Join the forum discussion on this topic!In our ongoing pursuit of sharing inspawrational tales of Tripawds of all ages who have bounced back from amputation surgery, here is the story of Stas in Milwaukee.
Stas is a senior boy who celebrated his one year ampuversary on October 28th, after becoming a Tripawd because of cancer. This amazing senior pup is still as hoppy and active as ever, digging holes and keeping tabs on his pack.
His Mom Christina shares his Trumphant Tail with us:
What kind of cancer does he have?
Nerve sheath cancer in front leg.
When was he diagnosed?
Sept 15, 2009. Amputation on October 28, 2009 Whole leg at shoulder.
At what age?
Unknown. We guess him to be between 9 and 11 at the time of amputation.
What kind of chemo did he have?
None
Have lung mets been discovered?
None so far! He got a clean bill of health at his last check up.
What treatments has she had since chemo?
N/A
Describe his Diet
Chicken Dinner! Stas loves his Chicken Dinner. I cook a mixture of chicken thighs, carrots, kale with rice. (deboned of course.) He knows exactly what time dinner is every day.
Sometimes he gets his favorite treat from Papa: Kishka. (Stas is a nice Polish dog!) We do leave a bowl of dry food out for him for snacking throughout the day. (Pedigree.)
What are the three things you feel has contributed to his longevity?
We work to make his quality of life as pleasant and rewarding for him with lots of excursions to his favorite places. We also make sure he gets lots of exercise, adjusted for his capabilities. He has his little “sister” who keeps him grounded. She doesn’t know he’s a three-legged dog; she teases, wrestles and nips him. And he her!
What advice would you give to someone facing a cancer diagnosis?
Go to tripawds.com! The advice and support we received made all the difference for us. That we felt supported and educated, we were able to support Stas.
If you would like to submit your Triumphant Tripawd’s story, contact us today and answer the questions above. We can’t wait to read your tails!
What a great interview. Thanks for sharing this 🙂 I’m delighted for Stas (what a handsome boy!) and his family.
That’s great that Stas is doing so well! 🙂 Rogue did great with losing his leg, loves to chase the ball and play. They removed the entire shoulder, however there is a large, growing tumor bump in its place.
Sadly, everyone we consulted felt that the location of Rogue’s tumor made it extremely high risk to attempt surgery, as it likely had invaded the chest wall, and from what the vet saw who did the amputation the tumor was very complicated and wrapped up in vessels and likely to grow back quickly in the rare case he even survived surgery.
We are 3 months post-amputation, and he is starting to have issues… the bump is getting bigger, he is very skinny, he is having tummy problems, and he threw his hip out the other day when he was running so is now limping. But he seemed pretty happy overall until he hurt his hip. Back to the vet on Monday to see if they can help him. Wish us luck! Sadly, these tumors have very poor prognoses, but we are hoping to keep Rogue happy and comfortable for as long as we can.
Stas sends big licks to Rogue! Our first step was to have the surgeon try to remove the tumor. We had low expectation for success on just removal. The growth was very large at the “elbow”. It grew very fast. In fact he was at the vet in September because he was feeling barfy: No growth. Within three weeks that tumor grew to a very large size. The fast growth was another cause for great concern. We knew that we needed to take immediate action.
So they tried to remove the tumor; in doing so they discovered that the tumor had infiltrated his muscles. And because of the location, we were concerned that cancerous cells would be left behind regardless how much tumor is removed.
Pathology confirmed within 48 hours the virulence of the tumor. We scheduled surgery immediately. They removed the leg from the shoulder joint. Recovery was slow. Stas had a hard time with the meds. I was lucky enough to take 3 weeks of work to care for him.
When he had his 3 month check up, the vet did blood tests to check for any cancer cells. Clean. 6 months. Clean. And at his nearly a year check last month: Clean.
It may seem extreme to take the whole leg for a lower leg tumor. But Stas is still cancer free. Plus, we did not have to put him through Chemo and/or Radiation.
For anyone in this position, I would reassure you that taking the leg WILL save the dog. Stas is still himself. A little crabbier, but still himself. My husband describes him as “the Gary Cooper of dogs”. And he is!
He loves to run in open fields and woodlands. He loves to dig for voles. What has changed is his lack of stamina. He can’t do 3 mile walks anymore; but loves a full 15 to 20 minutes running and digging in the dog park. He likes to go for car rides because they result in something exciting for him.
Not to be gross, but since the surgery, his tummy is a bit more sensitive. I do feed him his Chicken Dinner and some treats, but he is prone to looser bowel movements. The vet says no worries. It can be a bit of a mess as sometimes he has accidents. He has developed some fears; he never liked the rain, but now- forget it! He hates to go out to have a pee if there is a drip of rain. I think it’s his own confidence level…he just doesn’t feel as stable in the rain. He loves the snow though.
If you have hardwood floors, I would definitely invest in rugs. You don’t need wall to wall carpeting, but some nice floor rugs help the tripawds get more stability in the house.
Please feel free to ask me anything anytime. Good luck!
Christina and Stas
Was the tumor removed with the leg? Our Rogue has a nerve sheath tumor they discovered in his shoulder when they amputated his lame leg. Unfortunately, the tumor couldn’t be removed. Just looking for others who are facing the same issues. Thanks.
Rogue’s Mom. Yes, the tumor was removed. We’ve asked Stas’ Mom to come here and comment, stay tuned OK? Give our love to Rogue.