Super Stu!

Super Stu’s 3 Month Ampuversary!

Hi folks, Stewie here again!!! I have just celebrated my 3 Month Ampuversary! That’s 3 months and I’m still going strong!💪 I have made my Mum & Dad so very very Hoppy!🎉

“Just hangin’ Mum!”

I know I’m a lot stronger now ‘cause I ran after my Dad on the UTV and i had a blast running like the wind! I haven’t been able to do that in forever!😁 I stay strong by resting really good & I am back eating my 3 meals a day. Dad says that he has noticed me sleeping better lately with less moving around at night. I don’t notice ‘cause I’m sleeping to heavy! 😴 😴
Boy am I ever good at begging for treats now! Mum says that I can’t ALWAYS HAVE TREATS! and I say WHY NOT?! She says that I have to lose wate?! (what is this wate thing?!🤔…) how can I lose something when I don’t know what it is that I’m looking for? 👀😋

It’s been a little quieter and cooler over the past month. But I’ve still had fun! I go to town every week with Mum and Dad and everybody I meet just loves me and I luuuuv the attention I get!🤗
Mum brought home 3 new hedgehogs for me over the last month! I Ruv the sound they make when I tickle them! But they run out of tickle, so Mum has to get me a new one ‘cause I Ruv them that much!😁😁😁

“Do you want to play with one of my Hedgies?!”

It’s a good thing that my coat is growing back in nicely and thank goodness for that! (there is no more scabbing left! No more itchy spots yay!👏) It went from really hot to really cool and we can start to see the snow coming down the mountain tops. It won’t be long before it gets to us! 🍂🍁🏔☃️🎄
Mum says that she’s worried for when winter comes ‘cause she’s worried about me slipping. But I just laugh and say no worries Mum. But truthfully I’m a little nervous, cause it can get pretty icy! I’ll have to hop VERY CAREFULLY!😬

“Look Ma! Only 3 Paws!”

Last week I went for my fourth round of Carboplatin chemotherapy… it went super well! I have had no complications with my blood work either, so we get the full shabang each time. (Let’s hope that keeps up for the next two sessions!) Dr. Laurie is very impressed with how long I can stay still! She must know that I do it for her ‘cause I really like her! She may prod and poke, but she always says she’s sorry and she gives me yummy treats after!🥓 I only have to get two more icky Chemo sessions done! 💉💉🤞

Me and my Mum & Dad and my favourite person Anne went on another boat-ride this week! I had so much fun! We even ate lunch on board! 👅 it was also very cool cause we saw a snow storm blow in. It rained on the lake and snowed on the mountain tops… 🏔 and the sun came out after! It was beautiful! We’re very lucky this year ‘cause the lake is staying up higher than usual for this time of year. Especially considering the very dry summer we had!

A Day out on Toasty McBoaty!

“Seriously?!”

A micro storm blowing through!

Ha! What storm!

Then today, Mum & Dad took me into town for my blood work and then let me walk downtown with them (my old stomping grounds!) and some of my old friends were there and they were all super hoppy to see me! I’m glad we got a picture to celebrate my 3 Month Ampuversary!

“My old stomping grounds and all the people that Ruv me!

I really am so very hoppy and all, but I’m sad too ‘cause I’ve heard some crappy news this last week from Mum, about some of my friends from Tripawds that I have come to know. I know I haven’t known many of you for long, but you hold a very special place in my heart! I say 💩 on this nasty stinking cancer!

So Until next time my friends… Stay strong and keep hopping hoppily along and most importantly, keep making your pawrents smile! 💞😊💖

“Ruv ❤️ You!”

Sloppy kisses from Stewie👅 🐕 🐾
& all the very best from his adoring pack,
Petra, Paul, & his 🐈 siblings, Mr. Spike, Chester Molester and Miss Lily 🐾🐾 🐾 💓
http://stewie2017.tripawds.com/

Hanging out with Mum.

Paul & I are feeling really blessed as this week rolls around. Stewie is now 1 Month past his amputation! 👏👍❤️

At the beginning of this very difficult journey, before we even considered the amputation for Stewie, we were faced with only 4-6 weeks, before we had to put him to sleep, due to the extensive pain he would have been in right now.
We are celebrating LIFE with Stewie now, rather than grieving for our boy, who we would have had too short a life with! We know that we haven’t beaten the Osteosarcoma, but we feel that we have at least conquered it for a while. None of us ever know for how long, but we feel incredibly fortunate to have been given this chance with our fur baby!

“I’m looking for the gophers with my Dad!”

Stewie’s fourth week after amputation has gone really well. He has shown us that he is adjusting quite well to becoming a Tripawd. He centres his right front leg more and I can see that it is buffing up nicely with a little extra muscle. He quite enjoys being able to surf in the back of his truck again, with is head sticking out the window, while he try’s to keep his tongue from being blown away! 👅😁

I have only been feeding Stewie twice a day now and he is hungry again for his food and will stand up and eat it, like his old self!
The funniest thing this last week was when he tried to catch the gopher out of our woodpile! His front leg and belly were to the ground, while his arse was sticking up in the air. His nose was going crazy and if I hadn’t of put him in the house, he would’ve circled that woodpile till he dropped! 🐭😤
That was his first foray back into his guard duties, otherwise, being a couch potato puts a bit of a damper on the fun of chasing away those tough deer 🦌 and those bully bears 🐻!
Stewie still gets very tired after very short walks and he tends to do most of his licking of his scar after these outings for pees and such. Otherwise he is licking far less and his scar is looking really good, plus his fur is starting to grow back nicely.

On Tuesday he goes in for blood work, to see where his white blood cells sit and then the following week, he gets his second blast, of Carboplatin chemotherapy.
I am most proud of Stewie and how far he has come this week. He really has shown how incredible dogs are at bouncing back from whatever we throw at them!
Like the Tripawds motto says… “I now feel good about what I have done for him”, rather than “good lord, what have I done to him!”

Thanks once again to the Tripawds community for being such a good support system and an excellent source of information!
Stewie tells me that he will be writing his next blog, to catch you all up on how his trips to the vet clinic go this next week.

Until then, keep your paws up and have a super Hoppy August Long Weekend! (at least it is up here in Canada! 🇨🇦)
All the very best from Super Stewie 🐾 and his pack,
Petra, Paul, Spike 🐾, Chester🐾 & Miss Lily🐾❤️

“What missing leg?!”

Hello Tripawd fans,

Stewie is now coming to the end of his third week into recovering from his left front leg amputation. It has been a roller coaster of highs and lows, but we have made it through the worst of it I believe…

Stewie has been incredible! He has allowed us to totally turn his world upside down and continues to trust us enough to help him heal by putting needles into him on  regular basis (Chemo & blood work now), constantly telling him not to lick, poking and prodding at an area that is obviously tender and the list goes on… He’s been a trooper through it all! (I myself would have bitten a few people by now!) He’s a true gentleman!

Paul & I have managed pretty well also. The hardest part was finding the right balance between us, in allowing Stewie to do things on his own. Because I am the main caregiver in the home, I, like many other Tripawd parents, have been terribly afraid of Stewie falling and hurting himself further. Paul on the other hand, let’s Stewie do what he wants to do, such as going downstairs independently or jumping onto things when he can.

Stewie has shown us what his limits are. He has done everything we have asked or allowed him to do, but if it has been too much, it shows at nights when he is super uncomfortable. Then we know that we have to slow him down.

I find myself focusing on Stewie’s future more now and not on the fact that we have taken away some of his independence. I see less of his ‘missing leg’ and more of the strength that he is gaining in his three remaining legs!

So please read on, into Super Stu’s 3rd week as a Tripawd Hero…!

Tuesday, July 25th,
Day 15 at home…

“Ruff Week!”

Stewie was already outside when I got up at 8am. Paul said he had taken a pee and a poo by himself! (I do get excited over the weirdest things!)
He ate breakfast of 1 cup of kibble with a small can of k/d cat food. Stewie ate a great lunch too. A whole cup of kibble and a bit of chicken sprinkled in.
Stewie went into the vets and had all of his stitches taken out and what a very good boy he was. Even though he was shaking afterwards. He was exceptional when they had to draw blood and for the IV that delivered the Carboplatin chemotherapy into his blood stream.
The blood sample is used as a marker, to see where his white blood cells are in two weeks. If they are too low, then the chemo has to be knocked back slightly.
#2 chemo session is in 3 weeks.
He still needs to wear his t-shirt, as the place on his scar that had the Seroma draining, is the last section to heal. (I found an errant stitch that was forgotten. (I haven’t the guts to take it out myself, so we’ll get it taken care of when we go into town next)
He went home and had a really good sleep in the basement and then ate a good supper of kibble & 1/2 small can of a/d.
Still licking…

Wednesday , July 26th,
Day 16 at home…

Happy hanging out!

Stewie was up and outside by 7:30am, more like his normal self!

He didn’t have his Meloxicam this morning, so I will give it to him at bedtime.
He had really good rests down in the basement today.
A late lunch, but a good one… kibble & 3/4 can of pedigree dog food.
After supper we were sitting outside and we changed Stewie’s shirt. I was giving his belly a rub and then we put a fresh shirt on. From that point on, he was obsessively licking the scar around where the Seroma was. He seemed to be in pain , the way he was panting & licking.
I went to bed once he had stopped frantically licking.

Thursday , July 27th,
Day 17 at home…

I thought he had settled down, but when I got up this morning, he had ripped holes in his shirt in order to get at his sore spot! I am now leaving his shirt off, as it obviously doesn’t stop him from licking or chewing for that matter!

“I feel a little naked right now!”

I am going to call the vets this am and ask what to do…
Dr. Bill suggested that it was in-growing hairs & if I have any cream with cortisone in it, I should use that. Unfortunately, I don’t have any.
He is downstairs resting right now… he hadn’t touched his breakfast until I hand fed him.
Paul & I went down to the lake for a couple of hours and when we got back. I hand fed his lunch and he came upstairs to hang out.
The only way I could get him to stop licking was to give him a belly rub and a good brushing on his right side.
He was hand fed his supper and his Meloxicam at 9pm.

Friday , July 28th,
Day 18 at home…

 I was up at 7:30am. Stewie was laying quietly and his scar doesn’t look so angry today. He doesn’t appear to be as obsessed over it either.
He slept most of the day in the basement. It is in the low 40’s (Celsius) these days, so he sticks to the cool spots.
He still insists on going downstairs by himself, but I do watch and tell him to go easy.
He came upstairs at 5:30 looking for supper and ate it standing up like his old normal self!

“I’m feelin’ a little more like myself again!”

Saturday  , July 29th,
Day 19 at home…

Stewie was up and relaxing outside this morning, like his usual self. He came in and willingly waited and stood to eat his breakfast.
At lunch time I gave him half of what I would normally give him. He hasn’t been all that active, so I think it’s time to start thinking about his weight management. I would rather see him hungry and willing at all meal times.
After lunch we decided that today was the day that Stewie would come boating with us! As usual, I was the worry wart, wondering how we were going to manage to get Stewie first into the UTV and then onto the boat… As is his usual style he excelled at both! He jumped up onto the back of the UTV like an old pro and again onto the Toaster!

A Day on The Toaster with Mum and Dad!

He was thoroughly exhausted by the time we got home. I hope we didn’t push it… he definitely enjoyed his day with us though.

Sunday , July 30th,
Day 20 at home…

He had a much better day today, we let him rest as much as he wanted…
He didn’t eat his supper until 8pm and then settled down like a normal dog! Lovely to see!

Relaxed and feelin’ okay…

Monday, July 31st,
Day 21 at home…

What a great day with Stewie!
He was up early and went straight outside to do his business, like a normal day! He was quite happy with himself… probably because Mother was jumping for joy at a normal life function! Ha! We don’t realize how much we miss these daily functions until they are not functioning anymore! I know I’ve been there! 😝😆
We had an appointment booked for the afternoon, to get Stewie’s single stitch out! (There were so many to take out last week, this one was hidden!)
Plus I wanted the doctor to take a look at the itchy spot to make sure nothing was going on there.
On the drive to town, I took the chance and sat in the front seat of our truck, leaving Stewie in the back by himself. (this was a big deal for me!) He once again, outdid my expectations and steadied himself with no problem, the whole way, even surfing around corners like the old pro he is! He loved it! His head was sticking out the window, hair blowing in the wind, it was a beautiful site to see in my side mirror!
He went into the vets office, no problem and he eventually got up onto the scale… He is now at 49.2kg. (Down 1.6kg) Dr. Bill is not concerned with his downsized diet, he is after after all doing far less activity than he normally would! Everything else looks great and I can stop the Meloxicam all together. Yay, no more pills!
Stewie would normally get to walk the Streets of our little town, getting all the fame & glory! But today, he had to be satisfied with just the driveby’s!
He didn’t care, he was just happy to be sticking his head out the window, watching the world go by!
He came home and gobbled down his supper! Yet another triumph for the day!

Mum is so proud of her boy!

Well that’s Stewie’s blogs caught up to date finally!

Thank you to everyone who has persevered through my story books of our Super Tripawd Hero, Stewie! We are amazed at how far he has come in such a short time.

All the very best and until next time…

❤ Stewie, Petra, Paul, Spike, Chester & Miss Lily 🐾🐾🐾🐾

Hi Tripawd friends,

here is Stewie’s two week update. A slightly easier, but no less challenging of a week…

Tuesday, July 18th,
Day 8 at home…

When I went downstairs to get Stewie up, he did not want to stand up at all. Eventually he came out, went pee and whimpered some more when laying down.
His T-shirt is completely dry this morning, but still a pocket of fluid sitting underneath.
I did manage to get some breakfast in him, but he doesn’t want to drink much. Turning away from treats.
By one o’clock we saw no improvement in his demeaner, so we decided to take him in. An appointment is made for 4:30pm.
Dr. Bill came out, checked Stewie’s temperature, which was slightly elevated. He then “milked” (drained) a small amount of fluid. Dr. Laurie checked his pulse, which was normal.
It’s possible that Stewie is taking a little longer to heal because he is such a big, furry dog. We are having super hot days (low 40’s Celsius) and he just needs more time.
He certainly perks up for the Dr.s!
Stewie didn’t eat very much supper, so he didn’t get a Meloxicam.
He would whimper when trying to move around and is definitely not himself today. He went downstairs and slept for a few hours.

I brought him up after a pee and put him to bed.
He fell into the first restful sleep all day.

Wednesday , July 19th,
Day 9 at home…

Stewie had a super restful sleep last night. Only getting up a couple of times to change positions.
He had a 1/2 cup of his kibble and 1/2 a can of AD.
He seems to be in better spirits today. Not licking at his wound half as much.
I saw Dr. Laurie when I picked up Stewie’s food and she recommended putting Stewie in the 1/2 Gabapentin in the mornings.
When I arrived home from town, Stewie happily greeted me at the door for the first time in a long time! He even stood to drink his own water! He didn’t fancy his lunch though.
He did however eat his supper. 1/2 a cup of kibble & half a can of AD.
Far more relaxed and comfortable looking this afternoon. Far less whimpering.

Stewie hanging out with his Uncles!

Thursday, July 20th,
Day 10 at home…

Stewie spent the first night on his own last night and although he moved around a few times, he seemed to have slept without a problem.

This morning I convinced him to eat 1/2 a cup of kibble with 1/2 a can of the AD. Along with half a Meloxicam.

He went pee as normal but when encouraged to do so and even went and had a pretty normal poo!

He seems to be the most uncomfortable after moving around, but settles down fairly quickly.

His wound looks really good today. The fluid seems to have dissipated fairly well and there is only a small amount of redness towards the bottom.

He is up & about more often by his choice today, wanting to greet people by the door, etc.
He didn’t want to eat lunch again today. But did eat his supper. I guess with not moving around so much, he wouldn’t have a huge appetite.

Friday , July 21st,
Day 11 at home…

Stewie had a good nights rest and slept in till 10am!
He had his pill with breakfast, 1/2 cup of kibble & 1/2 can of a/d.

We had him to the vets for 11:30am. His old friend (part time technician) Janine, was super happy to see him and sang her old song to him. When Stewie lived in Nakusp, he used to go to Janine’s and knock on her door, for his visits!
Dr. Bill checked Stewie out. His temp and colour is normal and his wound is healing enough that his stitches can come out on Tuesday. He will start his first chemotherapy session then as well.
We left him in the cool basement for the afternoon.

Happy hanging out!

Thankfully, the next few days have been fairly unremarkable…

Stewie has been eating some of his meals by himself, otherwise he is loving the hand fed attention I think! He is going to do his #2 business by himself, which we are both pretty happy to report on! And he goes downstairs when he wants. Sometimes he even comes and asks for help. I’m all over him like a mother hen, making sure he learns to go slowly.

He is such a very smart boy!

Californian Surfin’ Dude!

Pawsitive thoughts and love to all, from Super Stewie’s pack!

Petra, Paul, Spike, Chester & Miss Lily xx🐾🐾🐾🐾

Wednesday, July 12th
Day 2 at home…

Ruff night! Stewie was very restless for most of the night, especially between 12-4am. I had tried to take him for a pee at midnight, but all he did was take me around the house and back to bed.
I gave him an additional additional T3 to settle him down… we went for another pee at 4am and then he finally slept.

“Feeling a little under the weather…”

I had noticed that the bandage was starting to show signs of fluids that must be coming out of his wound area. It looked like the clear fluid that should be draining. I emailed Dr’s Bill and Laurie informing them of a Stewie’s progress.
Dr. Bill confirmed my thoughts on the wound drainage and told me that I could bring Stewie in for a dressing change tomorrow, rather than the appointment that is booked for Friday. I will check again tomorrow.

Drainage is starting to soak through…

His panting and whimpering went on for another hour and then he got up to go past the living room gate. So I got him all lined up and took him outside. He ran me over to the bushes for a really long piddle. Poor boy probably had to go for a while & I wasn’t listening! He’s just settled back down again. Phew!

We keep his harness on full time right now thank goodness. Then I attach his  extendable lead, locked in position and then we trot onwards. Man I love this dogs spirit! He’s got an incredibly strong character, I don’t know how he’s doing it?!

Thursday, July 13th
Day 3 at home...

Stewie had a much better night.he woke up and turned himself around a few times, but otherwise a sound sleep! Which means Mother got a much better sleep too!
Went outside, under his own steam and had a REALLY long pee. Unfortunately, no poo. He Didn’t want anything to eat first thing.

Nice cool grass!

Stewie didn’t seem right later in the morning. He didn’t want to go very far and was very lethargic. He Refused to eat more than a couple of bites of steak. Very concerning. Called vets and took him in at 11:30am

Stewie had a build up of fluid around the surgical site. Dr. Bill took a stitch out and drained quite a bit of fluid. I’m glad I didn’t have to deal with the dressings, I would have been freaked out to see that, even though I knew it was a common thing to happen.
He even had a small poo while he was at the vets. Very dry, but movement none the less. We all celebrated!
When we got home, he went downstairs very cautiously, with Paul’s help. He slept nearly 6 hours! We woke him up to a steak dinner, which he gobbled up, then he literally galloped outdoors to go pee! Super Stu!

Crashed out at about 11pm.
So far he hasn’t slept on his left side since the drain…

Friday, July 14th
Day 4 at home

Stewie & I slept in until 7:30am. We had a pretty quiet night, although he yelped a couple of times while trying to change positions. I believe it is due to the surgical sight having all that fluid drained out and now he can feel more of the incision maybe?

He did eat a little bit of left over burger and a few slices of summer sausage, but wasn’t ready for his steak at 8:30am.
He was outside for a bit, but then asked to go downstairs while I went to town for a few hours, Stewie slept in the basement the whole time I was gone. (4 hours) He had to be convinced to get up, But he did eat his steak when I got back home.

Feeling a bit sorry for himself…

He is back to laying more on his left side…

I had to use a syringe to get a little bit of watered down pumpkin into him. He was not happy with me at all! Even tried growling at me, little buggar.
Got him out side for a pee. No poo yet today.

I called DR. Laurie @ 7pm. I told her that Stewie is back to being super lethargic. He’s eating only steak & chicken and not unless he is urged to do so, even then I have to sometimes walk away, as he doesn’t trust me anymore. It’s the pill thing…

I am to stop the T3’s immediately, changing to extra strength Tylenols instead, no more than 3 per day. Also stop the Meloxicam for now…

He is far more lethargic this evening. I did convince him to eat summer sausage with chicken. He is exhausted!

I am to call tomorrow (Saturday) at 12:15pm and report in Stewie’s progress. I think we will have to go in…

Saturday , July 15th
Day 5 at home

Super restless night. Changing positions often. Light whimpering occasionally. He woke me up at 1:30am asking to go out. The first thing he does is go to lie on his bed. With a little persistence, he will go for a pee, but no poo. He wants to come right back indoors.
His right forearm very itchy, constantly licking when I’m not looking. Even with the light wrap I put on it.

Dr. Laurie phoned on Stewie’s progress and asked to see him at 12:30pm

Dr. Laurie drained the site again. Slightly concerned that it is not draining by itself. She took another stitch out, more towards the bend of the scar. The top of his scar looks lovely and already starting to heal. Appointment made for Tuesday at 3pm.
Dr. Laurie noticed that he is gaining good strength in his legs.

Didn’t eat his chicken. But he did eat the tasty dog food (the small can) and some summer sausage.
Stewie slept downstairs with the Evan & Alex. Which means I could sleep in my own bed tonight!

Sunday , July 16th
Day 6 at home

I slept in till 7am. Stewie was whimpering in pain when I went to take him outside. He really didn’t want to walk very far this morning. I barely managed to get his pills in him. Even though he wasn’t fighting me much, he managed to spit out the penicillin onto the rocks, so I had to give him one of his other ones, meaning he is short one pill, out of the 5 days prescription.

I called Dr. Laurie and explained that Stewie was the least energetic that we had seen him so far. Evan said he only got up once that he knew of, but didn’t seem to have any issues. He wasn’t eating anything and he didn’t have much energy at all. Still no poo!
We took him in to the vets for 11:30am.

Dr. Laurie took blood to check white blood cells & liver function etc., but they came back normal. He had let out a good fart (a bloody stinky one too, so I had tried to get him to have a poo. No go. She took off Stewie’s dressing , drained it again, though not as much as yesterday and replaced the dressing with a t-shirt. Then she gave him a human enema, but even that wasn’t going to work! Poor buggar!
Dr. Laurie wanted to keep him with with her for a few hours for observation, she was also going to take him entirely off his meds, to see how they were effecting him. If he wasn’t improved, then she would keep him overnight. She would know more by 5:00pm.

We were able pick him up 6:30pm. Laurie was happier with his wound & drainage. He seemed a lot more perky & he had managed a small poo. He had no temperature, so she also took him off the penicillin.
Laurie showed me how to take off and put on his T-shirt. This would be to stop him from chewing at his stitches. If he licks at the T-shirt, he won’t hurt the wound.
We have switched to a regular collar, rather than his harness right now. It gives him a bit more freedom to figure things out and there would be less friction on his wound.
Stewie is to stay on the Gabapentin, but only 2 x 300mg at bed time.
We have an appointment booked for tomorrow (Monday) for 4:30pm, to check on his progress.
When we got Stewie home, we offered him the left over chicken and kibble that he had refused for breakfast, with an additional (small) can of Hill wet fog food. He gobbled it all down! Then he chewed on his most favourite treat, a chew stick! I was so happy to see him back to a bit of normalcy. (If only for a while.)

Soaking up the love…

He had a really good nap out on the deck for the rest of the evening. It was at about 10pm that he woke up with a bit of a whimper and started to obsessively lick his wound.
We took him to bed and changed his shirt. He was still lick, lick, licking, so I just lay down beside him and gently discouraged him from licking and he then fell into a comfortable sleep at about 10:30pm

Monday, July 17th
Day 7 at home

Stewie’s wound appears to have stopped draining, but it is still rather full. He is under the weather this morning.
He had a really good breakfast of 3/4 cup of kibble mixed with 1/2 a can of Hills AD.
We took him into the vets again where Dr. Laurie checked everything out & recommended 1/2 a Meloxicam, if he eats at least half a cup of kibble for supper. Which he did, mixed with 1/2 a can of AD.
He rested really well that evening and Evan reported no problems during the night.

“What a week dude!”

All the very best from Stewie & his Pack!

Petra, Paul, Spike, Chester & Miss Lily xxx🐾🐾🐾🐾

Our Boy is Home!!!

We are so relieved!

He was laying out on the grass with Dr’s Laurie & Bill when we arrived at Nakusp Vets.
Surprisingly he was laying on his amputated side. Dr. Laurie said if that’s what he wants to do, let him do it! He was very dopey, but he knew his Mum & Dad had arrived and was just staring at us as we came forward. Our sweet, sweet lovey!

We were given the rundown on what the next few days will involve. We don’t have to worry about changing the dressing until Friday, so he can stay comfortably wrapped up. I was quite relieved about this as I didn’t want to hurt him by messing around with dressings and such. Dr. Bill can do a complete change and get to see how everything is healing. We can give him as much food as he wants, keep it tasty and keep him interested. Lots of bed rest, mixed in with potty breaks to keep things moving and working his muscles.

Stewie has been prescribed Extra Strength Tylenol, Gabapentin and Meloxicam. I already had a weekly pill organizer that was put to good use, to get all of these medications into our boy, at the proper times! It was going to be a chore to say the least!

Our boy is home after surgery

He is very weak, so until he builds his body up to Tripawds standards, we need to be beside him to offer support. We need to let him get up by himself, but be ready to hang on to his harness, as he is very floppy. I would be screaming bloody murder if I was in his shoes! Can you imagine all these expectations 24 hrs after having your leg chopped off! Bloody hell he is amazing!

When we stood up and told Stewie that it was time to go home, this mad, brave dog jumped up and ran to the truck, very wobbly mind you and Paul had to run to keep up! Bless his huge beautiful spirit! I drove in the back of the truck with our boy on the way home. I didn’t have to tell him when we were coming around our corner, that we were almost home, he’s been doing that trip long enough now that he knows every bend from here to Nakusp by heart!

When we got home, I offered him some roast chicken, but he turned his nose up at it, so I just walked back to the kitchen, not wanting to push it… the next thing I knew, the super-champ was hopping towards me, as if to say, “Hey, I just realized I am famished Mum, get that friggin chicken back here!” I had to run back over there and turn him back around, to settle him back down.

I brought him back about 1/2 a cup of chicken with his two pills, he gobbled the chicken down and I mixed the pills in the chicken juice and shoved the one capsule down his throat very quickly. Meanwhile I am telling Paul to hurry up and get more chicken, this boy is famished! By the time Paul got over to us, he had gobbled the Tylenol 3 down, like it was a candy! That’s the trick! Ha!

After another half a cup of chicken was gobbled down, he had a small drink of water. I was very happy to get that kind of response from him, so shortly after his surgery! 24hrs has already gone by! Only 312 hours to go until he should be feeling like a normal Tripawds again! He had a really good rest after that!

So it was about 4:30pm, when Paul & I stepped outside, to go and water the gardens and my flowers. When I came back in which wasn’t more than 5 minutes, our boy was standing at the door, like he always has, wanting to join us out there! (Paul forgot to put the gate up.) Talk about me almost having a heart attack! That’s all we bloody need, is for him to fall on his surgical side! But we brought him outside to have a pee. He was exhausted after that. He slept pretty hard for a few hours.

He has told us a couple of times that he has needed to go pee, so Paul & I are switching off taking him out. I said to Paul that we were going to have beefed up arms over the next little while, but our backs are going to be screwed!

So for supper Mr. Stewie had a BBQ steak, which Daddy had picked up especially for our boy! (5 of them actually) & pepperoni for dessert! He will get some more chicken as a bed time snack, to get his meds in him, so that we can dose him up for a good nights rest. (Hopefully!)

He is panting constantly and the occasional whimper. I’m going to sleep beside my boy in the living room tonight and probably for the next few nights, just in case he needs us. I’m terrified of him falling onto his side!

We are discovering that our heavy weight Champion, hops faster than I can can keep up. We’ll be running a bloody marathon together by the time we’re done! We’d do just about anything to get our boy through this though.

I can’t even think about complaining when I’ve watched what my boy has gone through, with barely a whimper! My brave proud boy! I keep telling him that we are NEVER going to leave him behind. His pack will wait for him to catch up ALWAYS!

Wishing everyone the best.

Super Stewie, Petra, Paul, Spike, Chester & Miss Lily. 🐾🐾🐾🐾

“We got this Dad!”