Avi's Journey

It has officially been 3 years since Avi had her front leg amputation due to a mast cell tumor. Post removal, it was confirmed that the mast cell cancer had not spread, and she was officially cancer free! That is up until now. A new lump appeared 2 months ago, and after an aspiration it was determined to be a new, independent MCT. Since the new bump was higher up on her leg (near her bum), the veterinarians determined they could surgically remove the tumor in it’s entirety. Overwhelmed and disturbed at the reappearance of a new MCT, I was relieved at the news that a simple surgery would once again completely eliminate the spread of cancer. After surgery, Avi was unable to walk (she was essentially down two legs). It was a two-person job taking her out, feeding her, moving her, etc. What I did not anticipate was the extreme level of pain she would experience with this surgery, more so than her amputation. She cried through the nights for a full week, and I felt helpless as I watched my baby girl suffer. She did not go to the bathroom for a full 72 hours, as the pain was so intolerable for her to be moved from her bed. When we did carry her outside, it consisted of non-stop yelping and crying, her suffering was almost unbearable. The vets prescribed her extra pain medication, which seemed to help, however it was determined that she is a highly sensitive dog relative to most. After 2 weeks of recovery, I finally started to see hints of her old personality coming back, and was hopeful that the cancer was gone. Avi=2 , Cancer = 0!

Fast forward 2 months (currently), I discovered a new lump, only 2 inches away from the tumor that was just removed, and about twice the size of the previous tumor. I knew instantly what it was, and accepted the fate of Avi potentially having a genetic predisposition to MCT’s. The most difficult part in all of this was the decision to put her through another two weeks of hell if I decided to go ahead with the surgical remove of the third tumor. Her quality of life is more important to me than her lifespan, and I was determined to prevent any suffering she would experience by undergoing yet another surgery. After much consultation with the vet and an oncologist at the University of Minnesota, it was decided that surgical removal would be the best option. Taking into consideration her pain sensitivity, I decided to go with the advice of all the vets and have her tumor yet again removed. They promised to focus on managing her pain through a block during surgery and heavy pain meds post surgery. This may have been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make, however Avi’s veterinarians have her best interest in mind and I was confident in their recommendations for her health. I’ll never forget the words the vet told me while trying to process the ramifications of yet another MCT: “judicious pruning keeps the tree healthy”. She is currently  in surgery as I type, and I needed some sort of outlet to process this all as she goes through this battle with MCT’s. I hope I’ve made the right decisions, and more importantly that her suffering is minimized. I will update later this week!

It’s been one week since Avi had her amputation, and she’s been doing amazing! She is clearly annoyed about everyone fussing over her amputation, it’s really not even a big deal to her. Below I’ve decided to list some of the pros and cons of the post-amputation process (even though it’s only been a week).

 
Pros:

1. People stop more frequently and gawk at how adorable she is. Must be a tripawd thing.

2. She’s gotten more treats in the past week then in her entire life.

3. She is 100% the same dog. I knew going into this that she would be, but I couldn’t help but question whether her demeanor or mannerisms would change. They definitely did not.

4. She wears the cutest sweaters. They shaved a lot of her fur, and when you live in Fargo ND it’s more of a survival thing than a fashion statement.

5. My birthday was 2 days after her amputation, and she received more “Get Well” cards than I did “Birthday” cards. Makes me so thankful for all the love and support my baby girl has.

Cons:

1. The occasional painful yelp from moving the wrong way… and knowing you can’t fix it.

2. She’s been whining every night. Not the painful yelping sort of whine, but a consistent soft whine. Since she’s not allowed on my  bed while she’s recovering, she’s had to sleep away from me, which is what I think the cause is. I’ve officially resorted to sleeping on the floor next to her (for my sake, so I don’t stay up all night hearing her whine), and that seems to do the trick. Hopefully the recovery is quick because I miss my bed.

3. She exerts more effort into her hops, and will frequently pause, as if to mentally and physically prepare for the next hop. I’m hoping this will get better as her leg gets stronger.

It’s officially been 3 days since her amputation, and she’s been a champ! She quickly adjusted to walking on three legs, and pulls on the leash just as hard as she did before the amp. The worst part so far has been the occasional yelp when it hurts and minor bleeding every now (noticeably when she’s more active than she should be), however things have been looking good and she’s been doing great. I’ve had to keep a shirt over her to hide her stitches from her, and she does pretty well however I don’t trust her when I’m gone or sleeping so she’s forced to wear the E-collar. Hopefully the cancer is gone for good! Thanks everyone for all the support on this Tripawds site, it’s been incredibly therapeutic sharing her story and reading other people’s experiences!

Avi with her inflatable cone on

It was officially confirmed through a biopsy that mass in Avi’s carpal joint was a low grade 2 mast cell tumor. After seeing an oncologist in the Twin Cities, it was decided that amputation would be the best option to fully remove the cancer. I am so thankful for the many years she has left! While I’ve struggled with the decision of amputation, I only want what’s best for her. My only remaining concern is the possibility that she is more susceptible to developing more tumors, but we have to take it day by day from here on out.

Avi with my niece, Summer

Every Christmas, my wish list would continuously evolve as I grew older. However, there was one thing that remained consistent: A dog. I knew my request was highly improbable, however my desire was persistently made clear. I was raised with the mentality that if I wanted something, I needed to find the means to obtain it. And so I did. So fast forward to now: An independent graduate student, with my own apartment and modest stipend. The location: Fargo ND. Why I would ever choose to suffer through -50C windchill each and every winter is beyond my comprehension.  I finally realized I had the means to support and care for a canine companion, and I quickly jumped at the opportunity when one presented itself.

My sisters friend had found a dog on some of their land in Iowa, mostly skin and bones, but friendly and affectionate. When nobody claimed her, my sister contacted me about it, as she was well aware of my long-standing desire for a dog. I immediately accepted, and she came to live with me January of 2014. The vet estimated she was a yellow lab mix (I think she has some greyhound in her), and she was no more than 2 years old at the time.

When deciding on a name, I chose Avi (ahh-vee), for a secretly nerdy reason I will never confess to. She immediately warmed up and we were bonded within a month. She was my baby, and I discovered this new realm of love and compassion within my heart that I had no idea existed. She was my source for care, worry, happiness, joy, peace, and love. Being a relatively scientific person by nature, I was surprised to see this motherly instinct take form when Avi became my baby girl, and my momma bear instincts were frequently exposed.

The past year, Avi has experienced more love and attention by myself, family and friends. She’s become part of my family. It’s a dynamic that only dog owners can fully understand. However, her health throughout the year was relatively normal up until recently. Early in the year, the vets became quite familiar with Avi as she had ear infections and an eye infection, yet she was continuously healed through a little TLC and R&R (and meds).

It wasn’t until November of 2014 that she was playing outside, and within 10 minutes her carpal joint had swollen to the size of a golf ball. It looked horrendous, however she exhibited no signs of pain or discomfort. I continued to monitor her over the next week or two, per instruction of the vet, yet the swelling remained. I finally brought her in, and the vets put her on an antinflammatory medication, hoping the swelling would go down. One week later, still no progress. The vets decided to aspirate her joint, only to discover a decent amount of blood containing mast cells. The oddity of her situation was puzzling, as mast cells should not be found in the carpal joint. They decided to treat her for an allergic reaction, hoping to avoid the possibility of a mast cell tumor. Avi was taking antinflammatory pills, antibiotics, and benedryl. 8 pills a day. After a week, no progress was seen. In fact, her swelling reached a maximum at one point. Currently, the vets are concerned that the swelling reflects a tumor within her carpal joint. The recommended treatment would be an amputation of her front right leg. I will update as I find out more, but I mostly needed an outlet for myself to reflect on this process and support my baby girl with each step.

For whoever is reading this, thanks for taking the time.