Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all! I wish we were not meeting through theses circumstances, but I would love some input.
About 7 or 8 weeks ago our Rottie, Guinness, started to groan when lying down and when shifting positions during sleep. I felt him all over and watched him closely, but I could not find anything wrong. About a week later, we made the hard decision to let his 17 year old dog brother go the bridge, so we were not fully focused. The next week we took Guinness and his American Bulldog mix brother,Bruschi, in for yearly shots and I asked the vet about the groaning. She checked all his joints and even though they all felt good especially for an 8 year old Rottie, she thought he should start taking Glucosamine. That just did not sit well with me and the next week I asked for a chest x-ray and I told her I thought it was his front legs that were the problem. The x-rays came back non-conclusive, but something looked "off" in one of his front legs and he had a small spot in one lung. She sent them out to a Radiologist and his result was inconclusive. She prescribed two weeks on Tramadol, an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory. We were scheduled to go on vacation at tyhe end of those two weeks and she thought repeat x-rays the week after would be fine.
With slight misgivings because Guinness would now sometimes hold his paw in the air, we went on vacation. We got a call from the Pet Resort that he had been out on a walk and stopped in his tracks and when convinced to move, he was limping badly. I had a good friend get some Tramadol from the vet and get it to him and we headed the 17 hours back the next morning. We got home and I noticed when we picked him up that he has some significant swelling in his front "knee" that had not been there when we went away. Another set of x-rays confirmed an enlargement of the suspicious area and we were referred to a specialty clinic. They did a bone biopsy last week and we should know for sure by early next week. We can barely afford an amputation. Do you think it is worth it to do it without Chemo? The spot in his lung went away with the antibiotics and they do not think he has a mets. I know he will need an amputation because it is painful even with Tramadol and another pain drug. I would have cancelled our vacation had I known and had that money to spend, but lately everything in our house has needed money thrown at it. He is the best dog ever. we rescued him 6 years ago from a life living on a chain and he is my Velcro dog. My heart cannot stand to think of losing another part of my family so soon after losing our beloved Jack, but I do not want him to live in pain. Thanks for reading all this, I cannot even talk about it with people irl because I start to sob.
I didn't want to just read and run although I might not be able to offer any constructive advice!
All I'd say is to try, and I know how hard it is, not to worry until you get the results back. We are on day 3 post amp with our 6 1/2 year old rescue rottie and there's no denying it's incredibly hard, but take one day at a time.
Through research I know a lot of people elect to have the amp without chemo, but we will have it because if we've put him through the amp, I want him to have as long as he can to make it worthwhile. We are fortunate that all of our costs are covered on our pet insurance.
I'm so sorry you're having to go through this and am sending you lots of positive thoughts.
X
Sorry You and Guinness are going through this. Treatment is a personal choice and if the vet is worth his/her weight- they will review all options including the "what ifs", short term and long term treatment and cost. So is the area in the bone or soft tissue? What kind of cancer are they suspecting? This site is an invaluable resource. Use it...there are so many Pawrents that have been through just about every scenario. Keep us posted, ask questions and use this site as a sounding board. Even if we don't have the answers we can point you in the right direction and give encouragement and or support! Remember there is no right or wrong decision. You will never have enough money, but we all do what we have to.
In your corner,
Laurie
Hello and welcome. I'm so sorry that you are going through such a stressful, difficult situation. Many of us here have been there and totally understand. It can definitely make you cry just to talk about it.
Does your vet think that Guinness is a good candidate for amputation? He sounds like he's in great shape and healthy so if so, that's terrific, that's one less worry if you decide to proceed.
OK, to get to your question: is it worth it to do an amputation without chemo? Well, from my own perspective, yes, definitely. But then again, we were very fortunate and our Jerry lived two years post-op, with no IV chemo. He beat the odds, went way off the statistic charts. He did, however have metronomic chemotherapy , an at-home chemo regiment, to keep his lung mets in check 17 months after his amputation, and it definitely succeeded at doing the job.
Now, through the years we have seen many, many dogs like Jerry, those who didn't do chemo, outlive the depressing statistics for osteosarcoma. Old dogs, young dogs, tons. Was it a fluke? Hard to say. But what I can say is that we have probably seen an equal amount not live to the prognosis when they do have chemo. It's sad, but in the end it's all a big crap shoot and nobody knows who will make it and who won't. Depressingly all the money in the world spent on chemo can't guarantee longevity. You just go on your gut instinct by deciding what's right for your pack and then take it from there.
Amputation gets rid of the pain, that's the immediate issue you are dealing with right now. Anything after that can wait until you decide. One step at a time. If you think Guinness is strong enough to cope with recovery, then anything after the surgery is icing on the cake. Without the amp, statistically speaking, time is usually even more limited than doing amp without chemo, and pain is always involved. No matter how good his pain meds are, they don't manage osteo pain as well as amputation.
I hope this helps. We are here for you, so don't be shy. Thanks for joining us.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
So sorry to hear about your dog, hopefully he won't need amputation but if he does can you call different clinics to price the surgery? You would be surprised at some of the differences in cost. Secondly don't even worry about chemo right now and don't feel guilty if you can't do it. You obviously love Guinness very much and will do the best you can for him.
Good luck.
Penny
Hi, 3dognight. These sound like the symptoms (moaning, limping, holding up paw) my Cece displayed right before she was diagnosed with lyme disease. Has your pup been checked for that, before you decide on such a major surgery?
So sorry about what's happening with Guinness. My 2 cents: if your vet thinks he is a good candidate for amputation, I would go for it. It would also be worth skimming the Size and Age Matters threads for some perspectives.
Our Lexie, now 14, was not a candidate for traditional chemo for a variety of reasons, and she didn't do well on oral chemo. She had a small amount of lung mets pre-amp but we decided to amputate anyway.
Also, you may want to get several estimates for amputation costs, as they may vary more than you'd think. When calling around, have a checklist of questions to ask -- this Choosing a Vet for Amputation Surgery has terrific info on what to ask and what to be mindful of, including pain management and post op care. Here's a thread on what people paid for amputation and when applicable, chemo. You'll see from that thread a number of folks decided to forego the chemo.
For older and bigger dogs physical therapy is especially helpful. You can do a lot of it yourself at home in terms of massage and stretching, and a consult with a PT vet post amp is well worth the investment.
Different PT vets have different opinions about the best timeframe to bring a dog in post-amp and start PT, so make sure to ask.
Best of luck, and keep us posted!
Deb and Lexie
Deb and Angel Lexie* Diagnosed at age 13. Tried radiation first; wish we had amputated upon diagnosis (even with lung mets). Joined Club Tripawd April 2014 & Lexie loved life on 3 legs! Advice: Start physical therapy as soon as your vet clears it, especially hydrotherapy if available :-) See Lexie pics here.
Hi there,
I am so sorry that you are dealing this hard, painful and crappy situation. Let me share our experience with you in hopes that it may help...
Cody is 7 and was diagnosed with a partial tear to his ACL about 1 1/2 years ago and we saving up for that surgery only to have him stop using his leg and discover he had osteosarcoma in his back right leg. We were torn and had no idea what to do, but because of the pain he was in, we amputated two days after diagnosis. We, like yourself, did not have the money to do chemotherapy. I was finishing my masters degree and only working part time and my husbands income had to be used for bills. We scraped together the money for amputation and honestly, it was the best decision we have made. We felt terrible about not doing chemotherapy, but in the end, it is what we were faced with... We did decide to do homeopathic treatment with Dr. Loops out of North Carolina, but that is something you could research at a later date.
Cody is now 4.5 month post amputation and he is doing wonderful. You can check out our blog for more information on his story... http://codyclau.....ipawds.com
But the main thing to remember is that whatever decision you make will be right for you and your family. This community is wonderful and will support you no matter what decision you make.
Best of luck to you
~~Cody and Family
Cody is our 7 year old Australian Heeler mix boy. Diagnosed on 2/20/14 and became a tripawd 2/21/14! We chose a homeopathic approach and he is being treated by Dr. Loops our of NC.
We did not do chemo. Treatment is a very personal thing, and only you can decide what is right for you--and your family. For us, the choice to amputate was not difficult. Although Sampson had some complicating factors (large breed senior, autoimmune disorder, mid-grade heart murmur, thyroid problems...geez, it sounds like a lot more than it was :D), he was healthy and happy and enjoying life (well, save for the horrid pain). So giving him a chance to be pain free and enjoy his days was clearly the right path for us.
Given his age (13), though, along with other factors, we decided that chemo was not an option. Realistically speaking, even without the OSA, he didn't have years and years and years in front of him. We decided that our resources would be better focused on things that would improve quality of life--acupuncture, PT, hanging out 
The amp itself was relatively inexpensive (although I have seen wide ranges of costs). I think we paid about $800, including overnight stay and films.
There were, of course, ups and downs, but he adjusted well, and was on very little medication for the remainder of his days. And Sam was Sam, right up until the day he died.
Again, it's a very personal decision--but as long as you are making it with your pup's best interests in mind, and you are doing things out of love, there is not a wrong or right way.
(FWIW, I see you posted this on July 12 That was Sam's birthday. )
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