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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Yes, Michelle, please post a picture and how you actually made that sling! It is really neat. I saw it a week or so on in a picture of Sassy. Much better than my blue shopping bag. A bummper pad, never thought of it, but soft and cushy. Great idea!!! Lori and Ty
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
Xena's Mom, most, if not all of the emotions you are feeling sound pretty normal for this journey. You just feel so responsible to be their voice. I did not do a biopsy on Ty because we had done a synovial fluid one before we knew what we were probably dealing with, Came back negative. He was in so much pain and after that never used the leg. By the time he had his amp. For me the decision was I just want it off him. Take away the leg, take away the cancer and the pain. Teenagers seem to be the most skeptical about amputation. I finally had to say to my niece, I did it to save his life! To take away his pain! She was relentless with her whys! My 4 year old Granddaughter, on the other hand, never said a word nor did she once ask where his leg was. I was all prepared to explain and he was still just her best friend. I know the back and forth you are feeling though, been there, done that. I agree, maybe show your daughter some videos and explain how the surgery will ease the pain. As far as her size, I think a harness or sling will be a must. Raised food bowls. You have come to the right place for advice and support. There are so many kind souls on here. Hugs from, Lori and Ty
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
My Friend sewed handles on there with webbing & fleece but you could just use the actual bumper pad (we had her do it because she had an industrial sewing machine as she makes leashes with the fleece & webbing). We did the handles as extra lifting for us. That was day 4 after her amputation (the picture). We just held the bumper pad under her & measured but if you use the whole thing you wouldn't have to have the handles.
Michelle & Angel Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
Hi Xena's mom. In my family, my husband was the one that what hit the hardest with Johnnie's diagnosis, and was not willing to accept amputation in the first moment. He is very attached to Johnnie, and very emotional. I actually had the surgery scheduled without his knowledge, hoping I would be able to convince him before the scheduled date. My husband insisted that Johnnie wouldn't be able to walk on 3 legs, so I tried to find videos of Golden Retrievers recovering from surgery and walking on 3 legs so he could believe what the vet said, that the dog would be able to walk. The argument from the vet that convinced him was when the vet told him that Johnnie's bone would get weaker and weaker and that he could break the leg and would be in horrible pain and then there would be no option but to put him to sleep.
If you need time to make a decision, do take this time. It is a family decision, so if you need a couple of weeks to decide and prepare yourselves for having a tripawd at home do take this time. Many of the tripawds in the community were mis-diagnosed in the beginning, and surgery ended up happening only after a couple of months. This was the case with my dog. Johnnie ended up having surgery six months after he started limping, because in the beginning the diagnosis was arthritis. Because of the "arthritis" he was ordered to lose weight, and actually lost 15lbs from the first visit to the vet to the date of his surgery. From what I have seen, all vets want the dogs to have surgery right away, but there are many, many cases like Johnnie's where some months went by from the first limps to the diagnosis.
My suggestion for your daughter is to have her see videos of rotties post-surgery, so that she realizes it's not the end of the world and that they do recover quite quickly.
I posted a couple of photos of Johnnie's recovery in an older thread:
http://tripawds.....six-weeks/
The first week home was VERY hard but from day 6 post-op onwards he just got better and better. He is now 3-months post-op and doing great.
Daniela & Johnnie.
Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet. Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues. Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle. October 17: started having seizures. Taking fenobarbital for seizures. April 18: started prednisone.
I can totally relate to how you are probably feeling right now. So, incase it helps, I will tell you that I am now just over 2 months on from a rear leg amp on my ten year old dog due to OSA. My world fell apart when I heard the shocking news. The post op recovery period was fairly rough and a minor complication and a lot of stress and worry on my part. However, after the stitches came out my dog Kaos turned a corner, and he has been enjoying quality pain free life since then.
If he were to have to be PTS tomorrow either because the cancer had returned (and I am determined NOT to allow him to suffer when it does) or because he injured his good leg (which I feel is always a very real risk), I would not regret my decision to amputate. At the time and during recovery I questioned my decision every day, but yesterday he ran (hopped?) around for an hour at the forest with his human and canine mates, thoroughly enjoyed himself, and came home and played with his squeaky rabbit most of the evening. I can't tell you how much joy it gave me to see him so happy and enjoying life. I decided not to do chemo as I want to focus on quality of life for whatever time we have left.
Hi Xenas Mom-
I just wanted to say welcome - I totally hear you, OSA can and does turn your world upside down. My Jill was diagnosed in June 2012 and I look back and cant even remember how I got through it. It feels like it was all a dream. But you've come to exactly the right place to help you through it all! Just keep hope alive, the best thing you can do right now is do your research stay as positive as you possibly can and vent!
Keep us posted!!
xoxo,
Erica & Tripawd Kitty Jill
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
So sorry, Xena's mom. It's such a tough thing to hear. My Lexie is smaller but much older than Xena (now 14), and she is a front amp with arthritis and hip dysplasia in a tri-level house.
Her cancer is atypical in that it had a lot of osteo characteristics although presented as an STS and the biopsy was inconclusive. She also had lung metastastis before amputation, so her main vet hesitated on amputation and we eventually pushed the issue -- and I wish we had amputated sooner.
My two cents for what it's worth:
-Osteosarcoma moves quickly. Amputation is a big decision, of course, but the sooner you do it, the better it is for your dog in terms of pain relief.
-You can do the biopsy after the amputation instead of two separate procedures, which just drags things out longer and is more expensive and ultimately harder on your dog.
-Surgery will help them lose weight and post-op is an ideal time for adjusting amounts and types of food in consult with your vet. And dogs definitely take it off and keep it off better than we do! Weight loss will definitely help with quality of life.
-If she was a bit of couch potato before there's a chance that her leg could have been bothering her and causing pain longer than she was letting on, and she may have more spring to her step after recovering from surgery.
-Re. stairs, we have the same issue, and we try to keep most of our activity to the main floor and if we do a quick trip up or down and she tries to follow us we just baby-gate those stairs. She does have to go down stairs to get to the back yard, so no way around that. If your stairs are hardwood you can order carpet treads especially for stairs, and you'll want to add runners (remnants are a great inexpensive option) for any hard surfaces in the rest of the house.
-Re. costs of amputation, you might want to check around with several different vets and surgery centers because you'd be surprised how costs can vary. If you use the advanced search function (easier from a laptop than a phone or some tablets) you can find out what others have paid and questions to ask to help with your decision-making.
-The Size and Age Matters thread has a lot of good info, and you don't normally have to be at home with them too long if you can confine them to a kitchen or smaller room.
-I'd also talk to your regular vet about bone supplements given her size. Lexie is now on Glycoflex III, which takes a month or so to build up, but has helped quite a bit.
-Re. your daughter, I'd show her some of the Rotti, Great Dane, and Wolfhound Tripawd videos...I bet she'll come around.
-Re. amount of time post amp, it really is a crapshoot, but many dogs have lasted longer than expected -- a year and even more. More importantly, most of us have said in hindsight that we'd do it all over again even if we knew we only had a few months left. Somehow we grow even more bonded to our dogs during the post-amp time and they teach us so much.
Obviously it's a very personal decision, and you're doing the right thing to ask lots of questions and do your homework.
Good luck, and please keep us posted!
Deb and Angel Lexie* Diagnosed at age 13. Tried radiation first; wish we had amputated upon diagnosis (even with lung mets). Joined Club Tripawd April 2014 & Lexie loved life on 3 legs! Advice: Start physical therapy as soon as your vet clears it, especially hydrotherapy if available :-) See Lexie pics here.
Hi there. Such a hard time you're going through. It was about 6 months ago for me that I was in the same place--seems like just yesterday. It's a decision you don't want to have to make because none of the options feel good enough. But you will, and you'll pull through it, whatever you decide.
Reading your post gave me a moment of pause--considering whether or not I would do the amputation again. For whatever reason, our Charlie didn't respond to chemo after the amputation. He also developed some additional symptoms for which we had no explanation. Regardless, the amputation only bought us an additional 4 months with our boy. I say this not to worry you, but to provide some balance to the responses and to support what others have said about the unpredictability of osteosarcoma.
That said, the bottom line for us in doing the amputation was pain relief. We couldn't imagine just waiting for the pain to get worse. Also, the JOY that Charlie brought to so many (especially us) in the time that he was a tripawd was pretty amazing. Complete strangers were inspired--we met neighbors we never had before because they just had to meet Charlie. Naturally, he enjoyed every minute of the loving he got! And we cherished every second we had with him.
I think the only thing that I'd do differently is researching palliative radiation treatments more in-depth than I did at diagnosis. So, perhaps, give that option a look.
Otherwise, lean on those around you--especially fellow dog lovers who 'get it'. Ask all the questions you need to--I was still asking questions the morning of the amputation.
Again, I'm so sorry you're going through this.
Heather
Charlie, our English yellow lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2014. He became a tripawd on February 24th, with clear lymph nodes and lungs, but that didn't last long. After three doses of Carbo, in May 2014, x-rays showed lung mets. We briefly tried Palladia, which went well. Unfortunately, Charlie developed unexplained complications in his hind limbs. We said a reluctant farewell on June 11, 2014. Still miss our boy each and every day.
Thank you all again. You are all a wealth of information and I really appreciate you all weighing in. My vet referred me to a Oncology specialist because I was so undecided about what to do. We went to the specialist today and we discussed everything. So, I made the decision to amputate and do the Chemo. It feels good to have a plan. The deciding factor for me was to take the pain away. Xena had a bad day yesterday and she was not herself. She is not sleeping well and I cannot handle her being in pain anymore. I sat my husband and daughter down when we returned and let them know of the decision. After I explained how it would all work they both felt better about the amputation. The vet techs who see this everyday were really good at assuring me that she would do fine on three legs and be pain free for the time being. I realize its not a total cure, I just want her to be pain free.
The surgery is scheduled for next Thursday. I am looking at all your slings. I need to get something to help Xena and deal with the stairs which are everywhere in our house.
I need to read about posting pictures because I can't seem to figure it out. Want you all to meet my precious baby! Everyone was falling over themselves petting her today. She is so lovable to people, dogs, not so much, but if you pet her you are friends for life! 
Thank you all again. I will let you all know how the surgery goes and how we do post op. I hope you all realize what a great help you are and how much it means to people gong through this to know that there are others out there who genuinely care.
Thank you!
Lisa & Xena
Hanging out resting about two weeks ago..couldn't even see the lump then. Right above her right ankle. NOw it is definietly noticeable and seems to be getting bigger everyday.
Hi Xena's mom - congratulation on your 3 gorgeous girls !
I agree with you that making a decision and having a plan is one big step and a relief, because, as you perfectly described in the title of your post, the diagnosis turns our world upside down. Johnnie is 3 1/2 months post-op, and scheduled for his 5th round of chemotherapy for OSA (carboplatin) on Sept 16th. My kids have been very collaborative in all this process, and even though it is a very emotional period, in a way it makes them understand the true meaning of being committed to someone "in sickness and in health".
Besides the slings, which will be helpful for the first days, I suggest you order a harness for Xena, since they are not readily available at the pet store - and they take about a week to ship it. Most of us in the forum have had good experiences with the Ruffwear harnesses.
regards,
Daniela & Johnnie
Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet. Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues. Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle. October 17: started having seizures. Taking fenobarbital for seizures. April 18: started prednisone.
Hi Lisa, everyone has given you such great advice. I just wanted to chime in and say seriously, the picture of Xena on her back on the bed is PRICELESS!! I keep going back to look at it b/c the expression on her face is hilarious!
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
I'm glad you made a decision and have a plan- that does feel good. You can spend the next week reading up here, asking questions, and Tripawd proofing your house.
I don't think anyone goes into this without some trepidation, it is a big surgery, and it can change your life. But I found dealing with Maggie's cancers and amputation changed my life for the better in the long run.
Good luck with the surgery and do keep us posted.
Karen and Spirit Maggie
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Hi Xena's Mom-
Whipping through I saw the pic's with your daughters. My kids 14 and 19 (girls) were not on board. The 14 year old was going to move out lol if we went through with the amputation. I armed myself with pictures and info from this site to get them to think sensibly. They mellowed, however I made it LOUD and CLEAR that it was my decision (ok hubby had a say too) and "we were not doing anything to Jake, we were doing it for Jake". In conclusion, they were a great help in the post op phase and ended up treating him "normal" what ever that is in this house! SUCKs but everyone will be fine!
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