Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi- Hope I am doing this right. I have a lovely almost 9 year old Cane Corso “Lira”. Last week x-rays showed 2/3 of her humerus involved in some sort of tumor. Bone biopsy taken on Tuesday April 21st- results late yesterday inconclusive. Pathologist says based on history and radiographs the sample may not have been representative of what is going on. Spoke with our vet today and she says even with the inconclusive result she still feels amputation ASAP would be best alternative. No mets on lung xrays taken same day. She says we will still send the whole limb off after amputation to confirm if Osteosarcoma or some other type of tumor. She is in excellent health otherwise, however , had a TPLO surgery performed on a hind limb 5 years ago after rupturing her cruciate ligament. I wonder if the extra weight and strain may cause her problems with her hind limbs ? Guess I just want some reassurance that we are doing the right thing. I worked in a veterinary pathology lab for 18 years and am a Veterinary technologist by trade, so the after care etc doesn't spook me - maybe dealing with her pain and my guilt !! Any words would be helpful. Surgery tentatively scheduled for Tuesday am.
Thanks everyone.
Carmen,
I am sorry to hear about Lira, but I am glad you found this website. Most of us stumble across Tripawds in the middle of fear, pain and turmoil about what our fur babies are facing. You can find support and information here that will make your journey easier.
Lira will be better the minute the leg is off, the pain will be gone. I am glad that her chest x-ray is clear. If you read the forum postings you will see that no matter what stage we are at we all strive for the ''one day at a time" approach.
We will keep you and Lira in our thoughts for surgery on Tuesday and her recovery, and by the way get rid of the guilt....it won't help you or Lira!! Take good care.
Gineej & Paris
Grateful for every moment we had with Paris…..no regrets!
Honoring her life by opening our hearts & home to Addy!
Welcome Carmen to our little group. This is a difficult time for you and I can certainly appreciate your apprehension. I wouldn't worry about the ligament surgery. Your vet is aware of it, and is still encouraging you to amputate, she would not do so if she thought it were an issue. The amputation is the way to eliminate the pain of bone cancer and give Lira a painfree life for however long that may be.
I don't think you will find anyone here who will tell you they wish they had not done the amputation. The dogs adjust very well and quickly. Recovery period is approx 2 weeks, some get through it with ease, others have a harder time. You're a vet tech, you can deal with this.
Keep reading the posts here, you will see there are some really large dogs who do very well. Make your decision based on the quality of life for Lira. Put aside your feelings, as difficult as that may be, and choose what will give her the best life, and the best chance at a longer life going forward.
My thoughts will be with you on Tuesday.
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.
Hi Carmen, thanks for joining the discussion. Keep in mind that fear uncertainty doubt and guilt are just sill human emotions. Lira just wants to be out of pain. And amputation is the best way. The pain from surgery will subside quickly and be much less that the continuing pain of that tumor which will only continue to grow. Consider this too: Lira is probably already only using three legs!
Dogs also carry about 70% of their weight on the front legs. Lira will eventually build up strength in her remaining front leg to compensate. If you can keep her fit and trim the extra weight on the rear legs, shouldn't be an issue. But we're not vets, we can only provide advice based on our experiences with Jerry, who managed quite well with a "partial ACL tear" and missing front leg. For a professional opinion, consider posting your concerns in our Ask A Vet discussion forum.
Thanks again, and best wishes with whatever decision you make. Just focus on Lira's quality of life, not quantity, and you should all be happy!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My English Mastiff Tazzie had her right front leg amputated due to osteosarcoma of the distal radius on 8/26/08. She weighs about 185 # (post-amputation) and had both of her ACLs repaired a few years ago. I also was afraid that she would not be able to get around, but she has done great! We do need to use a harness to get her in and out of the van and her endurance is not what it was but she is definitely enjoying life. We did 5 doses of chemo (carboplatin) which she handled well and now she takes an NSAID and various antioxidants and supplements to help keep her healthy.
I have not seen any other Cane Corsos on this site but we have had Bullmastiffs, Neopolitans, English Mastiffs, Great Danes, a Dogue de Bordeaux, and many other large or giant breeds who have managed to get around well.
Good luck on Tuesday,
Pam and Tazzie
Thanks for all of your kind words of support and encouragement. Surgery postponed till tomorrow, HOWEVER, they are going to let us take her home late tomorrow and "love her up" here, rather than at the clinic. I am adopting your " one pain free day at a time" philosophy! They are going to send her amputated limb off to pathology at the veterinary teaching hospital about 3 hours from where we live, for a final, accurate , diagnosis.
Thanks again- will try to update you all tomorrow, pending on how she is feeling. Forgot to mention we are taking her today @ 5:30 for placement of the Fentanyl patch pre-surgery. Our vet seems to think that, along with a nerve block she is going to do will give us a head start on managinh her post-amputation pain.
Pet all of your Tripawds on the head from Lira and ask for their doggie prayers in return !!
Carmen
Hi Carmen,
Enjoy your day together, and yes, following that philosophy is a good idea!
We didn't realize some vets will put the patch on before surgery. Let us know how she does on that. Some dogs see pink elephants when they're on Fentanyl, and it tends to confuse their pawrents who mistake that for being in pain. Be sure to ask your vet what constitutes a normal reaction. Sounds like your vet is very up on pain managment and that's a very good sign.
We send our love. Keep us posted. Good luck!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi all- just home from the clinic. Lira had her surgery today. It took over 3 hours - that seemed like a long time to me. Any comments? They let me stay with her while she was induced and called me to come and sit with her as soon as she was out of surgery. I have been there since 7:30 this morning - it is now almost 8 pm here. I have a couple of concerns. I couldn't bring her home tonight as she cannot even stand up. She has the Fentanyl patch on, and was on an IV cocktail of drugs all day. Also Gabapentin ( for the phantom nerve pain ) and Tramadol . I am hoping she is just " out of it" with all of the drugs on board - but I really NEED to know how long will it be until she can stand on her own ( and hop and potty ??). Of course, wondering, now, if we did the right thing. She had no interest in food or water. Need reassurance here tonight !
Thanks for listening and being there.
Carmen and Lira
Breathe....Lira was just through major surgery. Patience is key now. My vet had told me Jack would be home the same day as his surgery, but then called and told me she wanted to keep him. Yes, I freaked out. But it was the best thing for him. All dogs respond differently to all the meds from surgery and post surgery. Jack was up and hopping immediately after he came to from surgery but that turned out to cause some issues as he was too active folllowing surgery so his incision started to "ooze" a bit and he had some blood issues. Vet was concerned because he didn't want to eat (which, for a lab, is practically unheard of). But, he came through w/ flying colors with in 12 hours and was hopping around like a maniac a week later.
So, get some sleep, more than likely, tomorrow you will see a different Lira. Remember to be patient over the next week or two. Before you know it, you'll be chasing after Lira... its amazing how quick these three legged dogs are!!
The pain meds kinda knock some of them completely out of it. Give her some time, it is really early. We were not able to take Trouble home for two days. She had surgery on a Wednesday morning and we picked her up Friday afternoon. They took her off the Fentynal patch before she came home. She could get around, but noe real well. Within two days of being home she was able to get about without any help. From there on, she was cruising. I've never regretted my decision. There is no doubt without the pain, she must be happier than she could ever be on pain meds waiting for the end to come.
Hang in there, it gets better and the regrets fade happily into the sunset. We're sending lots of good thoughts for a speedy recovery to your house.
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.
Carmen,
Wow, what a great vet you have for allowing you to sit with Lira like that. Most pawrents don't get to have that kind of interaction just before or after surgery. That is really cool. It's awesome to hear she made it through surgery.
So yeah, breathe, and hang in there. You saw a part of the process that most pawrents are spared, and this is probably the hardest part to watch. All of the drugs, the surgery trauma, it's all enough to make a dog not want to get up and just lay around for a bit. Those are some seriously heavy drugs, and they will take a few days, up to two weeks, to work themselves out of Lira's system. Try to look at Lira's reaction in terms of how you would handle the same surgery. Don't expect her to be running around tomorrow, but know that each day will bring more impressive accomplishments than most humans are capable of after a major surgery like that. The next couple of weeks will be rough but you can do it!
Most dogs spend at least a night, often times two or three in the clinic, before they can go home. Vets want to wait until their new Tripawd can go potty and show some signs of eating. It's best to play it safe that way.
While all dogs are different in how they recuperate, in my case, I hopped to the car the next day after surgery. Granted, I was exhausted and slept for the next two days, but I was strong enough to make it there on my own. I surprised my doctor; he wanted to put me on a gurney but I refused. I'll be Lira will be the same way!
Patience and deep breaths. You will get trhough this!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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