Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Farley is our 13, nearly 14, year old Beagle mix. He was abused as a puppy and left out as a stray, but we picked him up from a vet clinic that was trying to find him a home when he was 2 months old. He's been a very rambunctious dog, with tons of personality and energy. He's never lost that "puppy" in him.
Last year a tumor started growing on his elbow (front leg). The vet tried to remove it but was unable to get all of it. It is not spreading to the bone, it is strictly under the skin. I was told by the vet that it is cancerous, but unfortunately I do not recall what type. After that surgery the tumor grew back very quickly, tripling in size. It's now about the size of a small grapefruit. It doesn't bother him at all, no pain that we can tell, and he acts like it's not even there.
About a week ago the skin holding it gave way -- it can't contain the growth any longer and is splitting open. The vet has given us the option of amputation or putting him down. I can't see the point in putting down a happy, otherwise healthy dog. Especially one that has given me so much joy.
My question for those of you who have gone through this...how well does a 13 year old dog do with a front leg amputation? I know what the vet is telling me, but I want to hear from people who've actually dealt with this situation.
Thanks in advance. 
Welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not require moderation.
I know we have had several 'mature' pups do well with amputation. It's not so much the actual age, but the overall health and spirit. It sounds like your vet thinks he will do well, right?
I'll let others with senior pups share their stories, my pug was only 7.5 when she had her amp.
Karen
Hi Farley and welcome to the party no one wants to be invited to! You are definiyely in the right place for great advice.
What is your vet's overall assessment of how fit Farley is?
What kind of cancer? Has he done blood work and stays?
There are older dogs whom have done well with amputatios a d they will be chiming
What is his prognosis and have you gotten a. Assessment from a. Onco?
I know this is a scary time it we are ere to support you and Far.eg....just pass on SOE additional I formation when you can. Farley is clearly happy and it's wonderful that it doesn't seem to be causin g any pain. As you will zee from the site, dogs adapt very well to three legs, even seniors:-) 
Look forward to hearing from you and you go and give Farley a treat from us:-)
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
My akita cross is just shy of his 13th birthday. Son't know about how your dog will do, but if you want to see how a large-breed dog with an autoimmune disorder, heart murmur, arthritis, and hip dysplasia handles it, here he is, five weeks post amputation of his left front leg for Osteosarcoma:
"Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all."
-Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
"May I recommend serenity to you? A life that is burdened with expectations is a heavy life. Its fruit is sorrow and disappointment. Learn to be one with the joy of the moment."
-Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Hi Farley and family!
Before I made the decision for amputation, the vet did a comprehensive physical: bloodwork, urine, stool, physical assessment and told me that she was an excellent candidate for amputation. My dog is currently 12.5 yrs old and has been a tripawd for 2.5 yrs and she is still going on strong health wise. It is a decision I would make again even if she was at her current age when this happened.
Is Farley otherwise in good health? If so, it doesn't matter if he would be a front or rear amp, they figure out their new bodies. If you go with amputation, it will take at least couple weeks to recover (assuming an uneventful recovery, we all hope for those) and you have the option to do chemo or radiation if the vet is concerned for metastis. In Chloe's cancer case she was 'cured' with amputation, so we lucked out in that respect. It would be good to find out more about the specific type of cancer Farley has to know more about possible post-op options.
Chloe and I wish you and Farley the best!
-Chloe's mom
Chloe became a rear amp tripawd on 7-29-10. Another tumor was removed on front leg 2-20-14. Found 3rd tumor on neck 2-2015, but she's still kicking cancer's butt at age 14. Chloe's blog
krun15 said
... It's not so much the actual age, but the overall health and spirit. It sounds like your vet thinks he will do well, right? ...
I could not agree more. Our Zeus was a Husky mix who was 11 years old when diagnosed with Osteosarcoma. He did very well with his amputation and recovery. Other than the cancer he was in very good health and he, too, was still so active and lively despite his older age. We just couldn't bear to give up on a dog with so much spirit left. The first couple of weeks after amputation are very hard but after that I was amazed at how well he did with getting around on three legs.
Good luck!
Lisa
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
The vet gave us the option, but he hesitstes to make a recommendation. I see an otherwise healthy dog who always has been, and continues to be, full of life. I think he'd adjust fine, I was more questioning how a 13 year old dog does in a surgery of this type. It's sounding like an amputation affects young and old pretty much the same and that it depends more on the dog's strength and attitude.
I don't recall what type of cancer they told us -- to be honest they told us not to worry about it so I really didn't. I wish I had. They did say it wasn't spreading into the bone. The problem is that he has an open wound with no way to close it. The tumor continues to grow so the skin continues to split further open. He's on Keflex for the infection but it's not getting any better.
We're trying to get it anoher vet tomorrow for a 2nd opinion. I just need to hear someone else tell me that these are the only options. We're also going to have the bloodwork done this weekend (I just foumd out it hadn't been done! My husband took him to the last appointment.)
Thanks for all the responses. I'd love to hear more.
Honestly, I'd say...if he's otherwise healthy and his bloodwork is clean, go for it. Sampson has a moderate (grade 3) heart murmur, and that, coupled with his age and his arthritis, made us a bit more cautious...but what else could we do?
Would I put him under for something like a teeth cleaning or other semi-elective surgery? No. But for the amp, it was pretty much our only option.
CAN things go wrong? Yes. Are the odds a bit higher for older dogs or dogs otherwise compromised? Yes. But in our case, it was amputation or euthanasia...so the odds were counteracted a bit.
Good luck with your decision, and happy hugs to your pup <3 <3
"Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all."
-Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
"May I recommend serenity to you? A life that is burdened with expectations is a heavy life. Its fruit is sorrow and disappointment. Learn to be one with the joy of the moment."
-Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
I recommend you go for it! It sounds like your pup has a pretty sweet life, has a lot of life, and is still loving life. The Sx is major, so I recommend you seek a pro to do it - a veterinary orthopedist surgeon. Sure, regular vets can do it, but for an older pup with possibly more risks, having a specialist may make things go better and recovery more smoothly. That said, if you don't like your specialist or have access to one, don't let that deter you! Your boy needs you and has a quality of life you can preserve. If he's in good shape, he's all set! There are so many pups here of various ages, sizes, and health issues that have excelled with amp. In fact, many of us argue and have evidence to show that after amp and the recovery process, pups are better than before! If you go with amp, the first few weeks will be hard, but your pup will bounce back. Promise. Again, if he's healthy enough for the Sx and has life left in him (as you've certainly asserted), I wouldn't hesitate.
Keep us posted!
~ Katy
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Good idea getting a second opinion. As others have pointed out there are a lot of factors that need to be considered to make a decision. Bloodwork and radiographs are very important before opting for any surgery. Pursuing surgery probably wouldn't be the best choice if the cancer has metastasized into the lungs, something they would look for with radiographs. Also, bloodwork would be very important in determining if your pet is even healthy enough for the vet to recommend a surgery. Even if your pet seems happy and healthy, there may be underlying issues that are no apparent through physical exam. Has you vet said that it would be impossible to remove the mass again? Sometimes this is not an option due to the amount of healthy skin that is in the area. This may be a less drastic option than amputation. You would just have to know going into it that the mass would eventually come back. You would just be making the decision to not put your dog through amputation. Amputation may extend your dogs life longer than just removing the mass, but there are no guarantees, and the recovery is going to be much harder on him than just taking the mass off again. Please don't take this as me discouraging amputation, I just wanted to put this out there as an option to ask your vet about so you can take all considerations into making the right decision for your dog. I wish you the best.
My Franklin is 14 and his front left leg was amputated on December 4th 2012 due to a large mass in his left knee.. yup... Ostesarcoma.
He handled the surgery very well.. he was a model patient.. the spark came back in his eyes.. and the main thing was.... he was out of pain. He got that 3 legged hop down no problem!
Although my Frankie is not doing well now, and I have faced the fact that he may be running at the bridge this time next week.. I do not regret that decision at all! He got 5 more months of pain free living, 5 more months of eating as many pig ears he wanted.. and I got 5 more months in snuggles tail wags and unconditional love.
If he is in good health.. it is well worth it.
Christine & Franklin
Franklin, he was the Happiest Dog on Three Legs! Diagnosed 09/26/2012 with Osteosarcoma, amputated 12/4/2012. Had a wonderful 5 1/2 months painfree until he ran for the Bridge on 5/15/2013. Always in my heart, and always a guardian angel of my pack... You can follow his Tripawd Adventures, before and after, in my blog, Frank'n'Farter!
Thank you again, everyone, for all the advice and for sharing your knowledge. I really do appreciate it.
X-rays came back yesterday. They have a 2.1cm gap between the tumor and his chest wall. Not much to work with but the vet *thinks* he won't have a problem with having enough skin to cover the wound and with getting all of the tumor. I was unable to attend the appt., my husband was there and is confident there won't be an issue. I, being the worrier, am freaked out about this. When we tried to have the tumor removed, it was too embedded in the skin to get it all. I'm afraid if the vet runs into the situation once he's in there, he's going to leave part of the tumor and that we'll have put Farley through all this simply to have it recur in a worse spot (his chest). Any experience with this?
Blood work is due back tomorrow. We're not expecting to find an issue there.
We've set another appt. this afternoon with a different vet, just so I can hear someone else tell me this is our only course of action rather than relying on a single vet's opinion. I tried to get an appt. at an animal oncology hospital, but they can't get him in for 12 days, and he certainly can't wait that long. We're expecting surgery probably before the end of the week since the infection is getting worse.
Hi Farleysmomma, I'm just now catching up on your story. This is a really tough spot and I can't really offer anything here as far as what to do, but I do think you're on the right track by getting a second opinion. Not everyone can see an oncologist (there's only a couple hundred in the entire U.S.) so you're in good company. Hang tight and when you get the other opinion let us know what it is.
Beagles are so resilient, I'm gonna bet that he will recover quickly if you decide to proceed with surgery. If not, at least you'll know you made an educated decision in his best interests. Hang in there!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Farley's lucky to have you two as pawparemts----you are clearly doing everything possible for him:-)
'Don't know if vet tried to get the onco.appointment for you or you tried yourself. Being the determined woman that I bet you are----try calling again and keep talking to the "next person up" until you can get a quicker appointment---your vet should back able to help on this----at least maybe they'll give you a consultation
Your concerns and questions are very valid and Farley's situation somewhat unique
You certainly get a variety of opinions on this site but we all agree a second opinion is needed.
HHACKETT mad some interesting points for you to discuss with the vet.
I know you feel like you are stuck in a nightmare. but you will feel better once you get a second opinion. I wish I could help you more but I can only be here to support you with whatever decision you and your vets make.
For now, remember Farley is feeling great and must enjoy I g being g loved and spoiled by you:-) He's not worried about a thing:-)
Take a deep breath......no....a really big, deep breath....yeah, that's more li,e it! Now look at Farley and go hug him at smile.....bet his tail is waggin':-)
Surrounding you with peace and calm....feel the serenity of Farley:-)
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
More updates...
To touch on what Heather (the vet tech) stated, yes, the vet has said it will be impossible to remove the tumor again due to the lack of skin to cover the wound. The tumor is so embedded in the skin that it can't be removed without removing skin. X-rays did show that there is no evidence of cancer spreading anywhere else in his body, but of course, there could always be something microscopic that they just can't see on the X-ray. We're aware that's always a possibility.
The 2nd vet looked at him, the blood tests (which came back OK) and the X-rays yesterday afternoon. That vet agrees that the tumor has not spread and is contained to the leg, and that amputation is the way to go based on Farley's health and attitude. He did say that part of the tumor has outgrown its blood supply and that is why it burst and is basically rotting. The infection and the smell (Oh my, the smell!) is being caused by that rot. (Gross, I know. Sorry if it's TMI.)
So, my husband is contacting the vet to schedule the surgery. We're hoping to get in this week. Farley is so uncomfortable at this point that the sooner this is done the better. We're miserable seeing him like this, and he's miserable as well. Not to mention our other dog is starting to stress because he knows something is wrong with his buddy.
I'm confident that the oncologist won't be able to do anything more than our regular vet will since the cancer is not spreading and therefore there is no need for continued treatment beyond the amputation at this time. If at some point the cancer does recur, we'll push more for that oncologist appointment.
Oh, just a little back story on this guy...when we got him he had been picked up as a stray and was about to be put down, they kept hiding him when the truck would come around to collect the longest residents for euthanasia. He'd been beaten and had acid poured on him, his jaw and tail were broken and he had ear mites so bad that he'd given himself a hematoma in both ears from shaking his head. He still has scars on his back from the surgery. But he bounced right back.
I believe we've made the right decision for Farley by giving him a chance at life. I think he'll recover fairly quickly, he's quite a stubborn guy and always wants to do it his way, so this will just be another challenge he'll overcome.
Another update...my husband just called, Farley's surgery is today. He's taking him there now. Now I'm crying...
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