Another Unknown Growth

[_whits_]

The balloon would be a promising idea except I'm allergic to balloons (I know, weird).

And those hi-top boots are adorable and tall, but Addie can not figure out how to walk in any boots with thick soles.

Thank you for your suggestions!

Edit: The product I found that I thought might work was going to take weeks to arrive.

I went on Amazon and ordered some infant sized hi-top socks (the ones that keep slipping are 12 month old socks), hopefully they'll work until her paw pad heals or until I find a better solution.

So far we've had slightly better luck tonight with the baby socks, once I used a hair tie to keep them up. They still slip around though cause her leg is smooth as a Popsicle and so skinny!

 

Edited August 14, 2016 by _whits_

[Sam I Am]

Can you wrap her leg in very soft  cotton batting and use vet wrap. As vet wrap sticks to itself, it wouldn't hurt her skin or foot. Just make sure you use lots of the soft packing prior to putting on the vet wrap, and wrap past her hock( at least that's what that part of the anatomy is called in a horse).

[josie&holly]

Sorry, cannot think of any ideas but hope you sort something out so Addie can walk in comfort and her leg and paw is not damaged.  She is doing so well bless her that it is a shame that nothing seems to help.

[sanford]

9 hours ago, _whits_ said:

...those hi-top boots are adorable and tall, but Addie can not figure out how to walk in any boots with thick soles...

If the hi-top boot works, maybe you can coax her to adjust to walking in it. Practice a few minutes at a time with a treat and repeat, repeat, just as if you were teaching a new trick.

P.S. Perhaps the vet has something to offer.

Edited August 14, 2016 by sanford

[shergry]

Not sure if this would help or not. But in order for ours to keep the stickers outside or at least NOT on their paws.

I sewed elastic band/tape to baby socks. In order for this to work for you....I might some how attach it to her leash or make a full body one. I had to make full body (all 4 paws had socks, with elastic band crossing from one leg to the other attaching another elastic back across back so that the ones for legs would not be kicked off or fall off from walking).

Just a suggestion...so glad to hear Addie is doing better and on the road to success and Cairness!!

[_whits_]

Look what we found at the local pet store today!

They fit, they cover her leg, they stay up!

[remltr]

If that isn't the cat's meow? (Couldn't think of anything dog related, so forgive me.)

[hheldorfer]

Wonderful - and quite stylish!

Addie may be a trend-setter - next thing you know, *all* the dogs will be wearing one red boot.

[Hillscreek]

Yay!

[Sam I Am]

Addie the fashionista! 

[tlwtheq]

Those look cool, and a lot more practical than what we tried with Shadow (d. 2002) a long number of years ago.  Shadow didn't like the sound on the
 rocks when we were walking on the C&O Canal Tow Path.  He kept trying this high-stepping routine.  Sure kept his paws from being damaged tho'.

[josie&holly]

Glad you have found something suitable for Addie!

[Autumn & Lola]

So glad you found something that works!  It doesn't look like she has an injury. She looks like she's wearing the one red/pink boot as a fashion statement - sort of like Michael Jackson's one white glove.

 

[Autumn & Lola]

How is Addie doing?  Is she back to her ol' happy-go-lucky self?

 

[hheldorfer]

7 hours ago, Autumn & Lola said:

How is Addie doing?  Is she back to her ol' happy-go-lucky self?

 

Same thing I have been wondering.  Hope all is well.

[_whits_]

Thanks for asking! Sorry I've been poor with updates recently. Addie's been a bit of an energetic  handful recently (which is great but limits my free time). 

Overall, Addie is doing very well. She's fully weaned off the prednisone, so the side effects from that are gone. Her energy levels are back to her typical Cairn exhuberance, which is wonderful to see but clearly frustrating for her since her paw pad injury isn't healed enough to let her resume her most energy-burning activities (especially day care). Her behavior has not been ideal the past week especially as she's growing increasing frustrated with not getting enough exercise. I wish I could do more, but we've had 100+ heat indices for nearly two weeks straight, which limit the length of walks she can take and she can't go to day care until her foot and leg have healed a bit more. She's throwing some not-so-lovely temper tantrums and having some not enjoyable midnight- 5am barking sessions. But even the bad behavior is infinitely better than two weeks ago when I was worried about needing to rush her to the hospital.

Unfortunately the initial snow boot I was using for her paw pad gave her a sore that is not healing well, and the excellent sock I found aggravates the sore enough to make it not worthwhile (just having anything touching it irritates it, no matter how soft), but that does further limit her exercise choices with the heat since her paw pad has limited protection (but it is growing back). And the sore is now at the point Addie's started licking her foot, and the licking is aggravating another part of her leg now.

She went to her regular vet today for her annual physical and the vet was very very pleased with how Addie's leg looks compared to other dogs 3 weeks post-radiation. She told me to apply entederm cream twice a day and bring back the dreaded inflatable cone of shame for the next five days. She also said Miss Addie needs to be put on a diet to lose about a pound ... But that was to be expected as I fed her more treats through radiation and especially when she was struggling so much post-radiation. She got a clean bill of health beyond that. 

Otherwise, she is still OBSESSED with her cats and they put on all sorts of entertaining circus acts for her when she passes their windows. And she's finally able to play a bit with the neighborhood dogs. And today it was a delightful 86 degrees so we actually got two decent walks in. 

[josie&holly]

Addie does not look happy with that cone on!  However, it is better that the leg and paw have chance to heal so she will have to put up with it!  Glad to know Vet was pleased with her part from weight but am sure once her paw is healed and she can do more that the weight will be shed.

Addie is such a lovely colour and so pretty even with the cone!

[Autumn & Lola]

Again with the swimming ring but no pool party, Mommy?  *sigh* 

Poor Addie. I'm sure she is really frustrated. She's feeling better, but can't understand why she is still restricted.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and heal Addie's foot completely so she can resume normal activities and so that you can get some proper sleep!

Thanks for the update!

Edited August 23, 2016 by Autumn & Lola

[hheldorfer]

Thanks much for the update, even though it's not all great news.  I hope the entederm cream helps and that the weather cools off for you.  It got quite a bit cooler and drier around here over the weekend so it should be headed your way!

[Dempsy's Mom]

Been away for awhile .... poor Addie has had quite a battle.  She's a trooper.  Love her and the cats.  Hope that darn leg heals up so Addie can get back to full speed.  

[_whits_]

Well Addie is turning into a contortionist, or she watched too much Olympics gymnastics, as she keeps finding a way to maneuver around the inner tube and get her foot in her mouth. I bandaged it last night (temporary solution as I don't have non-stick gauze) just to keep it from being hassled as I tested seeing if I could inflate the cone/inner tube any more. Inflating the inner tube seems to have done the trick, although Addie is NOT happy about the limited mobility. She can't jump as well, and she can't open doors anymore. I also discovered (in a situation where my hands were full) that my neck is smaller than Addie's as her inner tube cone was too big for me. 

In small victories, as I've been putting her antibiotic cream on her leg I've noticed some little tiny hairs are starting to grow from her little mutant chicken leg. It will be a LONG time before the hair rivals any of her other legs (and I don't know yet what color it will be) but at least it looks like she will eventually have hair on that leg. 

She's still incredibly frustrated that she can't get enough exercise, but has been able to play with some neighborhood dogs in the grass recently. She's even making friends with dogs she's historically growled at, likely out of desperation for exercise. We seem to have experienced a bit of a puppy explosion over the summer, so lots of fuzzballs to meet. She is being very patient with the puppies, which she usually has trouble with (she seems to have forgotten she was once a pushy maniac with no boundaries). She finally convinced this tank of a pit bull (seriously, he's practically the size of those little red cars toddlers ride around in) named Pete to play with her (he's usually either too lazy or focused on his ball to care); she's been making a press for his attention for weeks now and he finally reciprocated. She's slowly making friends with a rescue greyhound mix who is generally scared of people and dogs. And she made friends with TWO female dogs this afternoon, which is fairly unprecedented (she's not generally a fan of girls, to my consternation and confusion, considering she doesn't have a uterus). 

In the last week she has weirdly decided to start ignoring her cats, for reasons that would only make sense to a Cairn. She still insists on going to their apartment windows, and stays there until they come up and acknowledge her, but then she immediately leaves and expresses no interest in interacting through the window anymore. Today she stood staring at Mufasa's window for 5 solid minutes until he showed up, and then she immediately walked away, leaving him staring longingly and accusingly at her. 

It's been 3 months since Addie's initial surgery, and almost 4 months since I discovered the tumor and I will say I am very much ready for Addie to stop being a patient and start living her normal life. I do everything I can to distract her from the vet check-ups and medicines and bandages, and we visit her friends at doggie day care every week to say hi to her humans, and I take her on as many walks as her foot can handle, but it is time for her to get back to just being a tenacious and energetic Cairn, instead of the bundle of frustration and limited activity she is now. 

 

[_whits_]

[Hillscreek]

Poor wee Addie. The last pic says it all "why,mom,why?" Time will pass Addie and you'll be yourself again. Your mom is doing all she can. Nature has to do the rest and nature likes to work slowly and carefully.

[hheldorfer]

Oh, Addie . . . even DH stopped at my computer to see your picture and said "She looks so sad!".  The worst is over and you just have to stop licking your leg so it will heal.  Then you can play with all your buddies again and get back to your Cairnish ways.  Praying that you will soon be yourself again.

[_whits_]

19 minutes ago, hheldorfer said:

Oh, Addie . . . even DH stopped at my computer to see your picture and said "She looks so sad!".

To be frank, that last and most pathetic looking picture was her reaction when I told her she needed to move so I could fit in the bed and that no, she couldn't lick the lotion off my arm. 

She's tired of hearing "no".