Today is the one year anniversary of Ripley's right hind foot amputation. It has been a while since I have posted an update on our bumpy road through rehabilitation. I have hesitated to be public about our successes as there have also been many set backs. Ripley has taught me more in this one year about the resiliency of dogs than I thought possible. He is one amazing dog for sure and I have been blessed with his presence in my life.
It all started in February 2014 with a ulcerated sore at the bottom of his foot that initially resembled a healing wound. Foot wounds can be difficult to heal but after a few months we decided it was time to biopsy the tissue. The initial results of the biopsy was a benign histiocytoma, and I was very relieved. When the biopsy site refused to heal, I started to question the diagnosis. Another biopsy and a month of different tests done by the pathologist, we finally had the devastating news that it was an unusual cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and amputation was the recommended treatment.
Initially I was horrified at this thought, but my decision became easier when I realized I did not want to save the foot, and then lose my dog to cancer. I also made the decision not to amputate the full leg, only the foot, in order for him to be able to be fitted for a prosthetic device. This decision was based on a few of the tripod patients I had seen in the past year that were suffering from compensation issues (pain elsewhere in the body). These patients were requiring regular chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and pain medication to keep them comfortable and mobile. I was hoping to minimize the pain and discomfort that could possibly affect my boy throughout his life.
The first surgery went much smoother than I expected. Within 3 hours Ripley was up and walking around the house. Two days later he figured out how to climb the stairs and jump on the bed and after 4 days he was able to climb down the stairs. Within a few weeks he was back to his regular exercise routine. Then came the complication of the stump not healing and he required a second surgery to remove more bone. This was a last ditch effort to save the leg. If the stump failed to heal this time, a full amputation was inevitable. Ripley was put on lock down for 2 weeks, and allowed in and out on leash for elimination purposes only. Thankfully his stump did heal, with diligence and some extra help of an Assisi loop (pulsed electromagnetic field).
A few months after his initial surgery, he was finally ready to be fit for a prosthetic device. His prosthetic was designed and built by Derrick Campana of Animal Orthocare in Virginia. It took a few weeks of muscle building until we were able to let Ripley run free, but once we did, he LOVED it. The look of happiness on his face brought tears to my eyes. He was running, jumping over logs, banking tight corners as if nothing had ever happened. Then he unexpectedly bent the prosthetic. The company had not seen a dog take it quite to the max as my Ripley. We sent the device back for repair and watched him lose all the muscle he had built over the time it took for the device to be returned. We now started back at ground zero.
Since the repair, the rehabilitation has been up and down. He has had injuries to other parts of his body that have required us to take a step back in his exercise and the device has needed some tweaking here and there. What I have learned this past year is immeasurable. Ripley has taught me how resilient dogs are, an exercise program needs to be fun and engaging for everyone (or it doesn't happen), rehabilitation is not a straight path, and how important it is to regularly check in with your dogs body for pain and discomfort to discover problems early. A good relationship with your veterinarian is also very important and I am lucky to work for Dr. David Lane of Points East West Veterinary Services, who specializes in canine sports medicine.
This path is not for everyone. Ripley still requires regular massage as well as chiropractic and acupuncture treatments to live his active lifestyle. I have no regrets and am happy with the choice we made. Walking on all four legs will be easier on his body in the years to come.
It all started in February 2014 with a ulcerated sore at the bottom of his foot that initially resembled a healing wound. Foot wounds can be difficult to heal but after a few months we decided it was time to biopsy the tissue. The initial results of the biopsy was a benign histiocytoma, and I was very relieved. When the biopsy site refused to heal, I started to question the diagnosis. Another biopsy and a month of different tests done by the pathologist, we finally had the devastating news that it was an unusual cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and amputation was the recommended treatment.
Initially I was horrified at this thought, but my decision became easier when I realized I did not want to save the foot, and then lose my dog to cancer. I also made the decision not to amputate the full leg, only the foot, in order for him to be able to be fitted for a prosthetic device. This decision was based on a few of the tripod patients I had seen in the past year that were suffering from compensation issues (pain elsewhere in the body). These patients were requiring regular chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and pain medication to keep them comfortable and mobile. I was hoping to minimize the pain and discomfort that could possibly affect my boy throughout his life.
The first surgery went much smoother than I expected. Within 3 hours Ripley was up and walking around the house. Two days later he figured out how to climb the stairs and jump on the bed and after 4 days he was able to climb down the stairs. Within a few weeks he was back to his regular exercise routine. Then came the complication of the stump not healing and he required a second surgery to remove more bone. This was a last ditch effort to save the leg. If the stump failed to heal this time, a full amputation was inevitable. Ripley was put on lock down for 2 weeks, and allowed in and out on leash for elimination purposes only. Thankfully his stump did heal, with diligence and some extra help of an Assisi loop (pulsed electromagnetic field).
A few months after his initial surgery, he was finally ready to be fit for a prosthetic device. His prosthetic was designed and built by Derrick Campana of Animal Orthocare in Virginia. It took a few weeks of muscle building until we were able to let Ripley run free, but once we did, he LOVED it. The look of happiness on his face brought tears to my eyes. He was running, jumping over logs, banking tight corners as if nothing had ever happened. Then he unexpectedly bent the prosthetic. The company had not seen a dog take it quite to the max as my Ripley. We sent the device back for repair and watched him lose all the muscle he had built over the time it took for the device to be returned. We now started back at ground zero.
Since the repair, the rehabilitation has been up and down. He has had injuries to other parts of his body that have required us to take a step back in his exercise and the device has needed some tweaking here and there. What I have learned this past year is immeasurable. Ripley has taught me how resilient dogs are, an exercise program needs to be fun and engaging for everyone (or it doesn't happen), rehabilitation is not a straight path, and how important it is to regularly check in with your dogs body for pain and discomfort to discover problems early. A good relationship with your veterinarian is also very important and I am lucky to work for Dr. David Lane of Points East West Veterinary Services, who specializes in canine sports medicine.
This path is not for everyone. Ripley still requires regular massage as well as chiropractic and acupuncture treatments to live his active lifestyle. I have no regrets and am happy with the choice we made. Walking on all four legs will be easier on his body in the years to come.