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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jerry said:
Yipee! Mia is doing GREAT! Congratulations.
So the auborn docs recommended the Rapamune? What else can you tell us about it? Is it being given instead of chemo?
hello jerry
it's also known as Rapamycin. basically it was prescribed when she was receiving her first chemo treatments, so it was in conjunction with her chemo. however, even after they decided to stop her chemo after her 2nd chemo treatment, until after the amuptation, she was still on it, and was even given to Mia the night after her surgery. from what i could dechiper when she was first put on Rapamune/Rapamycin, it was used in conjunction with chemo to help the chemo treatments better attack the cancer cells. It worked as an immune suppressor, lowering her immunity, so that the chemo could attack harder. The drug is mainly used for humans and organ transplants, to help the body not resist the new donor organ (this is my interpretation of research online) However, when we asked the doctor should we discontinue the meds, when they discontinued the chemo prior to surgery, they said keep her on it, because it was working like a light dose of chemo.
basically, Mia had already had 2 doses of chemo before her amputation, because at the time she showed no signs of pain, and the chemo was because they had already removed 1 1/2inch of her ulna bone, and we decided to do the chemo. After her 2nd chemo treatment, and after her visit at the clinic, the pain and swelling started in the leg, so this is when we decided on full amputation.
i hope this helps.
Hey, thanks so much for the clarification. I found information about it for human use, but nothing for dogs. Do you have any links to information on its usage for animals?
Pretty interesting stuff. I'd love to start a separate thread about it if you have any online resources we can point people to. Thanks so much!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
jerry said:
Hey, thanks so much for the clarification. I found information about it for human use, but nothing for dogs. Do you have any links to information on its usage for animals?
Pretty interesting stuff. I'd love to start a separate thread about it if you have any online resources we can point people to. Thanks so much!
hello jerry,
i don't have any links regarding animal usage, but i will look around. i will also ask the doctor next friday to provide more information about it. when the doc told us about it, he said it was expensive, and wasn't pushing it on us, like we had to get it. i think because of the cost. we paid about 195.00 for 18 pills. the student that was assigned to mia at the time the doc prescribed the Rapamycin, never heard of it, and had to research it herself. i'll try to get some more info, and post it.
jerry said:
Hey, thanks so much for the clarification. I found information about it for human use, but nothing for dogs. Do you have any links to information on its usage for animals?
Pretty interesting stuff. I'd love to start a separate thread about it if you have any online resources we can point people to. Thanks so much!
02-13-2009, Mia had her first post-op chemo treatment. (she's actually had a total of 3 now, 2 prior to leg amputation). She's doing pretty good, laying around most of the day, but still has an appetite, and goes out to potty.
Here is some more information on the Rapamycin/Rapamune she's on. (I asked the doc to explain a little more about it on Mia's discharge paper on 02-13-09).
"Rapamycin is a immunosupperssive drug that targets a specific cell signaling pathway. The target of rapamycin is mTOR (Molecular target of rapamycin). Rapamycin has been used in human medicine for various tumor types including carcinomas, sarcomas, and lymphoma. Rapamycin is a new drug used in veterinary medicine and we have serveral patients who are receiving it concurrently for ostersarcoma treatment. This drug is used at a biologically effective does sometimes called "metronomic chemotherapy ", which usually results in few or no side effects. It is our hope that Mia will benefit from the combination of Carboplatin and Rapamycin"
Right on, Mia! So good to hear you're taking the treatments so well. Do you have many more to do?
Thanks so much for the information about Rapamycin/Rapamune, we really appreciate your pawrents taking the time to get this information. The next time someone asks about it here on Tripawds, we'll have something to point them to.
Keep on keepin' on sista! We love you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
02-21-2009, Mia has been off of all pain meds for about a week. She's pretty much her same old self. Getting around pretty good. She went in today at our regular home town vet for blood work, and everything was in range, pretty much. nothing too high or too low.
Her incision is healing good. she did a little scratching, but we put a shirt on her, and it seemed to work, and prevent her from opening up anything.
Overall, she's probably a 8 on a scale of 1 - 10.
mlowell said:
She's pretty much her same old self.
Its great to hear all is as well as can be expected for Mia. Thanks for the update!
Be sure to click "Post Reply" instead of "quote" unless you want to excerpt something someone else said in the thread.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
03-01-2009, We got snow today in Columbus GA. We get snow every once in awhile. It's been awhile.
Took Mia outside to play in it a little. Check out the video at http://www.miat.....itbull.com. She loved the snow.
Looks like Mia is really enjoying the snow! She's doing great. I'm so happy for her (and you).
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
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