Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Thanks again to all of you that have helped me through this process. Tonight, I took Nellie on her final "4-Legged" walk. She did great with hardly any limping on her bad leg. She made it up and down our street and got herself up on the couch when we got home. I'm a realist enough to know the cancer is there (the tumor on her front leg started as a walnut and is now bigger than a golf ball.....only a month since diagnosis) But seeing her walk tonight made me think, she's doing well, what am I doing to my dog tomorrow? Can any of you relate to last minute second guesses or dog's seeming well before amputation? She is on 3 full pills of Tramadol a day which I'm sure helps with the pain.
Hi Nellie and her Mom,
My chocolate lab, Tucker, had a different kind of cancer - localized invasive sarcoma - and I was in the process of "deciding" best treatment options for him.
However, the night before his bloodwork and x-rays (to see if he was a good candidate) he decided to take things into his own "mouth" and chew the growth on his leg (front right leg). Tuck and I went to see a vet at the emergency clinic at 2 am the morning of his original appointment who treated the wound on his leg and chatted with me about amputation.
Needless to say, Tuck's surgery happened the day after his preliminary tests - much sooner than I had originally planned and with little time to really prepare (emotionally anyway).
Nellie will be fine after her surgery tomorrow....the cancer will be gone and she will not be in pain. Labs have an incredible pain tolerance (or so my vet tells me) and the tramadol is helping for sure.
I think we all have second thoughts....and there are days now that I look at other dogs and get really "p#@$"ed that Tuck lost his leg and has had to adapt.....but on the bright side.........I still have my wonderful friend, Tucker!
He is still an incredibly handsome specimen of chocolate lab....just one that has a unique hop rather than a more leisurely walk. He still wags his tail as much, he still greets me at the door and picks my shoes up in his mouth as soon as I take them off and he still loves to have company!
Don't second guess your decision to provide Nellie with the best quality of life she can have....it is really scarey but she will do great! Have a few extra snuggles tonight and remember that Nellie will still be with you when she comes home after her surgery.
Linda and Tucker 
Oh you bet we can relate! Every single person who's been through this with their animal feels terribly guilty and upset. But you know what? They don't care! They don't hold it against you and they just want to get on with life. You will be so amazed when you see how Nellie doesn't dwell on things!
Be strong. Get some sleep and know that things get better after the surgery. We are here for you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
For the next week you will constantly second guess your decision, you just have to remember the reasons youmade the decision in the first place. Extra time without pain will be worth it in the end. We will be here to listen and cry with you and, hopefully, make you laugh occasionally.
Thinking of you-
Luanne and Spirit 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.
Not nly did I second guess....K took it right up to avout a thousand "secnd guessings"! Plis, the ultimate "second guessing"...I cancelled the amp. appointment once...ans maybe even a sec d time, I can't remember for sure!
And then, as Luanne said, you'll second guess during the recoveryti e! At least I did!
I can only tell you that if you're up to three tramadol a day, it's just a matter of a couple of weeks, if not less, that you would be i creasing that. That's what f alky did it for me, I was havi g to increase her pain meds again, and I just said if I dn't do it now, it would just be a matter of weeks before...well.....before.
That was over eight m ths ago and we're still moving forward (kocking on wood) and having the most joyois, happy, fun, loving time imaginable!!
Remember, it is somehing you are doing FOR Nellie..... not TO Nellie! Tonight's walk was the last night of walking with horrible bone pain and her next walk will be witout pain!!!
Come back to us tomorrow and let us know when she's out of surgery, o,ay?
We are with you on this! You are ot alne!
TRY and get some sleep......okay, forget that! Tomorrow night you will sleep well knowing the surgery was a success!
HUGS!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Maggie's mast cell tumor in her knee wasn't causing her any pain. She never limped or whined (and she was quite a drama queen!). Only after I knew the tumor was there did I notice that she ever so slightly put her leg out to the side when she squatted. It was pretty hard to reconcile that with amputation! But when I stepped back and looked at all the options and what could happen without the amp it was really the only decision to make.
After her amp I spent several weeks just knowing I had made the wrong decision! Maggie had her amp before Tripawds was here so we went it alone. Maggie was a stubborn little pug who refused (for awhile) to accept her new normal. But she did come around and lived her happy life for almost 4 years.
Good luck tomorrow. And look at it this way- what you are taking away from Nellie is a painful leg, what you are giving her is a pain free life and a chance to spend more quality time with you.
Karen and Spirit Maggie
Last minute guessing is just what we all do. Just know that you are doing the best you can with your furaby and don't regret anything. We will be thinking about you guys tomorrow 
Misty's blog: http://misty.tripawds.com
Sister to Millie, 9 yr old choc. lab
Sister to Lola, 6 yr old choc. lab
Sister to Toby, 7 yr old rottie mix (officially my sons dog, but I'm still his mama!)
Sweetness to Fiona and Bill
There's no way around it, Ditto with everyone above! I had 3 weeks from diagnosis until surgery. Each day I decided "no amputation" then changed my mind about 100 times a day! I tried to think of it from Barret's perspective, but it is so hard. The minute he wagged his tail and jumped up to greet me when we picked him up was when I decided I made the right choice.
Good luck on surgery day, its a stressful day! try to keep busy and remember that in a few short weeks all will be back to normal! No regrets!
Barret was diagnosed with Hemangiopericytoma May 16, 2013. Front left leg/scapula/pectoral muscle was amputated on June 11, 2013 and we've never looked back. Follow our story on http://barret.t.....pawds.com/ and read my column on That Pet Blog
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