Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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hey guys. wow this is really hard. I cant talk about this without crying, and now apparently I cant write about it either :/ My baby Toby has been diagnosed with bone cancer in her left hind leg and I am falling apart. Toby is a white German Shepherd and she just turned 9 a week ago 
She started limping from one day to the next so i took her to the vet and they told us what it was. they gave us some pills for her to take and the limping when away for now. But im still very worried. 
So the vet basically gave us three options: euthanize, just keep her on medication (but he did warn us her bone might break), or amputation. I just want to know if amputation is the best choice to go. Because i think it is but i dont know about the risks. Also if we do go that way is sooner better than later?? God knows id do anything for my baby put unfortunately I wasnt born into the "privileged few" im an 17 year old girl who barely has a part time job and who is certain wont get any help from her parents so im gonna have to cover all of the expenses. Does anyone know if theres help we can get or have any suggestions. please please please if anybody has any suggestion please let me know. ok thanks
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Hi JC,
I'm so sorry to hear about your Shepherd. My heart goes out to you, we've been through a bone cancer diagnosis ourselves (that's why Tripawds was created!), and understand the pain both you and your pup are going through.
OK first things first: your dog is in excruciating pain (they hide it so well), bone cancer (osteosarcoma, it sounds like?) is very painful. Sooner is better than later to make a decision (imagine your leg disintegrating, it hurts a lot). So you'll need to decide if your girl is a good candidate for surgery. It sounds like your vet thinks she is?
Typically most dogs do great on three legs. In my own experience with having two German Shepherds who went through amputation, they are incredibly resilient and bounce back really well. Most all dogs do but GSDs especially (OK I'm biased, I admit!). Unless she has a condition like bad hip displaysia or a problem where surgery will be too much for her body to handle, she will likely recuperate and do fine on three legs. Keep in mind that amputation for osteosarcoma is not something that cures the cancer, it will still be there, but you'll get rid of the tumor and hopefully keep it from returning elsewhere for as long as possible.
See our blog post, Frequently Asked Questions About Tripawd Dogs and Cats, Part 1
While chemo is recommended for treating osteosarcoma, it is not mandatory and it's a very personal choice. Our own Jerry had osteosarcoma at age 8, we didn't do chemo and he lived two years! It's all a roll of the dice so if you can't do chemo please dont' feel bad. What's important is to help her now by deciding on surgery. Unfortunately, pain pills don't usually last very long to ease the pain, maybe weeks if your lucky, but it usually does hasten the need to euthanize sooner.
If you decide you want to amputate, then why is it you think your parents won't help? Have they said they won't? If they won't because they assume amputation is cruel (very common thinking, another reason why we started Tripawds), then why not calmly ask them to visit our website. Show them our videos, our Tripawds blog, and let them see that dogs can live very good lives on three legs. Even with cancer! Many people start out thinking "no way!" when the vet says amputation (we did ourselves!), but after coming here they see that it's definitely a good choice if the dog's a candidate for surgery and they want more quality tome together. I would also be willing to talk to them too if you'd like, you can Private Message me by clicking on the button across from my name here in this reply, and we can exchange information.
If it's a financial matter, there are many ways to help pay for surgery (see: How to Find Emergency Financial Help for Vet Bills). We can give you more ideas but let us know what you think about showing them our community first.
I hope this helps. We have a great community here so wait for others to chime in. And consider registering so your posts will appear instantly and you can join our chat room (you will normally find people there in the evenings).
Hang in there. You obviously care about your pup a lot and we will do what we can to help you both.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi JC,
Jerry really gave you so much great advice, so I just wanted to chime in and offer some support. 17 years old - wow! You sound like one really grown up, caring doggy mama for just 17! I know how hard hearing the diagnosis is and I was 30 when Jill was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, so please know we are all here for you. This is the greatest support community and we're all hear to offer words of advice, hugs, and just be a shoulder to lean on.
Where are you located? Maybe one of us is near you and knows of some place that may offer some kind of pay plan or something? I know some vets offer that.......
Let us know what you need, k?
xoxo,
Erica & Tripawd Kitty Jill
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
oh my god Thank You So Much Jerry and Rica55!! I just got home from work and found your messages waiting for me. I cannot tell you how much that means to me :')
Jerry I want to thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to explain and give all the info you provided. I really needed something like that.. The relationship I have with my parents is complicated. They see things way differently than I do. But rest assure I will try very hard to explain to them that this is the best option. I must admit money is a big factor to their opinion, but jwith the information you provided hopefully we can find a solution If all else fails, Ill take your offer of you talking to my parents, Jerry xoxo
And Erica thanks for your hugs and support 
Me and Toby appreciate it greatly! Im located in the SanFernando Valley in California. Do you know of anyone close by?? xoxo
You're so welcome JC. Let us know how we can help. Don't forget to register so your posts will appear automatically.
We have quite a few members in Southern CA!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
jc said
And Erica thanks for your hugs and support
I'm in Los Angeles and while I can't offer any resources on how to pay, I can recommend great vets / places to go. Where are you currently going? I am in Playa Del Rey (down by LAX). PLease let me know if there is anything - anything at all - that I can help out with!!!
Alison with the Spirit of 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
PS .... another thought - there is a credit card called "care credit" and it helped us a lot. Basically it's a no interest card that has promotional rates (i.e., you can defer payment for up to a year or something). It's designed to be used to medical expenses INCLUDING vet bills. Our vets in LA took it and it really helped manage Shelby's treatments with easier payment plans.
Shelby has since passed but to a different kind of cancer but she was a tripawd and she did really well on three legs. She wasn't using that leg anyways but I was also scared to do it but seeing how happy and pain free she was, it made it worth while!
Hang in there!!!
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
mom2shelby said
I'm in Los Angeles and while I can't offer any resources on how to pay, I can recommend great vets / places to go. Where are you currently going? I am in Playa Del Rey (down by LAX). PLease let me know if there is anything - anything at all - that I can help out with!!!
Alison with the Spirit of Shelby fur-ever in her heart
Thanks for your support Allison <3 I am currently taking her to Crescenta Valley Veterinary Hospital. Her doctors jname is Dr. Keith Youn.
Thanks for the tip on the credit card. Im going to apply for it Do you have any tips on how to fill out the application? I wanna make sure I get approved thanks again!
p.s: I <3 Shelby
Just looking for any updates to your situation. I can't imagine how you must feel. At 17, it must be like the world is on your shoulders. It's not, you've got our shoulders as well. It's so much easier when you've got this community as a resource of support.
pam
Harmony became a Tripawd on 10/21/14 (MCT). She left us way too soon on 11/1/14.
"We miss you so much; our love, our heart, our Harmony."
- Pam, Ron and Melody, Meesha, Doublestuff and Mariah Carey
hi guys! sorry ive been m.i.a. ive just had a lot on my plate and going online was not necessarily a priority. I just want to update you guys on whats going on with my baby 🙂
So we did the surgery on March 10. Everything went smoothly thank god. That first week though, was one of the worst of my life. Toby HATED her cone. She didnt sleep at all (which consequently meant that neither me nor my sister slept at all) and she would cry (which consequently meant that both our hearts got broken). I wanna take this time to give a shout-out to my sister Valery for all the help.
By the second week she got used to her cone and we all got a little more sleep. When it was time to take her stitches out and take her cone off, things were looking up. Toby was once again like her old self 🙂 Things have been good since then. Just taking care of my baby and working hard to be able to pay off the surgery cost.
I do wanna ask you guys a question and hopefully you can help me out and ease my mind. About 2 weeks ago I came home from school and all of a sudden Toby started to cry. She couldnt lay down or move around cus she would cry. This happened on a saturday and my vet had already closed when this began so I didnt know what to do. This lasted about half the day.She finally fell asleep and woke up the next day as if nothing had happened. I was so relieved. But this happened again yesterday. I was at work when it happened this time but my sister was taking care of her. She gave her acepromazine so she could sleep and she still pretty groggy today because of. Does anybody know why this is happening???? thanks again for caring guys <3
Oh it's SO good to hear from you! Thanks for the update. Wow that's wonderful things went well overall. You and your sister are ANGELS and super duper rock stars, congrats on getting over the hardest part.
So, any time a dog cries out like that after surgery it's often a result of post-amputation pain, caused by any number of things but often muscle pulls due to too much activity too soon, joint stress, to phantom limb pain. The first thing you can do right away is keep a log of when she cries out and for how long it lasts. Ask yourself, what was she doing right before it happened? Walking? Playing? Did she slip? Keep a note of these symptoms as you go along, just in case you need to talk to the vet about this if it continues.
We have this great article about pain management for amputee pets, and this article has many tips to alleviate post-amputation pain, such as gentle massage. Be sure to check them out.
Meanwhile, please make sure it's OK to give her the Ace, talk to the vet. Ace is not an anti-anxiety drug and does not provide any analgesia (pain relief). Especially with German Shepherds, it can make them crazy. We learned this the hard way with our own Shepherd. Here is some info about it from Fearful Dogs;
While under the effect of Ace, the animal still has a very strong fear, anxiety, avoidance or arousal response, but it does not physically display these reactions and is less able to react.
It's always good to give your vet a call and let them know what's going on. Keep them in the loop in case she needs to be taken in for a look.
We would LOVE to see some pictures of Toby! Here's how to add images to posts.
P.S. I'm really curious how your parents dealt with all of this?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Wow! How did I miss all this?! Just catching up!
Clearly you've made the best decisw for Toby and it's wonderful to hear he's doing so well! And itsw still relatively early in recovery!
As always, Jerry as given great advice!
Please let us know how things are going, okay? And Toby's avataw picture is sooooo handsome!
Hugs to all!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
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!
I'm with you Sally...a little late to the discussion but better late than never! 
Anywhoooo...Toby is just precious in the avatar pic. And wow...you're only 17 and handling such a major surgery for your fur baby!
I'm so happy that you were able to get Toby the surgery and that things have been going pretty well. Those first few weeks of recovery are pretty tough but then things even out and get back to normal.
Like Jerry said it does sound like Toby is vocalizing some sort of pain. And it's important to try to narrow down the cause because there's different medications to treat pain. If what Toby is experiencing if phantom limb pain then a med called Gabapentin is usually prescribed. If it's from over exertion or muscle pain then anti-inflammatories are usually prescribed such as Rimadyl. Then there are narcotic based meds for pain such as Tramadol.
Keeping a log will really help in narrowing down the cause. If Toby hasn't over exerted herself and there's no sort of physical trauma then you may be looking at phantom limb pain.
Hang in there and keep us updated!!
We'd also love to see some pictures of your beautiful Toby!!
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
hi jerry...wow what do you mean it can make them crazy? We only gave some once before. The vet prescribed for her vet visits because she can be a little feisty but I didnt like how long it took to wear off. This time when toby started crying, I think my sister panicked so she gave her half a pill to see if she would calm down. But Im gonna throw away the remaining pills we have.
uhh the thing with my parents is that, while im sure they love toby, they only see her a pet I guess. Whereas I would give my life for her. If it was up to them, they wouldnt of have done the surgery. They straight out tried to talk me out of it. But I explained I would be paying for it with my own money so they didnt have a say in the matter. I mean, they arnt completely heartless. I only got a credit limit of 2000 so I was 200 hundred short. My dad agreed to put the rest lol. And they have been petting her a lot more than they used to so thats good 🙂
But guys weve had another set back. These past 2 days toby hasnt been able to put weight on her back leg. Shes been dragging it whenever she wants to move. Im scarred to death right now. pleeeese guys I need some help. how do I fix this 🙁
Awww, geez. I am so sorry Toby and you are going through this setback. My best advice is to call your vet and get Toby seen ASAP. I don't want to scare you but it could be anything from a muscle pull to hip dyplasia. Just wondering, did the vet do xrays of her remaining hip before the surgery? This may well be related to the earlier signs that she was having some pain (when she was crying sporadically), which has been going on for a little while, so it seems like the only course at this point is to get in touch with your vet.
Can she put any weight on her back leg at all? You can use a towel under her belly to help with her mobility. You can also take a cloth shopping bag and cut out the sides so it opens up and can go under her belly and you can use the handles to help support her.
It is awesome you have taken on the financial responsibility for Toby's amputation surgery and I know that you have limited funds but maybe your vet can work out a payment plan for Toby's ongoing treatment? Also, you probably already looked at it but here is a link to financial resources to help folks pay for their pet's vet bills.
I hope this helps!
xoxoxo to you and Toby,
Martha, Codie Rae, and the Oaktown Pack
Woohoo! Tripawds Rule!
Regulator of the Oaktown Pack, Sheriff of the Oaktown Pawsse, Founding member and President of the Tripawd Girldogs With 2 Names ROCK Club, and ... Tripawd Girldog Extraordinaire!
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