Hello Everyone!

This is my first post as a new Tripawd Mom!! I want to tell you the story of my 6 year young boy, Bruce.

Bruce is a 6 year young Rottweiler. He was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on April 2, 2105. The cancer was located in his front, left “wrist” joint. Of course the news was devastating! I cried, stressed out, and became angry. I tried to look strong on the outside, but my insides were crushed! My baby … how could this be! I had so many questions right off the bat, but as I sat and listened to my vet I realized I had a couple of options. We could make Bruce comfortable for a few months, after which the leg would become unusable, and make the hard decision to end his suffering. OR, we could opt to have the leg amputated. I thought, “Amputated! That’s drastic!”. But, little did I know, it would be the choice my husband and I settled on. We wanted to give Bruce the best chance possible to live the longest, fullest life possible. The surgery was scheduled for April 6, 2015 at 8:00 A.M.

To my relief Bruce came through the surgery just fine! Our vet, Dr. O’Keefe, even said it went better than expected! I was SO happy to hear that news! I wanted to know, “When can I see my baby?” Well, that would have to wait until the next day, as Dr. O’Keefe wanted to keep him overnight for observation. My first instinct was, “Oh, no … something is wrong, and my vet wasn’t telling me everything.” But, no, that was just my little worrying voice inside my head. Everything really was fine. So, we waited until the next day. I did NOT sleep at all that night. I missed my baby so much!

The next morning finally came! I was waiting anxiously by the phone for the call from Dr. O’Keefe saying that it was time to come pick up Bruce! Finally that call came about mid-morning. My husband and I loaded up the car with everything we thought we would need, a big comfy pillow, a couple of towels, and a stuffed baby rhino. Lol. Sounds silly, I know. Perhaps I needed those things more to ease MY mind than my dog’s mind. So …. we got to the animal hospital, and were escorted to the back hallway, where they would bring me my Bruce. I was expecting him to be brought out on some type of rolling cart, maybe carried out, I wasn’t sure. Well, NOPE!! My Bruce was a trooper. He WALKED out to us, with the help of a couple of nurses. He was just hopping along, coming to greet us! Oh, I was so happy to see him! I cried, of course, but these were happy tears. The vision of my dog with only three legs didn’t even phase me. I was just happy to see his smiling face! Again, Dr. O’Keefe told us that he was doing remarkably well, considering less than 24 hours had passed since his surgery. Now, it was up to us, his parents, to rehabilitate him, care for him, make him happy. I was up for the task at hand! The first step, was getting Bruce to the car. I was dreading that, actually. Bruce IS 115 lbs (minus a front leg, now), and I wasn’t sure we could lift him in the car. But, not to worry … my active boy tried to JUMP IN THE CAR on his OWN!!! Couldn’t believe it! I was shocked, and so were the nurses. So here we are, my husband, myself, and two nurses, running forward to catch his hind-end and get him into the back of the SUV, because, of course, he didn’t make it all the way. I thought, “Oh, no! His staples are going to get ripped open!” But, no … he was fine. I was glad.

Now it has been a week since we brought him home. He has adjusted quite well, I think. By day 3 (post-op) Bruce was walking on his own. In fact, he refused us to help him with the make-shift sling we came up with. It was just a simple towel wrapped around his chest, so we could help him balance while he hopped. In addition, his eating habits haven’t changed. He still eats like a horse. Of course that will stop, as his diet has changed a little. We want to slim him slightly, and make sure he does not gain any weight. He also has learned not to lift his leg when using the bathroom. He tried to do that the first couple of times, and learned that it wasn’t going to work. He stumbled, of course. But I was there to catch him, and steady his balance. The first few nights were hard. I have been sleeping by his side on the floor of our living room. Occasionally he cries out in pain, and it wakes him from a dead sleep. It hurts my heart greatly to see him in this pain. I want to take it away from him, but I can’t ….

Our first post-op appointment is tomorrow, April 13, 2015. I am excited for Dr. O’Keefe to see his progress. I think he will be pleased with Bruce. I am completely amazed! But, as I understand it, dogs recover quickly from these sort of things. I don’t know what the future holds for my Bruce. Given the diagnosis we will be following up with an oncologist soon to see what the next steps are. Please say a little prayer for my baby.

Thanks for reading. Sorry for the lengthy book. I just had so much to say. Any suggestions, feedback, or guidance you can give I would greatly appreciate it, as I have never gone through this before. There are some pictures attached to this post. One of Bruce in the car on the way home. And, a couple of him at home this week. Thank you all!