When I was first diagnosed with osteosarcoma, my Mom and Dad didn’t want to put me through chemotherapy, mostly because it was a six hour drive to the hospital, and, since doctors said that I only had a few months left even with chemo, we didn’t want any of our precious time to be taken up with poking and prodding and long drives.

We took our chances, hit the road, and beat the odds, but now, fifteen months later, the cancer devil has paid us another visit. We are prepared to beat the odds again, only this time, we’re going to do it with the help of something called “The Metronomic Protocol.”

Treating Osteosarcoma with Chemotherapy
Most of you know that chemotherapy can help dogs beat cancer. Usually, chemotherapy drugs are given in high doses every couple of weeks, and administered in an injection of some sort. Most of us aren’t affected by chemo drugs like people are; if the drugs are given correctly. And if a dog does experience side effects, the oncologists can lessen the doses and lengthen the treatment time. Our friends at Bone Cancer Dogs have a lot of good information about traditional chemotherapy for osteosarcoma.

When I got the bad news a few weeks ago, my Mom and Dad couldn’t rest without trying something that might give me more time on this earth. Dad did some research on different chemo treatments, and learned about the Metronomic Protocol. It’s chemo in a pill, and it can be done anywhere . . . even in an RV, on the road! It seemed too good to be true. At home chemotherapy?

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I don’t care much for big cities. But I was certainly glad to meet Arnie Costell – owner of Watson’s Pet Products – when we were in Los Angeles. Arnie loved his senior dog Watson so much, he developed the Bottom’s Up Leash to help him walk.

Watson was nearly 18 years old at the time and had developed a condition that seriously affected his mobility. The Bottom’s Up Leash enabled Arnie to walk Watson with ease for both of them.

I figured this could come in quite handy for rear leg amputees like my friend Sami. So we met with Arnie to learn about the leash, then hooked up with Sami to give it a try.

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Oh, you humans and your silly ways of thinking. You’re always talking about the past and the future, but how many of you are experiencing the moment you and your dog are in right now?

All week long my Mom’s been saying dumb thinks like “I shouldda done this…or that..” She seems to think she did something wrong these last 14 and a half months, and that’s why my cancer came back. She was “shouldding” all over herself, until she got this story about coping with canine cancer, sent to her from my friend Moose’s dad, Joel.

An Excerpt from “On Fear”
© Doug Koktavy

. . . I realized my fear of the disease was the fuel that was being used against me. Devilishly clever, my biggest enemy was not the disease, but me. I was the power source being used to generate the very negative energy destroying my own being and wasting a special day with my beloved dog.

This paradoxical contradiction was glaring. I had thought the growing presence of disease was causing my mounting fear. In fact, just the opposite was occurring. My daily increasing fear was causing the disease to grow and become more powerful. I decided it was high time to start working for me and the Beez, not against us.

If your pawrents are coping with your cancer, then you need to take them to Doug’s website. He has a lot of beautiful words there that will make them happy and sad, but most importantly, will get them to live every precious moment with you to the fullest, instead of acting like a silly human and fretting about your health. Good luck!

Thank you everyone for all of your kind, loving and supportive words this past week. My Mom and Dad are so much happier these days thanks to you. They are also very optimistic, and are looking into ways to help me kick this tumor thing’s butt (do tumors have butts?). Just so you know; they have a plan.

A few nights ago, the three of us decided a few things. First, we decided that under no circumstances would I undergo any kind of surgery again. Eeew! Who wants that?! Second, we want to look at options for keeping me as healthy as can be.

As soon as we decided all this, we left my Grandma and Grandpa’s place in Los Angeles, and arrived in Santa Fe, New Mexico yesterday (we’ll be living nearby for the next couple of months). Tomorrow, we are going to meet Dr. Kelly at the Vet Cancer Care Clinic, to learn all about oral chemotherapy and maybe some other kind of easygoing treatment plan that we can do on the road.

Another vet visit isn’t my idea of fun; I’d rather be swimming! But if a few pokes and prods tomorrow means that I’ll get lots more play time later on, well then I guess I’ll go along with it!

Ever since my people started giving me the Synflex glucosamine supplement, I’ve been feeling great! They have even cut back on my Metacam nonsteroidal anti-inflamatory medicine since I started using it.

They noticed such an improvement in my mobility and endurance with Synflex that we went to the Synflex factory to pick up a few extra bottles back when we were in Florida. And the kind folks there were nice enough to donate a couple bottles which we raffled off at the 2 Dogs 2000 Mile cookout to support the Big Dog’s walk from Austin to Boston with Hudson and Murphy.

Whether you have three or four legs, I recommend Synflex for arthritis pain. Or even two legs … they make it for people too! OK, I guess they did that first and discovered it works so well on pets that they added a beef flavor!

My people just discovered this new book about the benefits of proper nutrition for your three (or four) legged friend. The best part? It’s free!

You can download this healthy dog diet book in PDF format, or review various articles on canine health by author Steve Brown:

• Make your own dog food
• Optimize Dog health with Fresh Food Diets
• How Broccoli Stalks Help Prevent Cancer
• Extend Your Pet’s Life with Brazil Nuts
  
• And much More!

Here is a great way to introduce your dog to a BARF (bones and raw food) diet, if you haven’t already. My pal Sasha, Lalla’s mom, sent this to me:

This is the recipe for Turkey Neck Soup that my father Eli cooks for Lalla; he thought Jerry might enjoy it too. Lalla’s vet Andre says that Turkey necks are the best food for dogs, and that as far as he’s concerned, Lalla could live off ‘em alone – an opinion she definitely shares with him as she is transfixed by the result, and refuses to eat anything else as long as it’s available. Easy for them – they’re into meat. It is also very, very economical.

Ingredients:

• Large turkey necks, cut into pieces
• 3 carrots
• 3 celery sticks or celery root
• 2 small onions
• A piece of pumpkin (optional)
• Parsley

Place turkey necks in large soup pot. Cover with water. Boil for 15-20 minutes. Scrap and discard any froth. Add. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium for 1 hour. Add pumpkin and parsley and cook for another 2 hours on a low light. When cool, strain soup and store in necks and soup in separate containers. Soup can also be poured over kibble.

Being a travelin’ dog is hard work. And hopping around on three legs all day tires me out a lot quicker than when I got around on all four paws. But that’s OK. It doesn’t mean I’m depressed; that’s just such a human thing. And it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m uncomfortable. It just means I’m tired.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t still need my exercise! It’s even more important for us three legged dogs to remain fit! Don’t go feeling sorry for us and just let us lie around all day. There’s plenty of time for that after chasing the chickens. Or squirrels if that may be the case for you.
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Join the Tripawd Forum discussion on this post

My people just heard from Louise the Baker who has a three legged dog blog for Carver, her 12 1/2 year old colabshepradollie. She has the following question about the Ruffwear Harness …

I have a question about fitting the Ruff Wear harness on a front amp – my harness keeps swirling around his body. How do you keep yours fitted well on his body?

I just added this topic to the Tripawd Discussion Forums for others to comment on since this is all my people could think of saying…

Yes, the harness does have a tendency to slip around since my front leg is missing. They have come to realize, however, that this is primarily an aesthetic issue since they can still grab the handle and straighten it out when needed. But they are still always adjusting it!

They do suggest adjusting the front buckles so the neck strap is snug, but not too tight. This does help a bit, as does keeping the chest and belly straps snug, but again, not too tight.

Please join the forum discussion on this topic if you have any words of advice for Louise and Carver! We look forward to hearing from you.

Join the discussion about canine cancer and life on three legs in the new Tripawd Discussion Forums!

In our continuing efforts to provide a community of support for three legged dogs and their owners, we are proud to announce this exciting new feature here at tripawds.com. Simply browse for a topic of interest or start your own in one of the open discussion groups.

• Bone Cancer in Dogs – Share your thoughts on the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment for osteosarcoma and other cancer in dogs.
• Life on Three Legs – Talk about health concerns such as diet, fitness, mobility and the size/age of three legged dogs.
• Tripawd Tributes – Success stories. Horror Stories. Love stories.

Guest participation is allowed, but please register to take full advantage of the discussion groups. All guest posts will be moderated. Registered users will have posts appear immediately and receive notice of replies. Registered members also get a public profile with photo. Subscribers who have registered for Jerry’s blog are automatically forum members.

Remember, these type of community forums are only as helpful as those who participate. And new forums need content. So get barking now and be one of the first to post! Ask questions. Answer questions. Or just share your story. We look forward to hearing from you . See ya in the forums …