Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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hello, my 8 1/2 year old 85 pound lab pit mix Leroy was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma last year. We got him surgery to remove the mass but they were not able to remove it all and since last September it has come back very aggressively. I took him in for a second opinion last week and this vet also said that they wouldn't be able to do surgery again and my options are radiation or amputation. I am meeting with an oncologist on Tuesday to find out if radiation is even an option. I am lucky because my friend started a go fund me to help with the expenses, but I know this is going to be very expensive. We live in Brooklyn NY so I know him getting radiation treatments once a week will be hard because getting him to the center in the city will be difficult as large dogs are not allowed on trains and in most cabs. I also worry that amputation may be difficult for him because of having to deal with stairs, having to learn to walk as a tripod always on leash and the vet said he is so big and chest heavy he puts the majority of his weight on his front paws. I also worry that Ice and snow may add to the difficulties. Any advice would be helpful. I'm even considering having to move and or leave NY to be able to give him a yard. Thank you.
Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm sorry cancer has brought you here, but you will find lots of information and support as you make you decisions.
All dogs put most of their weight on their front legs, I think it's something like 60% of their weight on the front. It is something to consider but we have had lots of dogs here bigger than Leroy who have done fine as front amps.
Many if not most dogs can also tackle stairs after they have healed from surgery, how many stairs do you have?
Is Leroy otherwise healthy and strong?
I can't give direct advice as both of my Tripawds are/were small rear amps. However my local pal Cemil, a 150 pound Anatolian Shepard, has lived as a front amp for over 7 years after his surgery for OSA!
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
Hi Leroy and family,
I am sorry that events have brought you here, but you have definitely come to the right place for advice and support.
My situation was different in that we weren't dealing with cancer and Meg is much smaller (around 40 pounds pre amp), but I wanted to just share our experience on a couple of things we do have in common.
Firstly, we were also advised that Meg was not a candidate for amputation. This was because of problems with her other front leg (she is also a front amp), and also her unusually long back. In the end I sought a second (okay, third...) opinion and decided to go for it, as the only alternative was euthanasia. She is now very nearly seven months post amp and doing absolutely great. Running, swimming, chasing squirrels etc. She also runs up and down stairs no problem at all. As Karen says, there are many tripawds on here who are larger than Leroy. I'm sure Eurydice's Mum will come in at some point. She and her tripawd Great Dane (also a front amp, also facing cancer) are currently enjoying a tour of Europe.
Re travelling in the City, I live in London, and my vets practice is right in the middle of town, so I know this problem well. For us, the traditional London black cabs almost always take dogs, but other cab services usually don't. The hospital must face this issue a lot, so I would have thought they might have a list of obliging cabbies? certainly worth asking.
Anyway, others will soon chime in, so stay tuned.
All best to you and Leroy,
Meg and Clare (and Elsie Pie) xxx
Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.
Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...
Hello:
These are not easy choices and challenges, but you will make the best informed ones you can that are best for you and Leroy. I can see why transport and NYC for a large dog is daunting. Would radiation treatment be just once a week - for our dog the proposal was every day for 18 to 22 consecutive week days and I am finally (I think) decided against it. Mostly because of having to put him under GA every day.
But he did become an amputee as a result of an aggressive Soft Tissue Sarcoma at 11.5 years of age. It is a front amp and he is a profoundly deep chested dog. The night he came home from surgery (about 48 hours post op), he insisted on going to the second floor and has been doing stairs multiple times a day in the intervening 5 months. Take a look at my blog (in signature below) for pictures and some video.
We live in Minneapolis, so I have concerns about ice in the winter as well, but I will invest in good traction boots for him and we will do the best we can. A good harness would be a great investment for you and Leroy if you proceed.
If your goal is to give Leroy more time and less pain, most of us will tell you amputation is a good option for that. Not without risk, of course, but the outcome for most of us is a return to the quality of life we want for our pets. Sometimes not as long as we would hope for and sometimes more than we could have thought possible.
Also, some threads with early days video posts to help you see that some Tripods adjust very, very quickly:
Pofi 6 weeks post op climbing stairs
7 weeks post op and amped to go to Dog Park
Best thoughts - let us know if we can answer more questions.
Please do note - Pofi was almost a virtual tripod - not using his leg for a few weeks prior to amputation. And that doubtless sped his recovery. Most dogs do need some extra support with a harness to master stairs again. He is an exception in this regard.
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.
Otis was a 106 pound lab/Dane mix, very barrel chested, with mild arthritis in his hips. He did great on 3! You are thinking the right thoughts, but remember that dogs are amazingly adaptable. The Ruffwear Webmaster Plus harness (see the gear blog) also helped a lot with mobility.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Hi Leroy and family ❤️
Me and Eurydice, my huge Great Dane who has osteosarcoma, were offered the possibility of radiation and chemo or amputation and chemo but I never considered radiation.
One of the reasons was it requires general anaesthetic each time which is not good news for giant breeds.
I never, ever regreted having gone for amputation and believe me I was scared like hell as my girl is 68kg (77kg before amputation) right front leg gone and incredibly deep chested ...
Well, 5 months on and she is deliriously happy, manages very well and the only real handicap is she cannot negotiate stairs and I doubt she ever will.
Leroy is only 85lb so he should be able to master stairs fairly soon !
i know some vets are of the opinion "big" dogs like Leroy may not do well but we (and many others) are the living proof that is not the case!
We used a soft harness over a t-shirt until stitches came out and after that we got a ruff wear harness which is great.
As for ice and snow weather you should consider getting him some booties so he doesn't slip all over the place ...
The first couple of weeks after surgery may be challenging but after stitches come out you should see lots of progress every day
Amputation is so much more difficult to accept for us pawrents than for our sweet babies, they adapt incredibly quickly and don't dwell on things like we do.
You can take a look at Eurydice's videos on YouTube it will definitely show you how life can be fun and great even on 3 legs.
We are all here for you so please keep us updated!
You can do this and so can Leroy, sending you a big hug and lots of cuddles to your sweetie 🐶❤️🐾😘
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 :-)
Hi Leroythedog. So sorry about your sweet dog. My sweet Ted is ~9 years old, yellow lab/Sharpei mix and ~75 lbs pre amputation of his front left leg. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the Ulna in March and we tried alternatives to amputation and finally went forward with it on 8 August. He has handled it extremely well and has no difficulty with stairs at all - he's been bouncing around since about week 3 post amp, seriously. I find that he moves better at a little faster pace than walking and that is also how he does stairs (up), and he does them very well. I am overly cautious with him going downstairs since I am paranoid that something stupid will happen and he will fall... He is also very deep chested.
I think Megstamum had a good suggestion to find out about cabs or transportation that would accommodate your sweet boy. Honestly, MysweetTed is a Chick (and dude) magnet everywhere we go, a lot of people ask if he's a service dog with his little harness on, and most people go out of their way to talk to us an offer help/water/seats/etc. wherever we go.
Good luck to you - just like eurydice said, you and he can do this.
Wanda
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