Maggie's Story

While Maggie is undergoing her chemo treatments (probably through April or May), I have been concerned about my other (two-year-old) dog.  The vet oncologist says there’s no problem having them share a yard, but then tells me that when I clean up after her, I should wear gloves and Maggie shouldn’t be around little children or pregnant women!  That doesn’t make sense to me!

Does anyone have any advice on this?  Any useful articles I can read?  I have the logistics worked out on how to do this, but plan on keeping their potty areas separate for 5 days after chemo.  I was wondering if any of you had faced this and can help.

Thanks, as always!!  Judi and Maggie

PS  Maggie is on 2 anti-nausea meds and is not showing any signs of side effects from yesterday’s first chemo infusion.  She amazes me!!!

Maggie nailed her first chemo treatment and is doing GREAT so far!  sorry – this picture is right side up on my computer – no idea why it’s sideways here…

Thanks to all who answered my plea for help.  Here is the solution I came up with.  I bought cheap baby diapers and made a tail hole and then a onesie and sewed a tail hole in that.  This will help with the incontinence, but mainly for after her chemo treatments, so I can keep the waste away from Kenzie. Maggie is SUCH a trooper – she just stands there patiently, while I fiddle with the diaper and onesie.  It’s a bit challenging with a TriPawd!  I sit on the floor behind her and use my knees to help prop her up.   I tried this solution last night and Hairy Houdini was NOT able to get the diaper off!!!

Tomorrow is Maggie’s first chemo treatment.   Thanks again for your suggestions.  Judi and Maggie

My sweet Maggie (now 10) had her rear right leg amputated in October, 2013. She was doing so well, earned her 350-visit pin from Therapy Dogs International and was such a wonderful role model for children and adults alike.

She was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer (not related to the cancerous growth on her leg). She had surgery to remove the tumor last Thursday (January 15, 2015) and I brought her home on Friday. On Tuesday she begins the first of probably 5-6 chemo treatments (every three weeks). This type of cancer is not curable, but we are hoping to give her one more great year of love and happiness.

Here is my problem that I hope you can help me with. Maggie has been experiencing some incontinence and I worry about my 2-year-old dog being exposed to her waste in our backyard after her chemo treatments. So, I have been looking online at doggy diapers and I realized they would not work on a tripawd!!! I looked at the TriPawds store online and searched for diapers, but it said that couldn’t be found.

So, please do you have any advice on diapers for tripawds? I would need disposable diapers, not just ones with a pad, since I would use them to collect all waste.

I so hope you can help me – your organization helped me so much during Maggie’s amputation. Thanks so much! Judi Schiff judischiff@yahoo.com

I am SO proud of Maggie!  She became a tripawd at the end of October.  She resumed her therapy dog visits in December.  In January, she was tested again, with her sister, Kenzie, so they could now go on visits together.   Now it’s June and she has earned her 350-visit certificate from Therapy Dogs International!!!   YEA, Maggie!!!

OMG – Maggie gave us SUCH a scare today!  The snow was so beautiful and we all had cabin fever, so I thought I would take a short walk to mail a letter in our mailbox and I let the girls off leash.  Kenzie is pretty good about coming back when called and, well, Maggie is a tripawd – right?  WRONG!!!  Both girls TOOK OFF, down our drive and down the downhill street.

I came back as quickly as possible, got their leashes and called my husband to come help.  Kenzie came running back when I called, but – no Maggie!  My husband drove slowly down the street, following paw prints.  Fortunately, the prints did NOT go down to the main road at the bottom of our hill.  So, we focused our search where the paw prints were and even let Kenzie go “Find Maggie!”  No luck.

After about 15 minutes of frantic searching, I saw her near one of the houses.  I have no idea how she got there – we didn’t see any paw prints that way and she was surrounded by deep snow.  We slogged through it and finally got to her, and we all came home.  I was “mean” and made her walk all the way, so she would REMEMBER this and NEVER do it again!!!  I sure won’t give her that chance!!!

So, please heed this warning.  When we’ve gone for our walks, Maggie always walks about 1/2 mile (at the most), then stops.  I put her in her doggy stroller and she rides the rest of the way.  So, I ASSUMED (and you know what that makes ME!) she could not go for any distance without tiring.  I couldn’t have been more wrong!!!  Thank goodness this story had a happy ending, but it was an awful experience, that I hope this story will help others avoid.

Did this work???  I don’t think so…

Click here to view this photo book larger

I have made a book about Maggie on Shutterfly.  How can I share it with Tripawds?  Thanks!  Judi

Well, it’s been two months now since Maggie’s rear leg amputation.  She was doing so well, but lately has been having trouble moving around and prefers to stay in her bed.

We had our stairs carpeted a few weeks ago and we let her go up and down at will.  (This was the day it was installed.)The last couple of days she waits at the bottom to be carried up.  She even has trouble coming up one step from the back yard into the house.

Three days ago I took her for a walk and she did great, walking about a half mile before she asked to ride in her stroller.  The next day, she wouldn’t walk at all – she asked to ride right away.  Ive taken her to a doggy PT, who gave me exercises that I do twice daily with Maggie, including some massage (which she loves) and I have been giving her Dasaquin, on the PT’s recommendation.

Any ideas what might be wrong or what I can do to help my brave little girl?  She doesn’t seem to be in pain, just unable to do everything she’s been doing since her surgery.  Thanks so much!  Judi and Maggie

Maggie celebrated her 4-week ampuversary Friday with her first grooming appointment!  (Her groomer was the one who discovered her growth!)  She did great!

The cold weather has arrived!  It was 14° this morning!  Brrr!!!  My question is, do tripawds feel the cold more than usual?  My girls are Cairn terriers and I have never had them wear coats for our winter walks.  But I was a little nervous about taking Maggie out today, so I didn’t and I wanted to ask your advice before I do.  Can I still walk her in the winter?  Should I buy her a coat?  Should I keep a warm blanket in her stroller?

Maggie has an appointment in early December with a doggy physical therapist about 45 minutes from here.  Any advice on questions to ask her?

As always – THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your support!   Judi and Maggie