Day 16- 2/2/13 Staple Removal
Well, initially we had our appointment set for last night, 2/1/13 but Grandma Coffee was running late from work, and Bubbles was knocked out on her bed so we rescheduled for the following evening, (today).
Bubs went down the stairs by herself nice and steady, which was awesome. She needed a lift into the passenger seat, but either way, I was impressed. We enjoyed a ride together, just mama and bully baby to the vet listening to some jams as she sported her San Jose Sharks collar and leash- they’re winning the Stanley Cup this season, didn’t you know? 😉
We arrived and got our first.. “recognition” if you will. “Ohhh there’s a tripawd..” “Yep, just getting our suture removal tonight”, I said. We checked in at the desk, and the lady sat down near us in the lobby. She asked what had happened, so I told her Bubs had a soft tissue sarcoma and we opted to amputate. “Poor thing” she replied. Ugh. I remember reading this in the forums.. ways to answer in this type of situation. Don’t you hate when you think of the perfect thing to say *after* the fact? Well, this was my first moment and even though I responded with, “she can still turn around quickly enough for you to scratch her butt”, I wish I would have been a little more clever. In time I suppose.
The staple removal was a BREEZE. Of course Bubs has always been super tolerant with poking and prodding thanks to growing up near a toddler pretty consistently, but I was very proud nonetheless. Two nurses came into the small exam room and we got Bubs on her side. It was cute. She sort of stuck her two front paws flat against the side of the counter as if to brace herself, “okays..breeeeves Bobo..they’res only removin’ them stapples…” She laid there on her side for a good 10 minutes while both nurses started on either end and carefully plucked all 46ish staples out. Not a twitch, not a peep.
We all triple checked and made sure every single one of those little bastards were out. Still a bit crusty, but otherwise, the incision site looks fabulous. Bubs didn’t care to take any treats- we are still waiting on those cheese balls, but instead turned right around and demanded a good butt scratching from both nurses. I would say, it was a great night for Bubs. We have no outstanding appointments, just the prognosis of growing out this awful hack job. Yay!
Below is a quick photo of what her incision looks like now, staple free. The lighting isnt the best, but Bubs knocked out on the sofa yet again and I wanted to take it immediately after getting home. Its a little red and sore looking, but the nurses were searching through her now growing fur to make sure they got everything and she didnt seem bothered at all. It should only get better from here on out.
Day 14- 1/31/13
This is how Bubs has been:
Very comfortable, and acting much like her usual self. There was a day in there where she literally slept ALL. DAY. LONG.
Since getting her off the pain meds, finishing her antibiotics, and getting the stubborn mule to eat her regular kibble, she has been doing so much better. She hasn’t been crying as much, but more so complaining, and as a matter of fact, she hasn’t complained since yesterday. She’s been getting up and off the sofa without an issue. Slowly she’ll get both front paws on the sofa, lean as far forward as possible, lift her remaining leg, hook it on the edge, and up!
Tonight she even played a little while with her brother and sister.
This has been the first time in a good while that Bubs got up, and showed some enthusiasm. Tomorrow her staples come out, which I’m going to try and document- I’m not sure if we will be waiting out in the lobby, or let to witness it. Either way, I’ll photograph her incision newly staple free and blog a bit about how that all went. I am so excited with her liveliness today. I finally feel like she is learning to live as a tripawd, and that she knows now that she is alright.
A bit later into the night, she decided to teach that darn leopard print quadruped a lesson…
I think she decided that if she’d ever play with this brute again, he’d have to look just like her. Lenny the Leopard print Wiener is now a tripawd too!
Bubs seems pretty satisfied don’t you think? Yay for our two week ampuversary today, yay for feeling better, and yay for showing us we still have our Bubs and she is doing great!
Hit a *bump* in the road 1/26/13
Sorry I have been absent a few days. Between the kiddos and Bubs, I’ve had my hands full.
Well, Wednesday after Grandma Coffee came to visit, Bubs started showing signs of being in pain. She let out a good yelp that night and scared the crap outta me. Needless to say, I didn’t get much rest, and by Thursday she wasn’t comfortable at all. She would take her “mediciney” cheese balls, but I hardly got some more kibble and yams down her throat, and she drank water. She would whimper and let out a cry here and there while getting comfortable, started panting ever so often, and I noticed that evening she was trembling. Friday morning I gave the vet a call and let them know what was up. Her doctor had us stop the anti-inflammatory meds because it was probably causing stomach upset, and we upped her codeine a half tablet. Again, some more yams and kibble that day, and I was hoping the codeine increase would help her out.
Saturday morning, (today), she was whimpering with every move, didn’t want to go potty, and I brought her water over to her. So, yeah, I called the vet again. Her doctor decided it would be best to have us bring her in so he can examine her.
Above is a pic of Bubs acting a little more herself.. after taking an elephant size poo (all of em had been a little firm and small since coming home), in the lobby of the vet. How embarrassing!
Her doctor came in, checked her pulse, checked her eyes, her hydration, and pushed around her belly and incision site. She showed no signs of pain! Conclusion: possible muscle spasms/soreness. He explained to us that having this been such a major surgery, her body is now feeling some trauma. Think of it as a car accident and you get awful whiplash. You don’t generally feel any soreness or pain until a couple days later. For dogs it may take some time, especially after getting off the fentanyl patch, but thats probably whats going on with Bubs. Other than the fact that he thinks she’s hallucinating from all the drugs. He observed her and feels like she’s still very much drugged up and a little out of it. Now the lack of appetite is basically Bubs holding out for cheese balls. I had a feeling that may have been it, since I’ve experienced this during my years of being a trainer, but I was concerned it was related with her amputation. He offered her some real bland Rx dog food there at the vet, and she showed interest though she didn’t eat it. That there was a sign that she still very much has an appetite. Bubs, just wants cheese balls.
He sent us home recommending we stop the codeine and start being more stubborn with her meals. I will be offering her her bowl of kibble for 10 minutes, then take it away until the next meal time. He’s sure she’ll break within 48 hours. Also, no more cheese balls. Spoiled Bubs will now have to take her antibiotics in plain toast. Another option for us is the Rx of a muscle relaxer. He wasn’t positive she would absolutely need it at the time of her visit tonight, so we will observe her through the night, and decide when he gives us a call in the morning. Bubs may just need to be weaned off the drugs, and she’ll start to feel a bit more like herself.
I missed a few days because there really hasn’t been much change since day 5, but below is what Bubs’ incision looked like at the vet tonight on day 9. Very clear, nice and dry, and her staples aren’t looking as “tight” anymore. Also, she went into the vet the VERY first time at 53 lbs. The day of her surgery, she weighed in at 50 lbs, and today she weighed 48 lbs. I still think she will drop a couple more lbs, but all that will take some time as she gains a little more strength too.
A visit from Grandma Coffee and Yam dinner
Today is Bubbles’ one week ampuversary. I don’t know if that counts, but its incredible it has already been a whopping 7 days. Her incision continues to look wonderful. Nice and dry, no redness apart from some slight pink areas in between the staples, and we havent had any leaking or goopy stuff. By the time Tuesday rolled around, 1/22/13, Bubs hadn’t been eating her food or drinking nearly as much water. Being the worry wart I am, I drizzled some tuna juice over her kibble by Wednesday 1/23/13 when I couldn’t take it anymore, and got a good cup of food down the hatch. Today we were back to square one, and it wasn’t sitting well with me. To top it off, she had been letting out a whimper and occasional cry while trying to get comfortable over the last couple days and mama didn’t like it. Apparently the fentanyl patch was doing a much better job than the codeine. Argh.
I ended up calling her vet by early afternoon when the last time she had eaten was 24 hours prior, and her doctor came on the line suggesting we give the carprofen a break and up her codeine by a half tablet. He also suggested getting 10mg of generic over the counter pepcid ac and giving that in place of the carprofen for the next couple days. He’s assuming its upsetting her stomach, so the pepcid should do the trick.
By the evening I still couldn’t manage to get anything down. She hardly cared to go potty, and water was out of the question. Again, I was beginning to worry, but I wanted to give it some time and hoping after the pepcid kicks in, she’d feel better. My mom, Bubs’ Grandma Coffee, (her nickname is a whole ‘nother story), was really reluctant to come see her. Up until Bubs was 4 years old, we lived with her, and my mom adores Bubs, so I knew this whole scenario had really upset her. She had been telling me she needed to mentally prepare to see Bubs on three limbs, and as old fashioned as I know she is, I had to give her time. Finally today she came knocking on our door, said hi to the kids, and made her way to the little gated corner Bubs has been resting in. She got emotional, but I made conversation to keep her from really losing it.
After talking a bit about everything, I updated her on how Bubs had lost her appetite, that I was worrying and really trying to get her to eat and drink some water. I had even boiled yams and mushed it up into her kibble, but she still refused it. So eagerly, Grandma Coffee stepped into Bubs’ little area kneeled down on both knees and scooped up a handful of wet yammy dog food. I dont know what she was saying, but I gave them their space and snapped the picture above. Yes, Grandma Coffee hand fed nearly all the yam and kibble in Bubs’ bowl to her, and got her to drink a good amount of water. It was such a heart warming sight to see.
I hope tomorrow is a better day for my bear. She loves to eat, and thankfully hasn’t turned her mug up from her cheese ball meds, but I know she needs to get some food in her belly for those to really take effect. Can’t wait til the hard part is over.
1/22/13- Pathology Report
I was going to put this all together in the Day 5 post, but figured it would make that just a bit too long. After Bubbles’ surgery, our doctor sent her entire leg out for a biopsy of her tumor and lymph node. When we had initially done x-rays on 1/3/13, you could clearly see her lymph node was enlarged. At the time we were uncertain if it was reacting to “whatever” it was in her ankle, or if it too had been affected. Once we determined cancer, her doctor was ready to remove the lymph node as well if we opted to amputate. So, when the day came, he confirmed he would be removing the lymph node together with the leg just in case the lymph node too was affected.
Today I received a call for the much anticipated pathology report. Her doctor was happy to tell me the lymph node was enlarged as a “reaction” to the tumor, and not that it was affected. The tumor came back confirmed as cancer, neoplasia, soft tissue sarcoma (synovial cell sarcoma) and NOT osteosarcoma which is what we were so worried about. The cancer showed no trace of spreading, and with all the information gathered, Bubbles looks like she is in great shape.
Her doctor will be forwarding all her x-rays, samples, pathology reports and biopsies to an oncologist to confirm she will not be needing radiation and/or chemotherapy. This is a huge relief for us. At this point, all my baby needs to work on is her recovery, and she is well under way. *happy dance* On three legs of course.
Day 5- 1/22/13
Today I sense Bubbles isn’t as comfortable. I’m not sure if she’s just feeling sore, if her belly isn’t happy, or the meds just aren’t sitting well, but I’m hoping she’ll be a little more lively tomorrow. She took her meds well, now in cheese balls so I wouldn’t find codeine pills like I did on Sunday, drank water, went potty, had a #2 outside, and has been sleeping away. Its her eating and attitude that worry me, but I’m encouraging her to eat, and hoping to get the remaining cup and a half down the hatch before the day is over.
On the bright side, her incision is looking great. I’m keeping up with daily photos, always comparing to the day before, and things are looking much clearer. The bruising is almost all gone, and her staples don’t seem as sunken in as when she came home. The swelling is hard to tell, but it doesn’t look any puffier, and I’ve done as her doctor suggested- iced twice a day for the first two days, and now warm/dry compresses twice daily. She’s enjoying that more than the frozen bag of green beans in a ziploc we were using. Below are two photos of her incision- day 3 and day 4, and then day 4 and today, day 5.
I’ve been force feeding her small amounts throughout the day, though she’s tricky and will hide her kibble in her lips until later and then I find little balls in her bed. She is taking the cheese balls just fine, small bits of beggin’ strips as treats, but her kibble she isn’t enthused about. Below is the mug she’s been giving me all day..
Well, apart from her being stubborn about her kibble, she’s continuing to do wonderfully. If anything, I’ll entice her with some sweet potatoes mixed with her food, but I’ll keep that to myself. I bet she’s waiting for more cheese balls.
Day 3- 1/20/13
Bubbles has continued to do wonderfully. Woke up to her snoring away this morning, but soon enough she was awake and ready to eat! She had her meds, and ate a good 1 1/4 cup of food from my hand, water, went potty, iced her bump, and back to sleep. She wasn’t too awake today, but I think all the sleep she’s been getting has been doing her good because her incision area is looking a lot clearer than yesterday. Finally around noon, she had her first poop. I knew she had to go, but she’s not a huge fan of her potty patch so I kept the kids distracted with snacks and carried her downstairs. Immediately she relieved herself, and I could tell she felt better- lighter even. Lol. I *did* notice a slight streak of bright red blood, so either way I called the vet but they reassured me it was normal for her first #2 pre-op and not to worry unless I saw clots. Since then, we have removed her fentanyl patch, started her codeine and she seems very comfortable. I was worried about her pain management, but I think we’re alright.
Below is a picture of her Day 2 and then Day 3 incision. As you can see, the redness/bruising has faded significantly, so I am very happy about that! 
Day 2- 1/19/13
Bubbles has been doing wonderfully since arriving at home. She hopped around as we explained to our son he cannot touch her “owie”, and that Bubbles feels better now that her leg that hurt is gone, but she needs to sleep and rest and get better. He has seemed okay with it, and when we had a friend come by to visit our new tripawd, he told her, “the doctor took Bubbles’ leg OFF!” So far, so good I’d say for a toddler.
We let Bubbles go out once more for bed time and use her potty patch on the porch. I think it’ll be a while til we make a trip all the way downstairs for her to relieve herself. There are too many bushy areas, and she prefers to squat there- I just dont want to risk an infection, so the potty patch for now. She has been drinking water like a camel which is very normal, and ate a good amount of food from my hand, but I’m making sure she eats small amounts frequently and so far, we’re good. She took her meds without an issue (covered in peanut butter) both last night and this morning, I iced her area again, and she’s back to sleeping! Looks like the fentanyl patch is working wonders, and I am so glad she’s comfortable.
Here is a picture of Bubs on all three legs drinking water. I had issues with her in the past drinking from a bowl. She would go so fast and drink everything all at once, she’d turn right around and spew it all up. Gross to say the least. So I purchased the “giant hamster” water bottle for travel kennels, screwed it into the wall and voila! No more vomit water, and she can drink with ease.
My Baby Girl is Home
We arrived at the vet a bit after 5:30 pm tonight to pick up Bubbles. Quickly her doctor came up to the desk and we made our way to the back to see her. From a distance I could see her mug pressed up against the metal kennel door. She was sleeping, and as my husband and I approached, her little eye popped open, and before we knew it, she was up on all three legs! Her doctor was impressed, opened the door and she hopped right out. I really didn’t expect her to get up that quickly and start walking! Apparently, those were her first few steps as a tripawd, and I couldn’t have been any happier.
Immediately I started to cry.. I saw my baby for the first time without her leg, and as shocking as it was, I was truly relieved. I hugged her doctor and thanked him over and over. She was already sniffing around being nosy, and acting herself completely. Below is a shot of me loving her up. 
We are home now, and she is doing well. She pottied outside, and we approached our stairs. The doctor recommended we let her try, and she did, but she just couldn’t get that back leg up high enough, so I carried her the rest of the way. Inside my son wasn’t as startled to see her as I imagined, seems like all the talk and pictures surely helped him understand. We are resting now, Bubbles in her bed snoring away, so I am feeling so much better. I’ll be sleeping on the sofa tonight right by her side, and I’ve got all her meds put in my phone with alarms. I’ll update again soon!
Bubbles’ Surgery
We all woke up bright and early this morning and headed over to the vet. We arrived not long after 7am and signed the paper work. Of course as I was saying “see you later” to my Bubs, I broke down. She did not want to go with the nurse, and instead stood there like a donkey and tugged in the opposite direction. I pretended to walk with her and she followed my lead, before I turned around quietly and watched her limp off towards the back of the hospital.
I stayed busy today. Went to run some errands with the kids in my sister’s company, and bought Bubbles a pack of cute unders to wear while she recovers at home. I got a great tip from a Dakota Dawg (thank you!) to have hear wear boxers or panties to keep the incision clean and from my toddler staring. I made sure I got her cute girly ones. I also washed her big blanket, bought her favorite treats so we’re stocked up, and cleared out the area at home where she’ll be recovering.
A bit before 2pm, I received a phone call from her doctor confirming her surgery. We went over the procedure and he let me know they were going to begin soon and he’d give me a call later that evening to let me know how it all went. Again, I had to anticipate another phone call, but I made it through and continued to keep myself busy.
Finally by 6pm my phone rang and it was the vet. He gave me great news that Bubbles had done very well during her surgery. She tolerated the anesthesia just fine, lost very minimal blood, and was now awake and alert hanging out and eyeballing the staff. She was in a significant amount of pain, so they were working on getting it under control so she could rest, but he gave me the opportunity to call at 8pm and see if I could go by to visit. Thankfully my mom was coming, so if I could go, she’d stay with my kids for a couple hours. I was very relieved to say the least!
A little after 8pm.. (I didnt want to call right at 8 o’clock like a weirdo), I spoke to her doctor. It took them a little while to get her comfortable, but she had just fallen asleep so it was best I hang back and give her this time to rest through the night. Knowing Bubs, she’d get way too excited and screw something up if she saw me. I was a little disappointed, but I know I need to allow what’s best for her to happen, and in the end, she was doing well and I know she’d be coming home.
I’ll be calling tomorrow morning to check up on her again, once more in the afternoon, and hopefully by evening she’ll be home. By Tuesday, we should have a pathology report on her leg confirming the type of cancer she had. Her vet says he is still certain it was a soft tissue sarcoma and *not* an osteosarcoma which is a good prognosis. Until tomorrow…