Category: Post-op

All you need is LOVE!

Sarge 8

This Handsome boy is 8 months post cancer diagnosis!  Yesterday offered a wonderful early Valentines gift.  Sarge had gained a much needed 10 lbs!  Sarge had shown concerning weight loss the last 3 visits, while receiving carboplatin treatments, so his veterinarian (Dr. Heintz) wanted us to keep a close eye on that.  With the help of the things he loves; peanut butter, scrambled eggs and lots of chicken to go on his grain free food, we packed the pounds on.   He is now a perfect 90 lbs!  The vet could not have been more pleased with his progress and said he looked amazing!  Sarge is always excited to go to the vet hospital and just loves everyone there.  His attitude has been stellar throughout this entire process.  Sarge has always had a gentle, loving, calm demeanor, and a contagiously brilliant personality.   Obviously a result of lots of love and effective training by Mom… Ok, in reality, probably his Mastiff/Boxer genetics.  Sarge greets everyone in the office, then lays down next to Dr. Heintz and allows him to preform whatever needs to be done that day.

Dr Heintz said that even though we have completed the 6 scheduled chemo treatments back in December, he recommends that we revisit chemo about every 3 months as maintenance.  Sarge did not tolerate the adriamycin, so we opted to utilize single drug regimen. Due to the fact sarge tolerates carboplatin so well, we do not have fear in continuing to do this and hope it will prolong his healthy, happy, fire pit loving, cancer-free days.

I know these days wont last for ever, and I am fully aware that Osteosarcoma returns, but for now, we are basking in the reality that he is pain-free, loving life, spreading his crazy perfect love to everyone he meets and filling the role of being his Mommies very best friend!  My life will just not be the same with out my pawsome canine son.

I love you and am so very proud of your brave warrior spirit and lack of fear in the face of this often terrifying process.  You are an inspiration to anyone facing life struggles.

On Valentines day we will spend the day basking in the unseasonably spectacular 75 degree weather, before the cold front and snow hits on Monday.

 Here is to another day of celebrating LIFE!

A life filled with unconditional LOVE!

 All you need is LOVE!

Sarge8

Better to “hop on 3 than limp on 4”. AMEN!!!

I have always loved cooler weather.

My energy level was so high this morning and I begged my Mom for a walk.

I think she was a little nervous I might hurt my back leg again, or tucker out too fast, but I kept pushing the issue, she finally gave in,  and OFF we went.

I showed her!

This is just what I needed to make my first real walk perfect!!

Check me out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqIt_UFMi3s

Rough couple of days.

I am very concerned about our Sarge (I was told this would happen).  He was understandably under the weather on day 1 one (second day post op),  but day 3 he was up and around, doing his boxer wiggle when we would come into the room, he had a sparkle in his eye and a little bounce in his step.  He literally was improving hour by hour.  His progress was amazing to me.  The last 2 days he has actually regressed and it seems that every hour is a struggle.  He was having no issues standing up, walking outside to go potty and was even begging to go for a walk with his housemates.   We stayed with him or had his grandpawrents stay with him,  the last 2 days we have left him alone for a few hours at a time.

I almost fear he is favoring his back leg and he will turn around and almost nip at his knee.  OF course I am now wondering if his knee has taken too much of a beating.    Also some of the areas around the incision are “twitching“.  We now are having to carry him out to potty and all he does is potty and look at us to go back inside to lay down.  I called the vet and they seemed to be unconcerned.   He was drinking out of his water dish, and I am now having to drop water in his mouth with a 10cc syringe, also he will no longer eat without us hand feeding him extra special yummies.  

Please tell me that a significant regression like this is all part of the process and not something to raise concerns!  Reading others posts, I see that 2 weeks can be a turning point.  I might just need to wait and let this time pass.  It just makes me depressed to see him act so depressed.   I know a lot of websites say dogs do not get “depressed”  that we humanize our babies.  I feel strongly that this is not true.    We hear of dogs refusing to eat and starving to death after the loss of their human loved one or a fellow fur buddy…. that is depression.

SO ready for 2 weeks to get here…. then the chemo starts. :oZ