The Tripawd Times of Nova the Great Dane

(Written on November 11, 2008)

I was out taking Alex to buy his new Varsity jacket and my phone rang with another update on Nova. It was the night technician telling me that Nova was starting to perk up a little and was giving some kisses. The tail even started wagging! Yay! She was not interested in food yet, so they were keeping her on an IV through the night and would try with more food later. The technician said Nova was a total sweetheart (I knew THAT already!)

I am going to have a much better sleep tonight!

(Written on November 11, 2008)

I just got a call from the surgeon. He said Nova did great during the surgery, no problems at all. She is out of surgery now and “resting comfortably”. They have her drugged up with morphine for the rest of the day, and tomorrow morning they will start trying to feed her and get her up and walking.

Whew! I know that is just the first step of many, but I am so optimistic.

(Written on November 11th, 2008)

I did a lot of thinking on the drive home and trying to be positive and thankful for all the blessings in my life. I thought back to a conversation I had last night with my husband Paul. I was so worried he would be upset about the expense, but he could tell quickly that was what I was thinking because I said I just can’t put her down right now, and he said don’t think for a minute that he would ever want to put her down. I was so relieved. He knows how much Nova means to me. I am thankful to have a spouse who understands this. It’s only money, and although we can’t afford to pay for all this in full right now, we can easily pay it off over time (I haven’t carried a balance on my credit card for years, but will have to for awhile now.) I know there are many people in much worse financial situations. Just another thing to be thankful for.

I also thought back to Monday night at the Cross Country banquet. Tammy and I connected after the banquet and she laughed because Nova’s tail came up in one of the pictures in the team slide show. I told her that the amputation was the following day and that I was so sad that Nova would not be able to be the cross country mascot dog that fall. The tears were welling up, but she got a big smile on her face and said Nova would definitely attract more attention and love than ever if she continued to go to the meets as a Tripawd. I didn’t realize until then that I was assuming that Nova would not be able to go, but when you think about it, of course she can. If she is healthy by the summer I will continue to take her to the park races and team meets.

I think people are much more afraid of amputations than dogs are. Dogs don’t care. If it makes them feel better, they adapt, and get on with life. I wish people were better at doing that. As I remember with Milhouse, our Dalmation, it is so very shocking to have the dog come home with no leg, and you feel absolutely awful the first few times you see them struggle to get up, or lose their balance and fall over. It just rips your heart out. But very quickly you see the difference, and how happy they are and you see it is worth it. We did the amputation with Milhouse knowing it had already spread, and that it was only buying us a few months. With Nova it seems more promising because it hasn’t spread, and the chemo has a good chance of knocking out any microscopic stuff that might be there.

When I got home I spent a lot of time on the www.tripawds.com site. I did a ton of reading and even added a post telling Nova’s story and asking a few questions. I had been wanting to search online for a type of harness to put on her to help her in and out of the car and up and down stairs. It was amazing, as soon as I opened the Tripawds site, there was a video promoting and demonstrating a harness made just for that purpose. I ordered one on the spot.

I had to keep myself occupied while I waited for news that she had made it through the surgery safely.

(Written on November 11, 2008)

I had a very hard time sleeping last night. When I woke up in the morning I had a very hard time not looking at Nova’s left leg. I kept wanting to hug her and touch the leg that I knew would not be there by the end of the day. I cradled her head as I gave her her glaucoma eyedrops, and whispered words of encouragement in her ear. It was very hard to not break down and cry. On the way out the door I made an impulsive decision to grab my camera and take a “Farewell 4-legged Nova” picture. Probably stupid, but I just did it.

I put Nova’s bed in the car so that she would have a comfortable ride. Surgery is always to nerve-wracking, with dogs AND people, because you never know if there will be complications during the surgery and that this might be the last time. I cried for much of the ride down there and had to spend some time pulling myself together in my car before taking her in. Of course, Nova kept licking my face to wipe my tears.

We went in and she instantly recognized the place and made another bee-line for the door. She started whining too. It was heartbreaking. I was able to hold back my tears as I signed all the forms and releases. But she kept tugging at the leash and wanting to leave. I asked to speak with the surgeon and he came right out to talk with me. I was wanting to know how much of the leg they were going to take off, and what it might look like. I was really shocked and dismayed to find out that even though the tumor was way down near her ankle, that they would be taking off the entire left front leg AND the left shoulder. He said that it was the preferred way and a more streamlined look for the dog. He said if anything if left dangling it creates more opportunities for things to get bumped and hurt. I understood, but was still stunned that they would be taking her shoulder.

Soon it was time to say goodbye and I kept hugging her, not wanting to let her go. I whispered some final words of encouragement in her ear and watched the technician walk away with her. I got back to the car and set her collar and the seat and the floodgates opened. There is always this feeling of “will she blame me, or be mad at me?” And “I just paid someone to saw off my dog’s LEG, how cruel.” I know it is not cruel, but actually the most loving thing I could have done for her. And I know she won’t be looking down there thinking “I can’t believe you would do this to me.” Argghhhh. It is times like these where I wish I was a dog. Then I would not worry, I would just wag my tail and take life as it comes.

(Written on Monday, November 10, 2008)

Nova and I made the hour-plus trek south to Canton to see Dr. Obradovich at her Animal Cancer and Imaging Center. I had stopped early at the vet to pick up her x-rays and various test results. I was feeling good and positive. I had tears in my eyes as I saw Nova once again thunder out of the house and leap up into the van, tail at full speed. She always relishes each and every car ride, even those to the vet. You would think we were going to the dog park or a cross country meet.

When we got there the staff was very pleasant and friendly. Nova is generally a big lover, but she quickly decided she wanted nothing to do with the place and started softly whining (more like complaining, she is so verbal it was like a conversation). Every time the door opened and another patient came in she would make a run for the door. It’s so hard to hold it together when you see that. We stopped at the scale for a weight (125 lbs, up 3 lbs from the previous week) and went in to the exam room. It took awhile for Dr. Obradovich to come in, but she did spend a lot of time with me.

There was no beating around the bush. She reviewed the films and put the one of Nova’s leg up on the wall. She said it was extremely urgent to do an amputation, since Nova’s leg had a fracture in the bone already (this was on an x-ray taken nearly 2 weeks ago!). I was alarmed that Dr. Kern had not noticed the fracture, and I immediately felt a rush of guilt for making Nova walk around on a broken leg for the past 2 weeks. I also felt a sense of relief that I had made the right decision in coming to Dr. Obradovich for her opinion.

Obviously I had to make some quick decisions about Nova. After the doctors there reviewed the x-rays and test results, they quickly agreed that it was osteosarcoma, or at least SOME type of sarcoma (which they can’t tell the type without another biopsy). I was a wreck. We are going to Arizona for my husband Paul’s Ironman triathlon next Thursday, and there was no way that I could cancel the trip. Paul has been working way too hard for this. I asked Dr. O if she thought it could wait until I returned. I felt like a selfish loser even asking, but we have a few thousand dollars invested in this trip, much of it non-refundable. She shook her head. The bone was very, very weak and she felt that Nova could at any time suffer a more severe, painful break that would require an emergency amputation. The last thing I would want to happen would be for it to occur at the kennel when we were in Arizona. I arranged the surgery immediately.

Regardless of whether it is cancer or not, Dr. O says that amputation is the first, most important thing to do to improve her quality of life. So, that’s what I have decided to do. Last night I had already learned that through browsing through a site called www.tripawds.com, and reading a few stories about 3-legged dogs affected by cancer. Dr. O did more chest x-rays and said that Nova’s chest was still clear, so they have a very good chance at stopping the spread throughout the body with a combination of amputation followed by 4 chemo treatments. She will have her first chemo treatment 2 weeks after the surgery (if the tumor is found to be malignant – they will send it to the lab after the amputation). If it is benign (very, very slim chance) then they will not have to do the chemo. Chemo apparently does not make dogs sick the way it does people. It was a tremendous relief to hear that.

Doctor O said survival rates are about 50% in the first year (with amputation and chemo) and 85% in the second year. This is for dogs who have clear chest x-rays. Of course it is much less for those that have already started to spread. It seems like a lot of money to pay for the chance to have my dog around for another year or two, but when you think that’s like ¼ of her ENTIRE LIFE, it seems to make sense. I just can’t rationalize putting her down right now (although I am sure some people would) because she is so very happy and otherwise healthy. If she were in a bunch of pain and it had already spread then I would decide differently. It’s hard to make this decision being married, because guys don’t always feel the same way about their pets, it’s easy for them to be more detached. The financial part is hard. Paul has been supportive throughout all of Nova’s ordeals, but I am sure he would rather have a new fishing boat than chemo and an amputation for a dog who is going to die someday anyway. (He’d never say that, but I’m sure he’s thinking it). Oh well, my Visa card is going to take a beating. The economy is so bad and I have been making next to nothing in Real Estate. Time for a “Car Wash or Spaghetti Dinner to Benefit Nova’s Cancer Treatment” 🙂

So I will be taking her in tomorrow morning at 9 and the surgery will be tomorrow. It will be done at the cancer center, they are much better equipped to handle 24-hour care than my regular vet. For a second I considered having Dr. Kern do the surgery, to save a little money. But then I got worried about complications and thought that the surgeon at Animal Cancer Center is a better choice to do the surgery. She will remain there until late Wednesday or some time on Thursday. We are leaving for Arizona next Thursday, so she will have about a week at home. The vet seemed to think that it would be fine to board her, I am so worried about that. The kennel I use is very one-on-one, just a guy with a kennel building in his backyard, he only boards 5-6 dogs at a time, but he is very attentive. She and Emmy usually share a run.

One positive note, Dr. O said that she felt that Nova was a “perfect” candidate for a front leg amputation since she is so lean and fit. She also said that females generally have a harder time with rear leg amputations because it’s so much harder to squat to pee. I never thought of that.

Right now my head is spinning. I am not second guessing my decision, really I know in my heart that it is the ONLY decision. I know we are embarking on an unknown journey, with lots of ups and downs for sure.

Here goes………

(Written on Thursday, November 6, 2008)

Well I got the word back today on Nova’s biopsy. There was no cancer detected… in the tiny samples that they took, that is. Dr. Kern is still concerned though, because there was no official diagnosis from the lab. They can’t diagnose if they can’t find anything, right? She was also concerned because based on the location and “look” of the tumor, and the breed, it is very likely osteosarcoma. There is always the chance that it is just a bone cyst, but that is pretty rare. (That is what I am hoping for, but I know it is wishful thinking). So the next step is to do a more invasive biopsy, where they put her totally under and take a large section of the tumor. That means a cut that is a few inches long, stitches, etc. Yuck.

I thought about it for awhile. I was so not wanting to put Nova through such an invasive biopsy, and I couldn’t bear to wait again for results, when all the while cancer could be continuing to grow and spread. I made the decision to take her x-rays and test results over to a canine oncologist (Dr. Joyce Obradovich) an hour away in Canton next Monday for a 2nd opinion. It seemed to me that it made better sense to to get and experts advice on what the next step should be, before subjecting Nova to a very invasive biopsy. My concern is that her leg could break from all the cutting and such. I want to hear it from an expert, not just a regular vet. I guess my rationale is that I will feel a lot better having an expert do the second biopsy, if needed, and I want to hear her opinion. I hope that is the right choice.

Otherwise, Nova is still the same happy girl. She limps ever so slightly, and the lump is still there. But she seems healthy and happy so I have been letting her enjoy life to the fullest (although trying to keep her from running). Of course she is getting a lot of extra love these days from everyone in the family, and anyone else who has heard of her crisis. Every chance I get I take her leg in my hands and say a prayer over it. Sounds silly, but I don’t know what else to do. Sometimes I talk to the tumor in silly rhymes “Evil tumor go away, we don’t want you in Nova’s leg”. Of course no one knows I do this except me and Nova, and her tail always starts wagging like crazy when I do it.

I am so anxious to hear was Dr. Obradovich says about my big girl on Monday (we are going there at noon).

(Written on October 31, 2008)

Well here it is Halloween, and I just now realized that it would be poor judgment for me to take Nova out trick-or-treating like I have for years. Dr. Kern said to avoid any unnecessary walking or rambunctious play. That is so hard with a wiggle-butt like Nova. I am so sad that I can’t dress her up for Halloween. She has always been such a good sport about it. A few weeks ago I was on a quest for a turkey costume for her, and a peacock costume for Emmy. Then I got sidetracked with the lump, the biopsy and I stopped looking. I decided to just have them wear their costumes from last year (Nova was a princess, Emmy was an angel).

On Halloween night I decided to leave Nova home and dress up Emmy in the princess costume and head out. It didn’t go very well, since Emmy does not like to walk as much as Nova. She especially doesn’t like to go for walks without Nova. So I came back home and just sat and watched TV, drinking a glass of wine, and being sad.

Another thing I am grieving is that Nova might not be here next year for cross country season. She was kind of the unofficial team mascot and is a well-loved fixture at all the local summer trail runs at the park, and at my son Alex’s cross country meets in the fall. I thought of my friend Tammy from cross country, and how sad she would be about Nova. Tammy has a mastiff named Annie, and she and Nova often pal up at meets. Both being big dogs, they always get tons of attention.

(Written October 29, 2008)

Today was biopsy day, I took Nova in at 7:30 am to leave her for the biopsy, and picked her up in the late afternoon. When I came to get her she came out with her tail wagging at full speed, full of love and kisses. She has a cute little pink bandage covering the biopsy part, along with a bottle of Rimadyl for her bone pain. Of course they don’t know anything yet, the results will take up to 7 business days. But the procedure went very well, excellent bloodwork, and she was VERY happy to get home this afternoon. Not groggy or anything. I gave her a nice bowl of her favorite soft dog food, called “Cowboy Cookout”. They have given me a couple names of some cancer specialists, but have advised that I wait for the biopsy results before seeing the specialist. I really don’t want to wait, but I don’t want to be negative and assume it is cancer.

I’ve read a bunch online and have come to the conclusion that it is probably 99% sure it is osteosarcoma. It is just way too common in giant breeds, and the location of the tumor is a very common location.

(Written the Weekend of October 25-26th)

I told my favorite dog-loving friends about Nova. It is so nice to have understanding people to vent with when I am dealing with a dog-crisis. A lot of people just don’t get it, and make you feel like you are going way overboard on your dog. My dog-loving aunt asked about Emmy (my other dane) and wondering why I always had updates on Nova, not Emmy. Awwww… Emmy has really ended up at the short end of the stick these days. People don’t hear anything about Emmy because she is healthy and quiet! Poor girl, she always looks so lonely when I head out with Nova for another visit to the vet. I think she thinks Nova gets all these special car rides and she doesn’t. If she only could understand. It’s hard to, because Nova always thunders out to the van with her tongue flapping and tail wagging, like we are going to the dog park. Emmy is very different than Nova, snuggly but in a much more gentle way. Nova just butts her head in and gets in your face, or gives you the “butt”. One of her nicknames is Butt HEAD, because she butts her big honkin’ head into everyones business. She also “talks” a lot and her tail wags constantly. Emmy is more patient and quiet and gentle. The only health issue she has is she is fat, very barrel-shaped.

I probably won’t know anything more until late Wednesday. I am nervous about the biopsy. Nova never does very well with anesthesia, and I am also concerned that getting in there to take a sample could further weaken the bone. The last thing I want to happen is for her leg to suddenly break, which from what I have read is something that has happened. She is happy as ever, her tail even wags in her sleep. It is sad to look at her and know that while she may be with us for awhile longer it probably won’t be as long as I was hoping. Let’s just hope it’s a slow-growing tumor, or just an inflammation. I know it’s not realistic, but I can always hope! Both girls have been getting lots of extra hugs this weekend, that’s for sure.

Back on October 24, 2008, it was late afternoon and I was looking down at Nova’s front paws and noticed a big swelling in one on the joints on her left front leg. Oh no! I did not have a good feeling about it, as it looked similar to the swelling we saw in our Dalmatian several years back, which back then turned out to be bone cancer (ostersarcoma). Of course I called the vet at 4:30 and begged to get a quick appointment, I didn’t want to wait until Monday. These things always seem to happen on Fridays, or on the weekend, ever notice that?

They got me right in and did an x-ray. Unfortunately it did not look good at all. It showed a big dark tumor in the bone. Of course there is no way to tell just by looking at it that it was cancerous. The vet said that the biggest threat is that the growth of the tumor can weaken the bone, and it can spontaneously break and cause a tremendous amount of pain. 🙁 The recommendation was to arrange for a bone biopsy ASAP, which they couldn’t do until the following Wednesday. They also suggested a chest x-ray, to determine if any spots appeared in the lungs or chest, which would be an indication it was cancerous, and had spread. I agreed to the chest x-ray which they did right there. Luckily, they had several vets available to look at it and all said the chest appeared clear. But the same doctors looked at the x-ray of her leg and all felt that it was most likely osteosarcoma. But of course we won’t know for sure without the biopsy.

Right now I’ve been told to keep her calm (she’s usually pretty calm anyway) and not let her run around or jump. They gave her some medication for the pain. From what I am reading online, it doesn’t necessarily mean the end is around the corner, but amputation is probably inevitable. Awwwww. That’s what we had to do with our Dalmatian. He was in pain from the tumor (it doesn’t seem like it causes Nova much pain right now) and once we amputated he was a new man. He lived another 6 months after that, and all but a week or two were really good, happy weeks. In the end it had spread to his abdomen and pressed on his lungs, so we knew it was time to let him go.

Oh, I love my Nova so much! She is my best friend. I don’t want to see her in pain and thankfully right now she is not. It’s hard to face that she might not be around as long as I had hoped, but I want to make her life as good as possible. She is such a happy dog! Even right now her tail is wagging non-stop.