Berlin’s Fight Against Osteosarcoma – Berlin and his humans fighting cancer one paw at a time

It’s been one year

Berlin was amputated one year ago, today. Let me be the first to tell you, this is where I hoped we would be right now.
It was the week from hell, Berlin was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, aggressive at that, and amputated within a week. I can’t count on 2 hands the number of times we took him to the vet in that timeframe. From the time he started limping, it only took a few weeks for the cancer to make it so bad that he couldn’t walk on his leg. He was suffering, and I was suffering watching him in pain.
”it’s okay buddy, we’re gonna take it off. Is that okay?” He looked at me every time I asked him like he understood.
Our friends and family had helped us pull together the money to save Berlins life and take his leg. I cannot thank anyone who helped or supported us enough.
June 5 my heart was in my stomach as I dropped off Berlin for his amputation. He was so excited for the car ride and I felt so guilty dropping him off at the vet to take his arm, he really just had no idea. I have to say, this whole process was much harder for me than it was for him.
I picked him up the next day and he was still a little drugged up but he was excited to go home. The vet helped get him out to the car, and we put him in the car as a tripawd for the first time.
Adjusting at home wasn’t hard for Berlin. I got potty pads so he didn’t have to go outside, and he only used it once. By the day after surgery Berlin was insisting he could go outside. So outside we went. Berlin walked around the apartment building by day 2-3. Ten days later, we walked to the pizza shop and he played fetch for the first time. TEN days. He gave me a high five. He was gonna be just fine. I felt it then, and every day since.
A few weeks later, I was walking Berlin through town, and through all the stares, we saw another tripawd! Her name is Josie, she’s a Bernese mountain dog missing the same leg as Berlin. After talking with her human, I learned that they lost their leg from the same thing at the same age. Josie is a few years past the one year the doctors gave her. Yeah, Berlin really will be okay.
At a little over a month, Berlin was back up to full speed. Running next to me riding my bike, playing fetch forever, Berlin felt much better.
we got care packages from friends and family I can’t thank you all enough again for helping care for my boy.

Over this past year, we’ve moved, gone on a lot of walks, started running together, visited the fire station, registering to be a therapy dog, so many things. Berlin finished his chemo treatments and handled it so well. I’m so proud that he’s my dog. His vet and nurses signed a bandana for him to wear when he was finished! So cute and very much appreciated.
If you’ve read this far, thank you. And if you’re going through anything like this, it’ll get better. Believe in yourself and your dog and love them so hard.

There’s been lots of days that I was scared, I thought about losing my best friend and I wasn’t ready to handle that. I knew all I could do was just keep going, keep Berlin happy and I knew he could win this fight.

There was a lot of things about having a tripawd I didn’t think of, like how much people might stare or make comments under their breath – “he has three legs”. My favorite way to respond is – “well you only have two.” I’ve been feeling like there’s some way we could make a difference in the way people see tripawds. I signed up to volunteer us as a therapy team. Berlin has a test to pass and I have some more paperwork to fill out, but Berlin is going to be a therapy dog. We can use this platform to show kids and adults in our community that a tripawd is no different than a dog with four legs, and more often than not, the tripawd is faster. We can also teach kids that anything is possible, even if you’re “different”. Having a tripawd has taught me that being “different” is all relative, anyway.
Here we are, after a whole year. Berlin and I are going on a long hike this week, and he’s going to eat ice cream for dinner tonight. I am so proud of my tripawd dog and he shows me every day how much he loves life.

Thank you for coming with us on this journey, we’re not done yet.

Berlin Is Turning 4!!

Tomorrow is Berlin’s 4th birthday. A few weeks ago, I made a post on the local pet parent page asking if anyone could connect me to a fire station. I couldn’t have asked for a bigger response.
Berlin is convinced he’s a fire truck. No other sirens get him howling. As soon as there’s a fire truck siren nearby, or on tv, anywhere at all, he’s gonna let his howls rip. No warning. He’s a fire truck.
We live pretty close to the fire station, and someone commented his phone number and contact info so we could set up a day for Berlin to visit for the best birthday wish. Today was the day we decided on. Tomorrow is Berlins birthday.

We got to the fire station, Berlin leaped out of the car and ran straight over to the doors like he knew what we were there for. He looked at me like he was saying: “The fire trucks, right??? That’s who we’re here to see????” And he ran laps around any firefighter he could get to. “Is it okay if I take a video? I’m sure everyone on that Facebook post would love to see Berlin with his trucks” Steve asked. Absolutely. Berlin is so happy. Please take a video. I never want to forget.

They pulled the trucks up and turned on the sirens, Berlins eyes got huge and he let. it. rip. He’s the happiest dog ever and I couldn’t be happier that we got to do this for him.

Happiest of happy birthdays Berlin.
you’re my forever best friend.

Supplement / food update

In my first post, I talked about wanting to start some supplements and change up Berlin’s food a bit. Here’s the update on what we found is working well for him:

Taste Of The Wild Pacific Stream – Grain Free

Veggie & Chicken Mix – Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Kale, Spinach, cooked & shredded chicken

Odessa’s CBD Hemp Seed Oil 1200 mg

Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil

Hoxsey-Boneset Powder

Artemix

I’ll include links at the bottom of each product.

Breakfast

1.5 cups dry food

1/2-1 cup veggie mix

4 ml cod oil

6 drops CBD oil – 15.96 mg

2 scoops Hoxsey

Dinner

1.5 cups dry food

1 cup veggie mix

4 ml cod oil

7 drops CBD oil – 18.62 mg

1 scoop Hoxsey

3 hours post-dinner/any meat snacks

2 capsules Artemix

Here’s some background of why this is the diet and supplements we’ve decided on for Berlin:

Berlin had a grain-free diet pre-diagnosis, for about a year. It just made sense to us to keep him on his grain-free food. I chose this specific one because honestly, it’s the only dry food Berlin’s stomach seems to tolerate well. It’s loaded with omega 6 and omega 3, protein, and vitamin E. All the things Berlin’s body needs to keep him fueled up.

Veggie & Chicken mix: Broccoli– high in fiber & vitamin c Cauliflower– fiber, antioxidants, helps reduce inflammation Carrots- vitamin A, potassium, fiber Kale- high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron. Spinach- vitamins A, B, C, and K. High in iron and antioxidants. Cooked & shredded chicken – protein, omega 6, and Berlins favorite food.

Odessa’s CBD Hemp Seed Oil 1200 mg: Easy choice for me, Odessa loves animals and you can check your specific bottle quality with a scan code on the box. There are detailed instructions about dosage for your pet on the bottle so you never forget how much you should dose. I chose the 1200 mg bottle because Berlin is a big guy and it’s more concentrated per drop, which makes it easier for me to dose. One drop of the 1200 mg is 2.66 mg and one drop of the 600mg has 1.66mg. There’s also a vegan bacon flavoring available for the 600mg size. I prefer the tincture to dose properly, but if your dog is sore I highly recommend the topical lotion Odessa’s has, or the cbd recovery treat bars are a good way to introduce your dog to CBD.

https://floydsofleadville.com/odessas-essential-pet-cbd/

Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil This is actually available at most Walmarts, I thought I would have to go to a specialty store to find some. If you subscribe and order directly from nordic naturals, you save 5%. I get the 16 oz bottle, and this will also include a great chart on the side to get your dosage right. I recommend stopping at your local pharmacy and asking for a medicine dropper, I always grab one at Walgreens. Those little medicine droppers are the easiest way to measure the fish oil. Each bottle also has a scan code to check the quality of the product. I chose this as a supplement because its high in omega 3, 6, and supports heart health. Also, it makes Berlin eat his veggies.

https://www.nordicnaturals.com/consumers/pet-cod-liver-oil

Hoxsey-Boneset Powder – I like the powder because it mixes into his food well. I specifically chose the Boneset formula to help support bone health. The hoxsey formula supports immune health, supports natural detoxification process, and helps with stress. The ingredients are: Oregon Grape Root, Burdock Root, Red Clover Flowers, Alfalfa Leaf, Boneset Herb, Prickly Ash Bark, Stillingia Root, Cascara Sagrada Bark, Poke Root, Licorice Root.

http://www.naturalpetrx.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=78

Artemix – Berlin takes artemix with cheese or maybe a cookie about 3 hours after eating dinner. I learned about Artemix from this article: https://nutrition.tripawds.com/2012/06/28/whats-all-this-talk-about-artemisinin/

Artemix is a blend of 3 artemisinin derivations, which work best together against cancer. The idea is that it attacks high iron cells, which is a common characteristic of cancer cells. Cancer cells require more iron to multiply than normal cells do. But in turn, that’s why he gets the artemix so long after eating dinner or meat because it attacks the high iron cells. We want to leave the good ones there, so 3+ hours is about enough time for the good iron to get where it’s going.

https://www.hepalin.com/artemix.htm

Thanks for reading!

I posted a highlight on Berlin’s Instagram, which you can find linked on the right side of our blog page, about his supplements with some step by step photos! Thanks so much for reading! Comment if your pup takes any of these supplements or also hates eating veggies.

Berlin is crushing it!

Hey everyone!!

Update

Berlin just had carboplatin treatment 3/4 last Wednesday. He seems to be responding well to it, he hasn’t been very sick as a side effect. If anything, he seems a bit tired in the day or two following treatment, but then he’s back to normal Berlin.

Life has been a little stressful for us lately, we moved to a whole different town. Berlin loves it here though, he gets to play in the river on every walk. He’s pretty familiar with town as well, Breckenridge has always been his favorite day trip. We worked really hard to be able to move here, so it’s safe to say Berlin’s humans are pretty stoked, too.

Berlin’s last carboplatin is scheduled for September 9th. He’s also going to get his 3-month chest x-ray as well. I know the vet said he would only have 12 months, but this guy does not seem like he’s going to stop fighting that easily. Berlin is determined to show everyone that he’s still the same dog, just faster and happier.

Berlin has three legs?

A couple of weeks ago, Berlin and I were visiting his dad at work and a really nice family came up to his stand. We heard the kids say “oh why does he have three legs?” This is a question we hear constantly, and it does get a little frustrating sometimes when people won’t ask us directly. The mom replied, “well why don’t you ask them?” The little girl, very kindly, asked why Berlin has three legs. I explained the most kid-friendly way I can; “Well Berlin is a special dog, he has cancer. The cancer on his leg got too big and hurt it, so he feels much better without it.” I’m always nervous when trying to explain it to kids. She replied “WOAH. That is so cool! He’s doing so good, look at him go! He’s so strong, what a champ!!!!” She couldn’t stop complimenting him. Berlin also happens to love playing with kids, so he was happy to have some tiny human attention. Her fingers probably smelled like cheese puffs, that always helps. Her brother was still a little wary of Berlin, I don’t blame him, he’s a big dog. (weighed in at 77 pounds last week) The dad took some time to explain to the kids that Berlin can do anything that any other dog can do, and probably faster. He looked at me and I nodded yes, Ber really is the fastest dog I know. He continued to say that Berlin is also no different than a dog with four legs and that he can do anything he wants, and probably gets more love than all the other dogs, too. I can’t put into words how much this interaction meant to me. It made me so happy to see parents teaching their kids right there to treat everyone, dog or human, the same. Berlin really isn’t much different than other dogs, and it was nice to know that other people think so, too. Lately, we’ve been noticing that he has such a huge personality compared to pre-diagnosis, even pre-injury.

I can’t help but wonder if his leg was bothering him long before anyone knew. He’s a whole different, spunky dog now. I’m so grateful that we get to be his humans, he’s the most awesome, coolest dog I have ever met. He’s still Berlin, and I have a feeling this guy was meant to live his life on three legs.

Nothing will stop Berlin, not even cancer.

Hello Tripawds!!

Hi everyone!

I guess I’ll start with an introduction. My name is Adrian, my best pal is named Berlin. We live in the mountains of Colorado. He’s a 3-year-old white German Shepherd with a heck of a personality. We rescued/adopted him in June of 2019. His previous owners acquired him from a puppy mill in MO off Route 66. (I don’t support that, nor do I want to talk about it). He was so timid, nervous, terrified of men, and he just wouldn’t leave my side. He’s still a momma’s boy, but he loves his human dad too and is learning to trust men because of his dad’s patience and help. His favorite thing to do is play fetch and go for a car ride, especially if there’s an adventure involved. On all four, he loved to pull us on our snowboards and run alongside us riding down after the ski resorts closed (thanks covid). His birthday is Earth Day, I’m not sure why that matters but anyway let’s get to the reason we ended up here.

In May, we noticed Berlin had a swollen ankle area, we thought it was sprained. He loves to jump around and explore on the trails, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s injured himself, either. We went to our local vet and he agreed, we didn’t think an x-ray was necessary right away. Seems like a sprain, all symptoms consistent with that. We waited a couple of weeks, and this just seemed to get worse every day. I had a weird feeling that I just needed that X-ray done. We went for his first x-ray on May 29th.

May 29th ripped my heart right out of my chest.

Our doctor took a while to look at the Xrays, our concern grew with every passing moment. He came out and asked us to please come to look at what he had found. I’m sorry doctor, what you…found??? Is it broken that bad? He had piles of reference x-rays and books open everywhere, every counter in the room was full. I looked up and finally saw what he was seeing. “I think this could be a tumor. You should be in contact with a specialty vet and oncologist right away.” I should contact who? Oncology? Doctor, he’s 3, are you sure? He just turned 3…

I called oncology at VRCC that day and they called me back the next day to schedule our first appointment with Dr. Swift. We don’t know for sure if it’s cancerous yet. Berlin’s first oncology appointment was June 2nd. A month since this tumor showed up to wreck it all. His Xrays showed an aggressive tumor on his front right carpal area with a pathological fracture to the bone. Amputation has to happen. We had discussed this already, and mentally we were ready to have to amputate Berlin before we even found out about the fracture. The doctors were ready to amputate that day, but it was at least $2000 cheaper to schedule the surgery out a few days. We asked to be put on the waitlist for cancellation calls and scheduled surgery for June 9th. Just one week.

I set up a Waggle campaign and posted my PayPal for my friends and family to make donations. Berlin is my best friend and he makes everyone around him SO happy. In short, everyone who has ever known Berlin loves him very much. Hard not to with a face like that, though. In a few days, our friends and family donated about $4000. Nobody is letting berlin lose this fight. A friend that lives nearby asked for my paypal and donated $2000 himself. We’re fortunate to have people surrounding us who are so supportive. Hours later, I got a call from the vet. “We have an opening tomorrow at 8:30, are you guys ready to come in?” Yes. We are.

June 5th: Berlin did great with his surgery, no complications. Things are weird right now with COVID procedures, we weren’t allowed in the building for any of his visits. The surgeon and nurses called with lots of updates. (Dr. Devitt was our surgeon). The general consensus was that Berlin is awesome, he’s a good boy, he loves the nurses, and his nurses love him. I’m so proud of this dog for how well he is adapting to tripawd life.

I also want to give a quick shoutout to VRCC in Englewood. The work between departments is seamless. Every single person there has extended the most kindness and patience I have seen from any vet, especially one operating as a pet emergency room as well. Thank you for all of the encouragement for us and Berlin, VRCC. We appreciate your work. (Let me also just point out that you should never let your oncologist *or any vet* feel unappreciated. It might not be the news you want, but it could be just as hard for them to go through it as it is you. They lose multiple patients a day, no matter how hard everyone fights it.)

Berlin was officially diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on June 12th, 2020 after his histopathy results came back.

We are now one day short of 3 weeks post-op. Berlin’s first chemo treatment was yesterday, June 24th. He is getting IV carboplatin for his treatments with Dr. Benner. I’m nervous to really get started with this journey. I don’t know what to expect, but I’ve been reading a lot of blog posts about diet, supplements, and physical therapy. I want to give Berlin the best life he can have for as long as he can live it.

I’m considering adding the following supplements to his food, and he already takes CBD every day. Cod liver oil/omega3 daily, Hoxsey formula with boneset, Artemix, and I definitely want to get the k9 immunity plus treats.

I am also looking into a home-cooked option to mix in with his kibble for breakfast and/or dinner. Berlin does best with grain free food, he’s currently eating taste of the wild pacific stream. I usually mix in some cooked chicken or eggs, but now diet is very important so I need something more nutritionally beneficial for the pup. My plan is to incorporate some ground meat, spinach, cooked broccoli, green beans/peas, carrots. Is there anything I should know before selecting meat or veggies?

Any advice appreciated. This community has already helped us so much, I can’t wait to talk to more of you.

Yes, Berlin has an Instagram if you would like to connect there: @berlin_the_german_tripod