Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello everyone, I wanted to give an update on my 11 year old Golden who had her front leg amputated on 1/5/2018 from a complete fracture due to osteosarcoma. She is 7 months post amputation and 20 months post diagnosis of nasal osteosarcoma. She is doing great. I have her on a lot of holistic supplements and I would be more than happy to share her regimen if anyone is interested. As a nurse and a former vet tech I have spent hours and hours researching everything she is on. Her nasal cancer was treated with six doses of radiation and seems to be stable. She still has good air flow from one nostril and is able to sleep at night comfortably. The vet said that the nasal cancer wont kill her directly but either she will become so obstructed that she cant breathe at night (dogs dont sleep with their mouth open usually) or it will spend to her brain and she cluld have seizures or stroke symptoms. So far so good. I would love to bet another Cat Scan to see how her nasal cancer is doing but it will not change anything and I dont want to put her under anesthesia just for my curiosity. Her amputation has healed up well and her fur grew back. Sometimes when she is laying down I forget that shes missing a leg. She is getting around ok. She gets fatigued easy and sometimes i have to give her a little shove to get her all the way up the ramp at night. Shes basically a couch potato (what old Golden isnt, right? Haha) so her quality of life hasnt changed much since amputation. She doesnt take any pain meds and doesnt seem to be in pain. She takes Gabapentin once a day. I do have a question about her shoulder. She had a leg only amputation. They left her shoulder blade. Her surgery was a therapeutic amputation since her leg was completely broken at the top of the humerus not a amputation to cute her cancer. The vet discussed leaving her shoulder blade even tho it may have cancer in it and I agreed to leave it. It would have been a bigger more traumatic surgery to remove the shoulder blade. My question is .... it seems like her shoulder blade is shifting. I attribute this to muscle atrophy and it does not seem painful but I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this. She still lays on that side but she did that immediately post op. I kept turning her over and she kept rolling back to lay on her incision. The other thing I have been trying to do is get her weight down a little. She isnt obese but since her activity has decreased she has gotten a little chunky. She only eats one cup twice a day but i have cut her down to 3/4 cup twice a day. She takes approximately 15 pills with each meal so I feel bad if its all pills and little food in the bowl. She already eats grain free dry food but any suggestions to bet some weight off her? I am going to see a Rehab consultant to get some ideas about tripawd friendly exercises. I am also looking into getting a stroller so I can walk her but give her a rest when she needs it. The exercise would do me good as well.
As a side note, I am adopting a 8 month old tripawd pit/lab mix puppy. She is a front amputation from a traumatic break that healed and could not be fixed. I have a 9 year old pit mix and he needs a playmate. My Golden doesnt play with him anymore and he has started acting out from boredom. I wanted to adopt a special needs dog since i have the background and knowledge to do it. When I saw that this girl was a front amputation it felt like it was meant to be. I already have the ramps and house set up for my Golden and i have already gone thru the learning curve. She is coming from GA and will have to be placed in foster care for two weeks just to make sure she didnt catch kennel cough or anything respiratory during transport. A respiratory illness could be deadly for my Golden so I am airing on the cautious side.
I know i havent posted very much. I try to just live our normal lives and “be a dog. If i think too much about her circumstances or read too many posts i break down and end up sobbing on the floor huggin her. But the support i got when she was diagnosed and had her surgery will stay with me forever and uou guys got me theu one of the darkest times of my life (i am crying as i type) so thank you!
Posting here isn't important (although we love hearing great updates like these). What IS important is EXACTLY what you are doing.....spending time with beautiful Abby loving and apoiling her and Being More Dog!! You are doing an excellent job making every moment count and giving your Abby your full attention!!
You are such a Saint! I love that you are adopting a Pitte-mix who happens ro be a tripawd!! Love this!! I kmow your other Pittie will enjoy having a playmate.....and Abby will enjoy watching them from her cushy sofa!😁
Don't have any input on the shoilder blade scenario. Others will perhaps chime in. It clearly isn't bothering her rhough, so that's good.
I kmow some people feed their dogs green beans as a snack to sort of give them a feeling of not being starved while on this "diet"..
And yes, when you have time, we would be really interested in uour holistic regimen! Soooo many members want to go that route. So thanks, that would be very helpful.
HAPPY SEVEN MONTH AMPUVERSARY ABBY!! YOU ARE SICH A SUCH A ROCKSTAR!!😁😁
AND, you are going on close to two years keeping that nasal tumor at bay! WOW!!!!! ABBY, YOU ARE A WARRIOR WOMAN!!😎 You are such an inspiration for anyone on this journey. You're showing everyone what's possible! Keep on keeping on sweet girl!!
Can't wait to see pictures of your newest edition. You and your pack sure did hit the Puppy Lottery when you found your hooman and her loving home!!
Hope you got ice cream and cake for your SEVEN MONTH AMPUVERSARY!!! Low cal of course!
Lots of 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!
Here is the list of what Abby takes everyday. Feel free to copy and post it somewhere else if it doesnt belong here. I get most of her supplements from Swanson Vitamins. They are all human grade. The Stasis Breaker and Wei Qi Booster I get from my Holistic Vet but you can order them online. They are cheaper from my vet. The San Shedan I get online. San Shedan has been shown to delay and fight lung mets. It is a liquid that I just pour on her food. I am lucky that Abby has no problem taking pills. I just toss them in with her dry kibble and she eats them. I started out slow with just a few supplements and then added as tolerated. She has had no negative side effects from them. There is no definitive way to know if they are working but she has survived 20 months post Nasal Osteosarcoma diagnosis and 7 months post amputation for front leg Osteosarcoma. Her leg tumor was not sent to a lab for a definitive diagnosis but the vet believes it is some type of Sarcoma and since it was in the Humerus she is pretty sure it was Osteosarcoma. The vet does not think that it spread from her nasal cancer. Unfortunately Abby is just unlucky and ended up with two cancers. I may have gone a little overboard with her supplements but since she is tolerating them I will continue them. She is going to get bloodwork done this month just to check her liver and kidneys but she is doing great. She is “Living with Cancer” not dying from it. I am a Nurse and a former Vet Tech and I have a Bachelors degree in Biology so I have extensively researched Osteosarcoma and Holistic treatments. I would love to help anyone who has questions about where to start or what to give. Abby is a 65 pound Golden so that gives you an idea if you need to adjust dosages based on your dogs size.
Abby Cancer Regimen
Mornings - Immune Boosters and Support -
1 Stasis Breaker
2 Wei Qi Booster
1 Gabapentin 300mg
1 Boswellia and Curcumin
1 Cinnamon
1 Oregon Grape Root
1 Goji Berry (Wolfberry)
1 Vitamin D3
1 Korean Red Ginseng
1 Licorice Root
1 NAC N-Acetyl-Cysteine
1 Vitamin E
1 Curcumin and Coconut Oil
1 Sulforaphane
1 Vitamin A
1 Soil Based Organisms Probiotics
1 CoQ10
2 Vitamin C 1000mg with Rose Hips
2 Essiac 398mg
1 Arginine AKG
1 Real AKG
1 L-Glutathione
1 Elderberry Echinacea Goldenseal Immune Complex
1 Quercetin and Bromelain
1 Whole Foods Multivitamin and Minerals without Iron
1 Benadryl 50mg
Evenings - Cancer Fighters -
1 Ginger Root
1 Liquid Calcium and Magnesium
1 Astragalus Root
1 Garlic Cloves
1 Evening Primrose Oil
1 Ashwagandha
1 Triphala
1 BetaRight Beta Glucans
1 Resveratrol 100
1 Colostrum
1 Triple Strength Melatonin
1 Coco Hemp Coconut and Hemp Seed Oil
1 Plant Sterols
1 Apple Cider Vinegar 625mg
1 Super EPA and DHA
2 14 Mushroom Complex
2 Wormwood 425mg
1 MultiOmega 3-6-9
1 Milk Thistle
1 IP-6 Inositol
2 Cats Claw 500mg
1 L-Arginine
2 Stasis Breaker
1 Wei Qi Booster
1 Butyrex Butyrate Complex
1 Benadryl 50mg
1 Fritillary Bulb Extract Liquid (San Shedan Chuanbei Ye Syrup)
Well hoppy ampuversary to you and Abby! What a great update. It's always nice to find out how members are doing, and we do appreciate your sharing such great details about her regimen. If she's tolerating everything, that's fantastic. We hope with all our hearts that she has a long, healthy, hoppy life ahead!
To answer your questions:
The vet discussed leaving her shoulder blade even tho it may have cancer in it and I agreed to leave it. It would have been a bigger more traumatic surgery to remove the shoulder blade. My question is .... it seems like her shoulder blade is shifting. I attribute this to muscle atrophy and it does not seem painful but I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this.
To be honest most of our front leg amputee members have the scapula removed when cancer is involved, including our Jerry, so I can't recall seeing anyone post about this. However it would make sense that it's atrophy. Does she cry our or flinch when you palpate it?
I am adopting a 8 month old tripawd pit/lab mix puppy.
Fantastic! I think booking a visit with a canine rehab therapist for both Abby and the puppy would do a ton of good for both dogs, and your continuing education as well. A young Tripawd has challenges different from an older one, so it would be good to have the pup assessed by an expert.
any suggestions to bet some weight off her?
Absolutely! Check out all our posts about Tripawd Weight Loss in our Nutrition blog .
I hope this helps! Keep us posted and be sure to introduce the new doggie when she joins your pack. Congrats on all the great news!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Jerry. I watched your “Be More Dog ” presentation last night. I loved it! I really try to have abby “Be More Dog ”everyday. I try to remember she is living with cancer not dying from it. I really struggled with when is the right time to bring in another dog. I think my pitmix is lonely. When i saw a pit/lab tripod for adoption i felt like it was just meant to be.
Abby does not act like her shoulder blade hurts. The vet said that usually for cancer they take the limb and the shoulder blade but abbys surgery was a pallative surgery. Her leg was completely fractured so it was amputate the leg or put her down. She told me she wanted to fight and she has been fighting everyday since. I have never regretted my decision. The vet said it would be a bigger and more traumatic surgery to take the shoulder blade and since she already had nasal Osteosarcoma he didnt think it would really buy her more time. Well no one has ever told abby that she has cancer. She is defying the odds one day at a time. She lays on the shoulder blade so it must not hurt but it has definitely moved.
I did not even think about taking the new tripawd puppy for a rehab consult. She is still in GA and i wont get her for a few weeks but i will definitely take her. I know she will face different challenges as a lifetime tripawd.
Again thanks for all your support and input!
Wow thank you so much for tuning in to our presentation, we sure hope it helps you follow Abby's lead. Seems like you are doing a great job so far, and we are thrilled! 
Please share some photos (here are instructions for adding images
), as we would love to see her pretty face.
Keep us posted on the new puppy too. Congrats on all the goodness in your life right now!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Cora is a front leg amp with her scapula. I'm trying to think if I noticed it shifting. Her amp was so long ago. I don't think so, but then that's not really a fair comparison because she never could use that leg so the muscles were already fairly atrophied. It's not as defined as her other shoulder. She does move the amputated shoulder though, so don't be surprised if you see that.
And yay for adopting a special pup. I always love to hear that.
Topher
Vet Assistant (in school to be a licensed vet technician)
1.5 years Oncology department, moved to rehab & sportsmed December 2024
Tripawd Angel, Cora the Determined <3
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