Pythagoras
and Company

July 12, 2011

“Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul.” -Pythagoras, 6th century BC philosopher and mathematician.

Pythagoras is a dog with presence: a big, warm, gentle personality that envelopes you like a soft blanket when you meet him. A walk with Pythagoras becomes a community event in his Broomfield neighborhood because people notice him. Pedestrians stop to chat and ask about his name (he was named after the 6th century philosopher and mathematician), while drivers smile and wave from their cars. A happy, friendly 120 pound Saint Bernard dog can affect people that way.

“Pythagoras has the same effect on the family,” said Lisa Ferrerio, Pet Mom #1 in the Pythagoras & Company household. “The house routine revolves around him. He gets us up in the morning, reminds us about dinnertime, walk time, and most importantly, nightly Kong toy treat time.”

The “Company” consists of Lisa, a mechanical engineer and business entrepreneur; her husband Chris, an aerospace engineer with Lockheed Martin; adopted 7-year-old daughter Anicee (pronounced Ah-nee-see) a bright-eyed little girl with a megawatt smile; and close family friend Stacey Hunvald, Pet Mom #2, a computer software engineer. Pythagoras’ many canine and feline siblings, all of whom are rescues, include a lively terrier mix named Fibonacci (after the 12th century Italian mathematician), a shy male Labrador mix named Beryllium; feline sisters Polonium and Selenium, and the little tabby, Radisson.

Although Pythagoras is a gentle soul, he has the stout heart and stoicism of a gladiator. The rapid growth rate, large size and weight of the breed make them susceptible to certain bone disorders, epilepsy and other health issues. Over the course of his nine years, Pythagoras has overcome some life-threatening medical problems, including epilepsy, arthritis, hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia and stomach surgery after swallowing a splintered beef bone.

The family has taken it all in stride, handling each event with care, understanding and respect for his quality of life. After all, both Lisa and Chris were born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) or brittle bone syndrome, a genetic disorder involving the defective development of connective tissue and often characterized by unusually brittle and fragile bones, weak muscles, short stature and scoliosis of the spine. Although they rely on manual wheelchairs for mobility, their physical disability has not prevented Lisa and Chris from achieving educational and professional success, nor diminished their joy in life and their compassion and respect for others.

So the family was prepared to confront the next battle when Pythagoras’ veterinarian, Dr. Brian McKee of Aspen Arbor Animal Hospital in Broomfield diagnosed the dog’s recent limp as osteosarcoma (bone cancer), which had caused a fractured radius, and referred them to the Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University.

“We wanted to give him every opportunity to continue to enjoy a good quality of life in comfort,” explained Lisa, whose parents’ three greyhounds had experienced bone cancer. “If cancer meant amputation, we all originally agreed it would not work for him because of bad hips and other orthopedic problems.”

At the Animal Cancer Center, clinicians conducted a nuclear bone scan to confirm that the cancer had not spread, and then worked out a treatment plan using targeted, high dose radiation to destroy the osteosarcoma with the goal of avoiding amputation. After three successive treatments of stereotactic radiation therapy, Pythagoras underwent surgery to plate the fractured leg bone and scheduled chemotherapy for the following week.

Recovery was going well until the family noticed the surgical site was not healing. A culture revealed a bacterial infection. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) is a common pathogen found in many post operative wounds in dogs and cats and which can be highly contagious to those species, although not usually to humans. However, a handful of cases have been documented in people who live or work or closely with animals. Because of their disability, it was of serious concern to the Ferrerios, more so because their daughter Anicee, who also has OI, had recently had surgery.

Initially, clinicians tried an antibiotic successful in fighting MRSP, but it interfered with Pythagoras’ anti-epileptic drugs, causing him to experience extreme lethargy and coordination problems. Varying the dosages didn’t help and the infection was not resolving. For these reasons, amputation was recommended.

“We were devastated. We rejected that suggestion and were considering euthanasia because the quality of life issue is important to us,” said Lisa. “We talked with Dr. Withrow, who was so confident and reassuring that Pythagoras would learn to walk on three legs that we were able to make the difficult decision to go ahead with the amputation.”

Recovery was slow but progressive. To assure round-the-clock monitoring, the whole family took turns sleeping with Pythagoras on mattresses placed in the dining room. Gradually, he learned to maneuver on three legs and was again asking for regular walks with Beryllium and Fibonacci.

After completing chemotherapy, the family thought the worst was over. Then near-disaster struck again. In the middle of the night, Pythagoras began to show signs of intestinal distress similar to gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV). GDV refers to a common problem among deep-chested dogs like St. Bernards when the stomach bloats and twists, requiring surgery to treat. Rushed to the emergency room, Pythagoras was stabilized and the diagnosis of GDV was rejected. Stacey was advised to take him to CSU immediately. Staff at the Animal Cancer Center were as distressed as the family to see Pythagoras back at the hospital. Surgeons found the problem was liver torsion, an extremely rare event when one lobe of the liver becomes enlarged and twists in on itself. The twisted lobe was surgically removed and a biopsy confirmed it was not cancerous. Pythagoras could go home.

After so many visits, Pythagoras had many fans at the hospital. Clinicians, pharmacists, other clients and even the billing staff knew the friendly St. Bernard.

“Pythagoras has always brought joy to anyone who encounters him,” said Stacey. “He enjoys life and that’s what he gives back.”

Now that Pythagoras is home that is what he is doing: giving back the joy he feels every day while demonstrating how well he can get around on three legs. The whole family shares Pythagoras’ rejoicing in life’s little pleasures: mealtimes, his large happy family, daily walks, a Good Times hamburger on his birthday and special outings, and a Kong toy precisely at eight p.m. each evening. That’s the good life.

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