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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hi all - i have recently been diagnosed with osteosarcoma in my front left leg in the bone between the shoulder and elbow. i am 14, 55 pounds, and a boxer, terrier, ??? mix - i am in good shape for 14, but not as surefooted in our moutain climing days and i am not allowed on the steps anymore. mom is considering stereotactic radiosurgery. the gamma knife - the idea is that it kills the tumor and pain and is an alternative to amputation. mom is worried about me getting around ok at my age on 3 legs. do any of you have experiece with srs as an alternative to amputation. thanks for your help - casey
Cherry's dad here,
Cherry was slightly younger at 11 and slightly smaller weight at 45 pounds. However, for a pure bred Standard Poodle, 11 is definitely a senior citizen. My first two Standard Poodles essentially made it to 8, so one can see that Cherry is actually quite senior for her breed. Prior to the diagnosis, she was in very good health but as Casey did not go on the very long walks as before. The recovery from a left front-leg amputation was complicated by starting the chemotherapy treatments just hours after the amputation. The chemotherapy turned out to be much worse than the amputation and required my literally stuffing her for the first six weeks. However, the recovery from the amputation was much more rapid. Her recovery was extremely fast following the last chemotherapy treatment. In fact, the month of February was nothing short of great. OK - her movement is not quite as easy as before, but she definately gets where she wants. With the addition of the “Ruff-Ware” harness, she can get into and out of our 5th wheel trailer.
In all, the journey has been everything that I could have hoped. This is not to understate the difficulties we faced, and the literal roller-coaster emotional ride, but we chose this path for Cherry because we felt that it would give us the best chance for her to recover the quality of life and zeal for life that had defined her 11 years. We just passed the four month mark and are currently battling a bug, but our little girl has a fairly good life. She is really not slowed down by the occasional slips that result in a chin on the floor. Regardless of your choice of treatment, be sure to treat the spirit as well as the body.
Bob & Cherry
Is the surgeon using the gamma knife as part of a limb-spare surgery? This is where the tumor as well as an entire piece of bone is removed and then replaced with a bone graft. This is usually only recommended for tumors near the carpus (wrist) or tarsus (ankle). If you truly suspect that your dog has osteosarcoma then amputation is the only way to try to remove the entire tumor. The tumor travels through the bone so bone must be removed to try to stop it.
I know it is scary to think of your dog without a leg but the majority do well and the pain will be gone. My dog Tazzie is a Mastiff and had her RF leg removed 7 months ago and is still doing very well. She can't take long walks anymore but she can still run and play and is enjoying life.
Good luck with your decision,
Pam and Tazzie
We're not vets and can only speak from experience, but we are strong advocates for amputation as the best way to improve quality of life. It is th only way to completely remove the cancer tumor, and the pain. With radiation, it is still there, and you hope the procedure killed the cancerous cells.
Many senior dogs have done quite well. Search the blog for our movie of Sami, she is 14 or 15 years old and gets along quite well on three legs. The Ruff Wear harness is very handy for helping on stairs and in vehicles.
If you want the best quality of life for your pup, please consider amputation. But best wishes to you in whatever you do decide. This website is intended to document the progress of dogs undergoing different treatments, so we look forward to your decision and updates. Thanks for joining!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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