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Willow's Journey

Sep 09

Willow’s bone biopsy results came back Saturday (9/5/15) morning to confirm that the mass seen on the x-ray was in fact osteosarcoma. I was working for the clinic when they came in. I was really hoping I wouldn’t be there. I couldn’t help but run to the bathroom and cry. I wanted to leave. We were really holding on to the tiny chance that this could not be cancer. But now it’s a terrifying reality.

Dr. Ward called me yesterday (Tuesday, 9/8/15) while I was in class but I could never actually get a hold of him before he left the clinic.  I think he was assuming I had not seen the biopsy results yet and was going to break the news to me.

We scheduled her amputation surgery for Monday (9/14/15) morning with Dr. Vice at Gainesway Small Animal Clinic. We decided to go with her normal doctor instead of Dr. Ward due to the price. We also opted to do laser surgery in hopes it makes things a little easier. We are actually very eager to have the surgery so it will remove the main source of her pain.

Willow still isn’t eating near as much as she should be. The people of Bluegrass Barkery have been amazing! I have been taking her there as much as I can in hopes to lift a spirits a little and hopefully find a food she will actually eat. I explained to them that she won’t eat and they have given me endless amounts of free samples and advice. We also talked about putting a donation jar up at the counter.  And of course we buy a homemade puppy treat every time we are there too!

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts!

Morning park adventures

10 comments so far

  1. annapyr
    6:03 pm - 9-9-2015

    I just wanted to pop in and share a great big Pyr hug for you having to go through this. Our Pyr mix Ellie had OSA but she was 10+. It must be devastating to have such a young Pyr with this diagnosis.

    As hard as it is, you’re making the right choice to amputate. It seems so drastic but it really is the only way to keep her out of pain. The fact that Willow is young will probably also work in her favor for the surgery and recovery and adapting to life as a tripawd. Good luck!

    Denise

    • willowthegreatpyrenees
      11:53 am - 9-10-2015

      I’m sorry to hear about Ellie. But thank you. I’m not worried about the amputation or the fact that show ill only have three legs near as much as the short prognosis the doctors gave her. I can’t imagine only being able to spend a year with her. But from reading blogs on here and some other places it gives me hope that she might be able to push past that year and be with us a little longer. I joined this group on Facebook called “Great Pyrenees are the best dogs…ever” and it’s full of cute pictures of Pyrs and uplifting stories! If you have a Facebook you should check it out!

  2. benny55
    9:26 pm - 9-9-2015

    You now know what you’re dealing with and you can move forward. And in a bizarre way, it’s almost a relief to be able to start putting a plan of action into place.

    As De ise said, you will be removing her pain and that will restore her quality…and that’s the gift.

    Is she on pain meds now? Just in case not, perhaps some Tramadol and Gabapentin may help.

    Goodness knows she could not be more loved and more cared for! You are doing everything possible for your girl! Once that painful leg is gone you can still do all the delightful things that you have been.

    The not eating could be because the leg hurts. Like you already are doing, just try and get anything in her.
    Stinky turkey liverwurst is hard for them to turn down!

    Does the vet who is doing the surgery have overnight care? If not, perhaps he has a technician who is willing to stay. And no, not you…you need a good night’s rest before she comes home!!

    Stay connected, okay? We are all right here with you and we understand the intensity of this journey like no others can! Recovery can be pretty rough for the first two weeks or more. But once you start seeing her sparkle come back it will all be worth it!

    Sending lots of hugs to you and sweet Willow. I love her name!!!

    And when you can, try and post some pictures…we love pictures around here!!

    Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!

    • willowthegreatpyrenees
      11:58 am - 9-10-2015

      Thank you. We wanted something fall/halloween themed for her name since we brought her home in early October!
      She started out on Novox for the pain but I just recently switched her to a combination of Novox and Tramadol. It seems to be working a lot better. She doesn’t seem as down.
      Our clinic does not have overnight care. One of the techs (me or my roommate Sara) check/give meds around 8 p.m. and then they are not cared for again until 8 a.m. We live in house owned by and directly behind the clinic for this purpose. So I’m sure I won’t be able to help myself and go check on her in the middle of the night.
      I’m trying to post pictures every day but it either doesn’t work or says the file size is too big. I have a few up on my media section but I have no clue if y’all can see that or not. I still don’t know how to use this blog fully! But I’m trying.
      p.s. I would love some tips/advice for how to care for her after her surgery. If there is any special harnesses or anything else I could buy her that would help.

  3. Anna
    1:22 am - 9-13-2015

    Please know that you are doing everything you can for your sweet, beautiful girl! You will be in my thoughts! We went through this journey with our sweet Mani, and have no regrets… When he struggled with eating, changing things up helped: I even ended up hand feeding him bacon some of the days. I also tried boiled ground meat, he did eat that better than his regular food… Hang in there!
    Anna, Mani’s Mom

    • willowthegreatpyrenees
      2:42 pm - 9-16-2015

      I know. I wish we could do more for her somehow. We’ve been taking her to a locally owned pet store here in Lexington to try to change up her diet to get her to eat more. The employees have been wonderful and have been giving us samples and let us put up a donation jar. She used to just eat dry large breed dog food but now we’ve been trying all kinds of wet food-duck seems to be her favorite-and even freeze dried raw food. I’m hoping her appetite increases now that she’s had her surgery!

  4. jerry
    7:06 pm - 9-13-2015

    Hi Willow and family, I’m so sorry about the diagnosis, it’s a tough one to cope with at first but once you see how well Willow does, you’ll wonder why you were ever so upset. Just remember, follow her lead and you can’t go wrong. She just wants to feel good again and once that bum leg is gone, she’ll be back to lovin’ life!

    I’m curious what you mean by laser surgery? Do you mean cold laser therapy to heal the incision?

    When it comes to checking on her that night, yes, please go check on her multiple times. I don’t want to scare you but you really want to make sure she’s doing well and nothing going awry. I’m glad you live so close so you can go in there.

    OK now about caring for her after surgery, have you checked our our e-books?

    http://downloads.tripawds.com/

    and also here’s some great video interviews about life after surgery, scroll down for some post-op tips:

    http://tripawds.com/tag/care/

    and

    http://tripawds.com/2010/07/20/one-vets-canine-amputation-surgery-and-recovery-tips/

    Our Tripawds Gear blog has tons of info on recommended harnesses:
    http://gear.tripawds.com/shop/

    Now, about the photos, I see them in your media gallery, that’s awesome. She is ADORABLE! They are pretty big though so to preserve your storage space, upload them to a photo sharing site like Flickr or Photobucket, then past the URL in the photo editing icon box when you blog. You’re probably wondering, “Huh?” CHeck out this tutorial on how to add photos:

    http://tripawds.com/help/

    And if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us, that’s why we’re here OK?

    Good luck tomorrow, we’ll be thinking of you guys and awaiting an update.

    • willowthegreatpyrenees
      2:51 pm - 9-16-2015

      When they do any kind of surgery, you can opt for them to use a scalpel and make a normal incision or they can use a surgical laser to make the incision. Not only does it make the incision is also “seals” the capillaries, small blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerve endings. Surgical lasers are highly recommended in the world of veterinary medicine. It offers the patient less bleeding, less pain, a smaller chance of infection, and a quicker recovery time. It is also much, much easier on the doctor!

      Willow had her surgery Monday so I am going to post an update on how she is doing soon! Also, thank you so much for all of the helpful links! I will definitely spend some time checking all of those out. We are very grateful for you and the rest of the tripawds community.

      (I will also try to decrease the size of my pictures so I can post more for you all!)

  5. harmony
    6:17 pm - 9-14-2015

    What a beautiful girl Willow is! Love the picture, hate that you’re here. Just checking in to see how she (and you) are doing. xoxo

    • willowthegreatpyrenees
      2:43 pm - 9-16-2015

      Thank you! I’m a little biased but I think she’s the cutest pyr mix there is!

      She had her amputation surgery Monday morning and she is doing SO well! I am going to post an update soon. Thank you for checking in!

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