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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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Holistic supplement recommendations for my Chiqui Bella, now rocking it as a Tripawd.
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8 August 2021
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25 August 2021 - 3:44 pm
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Hi everyone. I am new to this site. This has been a roller coaster month for us. During a mini two day vacation about a month ago, my boyfriend and I ended up at the animal hospital with our Chiqui Bella, an adopted pom mix. We took her as an emergency over what seemed to us like sudden excessive panting.   After an x ray to check her heart and lungs, the radiologist made an incidental finding of an aggressive lesion on her front leg limb. She had been doing really well overall so we would have never suspected that there was something going on as she gets regular check ups with her cardiologist and regular vet visits to manage her heart and arthritis. Our hearts sank when the doctor suggested that sooner than later we book an appointment with an oncologist and get her biopsied. We had some really difficult couple of days trying to wrap our head around this sudden news. But I can tell you that looking back at this experience, there have been angels all along our path. And our chiqui has been such a teacher of joy and of living in the present moment.

My dear college friend who is an amazing veterinarian in Boston prepared me for the idea that doctors might recommended amputation. Long story short, we were led to the "wrong" doctor who immediately told us during our appointment that she wasn't qualified to see Chiqui but that the surgeon happened to be there and that this would be the quickest way to get her seen as she was willing to look at her records in between appointments. I knew that for a fact as we had called all oncologists in the area and there were no available appointments for weeks. The surgeon immediately called me. She was an angel and confirmed other doctors' concerns. I knew in my heart and gut that I needed to go straight to amputation and not put her through the ordeal of getting a bone sample as it was clear her bone was in very bad shape. Chiqui went to surgery three days later. She is doing amazing and walking so fast on her three legs that we are humbled. She looks so happy. She started chemo today. She is doing great. Histopathology came back as osteosarcoma but there was no cancer in lymph nodes and no evidence of metastasis. We want to keep providing her with the best life possible and do all I can to support her through this process. I would love to know what supplements you might all recommend that might be helpful to her? I have always been very passionate about holistic and alternative therapies and nutrition and I want to keep supporting that in conjunction with the medical treatments. Thank you all! Here is a photo of her wearing her new tripawd harness and looking as cute as always. 

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25 August 2021 - 9:59 pm
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Hi and welcome! Your future posts won't need approval so post away!

I'm on my phone now so I'll have more thoughts tomorrow but meanwhile, do you have an integrative vet lined up who you can come up with a treatment plan? Something that will work along the chemo she is getting? It would be really good to consult with one so you can find the best supplements that will complement and not conflict with her therapy. I'll share some Tripawds Nutrition blog links tomorrow, stay tuned!

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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26 August 2021 - 8:50 am
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Thank you so much for your response Jerry. I look forward to reading some of the nutrition blogs and to learning more about other's journey. 

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26 August 2021 - 12:42 pm
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Hey there @chiquiluz! If you're still online I'm in the Tripawds Chat right now. Back in a sec with some feedback.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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26 August 2021 - 12:50 pm
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We want to keep providing her with the best life possible and do all I can to support her through this process. I would love to know what supplements you might all recommend that might be helpful to her? 

Ok so it sounds like she does have osteosarcoma, but no metastasis, which is great news under these circumstances! Now, here's my best recommendations: 

Before you buy any supplements, see about consulting with an AHVMA integrative veterinarian. It's really the best way to make sure you're getting your money's worth and putting her on effective therapies that won't conflict with her oncology treatments. Most oncologists like their patients to not start anything new until chemo is over (that way, if there are side effects, you'll know they are from the chemo and not from something else she's getting). So you have some time there, but start looking now since many of these practitioners are booked out weeks in advance.

Meanwhile, our Tripawds Nutrition blog has some articles about supplements during cancer treatment. Here are some links to check out.

Three Dog Cancer Diet Tips from Vets

Some Helpful Pet Cancer Care Supplements and Treats

Long Term Osteosarcoma Survivor Boone is Thriving on Three Legs

Best of Tripawds Nutrition Tips (So Far)

Also, consider picking up a copy of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide . This is an incredible book filled with tons of great input about supplements, and it's written by vets so it's legit and proven information. We really love that book, wish it was around when our Jerry was fighting osteosarcoma.

I hope this helps! Don't want to overwhelm you with too much info, so check this out and let us know what you decide to do next!

P.S.

Sorry your picture didn't show up. We would love to see her! This is how adding images to the Forums works.

  • Upload pics to a photo sharing site like imgur.com or your own Tripawds blog (https://tripawd...../supporter). Pictures and video have to be hosted (live) somewhere other than in the forums.
  • Once the photo is uploaded somewhere, right click and copy the Image URL or just copy the image if you’re on a phone
  • Return to your Tripawds Forum post and paste the image URL (or the image itself) in your post. It should automatically appear. 

If you’d like help figuring out the process let me know.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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