Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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.