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Need to make a decision that gives my Labradoodle the best quality of life
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Member Since:
11 March 2018
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11 March 2018 - 11:23 am
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I'm going to apologize right now for the lengthy story, but I feel that all the details are needed to understand where I'm at!

My 3 1/2 year old labradoodle, Maggie, was literally the fastest dog I've ever seen.  I couldn't even bring her to dog parks, because other dog owners would get frustrated when they'd try to play fetch with their dog, and Maggie would beat their dog to the ball every time!  Long walks and swims were a "must" for her to be happy.  But her greatest joy came at our cabin, which is set in the middle of 100 acres of woods.  She roams and sniffs and races around "protecting" her territory and trying to get deer to understand that she really just wants to play.  We throw the ball endlessly, and her joy is boundless.  She's good about "sticking around" but has free range.  We come out often; Maggie knows where we are going when we ask if she wants to go to "The Happy Place".

Maggie was hit by a car last September.  We had been struggling with getting her to not chase cars at our cabin.  (There are very few, it is not a well-traveled road).  We didn't see the accident happen, but the vet believes a tire went over one of her front paws, shearing off the skin and injuring the tendons.  We got the external injury healed, and waited to see if the tendons would heal, too.  We were keeping her very quiet, no walks, no visits to The Happy Place.  I know she was wondering what she had done wrong.  Her leg started wankering off to one side, evidence that the tendons were not healing.  A surgeon said he could try to repair them, 40% chance of a good result.  He could also fuse the "wrist" joint, but our vet was concerned about that working because Maggie is so active, it was likely to "break".  We weren't convinced about either option, both expensive, so we opted to have a stabilizing orthotic made and to do physical therapy.  That went pretty well, but wearing the orthotic wasn't a long term solution.  We had another orthotic made, an articulating one (controlled flexing of the joint), and have continued to work with her.  The idea would be that she would always need to wear the orthotic when on walks and at the cabin.  But it's come off several times at the cabin, and she runs with such joy and abandon that once she even came back bloody from rubbing against the orthotic.

I share all of these details with you because I am thinking about her quality of life, and, frankly, ours.  Taking the brace on and off several times a day is no fun for any of us.  And every time we come back from any activity she has been doing more vigorously, she limps around when out of the orthotic.

I can't let her be in pain.  And I know her greatest joy is being outside, running and playing.  A friend thought we should consider amputation, which I pooh-poohed.  But now I'm re-thinking that choice, and wondering if that would actually be the very best thing for her.

Thank you for reading this novel.  I'm really struggling and would appreciate your perspective, since we are a little bit "different" in that we aren't facing cancer and have choices.

Argh......

Livermore, CA




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11 March 2018 - 12:31 pm
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Hello and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.

I hope you don't mind that I moved your post here to 'Beyond Cancer'.

A couple questions to clarify-

There has been no surgery done to correct the damage?  Are the vets and you convinced that the tendons in the leg will never heal? Have you tied physical therapy with Maggie?

We have had many pups here who have tried to rehab an injury, had multiple failed surgeries or had a chronic condition that made amputation the best choice. Of course we can't really give advice on whether or not amputation is the right thing for your Maggie (GREAT name!), but we can share our stories and experiences.

Dogs and cats can live long happy lives on three, but usually with some activity modifications.  My current Tripawd was hit by a car at 7 months and lost her right rear leg as a result.  Elly is now just over three and can do pretty much whatever a dog her size (15 lbs) and age can do.  I do limit long walks especially on hard surfaces, and we work on core strength and balance through games, puzzles and training.  We also do Nose Work which is a great low impact sport that challenges the mind and tires the body!

Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls

Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.

1999 to 2010

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

Member Since:
31 December 2017
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11 March 2018 - 7:52 pm
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Casey is an 11 year old Golden who lost his left arm 3 months ago to osteosarcoma.  He was a pretty active dog and we walked 15+ miles per week in our neighborhood.  We also have a steeplechase course nearby with probably 140 fenced acres and a pond (with geese and a swan to chase) for swimming.  His activity level, or at least the pace of his activity declined dramatically six months before his cancer diagnosis, and it will forever haunt me how I crabbed at him for being so slow the last time we walked our regular 2+ mile walk through the neighborhood, a walk we'd taken thousands of times.  I'm fairly certain that Casey will never make that walk again.

We have no regrets about taking Casey's arm.  He or the arm had to go, and we chose the arm.  He was in much less pain immediately after the surgery, and he's getting around quite well.  As I've posted elsewhere, he has his playful puppy back, and has taken to once again helping his younger brothers protect their 1.5 acre partially forested fescue farm.  These are all good things, and we are thrilled Casey is with us and adapting so well, but losing an arm has consequences.  One I'd never considered was that he doesn't have any brakes anymore; when he does tear off across the yard for some reason, it's very hard for him to stop, and he often just tumbles.  He's learning to decelerate slowly (darn these animals adapt well), but it's not the same.

We set a post-amp PR today walking perhaps 3/4 of a mile, but I know that's pushing it.  We are up and down hills continuously, and going downhill is especially hard for him.  Dogs carry up to two thirds of their body weight on their front legs, and with only one, it takes a pounding.  Casey developed a very effective hopping gait almost immediately, but that too takes a lot out of him and he tires quickly.  These issues are especially important in a young dog like yours.  You'll want her to get 10 or 12 more years out of that one arm, so you'll have to help her take care of it.

So, where am I going with this?  Well, I'd approach complete amputation carefully.  If she favors her injured leg, she is already strengthening (and stressing) her good leg, so its great that she's tried therapy.  I need to try that with Casey, but what I'm really wondering is whether, in your situation, limb sparing surgery is perhaps a better option.  Again, we needed to remove a cancer and were on a very tight budget.  Limb sparing surgery and prosthetics were not an option for us but if we could have saved Casey's leg, I believe his quality of life would be better now.

Best of luck.


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12 March 2018 - 10:46 am
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Thank you both for your questions and thoughts.

krun15 -- Correct, no surgery has been done as of yet, and the vets/surgeon agree that the tendons will not heal.  If we were to do a surgery, it would be a fusion.  Yes, we have had physical therapy, but in all honesty (and I hate to say it), we have not been as consistent as we should be with follow-up exercises because of, well, life's busy pace.

tlahaye -- I greatly appreciate your perspective.  This site is very positive about ultimate outcomes post amputation, as it should be and is, given the alternative for most people and their dogs on this site, but it is good to have a better understanding of the permanent limitations your dog has.  All that you say makes a lot of sense, and makes me hesitate to take such a drastic step.

This accident has definitely had financial consequences for our family (my husband calls her "The Billion Dollar Dog" because before the accident, we replaced all of our flooring last summer due to normal dog activity.  He grew up on a farm, where dogs were free and vet visits were few).  We've already paid about $3,500 in vet/therapy/orthotic bills, and while we don't begrudge it, we don't have limitless funds for lots of physical therapy sessions, etc.  The fusion surgery is $3,000, and our vet isn't confident it will hold up with such an active dog as Maggie.  Sigh.

Still thinking, but with a renewed commitment to working those physical therapy exercises...

Livermore, CA




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12 March 2018 - 1:16 pm
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we don't have limitless funds for lots of physical therapy sessions, etc.

Don't feel bad about factoring finances into your decisions!  We all wish we had limitless funds- but what I learned with my Maggie's cancer that all the money in the world wouldn't change the outcome.  I used to joke about figuring out how much per pound the pugs cost me with their various ailments...after awhile I didn't want to know big-grin

If the tendons won't heal then will doing the exercises more vigilantly even help the situation long term? 

When I was a kid we had a dog that jumped out a window while we were gone and fractured her wrist beyond repair so the joint was fused.  She was a small to medium sized mutt who could run like the wind when she was young- she could almost catch jack rabbits and she had no trouble climbing our 5 foot fence.  Anyway, by the time she broke her leg she was older and not as active, maybe 7 years old.  After the fusion surgery she could not bend her wrist but I don't remember it hampering her too much, but she was not as active as your Maggie.  I do think it bothered her as she got older- probably arthritis and aches from the plate and screws.

Karen and the Pug Girls

Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.

1999 to 2010

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

Member Since:
6 August 2016
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12 March 2018 - 9:19 pm
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Hi,

So I am going to weigh in on this and hopefully it is helpful....  My Sweet Ted had osteosarcoma in his front leg.  It was sudden and devastating - we were shocked at the discovery, at the diagnosis, and at the thought that he could break his leg at any moment.  He was about 8 years old when he was diagnosed.  Your situation is quite different than most of the people here.  Your pup, at 3 1/2 really has a lot of life left (based on what I've read here).  My Sweet Ted, at 8 years old, BOUNCED six days after we took his cancerous leg.  He jumped and twirled and ran and was just the same joyful boy that he was with 4 legs... for months.  Unfortunately the cancer caught up with him about 8 months after his diagnosis, and he lost his battle 🙁  We hoped for a miracle but we knew what the odds were when we entered into this journey.  That's not the situation you are in.  A three legged dog is definitely going get tired a little quicker, and may have issues with her remaining paws when compensating for the loss of the other.  So, Maggie's quality of life will probably be better if you amputate.  And, her "quality" of life will mean that she can't run around like a maniac like (I'm assuming) she did before....but she will still be able to run around like a maniac in a new and controlled way.  Your quality of life will change because you'll have to monitor her activity and protect her new "normal" way of life if you choose to amputate.  Finally, the amputation is a hard decision.  I was soooo very upset about having to make the decision... it was so hard.  But, it was the right decision for us. It wasn't easy emotionally, and it was really hard for about a week after bringing our sweet boy home.  I wouldn't have changed a single thing - like I said, he bounced and twirled and was so full of joy after we got rid of that painful leg, and that was just so beautiful for me, and for him. I wish you and your sweet Maggie the best.

Wanda 

Virginia







Member Since:
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12 March 2018 - 9:38 pm
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Some great input from everyone.

And yes, those of us who were here when Ted was on his three leg journey all remember how well he did so quickly!  He certainly was his joyous self...even moreso with the pain gone!  I love what Wanda said about Mzgg4ie still being able to run around like a maniac, but in a controlled way!

Going to find the link on Meg-A-Star,  wild and crazy gal who  just celebrated her two year ampuversary.  I think you'll find it quite inspiring! 🙂

Take your time, do your research, and know that we are here to answer and and every question you  have concerning amputation.

Lots pf hugs

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie 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!

Virginia







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12 March 2018 - 9:59 pm
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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!

Virginia







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22 February 2013
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12 March 2018 - 10:20 pm
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Darn...I'm having trouble getting some of the links on here, but there are great videos of Meg romping on the beach, digging the sand, etc.  I'll try later......

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!

London, UK


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13 March 2018 - 2:36 am
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Hi there, Kim and Maggie and welcome. I see you've received some great advice above. I'm Mum to Meg, the "wild and crazy gal" big-grin Sally mentions above, and who appears to be your Maggie's long lost twin.

Our situation was different, but with many similarities, and above all the determination to find a long term viable solution for a highly active dog which would give her the quality of life she deserved. Meg's problems were orthopaedic, and to cut a long story short she underwent multiple surgeries in an effort to save her right front leg because we had been told that amputation was not a viable option for her. And, to be clear, limb-sparing surgery is not for the faint-hearted. Meg spent a total of more than two months in hospital and endured, I think, nine separate surgeries. The cost in both financial and emotional terms was astronomical. When limb-sparing works, it can be fantastic, but outcomes such as ours are by no means unusual. There are manifold potential complications - infection being just one. It's important to consider how you would feel to go through all that and then lose the leg in any case.  

In the end, when all else failed, and after almost a year of not being able to do any of the things she most enjoyed (swim, run, play bally - you know the drill....), we went for amputation and her quality of life was transformed almost overnight. She is now two years post amp, swimming daily, chasing hares and thoroughly enjoying a top quality life on three. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course, but if I'd known then what I do now, I would certainly have gone for amputation earlier. Meg never used an orthotic, but even just with her bandaged elbow and Doggleggs, the challenge of keeping the whole thing clean and dry, and checking it wasn't rubbing etc etc. It was so much better just to be rid of the leg.

Because Meg is highly active, I think physio is particularly important (it is anyway, but all the more so in a highly active tripawd). Though an initial visit to a rehab vet would be helpful, after that it's largely stuff you can do at home, but I think you will have to find a way to ensure you incorporate core strength exercises into Maggie's routine, at least every couple of days. We  have a couple of wobble cushions and boxes to use as steps, and we have a basic routine that takes about twenty minutes, which we do every other day. Meg thoroughly enjoys it, and it's good for her brain as well as her body. Tiring her mentally is crucial because she cannot do the length of walks she did previously (about three hours a day), though she does still enjoy excellent daily walks (of about an hour and a half total - though I've recently bought a great off-road stroller, which means we can go for much longer walks and she can hop in when she fancies a rest). We do a lot of brain games and food puzzles, treasure hunts and that sort of thing. I don't play bally with her on land (and trust me, she really is ball obsessed!), because I think it places too much strain on her remaining front leg - the sudden explosive burst of running and, in particular, the sudden turn at the end, but what I do do is throw the ball on water for her to retrieve, so she does get, and thoroughly enjoy, her bally time. Meg also has acupuncture and laser about once a month to iron out any niggles in her spine caused by the tripawd gait (she has a long back and short legs, really quite a peculiar shape...). I'm not saying you would need to do this, just giving you a full picture of what works for us.

I cannot say whether amputation is the best option in Maggie's specific situation, but what I can say with absolute certainty is that a top quality life is eminently achievable even for a highly active dog on three. It does require some adjustments, but, for us at least, there is no question that life on three is infinitely better than struggling on with a bum leg on four.

Good luck with making your decision. Please keep posting and asking questions. We understand like nobody else, and we are all here to support you.

Meg, Clare and Angel Pie xxx

Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.

Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...

The Amazing Adventures of Ruby Tuesday 

My Life as a Megastar

London, UK


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13 March 2018 - 2:44 am
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I think this is the one you were looking for, Sally...

(there's a little 'archive footage' in the middle from when she was on four legs, but all the rest is on three, and you'll be hard pressed to spot the difference...)

Ruby, Staffy, born June 2022, became a Tripawd, 23 November 2023, adopted 12 January 2024.

Also Angel Tripawd Meg (aka The Megastar), who died in April 2023, aged 14, after seven glorious years on three, and Angel Staffies Pie and Bille. In the pawprints of giants...

The Amazing Adventures of Ruby Tuesday 

My Life as a Megastar

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13 March 2018 - 5:32 am
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You have rec. many great replies and much information.  Tough decisions ahead.  When Charlie was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, left front leg, I researched the heck  out of that disease, found this site in the process.  Had about 3 months until we decided to amputate.

Charlie was a big dog, around 86# and loved walks and man was he fast.  Anyway, post amp was tough for 2 weeks and another 2 weeks he was restricted but after that he didn't seem to notice that he was missing a leg.  Some things were harder, jumping up on the couch, he couldn't get into my truck anymore, a cargo van.  There is a partition behind the seats so he had to use the front door and there was not enough room for him to safetly get in and navigate around the seat but he could easily get into my wifes car, an impala, front or rear seats and go back and forth although I don't rec. that.  Neighbors were astounded at how fast he could get up and run to the gate and I could barely keep up with him, always on a leash for walks, if he decided to chase a squirrel or rabbit.  If he wasn't on a leash pulling me along he would prob. have been just as fast.  basement stairs were out but he could manage the steps from outside into the house, 1 step, 2 risers.

So, my point,  IF I had to make that decision again I would not hesitate to go for amputation.  Assuming there were no other issues.

We initially were referred to Blue Pearl but they wanted almost $4,000. to do the surgery.  With some legwork and research we found a well established vet with good references that did the surgery for $1,400.  which included all the follow up.

Good Luck

Livermore, CA




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13 March 2018 - 1:22 pm
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One other thought-

If you were to choose amputation and depending on how much of the leg could be saved Maggie might be a candidate for a prosthetic leg.

It takes time to get used to using it and might be pricey- I'm not sure.  Might not be an option but I wanted to throw it out there since you are in the decision making process.

Here are some blog posts on prosthetics.

Here is Snowball's story about her prosthetic leg.

Here is Macie Mae's blog, a rear amp who just got prosthetic. You could post on her blog or send a PM if you have questions.  Here is their fourm post.

Karen

Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.

1999 to 2010

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

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13 March 2018 - 9:45 pm
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Cora is my tripawd and her story is very different than your Maggie's in many ways. One thing she shares with Maggie is she loves to be outside. As long as the whether is reasonable (by the soggy standards of the North America's Pacific Northwest) she wants to be outside. Her yard is basically like a small stand of woods. Trees, downed trees, rocks, bushes and other obstacles. I think if Cora was born normal she would have been very active, she spends much more time awake than Floyd, my kelpie mix. She's the one being antsy right now, not Floyd.

Cora is a front limb tripawd, but here's where her story diverges from other pups. She had something horrible happen while she was in the womb or at birth. No one will ever know what because Cora, her litter mates and their mamma were all strays. They were picked up when Cora was about 14 weeks old. Cora's front leg was badly deformed. That alone would have been a challenge but Cora also apparently experienced significant brain damage. As a result she is completely blind. Her left side, with the two good legs, is weak. Her bite/jaw strength is also weak and she has some numbness around her muzzle. How she survived is beyond me, except she's the most pig-headed stubborn being I've ever met. Just eating was a challenge. When I got her at 3 months, she could barely walk at all and only went in circles. Her leg had just been amputated and the left her with a stump. 

In spite of all those obstacles, when I took her in she was learning new things, playful, full of attitude and loved to eat. Those first months were hard. Part of what made it so hard is the stump she was left with. A stump is reasonable in some circumstances, like you are considering a prosthetic, but it's a very sensitive part of the body. Cora was blind, a young, uncoordinated pup with weakness on one side. She fell a lot. Finally she fully split open the stump and it too was amputated. I had not wanted to put her through a second amputation so soon after the first but it was amazing. She began to flourish. Physically she started growing faster and her abilities began to leap ahead.

Cora is now 5 years old. As I said, she loves the yard. In spite of being blind and her other challenges, she's a good little traveler. She goes camping with me. If I go stay with friends she comes with me. She loves exploring new places. She occasionally goes to the dog park although it drives me insane. Ha. She's all nose and is perfectly content staying in the parking lot sniffing the trail of every dog that's come and gone. 

And money and hassle are serious concerns. Trying to put on orthotics constantly is possible but is a lot to do. And if you become tired and frustrated, that then impacts Maggie. I do have to help Cora more than a normal dog and it's become routine. Most of the time, it's just part of life for me. Most of the long term folks or any of my friends will tell you I'm a bit insane. When I'm busy or having a bad day it can feel like a lot. I have had to make decisions with Cora, where the "right thing" may not be the best thing. By rights I would have done a lot more PT with her when she was a young, but little miss spitfire didn't want to cooperate and the two of us fighting each other wasn't quality of life for either of us. So we muddled through. She's still doing well in spite of that (stubborn twit). Another thing to think about is, for how long will Maggie let you put orthotics on. What will you do if she decides she hates them. I've worked with a variety of pets with medical/disability needs and I've seen them do that; where they suddenly decide they don't like and won't cooperate with something they previously tolerated.

It's a tough choice and there's no magical right answer. Every situation is unique. I hope you and Maggie are soon on to easier times. And we'd love to see pictures. 🙂

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