Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi there-any vets advise would be greatly appreciated as my brain is frazzled & I cannot log into the ask a vet page as yet!
We had our beloveds front leg amputated on 4/12 as her bone fractured due to cancer. We met the specialist for Chemo options christmas eve & I have more decisions to make..
The results returned negative for Osterix but the vet is concerned that this is a lytic osterix negative osteosarcoma (what's this mean?) & therefore wishes to treat Sandy with Carboplatin (4 doses over 3 weeks) & potentially targeted therapy.
They also mentioned Metronomic chemo but said there would be issues with our Health & Safety having her treated with this.
I am so confused so have asked some questions via email to my vet to have it written to refer back to, to try & make greater sense of it all.
I understood that she perhaps may need Chemo with amputation if this was an aggressive type but both tests have returned inconclusive which I am so frustrated about!! Been a waste of Money too as not provide the answers required to understand IF Sandy needs Chemo or not but with the vets feelings about the bone having been broken by the Cancer, they said they would treat her with both suggested above. BUT I was not expecting to have another type alongside given also which is an additional heavy cost.
what your experience with either treatment plans or know anything about the benefits of both offered to just chemo?? I need to ensure that IF we chose both that it will be money well spent to make a difference for Sandy. Plus if we chose to only do chemo alone, if this will give her the same fighting chance or if we'll be cheating her.
I am also concerned about pumping her poor body with Chemo with possible side effects alone let alone another drug with possible side effects on top also.
I don’t want to not give Sandy a full fighting chance by not following through with what is required to offer her quality for longer than a few months if we don’t.
HELP!!!! Brain scrambled!
Thanks
Hello ! My Golden Retriever boy (Johnnie Walker) was diagnosed with a lytic osteosarcoma and we had his front leg amputated. He was treated with 6 rounds of carboplatin, which was the recommended classical treatment. Besides this, he has been taking K-9 Immunity Plus, and once the chemo ended, we introduced Apocaps .
K-9 Immunity was very important to keep his white blood count in order during chemo.
It's been 7 months since his amputation (May 20, 2014) and he's doing fine up to now. Last year, at this same time, this dog was limping and in pain. One year later, he is a dog enjoying life on three legs, and we are very grateful for this extra quality time we have had with him.
There are plenty of posts on chemo treatments here at Tripawds, and you will see that the general advice is: try it, and if your dog doesn't do well, you can always interrupt treatment. Differently from human treatments, canine chemos can be stopped at any moment, and they are given lower dosages than humans so the side-effects are not as strong.
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 Daniella & Johnnie,
thank for your post. It's great to hear that he has done so well. My dilema is do I try chemo only or go for this target therapy too alongside which attacks regrowth but that's soooo expensive in total.
Did Johnnie have any side effects known with chemo?
Thanks,
Dawn
Just to clarify while you're waiting for more responses......the amputation was in April, correct? Have chest xrays been done since then? Is Sandy currently sympton free of "anything"? Why does the vet feel chemo would be beneficial now if amp. was done in April? Don't know if these questions even make any sense or if you have ananswers...just curious.
Usually Carboplatin is given once every three weeks with blood work done in between. And as far as metronomics be j ng "harmful to humans".....the only requirement is to jandle the pills with gloves...and that's a requirement of nurses for n humans too. I'm not really sure what other hazards he was referencing.
And o ne more thought, many, many here go a holistic route for a variety of reasons. Finances certainly play heavily in the decision process and you must consider the hardshils it may potentially cause. Sandy would not want that!
I really look forward to seeing Dr. Pam's response.
Sending you a whole lot of love and clarity!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Dawnie you're right, this is so confusing and a lot to think about.
Carboplatin is the standard for osteosarcoma so yes, that's normal protocol. Not sure what you mean by 'Osterix' or 'targeted therapy' though so I can't speak to those.
Whatever you choose, just keep her quality of life in mind and you can't go wrong. Chemo isn't a requirement and it's a very personal choice. What works for one pack may not work for other. And when it comes down to it, even chemo can't guarantee longevity. It's all a big crap shoot and no one can tell you that it will work for sure. Yes, statistically speaking it does give dogs a shot at longevity but we've seen many dogs not live up to those hopes even after doing chemo, sad to say. All you can do is make the one choice that speaks loudly from your heat, and you and Sandy can have many great days ahead knowing that you're living up to hear idea of what makes a great life.
Keep asking as many questions as you want to your vet, that's why you pay them. We also have these "Questions to Ask Your Oncologist," And if you'd like to share your other questions in "Ask a Vet" I'm sure that Dr. Wiltzius would be happy to answer as best she can.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Jerry-the ask a vet page won't load once I click on the link ask a vet online or do you mean to post elsewhere for the vet to add answers??
Sally, Sandys amp was done beginning of Dec 2014. We have been delayed in discussing options for chemo etc as were awaiting her results for what type of cancer it was (aggressive or non) to confirm treatment after amp. These returned inconclusive so we sent them to have dye ran through which were also returned inconclusive.
Without chemo I could possibly be looking at 3-6 months statistically but with it could be a year plus so I feel I owe her that at least. I just wish these results were giving me the answers we need!!
The vet knowing the damage to cause bone fractures is usually the aggressive type hence wanting to treat with chemo and targeted which kills the regrowth / spread whilst the chemo slows the progress of the cancer.
I'm struggling as I need to be 100% sure on what to do for Sandy but with results not giving me the answers I need to be 100% sure, I feel that chemo alone may be the way forwards for sandy.
Altho when I read up on targeted therapy it makes me want to fight every possibility at all angles for Sandy to have the 100% chance possible - but this IS expensive to do both & without conclusive results I wonder if it is necessary therefore doing chemo alone.
They can run tests to see if targeted therapy is required but that's another cost and I wouldn't want to pay that if we are not choosing to have targeted treatment. Plus with the other two tests being inconclusive I ask myself if these will show that too, wasting more money and time.
Sandy goes in Monday and I just want to scream!!! I need a vets advise as mine is not back in Until Monday now and I can't log into the site ask a vet now online. 
Dawnie- I know how frustrating it can be. Sandy appears to be doing well. There are never ending tests that can be completed. That is up to you to decide. We all know that our fur babies are not born with a date stamped on them. Base your ongoing treatment on your gut. There is no right or wrong answer. Investigate all of the treatments. Be willing to set the ground rules with your vet as to what testing you are willing to do. I personally went with chest xray and spleen/liver ultrasound. Non invasive, no sedation needed, and any glaring metastasis would be noted. Try to relax and take it one day at a time. Use us to lean on.
Hi Dawnie,
Here is a website for ask a vet, looks like the same one, perhaps the link here is old.
http://www.just.....terinary-2
Hope you find some answers that will help you before Monday. Sandy is lovely, what a great smile. 
Kerren
Hello,
It sounds like your vet did a bone biopsy which came back inconclusive. This can be frustrating! I would agree with your vet that it is most likely OSA since a benign process would not cause a spontaneous fracture and OSA is by far the most common bone cancer. I would pursue the carboplatin if you can afford it since it seems to statistically improve survival times in most dogs. I would also start some sort of holistic support including a good diet, mushroom therapy, and fish oil.
I think that the targeted therapy your vet is considering is Palladia. That is very pricey and can have some major side effects. Some vets use it in addition to metronomic chemo. Both the Palladia and metronomics are usually started after the carboplatin is finished so you have some time to decide. In general I think that dogs handle the metronomic chemo well but the Palladia is not for everyone.
Pam
Thanks for all your support everyone...much needed again with this decision. 
Targeted therapy is where they test tissues to see where the cells are to target then direct. The vet hasn't named the exact med used. This link is what I have read:
http://www.petc.....erapy.html
Any insight into that Pam?
Good diet - what would you include in this...not much info in UK on this that I have found with scientific proof behind that our vet can support.
fish oils is within her tin food but I have to hand feed her this to get her interested.
Chicken/Turkey, chicken stock/tarragon she loves...veg she won't eat ( I even mash it & paste it over her meat & eats round it cheeky pooch)
Dawnie!!! First of all, at the risk of thinking that I'm whackier than I am, I knew Sandys amputation was just recent k y, but somehow when I say your post about it be i ng 4/12...meaning the fourth of December....well....let's just out it this way.....my brain became even more scrambled than usual! I couldn't wrap my head around why the vet was waiting so long to do chemo! CRAAAAAZY.! This j i urney drives us all crazy!!
And to top it all off.....you ARE under the Ask A Vet thread that Jerry referred to!!!!!
Okay, now to the response you got from our favorite vet in the world!!! She really seemed to clarify it and suggested a really good plan! If it is Palladia that your vet is referring to, many dogs here do seem to have pretty severe side effects...and some...not all...discontinue treatment because it just is too hard on their dogs. So do your research here sbout it...you have plenty of time, okay?
I'll try and be a bit more focused when I respond to you next time! Still can't believe I made reference to Sandy's amputation being in April...but I did!
I hope Dr. Pam's advice brought you clarity and more conficenece should you proceed with Carboplatin. The follow up treatment, if any, can be determined later. You also have time now to check j nto holistic routes. Dr. Charles Loops is on people use here a lot...I believe still based out of N.C.
Holding n you in our thoughts and se ding positive energy your way!!
(((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Dawnie said
Targeted therapy is where they test tissues to see where the cells are to target then direct. The vet hasn't named the exact med used. This link is what I have read:
Yes, your vet is likely referring to Palladia.
When it comes to fighting cancer with nutrition, if this is something you want to pursue, it pays to have a vet who is open to this type of holistic treatment path (they are definitely out there), to help guide you on diet and supplements as well as traditional therapies like carboplatin. There are also western-minded vets who don't support the idea of holistic care because there is no "hard evidence" that it works. You'll need to decide which type of vet you want to work with. Finding the right one for your needs will definitely save your sanity.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
In general a high protein/ low carb approach is best for cancer, unless you dog has any pre-existing liver or kidney problems. I have had good luck with EVO, Orijen, and Taste of the Wild but there are many others. You want real meat to be the first ingredient and preferably no by-products. I would aim for a protein of at least 40 to 45 %.
I am not against raw feeding if it is balanced but there is a chance that this is not ideal for dogs undergoing chemo since there will be some immunosuppression with carboplatin and other drugs so any bacteria in raw meat could cause diarrhea or GI upset.
Pam
I have been feeding my dogs the home cooked anti cancer diet developed by canine oncologist Dr. Greg Ogilvie. It was tested on Goldens with lymphoma and became the basis for Hill Science diet cancer formulation.
Anyhow it is ground sirloin, beef liver, cooked brown rice, veg oil, fish oil, bone meal and calcium carbonate. I make a huge batch once a month and freeze individual serving portions. Low carb moderate fat and protein.
Mary
Thank you for your helpful advise...I am desperate to make Sandy better as far possible.
I collected Sandy this eve after her first chemo session and she ran out to greet me tail wagging! This was such a delight to see as my expectations were that she would be drowsy...I don't know why as she wasn't sedated for it as is such a good brave girl.
All day I have been worrying and trying to keep myself busy (I ironed...I mean I NEVER want to iron but today it was a pleasure!) Sandy teaches me how to be brave EVERY time. I do need to Be More Dog ...I need to be more Sandy!!!
it was so nice to see Sandy walk in without me having to lead her when I droped her off this morning and to then hear through the closed door, the nurses say hello to Sandy as they remembered her and sounded excited to see her. They also are excited at how well she is doing as often comment when they see us or have cared for her. This meant a great deal to me as I felt comforted that Sandy would be okay without me.
My oncologist and I have decided to go ahead with the chemo alone so as we can make this as successful as possible with money aside should we encounter any issues which we pray doesn't happen! They have also advised to continue with her previcox as say that this is a good cancer assistance med alongside treatment with no adverse side effects for long term treatment due to the anti inflammatory within it.
So currently Sandy is snoozy - not been interested in her chicken and rice as of yet but will try again shortly. I pray that we can sail through this treatment as Sandy deserves that as well as many more years of happiness together.
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