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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Three days ago we learned Raven has osteosarcoma. Yesterday we arranged for amputation this coming Tuesday and chemo. Today we're struggling, wondering if it's the right decision. We read how, despite amputation, 90% of dogs with "malignant cancer die with metastatic disease" - and often within a year or year and a half.
We're so unsure that putting him through this trauma is right. We're trying to sort through the difference between trauma to him and trauma to us. We don't want to be selfish. We want to do what's best for him. Today neither of us knows what that is, despite our relief yesterday.
Raven is 9. A Portuguese Water Dog. Strong in character and body. And a Spirit sweeter than any dog my husband and I have ever known. We don't want him in pain. We don't want him struggling or in stress. He hates going to the vet's, shivers and looks forlornly over his shoulder at us when we have to leave him there (admittedly he's a bit of a drama queen!).
Most of you have been through this stage. How did you come to your decisions? If any of you are Portie owners, we'd love to hear from you, too.
Welcome to tripawds! Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Cancer sucks, but you are in the right place to gather information.
Chili Dawg is a 9 year old Golden Retriever who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma back in May. He was in a lot of pain, you could tell just by looking at him. He wouldn't walk on his leg at all, he stopped wagging his tail, stopped eating, stopped playing, etc. I still remember the day we were told it was osteosarcoma, and it felt like a suckerpunch. Then they gave us the options and all the statistics that go with the options. You feel overwhelmed and overloaded with the information. Then they tell you that amputation is the best option, and you're like, "a dog with 3 legs? really? can i do that to my dog?" Believe me, I know how you feel. We wrestled with that decision, and then we made the decision to amputate, because we didn't want Chili Dawg to be in pain anymore.
The day he came home as a tripawd, you could see it in his eyes. The pain was gone. As he recovered from his amputation, his tail wagged again. He greeted us at the door again. He was able to do the steps again. He started to eat again. The morning I woke up and found him next to me on the bed (I have no idea how he got up there), I knew he was back to his old self. He does everything he used to do, run, wrestle with his Boxer brother, roll in the grass, get up on the couch, counter and table surf for goodies. It was the best decision we could have made. His pain is gone, and I don't think he even knows that he is missing a leg. He adjusted to it faster and better than we could have thought or hoped he would have.
The first 2 weeks post-amputation were the toughest for us, so get some sleep prior to that, but once those were over and he was off the medicine, we had our Chili Dawg back. Hang in there!
Diagnosed with OSA: 5/2/2011 Ampuversary: 5/11/2011 OSA returned in hip: 8/26/2011
Chili Dawg crossed the Rainbow Bridge on 8/30/2011 & is now pain free. He was my heart dog, and I miss him every day.
Hi Raven & Family,
We are so sorry about the diagnosis but we hope we can help you during this ruff time.
Raven sounds like a strong dog who has what it takes to bounce back from the surgery. What do your vets think as far as his candidacy for being a Tripawd?
My first recommendation is to check out our Required Reading List, which covers a lot of the questions people wonder about when hearing about the amputation recommendation. You may also want to download our ebook, Three Legs & a Spare, which gets into more detail, especially about dealing with cancer.
It's hard to ignore those awful statistics about osteo, but keep in mind that those numbers don't take into account Raven's pawsonality and health history. Many, many dogs have blown those numbers out of the water!
We've had 3 year osteo survivors at Tripawds, like Reno and Nova, two VERY big dawgs. Sadly, some dogs do succumb far too soon. Somewhere in the middle is how most of us do after being diagnosed (I made it 24 months after my osteo diagnosis, without IV chemo).
The first thing to remember is that amputation is not being selfish, it's being kind by taking the horrible pain of slowly exploding bone away as quickly as pawsible. Especially for a dog like Raven, who is still relatively young and has plenty of the good fight left in him. You probably know this already, but amputation doesn't cure osteo, but it does give a good quality of life relatively quickly after surgery. As with any surgery, there are risks to consider, but most dogs bounce back and go on to have great lives.
Would getting a second opinion help you decide? That's always my recommendation when someone can't make that call. It really helps having someone else look at the situation.
We're here to help, thanks for joining us. Can't wait to see more pics of your handsome boy.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome Raven and pack.
Sorry I didn't have time to post a reply this morning. Just so you know- your future posts will not require moderation, only the first post from a new member has to wait.
I am sorry you have found yourself here (cancer sucks!) but you have found a very supportive and experienced community.
Unfortunately amputation does not usually 'cure' OSA, but it does relieve the excruciating pain that bone tumors cause. That being said- there is no way to know how much time Raven might have after amputation. We have had some members last a few months, and we have had several beat the odds and live many months and even years. Some have done chemo, some not.
I learned that it is about quality- not quantity. My pug Maggie lost a rear leg to mast cell cancer. After cancerous cells were found in the lymph node removed with the leg she was given 6 to 9 months WITH chemo (pre surgery tests did not see cancer in the lymph system). We did chemo and Maggie lived almost 4 years. She passed last year from a second, unrelated type of cancer (cancer REALLY sucks!). She only lived 3 months after the second cancer diagnosis- but it was quality time, and I will be forever grateful that I got to spend that time with her. I made the decision to amputate because mast cell tumors can ulcerate the skin and cause wounds that don't heal. Also we though we had caught it early enough and that the cancer had not yet spread.
Amputation is a big decision and should be taken seriously. Sadly a few pups here did not make it though surgery- not so scare you, but we are also about reality here. The huge majority handle the surgery fine. The recovery period can be rough- enough to make you doubt your decision. But once through that period most pups do just fine on three.
(admittedly he's a bit of a drama queen!)
Maggie was a HUGE drama queen- and a VERY obstinate pug. She did not like change at all. She took her time after surgery to get back to herself- longer than most I read about here- but she did.
You guys know Raven best, and know what is best for him and you. Make your decisions with his best interest in your heart and you won't be wrong. We are here to support you no matter what decisions you make.
Check out the resources on this site: Jerry's Required Reading list is a good place to start.
Keep us posted on how things go.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Also-
I don't know of any active PWD packs on this site. I remember one not too long ago, but they were dealing with mast cell cancer like Maggie.
Karen
I'm so sorry to hear about Raven. We are in a very similar situation. Our almost 10 year old siberian husky was diagnosed this past weekend with osteosarcoma in his front left leg. We have come to a decision to amputate...but don't think we will do chemo at this point.
Our Vet Counseled us that if the lung X-Ray's came back with no signs of spreading thus far that amputation was in Dale's best interest and that it would take the pain away. We were so shocked by the diagnosis and it all came at us so fast. I joined this website and have been re-assured that this will give Dale quality of life. Our surgery isn't scheduled until August 11th...but I wish it was sooner. It's hard to watch Dale limp around...and I'm very worried that he will break or fracture his leg before the surgery.
I have found this site so very helpful...and a great support system. I'm happy to go through it together...if that is the decision you make.
Welcome Raven and family! Sad that you have to be here, but this community is a WONDERFUL place to get information and support.
One of the things I hear tossed around here a lot is that "it's more traumatic for the owners than it is for the dog," and my vet confirmed that this morning when we scheduled Max's surgery. Our little guy has been in pain for a long time, unfortunately, and the vet believes that this surgery will take care of that. He'll have to re-learn some things, but he'll be able to do it from a much better health standpoint, and I think his quality of life outweighs any inconvenience of, say, having to learn how to pee without lifting a leg!
Sure, surgery's scary and a Big Deal, there's no denying that, especially if your dog doesn't like going to the vet. But from SO many stories I've read here, a lot of dogs were up and running around a day or two after surgery! I find that idea very reassuring.
We'll be sending good thoughts for your doggy family and the vets who are helping you out!
Julie, mom to Spirit Max the Pomeranian,
the bravest poofle dog who ever lived!
Bo is 2 months post-amp from an osteosarcoma diagnosis. We also struggled with the decision to amputate, but the bottom line was that he was in pain. He limped painfully to the car the morning of surgery. We picked him up at noon the next day and he came running out of the vet's office, literally dragging her behind him. That was confirmation enough for us that we did the right thing.
We know what the statistics are for osteosarcoma and it is really hard to think about it. But, once we accepted that it is more important to focus on quality of life rather than quantity of life, we became much happier. Bo is still doing many of the things he did before, like swimming, rolling in the grass, begging for table scraps... he is just Bo again.
What ever decision you make will be right and out of love for your family. For us, the right decision was to improve Bo's quality of life by amputating and becoming pain-free.
Good luck and let us know if we can answer any questions for you! Keep us posted!!
I've thought of you folks so often, intending to keep in touch. Here's an update - with the punchline first. Raven is our hero and his Life's theme is Taking It In Stride!
- 8/3 Amputation of right front leg and shoulder at VCA Referral Hospital in Albuquerque.
- 8/5 Picked him up from VCA. He was already totally ambulatory, no sling required. The staff told us that when they took him outside for the first time, he refused assistance. He walked alongside the wall of his own accord, but did not require its assistance for stability either.
- When we walked out of VCA on 8/5, he walked out on his own, showed us he could pee, a little wobbly on the leg lift, but NO squats like a girl, Mom!
- Within 3 days of being home he was walking & running in a straight line, a little less straight backing up!
- Within the next 3 days he was doing stairs to my husband's studio...and within 2 days after that he was RUNNING up and down the stairs, two-at-a-time! (Trust me, we were watching him like a hawk, putting him on collar and leash to help contain him and his enthusiasm...but he was very convincing -- and he was right!)
- 8/15 Biopsy results confirmed osteosarcoma, however, it was "low grade" -- evidently pretty rare from what I've been told. To further bolster his chances, his lymph node biopsy came back totally clean -- NO CANCER CELLS!
- 8/24 chemo #1 -- with no adverse reaction. CARBOPLATIN 150mg was the oncologist's choice for best results and least adverse affect on Raven.
- 9/13 chemo #2 -- with slight dry heaves which we treated with CERENIA 60mg/1 per day for four days.
- COMING UP NEXT WEEK, 10/5, lung xrays. If clear, chemo #3 is scheduled.
Raven is full of energy, has lost no hair (he is a PWD, so has hair, not fur), is full of himself like he was before this whole thing started.
I know his story is exemplary (we pray it stays that way). We've been blessed that he has done so well with the chemo and in general. (We are also blessed that we were able to afford the surgery and treatment. We're far from wealthy, and we "robbed Peter to pay Paul," but we never hesitated. "Paul" will just have to wait!!!)
I must say we are very grateful for the professional and compassionate care both Raven and my husband and I received from VCA. They encouraged us to call anytime while Raven was there in post-op and even now. We heard from both doctors (the surgeon and oncologist) several times which I thought was extraordinary.
After all the angsting and worry if we did the right thing -- and continuing to wonder the first 2 or 3 days he was home because what had been so effortless and joyful in his life before seemed to take such a HUGE amount of effort now -- Raven himself put our concerns to rest as he so quickly resumed his active life.
Thank you all for being there, Tripaws! While I wasn't posting much, I was reading and you were a great source of help.
Best of care to all! We'll keep you posted, so to speak!
So glad to hear that he is doing so great! I don't have a PWD; but when we were looking we knew we either wanted a doberman or a PWD. We found a doberman first. 
My uncle and grandfather live/d (my grandfather died a few years ago) in Portugal and have had 2 PWDs and they have been such amazing pets! If they are anything like the breed in general then I'm not surprised at all that he is doing so great!
Our Spencer had is amputation due to a fibrosarcoma; but it is very aggressive (unusual for fibrosarcomas). He is now almost 5 weeks post amputation and doing so amazing. And then I stop to think that based on the vet's estimates, if we hadn't done any treatment, we would have had to put him to sleep 1 - 3 weeks ago... I am just amazed! These dogs really are amazing!!
Jac and Angel Spencer. Spencer was 5.25 years old. He fought a grade 3 fibrosarcoma, started on his shoulder. Left front leg amputated in August 2011. 15 weeks of chemo finished 12/22/11 (mytox and adria). Lung mets found on x-rays 12/28/11. Started carboplatin 1/6/12. Went to Heaven on 2/27/12. I miss him like crazy every day. See his blog here: http://spencer.tripawds.com/
What a wonderful update- Raven sounds like he is doing great!
I hope you find the time to post more often (as life and schedules allow!!). Stories like Raven's are inspirational- we love to here that here.
And a few more pictures would be welcome too! 
Karen and the pugaplooza
Hooray for a good update! Hope he continues to do well. Fingers and paws crossed for a good X-ray on the 5th!
All the best,
Jackie, Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Glad that Raven's doing fabulous!!! And can't wait for the next chapter of his story. My only question is: What's a PWD? I feel like I'm out of the club here.
Micki and Rio
 |
~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
Never mind — Portuguese Water Dog — I get it… Sorry for my blonde moment. Blame it on Tosca 
|
~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
Glad to read of the good news!
We hope you come around often, we always need good news. Congrats,
Elizabeth and Sammy
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
1 Guest(s)
