Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Spending all this time home with Jill during her recovery has given me a lot of down time to do internet research, and while there really isn't a lot out there about Osteosarcoma in cats, almost everything I read says amputation alone (without chemotherapy) is the recommended treatment if there are no signs of spread (which there are not, her lungs are clear).
My vet and vet oncologist have both recommended Jill get chemo once she is healed (in about four weeks). I usually trust whatever they tell me, as they are both very caring and really seem to have Jill's best interest in mind, but I'm just so confused by this information I'm finding on the internet. Is there any information you all can share with me? Maybe they suggest the chemo because we found clean margins the first time and a met developed?
To recap Jill's case until this point:
In June Jill developed a large ulcerous mass on the outside of her toe (she never limped or was in any pain I should mention) that wound up being giant cell osteosarcoma. We amputated her toe and they found very clean margins, so at that point the recommendation was to leave her alone and have her lungs checked every six months. Six months later I found a nodule under her skin in the same leg (again no limping or pain and the nodule is not on bone). Her lungs are clear and the X-ray of the bone of her leg looks great. After amputating her leg, the nodule was biopsied and turns out to also be giant cell osteosarcoma.
Thanks for any advice you can offer....I just want to do what is right for Jill.....
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Osteosarcomas are much less common in cats than dogs and metastasis is less frequent in cats, but it certainly does occur.
I would imagine that since Jill's tumor did already metastasize once that they are recommending chemotherapy.
Right hind limb amputated 7/3/12 for OSA, started on alternating cycles of Carboplatin and Doxorubicin and oral Palladia. Single lung met 9/1. Met in the neck muscle removed 9/30. Large mass in sublumbar lymph node 10/2. Rescue chemo with ifosfamide 10/6. Mets to the rib and axillary lymph node 10/21. Started Leukeran and Pred 10/25. Wookie left this Earth for a far better place on 12/4/12. I miss you, Boo, you were my heart.
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