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Hi all! My 15 year old kitty (yes she's still a little kitty in my eyes) was limping severely on her back left leg when I came home from vacation. I took Libby in the next day to the vet and the doc concluded that it was osteosarcoma. Now it has been a week and biopsy results confirm that it is a sarcoma, but they are unsure of which type. When they were trying to get stuff out of her leg for the biopsy, the vet found a lot of blood in that area (almost two syringes full) and she thought that was very abnormal to a sarcoma. Does anyone know what that could be? Anyways, I am taking her in again tomorrow to do an ultrasound on her abdomen and an X-ray on her front legs to make sure the cancer didn't spread or start anywhere else in her body. Her rib X-rays were clear which is a good sign, but I am hoping for the best! No matter the outcome tomorrow morning, we decided to have her leg amputated either way to ease pain. Right now she's doped up on pain meds and she just isn't herself. She is definitely in a lot of pain because she will barely move to eat, drink, or use the litter box (which I moved all right next to my bed where she sleeps). So, that is the background of my Libby and if anyone has any words of wisdom to offer in the area of sarcomas, I would greatly appreciate it!!
So now on to my second part. Because Libby is getting her back left leg amputated, I feel like I need to prepare in a number of different ways. I am a 20 year old college student and plan on taking her back to school with me once she recovers. She is 15, so I am a little worried about her because her age is up there. I am worried about her during surgery as well as after recovering. What should I get ready for her when she comes home? I am planning on cutting my litter box so she can get in there easier and I was going to make a little T-shirt for her (not sure if she will wear it though because she's a princess haha!), but is there anything else I am missing from one amputee parent to another? Any advise mentally for me as well would be great because I have very little idea of what to expect. Was there anything that surprised you/upset you that I should be prepared for? Is there any specific way I should act towards my kitty while recovering? Lastly, what is the average recovery time you experienced with your tripawd kitties?
Thank you so much in advance and so sorry for the long message! Praying that we will get the news tomorrow that her cancer hasn't spread and will keep whoever cares updated 🙂
7:43 pm
Moderators
Helpline Hosts
18 October 2009
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Hello and welcome to you and Libby, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I moved your post here to Three Legged Cat forum. While you wait for our cat parents to give you input you might look though this forum, you will find answers to most all of your questions here.
I'm sorry you are dealing with cancer, but glad you found us here! This place was all about dogs when I joined years ago but there are more and more kitty members here every day. It's too bad any of us have to be here, but you will find lots of information and support.
I hope you get good news tomorrow!
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Maggie's Story Amputation and Chemo
Find me now on Tripawds Circle
9:42 pm
Bucketeers
27 July 2014
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I'm sorry to hear your cat needs an amputation. I hope it hasn't spread. Is there any chance there was a vaccine injection in that leg? My cat got a fibrosarcoma from a vaccine injection 3 years ago. She's doing great today and I believe the amputation took the cancer with the leg.
You can get a lot of information from these forums: http://tripawds.....gged-cats/
There have been other older cats who got amputations and they did well. There may be other challenges when cats have other conditions but your vet could let you know about there. Some older cats were a little slower in their recovery but ended up doing well.
I had one day notice for my cat's amputation so I did little planning. My main suggestion is to have a room to keep your cat in during recovery. You don't want any hiding places, such as under beds. If there is a bed perhaps take the frame down until you cat has healed. Mona slept under a shelf in a closet as cats love cozy places to heal. Some people have a kennel for their cat with a blanket over top, or even a box on its side would work.
Mona went nude during her recovery - no cone, no t-shirt. It's rare though. So I can't offer much other than other's had their cat wear some type of onesie outfit.
I'd say the recovery time is about 10 days when they get their stitches out. There are huge improvements after that. Before that the cats sleep alot and pee in inappropriate places (joking although my Mona did).
What surprised me? Mona spend her first night at the vet's house with his family. He said she was great, using the litter, sweet, etc. As soon as she got home she started racing around the house, jumped up on a window ledge and wiggled up between the window screen and window. She was nuts from the pain meds. I loved it when she slept. Sleep is healing.
I suggest wet food for the first few days. Mona loved canned kitten food and others feed their cats baby food.
Please read some of the previous posts and I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences. Let us know if you have any other questions.
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
8:55 am
Team Tripawds
Administrators
25 September 2009
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Welcome to you and Libby. We are the club nopawdy wants to join but we are here to help. All of us are crossing our fingers and paws for the green light from the vet.
Libby is so lucky to have such a great parent like you! I think you will be totally impressed at how well she will do on three legs. Whether a cat or dog goes through amputation surgery, it's always harder on the humans. And what's even better is that cats actually recuperate and get around much better than dogs! Even older kitties tend to do really well.
Watch our Tripawds News blog on Wednesday, we'll have a "best of" tips to prepare for surgery post. Meanwhile you might find some of these Tripawds Cats articles and tips helpful.
Let us know how tomorrow goes!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
9:02 am
Bucketeers
11 July 2016
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Hello and Welcome to you and Libby
We are sorry you have to join us and are dealing with cancer and amputation!, We are glad you found us!!
Our kitty Purrkins is 6 years old he had his front leg amputated 11 months ago due to a soft tissue sarcoma.
Purrkins does fantastic!
I have no idea why all the blood in the needle biopsy? Maybe someone else will have that answer. The vet didn't have any insight ?
We are keeping our paws crossed you get all clear today on the ultrasound !
Glad to hear Libby is on pain meds already! We have had a lot of older kitties go thru amputations if Libby’s health is good otherwise she will do well, the biggest difference is what Kerren mentioned older kitties recover slower. There is Nothing wrong with that! Just know its possible she may recover a little slower.
Prepare yourself for the incision. We have a forum that is broke down for just rear leg kitty blogs. If you can read some of those that will help !Stay strong for Libby, she will pick up on your emotions! If your panic jump on and panic with us ok!
Just remember in recovery, you are helping Libby , you are doing this for Libby not to her !
By getting rid of the leg you are Getting rid of the pain, your choosing a pain free and quality of life and hopefully cancer free life. Either way you are giving Libby a extended period quality of life!
Do you know if Libby will be staying the night ,? Will someone be there to monitor Libby all night if she is? If there is not someone monitoring her! It would be better to bring her home! Purrkins stayed 3 days in the hospital under supervised care!
Pain meds - make sure you know what your coming home with and for how long, how to administer them.
We were sent home with 3 days of Buprenorphine and 14 days of Gabapentin. All vets seem to vary on what is sent home & for how long! We did have to call the surgeon and get more Buprenorphine prescribed! I would rather have too much medicine and not need it, then be running back for more! Purrkins was on Buprenorphine total of 12 days and the Gabs for 14 days.
Most cats will want to hide when they come home. This is a normal cat instinct! Provide a safe place where you can access Libby at med time! A spare room with a door or some people use cages. If Libby is going to recover where there is a bed as Kerren mentioned make it inaccessible!! If you can put the mattress on the floor great, if not stuff pillows or blankets under it, Pack it full!! You do not want Libby under the bed!!
Stock up on food, canned food would be best in recovery if Libby eats canned food. I got a lot of different can foods for recovery knowing it might be a issue to try to get Purrkins to eat. The stronger, smelling foods helped in our case. Tuna & salmon, chicken and herring etc. We only had to coax him to eat the first day or two home. I always have turkey & gravy baby food on hand and that is also great to have on hand.
Litter box we cut ours down so Purrkins could get into the litter box. Purrkins did use his box when he got home the first day or 2 I helped in and out, we cut the front of his box out and once we did that he was good to go by himself.
Get approval for you t-shirt from the vet. Will it cover the back area? We did use baby onesies and got them approved so we didn't need a cone!
Stock up on food for you too! So you don’t have to run out for anything .
We had orders for restricted activity for 14 days, stitches removed 14th day and Purrkins was free to go back to being a kitty. We stayed in the spare room for 14 days!
When do you go back to school? Has Libby traveled with you before to school?
Things to consider with Libby being a rear leg amp. She will have a harder time getting up to places, providing some steps to assist her to get up to areas. We provided steps for Purrkins and he uses them all!
We have carpet runners down that made a huge difference for Purrkins he doesn't slide around now!
Things that surprised me were
*Purrkins did not move in the hospital, no attempt, he just peed where he laid. I read most kitties are up the same day. Not Purrkins.
*Purrkins flopped all over the place when I let him out of the carrier the first day home, I was not prepared for that! That was awful to watch. After the first hour home things got better! That was a combination of things, the first time he tried to get around on 3 and being drugged and being excited to finally be home!
*Purrkins 3rd eyelid was showing, from all the drugs that got better after a few hours home also.
*We were only sent home with 3 days of the Buprenophine.
What really surprised me is how Purrkins gets around!! I could of never imagined him to do as well as he does! So know that recovery does not last forever and it will get better ! Try not to compare your recovery to others. Libby will do recovery in Libby’s way!
Stay connected here, keep us update please we do care! We are here for you & Libby and will do our best to get you to the other side! Please ask anything if we missed something ok! Just ask!
HUGS
Chin & ear scratches to Libby
Holly & Purrkins
10:00 am
Team Tripawds
Administrators
25 September 2009
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While you wait for comments from others, use the Advanced Search above to refine your forum search results with specific phrases, and you're sure to find lots of helpful feedback. You can also search all blogs here , and feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime!
Emotionally speaking, the tips we share in our Be More Dog
podcast are certainly relative for anyone going through this, regardless of whether their dog or cat or goat is losing a limb... 
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi everyone! I am so thankful and overwhelmed with joy of the wonderful and quick feed back! I am sooo happy I found this site, it really makes a huge difference in not feeling alone with this little life challenge. So a quick update after our visit with the vet today... all is clear!!!
It was such a relief to hear that the cancer has not spread anywhere else in Libby's body! She received an abdomen ultrasound, rib X-ray, and front leg X-ray. Besides her being in the clear, she has a bit of old kitty arthritis in her front legs which might make getting around/recovery a little slower for her, but I know she can do it! She is a tough kitty! Thank you again for all the good wishes and kind words, it really means a lot to us. 🙂
I also want to thank everyone for the AMAZING advice and moral support!! I feel sooo much better prepared now. The links for other forums are also incredible.
For traveling back and forth from school, the drive is about 4 hours and I have taken her back and forth about 5-6 times. She tends to sit under my back seat where I put a really soft blanket down for her. She really seems okay and even sleeps some of the way. She also likes the seat heater! My new lease starts July 1st, but I am willing to stay home at my parent's house where she can recover until my next semester classes start. She is scheduled to have the surgery sometime next week because I am leaving to go out of town this week and I want to be here during the surgery. I am hoping she will be fine by August 13th, which is the very last day I can stay home before classes start. If not, I may leave her with my parents and then come back to get her once she is fully recovered.
Where can I get kitty stairs? My bed is about 2-3 feet above the ground and the space under my bed is about half a foot, but I will stuff it with pillows because Libby has a very strong will power and will no doubt go under there and not come out if she doesn't want to! Also, the floor in my bedroom is hardwood. Will that be difficult for her to get around? We barely have carpet in my house, but there is a bedroom with carpet that I can move her things into. I am going to try a lot of different food to try to get her to eat. She has gained 1 pound (8 pounds to now 9 pounds) since her last visit which is great news because I was really worried about her not eating as much as she usually does. She used to be overweight and it is weird to see her like this now, but I am guessing she is in a healthier weight range right now?
I need to discuss the amputation more with out vet. I was so worried and preoccupied about the cancer spreading that I haven't really gone there yet. Now that we know she is in the clear, I plan on calling the vet to discuss the amputation tomorrow or the next day. I will keep everyone updated for sure! Thank you soooo so so much again, I really can't explain to you how much this forum has helped me emotionally and mentally and how much it will help Libby during recovery.
11:50 am
Bucketeers
11 July 2016
Offline
First YAAAAAAAY clear X-rays & ultrasound!!!
We got our stairs on amazon smile.
I will attach some links to one set we got! I ended up recovering them to match the house LOL
The first set comes in two sizes a 3 step and a 4 step. We got the 4 steps. There are multiple choices of steps on Amazon or any pet store for that matter! If someone is handy they can make them.
We have steps for Purrkins to get onto our bed and to the window seats. We have moved furniture around to help also kinda tier some furniture into steps. If you cannot afford steps making boxes into steps would be a option. I would fill the boxes with something to weight them down and tape it up, then tier those!
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