asked for our input, served beverages, and guided to a local eatery while we waited. After the procedure, his sciatic nerve area was not reactive to palpitation but could have been due to the pain meds that were administered to do the procedure that were still in his system. He came out a bit dysphoric and drugged and David the vet tech assisted with taking Charlie down the elevator and into our car in the garage and we were on our way. He finally conked out again and slept the whole way home.
So we were cautiously optimistic until Charlie came out of his sedation and pain meds about 4 hours later and was really uncomfortable and back to "flipping" the stump again, trying to get at the area, crying a bit and breathing hard. We got him back on his meds and tried to give Ace to allow him to sleep that night, but he was up every hour and continued to be painful the next morning. Dr. Glassman emailed me when he landed the night before from a conference, emailed me again that morning and then called me. We went over the options of either repeating the ultrasound to see if another area was inflamed, trying an additional antibiotic in case it's an infectious process, or possibly doing an MRI to see the nerves better. An additional surgery was considered a last resort since Ollie has a subsequent infection from his surgery so close to the first one. We were all so disappointed! He conferred with the anestheologist that it was unlikely he would have a flare up and delayed response that you would see with an injection into a joint so it was unlikely this was temporary. So we decided to add the new antibiotic as a first course of action. BUT, after sedating him with a bit more Ace that night, he had a great night and woke up the next morning with no flipping. We were all shocked! SO it really did seem like he was temporarily irritated by the injection and was on his way toward improvement. Hope, once again!
So now we are at friday morning where he goes to the oncology consult back at our Specialty practice. The oncologist wanted start chemo right away, seemed to think the whole thing was more of an inflammatory process, and took Charlie in the back and did an ultrasound of the fluid and took a culture to make sure it isn't MRSA (we find out Tuesday). She then handed him over to his original surgeon who apparently really manipulated the sciatic nerve area and we were warned he might be sore from it. I was very upset about this as he was finally showing improvement and that area was already tender at this point from the injection; further, it didn't serve any purpose for Charlie and I can't see why it was done at all other than to satisfy his curiosity. :/ The oncologist also said when she did the ultrasound and culture he seemed painful in the area of the fluid. So, needless to say, within an hour of arriving home he was starting to flip again and most uncomfortable. He continued to be painful, and that night we gave him his typical dose of Ace hoping he would rebound again. Unfortunately the Ace had a reverse effect this time and he was up the entire night, dysphoric and in pain, until about 5 am after administering his gabapentin and he fell asleep and continued to sleep almost the entire day (but stopped "flipping' in pain again!). Dr. Glassman emailed once again, (from his conference, on the weekend no less), that we could try Trazadone and he would see him Monday if needed for a repeat ultrasound. I told him I really felt that he is improving, he just sometimes needs to be calmed and sedated, especially after painful consultations.
So last night we definitely didn't give him the Ace again and anxiously waited to see how the night would go, we have had so many sleepless nights, its worse than when we had twins at this point! We took him for a short walk in the rain with our other Great Pyr to blow off any bad energy and move him a bit, then settled him between us on the bed and he had a great night! And now I can safely say it has been the first 24 hours of basically no painful flipping of the stump! I'm so scared to be optimistic but it really seems he is turning the corner. Its a slow, day to day process, but he has been able to improve from this nerve block. Friendship Hospital for Animals has been our saving grace. As Ollie's mom said, the past 2 weeks post surgery and not being able to alleviate his pain has been truly horrible. I think Charlie was just sensitive to the injection and/or the sciatic area being palpated so much for the first 24 hours and then would have improved there and then but had a subsequent painful visit with the oncologist and original surgeon 48 hours later and became painful again. Really hoping this is it.
Thanks to all for your care, thoughts, and suggestions. If you want to see his story posted on their facebook page, here is the link: https://www.fac.....38;fref=nf
Mary Beth, Charlie & Family
Wow. Thanks for updating. I have been thinking of you and Charlie. I'm so pleased that they treated you so well at Friendship, not just Charlie but you as well. You've been through such a huge ordeal, and these things make such a difference.
I can understand totally why you are cautious, but 24 hours without flipping is HUGE. Let's hope it's the start of a continued improvement and that you are finally coming out of this terrible time. My thoughts are with you and Charlie.
Meg and Clare (and Elsie Pie) xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, November 2023, adopted January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Elsie Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Great news! I hope he continues to improve!
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Tears of joy over here!!!! So happy to hear this upadate. Matt (the concierge you referred to) is like a second dad to Oliver. He's SO SWEET. Friendship is the best, and I'm so happy that you went there and they gave u the peace of mind u needed. I'm crossing my fingers that this is it. God, I know those sleepless and helpless nights all too well. Here's to sleep and recovery!
Me too! Jappy tears! Me too!!
We were all on the roller coaster of ups and downs as we read through this lost. I can only imagine what it felt like to you!!
And I don't. blame you one vut for being angry when the Onco, etc insisted on prodding him all over sgain!! Hands off!!! Charlie is not to be hurt just because you Onco guy are "curious"! Okay...I'm off my soapbox now!!
To hear he is doing so much better has me grinning ear to ear!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 We salute you for the extraordinary strength and determination you jave shown through this horric ordeal!!!
Charlie and Ollie really have enlightened us all on the twists and turns of this journey!!!
Lotslts and lots of love to ALL
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!
Whoooooaaaaah. That's quite a time you've had, how exhausting for all of you! But I am THRILLED that you were able to get some excellent care at Friendship. Sometimes it takes a village to find the cause of painful recovery situations like this, and all that you've done to get other input and help seems to be working for Charlie, as it did for Ollie too. LOVE IT.
We are all rooting for sweet Charlie, and send all our love for more great days and nights ahead. Keep us posted OK?
Oh and if you ever feel like leaving a review of Friendship Hospital, you can do it here.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Oh Yeahhh!!!! I've been watching for an update on Charlie! Hopefully, things will all be uphill from here!
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Hooray! I've been thinking of you, hoping things would improve and they have!! Hooray!
Wishing you and Charlie smooth sailing from here on!
Teri and Isa
Right rear leg amp 7/12/16 due to OSA. Metastatic lesion on her right front leg, January 2017. Joined the Winter Warriors January 19, 2017. Run free my sweet girl.
How's Charlie doing?
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
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