katie

Katie our wonderful sweet companion is a cancer survivor of three years. She is 13 1/2 years old and such a brave black Lab! My heart goes out to anyone who is considering amputation, chemotherapy, radiation and all the other scarey decisions that cancer brings. In 2003 we put Katie on Metacam (NSAI) to relieve the discomfort in her hips. She became a happy playful girl again running after balls and enjoying her walks. It was amazing! Shortly thereafter she began to limp on her left front leg,and we noticed swelling in her left elbow area. Aspirations, xrays and blood panels were done at our vet and we were then referred to a specialist for a biopsy. In January 2004 the vet called with the devastating news that she had cancer, and he suspected a snyovial cell sarcoma. I asked him what we could do. He said he didn't think she was a good candidate for amputation, and he could try to remove it but couldn't promise that it wouldn't come back. It had feelers traveling all over. She would eventually loose the use of her leg and be in unbearable pain if we didn't do something. He said he thought we should put her to sleep. Of course that was out of the question for my husband and me and our quest for anwers and possibilites began while we kept her as comfortable as possible. We knew time was of the essence so we felt stressed to get the best information possible. In February 2004 we took Katie to two different cancer specialists who offered chemo and radiation. Both of the vets brought up the possibility of amputation. We didn't feel comfortable about radiation for her type of cancer with the information we received from both of them. I would highly recommend Juliana Cyman, DVM in Beaverton, OR. She was SO informative, caring and experienced. She had the radiation equipment right there in her clinic. We felt relieved as we all sat together on the carpet in her living room environment and talked over possibilities. Although we decided against radiation and chemo we were thankful for our visit with her. So in February 2004 Katie had left forelimb amputation at Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Clackamas, OR. four hours from our home. Prior to the surgery, an MRI was preformed, at the Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging and Cytopathology practice nextdoor, of her elbow and chest. Amputation was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make. We felt guilt, doubt, fear,relief and hope all at the same time. We spent agonizing hours waiting and praying during the surgery. The staff at NWVS was wonderful and accommodating. We knew she was in good hands. I can't say enough good about the vets there. It was so amazing to see how she came through the surgery and wagged her tail when she saw us in the waiting room. Talk about tearing your heart out. So now three years later Katie is still sharing our lives. She has a companion rescue Yorkie, Sugar and Sandy, our cat who watch over her . At this point she is completely dependent on us and that is fine. We walk her with a support harness and let her lay out in the yard on a carpet so she can breathe in all the wonderful smells. Thank goodness our schedules allow us to be with her most of the time. We have bought handicapped ramps, special beds, harnesses, weewee pads, a doggyride.com bike/push cart, which she absolutely loves. We had a cart made for her so she could hopefully walk on her own but it didn't work out. HandicappedPets has been very helpful during this challenging time in our lives. Leslie B. She loves to have you toss her the small size tennis balls so she can catch them. She loves the animal planet and barks on and on as she watches. She communicates with her bark for attention, water, treats and etc. We try and keep her as happy and stimulated as possible. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat! I wish she could have made the decision for herself. It's been hard at times and there's always the worry. We feel blessed that she is still in our lives and so thankful to all of those people who played a part in the journey.