Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Vet says his best guess is that Rocky has had OSA for a month (diagnosis was 2 weeks ago). They can amputate right away, but I am trying to decide if I should do it right away (this week) or wait. His limp is managed with lowest amount of pain meds right now. He is happy, eating, getting around fine without a limp. I have heard that the cancer spreads faster after amputation, so not sure if I should wait a little bit or not. Lungs are clear right now, and I certainly wouldn't want it to spread if I could help it. Also, I am going to be out of town (and I am primary one that takes care of him) for a week. My son said he could take care of him after the amputation, but not sure if a week would matter for me to wait. I kind of feel like Rocky would feel better if I was caring for him..... Any thoughts and input would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Robin,
Your future posts won't need approval so post away. I'm sorry about Rocky's diagnosis and I can't blame you for wondering if you should wait, I would wonder too.
A week isn't that long of a time to wait, and many have, but do remember that there's a risk that Rocky could fracture his leg, or the tumor could literally grow overnight (we've seen it happen). Also, you definitely don't want to wait until the pain is so bad that it shows. By the time a dog shows pain it's really bad. Your fears about spreading the cancer are common but the jury is still out on that one. Getting rid of that pain is the bigger priority when it comes to osteosarcoma. Waiting is a gamble for sure but if your son is capable of caring for him, maybe it's worth it? Also, is there any way you'd feel comfortable leaving him at the clinic for that long (provided that they have 24/7 care)? Just throwing ideas out there.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi, Robinb:
My own Tripawd had a different cancer - one that was usually less aggressive than OSA. But we moved the surgery up in a hurry when the pain got intense and other diagnostics made it clear his tumor was larger than thought and more advanced.
Tough call - some would say sooner is better while you have clear lungs. But you do have to be sure you are prepared for being able to care for him pretty much full time for several days if not a week. Most dogs stay in hospital for a day or two post amp - would that be the case here?
Either way, be sure you have discussed a thorough pain management plan in advance with your doctor and come home will all the meds needed to cover that. Many here advocate (myself in particular) for managing through multiple modalities - Tramadol is a narcotic that works on the brain, Rimadyl (or other nsaid) to help reduce inflammation pain, and Gabapentin for nerve pain.
A week is not very long of course - if you feel that is best for aftercare.
Best thoughts for you and Rocky.
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
Hi. I am just getting back from vacation and getting caught up on everything. One of the things I have heard more than once and totally agree with is that each step taken in this process is a very personal decision. You know your dog best. Some dogs breeze through the surgery, others don't. My Bandit did very well with the surgery. However, when I started to wean him off of the medicines he ran into a bout of phantom pain . He was chewing on the incision something fierce, but now that he is on the full medication again he is fine. Just watch him. Rocky will tell you how he is feeling. Bandit certainly let us know when it was time for the amputation. I was totally against it at first and then one day his eyes "spoke to me". Ask lots of questions. There are very knowledgeable dog owners on this site and they have given me sound advice all along. Hang in there. Deb and Bandit
Sorry you find yourself here. As you can see though, it's the best place to be for support and information and understanding!
As Jerry said, the "jury"is out on when to amputate. We just had a theory" posted on here not too long ago that trying to amputate sooner doesn't necessarily change the outcome, as it's more about the particular cellular make up of the piece of crap disease. There are sooooooo. many conflicting theories!!
It REALLY does come down to your personal situation AND listening to your gut...your inner voice. I can tell you that MANY of us nere treated our dogs for "arthritis", or a "sprain", etc for MANY months before an actual diagnosis was determined. I'm not a vet, but o e kd the concerns in waiting is maki g sure a fracture doesn't occur. Usually, not always, the xray can show if there is immediate danger of that happening. Double check with your vet about that.
If I'm reflecting back to you correctly, your inner voice is telling you waiting another week until you return would be best for Rocky AND you! Sounds like his pain meds are minimal right now so you have some leeway there if it starts hurting him more bedore surgery. Just make sure he doesnt horse around or do a lot of jumping, etc.
You know Rocky best. Follow your heart and that is always a "right" decision. Update when you can.
Lots of hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Thank you all for your understanding and support. I appreciate it very much! When I told my younger son that I was going to wait until I returned he said "what if the cancer spreads" while we are gone. He believes there is a chance that the cancer microcells (or whatever they are called) may not have spread yet and that if we amputate tomorrow we may be able to stop the cancer from progressing. Does anyone know of anyway to tell if it has "spread"? Is there bloodwork you can do or anything? I can not express how much your comments meant to me. I do appreciate it very much! I hope one day I can have the same impact on other people's lives..... Rocky is staring at me right now wondering where his dinner is.....I already fed him....so he has no problem eating as of right now....hahaha.... 🙂
Hi there! I don't think there is any way to know for sure whether or not the cancer has spread. My vet said that it almost certainly has at least on a microscopic level since by the time they are showing symptoms, its usually spread. I moved quickly once I made up my mind (his amputation took place less than a week from his diagnosis) but that was for a variety of reasons, some of which had to do with my schedule - I happened to be off work when this happened, and by having it done right away, I was able to be there full time for his recovery. But my vet also said I could wait if necessary.
Like others have said, do what you think is best for both you and Rocky! Your vet will be able to help you manage his pain if you want to delay for a little bit.
Omay, the "not a vet" disclaimer. A vet can explain this far better than I.
But the "theory" is that there are "probably" microscopic cells that are not detected with regular xrays or other tests. If chest xrays are clear that's a good thing. It doesn't mean that microscopic cells aren't there...It doesn't mean that they are.... it just means that the lungs are not showing any evidence of mets. I know I'm clear as mud!!
The main purpose of the amputation is to get rid of the pain. There are variations of this piece of crap disease where surgical removal of certain lumps, bumps, limbs, etc can stop the "spread". It's not that clear cut with osteosarcoma though. Again, not a vet. Just giving you my vague non-professional understanding.
There is anothing great book that is chock dull.of info that you can ddownload here....The Dog Cancer Survival Guide . It really gives a. thorough overview of all the aspects of this ddisease.
THE .ost I.portant thing about this journey is to Be More Dog ! Rocky isn't worried about a thing! He doesn't care about days on a calendar and doesn't give a rip about any ole disgnosis! He lives in the moment with no worries! He makes the most out of each moment. Just make everyday ROCKY DAY from thisnpoint forward, let NOTHING interfere with your time together, and you will be VICTORIOUS!!! 🙂
Rocky is not a statistic and he does not have a timeframe stamped anywhere in his butt!
I KNOW that this is a stressdul and intense time....a time with no clear cut answers, no cyrstal ball. It's a disease full of conflicting theories. It still .akes up its own rules. Vut one thing is crystal clear...it cannot interfere with the unbreakable bo dd we have with iur dogs and cats. It cannot touch their Spirit or their Soul. AND, no matter how hard "it" tries, their will ALWAYS be a dog who has beaten this disease and obliterated it!! We have proof here on this site! And I have aa feeling Rocky is going to blow sstatistics out of the water!!
Wishing you peace and clarity...
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
robinb said
Does anyone know of anyway to tell if it has "spread"? Is there bloodwork you can do or anything?
The only way to tell is with a PET-CT scan, and even those results can be debatable in some cases. See:
X-rays vs. CT Scans for Canine Bone Cancer Staging
Dr. Hady Demystifies MRIs and CT Scans
More Cancer Questions Answered at #AAHA2016
Since this technology isn't widely available (usually only at universities and very large referral clinics), and it's extremely expensive, most folks rely on x-rays. The problem with x-rays is by the time it shows, it's already advanced metastasis.
Even with metastasis, many dogs can go on to have a stable, quality of life for longer than most people thought. We've seen it happen many times and our own Jerry got seven additional months even with two large mets. Seven months doesn't sound like a long time to us silly humans, but to a dog, it doesn't matter. Every day is an eternity. Dogs don't keep calendars.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Rocky and family 
I am so sorry you have to go through this but we are all here to help and support you in any way we can.
My girl has osteosarcoma and had her leg amputated one week after we were told the horrible news.
She had a pet scan done a few days before surgery and her lungs were clear but the oncologist told us that in 90%+ of cases when dogs are limping and leg X-ray shows cancer deformation, micro cells are already circulating in the body.
He said Pet scan is the best way that exists to establish the progression of the disease.
In our case, I was so anxious to start fighting against her cancer and get her better that we decided to go ahead with the amputation asap. But the oncologist and the surgeon did say one week would not have made a substantial difference.
Only you know what is best for your dog but it is very important that he will have your full attention in the first weeks after amp.
Sending you a big hug and cuddles to Rocky
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Our Murphy was limping for about 5 months before his surgery due to a misdiagnosis. His cancer was actually histiocytic sarcoma, not osteosarcoma, which is highly aggressive, and normally found in organs such as the liver or spleen rather than in bones. His initial prognosis with chemo was 12-18 months, if we were lucky. That was over 3 years ago. There's never any way to know who's going to make it - averages are just that - some live longer and some don't. Of course, we all want to have the one that will beat the odds 
You have to do what will work for you and Rocky. Recovery can be difficult, you may not get a lot of sleep, he's going to need help getting outside, he'll need medications around the clock for good pain control. So if that means that you have to wait a week to make sure that he has better care, then that's what you should do. How old is your son? Is he responsible enough to take on 24/7 care of Rocky? Our son was an adult and lived at home when Murphy had his surgery, so it was helpful to have that third person to help with his care. Whichever way you decide, we'll be here for support and to answer any questions, big or small.
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Hi Robin, My situation is very similar to yours. Victor was diagnosed 2 weeks ago with osteosarcoma upper right front leg, tumor size in between a walnut and a lime.( That's what vet said when pressed for an answer), lungs 'clear'. His pain is being managed with 300mg. Gabapentin 2x daily, 75 mg Rimadyl 2x daily, 50 mg tramadol 3x daily. I have no idea if that's on the high end or low end, but he's content, eating, alert....better than before the meds. Victor has been limping intermitently for a good 8 months. I took him to the vet specifically for that, then he stopped limping; mentioned it again at a vaccination visit....didn't present. Finally, a month and a half ago, I took him in, they gave him an anti inflammatory and it helped a bit.. The next visit, two weeks ago, took an xray and gave me the sad news. I want to do what's best for him, but once again this korning, I'm paralyzed with fear and cannot make a decision. I don't think my friends or husband want to talk about it any more...but it's all I can think about. I'm feeling like a coward because I don't know if I can handle the aftermath of the surgical amputation,mthough Inwould have from July 4 -July 24 to only focus on his recovery. My husband and son work all day, son returns around 5:15. Will I be able to care for Victor alone? We also saw an oncologist and received a treatment plan for chemo after amputation and the cost is in the many, many thousands of dollars....still with a 10-12 month 'average' life expectancy with most aggressive treatments. So sorry to unload, but I am feeling overwhelmed this morning after a few dats if calm...and probably a little bit of denial.
VICTOR's mom......okay....depp breaths....really...inshale slowley....exhale slowly....B R E A T H E...B R E A TT H E...B R E A T H E
I know from your previous posts, as well as rhis one, you are still frozen in fear. Everyone here underst that all too well! When I FINALLY decided to.proceed, I cancelled the first scheduled surgery because it scared me so! All this was before I joined this site. As we've mentioned in your other posts, it took three weeks, but I was finally able to say I did this FOR her and not TO ner!
Let's keep it "simple" for now and chunk things down. You can think about chemo, additional treatment, etc. later. Right now it's about proceeding with amputation, getting rid of the painful leg and giving Victor a chance of extended quality time for more loving, more spoiling, more time on the couch for tummy rubs!!!
Victor does NOT have a timeframe stamped on his butt!' Take a look! Do you see anything that looks like an expirq date stamped on his butt? I didn't think so! He doesn't give a rip about days on a calee! He does care about being pain free! He does care about being by your side without hurting!
It is major surgery. Like all sjrgeries, it has risks. Talk everything over with yiur surgeon. From your previous post it sou ds like the vets think Victor is a good candidate!
Yes, many of us are the only caregivers for our dogs. We don't sleep much the first several days. We are exhausted emotionally a d physically for a few days. But you have us! You have our toll free Helpline number, you have your vet's phone number. You have pain meds for Victor and bags of CHOCOLATE for yoi!
You will be home for several weeks in July. Perfect time to watch over Victor. After the first weekish you'll be able to get out and about anyway.
From your other posts, Victor is already on a lot of pain meds and is still limping. He needs to be out of pain. It doesn't sound like Victor has given up on life and still has a lot of zest and spunk. It doesn't sound like you are ready to let him go either.
You will feel sooooooo much rrelief once you decide if amputation is the route you want ro go, set up the appointment and get on with recovery. Yes, getting to a decision is agonizing, absolutely agonizing! Once you decide and proceed a huge weight will be lifted off your shoulders...and Victor's pain will be gone.
I want to add that, whatever decision you make, you are making out of love and that is always the right decision! Amputation is not for every dog. Please know we support you whatever you decide!
Sending love, hugs, peace and clarity.
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
One other thing....have a "conversation" with Victor....what would he want? And don't forget the deep breaths...and chocolate!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Hi, Robin. Just read your story and thought I'd add my very recent experience. My 165 pound Mastiff mix was limping for a couple of days and I chalked it up to her arthritis until my wife felt a lump in her knee. Initial diagnosis was "maybe cancer" or an infection. We did a biopsy a week later which confirmed the cancer and amputated a week after that. Looking back, I kind of wish we would have amputated instead of doing the biopsy because that just put my girl through an extra week of pain. But, I also know that I really HAD to know for sure that amputation was necessary, so I don't think I could have ever done anything differently.
My wife and I are both retired so we were lucky enough to be able to tend to Maggie 24/7. I slept on a sofa just outside her little play-pen area for a good 2 weeks. We were supposed to be going to Las Vegas next week after the 4th, but cancelled that trip. Now, though, we're just past 3 weeks since amputation and Maggie is just about 100% back to normal. We probably could have done the trip, but Vegas will probably still be there later. She lost a hind leg and walking was a struggle, obviously, for a while, and it surely isn't "normal" yet, but everything considered, we are extremely happy with the progress we've seen. Maggie still has to figure some things out, but I really believe her pain is gone. She's been off all meds for a good week now, and is doing things like before.
For us, the decision was hard, but thanks to this website, we did what I know was the best thing for our dog. There is a lot of great info here. I'm sure you've already found that. Hoping for the best for you and your dog.
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