Hello, my name is Maximillian (Max) and I am a ten-year-old silver pug, and the best boy.
This August I started feeling pretty lousy. I usually love food (and toilet paper, and garbage, and anything else I can eat) but I just stopped eating and would lay around all day. It turns out I was in a lot of pain. At first my vet thought it was due to my hip dysplasia (I’ve been doing rehab for this since I was two and was supposed to be getting a hip replacement soon). But within a few weeks I had a big lump on my leg and the vet diagnosed me with cancer. I had a ct scan and biopsy which confirmed that it was on my back right leg and had spread, eating through my pelvis.
My oncologist and surgeon recommended an amputation with a hemipelvectomy followed by chemotherapy and my mom decided to do it. She just wanted to give me a chance to feel better and have more adventures.
On Wednesday I had surgery. The surgeon said it went well. I stayed in the hospital for two more nights and then got to go home!
I was feeling pretty good Friday, was hopping around like I had been, and was excited to snuggle with my mom. She’s been sleeping on the floor with me so I don’t fall off the bed (but I like the bed better). My doctor put me on Percocet (oxycodone & acetaminophen) and Gabapentin, I’m used to those drugs and I take them with peanut butter!
When I woke up Saturday I wasn’t feeling great. I didn’t want any breakfast (even though my mom made me a steak) and just wanted to sleep all day. I lay outside in the garden in my favourite spot on my blankie, snoozing all day. But by the evening my other leg was swelling and I had some tremors and was shaking. Back to the hospital I went…
The emergency vet said my wound looked good but found I had a fever (and started me on antibiotics). He also wrapped up my leg to hopefully move the fluid back out of it. I went home but didn’t have a great sleep. I was shaking lots but eventually fell asleep.
Woke up on Sunday and still felt lousy. I won’t eat and my mom says we have to go back to the hospital if I don’t eat by tonight. Also, it’s strange – I’ve been hopping around on my left leg for so long, but the last couple days it’s been harder and it gives out on me once in a while. My mom is pretty worried. I’m still drinking and peeing but I’m pretty sleepy. I’m going to nap now and will keep everyone posted.
Thanks for reading about me and my journey as a pup with cancer and a tripawd, and for joining in on my recovery!
