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
✅ Direct 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
Dear Rosies Mom & Zeu's Mom,
It sounds like you have a lot to think about before tomorrow. I am sorry you are going through this, it is really hard to decide what to do. Emily is a rear leg amputation that did great after surgery and had only one little snag with her chemo. (Her white blood count dropped so her chemo was every 25 days instead of 21.) I just wanted to say that you as a breast cancer survivor are probably worried about Rosie's reaction and I want to assure you dogs do much better than people generally. I know Cherry and some of our other tripawd dogs have had some problems but generally dogs don't. Your oncolgist will give you drugs to help with the side effects if Rosie has any. Please know that you are going todo the right thing for Rosie because you love and know her best.
Heather, if I were you I would ask them if they think it is cruel to watch Zeus break his leg repeatedly while doing things like walking across the floor. Is it creuel to save her from that. I can't understand why when people know that is the alternative they don't support amputation. I know my first thought was that I wasn't going to do that to Emily (the amputation) but when the vet explained the alternative I knew the choice was mad. I am sorry you are not getting support. You did the right thing. I am glad you are surronding yourself and Zeus with positive people and thoughts.
Debra
Debra & Emily, a five year old doberman mix, who was diagnosed with an osteosaecoma. She had a right rear leg amputation on May 19, 2009. On November 10, 2009 she earned her wings and regained her fourth leg.
I am sorry to hear of Rosie's cancer and pain. Fortunately, I have not had to deal too much with negative people. My Angel was hit by a car and it tore her back right paw off, among other injuries. They amputated at the hip since dogs don't do well with prothestics or having the extra non-useful limb. I got some crap about the cost of it (all together $9000) and 'why don't you just put her down'. Those people don't understand the love of our babies and how much better they adapt at losing a limb than humans. My Angel is 9-10 years old and she is now enjoying her life (the accident was 15 weeks ago). She runs and swims and plays and I know she's happy. It was all worth it. Don't worry about those other people. They haven't been in this situation; they have no idea what we've been through and how much our babies can adapt and have a full, high-quality life.
Best of luck,
Ruth and the 6 Pack
Dear Tripaw Friends:
Thank you for reading our story this past 2 weeks. It's taking so long to get things going for Rosie. First we went to an Oncologist our Vet sent us to in Tampa. Now they sent us to the University of FL in Gainesville, and it's taking more time. We just want Rosie to be out of pain. We went Tuesday, they did some xray's and nothing has changed they said from her xrays 2 weeks ago. We had to leave her there which was very hard to do. We live 2 hours away. They called and said she was ok this morning. Today they gave her a CT Scan which is to find out what condition she is in before they do anything to her. Either the Stereotactic Radiation (limb sparring treatment ) or Amputation.. They said either way they had to do these tests. They called me back this afternoon and they did find a tumor on her liver. They biopsied it and don't have the results yet. But he down played it I think, saying that liver tumors grow very slow and don't spread to any other organs usually. So I hope that doesn't change their mind about saving her. I guess they want to make sure she is healthy enough to take whatever treatment they are going to give her.
So she is there again tonight. The house is so empty without her. This is what it would feel like if she were gone. TERRIBLE! But we are going to go tomorrow to pick her up for a little while get her out of there spend some time with her somewhere, and then bring her back and they will tell us tomorrow afternoon what the final results are and if she can handle whatever. So another day of waiting. I just want to get it started so it can be over soon. I'll be happy when she is out of there.
Anyway I am so sorry for "jgerman" for what happened to your best friend. You understand how I feel. People just don't understand why we would save our pets if there is a chance to have a happy life after amputation. And after reading all of your comments I feel that there is. My concern now is that my Rosie has other heallth issues that may stop them from trying. I hope she will be healthy enough to endure the treatment. Anyway I probably won't be back online till this weekend when we come home I'll let everyone know what happens. Thank you everyone for all your comments and support. It means so much.!! Now you can see Rosie's picture. I had trouble getting it on, they put it on for me. Thank You!
Sandy & Tim - Rosie's mom & dad
6:16 pm
13 July 2009
Offline
Hi Sandy, Tim and Rosie
It sounds as though you are in excellent hands with your vets. But I know how horrible the WAITING can be when you don't know the results and what will be the outcome. (Poor Jackie and Mac can say a lot about waiting, can't you!) Plus it is hard for us to not have them home when they are going through this. At least it sounds as though they are keeping you posted as much as they can.
Easier said than done, but try not to worry about other health issues. She has sounded pretty healthy from your previous posts. For some reason, I have recently met a few dogs and even humans who had spots on their livers; the doctors assumed cancer but it turned out not to be. Apparently liverspots can occur for other reasons and not just on old human hands!
Wishing you all the best tomorrow.
Susan & Tazzie 2
7:43 pm
Team Tripawds
Administrators
25 September 2009
Offline
rosiesmom said:
Thank You!
It is our pleasure to help, Rosie is beautiful. Thanks for the update and best wishes.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi everyone!. Sorry it took us so long to let you know about Rosie. We had a very tough decision to make last Thursday. They also found a large 6" tumor on Rosie's liver. It is a solid mass that has more benign properties than malignant. But it is a carcenoma, but they said it should come out. It is very slow growing and not anything to do with the cancer in her leg. A totally seperate growth, but it is technically cancer, but they said contained. There is very good prognosis for dogs with this kind of tumor just to cut it out.
We wouldn't hesitate to amputate her leg if there wasn't this other option available to us here in Gainesville, FL at the University of FL. So we had to decide if we still wanted to do the limb sparring treatment for Rosie and now the expense of the liver tumor too. Our Dr. at Gainesville, Dr. Bacon, in Oncology at the University of Florida is in our opinion the best dog Oncologist Dr. He is so patient and so informative, he and the intern Dr. took so much time with us explaining. So different than the regular Vet office visit.
Rosie qualified for the "SRS" Stereotactic Radiation treatment, and we didn't want to give that up even though she is faced with a 2nd surgery now. So at our greater expense we decided to go ahead and try to save the leg. It is still the Gold Standard as Dr. Bacon said to do Amputation for this Oesteosarcoma, but she has a very good chance of doing well with the SRS treatment; as nothing had metastesized to her body yet. The liver tumor is a completely different thing it is not metastatic from her leg. They did the "SRS" (Stereotactic Radiation Treatment) on Friday. It went very well, we picked her up Saturday a.m. she was very tired, but is now able to walk around on 4 legs and not dragging the 4th. She still limps. He said in time that limp may improve. Some dogs loose their limp completely, some always have a slight limp. She doesn't seem to be in pain. She just moves carefully with her little limp . It is not a lame lim, she is walking and using the leg. She went further out in the yard to walk. It is amazing. It was a gamble, that is exactly what it is a gamble, as the leg can break. It does become more brittle, and you have to deal with that if that happens. There has only been @ 100 dogs that have had this treatment. 1/3 have breakage 2/3 do well. We are hoping Rosie is in the 2/3 portion. It is a gamble. There are no gurantees. It was a gamble we decided to take as we thought it would be easier for her to recover on 4 legs from her next surgery this week.
If we went with Amputation they would have taken off the leg and zipped open her belly and taken the LIver tumor all at once. Poor baby would have had 2 huge incisions. I just couldn't do that to her all at once. I hope we made the right decision, so far so good she is walking with a limp, but not dragging the leg. We just hope she doesn't break it. It does make you nervous. But she mostly sleeps around the house anyway.
We truly appreciate all your inputs on amputation, it has helped us to accept it as a loving treatment for our dogs in pain. We love Rosie so much and would do anything for her. People who don't understand amputation need to come here to this website and learn what a 2nd chance on life it gives to all our dogs. If Rosie ends up breaking her leg we will have to amputate too. If anyone out there wants to know more about "SRS" treatment please don't hesitate to contact me. We are taking it one day at a time and hope she does well with the treatment. It has the same rate of success for remission of cancer as amputation. The cancer does come back eventually just as with amputation from metastisis in the blood stream, it will pop up again somewhere in the future. We hope very latter.
By the way the University of Florida is the only place in the country that has this "SRS" treatment. There is a radiation treatment in the Colorado University but it is different than what they do here in Gainesville. In Colorado they do 3 radiation treatments to treat. At Gainesville it is 1 mega dose. They actually take the dog accross the street to Shanes Hospital to the Brain Institute, the same machine that is used on people. The man who invented it is Dr. Frank Bova. he is the one that does the actual SRS radition treatment. Dr. Bacon does the prep before and after. They have to put pins in the leg to guide the treatment. It is quite a science to it. It costs with hospital stay and treatement @ $7000 Just for everyone's info if there is anyone out there who wants to know.
Thank you again everyone for all the support, your support was what helped us thru this process. It has been so difficult.
Best to All
Sandy and Tim - Rosie's mom and dad
2:42 pm
13 July 2009
Offline
Hi Sandy, Tim and Rosi
Thanks for letting us know how things turned out. We wish you and Rosie all the best as she recovers. Poor thing to have the liver tumour on top of the OSA, but it sounds as though you are in the best possible vet hands.
You sure put a lot of thought into the decision. We hope the radiation treatment works great - it would be terrific if more dogs can go that route in the future.
Susan & Tazzie 2
3:26 pm
Team Tripawds
Administrators
25 September 2009
Offline
rosiesmom said:
I hope we made the right decision…
There are no wrong decisions here. Stick with the treatment plan you have decided is best for Rosie, never look back, and above all, have <a title="Without Regret: A Handbook for Owners of Canine Amputees" href="