Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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You got it!! complete with photo session! See Nurse Lucy standing guard? He is doing pretty good. Seems a bit off today, tired, not up as much. We decreased his Prednisone from 15 AM and 10 PM to 10 and 10. Just a trial. Thinking I should go back up and just let it be. I was the one who suggested going down. He weighs 69 lbs. I am worried it will max out his kidneys. His urine looks a bit "soapy". Is that a normal dose? I guess I am thinking in human terms again. Eating well and stealing shoes. It is also raining here, wonder if that would make him stiffer? Plus, he took himself on a nice long walk again yesterday. He wants so bad to get down to the barn. it is like he has a burst of energy for a few days and then sort of crashes. Guess that is the nature of this ugly beast we call cancer. Happy Friday all!!!! Lori and TY
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.
Wooohooo! You look even more sparkly today Ty!
I think the changing dosages of pred could have something to do with your ups and downs too, check with your vet on that.
You'll get to the barn before you know it and chasing all the critters around!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Yes! My daily dose of Ty! Ty is my guy! Neon green is a good color for him! Keep on stealin' shoes, big guy. Take 'em all and demand ransom!
I'd check the dosage with your vet. I'd also find out if changing the dose by itself has side effects. Is there a 'withdrawal' aspect to it? If there is too much steroid on board, you should also clarify what those side effects are, including 'soapy' urine. Could that urine be b/c he's not had much to drink today? Or too much?
We certainly saw that 1 "active" day post-amp was followed by at least a day of nearly 100% naps. He's still recovering quite a bit. All in all, he's SOOOOO much better!
P'SHAW to the nay sayers out there....
~ 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!
I have found a pea size lump on his remaining front leg. Seems soft and very movable. I guess it is what it is. I will have vet check it next week. I am sure she will want to take it out or something. I am too afraid of more mrsa. I keep telling myself I said no more. But what if........? Does not seem to be painful to him when I touch it. Always something. Funny thing is if he did not already have cancer, I probably would not have noticed it. He had one on his side before and it went down. Maybe a lymph node or just something from a blood draw. I sure am hoping. Cannot do another tumor after all this fighting. Can't can't can't!
I feel so protective of that remaining front leg. He did get up and do his "Big Dog" bark at some company. Does anyone else's dog spend most of his or her time laying on their bed? Maybe he does not mind it. I feel so guilty when I leave the house that he is just laying there. I went through a period where I did not want to leave at all, but life calls, responsibilities await and I have pretty much worn out everyone's patience for my trying to be home all the time. I am sure there are those here who know what I am feeling. I feel that all his well being and happiness depends on what I do or do not do for him. Just feeling a tad stressed today.
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.
Don't freak! Breathe. It's soooo minor right now.
But, show it to your vet next time you're in. In the meantime, take a photo of it and maybe even measure it. Might you want to trim the fur around it to make ID easier and measurements/photos better?
I wonder if that's where they drew blood from? Or, it is an 'old man' lump? Jackson has one. If we're lucky, he'll develop more!
Jackson sleeps and rests 90% of the day. We play hard for about 15min the AM and again at night. In between then, there are some walks and he's moving about the home to another spot to sleep. That's always been his MO. I'd say there's probably 1 day a week where we don't play or only play once. Then again, there are days when we play 4x/day. Whatever he's up for, I'm game!
I know when J is gone, I'll wish we spent more time together. That's always the case! But when he's sleeping for most of it, I guess I'm not missing much? Right? Well, I'll still get up and walk to him to wake him up with a random kiss or hug. Those random moments are usually brought on by this site! A bad day here means J gets more kissy-face from me. hehehehe.
Life goes on and that's a good thing! Don't feel guilty about leaving Ty. Not only does he need to rest, but he needs alone time too to contemplate his belly button. When you're home, as long as you're there and present with him, that's what matters! Moreover....um....you were there and have been there thru his ROUGHEST times! You are a superb mom! Holy cow!!!! Now that he's stable, go get a massage. And thank yourself that you're able to do this...otherwise without your support and love and devotion, you might be bedside to a sick dog. Your support got him thru this! Get that massage!
~ 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!
You are such an amazing Mom to Ty. You give him so much love and wonderful care. You need to be able to get out sometimes to do "normal, human" things. That will help you be more focused on Ty when you are home. If he's happy resting on his bed most of the time, I'm sure he's just napping while you're gone, and I bet you coming though the door when you get home gives him a burst of energy and joy that he wouldn't get if you were home with him all the time!
Try not to panic about the lump...and I know that easier said than done. But sometimes a tiny lump is just a benign tiny lump!
With love,
Carol
Yup, your feelings are what most folks here have felt, I don't think there's a single person here who hasn't felt guilty about leaving their furkid behind for a bit. It's good to normalize your routine and get back to the way things were, I'll bet Ty is relieved to know that life is normal again.
As for the lump, it could be anything. Keep your vet informed but don't panic, most of the time they're nothing serious.
Enjoy your weekend, you sure deserve it.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Ty looks sooooooo good!! NONTHING WRONG WITH THAT BOY! Well, of course unless you factor in he's otnly recovering from major surgery, amutation, more surgeries, lengthy hospital stays AND MRSA !
Of couse he's a little off every now and then!! Ad my dogs are definitely affected by rainy days too.
I agree with eeryone, go n and get out of the house some, dogs sleep 80%-90% fo the time anyway!
What's th purpose of thr Pred? Is it treatment for MRSA ? Inflammati ?
I'm sure doseage depends on the purpose.
As you know, in Hap Hannah's case it's to reduce any iflammation caused by that piece of crap thingin her lung.
Happy Hannah started out a few days on 20mg. twice a day.....123lbs., Athen down to 20 mg. once a day........on my own, I now give her 10 mg. in am and 10 mg. in pm
I have tried just 10 mg. once a day but went back to 10mg twice.......shehas a lot of "swelling" ...don't know if Pred auses it...or reduces it! Catch 22!
Hapoh Hannah has had o e or two grape size lumps, as well as bigger ones for many many months...nothing the vet was worried about for various reasons
Just celebrate the victories yo are hsving Lori!! You and urse Lucy have brought Ty back from the edge and into a life where he feels good and is enjoying life again!! TY IS ENJOYING LIFE AGAIN!!!
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!
I was absolutely THRILLED to see this headline!!!
So very good for you and for Ty!
So glad that you both kept going!!!
Each day a bit stronger!
Hope the bump/lump is nothing...do keep us posted!
He actually has 2 lumps. I WILL NOT do chemo!! His body is just too worn out to go through any more. His head is so skinny, the vet says it is muscle wasting. his whole body just looks so skinny. It is hard, he is eating ok though. Yesterday, my daughter came over and compared him to an old lady on life support
She says that Ty isn't there any more. My youngest however, was thrilled with his progress. He took a good (I felt too long) walk yesterday. My husband said if he goes like that, at least he will be happy. He did look pretty happy bouncing down the lane with his tongue hanging out and ears flapping. He was just breathing very hard and had a real fast heartbeat when we got back. Seems ok today, maybe a bit tired, and I had to make him eggs this AM. Ate regular food this afternoon though. Does anyone know of any good remedies for the muscle wasting? I am trying to give him plenty of protein, fish oils, k9 immunity, Apocaps
( just starting so have on 2 1xday) and probiotics. I know the Pred. does not help, but unsure what to do there. We have to do a washout if we decide Metronomic and I am really unsure how he will do. Both times I took his dose down from 15 AM- 10 PM to 10 and 10, he kind of crashed. Not sure if that is just something we have to work through or if I just keep him on it from now on. I kind of feel that his internal med. DR is more or less finished with me since I decided no chemo. Like ,Your dog is going to die now anyway because you made this awful decision, so just don't bug me. He goes back to surgeon Wed to get last staple out, so maybe she will be able to provide a bit of help. I do not really want to show her the lumps because it will be measure, take biopsy, take out, MRSA
again. They do not seem to be changing any. They are soft. Just so not sure.
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.
Awww. Sorry to hear this. Ty is still doing REALLY well! And just b/c you found lumps doesn't mean they are cancer or MRSA . Since you know you won't treat them, just ignore 'em! Yeah, maybe easier said than done? I still encourage you to take an initial measurement and/or photo. You never know if having them documented would be good to have...one day.
For neck strength, how about more exercise? Have him track your hand with a treat or something in it? Have him hold his head up, to the left, right, down, and back? Sorta like human "neck rolls"! Keep the protein levels up! But know that too much protein can upset tummies and sometimes also backfire in pee. Take it slowly. Giving him eggs is great! Keep it up!
Sorry your vet is being kinda rude with the attitude. Not helpful!
The supplements you're on is superb! All those should help and certainly not hurt. You're really doing an excellent job! REALLY!
Maybe take it another month of this great diet and supplement routine and increased exercise to see if metronomic therapy is right? He still went through a crazy ordeal and has a lot of healing and strength to regain. Give him more time and love. He'll come around!
~ 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!
Fire his Internal Med. Dr....no notice...You're fired!
"Muscle wasting" is not "painful" or "suffering"...kt probavl is "residue" from EVERYTHING Ty has gone tnrough..
And from everything we've read here' TY is DEFINITELY still Ty!! More so than he has been for months! External negativity from others is merely because teyjave not seen Ty every second of everyday like you and yor husband have...and Ty has IMPROVED amd overcome seemngly insurmountable odds!!
Nolw go celebrate the victories with TY!!
Love!
Sally and Happy Hannah
PS...You do NOT in anyway, shape or form have to jave those lumps "checked"! Yo are in charge lf your dog... not the vets! But I think they should know that by now!
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!
yeah ditto everything Katy must said!
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!
Always remember only you know Ty best, nobody can tell you what is best for him. If you don't want to pursue any more treatments that is OK. So like Katy said, if you don't want to deal with the bumps because you know you won't treat them, that's fine, just have a game plan for what you will do if they do start affecting his mobility. I hope they won't.
Muscle wasting is common in all dogs fighting cancer, it's called "cachexia." Dr. Wiltzius has some advice about coping with it:
Cancer cachexia usually occurs because the tumor is using the body to "feed" itself (much like a parasite) so there is not enough energy available to sustain the dog. You are already feeding a high protein/low carb diet which is good but offering multiple meals might help him to put on some weight. Cachexia is not present with all cancers so it is possible that it is something else. I'm sure that your vet will do bloodwork when he goes for his recheck.
I have had success using anabolic steroids for this condition (nandrolone or Winstrol are most commonly used in vet. med.). Your holistic vet might have something more natural that acts in a similiar way.
- See more at: http://tripawds.....xia/#p8679
Keep in mind that some people don't see a dog's life stages quite the same way you or this community does. The enlightened people of the Tripawds nation know that as much as we would all love for our dogs to be young and vibrant and healthy forever, that isn't reality. As they age, changes happen, like losing a limb, cancer, etc. It's a pet parent's duty and honor to be there for them at all stages of their lives and make them as happy a possible. You are doing a great job at that! And even though he is slower at this point, that doesn't mean he isn't loving life. You know how to gauge his quality of life best, nobody else.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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