Category: Uncategorized

Baby it’s hot outside, but I still love getting my rays on.

I felt like sleeping in today.  Mom and Dad were up at 6:30 to feed the rest of the pack, but I just didn’t want to muster the energy to get up till almost 11.  Sundays are for relaxing after all.   My plans are to chill outside in the beautiful sunshine, until it gets too hot, then inside for more R&R.   Hope your Sunday is beautiful too.   Tomorrow is no guarantee but the present looks pretty amazing.

Once my Mom figured out something that I wanted to eat, I started feeling much better.   My energy was surging just hours after I gobbled up that chicken earlier.  She also threw in a turkey hot dog.  Yum yum!!  I really could eat my grain free dog food, but I learned if I refuse to eat that, she gives me WAY better stuff.  Boy do I have her fooled.  http://youtu.be/bNSj_ykFtNA

 

Well, the vomiting has resolved but the appetite is still MIA.  The go to eggs did not work, tried the chicken broth warmed over food, no go!  Finally decided to open a can of chicken breast, that got his attention.  He ate 1/2 a can last night and another 1/2 this am.  Poor guy has never been a big eater, so hard to watch him push his food away and refuse to eat.  At least he is drinking plenty of water.

Poor Sarge had a rough evening/night/morning.  I called the vet and went and picked up an injection of Cerenia.  Sure hope this helps!  Also starting Metronidazole for diarrhea.  Carbo was way easier than this. Sarge was so brave and didnt even flinch with his injection.  Such a brave boy. 

http://youtu.be/eO8s951XjZY

I left my toy on the front porch.   My Mom can be kind of slow sometimes, she was convinced I wanted to go hopping around outside, but she finally figured it out.  :o)  Love my hedgehog.

My friends came to visit today.   He is such a sweet kid, he hand picked a toy for me and boy did he get it spot on.  Squeaky toys are my favorite!   I just need to make sure my bratty siblings don’t shred it.  I’m appreciative of my toys, but my crazy housemates tear everything up, it’s so annoying.    I’ve carried it around refusing to put it down for the last several hours, the “others” can’t be trusted.   I even took it with me outside to go potty.  Did I mention I love squeaky toys?

I sure do not want to jump the gun on the celebratory happy dance here, BUT what has been a roller-coaster from day one has turned into an amazing survival story.   From the very first day that Sarge broke his leg, our world was spinning with frustration, anger and fear.  Then the DX of Osteosarcoma came and I just couldn’t bare the thought of removing his leg.  Then I came across this site and it gave me hope, hope that amputation could be the right decision.  I can honestly say for the first week post op, I completely doubted my decision on an almost hourly basis.  Then when Sarge started to become more active and strained his back leg, I was completely convinced I had savagely put my beloved best friend, who trusted me beyond everyone else in this world, through a living hell.

Then the seroma started after chemo and I was “doubting” yet again.  Then it was if a light switch went off, or the chemo started working, because my baby is back and he is better than he was 6 months before the pathological fracture!  I am beginning to think, looking back, that some of the lethargy I was observing, could have been due to the un-diagnosed cancer, beginning to wreak havoc in his body.

Sarge is now literally hopping, and jumping and begging to play, which he had not been doing for some time prior to the break.  

I hope someone out there, that finds themselves in the same unfortunate situation as I did, can read this and know that there is hope!  I can tell you that this journey comes with many twists and turns, ups and downs and many doubtful moments.  Had we not decided to at least TRY, I would have always doubted that decision too.  Not every case is the same, not every recovery is the same and not every story has a fairy tale (tail) happy ending.

We have no idea how many days, weeks, months or YEARS we will be blessed to have Sarge with us, but what I do know is I will treasure every butt wiggling minute we have together and his time with us will be the best years of his life.

If only we had the ability to load up and take off on an amazing adventure like Jerry did… Can you imagine a road trip with 5 dogs and 2 kitties!!!! Now that is a picture! 

Sarge went on a little trip around the yard this am.  This is the most he has been active since his amputation!  Even my neighbor was amazed at his progress!

 

 

 

Dr. Streeter said that there should be no reason for concern with swelling this late after amputation as long as he is acting OK and does not have a fever.  I advised her via phone conversation that it was VERY swollen and oozing, but she assured me as long as fluid is pink and clear, no worries.  I almost wanted to hear she would advise a drain because it looks just terrible, but I know she knows best.  So, for now, we will press on with the warm compresses and washing LOTS of towels!  :o)  Sarge got to lay in the sunshine and munch on his venison leg this afternoon.  He really seems to be in great spirits.  It is kind of funny when the vet(s) asks about his energy level…. he has ALWAYS been a very low activity boy.  We even screened him for thyroid disease at one point because I have never had such a chill young dog before.  I just say he is his typical “lethargic self”.  :o)