Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Our almost 9 year old lab was diagnosed with a liposarcoma on his rear left leg last fall. The debulking/diagnosis surgery was performed by an excellent surgeon, but they had to leave visible tumor behind since it was wrapped around the tendon in his leg. We went to New England Veterinary Oncology Group (NEVOG) for prognosis. Chemo was not recommended and radiation will just buy some time, amputation is the only cure. They felt it was reasonable to wait and see, but 10 months later the tumor returned although it is still small (size of a nickel in diameter). He was just seen by a surgeon at Tufts and they recommend amputation. We have now been told a second debulking will only get half the amount of time as the first. Zak has never showed signs of discomfort, is at an ideal body weight and is in excellent health otherwise (as far as we know).
Risk of metastasis is low (10-15%), but low does not mean zero, and we already waited to see if we could get away with debulking only. I don't find a lot on the site regarding liposarcoma, although I understand it is relatively rare. We will probably go ahead with the amputation surgery, but struggle with timing. My husband wanted to give him as much time on 4 legs as possible. Also since we live in New England and winter is coming we have also been worried about how he will fare with ice and snow following surgery and considered waiting until spring. Once we decide to go ahead Tufts will do a chest X-ray, bloodwork, and aspirate the lymph node that drains the leg to make sure he truly has a clean baseline otherwise.
We have two other dogs (10 year old hound and a 2 year old boxer/terrier) as well as two children. This is such a huge decision, but Zak is such a love and so important in our family. Our son had a serious medical situation when he was younger and lost use of his left hand and has reduced use of his left leg. Zak sleeps in his room and is his comfort and emotional protection. We love all our dogs, but Zak holds a special place in everyones heart.
We are so fortunate to live in close proximity to excellent veterinary hospitals and I have read Three Legs and a Spare . Just haven't found the crystal ball yet.
Welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not require moderation.
I'm sorry you have found yourself here, but at the same time you have found a very supportive community.
What do the vets say about waiting? For me if there was a chance of mets I would do the surgery as soon as possible. If amputation cures the cancer I would go ahead.
But then I live in CA and don't have to worry about the white stuff, and I have the advantage of a Tripawd journey for reference. If I had faced a less aggressive cancer I think it would have complicated the amputation decision. For us there was really no option to wait, it did make the decision a bit easier.
You are smart to factor everything, this is a big surgery and a big time commitment through the healing process. Consider all your options and make the best decision for Zak and your whole pack.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Offline
This just sounds so familiar to me. You live in an area where you have access to the finest of vets which is good. Rather than go through Harley's complete medical history I have chrono'd it at http://myharley.....ipawds.com I have not seen a lot of dogs on this site with liposarcoma, but a few come to mind so hopefully they will share their experiences
Kathy
Harley is an 8 year old Golden Retriever. Amp surgery for an infiltrative lipoma canceled due to two masses in chest. A rescue, he found his forever home on 3/18/07 and left for his eternal home on 1/09/13. His story and medical history are at http://myharley.....pawds.com/
Sorry, I meant to add good luck with your decision
Also, there is a recent post or blog on a dog named Maggie. I think she is also a rear amp and this was for a soft tissue sarcoma or liposarcoma, Maybe one of the vets can clarify if liposarcoma is a soft tissue sarcoma. And Maggie is a successful amp having just celebrated either 3 or 4 years post amp! And . . . I think she is a NEVOG alum
Harley is an 8 year old Golden Retriever. Amp surgery for an infiltrative lipoma canceled due to two masses in chest. A rescue, he found his forever home on 3/18/07 and left for his eternal home on 1/09/13. His story and medical history are at http://myharley.....pawds.com/
Sorry you had to find us here. I don't know much about liposarcoma. But you mention your pup is at an ideal weight and that is good news as thinner pups do better post amp.
Most dogs do great on three legs. I know it is a tough decision. For us, there was no real choice as Abby's cancer was so aggressive. We did the amp right away.
Good luck with your decision. Keep us posted,
Jackie, angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
I would recommend amputation, and the sooner the better. Liposarcoma does have a much lower rate of metastasis than osteosarcoma, but there is still a risk. The longer the tumor is there, the more chance it has to eventually spread. To wait until spring and then find that the tumor had spread would be crushing to me.
I would have given the world to have been able to cure my dog by amputating the leg. I know it sounds daunting, but as you've probably read, 3 legged dogs do just fine! Given your son's medical condition, maybe he can empathize more with Zak and be his protector during the post-op period. I don't mean to be presumptuous, as obviously I do not know your situation.
Best wishes to you and Zak.
Right hind limb amputated 7/3/12 for OSA, started on alternating cycles of Carboplatin and Doxorubicin and oral Palladia. Single lung met 9/1. Met in the neck muscle removed 9/30. Large mass in sublumbar lymph node 10/2. Rescue chemo with ifosfamide 10/6. Mets to the rib and axillary lymph node 10/21. Started Leukeran and Pred 10/25. Wookie left this Earth for a far better place on 12/4/12. I miss you, Boo, you were my heart.
Zak, you are a pretty handsome pup!
Well, I agree with everyone's thoughts here. Amputation is scary, especially when you have so much on your hands, but with this kind of tumor, the sooner the better. If your husband watches some videos here maybe it will help him see that with 3 legs, Zak will be just as good, sporty and adventurous as he was with 4, and even happier because there will be no more surgeries in his future.
You have a great veterinary team on your side. I wouldn't worry too much about recuperation this time of year. Yes, snow and ice adds a challenge but many Tripawds members have gone through it and found it wasn't nearly as bad as they thought it would be.
The dog Kathy is referring to is Maggie from Maine. Maggie is not a NEVOG alum but she had an undefined soft tissue sarcoma that didn't stop her from living a great life after amputation. A NEVOG alum is Butchey Hudson, you might want to check out his blog.
Good luck with this decision. We are here to help any way we can OK?
PS. Thanks for reading our book, we hope it helped.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello All,
I have found your blog by Google search. I too have a dog with a recent Liposarcoma diagnosis. Its on his right dorsum and it was incompletely excised, tumor grade was low 0-1. Yukon, my Alaskan Malamute, had surgically placed chemotherapy beads into the site. He has been on two different Chinese herbs and has been doing wonderful. I found a new lump a few days ago and had it checked out by our Oncologist. It is of concern because it is very close to the healed incision. The fine needle aspiration was inclusive as the fluid that was aspirated was milky like and eosinophilic in nature. No inflammatory cells, neoplastic cells, or organisms seen. We are waiting 2 weeks and observing the new lump for growth before we make a decision on what to do. Any help and/or experiences people can provide me would be much appreciated.
Thank you,
Pam
Hi Pam, thanks so much for sharing Yukon's story. I hope that the new lump isn't anything serious and you wont' need amputation. In the meantime I'm hoping others can chime in with their own experiences, in addition to these liposarcoma search results.
We're also very curious about the surgically implanted chemotherapy beads, we've only had one or two dogs receive that kind of treatment, so please consider starting a new topic so we can hear more about it.
Keep us posted OK? Oh and please consider registering so your future posts wont' require moderation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you everyone for all your insight and well wishes! It really does help to have feedback from knowledgable folks that have gone through this as pet parents and not just information from the oncologists and surgeons.
Last fall when Zak had his diagnostic/de-bulking surgery, and then the prognosis appointment, we were under the impression that metastasis with liposarcoma is rare (the tumor is also rare) and that waiting was quite reasonable to see how much time we got out of the initial surgery. After talking to the surgeon this fall, and hearing slightly different stats, we certainly don't want to risk those numbers. We are grateful he doesn't have a more aggressive cancer, and that we had options, although sometimes I feel like options muddy the waters a bit.
We have decided to go ahead with the surgery sooner rather than later and will do his pre-work in November (most likely at Tufts) to make sure he is a candidate for the amputation surgery. They are planning to do a chest x-ray, blood work, and aspirate the lymph node that drains the left rear leg.
Hopefully all will come back clean and he can continue with us as a tripawd.
Well, we always say "no regrets" here. Dogs don't and neither should humans, right? Lots of folks here have lots of would-have and should-have stories to share, but all you can do is look at it as education. You're definitely on the right track with all of the bases covered, and an awesome medical team on your side. Good luck with everything and let us know if we can do anything for you in the meantime. Paws crossed things go smoothly!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
It's always nice to have a decision made. Hope all goes well. Keep us posted!
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Zak had his annual check-up yesterday along with his surgery pre-work. 3 view chest X-rays were clean, bloodwork and urinalysis were perfect.. Lymph aspirated was normal with adipose tissue. The vet did say this is normal, but that in the case of a liposarcoma that it then needs to be combined with the clinical observation of the node (which was normal). This is because of the possibility that what they are calling adipose tissue could be liposarcoma, and not just the surrounding fat they go through to get to the node. Wish that was a bit more cut and dry, but it is what it is. The only way to know definitively would be to remove the node and send it out for histology which was not advised. All reports came back perfect, and I suppose that should be such a relief, and it is, but it also means he is that much closer to the amputation surgery. He is scheduled to be admitted to Tufts on Dec. 6th for surgery on the 7th. Pre-work at the vet was $500. Surgery estimate at Tufts is $3,000. Excellent care does come at a price.
I know so many of you would be thrilled to have such a good prognosis with amazing veterinary care in close proximity, but I have to say it is a horribly hard call to make. He is in no pain, tearing around the yard, and I am about to remove his leg because it has a bump on it. Yes, a cancerous, growing bump, but right now it seems like such a drastic step! I know if we want to cure him this is the only course of action, but really, wow. I would never wish him pain, but if he could show some slight discomfort it would really help ease my mind!
On to planning. We are very worried about our hardwood stairs and will initially block them. I have started the ball rolling to get estimates to have a runner installed. Will be much quieter all around in this 3 dog 2 kid household, but especially when he drops his beloved dura chew nylabone down the stairs. No more clunking down each of the 12 steps.
Other things here or in the works:
-Ruffwear webmaster harness
-elevated bowl
-stair treads for deck stairs. Looking at Waterhog treads.
-Dr. Buzby's Toe Grips
and Power Paws socks. Not sure which will work best for him
-hall runners/throw rugs
-orthopedic bed
instead of his gushy bean bag chair
-Bella's pain relief pad
-Otto step
-Pro Collar - hate to use an E-collar if I don't have to, so I hope the Pro Collar will be sufficient
-Superyard to keep him initially confined in our sunroom
I have been reading the forums about pain management , phantom limb, etc. and I am sufficiently daunted.
Thank you for all your support! What a fabulous resource.
I know what you mean, it's definitely a hard call to make when there is no apparent pain. But one thing to keep in mind is that dogs to a terrific job at hiding their pain, they refuse to show it until it's so bad they are unable to any longer.
Amputation isn't an easy call to make when you're in this kind of situation, but try to make a list of all of the reasons why you think you should do it, and reasons why you shouldn't, and you'll probably see that the advantages of amputation outweigh repeated surgeries to debulk the tumor.
It sounds like you're really educating yourself and doing a good job to prepare. Thankfully you've had a lot of notice, so that's terrific. Yes, all of the info is daunting, so try to keep a journal of all of your questions and that might help it seem less chaotic in your mind.
Based on what we've seen, the estimate you got from Tufts is relatively on par with other teaching hospitals. It's a lot, for sure, but what a relief that you're getting such great care both before, during and after amputation.
I agree that the stairs should be blocked off. We had the same issue in our home. Traction is key not only for safety but for building confidence too. Eventually he'll be able to handle those stairs without a hitch in his giddyup!
Hang in there, you're doing great. Whatever we can do to help, please let us know.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I can't imagine how hard it is to make that call in your shoes. For us, Abby was definitely in pain from the bone cancer. The leg had to go, so it went.
I really think it will all be okay. He'll amaze you with how well he adapts and how he just gets on with the business of being a dog. I'm not saying there won't be some hard spots and bumps on the road to getting there - but I really think that's where you are headed. It's truly an awesome thing to be a tripawd pawrent. Hang in there.
Sounds like you are well prepared! Keep us posted,
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
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