Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat. Explore 17+ years of forum archives for stories and answers to questions about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery. Enjoy fresh discussion and connect with members in the new Tripawds Support Circle.
Join The Tripawds Community
Register your free account to join the Tripawds Support Circle. Connecting with members and getting the support you need is now easier than ever with the Circle app!
Easy Photo Upload
Private Messaging
Subscribe to Topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Forums Locked: Search archives for answers & join Tripawds Support Circle to keep discussion going!
Log In
Members
Offline
Hello. We just received diagnosis of a mast cell tumor on my eight year old male pug's front right leg. The vet feels, given the location of the tumor (wrist) and its size, clean margins would be very difficult. They did an x-ray, which came back clear. Besides the FNA, should we we doing anything else before going forward with the amputation? We do plan on chemo after the surgery, but we live in a remote area, and there is no veterinary oncologist locally. The vet is consulting with an oncologist from Iowa State University. So, as yet, we don't know what the chemo will be. Levi's general health is good. The vet feels that this surgery could give him a more normal lifespan.
I am a bit overwhelmed with everything right now. I am starting to modify his diet, and I am trying to think of things that we need to do for post-op recovery. We have another eight year old pug (they are both rescues from different locations, they just happened to be the same age), a 13 year old schnauzer mix, and two six-year-old cats. What do I do to prepare for his return home after surgery? How do I help him adjust? What else do I need to know?
We live in a tri-level home, and the dogs are normally kenneled while we are gone. I am afraid to kennel him post-op because I know his balance won't be good, and I'm afraid of him falling against the metal crate and injuring an eye. Is a playpen or pack and play a good way to keep him confined? I considered a soft-sided crate, but he is a timid pug, and I'm afraid he will get himself wedged into a back corner and I won't be able to reach him. I'm just trying to think of what will be easiest on him. He doesn't always have the bubbly pug personality. We don't know what his life was like before we got him, but they found a BB lodged in his neck during his x-ray. He has always been somewhat timid and reserved. Not necessarily fearful, but he does frighten easily. Is there anything I can do to help him with the trauma of losing a leg?
Sorry about all the questions...
Welcome and best wishes for Levi! No need to apologize, everyon here has questions. You will find answers to most of them in the FAQs, Jerry's Required Reading List , or by searching the blogs and forums.
Hopefully Karen (krun15) will see this...her blog about tri-pug Maggie documents her MCT amputation recovery and treatment in great detail.
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 . Or, consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns and feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime!
Please keep us posted. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello and welcome.
I'm Spirit TriPug Maggie's mom- I'm sorry you are dealing with a MCT! You can read her story and about her amp and chemo if you are interested, the links are in my signature below. Maggie as 7.5 years old at the time of her amp and she lost her left rear leg.
Pre-surgery we also had an abdominal ultrasound done, and I think something to test the bone marrow. It's been a long time and I didn't document the pre-surgery tests very well. Mast cell tends to met to the liver, spleen and lymph system. The liver and spleen were checked with the abdominal US.
In my experience the FNA test on a tumor has been very accurate for mast cell, for us it was correct more than 10 times (maybe 15) in the tumors I had tested and then removed and biopsied from my two pug girls. Maggie's little sis Tani also had recurring MCTs.
Also- any time a tumor was aspirated the Pugs were on benadryl to help with the release of histamines and pepcid to protect the stomach.
Be sure when the leg is removed that the tumor is biopsied and you get the mitotic index. That number will help determine how aggressive the cancer is.
Maggie was a stubborn Pug who hated any change to her routine. She recovered fine physically from her rear amputation, in fact she could hop the day of surgery. But she was a grumpy slug for 6 weeks after her surgery! In hindsight it made sense since she pouted around any major changes in her life, like when I got a new car and she couldn't ride in the front seat anymore. But during her recovery I was sure I had made a terrible mistake! Once she got used to her new normal she hopped happily through life for almost 4 years.
My Quad Pug Obie sounds a bit like Levi. I got Obie when he was 4 and he had been neglected and abused, he is not at all outgoing like most Pugs I have known. Obie had to have both his knees surgically repaired, two years apart. Because of his history he can't be put in a crate so with the surgeon's permission I had him in an ex-pen enclosure while he recovered. BTW- knee surgery is a much longer recovery than amputation!
Here are some blog posts on Mast Cell Cancer.
You can also get some great information from the Dog Cancer Blog, you can search on mast cell and get the most current info on treatment. There is a very recent article on using the mitotic index to help make decisions with mast cell treatment.
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
1 Guest(s)
