Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello Everyone,
My pup 12 yr old pup was recently diagnosed with osteosarcoma and I have so many questions. She's currently in surgery for her leg amputation so I'm looking for other dog owners with similar experience/advice. Did you do chemotherapy? How was the recovery? What sort of rehab did you seek out? What items did you purchase to help on your journey? What should I expect in the coming months?
I'm located in San Diego if anyone has rehab facilities specific to the area.
Hi Stella and family, welcome! I'm so sorry for the diagnosis, and totally understand how overwhelmed you feel. You've come to the right place!
So that we don't overwhelm you and can help you better, tell us more like:
- what's your home setup like? do you have stairs? slippery floors?
- any other pets or human kids at home?
- what is your dog's name and personality?
So the first thing we recommend is to breathe. One step at a time. The surgery recovery is going to take loads of your energy and emotions, and your girl needs you to be a strong, pawsitive leader right now. She may come home dopey and out of it so don't get too discouraged. The first few days can be up and down but it gets better!
To answer your questions:
Did you do chemotherapy?
We didn't for our Jerry, and this is a very individual decision. Some people opt in some do not. It's really a crapshoot because chemo doesn't guarantee longevity, it just statistically gives dogs a better chance at it. But if it's not in your budget don't beat yourself up either. Every case is different so it's best to meet with your oncologist to get all the information before you decide. In the San Diego, we love Ethos in North County.
How was the recovery?
For us it was up and down the first few days as we got pain management dialed in. A dog who comes home with good pain control from the get go will do better than one who doesn't. So watch for signs like anxiety and panting, and discuss with your vet. Keep them in the loop so they can help you come up with the right formula of pain control.
What sort of rehab did you seek out?
I love that you are asking this! Did you know Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit ?! Yes! In San Diego you have some excellent choices. If you DM me I can send you some, since I don't know if you're in South County, North County, etc.
What items did you purchase to help on your journey?
See our Tripawds Recovery Shopping List
What should I expect in the coming months?
See our What to Expect articles .
I don't want to overwhelm you with too much right now. Keep us posted on how she is doing, we are here for you.
As you can see from Jerry's detailed and thoughtful response, you are exactly where you need to be for support and information.
You are asking great questions and that alone gives you a head start on the road to recovery.
How much does your Husky weigh and what is his name? Usually dogs come home with Gabapentin and an anti-inflammatory and sometimes in antibiotic. Tweaking of the pain meds usually takes place a day or so after they surgery anesthesia wears off. Sometimes they come home with a morphine patch too, I forgot to mention that. That can make them a little bit wacky until it wears off.
I joined this wonderful Community six days after my Happy Hannah's amputation and I was sure I had made a horrible decision! I learned about pain signals here, proper dosing of pain meds, non-slip scatter rugs for traction if you have hardwood floors, limiting activity to just short least potty breaks and back in for rest, drinking and peeing are important but appetite and pooping may be off a bit at first.etc etc. Once I got this type of invaluable information I was able to sort of relax into adjusting to recovery and what it should look like.
I was on by a husky once and they are so smart and retain their retain puppy like attitude well into their senior years.
Update us when recovery is done. Is he spending the night at a fully staffed clinic tonght?
Stay connected! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!
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!
Thanks so much for your reply! It is all very overwhelming so just trying to take it slow. We brought her home form the hospital this morning. She still hasn't been able to use the bathroom outside which is a bit concerning, but she has incontinence so lots of leaking of pee pads has been happening. She walks okay with sling assistance but she's still trying to figure out her balance and even laying down comfortable seems challenging at the moment. Good questions you asked with answers below 🙂
- what's your home setup like? do you have stairs? slippery floors? - We have a house with a few steps in the front to the porch/door. There's a decent amount of space in the front yard for her to walk around, but backyard is mostly a deck with small bbq and gardening area. Kitchen and living room are tile but we have a large area rug in the living room which is where we've set up her bed for the next couple of weeks. All the bedrooms have carpet.
- any other pets or human kids at home?- No other pets, but I have my 9 yr old step son that lives with us part time.
- what is your dog's name and personality?- Dog's name is Stella. She's got a lot of sass. The hospital labeled her as mild spicy, but cute haha. She's very food motivated, very goofy, loves tug of war, and will sometimes let me snuggle her
I've had her since she was 2 days old and bottle fed her for 2 months, so our bond is so precious to me and I want to do everything right. Oh and I didn't mention it was her rear right leg that got amputated. She also had two ACL surgeries on both hind legs 2 years ago, so I'm definitely worried about her not being as mobile. The surgeon said she was a good candidate for the surgery. I'm just hoping I made the right decision.
As you can see from Jerry's detailed and thoughtful response, you are exactly where you need to be for support and information.
Hey Benny! I'm definitely glad I found this community and appreciate your response.
Stella is a big girl ~85lbs. I like to call her my gentle giant, but definitely is making getting around more challenging. I'm still in the boat of wondering if I made the right decision, but I think once I see she can go potty on her own I'll feel some relief.
She spent the night with a wonderful staff at an emergency hospital our surgeon recommended so she could get fluids and they could monitor her pain. We're home now trying to figure out the new normal. She was shivering a bit earlier, but she seems to have relaxed now.
I am feeling less alone so thank you 🙂
Overall, nothing sounds "out of the ordinary " ESPECIALLY this early on!. Humans would still be in the hospital on a morphine drip!
She still hasn't been able to use the bathroom outside which is a bit concerning, but she has incontinence so lots of leaking of pee pads has been happening. She walks okay with sling assistance but she's still trying to figure out her balance and even laying down comfortable seems challenging at the momen
Nope, not surprising at all. Mobility will happen. Often it takes several days or longer for a dog to start to get their sea legs. The fact that she can hop with assistance is great! Being able tompee....even if incontinent leaking...a plus at this point!👍Drinking and peeing are important....eating and pooping may be off for a vit.
Her "shivering" at this point is most likely still related to ridding herself of all the anesthesia and strong hospital pain meds. It could be a pain signal but most likely not quite yet....another day or so, ues.
What pain meds did Stella come home with, the dose and frequency?
I've had her since she was 2 days old and bottle fed her for 2 months, so our bond is so precious to me and I want to do everything right.
WOW! That adds another level to the term "bond"! ♥️ Yes, you are doing everything you need to dp five Stella a great pain fee quality life for more loving, spoiling,tug games, food and treats!
Any of us this early on, you are in the "what have I done TO my dog" phase. In a couple of weeks you will be so glad you did this FOR your Stella!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS. It takes some time to figure out balance, etc when it comes to laying down..especially if they are used to circling in one direct and laying on one side moreso than the other.. She'll figure it out.
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!
Aww you are most definitely not alone! Don't forget the Tripawds Helpline is always around too (844-TRIPAWD). We've been where you are now and totally get it. How is Stella doing today?
Your house setup sounds fine for her. Being 85 pounds and at her age, her behavior sounds normal and very typical. You've got this!
Hey Benny! Glad to hear this all sounds normal. She is starting to get her sea legs and is hoping around the house on her own 🙂 Did her first outside poop today, but no peeing. I think she's still figuring out how to squat with one leg so I'm hopeful.
Shivering has subsided and she's currently on codeine 30mg every 6 hrs and gabapentin 400mg every 6-8hrs. Doesn't seem like she's in pain and is sleeping mostly through the night. I've been sleeping by her since she got home so I can keep a close eye on her.
I'm still on the fence for chemo and thinking about more holistic approaches. Any advice?
Hey Jerry! Thanks for pointing out the helpline resource. Stella is improving a little every day. She's very independent and is hoping around the house. She gets really excited for walks, but doesn't like help during walks and gets tired pretty quickly so we take some breaks.
Any holistic approaches you recommend? I have a consultation with an oncologist in a couple weeks, but want to think about alternative approaches.
Hi!
So happy to hear that your pup is managing the first few days of recovery well.
I have no advice on chemo or holistic treatments. My dog had spindle cell soft tissue sarcoma grade two and no chemo was recommended.
However, after having a tripawd now for 6 months and going through the questions of if you did the right thing, I am here to say you did. I had doubts too and after several weeks (my dog had some complications) I reached point where I realized I absolutely did the right thing even if it just gave him a little bit of pain free time from the cancer and even though had pain from the amputation. My dog was not done with life yet. I was so happy once he had gotten over his pain from the surgery that he was now back to his happy self and I came to peace with the fact that if I had to let him go soon I could knowing that I made the decision that stopped the cancer pain and he could go back to his happy go lucky self for awhile.
I wish you the best and hope you reach peace soon with your decision and knowing you did the right thing by your pup. Hope to hear more good recovery news.
stella0116 said
Hey Jerry! Thanks for pointing out the helpline resource. Stella is improving a little every day. She's very independent and is hoping around the house. She gets really excited for walks, but doesn't like help during walks and gets tired pretty quickly so we take some breaks.Any holistic approaches you recommend? I have a consultation with an oncologist in a couple weeks, but want to think about alternative approaches.
You are so welcome. Glad to hear Stella is improving. How is she today?
That's awesome you are being so vigilant with her activity. If you can scale back her walks time-wise so that she doesn't sit down, you can build up a little more slowly so she doesn't sit down for a break. Always end the walk with her wanting a little more, a little gas left in her tank goes a long way!
As for holistic approaches. I suggest starting with The Dog Cancer Survival Guide to get a good grasp on what that might look like for her type of cancer. Then in the San Diego area, I would recommend booking an appointment with Feathers and Fur, an integrative vet practice.
Whatever you do, don't start buying supplements and things (other than perhaps some vet-approved joint supplements) until you meet up with a vet. There's a lot of ineffective supplements with lots of big promises that don't match the reality of what they promote. Focus on vet-approved strategies will be effective so you aren't wasting your money. A good integrative veterinarian can guide you. And be sure to let us know what they suggest so we can all learn from you!
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