Otis, an 8 year old 106 lb. lab/Dane mix, became a Tripawd on February 9, 2016 after his right front leg broke due to osteosarcoma. We did 4 rounds of carboplatin, but lung mets were discovered on Agust 25, and he passed on September 4. Otis was half of a bonded pair, and his adopted sister Tess, passed suddenly of hemangiosarcoma on October 9. The day before Tess passed, a local lab rescue group had identfied Gator, a 120 pound 6 year old yellow in need of a home, as a potential companion for her. His picture was on my phone, and my house needed a dog. . .
A Special Tripawds Thank You to Andrew Krichbaum, owner of Pet Necessities, an independent, family owned pet products store located at 4354 Johnson Avenue in Western Springs, Illinois (near the Western Springs train station). Andrew donated gift bags for the members of Team Tripawds participating in the Wheaton, IL PuppyUp Foundation walk this Saturday. (Yes, donated!) I have been a customer pretty much since he opened – although the store is smaller than the chains, he carries premium products and can order pretty much anything you need. I am a big supporter of small, independent businesses and think our communities really benefit from their presence. So, if you live in the area, please stop by Pet Necessities (www.petnecessities.net).
Pet Necessities has a wide variety of premium products for dogs and cats. And, he has photos of his customers, including Otis and Tess, up on the wall behind him.
Tess has decided to take over this blog. She is hoping you won’t count her legs and see that there are four. After all, someone gave her this pretty pink bandana, so she must be a member of the Tripawd Nation, right?
It’s been a hard week. Otis had such a big personality that it filled the house. Not sure that the space can ever be filled. Tess is lonely, especially during the day when we are gone. When I am home, she follows me around the house like my shadow.
I am still deciding what stays and what goes. Yoga mats go, but the majority of the industrial floor mats will probably stay (remembering that Tess had cruciate repair – no reason for her to slip on the tile or wood). The bed will stay with just the box spring and mattress (no frame) for the same reason, and we are still gating off the upstairs during the day. I did have to pick up Otis’ food bowl, mainly because I kept accidentally almost filling it. And I realized that Tess was picking something up from my bedding – Otis spent a lot of those last 36 hours there – and washed it. Otis’ favorite bed is still sitting by the futon in the living room. Might stay there for a while.
Tess’ bright pink admission ticket to the Tripawd Nation.The first night, Tess slept on the landing where Otis used to sleep.Tess returned to the bed after I got the bedding washed.
We had to say goodbye to Otis last night. After he came home, he took a long nap laying next to me on the futon. He was so happy to see my daughter – tail going enthusiastically. My ex came over with his two dogs. And his last meal was kibble and something called Hunk of Beef by the Evangers dog food company. It really is a hunk of beef in a can. He used to love it when he was younger, and I had seen it on display in a pet store two weeks ago and picked up two cans. At around 5:30, he seemed to be breathing heavily, and the company left. By 7:30, it was obvious that I was seeing the same breathing pattern as the night before and we took him in. A final x-ray confirmed the build-up of air in his lungs. He transitioned peacefully, accompanied by me, my ex and a family friend.
I feel like some small part of my heart went with him last night. Not in a bad way, but as if it is flying free with him wherever he is now. There is definitely an absence in the house, but the two most important things to me where that the final decision would be clear (the last x-ray ensured that) and that he had a good quality of life up until the end (he did). I moved Tess’ favorite bed into my bedroom, but still have to decide what (or when) to deal with some of the things Tess will not use: his favorite bed, his baby pool in the backyard, his food dishes. And of the course, the industrial floor mats all over the house. For now, they all stay as is.
Thank you to everyone reading this – I know how hard it can be to read the endings. I truly appreciate the wonderful support from this community. It meant so much during the last two nights to have our members from the UK and Australia online with me all night. And the outpouring of support overall has been phenomenal.
We took this picture on Otis’ last day. We used to joke that he thought he was a 10 pound puppy when he tried to crawl into my lap.
I took this picture several months ago and somehow knew that it was the one I would want to use on this day to say goodbye.
After a harrowing night, Otis is home. About 7:00 p.m., his breathing became very heavy – not panting, just very labored. He wasn’t able to sleep, and at 1:30 a.m., I took him in. He had a “pneumothorax,” air built up caused by tears in the lungs resulting from the mets. The X-rays showed that it was pushing his heart out of position. The vet drained 2 liters of air from one lung, and one from the other. He is home now. Although there are more invasive surgeries that could seal the tears, in this case, it didn’t really seem worth it. He could have a few hours, or a few days before the air comes back. It was important, however, that my daughter and ex got to spend time with him. The vet gave us some clear signs to look for, and until then, he is going to enjoy time with his family. Cheeseburgers are on the way!
He’s home!I hate that he has more shaved spots, but he is breathing totally normally now. Just moving around a bit slowly.The cheeseburgers have arrived! Tess and Otis shared, of course. Apparently, they get cheesy beefs for dinner.
When I posted the x-ray results, someone said that we should make sure to take some selfies, which coincidentally, is what we were doing last night. We have also tried to post a video of him rolling during last night’s walk. Hopefully you can all see it.Otis’ x-ray with mets. They look much worse on this photo than they did on the actual x-ray. I would have taken a picture of his cheeseburgers too, but they did not hang around long enough for a photo. No actual symptoms (coughing or anything) yet.
