great dane bone cancer
Shortly after Jessees diagnosis we realized she needed assistance coming down the shallow steps we have. My husband quickly put together this ramp that allows Jessee easy access and she seems to really enjoy it. Normally all these plants are in bloom and very lush looking. But wanted to share this just for ideas for anyone. It’s 2x4s and plywood covered with indoor/outdoor carpeting for tranction. And of course Jaymee had to get into the picture too.
Happy Friday, This is from yesterday swim therapy session. That is Alex with Jessee all set to hit the water. She has a life jacket on and a special noodle necklace to make her feel safe and comfortable. She did really well. This was day two after chemo session three. All good! She was a bit tired last night but good appetitie and a happy girl. working on posting the video!
That’s the enclosed swimming pool behind them
Another Jessee update. We had xrays and ultra sound scans last Wednesday after 2 chemo treatments and all look GOOD! We are very optimistic these days but still enjoying each and every day with our tripawd diva girl. We’ve had a bit of snow here in Washington over the last couple days but this morning we got the kids out and Jessee loved it. She is doing better with her leg orthodic. She will never wear it all day, as was originally the plan. At 8.5 years of age that is just not her life style. She’s a lounger. She moves between beds and couches during the day and really has nominal outside activity except for her three meals (which are devoured), potty breaks and then the orthodic goes on for the walks.
Jessee continues to do really well with the swim therapy. Last visit she walked into the beach entry pool and swam off into the deep end. After therapy she is so relaxed. Any foot swelling is gone and you can just see how good she feels. So valuable to have a rehabilitation veterinary specialist working with her.
She’s back to being picky about her Ellevet treats, but I just chop them up and put them in her meal at noon and she’s fine. I believe that they are contributing to the reduced swelling in here foot also.
She is due for her next chemotherapy appointment on Tuesday and she will get a shot of anti nausea medication prior. But overall she is doing really really well and we couldn’t be happier. It’s been one day short of two months since she became a life loving tripawd. Happy Valentines day to all the Tripawds out there!
Jessee is actually walking better than this indicates but she is such a drama queen diva and is taking real dramatic steps with the orthodic device. Although it is getting better every day. My rehabilitation vet Dr. Finn suggested the orthodic as a way to give her extra support on the right front leg and take some of the strain off the rear legs. It was custom made for her with a huge fiberglass casting mold. It’s very light as it’s made from fiberglass also. And we had it made in shades of purple for Jessee. The company that makes these is called Ortho Pets. They are located in Colorado. We paid a little extra for overnight shipping and fast production to have it in one week. Jessee will not wear this all day, she gets around very well on her own without it, but when she wants to go for a walk she will wear it. Very easy to get on and off and she doesn’t mind at all except of course for the dramatics!
Another Jessee update. So I wanted to get Jessee on a good CBD product as well as appropriate glucosamine for her post surgery care. I contacted a friend that also has a great dane who had cancer. Stacy Ladnier works for Anahiem Hills Pet Clinic. She is a Certified Veterinary Cannabis Counselor as well as a Registered Vet Tech. She has been doing cannabis counselling for the past two years. Since I’m in WA and she is in CA we worked via telephone during our first consulation as Zoom was down. I completed a rather thorough package for Stacy describing Jessees medical condition and medications she is on. After she reviewed this we discussed what our goals were for Jessee. Stacy recommended ElleVet CBD+CBDA chews for large dogs.
I immediately placed my order. Once I had the product in hand my diva decided she didn’t want to chew the chews! So I chopped them up and put them in her nutritional diet which she scarfed down. On day 5 she started eating them like treats. We are now on day 6 of 8 chews per day. After the first week she will reduce to 4 per day. As Jessee is 8.5 years of age she has a bit of arthritis in her rear legs and we want to protect those legs as much as possible as well as keeping her calm and some pain relief for minor stuff. It’s my job to keep a log of how she is doing. So far, aside from the initial (not liking the flavor?) she’s doing great. My oncologist here in WA, Dr Rizzo, also mentioned that some clients had told her their pets did not care for the chews. But after discussing with Stacy the quality of this product and the fact that I can mix it in her food, I’m sticking with it. The CBD market is so overwhelming with oils, and addictives and it’s rather confusing to me. I appreciated Stacy explaining what ingredients are in this product so I could make an informed decision. There are other products Stacy works with available. I’m pretty content that I have a solid source to go to for information on the CBD products. So again, just wanted to throw this out there for anyone who might be interested.