Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi All we have a 6 year old Great Dane name bandit we were just told he has stage 2b bone cancer in his right back leg. I have done my homework and seen the many dogs have had success with removing the leg. Bandit has no showing of the cancer spreading to lungs or liver for now. However the Dr suggest that removing the leg would not be the best choice right now because he is 230lbs and feels that bandit wouldn't support himself. He is already on three legs since he's in pain when walking he limps. The dr suggest we do radiation. I strongly feel we should remove his leg and go for treatment. I have been looking online for any dog over 100lbs that has had amputation with success ? He hasn't been eating much so some weight is loss maybe 5lbs and he is on a diet to lose more weight. I love my dog with all my heart and cannot lose him im trying to fight for him and I have faith and hope I believe he can do on three legs with rehab.
Welcome and best wishes for Bandit!
Physical fitness is much more important that total body weight. Search these forums and the blogs and you will find plenty of discussions about giant breed dogs Loving Life On Three Legs . The #1 most important factor to successful recovery and quality of life is weight management and rehab. If in doubt, get a second opinion, and third if necessary. A certified rehab therapist, vet and nutritionist can help you get the weight off.
While you wait for additional feedback, please consider consulting with a certified rehab vet/tech for a professional evaluation, treatment recommendations and exercises you can do at home to keep Rayna fit and strong. Visit a CCRP or CCRT and the Tripawds Foundation will even pay for your first visit from the Maggie Moo Fund for Tripawd Rehab!
Meanwhile, start here for help finding all the helpful Tripawds resources and assistance programs.
Please keep us posted, your future forum posts will not require moderation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
If he is already walking on 3 legs then the odds are good he will be okay. It is also easier to lose a back leg. I would seek a second opinion from a surgeon.
Pam
Bandit is 230lb?????
Wow!!!
That’s quite impressive!
My baby girl was also a Great Dane who lost her right front leg to Osteo and weighed 170lb.
As Dr Pam says, loosing a front leg is much, mich more difficult than a back leg as the vast majority of the weight is carried by our giant cuties front legs.
So, Bandit is already better off.
Also, her point about him already walking on three legs and therefore being able to adapt on three is quite right.
Recovery may not be a piece of cake for large dogs but it surely doesn’t last forever, besides we are all here to help guide you on your journey.
As for radiation, you should be aware that anesthetic is required for every session (and anesthetic is to be avoided as much as possible for Danes), there is a maximum amount of sessions our babies can have and there is always the risk of a pathological fracture occurring at any time and if that happens the fracture will never heal and the only option, if still viable, will be to amputate.
There is also the possibility of choosing cyberknife radiation (in which case you don’t remove the leg) but anesthetic is involved each time and as I understand it treatments are very close timewise so it is potentially risky for Bandit ...
Whatever your decision may be please do not be put off by Bandit’s weight and size.
As I said, my girl was 170lb and measured 98cm to the base of the neck so, although not as big as your Bandit, she was still an enormous Dane who lived life gloriously happy on 3 and was hugely energetic during her journey!
I am posting on my phone so cannot add the links to our travels but hopefully somebody will read this and add them in here for you.
I am sure when you see her running, jumping, playing, chewing her bone, etc this will reassure you as your Bandit should do even better than my Eurydice because he is not loosing a front leg.
Keep in touch and PM me of you want any specific information regarding my Great Dane girl, I am very happy to help and share my experience with you, if you so wish.
Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Getting ready for work so a quick in and out https://tripawd.....4/#p214950
Here is Eurydice's link, she is a truly inspiring pup 
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Hi Bandit and family 🐾🌸
Thank you so much for posting the link to Angel Eurydice's travels, Jackie ☺️
Way before she became an Angel we went for extensive travels, even between chemo treatments, I think this will reassure you of how well Bandit can do:
https://tripawd.....mputation/
Please keep us updated on Bandit, and let us know if there is anything we can do for you and him.
Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Hi there 🌸
Any update on Bandit ?
Hugs and cuddles 😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
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