Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My little girl Kylie is only 5 yrs old, so was completely shocked when the test results of what felt like a 'fatty leg' came back with this diagnosis. Now I have to decide. Do I amputate the leg and, if the cancer hasn't spread already, hopefully prevent it from ever spreading? They can try and remove just the tumour, but because it's on her leg, and they need to remove up to 2cm around the tumour, the procedure will affect her leg massively anyway, and there is no guarantee they will manage to remove the whole of the affected area. They can apply radiotherapy afterwards, but I guess there is always a chance it will come back. They scored it as 'Grade 2' tumour, but are not entirely sure if it's accurate for some reason (vet told me why, but can't remember)
I'm absolutely devastated to have to make this decision. She is so full of life, does not show any signs of being ill, just wants to play and chase birds and squirrels. She loves her walks and swims, hikes with us for miles rummaging in the bushes. I'm just so worried that amputation will diminish her quality of life so much.
On top of that, this week she's been recovering from the biopsy, the doctor told me to keep her quiet until the stiches are out. She's sent me on such a guilt trip this week, looking out of the window sorrowfully, following me around, and getting beyond excited when I put her lead on. This dog lives for her outdoors adventures!
On the positive side (I guess) Kylie is little - under 10kg, and slim built, so not much weight to carry around. She's also young, so perhaps will adjust quicker?
On the negative side (another one), now I'm also worried the cancer might have already spread around her body, as I noticed the 'fatness' of her leg a few months back, but thought I would just mention it on her next check-up. I just never dreamt it would be something like this - if it was a well-defined lump I would have gone immediately!
I know no one can make this decision for me, but just wanted to off-load and am hoping for some feedback - from pet owner's whose pet had mast cell tumour or just any words of support will be greatly appreciated.
Welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm sorry you are faced with this decision- it is very difficult! Which leg it the tumor on?
My pug Maggie lost her left rear leg to a MCT when she was 7.5 years old, she was about 17 lbs at the time (7.7 kg) so a little smaller than Kylie. You can read Maggie's story and about her amp and chemo- the links are in my signature below.
One thing about a grade II tumor in mast cell, it tends not to tell you much because it could act like a I (good) or a III (bad). Is that what the vet talked about? Also, did he give you the mitotic index? That is a better indicator of how aggressive the cancer might be.
Please keep a close eye on the incision from the biopsy. I don't mean to scare you, but mast cell biopsies are sometimes slow to heal. If it looks good now you are probably OK, but keep an eye on it.
Maggie was not at all an adaptable dog, she was a slug for 6 weeks after her surgery. Most here are back to themselves much sooner, 2 or 3 weeks. As active and energetic as Kylie sounds I bet she would do just fine if you do choose amputation.
I have to run now (I'm at work) but I'll check back in later today.
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
Geez, sorry you're here but, under the circumstances there is no better place to be!
Kylie sounds like a delightful girl with great energy and spunk! All those traits are great ro have on this journey!
I KNOW this is so scary and you are out of your mind with worry!! The more informatuin you get, the more you get closer to a plan, you will begin to feel more confident. The fear will be replaced with optimism and with the knowledge that everyday is a bonus day and you will NOT let that piece of crap disease rob you and Kylie of one second of bliss!!! You two have a full life of happiness and joy ahead of you! Kylie doesn't care about any ole' stupid diagnosis or statistic! Kylie is her own dog and she has no time frame stamped on her butt!!! She is living in the moment, in the NOW and not worrying about a thing!!
My Happy Hannah had osteosarcoma so I'm not much help on the specific type your Kylie has. Karen and her Pug Maggie are a great resouce in this case!
I can tell you that, as far as the amputation itself, you are giving her the best chance at a great quality pain free life. She WILL be able to do all the same things she has in the past! She will need more "rest intervals" and it does take a lot of energy to navigate as a tripawd, but dogs figure everything out in a very short time! Swimming is still thoroughly enjoyed by tripawds, hiking...all no problem!
I'm not computer savvy at all, but there are lots of links here to videos of dogs swimming, playing frisbee, doing agility courses, etc.
My Happy Hannah, a 125 lb. Bull Mastiff, enjoyed leisurely walks, sniffing out deer poop, getting way too many treats and being a couch potato! So her lifestyle dide change at all, other than more spoiling and loving than I evern knew could be bestowed on one dog!
Recovery is no picnic. And like Pug Maggie, my Happy Hannah had a "slower" recovery. For the first three weeks I thought, "What have I done TO my dog!?" Once her sparkle came back bigger and brighter than before, I knew I had done this FOR my Happy Hannah!!
Now, the easy part...go grab a huge bag of Hershey's Chocolate Kisses, some Almond Joys and eat it all! B R E A T H E.......B R E A T H E.....
We are all right here with you! You are not alone!
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))))
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!
Karen already gave you great advice. Mast cell is a tricky little bugger. I have a friend with a dog that has tumors near the base of her tail and they have controlled them with no spread using benadryl and tagamet. Unfortunately, my experience was not as good and even though there was no spread to the liver or spleen and no lymph node involvement it still spread after surgery and chemo.. My vet felt amputation was the only option to give him a chance and he adapted very well being a senior dog.Shooter's tumor was also on the lower leg and they are not operable there due to the need for large areas for clean margins.
I apologize for being such a Debbie Downer, but wanted you to know my experience. Karen's has been much more positive.
Sending good thoughts your way for a good outcome and whatever decision you make will be the right one for you and Kylie.
Luanne and Team Shooter
Spirit Shooter was a Miniature Australian Shepherd who was diagnosed with a MCT and had a LF amp 1/28/13 at 13-1/2 years old.
Shooter crossed the Bridge on 8/28/13, his 7 month ampuversary and two weeks from his 14th birthday.
Thank you for all your input and the encouraging and supporting words, this forum is really amazing - no one is going to understand me better than the people who had already gone through similar trauma.
Kylie's tumour is on her front left paw. It is an unusual one, as it doesn't look like a lump, you can't really see it unless you feel her leg compared to the other leg - it just feel like a fatty pocket at the top of her leg, like she has a 'bingo wing'. I think vet was quite surprised herself as to what the results were. She said the II grade might not be correct, because of how unusual this particular tumour is, until the tumour is removed and tested again, we won't really know. She didn't give a mitotic index - I'm in the UK, so don't know if they don't use it here, or they couldn't get it, or what. I'm going there tomorrow to have the stitches out so will ask about that.
I feel a bit calmer today, I think the shock is wearing off a bit. Still very upset and on the verge of tears, but more composed. I'm thinking now that amputation might be the best thing. If they try and remove just the tumour - just like fourminipups is saying - they will have to cut out so much of her paw to have that safe margin, that it will much more difficult to heal, I think.
I will have a read over the weekend of your blog, krun15. Thank you for sharing it. Luckily the paw is healing nicely, so hopefully I'll be able to take Kylie for a few more 4-legged walks. And thank you Benny55 for your insight into dogs mind. I had a dream last night - I was talking to somebody about Kylie, and he said 'Well, it's only humans that have body-image issues'. My subconscious mind is obviously trying to tell me something.
P.S. I had to set up a new account, hence the slightly different name. For some reason I couldn't login with my previous details, and couldn't retrieve my password.
ADORABLE!!! What an ADORABLE picture of Kylie! Can't wait to see more!!
Glad you're feeling a little more at ease today. That kind of calm and confident energy transfers to Kylie, so that's a good thing! GREAT JOB!!
Continue to collect information, do your research, talk things over with Kylie......you'll do what's best for her just like you have everyday of your life!!
We're right by your side!!
Hugs!
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 would also be curious what the mitotic index of the tumor is.
Have you seen a surgeon at all? It might be worth speaking with a board certified surgeon as they are able to do more complex surgeries as compared to a general practice doctor.
Has she been on any steroids or benedryl to try and shrink down the mass and make surgery more feasible? Typically we recommend circling the original mass and then starting the pet on prednisone and benedryl to try and shrink it down prior to surgery. It is also a good idea to check the local lymph nodes to see if there are any signs of cancer spread.
Even if amputation ends up being the right choice she sounds like she is an ideal candidate for it and should do great afterwards.
She hasn't been on any meds as I only just found out a few days ago, and just been talking about options. Is this something I should ask my vet about? she didn't even mention meds
I'm not sure what the index is, I asked the vet and she doesn't think this is something they use in the UK. she only spoke about Grading. The trouble with this particular tumour is that is under her skin. Apparently these mast cell tumours appear in the skin, not under. Therefore the Grade 2 they gave it might be incorrect - in the description from the biopsy it says if it was in the skin, it would be grade 2, in this case they are not sure.
the vet says they can try and remove it and then give her radiotherapy. the bottom line is this does not guarantee complete removal of the mass. the vet offered that they try this, and amputate later if it comes back. But, of course, it might come back internally and then I believe there isn't a lot they can do?
I'm just trying now to decide what would be the best for the dog. Is it my human outlook that says it would be best to try and save the leg, or would she prefer that as well? healing from such an operation as I understand might be more difficult than amputation, and then of course if it comes back I will have to torture her with even more surgery.
on the other hand, when I almost decided to go for amputation I thought perhaps I shouldn't be so quick and investigate other options.
I'm really confused now and don't know what to do
The mitotic index is just the number of dividing cells they see when they look at the sample under the microscope so that really is fairly universal. The higher the number, the more aggressive the cancer so ideally you want the number as close to zero as possible. Do you have a copy of the actual report?
Mast cell tumors can appear anywhere but the dermal MCTs are indeed the most common.
I would seek out a second opinion at the very least but ideally would recommend seeing an actual oncologist if possible.
Hello and welcome. I've just now been able to catch up on your situation and wanted to let you know that many of us here have been in your shoes & paws and know exactly how you feel. We've all asked those questions like "Who are we doing it for?" "Should we save the leg?" "What about if/when the cancer spreads?" The truth is you can drive yourself CRAZY with all of the "what ifs" and if there's anything that this journey teaches us is that we have to take things one step, one day at a time, just like our animals. They don't worry about tomorrow or how they will look or what other people think, they just want to feel good and live each day to the fullest, for the gift that it is.
I agree, if your vet isn't a veterinary oncologist, a visit to one would be money well spent and give you peace of mind no matter which way you go.
Amputation is a huge decision and it's wise to question it, definitely, so you are on the right track. Some things to ask yourself about whether or not it's right for your pup include:
- How does Kylie feel about vet visits? Does she hate them? Love them? If you do radiation she will need to be there a lot. If she is terrified of the vet, it my not be something you want her to experience.
- Amputation is a one-time procedure but ongoing recovery care can have its ups and downs. It's not a picnic but most dogs do fine once healed. She sounds like a good candidate for surgery and life on 3 but again, a second opinion would help you feel better about it.
- Then there's the money situation, which is something we all hate to consider but it's life. Do you have the funds to do both radiation and amputation later on if necessary? Something to consider.
I hope this helps. It really feels overwhelming but if you have a heart-to-heart talk with Kylie, I'll bet she will give you the answers you need to make a decision.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you Jerry for your very comprehensive post.
Having read all your replies I decided to at least explore other options. At least now I know that if does come to amputation, it will be ok - her quality of life will not diminish dramatically, something that I was most worried about.
However, to do right by the dog I think I need to have a very clear picture of how else could we tackle the tumour.
So, I'm being referred to a specialist surgeon who will decide how feasible trying to remove the tumour with the clean margins might be. It could possibly be done with chemo prior to the op, to reduce the size of the tumour.
Secondly, the sample of the tissue is going to be tested for another factor that will tell us how aggressive the cancer is. Not sure why wasn't it done the first time round, but anyway. Also not sure how it differs from the grading they gave me when the first result came back. Anyway, if it comes back as not very aggressive, then I guess it's a good sign and tumour removal might be again more feasible.
I'm not building up my hopes massively, and in fact not sure if it is the right way to proceed. But decided to take vet's advise who said in view of all this she is not any longer convinced she herself would amputate the leg, if it was her dog. Lets wait and see what the results of all these investigation will show.
Okay, good, you have a plan, you have back up plans, and now you can move forward! Good job!
Gove that adorable Kylie some extra treats for us.....and you cat a couple of chocolate candies!!
Stay i n the moment. Do NOT waste one second worrying about "what ifs"...let NOTHING rob you of your time together...Kylie sure isn't!!
(((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))
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!
You're doing everything right, Kylie is soooo lucky to have you and a great team on her side. When the diagnosis isn't as clear as say an osteosarcoma one, all of us here would feel the same way. Keep doing your homework so you can have the information you need to be confident in whatever you choose. We'll be waiting for results from the docs.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you guys, it's great to have your support when I'm feeling so doubtful in myself that I'm doing the right thing.
I'll keep you posted when I know a bit more next week.
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