Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My 11 year old, 86 pound amazing dog Brooklyn just received the diagnosis of osteosarcoma. Brooklyn had ligament repair surgery on his right knee in December 2007 and in October 2008 his left knee was operated on for the same thing. His left knee never seemed to heal as well as the right so from time to time he would limp. Over the past month, Brooklyn has been a tripod not bearing much weight on his left knee. I attributed it to arthritis or built up scar tissue. When I took him to the specialist yesterday, I was blindsided by the diagnosis of osteosarcoma. I've been researching and discussing my options with doctors, it seems a common one is amputation of the left hind leg. I worry about the pain after the initial amputation surgery and I am distraught over the short life expectancy afterwards. Can anyone provide some insight? My ultimate goal is to increase his life expectancy all while keeping him free of pain. Words can't describe the emotional impact this has had one me. Any thoughts are very much appreciated.
Hi,
It's a shock isn't it:(
This is the only advice I can give, and I am nowhere near an expert I'm just going by my case..
The way I saw it is, amputation may or may not bide him more time, but to me it was worth the risk. It will take the tumour pain away, and I would think the after surgery pain is much easier to control than a bone tumour growing. They are agressive and a few weeks makes a big difference, if a break doesn't happen then the pain from the growing tumour may not always be controlled possibly making for an earlier decision to put them to sleep.
Some people do decide to just keep their dog comfortable on pain meds without amputation there is no right and wrong it's a personal choice and many dogs do okay with this too.
I saw the amputation as a possible way to see my dog enjoying life again, he was limping and couldn't go for walks that isn't a life so we had no choice in this case.
I wish you luck, it's so difficult but in my case I just said to the vet take that nasty tumour away! Yes it has more than likely spread but at least the pain has gone and he is peddling around on three legs:)
Speak to your vet and see if he thinks he can do well on three legsx
Thank you so much for your insight! I am leaning in favor of the amputation option but think I am battling the reality of Brooklyn's longevity. My uncle is my vet and feels the amputation is a good choice, which is comforting because I know he wouldn't steer me in the wrong direction. How was the initial pain after the surgery? What was the recovery like? Did you do chemo after the amputation? I've been reading mixed reviews about chemo.
Oh I'm so glad you started your own topic here!
Ok so I replied to your other post, but also suggest checking out Jerry's Required Reading List and the Tripawds e-book Library, which can help put your mind at ease about this big decision.
As for chemo, you'll find a great discussion about the good and not so good here.
I'm so sorry about the diagnosis but glad you found us, we're here to help.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Online
Oh gosh! This is sooooo scarey at first!! I dn't think I stopped crying for weeks before AND after!
You realkyhave a great focus on quality and that is what it's all about! NO ONE has ANY guarantees of longevityon this journey called "life"! AND, no dog or cat co es with a timeframe stamped n their butt either!!
Okay, take a deeeeep breath...really, d it now...B R E A T H E......B R E A T H E.....exhale slowly....not, slower than that...okay..deeeeeeep breath....exhale.....
Good job!
I can only tell you my experience and, as others have said...there is no right or wrong.
My Happy Hannah jst celebrated her ten month "ampuversary" (yeah, that's what we call 'em round here
) and continuing forward (knocking on wood over here). I can tell you we have had the most joyful, fun, happy, loving time every second of everyday! I went from, "absolutely no amputation, to amputating andmthinking for two weeks I had made the worse decision ever" and now kowingit was the best choice I could jave made.
I free her up from pain and I gave her a chance to enjoy more loving and spoiling than anyone could ever imagine possible!!
Brooklyn doesn't know he's "sick" and doesn't care about any ole' stupid statistics...he's just living in the moment and has NO worries! We all learn to live our lives more like our dogs on this joirney. We learn to Be More Dog !
As far as statistics...around here Jerry says "statistical ly speaking...nine out of ten statistics are wrong!" And we've got proof! Bart is a several year osteo. survivor...Lilly, several years...Jackson just celebrated a year....and many more whose names have left me. AND, make no mistake avout it, some only get a few months AND, a few, for whatever reason, only make it a few weeksor less. So it IS a risk!
For me, as I saw how vibrant and happy and how much Happy Hannah was loving life...I knew I had to give her a chance. For me, I knew I would second guess myself from now to eternity if f I didn't.
And remember...and this was a deciding factor for me also.....in "dog years", six months equals three years! And one year equals SEVEN and it just keeps getting better!
When you can separate yourself from quantity, and totaly immerse yourself in quality AND living in the moment just like Brooklyn, then you have a win/win all the way around! You will treasure every second of everyday and you will cram a lifetime of love into every moment.
For me, recovery was really rough for the first two, maybe even three weeks I stayed gued to this site and they pulled me back from the edge dozens of times! They kept promising it would get better and boy oh boy did it evver! Once that sparkle came back, I had to wear sunglasses it was so bright!!
Hold onto us! you are not alone! We understand! You will make your decision out of love for Brooklyn, and that will be the right decision.
Now, you have to learn how to post pictures...we would love to see more of the magnificent Brooklyn, okay?
B R E A T H E..
and surroundingyou with hugs!
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!
Hi Jerry! Thank you very much for recommending those links. They are extremely helpful and I've already found some products I will be purchasing to assist post operation.
Sally, thank you for your kind words! I have found this website to be comforting in this time of pain and disbelief. The people on here are so sincere and empathetic. It's nice to hear from people who can relate to everything I am feeling, as I have been crying nonstop. The stories I am reading are providing me with some hope. You made an extremely valid point, that six months equals three years in dog world. Congratulations to you and Hannah on your 11 month ampuversary!!! As soon as I stop my obsessive researching I will post a picture of Brooklyn.
Your post takes me back to where I was just three short months ago! I had questions, worries, concerns, fears and stress. Not sure that amputation was the right thing to do and under pressure to make the decision because of my dogs pain level. The recovery was real rough and the wonderful women on this site like Rene and Sally helped me keep my sanity! They were a god send! Now looking back on it, I would do it again in a heart beat! I didn't realize how slowly over time the pain was chipping away at my dogs quality of life until after she was healed up. I got my dog back and it was a miracle!
The choice is yours to make, and you will do whatever is best for your dog. Amputation isn't for everyone. But whatever you choose, you will have a support system here! Good luck to you and your pup, and keep us posted!
Hello! I'm not on here much as I've got limited time and emotions, but something about your story caught my heart. As you know, we're now a year post amp from osteosarcoma! We're VERY happy and SO proud of our warrior. He's really doing excellently. He's 9 and active so we never worried about how he'd do as a 3-legger. After all, you can see how well Brooklyn will do b/c he's already on 3 legs. Amputation will spare them of the pain of the tumor. Once it's gone, I wouldn't be surprised if you saw a pup you've not seen for awhile! Who knows how long he's been dealing with tumor pain much less pain from arthritis or whatever else was going on in that joint. Recovery for us was really smooth, but not everyone is so lucky. That's why we're here! We can help with concerns, questions, ideas, and support. Please reach out to us during that time. It can be heart-wrenching. But know, that in about 2 weeks, Brooklyn will be BACK, complete with sparkle! You don't have to decide on chemo now. But make up your mind about amputation. During recovery you can do more reading and research and discuss your options with an oncologist. We opted for chemo b/c: Jackson loves car rides, he's young and have a lot of life, we wanted to give him every shot possible and have no regrets. The cost was awful. However, he sailed through it! NO side effects. But our onco allowed him to be on supplements during chemo and he was given an antibiotic after every session. Then, at his third chemo we started metronomic therapy. That's something to consider also. Some pups skip IV chemo and opt for oral, at home chemo. There's very little if any data to support it's efficacy in that case, but it is a common practice for OSA. One dear pup, Libby, who's about to cross her ONE YEAR is similarly a senior pup like Brooklyn and has only been on metronomic therapy....for about a whole year. Choosing chemo, either kind, is personal, but discuss it with Brooklyn. Some say it's a crapshoot. Some don't. Depending on the pathology of Brooklyn's tumor, it may help you decide: maybe if it's really aggressive you'll opt to fight back, hard. Or, rather, realize the odds aren't great and want to soak Brooklyn in all your love rather than vet visits and bills. Either way, we're here. We've seen it. We understand. And, we won't judge. Brooklyn is in GREAT hands!
Hop over to CHAT sometime.
~ Katy & Jackson
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!
Welcome to you and Brooklyn.
My pug Maggie had a different kind of cancer, mast cell, but the punch of diagnosis was just as powerful. After her rear leg amputation her prognosis was downgraded to 6 to 9 months because of lymph node involvement (a big deal with mast cell cancer). Back then I f they had told me before the amp that we would 'only' have 6 to 9 months I'm not sure I would have opted for surgery. But now I know that those 6 to 9 months were priceless! As it turned out Maggie lived almost 4 years after her amp- I doubt she would have survived that long if I had left her cancerous leg. Not everyone is so fortunate, but I came to realize that by choosing amputation I had given her a chance! And to a dog 6 months might as well be forever- they truly live in the moment.
I did do chemo with Mag, about 6 months worth. The length and meds used are different than for OSA. She really tolerated it well, some tiredness and nausea, but she never was sick. As far as recovery after surgery- Mag was an exception in a bad way. No medical complications, we managed her pain well, she was able to walk the day of surgery. But she was a stubborn pug who HATED any change in her routine. She sulked for about 6 weeks, spending lots of time in bed, until she got used to things. After that she was her normal, happy self, although she got even more stubborn. The recovery period can be full of ups and downs, but most here see the old spark in two or three weeks.
Karen and Spirit Maggie
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Hi Emily,
I just saw you in chat- did it load for you? You have to scroll down to see the chat room
. Come on back over.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Thank you all so much for taking the time out to provide me with support, comfort and information. At this point, I think my best option is to amputate the leg. My struggles are with putting him through such an invasive surgery that is going to cause him pain, which I know in the long run will alleviate the pain from the osteosarcoma. I have anxiety over him staying in the hospital over night during recovery and not being able to be there to comfort him. When he had his knee surgeries, for each one I took off of work for two weeks each time to be with him around the clock. Unfortunately, I am not in the position to do that with the amputation and that is stressing me out. Are these fears normal or am I extremely overprotective? Any recovery stories would be greatly appreciated whether positive or negative so I can prepare myself for what is to come.
I felt the same way at first. I made sure Chance was in his crate when I had to go to work. I got the water bowls that you can attach to the inside. Are you able to go home on your lunch break or have someone check on him during the day? I crated him for about 2 weeks so he wouldn't jump on the furniture when I wasn't home. You will figure out your own routine but I would definately use a crate when you aren't home.
Chance is a 10ish Shetland Sheepdog Mix who was rescued from the shelter in January of 2013 and diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in September of 2013. He had a front left amputation and 6 rounds of carboplatin. He had a great 11 months and was diagnosed with lung mets on 8/23/14. He was released to the bridge on 8/28/14.
I'm sorry about the diagnosis. .. One day at a time is honestly the best advice I got through our journey. As for your fears and anxieties I think it's completely normal. I unfortunately couldn't amp my guy for a host of reasons, but I sure others here can chime in with advice for after care. I did notice you came into chat earlier. I wasn't sure if you were able to see us, but if you scroll all the way down, you should be able to see us. . Just in case you couldn't. Someone is there if you ever need us. If not someone tends to pop in eventually :).
Hang in there...
Lori and her Angel Chuck
Oh yeah, these fears are all perfectly "normal" on this very "not normal" journey!
As far as Brooklyn staying overnight, that's the best place for him to be the first night. I assume this is a clinic with somene t watch over the surgical patients over night? Brookyn will be out of t right after surgery. When he does start wakng up, he will be high as a kite and ridng pink elephants
It's just myself and m dogs and we live n a rural area. If I recall, I took the first three or four days she was home off. That first week they just need to rest anyway. You can set up an area of the house where she will be comfy, yet so ewhat confined. You'll just have to wait and see how she reacts to the drugs, etc. If yu can't take off, perhaps you could have a trusted friend to come over and checkn him.
I know we say this a lot, but every dog's recovery is different. My Happy Hannah whined and cried and paced for nineteen hours straight when first brought her home. I did NOT become a member of Tripawds until Day six and, prior to that, I had no idea whatsover what to expect...what was "normal", etc. Day five I saw a little spark start to come back...day six she lost her spark again...and this cycle repeated itself.....but each time, the spark gt bigger and stayed lomger. Hapy Hannah had no problem pooping r peeing or eating...sme dogs delay all three fr a bit. She did nt want to drink water though and I had to coax her fr the first week.....a scoop of ice cream in the water did the trick.
You don't want them to go up and down stairs or any jumping. Some people have to hold theirs back the first week because their dogs a re recovering faster than others! i didn't have that problem! She didn't feel like doing anything! If you have stairs going in and out, you may want to build a ramp for him. Keep a large towel on hand should you need to use it as a sling for the first day or so.
Yo WILL be amazed at how well they get arond on three legs. It's unbelievable!
You'll want to get scatter rugs if you jave ardwood floors to prevent slipping.
Just remember, we are here every step of the way to share or experiences. It realy is one of those thimgs you just find it ard to prepare for emotionally.
Oh ueah...when you pick Brooklyn up (and try and have a second persn with you if possible), don't even look at his incision.....just look into his happy glazed over eyes and tell him what a good boy he is and watch his tail wag!!
Just remember, you are taking his pain away and the recovery is just a necessary bump i the road to a happy life!
Huge hugs to you and...yeah, you know the vdrill......B R E A T H E..........
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!
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