Month: May 2018

Yesterday was huge!  For the first 3 days, Boone was not doing much but sleeping.  He would collapse when trying to go to the bathroom. He seemed extremely weak and we were concerned that there may have been some nerve damage or something.   I reduced his Gapapentin from 600 mg per day to 200 mg per day and he was suddenly awake and alert.  He stood himself up and got himself to the other side of the room a few times.  He isn’t overly steady yet and gets tired after just a dozen steps, but a big improvement.  Today, I am going to try no gabapentin and see how he is on just rimadyl.

No issues with healing.  He hasn’t had any swelling and his bruising is just about gone.  He has shown zero signs of pain or distress since surgery.  I keep reminding myself of that because he was in alot of pain before.  Its stunning how large his scar is and how much smaller he looks.  Once his fur starts to come in, he will look more like himself.  I hope he understands why I had to do this to him.

Thursday, May 17th  began the longest week of my life so far.  Boone had been limping for a couple of weeks. I assumed he pulled something while playing with his cousin.  Rimadyl was not helping so I brought him into the vet for X-Rays.  On Saturday morning, while watching Harry and Meghan get married, the phone rang.  It was osteocarcoma, an aggressive and painful bone cancer.

The treatment is amputation and chemotherapy.  My immediate reaction was ‘No Way’.  I was not about to put my 12 year old dog through all of that.  I felt like it would be selfish to put him through agony just so I could have more time with him. Then I began reading more about it and I reached out to a vet oncologist that I know.  He explained that Boone is in alot of pain right now and amputation is actually the humane choice.  The pain from the cancer is gone after the surgery.  Also, chemo for dogs is not like chemo for people.  Most dogs do great with little or no side effects.  The treatment is a series of 3-4 shots spaced out 3-4 weeks apart.  Much better than I imagined.

I scheduled Boone’s surgery for the following Friday, May 25th.  The week up to the surgery was hard.  Boone was clearly in pain, even with the combo of pain meds he was taking.  It was heartbreaking to watch.  By the time surgery day came, I couldn’t get him there fast enough. I wanted that damn cancer off him ASAP!  He was in so much pain- the surgery was a relief.

Boone came home yesterday from his front right leg amputation.  His pain is GONE.  He is tired and mostly sleeping.  He did not stand up yesterday but this morning he took his first steps.  We are on the upswing!

 

 

Boone tore his ACL when he was about 7 or 8.  He got the surgery to repair it and it was fine.  Honestly, I waited too long to do the surgery. I kept hoping it would heal on its own, but by waiting, I allowed him to slow down more than he would have if I had done it right away.  Lesson learned.

The surgery was much easier than I had read about.  I picked him up and he was walking (limping) already.  The recovery takes a few months, but the focus is more holding him back from running and jumping, rather than him building up to it.  We needed to have slow controlled walks so that he would use both legs equally and not favor the stronger leg.  It was ok until a squirrel ran by!

Overall, very helpful surgery and I would recommend it sooner rather than later.

Boone is a 12 year old lab mix.  He is very large and tall and people always ask what breed he is.   We say he is part fast dog, part naughty dog, part funny dog.  I got Boone as a 2-3 month old puppy from the humane society.  He was part of a large litter that was placed at a farm with a lovely foster family.  Boone was the runt and was hiding in the middle of a shrub while his sisters pulled on his ears when I first arrived.  I chose him immediately!  As the youngest of 7 children, I understood how he felt, just wanting his sisters to leave him alone.  I left with Boone on my lap as we drove to his new home.  I had no idea what I was in for!

For the next 12 years, Boone was my partner in crime.  We travelled the country wherever my career took us, always excited for our next adventure.  Chicago, DC, Richmond, Madison, San Diego, Tampa, and others.  We loved finding the local swimming holes and dog parks.

Boone is the perfect combination of bossy, funny, baby, and guardian.  He is 95 lbs and not overweight.  He is very tall and can be intimidating to some.  He guards our home, the sidewalk, his food, his toys, everyone else’s toys, and me.  He loves his aunts and uncles and has a very special place in his heart for his gramma.  To wake me up, Boone pokes me with his nose over and over, like a pecking chicken.  When he is hungry, he throws his empty bowl across the room. He picks up his bowl of food and will walk around the house choosing his spot to eat.  Sometimes its the living room, sometimes my bedroom.   If his water bowl is empty, he flips it in the air.  He will let you pet him for a minute or two, but then he walks away.  He is not an overly snuggly dog, but he wants to be in the same room as me at all times.  He does not lick people. If younask him for a kiss, he will bump noses with you once and thats it.  He will not lie on the floor, but prefers the furniture, even though I have told him thousands of times not to.  He growls and snaps at other dogs, except for the ones in our family, with no regard to how embarrassing it is to me.  If there is a mud puddle, he wants in!  The dirtier the better.  If we pass a fountain, he climbs in.  All water is for dogs in Boone’s world.  He will climb into bed with anyone and is certain he is invited.  He does what he wants- just like his mom.

I never knew I was capable of so much love.  Boone has made my life so happy.