Category: Mack’s Story

Last Night as a Quad-ped

This is Mack’s last night with four legs. We leave bright and early in the morning to drop him off for surgery. We had several talks with the kids about what is going to happen. They seem to be handling the news better than mommy and daddy…after the initial tears, of course. We’ve shown them lots of pictures thanks to Tripawds.com and explained the bottom line – a three-legged Mack is better than a very, very sick Mack or worse, no Mack at all.

This video was the kids a few hours after our initial talk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMAnxmPjJms

It is also our last video footage of Mack walking on all four legs. 🙁
While I know in my heart that it is one thing for Donny and Kinsey to be ok with the “idea” of Mack as a Tripawd, I know that it is quite another thing for them to see him for the first time post op. Thanks for all the pictures of post op dogs here. We will do our best to prepare everyone for his return.

Wish us all well! Mack has his loving human family and his sister, Rozee, waiting for his return home.

Rozee and Mack

The Journey Begins

I’m starting this blog to share my fears and frustrations with others who can understand.  Our 4 year old English Bulldog, Mack is going under the knife on Monday to have his back leg removed.  We’ve been told by four vets (including one oncologist and a surgeon) that it is his best chance for a cure.

Mack has a lump on his back leg that was diagnosed as a synovial cell sarcoma tumor.  Our only good news is that we seem to have caught it early enough.  X-rays and bloodwork support findings that it has most likely not metastasized yet.  Radiation is an option but vets agree that the damage to the bones and joint where the tumor is located will most likely result in his shattering the bones when he stops favoring it in a few months.  Radiation is also apparently just prolonging the inevitable spread of this type of cancer.  They all firmly believe that if we take the leg now, we have a really good chance of getting it all and curing him.

Monday our Mack joins the world of Tripawds. I’m praying that we are doing the right thing for him.