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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I am so happy to find this website and thanks goodness there are so many of you that share you stories. I recieved the devastating news yesterday that my 11 yr old chocolate lab,Moses has cancer in his left year leg. It started with what we thought was a running injury. With rest,ice and elavation he would have a day with no limping then right back to the limping. Then the swelling started..I knew something was not right with the injury. My vet informed that his back hawk was shattered. He gave us some options..we have him home for a week on rymadil to see how he does with pain and walking on three legs. We are up in the air regarding amputation..I feel that it may be the best option..but is for my selfish reasons? Does anyone have any advice on older dogs recovering after surgery? We have to do a chest xray to ensure the cancer has not mets to his chest..but I was under the impression that once the source of the cancer is gone..it is gone. Does this type of cancer show up fast? If his chest is clear..then I think we will opt for the amputation..but if it is in his chest..does anyone have any advice as to what we have to expect?
We have 2 other "kids of the 4 legged kind" at home. One being Moses's yellow lab litter mate..Shelby and the other is a 12 week old black lab Brody. My concern is the rocovery process and my 9 year old son's reaction to the surgical site. Lots of questions and what I really want to hear is that the vet was wrong..it is smiply a fracture and he will be fine in 6-8 weeks. Thanks again for this site and any advice that is given!
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Jenni, thank you for joining us here, we're so sorry to hear about Moses. Please consider registering as a Tripawds Member so that your posts don't need moderation and will be instantly approved OK? Just click the big yellow sign up button above.
First off, breathe, and take a deep breath. There's lots to consider but we hope we can help.
Start by reading our Tripawds Required Reading List. Lots of your questions can be answered there.
What kind of cancer does Moses have? If it is osteosarcoma, you must be aware that amputation will not make the cancer go away. It will come back eventually, sometimes not for a long time, sometimes in a month. Nobody ever really knows for sure, and although there are longevity statistics doctors will give you, know that all dogs are different. Also, keep in mind that by the time a dog is diagnosed with osteosarcoma, there are microscopic lung mets (cancers) already growing, x-rays just don't pick it up yet. But, that doesn't mean that there isn't hope; lots of us have lived many months, even years, with bone cancer.
The important thing is to help your dog by getting rid of the horrible pain of the fracture, ASAP. Imagine if your leg bone had exploded from the inside out, it would feel like the most horrible pain ever. You would want to do what it took to stop that pain, right? That's what amputation will do. It won't get rid of the cancer, but it will help your dog feel better once the recovery period (2-4 weeks) is over.
Other dogs are generally fine with a recovering tripawd, and while the surgery site can be a shock to children, there are lots of ways you can prepare them. Start by showing your son our videos of Tripawds having fun, swimming, etc. Once you reassure him that Moses will also have fun again, the shock of the incision will wear off. Your son is old enough to handle it, I know it.
Hope this helps, and that Moses can feel good again very soon. Good luck and keep us posted oK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My dog Charlie is 11 and a yellow lab and I too was concerned regarding the age and mobility issue. Charlie started with a limp (that I attributed to weather, then injury) but within 3 weeks his leg was amputated because the pain became terrible, even on pain killers. What type of cancer does Moses have?
Regarding the mets in the lungs, Charlie's x-rays were clear, but I didn't go any further to see if cancer had spread to any other body part nor did I have a confirmed diagnosis of his leg when I went through with the amputation. A week later I got the confirmation that it was osteosarcoma.
Charlie has recovered from the surgery remarkably well. Prior to the cancer he had slowed down quite a bit due to age, so I understand the concern regarding quality of life. I am very grateful to have found this site AND that I made the decision to amputate. The past five weeks have been great and he has enjoyed all the activities (car rides and camping) that I could have hoped for.
Regarding the surgical site: Charlie had a great bandage on and we only saw bits of the site. A week later the bandage came off and all was well, a hair on the 'not pretty' side, but we had a 9 and 7 year old over and they were both fine with it (9 days post op, which is the same day I took the photo on my avatar).
Glad you are here. Ask any questions and gather all the information. Due to cancer being common in older dogs, a lot of the people here had/have older and senior dogs.
Because of advice I received here (by browsing) I actually sat down with Charlie and had a little 'conversation' about whether this was the path to go. I felt that he had more car rides and camping trips he still needed to accomplish, thus, the decision was made.
Good luck with your decision,
VQ & Charlie
"I don't know where I am."
My dog wasn't older, so I don't have personal experience, but there are plenty of people on here that do. I'm sure some of them will chime in. What type of cancer was Moses diagnosed with? Is it osteosarcoma? Regardless of the kind, I think there is always a chance that it will show up again at some point in the future. Nothing is 100% sure.
My son is 9 also, and he's easily grossed out. He can't even watched medical dramas because of the different operations/broken bones, etc that they show. But he did ok. My approach with him was to give him as much information as I could ahead of time. I talked to him about what he might expect when she came home, what it could look like and the fact that she was going to be in a lot of pain. But I explained to him that the most important thing for him to do is to treat Roxy as though she were fine. He knew it was important for him to still talk to her and show her affection. He really stepped up to the plate and worked through his own issues to help her. She was a front leg amputee so we were able to put a shirt on her to cover the incision initially until he got used to seeing her hopping around, then expose it. I'm not sure about a rear leg. Maybe, if you decide to do the amputation, you could talk to your vet about bandaging the site?
I could type on this all day, but I know there are plenty of great people on here that have advice too. So I'll stop now. Just remember, no matter what you decide, Moses feeds off your energy. Stay as strong as you can for him. It's a hard process, but if I can make it through it, anyone can....seriously.
Leslie
Thank you so much for your replies..as I sit here typing I am crying..been doing alot of that since recieving the news.
Moses does have osteosarcoma in his left rear leg. I think after reading the post and watching the vidoes amputation is the route we will take. Moses has many more camping trips and nights sitting by the fire. This site and all of you are such a wonderful support system and I feel at peace with the choice of amputation.
How has Charlie doing since the surgery? Has his personality changed at all? I worry about his wonderful peaceful personality changing. I know many family members have told us we are being selfish and we should just put him down..but in my heart he just is not showing me this is his time. His soft gentle brown eyes still have so much light in them and he still enjoys his tennis balls..even though they are more a chewing toy then anything! 
Hello! I'm new here myself, but my lab Boomie had his right rear leg amputated 2 years ago due to osteosarcoma. I have pictures posted here of how he looked the day after his surgery. It's not pretty, but it's not too horrible either. He was about 10 years old at the time. I know how it feels to have family members disapprove. I didn't even tell my own parents for about 5 months because I knew how they would react. But all the people who live every day with Boomie agreed that amputation would be the best option for us, and we have not regretted it.
I think recovery is probably different for every dog, depending on other health issues, and Boomie's took longer than I expected, but his personality and his love for life remain unchanged.
Hoping for the best possible outcome for your Moses.
Cindy
Cindy and Boomie
Boomie's leg was amputated due to osteosarcoma on May 15, 2008. He enjoyed over two and a half years of life after that, one day at a time. He died on Feb. 21, 2011.
It is not unusual for friends and family members to simply not get it. With osteosarcoma, the amputation is about eliminating pain. It is an extremely painful disease, and if you are a candidate for the surgery, it is the way to take that pain away.
We made the decision almost 22 months ago and have not regretted it for a moment. We have been blessed to have all these many months with her.
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.
I hate to hear that your family is only making it harder on you. This situation is hard enough the way it is. Try your best to ignore the negativity. Some people just don't get it. I faced that at work. But in reality, only the people who really know the dog have enough information to make the decision. Follow your heart and what Moses is telling you. I would also like to add that i worried about Roxy's personality changing, but it didn't. Not even just a little bit. 
jenni22776rn said:
How has Charlie doing since the surgery? Has his personality changed at all? I worry about his wonderful peaceful personality changing. I know many family members have told us we are being selfish and we should just put him down..but in my heart he just is not showing me this is his time. His soft gentle brown eyes still have so much light in them and he still enjoys his tennis balls..even though they are more a chewing toy then anything!
Charlie's personality only changed on Tramadol and right after the surgery due to the drugs they gave him during the surgery. Since then, he's happier than before due to the lack of pain. He has even resumed: violent head shaking, kicking yards of grass 'over' his pee and poop (they never land there, but the divots are huge. We've learned the hard way to be no where near him when he does it, or you risk flying debris), lifting his leg to pee (okay, so he leans against the tree to do it, but still!) and within the last few days, jumping up and down like a moron at the door if he senses we are about to leave (if you've ever seen a little dog do it, it's a straight up in the air thing: boing, boing, boing). Seeing a large dog jump straight up and down in the air is a sight, let alone with three legs. My long-winded point: personality hasn't been lost!
As far as family members are concerned: Mr. VQ's first question to me after finding out the cost of amputation was "And how much does it cost to put him down?" I gave him the "So you want a divorce" look and am making him pay for all of it. 
Glad you found this site! Moses is a handsome boy!
"I don't know where I am."
Hi there - you've gotten some great comments here and I just wanted to add mine...my Mackenize - (golden retriever) was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (front leg) in Sept '09 and then had her amputation Nov '09. She just celebrated her 8 month ampuversary and 10 months since her diagnosis and she's still going great. I was so resistant to amputation at first - thought it would be the worst thing we could do - but then we had no other option but to amputate (either that or lose her) so we opted for amputation. I have no regrets whatsoever and you will find that the majority (at least 99%) of those of us who had to amputate have no regrets either. As it is, my golden is swimming, running, climbing up hills and doing all the things that she loves, but couldn't have done these things had we not amputated. In fact, she wouldn't be here with me now. (I'm a proud tripawd pawrent so you can check out her videos on my blog http://www.mack.....ipawds.com if you want to see how well a tripawd does.) Believe me I was so traumatized by this decision but it was the best decision we could have ever made. (But I won't sugar coat it when I say that the 2 week recovery time can be really difficult and tough - but once you get through that you realize that it was all worth it in the end).
Keeping our paws crossed that Moses does really well - there are several older dogs on this website who have recovered very well too. Keep us posted and hope that Moses feels better very soon!
Kami (Mackenzie's Mom)
My sweet golden Mackenzie. She became my angel on Dec 29, 2010 at the age of 8 1/2 although she was always my angel from the time we brought her home. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in Sept 2009 and officially became a tripawd (front leg) on Nov 5, 2009. She will be forever in my heart and now she's running free with all of our other tripawd heroes. I love you Mackenzie!
Kami,
Thanks so much for your reply! I just watched your videos and I must admit I cried...but it was a good cry! It gave me so much hope for my Moses! Mackenzie is just a lovley dog and her eyes are so kind..you look at her and just see the love all around her...thank you so much for giving me the link.
As a update..we made the appointment for Moses next week to have the amputation....it was a hard call to make but Moses and I had a long chat and he gave a look with his gentle big brown eyes and wagged his tail when I asked him if he would be ok with the choice to amputate..I know it is silly and he did't understand anything of what I was saying,..but just having the "talk" with my Modozer made it better. It is strange and I know the advice is to treat your pet the same..but I find myself looking at Moses and having so much pride in him for being so brave during this new battle. I just want to hug him and touch him as much as possible..he follows me around the house as if he knows something is diffrent.
I admit we are so very nervous for his surgery..I worry alot about little things..but this site and reading all the post and seeing all the videos have helped so much! Thanks again everyone! 
jenni22776rn said:
...this site and reading all the post and seeing all the videos have helped so much!
Thanks for the update and kind comment, just be sure to log in when you visit the forums so your're posts appear immediately without requiring moderation. Best wishes for Mr Mo.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Tai and I are relieved that you made the brave decision to remove Moses painful leg. Although it doesn't cure anything it allows him the opportunity for quality of life. Tai had/has osteosarcoma and is almost 7 months post amp. She does pretty much everything she used to do on 4 legs - albeit slightly slower sometimes. As everyone has said, the first 2 weeks after the amputation can be difficult. Tai had some issues with the Tramadol and a bit of phantom limb pain but otherwise sailed through the recovery period. I wouldn't change my decision for anything. She is the same loving, happy, loyal companion that she always was. I think our bond is even stronger now than it was (if thats possible).
Laura and Tai
VQ...oh I loved this comment, I laughed hard.
As far as family members are concerned: Mr. VQ's first question to me
after finding out the cost of amputation was "And how much does it cost
to put him down?" I gave him the "So you want a divorce" look and am
making him pay for all of it. 
Tai – 9 yr old lab. Diagnosed Osteosarcoma Dec 18/09. Front right leg amputated Dec 21/09. Started chemo Jan 7/10. Lung mets discovered Sept 16/10. Valiant to the end on Oct 26/10 when cancer reappeared in a leg and we made the decision to set her free. Forever in my heart where not even cancer can take her from me.
Thank you for your very kind comments. I know Moses will do well - just you wait and see. I totally understand why you would be nervous about this.....it's something so major and monumental. I think I was 2nd guessing my decision all the way up to the day of the surgery. Then when Mackenzie hopped out to see me the next morning following her surgery, I cried but they were tears of joy now because my baby was alive and she was my miracle. It's going to be highly emotional for you these next several weeks (so just be prepared and know that it's all normal what you're feeling and part of this process) and also know that you are doing the right thing for Moses - the best part being that you'll be taking his pain away once and for all.
We'll be keeping you in our thoughts and keeping our paws crossed for Moses that everything goes well!
Kami
My sweet golden Mackenzie. She became my angel on Dec 29, 2010 at the age of 8 1/2 although she was always my angel from the time we brought her home. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in Sept 2009 and officially became a tripawd (front leg) on Nov 5, 2009. She will be forever in my heart and now she's running free with all of our other tripawd heroes. I love you Mackenzie!
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