Month: July 2013

One week pot-op and we’ve made such progress. There have been ups and dones. Yesterday the call came from our vet that the biospsy had shown osteosarcoma. We had known this would be the case deep down in our hearts. Our vet had prepared us, she had watched Porter’s surgery and and had examined the bone specimums after surgery. She had told us that the bone crunbled in her hands. So, we were upset but not surprised. She took time to talk with us several times on the phone, answering our questions and defining our options. Our appointment with the oncologist is on Tues. afternoon so we are determined to enjoy the weekend and deal with next week when it comes. I am making a list of questions to ask the oncologist. Any suggestions for things I should ask? In the meantime, Porter continues to heal and enjoy sniffing the outdoors air, roll in the grass and of course eat his food( dry, wet and cottage cheese). He loves it all!

Week 1 has been a roller coaster of ups and downs for us. This surgery has been especially hard for a senior dog. For us, Porter puts on a happy face and tries his hardest, I imagine to please us; And we are so thankful for such a big hearted companion! Yesterday while the dog sitter was there, Porter stumbled on a small step and fell on his incision. No harm done, but after getting up and going to the bathroom, he laid down in the grass and refused to move. He had to be carried back inside. Overall he is doing remarkably well but there are these little regressions that remind us of what an ordeal this surgery is for our dogs. Yesterday evening Porter had his first car ride since surgery. He went back to the vets to be shaved and have his last fentanyl patch applied. He walked to the car and only needed minimal help getting in and out of the car, less than before surgery. He is still eating and drinking well and his incision is healing nicely. Waiting…we are waiting for the dreaded biopsy report. Maybe tomorrow or early next week. And then decision time. Right now we are thinking we will not do chemotherapy if it is recommended.

Sunday night Porter was restless, crying and he kept waking up my son. Neither of them slept much. Porter had his pain patch changed Sunday evening so maybe he was feeling more uncomfortable until his new patch began working. On Monday morning both he and my son were tired. My son was able to go into work late that day. We had our dog sitter visit at mid day to check on Porter and he walked outside, laid on the grass and would go no further. I guess he was very tired! The dog sitter iced his incision outside, gave him water to drink and coaxed him back inside. When my son got home from work that evening, Porter had pushed his wicker crate just far enough for him to escape his small sleeping area in our kitchn and was asleep on the couch in our TV room. He got down when my son returned home( he is uually not allowed on the couch). The important thing was that he had done this 3 legged on his own. That evening, he ate all his food and sat next to my son all evening watching TV. That night, thankfully, he slept though the night and my son was able to go to work on time.

Porter is home from the hospital. He can walk for short distances very slowly but needs help with steps. He is eating small meals and drinking water. He is very tired today but only naps for short times.

Yesterday afternoon we talked to the surgeon. Porter’s surgery took the predicted 1 1/2 hours without complications. She described the bone as appearing abnormal and crumbling. She felt that it was bone cancer but would need to wait for the pathology report for confirmation of type. My son was able to visit Porter last evening in the Animal Hospital. Porter heard his voice, wagged his tail and tried to get up to greet my son. The staff assisted Porter to a standing position for a short time to walk closer to my son then helped him lay down next to my son. They spent about 10 minutes together.  The evening was spent preparing an area for Porter’s recovery at home. Installation of an air conditioner was a high priority due to the extreme temperatures in the Northeast. Porter will be living in a small portion of our kitchen for the next week or two to be close to family and the door to outside. Yesterday I searched online for a harness to fit a medium sized Golden Retriever. On most sites the larger sizes of the recommended Web Master Harness were backordered. Luckily, I found The Dog Outdoors website and was able to order the appropriate size. I added a note asking to expedite the order so we would have it on Porter’s return home. The owner of this company called me to say he had upgraded shipping at no cost to us to ensure the harness arrived asap. What a great, caring company! A complication I haven’t discussed yet: My husband and I have living in Germany, while my husband is on sabbatical until September so my adult son is caring for Porter in our absence. Today, Porter will come home….

Today begins our journey in the tripawd life of our dog, Porter. He is almost 13 years old and has failing eyesight due to a hereditary disorder. He has adapted to the loss of eyesight and still loves life. A little over a month ago he began limping, holding up his left paw but never showing any other signs of pain. He gradually lost his appetite and slept more and more. Our vet thought these symptoms were due to arthritis and gave him the anti-inflammatory medicine, rimadyl which helped for a short time. Two weeks later we asked for a refill which again relieved his limping for a short time. Another week passed and now our vet investigated further taking x-rays and giving him a physical exam as well. Sadly, the X-ray indicated early stage bone cancer. Several days later after blood work, chest x-rays and an ultrasound everything was clear of metastases and we were faced with the decision of whether to subject an elderly dog to this kind of surgery and rehabilitation. The alternative was dismal and in the end we opted for amputation of Porter’s left leg from the shoulder. Today is the day. We are waiting for the call from the orthopedic surgeon telling us the results of the surgery. Waiting is the hardest part.