Update on Rusty's cancer with new photos

[Chuck Holliman]

Rusty is recovering so well that it does not seem possible that it was only eight weeks ago Monday that his leg was amputated. I have not posted for several weeks as we have been getting our lives back in order. Rusty is handling the Chemo Therapy fairly well, some nausea and loss of appetite for a couple of days after his twice monthly treatments; he has four more months of Chemo left.

He has adjusted so quickly to three legs that many of our friends can't believe how normal he is when they see him. We installed indoor/outdoor carpet in our hallways, master bath & family room to keep him from slipping and falling (our house has polished tile floors throughout) and added area rugs to our master bedroom, which Jan had been wanting. I also built him stairs to get up and down from our bed (which is 30 inches high) including sideboards to keep him from falling. I have posted some photos of him on the bed where he is looking good and his going down the stairs; these were taken three weeks ago and it is amazing how well his hair is filling in. We had him groomed on Monday to celebrate his surgery and even his coat out from where they shaved most of his rear for the operation.

We have been going for about 1/2 to 3/4 mile walks everyday for the past 3 weeks, he gets tired (especially the days after his Chemo treatments) and lets me know when he wants to go home. I am working up to running short stretches with him (I am 71) as it is easier for him to run rather than walking where he has to hop with the rear leg. His super personality has not changed and he is such a happy dog that it has been been worth every minute of our time, the extreme stress on both of us and the changes in our lifestyles to accommodate Rusty's
needs. We just hope and pray that he will be with us the full 1 to 3 years of his prognosis, knowing it could be much less, and cherish every moment with him. No regrets on our decision for surgery and Chemo!


The biggest problem now is keeping him from being bored; as long as he is on Chemo he can't visit his friends at our dog park and he really misses the twice daily visits. We had planned to have Rusty join one of our local therapy dog programs (he needed to be 18 months to join) before the cancer jumped us and hope to be able to get him in the program once he is through with Chemo. I found a wonderful support group, Tripawds.com, whose members have been through or going through the same thing we are dealing with and all of the dogs have three legs. We purchased a "Ruff Ware" harness that has a handle to assist lifting him in and out of the SUV and an orthopedic bed (right from the surgery) which he really enjoys. Now that it has finally warmed up here in the desert, we hope to get him back in the pool this week; he really enjoyed the pool and hopefully he will still do so and that will aid him in the recovery process. I hope to add another video of him surfing on three legs!

Rusty's Dad, Chuck

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thank you for sharing this story. I think Rusty has some pretty special people in his life! Good luck to all of you!

[LINDA & TEDDY]

I have followed Rusty's story and am glad you posted an update. It is great to hear that he is doing so well. Here's to a long, healthy, and happy life for you, Jan and Rusty.

[DeeDee and Sheila]

Oh your story brightens my day. What devotion back and forth, Rusty to you guys, and you to Rusty. I am so glad for you. His story is amazing and I'll bet he is a favorite at your vet's office. I will check your site. I want to see the pics.

[Diane]

I had just been thinking about Rusty....thanks for sharing his progress with us. He's a special guy!!

[Leslie and Halas]

I'm glad Rusty's doing well. He's getting the best care and love possible.

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

Chuck, I had just been thinking about Rusty yesterday, wondering how you all were doing. Wonderful news! His pictures (of recovery) are amazing and he looks like the same happy boy. You're so right - every day is precious. How lucky you have each other. Keep us posted! Can't wait to see the new surfing video!

[Kathie and the gang]

.Happy to hear that Rusty is doing so well, it truly is amazing how fast they adjust to three legs. My Moe (Rottweiler) was able to jump into the back of the SUV six months after surgery. I bought a ramp the week before surgery and taught him how to go in and out of the car. Then one day he jumped in before I could get the ramp in place. So no more ramp, I just had to lift him out of the car.
I also bought Moe a special twin size memory foam bed; I wanted to make sure his recovery was comfortable. I put carpets on the stairs to my bedroom and extra throw rugs in the rest of the house so he wouldn't slip. I did have to increase his food intake, I found that he was burning more calories just getting around and he started to lose weight right after surgery. Moe was a 100 pounds after his surgery.
Our walks were no longer the 2 to 3 miles nightly, jogging short distances was about all he could do. As you are finding the hop takes a lot out of them running is easier. Moe loved to run on the lawn at out house in Oregon. The one really special thing I did was have a painting done of Moe. I'm so glad I did this, it was a fun painting with Moe and his favorite stuffed toys.
You are right every day is a gift so enjoy, Rusty is a gem.
Kathie

[laurie lehr]

I'm so glad to see he is doing well . Hang in there and keep up the good work !

[Karen P]

Glad Rusty is doing better. You are doing an amazing job seeing him through this.

[Rose]

I'm so happy to hear how well Rusty is doing. Can't wait to see the next surfing video!