Last Friday I dropped Ziggy off at the vet for what seemed like a semi-routine visit. The week before my husband and I were traveling and our dog sitter let us know Ziggy was limping. We didn’t think much about it; maybe he cut his paw or strained something jumping around with the other dogs. A couple of days later he was still limping and we noticed his front leg was really swollen. Getting a vet appointment seemed to take forever, but I was finally able to get him in for a drop off.
The Phone Call
It was another busy day at work and my phone rang while I was at my desk. It was the vet’s office, I figured they must be calling to let me know Ziggy was done. The next couple of minutes were a bit of a blur, I remember: “unfortunately…cancer…amputation…good news it’s not in the lungs.” I rushed to pick him up and had a better chat with the doctor. She explained recommended a oncologist and I proceeded to make the next available appointment. My husband and I had a rough weekend, the more we read about osteosarcoma the more concerned we were. Sadness took over us and we prayed that we wouldn’t have to amputate. This was the second time cancer struck our family (my mom just went into cancer remission after fighting for almost two years) and we just hate it. Even worse I had to break the news to my parents who cared for Ziggy for nearly five years while I deployed from one place to the next. Monday night my mom flew into town and we broke the news – she was devastated, as was my dad.
The Team of Angels: Oncology and Surgery
We met the Oncology team Tuesday, they were extremely kind and patient with us. The doctor explained how Ziggy’s x-rays looked like he may have osteosarcoma but the only way of knowing for sure was if they did a biopsy. Unfortunately, the x-ray showed the bone was extremely debilitated and could snap at any minute. It was then we realized that cancer, or not, the best way to treat our baby boy would be to amputate. Luckily, the surgeon’s office was downstairs and shortly after we had an appointment scheduled for the next morning. Twenty-four hours later we were back. The surgeon was awesome and could relate to us; when he told us he went through the same thing with his 180 pound Great Dane I knew Ziggy would be ok. It was then that we booked surgery for the next morning. Ziggy’s last day as a quad came a lot faster than we could have imagined. One of the hardest things was knowing that he was clueless about what faced hime the next day. What if he knew it would be his last day with all four legs?
Surgery Day
Thursday came quick and it dropping Ziggy off was breaking my heart. I knew I would see him again but I just couldn’t imagine what he would be like. It was hard keeping it together, I eventually caved but we kissed Ziggy and said our goodbyes. That was the last time I’d ever see him with four legs.
Hours (it really seemed like a decade) later we finally got a call from the surgeon to let us know Ziggy was out of surgery and recovering well. He braved his way through surgery like a champ! Ziggy spent the night at the hospital with the night crew watching over him (have I already mentioned how awesome the staff is?!) and we got a phone call from the doctor first thing in the morning. Ziggy did so well overnight that he felt confident we could pick him up in the afternoon. Our sweet boy was eating, happy and even impressed everyone when he got up on his own.
Meeting Our Tripawd
It seemed to take forever and a day to see him once we went to pick him up. The staff was very thorough, they took their time before bringing him out. This was actually a good thing, I felt like waiting calmed our nerves a bit. When he came out he was full of joy and happy to see us. I was amazed at how strong he looked. Getting him in the vehicle was a bit of a challenge but thankfully we were able to figure it out quick and safely. I would highly recommend for anyone doing this that they have a help ’em up harness to help your dog walk. Having Ziggy’s bed in the car helped him stay comfy on the ride home.
Home Sweet Home
So far we’ve had a good evening. Ziggy has been downstairs all night, constantly supervised by someone. He’s mostly been laying around but wiggles around a little and even got up by himself at one point. Day 1 wasn’t as terrible as I thought but tomorrow is another day full of new challenges. Until next time!!
