Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My 8yr golden doodle Remi diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma (Rhabdomyosarcoma) on her left shoulder. Her mitotic index on biopsy is 1 per 10 hpf and is low grade. We were told amputation was her best option. But when we read information online, we read that that type of Cancer has low possibility of spreading/ metastasis. She is also currently pain free and has no other visible symptoms. We are unsure on whether to pursue amputation at this time. Just seems drastic when the tumor is local and pain free. Can anybody with similar experience guide us?
Hi there to you and Remi! Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.
So, the best way to feel better about whatever path you take is to get another opinion from an oncologist. The peace of mind is worth it.
From our non-vet perspective, try putting yourself in Remi's paws. Would you want to live with a tumor? And honestly, anything that is foreign and growing in the body has got to be painful, if not now, soon. Dogs are excellent at hiding pain signals and odds are good that if she isn't showing them now, she will soon. Do you really want to wait that long?
Most tumors eventually rupture, or cause so much pain that the pet parent is forced to make a rapid decision under stress. You don't want to be there. As sucky as the cancer diagnosis is, at least you have the benefit of warning and a bit of time to make a decision. If she is otherwise healthy there's no reason why she can't do well on three.
Other options may be viable for her, like electrochemotherapy or intralesional chemotherapy , so it's worth asking about if amputation is not something you want to pursue. That's OK, we get it. The important thing is to put Remi's quality of life first. Whatever method you use to deal with this tumor is the best decision as long as it's made with love and her quality of life as the #1 factor in making that decision.
I hope this helps. Keep us posted.
Thank you Jerry, I feel so torn. She is my child and I cannot fathom the pain she will have to endure. She will be suffering no matter what path we choose, like you said my decision needs to be based on quality of life as the #1 factor, but at this point it is hard to see what that decision needs to be like. I will consider a second opinion. Anybody you recommend in the Chicago suburb area, we have been going to the VCA, Aurora.
I know you do, it's impossible not to feel undecided. It's a huge, irreversible decision. But I can tell you this from what I've seen here: if pain is well-managed, and good from the beginning, amputation recovery is not as unbearable as we imagine it to be. If it is not well managed, recovery can be a struggle.
We encourage folks to use AAHA-accredited clinics to make sure their vets are practicing the most modern pain management methods. That VCA you are using is indeed an AAHA clinic, which you can feel good knowing they are doing everything right. That VCA has 3 board-certified oncologists, a credential which is a gold standard of care.
For a second opinion, I'd recommend MedVet Chicago, another AAHA clinic with oncology services. Third choice would be Premier Vet Group in Orland Park. They are not an AAHA-clinic but they are an awesome national group and doing great things in vet oncology (See Whiskey's story).
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