Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello all,
I am having a very hard time trying to decide what to do for my 8 year old white German shepherd Pearl. The veterinarians and a radiologist are almost certain that she has some kind of cancerous tumor in her left rear leg directly above her ankle. So they suggest amputation, and starting chemo immediately. However I am very unsure about how she will take it and that it would be worth it to put her through all of that.
That is where we are at now but here is her whole story. Around 2/15/14 Pearl basically did the splits in our garage trying to get a toy before our younger dog did, and yelped in pain and did not want to put her leg down. So I thought she pulled a muscle and massaged it for her. When I was done she seemed ok and put it down again. Within the 2 weeks after that she seemed to tweak it a few times and I would massage it and she would seem fine again. I was also trying to keep her calmer thinking maybe it needed time to heal. After about a week of her seeming fine I took them out to play fetch. A little while later that night she started holding her leg up again, so I decided it was time to take her to the vet the next day. SO I took her to the Emergency clinic that I had taken her to since she was a puppy.
The vets wanted to do X-rays, but $ was tight, so I decided to put her on an anti inflammatory (Meloxicam) for 2 weeks and if it did not get better bring her back in, which I totally did not think was going to have to happen. However a couple of days after the Meloxicam was gone she was holding her leg up again. So of course I took her back and did a X-ray. That is when I was hit with something I knew nothing about, Bone Cancer the vet also told me that there was a chance it was arthritis or a bone infection (which I was hoping was the case). She suggested that we amputate but only if we did chest X-rays first, (which they would have to put her under a Anesthesia for) but we could do a bone biopsy first to most likely figure out for sure what it was. I figured biopsy would be a sure fire way to find out. So hoping that it was not cancer and we would not have to amputate and reading info about cancer and that fact that you might not see anything in chest X-rays and biopsy is suppose to be a more sure way to find cancer. We did the biopsy, but it came back as normal bone which really made me frustrated that I put my Pearl through that for nothing. Of course at the point of deciding to do the biopsy they put her on 3 different pain medications (Meloxicam, Tramadol, and Gabapentin) which she is still currently on and is she is using her leg but not fully.
After all that I started doing more research and talking to friends about what was going on. It was suggested to get a second opinion at a non emergency vet. Which I have now done but took a little while because I was working on getting $ to be able to afford her bills. I got chest X rays done (and they did not need to do Anesthesia), another X ray of the effected leg and of her right hip to see if it could support a amputation if we decided to do that. Had all sent to a radiologist to examine. Chest does not have any metastasis as far as they can see, hip looks good, and to me the tumor (if that is what it really is) looks the same as it did in the first X ray. If you are still reading this thank you I know that is a lot but wanted to get the whole story out.
I am worried that since it has already been over 2 months there is metastasis that we can not see. I am also worried about how she will handle only having 3 legs, how bad the side effects of chemo will be, and how my 1 year old German shepherd Bear is going to be around her while she is healing because he always wants to play with her like they use to and I have been having to correct him when he tries to get too rough with her because he tries to nibble or gnaw on her legs and tug on her neck like he always has and she use to be able to handle him but now I am supper protective. I worry that how protective I am might make her feel kind of alienated or something, and that it is kind of unfair to Bear to tell him No That's Bad for just trying to play, I am sure he does not understand what is going on.
I would really appreciate any and all opinions, experiences, and info everyone who reads this has.
Hello and welcome. I'm so sorry to hear about Pearl's diagnosis, I know how hard that is to cope with and rest assured many of us have dealt with that here. In fact, this community was founded because an 8-year old german shepherd was given the same diagnosis! We almost hesitated when we heard that news and almost didn't proceed with amputation but we did, and I will tell you that he got around just fine. Today our spokesdog Wyatt Ray is a five year old GSD and nothing stops him, he is amazing.
First, check out Jerry's Required Reading List for answers to the most pressing questions about life on three legs. Also, our Tripawds e-books have good info too. I know others will chime in now that your post is approved so hang in there.
The biggest thing to remember; it's not about quantity of life, it's about quality. Pearl doesn't kknow that 2 months have elapsed since you first started dealing with this (we've had some folks have much larger lag times between symptoms and dx, including us), she just wants to feel better. Every extra day you have together is icing on the cake, whether it's one month or one year. Chemo isn't mandatory either; many dogs have had it and not lived up to the statistics, while others have skipped it and blown those survival rates out of the water. And the thing is, many dogs outlive the grim prognosis, you just never know!
So hang in there, check out our community and. know that it's not about the number of days left but about how good of a quality of life you have together with whatever time you do have left. More to come, stay tuned.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello, I did read your whole story and I am so sorry you are dealing with this. I can tell that you that Jerry's books are great and were a life-saver for me! And really helped me.
My girl, Shelby, actually broke her leg and we fixed/plated it. We did THREE biopsies (one when she was under getting the leg fixed too) and never found cancer but there was a mothy mass. But since no cancer, we fixed it. Eventually, however, she did develop cancer in her spleen and ultimately the leg had to come off and only then - after TWO biopsies of the bone since the first one STILL found nothing did we then find the cancer. So that said, I had hoped it was arthritis too but we didn't have bone cancer but hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive blood cancer. Shelby was about 24# of terrier/shiba inu/energy and she did GREAT on 3 legs. They adapt so well. We also did chemo which bought up some extra time but sadly, Shelby lost her battle in April. BUT it was worth it and she was pain free. Dogs can mask their pain so well and Shelby was also on Meloxicam.
So we support you whatever you decide and we are here to help. Good luck. BTW - I don't know if I've ever seen a white german shepard. Pearl is very pretty.
alison and her shelby fur-ever in her heart
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Thank you for the info and experiences, I am sorry for your losses. I am going to check out the links right now. Will update on what I decide later, but am already leaning towards doing the amputation, and at least waiting for results to come back and knowing exactly what we are dealing with before deciding on chemo. I have read a bit about K9 instincts and Apo caps. So am also thinking about getting her on them. I already put them both on better dry food (California Natural Grain Free Lamb Meal Formula), and giving them Nupro, and fish oil. When all this happened I started researching and found out how bad some dry food can be. It was kind of scary.
Welcome, Mina, and so sorry you are dealing with cancer with Pearl. My dog Lexie is 13 (smaller than a GSD) and had aggressive tumors on her leg. I wondered the same things you did. Because they did see mets in her lungs pretty early on we tried radiation and ended up amputating later. Long story short, in hindsight I wish we had gone straight to amputation.
The first couple of weeks are always rough, but most dogs do very well on three legs -- and Lexie is *much* happier now than she was with painful leg tumors and bandage changes.
Not sure where you live, but if costs are a factor it may be worth checking with several different vets, as well as finding out if there is a vet school in your area. Costs can vary significantly (there is a thread about costs and locations, by the way). Also there is a ton of great information here you can find by using the forums' advanced search function.
Good luck and please keep us posted!
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 Mina,
So sorry to hear about your pup! Do they know what kind of cancer it is? That could help you figure out if you want to do the chemo. My Rosco had melanoma, and our oncologist did not recommend chemo, but radiation was an option for us if we didn't want to amputate. He's also getting a shot to prevent metastasis, post-amputation. We waited a really long time to get a true diagnosis (more than 2 months since we found a bump on his paw), but figuring out exactly what we were dealing with was helpful. Whatever you decide, wishing you the best!
Emily
Thank you for the advice!
We are in Anchorage, Alaska. As far as I can find there are no veterinary schools here. Everyone has to go to the lower 48 to study. I have taken her to another vet, which is where we did the chest X rays and it was cheaper because they did nott have to put her under anesthesia for them. I also already got a quote from them and the emergency clinic and their charge is at least $1000 cheaper than the emergency vet. I am also a lot happier with the time they are willing to spend answering my questions and being more straight forward with me. I
No they do not know Exactly what kind it is yet biopsy that we did came bak normal. They want to say that it is Ostiosarcoma because it is definetly in her bone but. However the radiologist said there r at least 2 other possibilities, but I can not remember the name of them right now. I know the vet said 1 of them is less aggressive and 1 is more aggressive and she realy does not think it is the more aggressive because of how her most recent x ray looks compared to the older one. I wa also told by a friend who showed a human bone cancer doctor on base the x ray and he thinks it might be giant cell tumor because of how it looks and the biopsy being normal. Which is realy rare in dogs but not totally unheard of. Anyhow I am going to talk to the vet tomorrow and most likely set the appoinent for amputation. After that we have to wait 2 to 3 weeks to get a report back from lab on exactly what it is. I hope Lexie and Rosco are both doing great!
Wow you're way up there! Well having a vet that your comfortable with and trust is worth its weight in gold.
We're all hoping the cancer isn't the aggressive one you referred to. As for supplements and such, you may want to hold off on starting any until you know exactly what you're dealing with, since not all cancers respond the same to supplements. Always work with your vet first to pinpoint the diets and holistic healing methods that can help her unique situation and of course to keep cancer from returning.
Good luck, please keep us posted. It's so nice to meet you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I asked the vet about K9 immunity and apocaps already. She had never heard of them. She looked up what she could, but told me all she could find is what I told her about. She did not think it would hurt to start giving them to Pearl, but I guess I should try to see if we have a nutritionist up her for more information. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.
Not sure if you saw it but our Tripawds Nutrition blog has this info about these supplements as well as some great tips about diet and nutrition in general. Hope it helps your research, holler in Eating Healthy if you have questions.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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