Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello all. I have spent the last few hours reading so many of your posts and replies, thank you to everyone for sharing so much great information.
We adopted a dog from overseas based on videos, photos, a reported clean bill of health and lots of great information exchange with the shelter. He is lovely, a 2 year old Vizsla mix - we fell in love with him immediately on meeting him, he is exactly what we were hoping for in our first family dog.
He started to limp the first day we got him, just two weeks ago, and after several vet visits and a 2nd confirmation we discovered that he has bone cancer in his front leg and - we are waiting to confirm - cancer in his lungs too.
Our vet suggested amputation, and chemo to start. From everything I have read - do we want to go down that road? For 2-3 months? Maybe 5? I don't want to give up, I just -- I'm heartbroken and we are so shocked that our new friend is so sick and I hardly feel like I have the strength to do this with him. We got a VERY good pet insurance plan because we didn't know anything about him and wanted to be OK financially and unfortunately it is SO soon after getting him that the illness is considered pre-existing and will not be covered... It's so unfair.
When do you decide to let go? How do you know? He doesn't even show any pain (I KNOW everyone says he is in pain, we put him right on pain-killers and have limited his activity) but we don't even know him well enough yet to read him. I'm sure it hurts. This is so horrible...
I feel like a terrible person for considering NOT amputating... is it always the right thing to do? I am not saying we won't go that route, I just have read so many stories that if he already shows signs elsewhere in his body it is unlikely that he can make it much longer. I want to be hopeful!!
I HATE THIS DISEASE and how it's hurt my sweet pup and your fur friends. Any advice is appreciated... thank you.
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Oh my. What a terrible, terrible thing to happen. So young. It's the young ones that especially break my heart.
First off, you are not terrible for not considering amputation. Your circumstances are much different than most of ours. And second, you set out to give this little one a great home and were prepared to love it and care for it long term. That makes you a great person - no matter what. Your heart was in the right place but your new baby has a terminal illness that has progressed. And considering the insurance won't cover it - well, it really sucks!
I can only relate my story from a long time ago which applies a little. When I rescued a deformed 3-legged dog, I immediately took her to the vet and had her xrayed from head to toe because she looked so deformed. Deformed leg and shoulder blade, crooked hips, too many toes and a severe underbite. I was prepared to let her go or get her fixed - whatever the vet told me to do. She was fine physically but the vet suggested getting the deformed leg off (and the extra toes). So, I was hopeful and scheduled the amp. But then she got sick with kennel cough and it progressed to pneumonia with a collapsed lung. I kept going back to the vet and each time I considered that maybe it was too much on her and ..........MAYBE she was going to die and I was hoping against hope and shouldn't keep her here. Each day that I had her was another day I got more emotionally attached. After weeks and weeks - the vet finally found an anti-biotic that she responded to. And she got well! At that point, I said, "screw it, I'm not going to get her leg amputated because she has been through too much already.".
I was lucky because we had a great life of 12 years together! But my point is, had she been terminal and couldn't have had a normal life, I - too would have let go.
I know your heart is broken and I feel for you. Some things just aren't meant to be like we plan. And for that, I am very, very sorry.
Just keep in mind, one thing to consider if you decide to not amputate - the leg isn't going to withstand much pressure and may break. Please prepare yourself that it may not be the cancer that makes you have to make a heart breaking decision, it may be the pain from a broken leg.
Please keep us udated. Again, I'm very sorry.
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Oh, this is so awful. To be at the happiest point -- welcoming a new member into your household -- only to find out that your new "baby" is sick. I can't imagine how devastated you must feel right now.
But amputation is not as horrible as it sounds. Truly! I felt sick to my stomach when my oncologist said that my Rio needed an amputation, but after living through it, it really isn't as horrendous as it initially seems. Dogs adjust so much more quickly and easily than we humans do. They are so strong and resilient, and when we were going through this, it was actually my Rio, my strong little soldier, who led me through. She was my strength. I may have been making the decisions, but she was the one who was forever pushing us forward.
Your pup is looking to you to make really tough decisions and trusting that you have his back when the going gets hard. You are a team, and even though this cancer business sucks, and is entirely UNFAIR, the bond you have with your boy will give you strength -- and him too.
None of us ever know how much time we have in life -- you've had the fragility of life made crystal clear. My advice is, regardless of how many weeks, months, even years you get with your boy, make them count. And while you're at it, hug your friends and your family and tell them how much you love and appreciate them, too. Cancer definitely SUCKS!!!
Sorry.... got a little carried away there....
 |
~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
My God, this is horrible news for you and your newest family member! I am so sorry that you and your little pup who traveled so far to be with you are facing this.
I think you have to do what is right for you and your family financially. If you can afford it, I would say do the amputation, if the cancer hasn't advanced too far in his lungs. If it is just one or two mets, you should read several stories around here about the dogs living for a year or two with lung mets, and having a great life.
Whatever you do, don't emotionally give up on him. What is his name? He is sick but he doesn't know it, and he will be able to feel you pulling away, it would be confusing and hurtful. I agree with Rio's mom, you are family now. You really do have to think about finances too, but if you can afford the amputation, don't let a time schedule stop you. My boy lived 17 wonderful months after his amputation for bone cancer. It made us incredibly close and I cherished every moment. I would give so much to be able to hug him again. You don't have to do chemo, nothing is set in stone. I would encourage you to read as many stories (blogs) of the dogs here as you can. You can find them at the bottom of peoples posts. It helped me to decide what to do.
I will be praying for him and you.
Elizabeth, Sammys mom
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
After regular chemo, we did metronomic chemo, which was a daily pill. That cost about $45.00 a month because he was such a big boy, 100 lbs. Just to give you some info.
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
I think you'd have to know how many lung mets, their location and their size to decide what to do next. Personally, if they were small and few, I'd probably do the amputation and chemo. I say that now because I've been here awhile and have seen how so many dogs do indeed live quality lives with lung mets. Before coming here, I thought people were nuts for considering treating bone cancer at all. But that's because I'd never met a veterinarian who had any other opinion.
You will read many success stories on this site, but there are still people here who haven't had great outcomes. Would I want to go through amputation and chemo if I had a crystal ball and saw I'd get 6 weeks or 3 months with my dog? Probably not. But that's just me and it may show that my head's not in the right place yet. Indeed quality is important to me; I'm not sure I've been able to separate quality from quantity entirely, though. Does that make sense? Humans see quantity as an aspect of quality. That's where I am. So it's a good thing we don't have crystal balls.
Elizabeth makes a tremendously important point when she says not to withdraw from your dog emotionally. You didn't adopt him thinking you'd be a hospice instead of a family; however, if you find yourself in that position, please make his remaining time the best it can be. Take the chance and give him your whole heart. Where did he come from? Do you know what his previous situation was like? If he came from neglect or abuse, he will worship you simply because you saved him. That's priceless right there.
Keep us posted, but please also let us know about the lung mets (size, location, number).
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
Hi Heather,
Thank you for joining this club nobody ever wants to become a part of. We are so sorry to hear about your new family member, that is incredibly difficult and nobody can blame you for questioning what's right for him and what is not. We've all had to make hard decisions like this about our dog's health and understand what you're going through.
I can't begin to top what others have said here, but I just want to make sure that you see these links:
Tripawds Required Reading List
Three Legs & a Spare: A Canine Amputation Handbook
Both will answer most of your questions about what to expect. But I'll also add my two cents here. Based on what we've seen, MANY dogs beat those awful statistics and live much longer than anyone expected.
Tripawd Talk Radio: Bart's Mom's Interview
You can feel free to Private Message Bart's Mom Darcy if you'd like, I'm sure she would be happy to talk with you.
Amputation isn't right for every dog, but if your pup is otherwise healthy and has a zest for life, he may be a great candidate. Osteosarcoma is not an instant death sentence, and if anything, coping with it helps us learn valuable lessons that stay with us forever, like how to make the most of each day and never, ever taking anything for granted.
My best advice is to take things one step at a time. You can go crazy with the what ifs. Right now, deal with the pain he is in and take it from there. Meanwhile, we'll be here to help you ever step of the way.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello and Welcome to Tripawds!! Your story is so terribly heartbreaking. 
Whatever you decide to do I hope that Tripawds can be a comfort and help to you as you go through this journey with your newly adopted pup. Like others have said first you will need to find out how far the cancer has progressed in his lungs and that will help you make your decision. I do also agree that if somehow you can afford the surgery and the mets in his lungs are not extensive I think that you should do the amputation. My Great Dane Valentina lived 7 months after her amputation and those 7 months were so incredibly valuable to me. We had wonderful times and became closer than I ever thought possible. Those 7 months with her made me look at life in a different way and I am so glad that I chose amputation. Every person and Dog is different though. Amputation may not be right for you or your Dog. I am so sorry that you have to deal with this.It is truly awful and totally unfair. Whatever you decide we are all here for you and you can count on our support. Praying for you and your Dog.
Hi Heather. So very sorry that you find yourself here, but welcome nonetheless.
I agree with Shari that you should find out how many mets and their location. The statistics make it seem as if even one met disqualifies them from getting any benefit from amputation or chemo. At the time of Zeus' diagnosis, he had a suspicious spot show on a CT scan. Based on what we read about visible mets at the time of diagnosis being a very poor prognosis, we pretty much decided to put him down rather than subject him to amp and recovery just to have him die from the cancer shortly thereafter. At the last minute we realized that the stats were based on x-rays rather than CT scan which is much more sensitive. Our vet admitted that the spot was so small that it would not have shown on x-rays, which, in our minds, put us back in the "no mets showing on x-rays" statistics which then meant that amp and chemo might do some good. We amputated on 12/1/11 and today is Zeus' four-month ampuversary. He has done great and we have no regrets. His first follow-up x-rays on 1/27/12 showed that the spot had grown some and was definitely a met, but it was still only one spot. The follow-up x-rays on 3/23/12 showed that it was still one spot and it did not appear to have grown. Other than the missing leg, you would never know anything is wrong with him.
Each family must make its own decisions as to what you can do financially, emotionally, etc. And, that decision is different for many of us. There is no wrong decision, just what you believe in your heart is the right path. Many dogs have done great with amp and chemo and some have not. Many have chosen amp with no chemo and some of those dogs have blown the stats out of the water. Whatever you decide, just make sure that you are peaceful with it!
Good luck to you!
Lisa
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
I so appreciate everyone's input -- thank you thank you thank you. Having a site like this helped me feel like I was getting the info I needed to make good decisions, I could stop my brain from spinning on "what ifs"...
We found out today that he actually doesn't have anything in his lungs (*!!hurray!!*) and that the original review from the vet was incorrect and the area we thought was lytic was actually inflamed tendons/ligaments (CONFUSING!).
I guess it is a good thing that they have a radiologist review the xrays!
All that good stuff being said, the radiologist was "extremely concerned" about something he saw in the elbow joint (which wasn't even an area the vet noted the first time around). So back we went today for additional xrays of both legs so the radiologist can compare the two and see what's going on. They still think it's cancer but now we don't know if it's actually in the bone of the elbow joint or a separate tumor or what.. again, so confusing!!
We love this pup (his name is Drake, btw 
) and we really hope that tomorrow's news gives us some clear answers and possible solutions. I don't want to get my hopes up too much yet though...
He seems happy and is chewing away on his yak cheese treat (loves those things!) and the pain medications clearly have improved how he is feeling as he doesn't even limp at all now. We're going to keep loving all over him and -- as many of you mentioned -- give him the happy life that he deserves for as long as we can. He's much better off here than stuck in a shelter.
Fingers crossed that tomorrow brings news that offers hope and choices. Wishing the same for all of you going through tough times. Thanks again everyone.
My gosh, you really are on a roller coaster ride this week! You have a good outlook on the situation - dogs live each day as its own lifetime and I am sure the fact that he has a family has made him the happiest pup around. I hope for good news for you tomorrow, but even if it is not please know that you are doing a wonderful thing for Drake for whatever time he is with you. Let us know how it goes!
Lisa
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
This is really good! Funny how we can say "geez, it's only cancer in the leg." Sometimes we get a huge perspective shift.
If it is cancer, there are lots of flavors. Osteosarcoma is not our friend, but it's not the only cancer out there. My dog had a soft-tissue sarcoma and theoretically should live his natural lifespan, since it's not known for spreading. So even if they think Drake has cancer in the limb, it may not be OSA. And now that you've determined his lungs are clear, you may find yourself saying "well it's only cancer!" 
Shari
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
It's funny, Drake was really hyper and acting out all day today, that is until AFTER we came home from the vet and were feeling more confident about the situation ourselves. Once we calmed down, he calmed down too... He doesn't know or care about xrays or "the big C word". He just wants to have fun and get loads of attention and to carry our shoes around the house.
Thanks again for all your support. It's pretty awesome to be able to connect with so many folks out there who understand this craziness. Will report back when we know more.
Hi Heather and Drake,
I'm late to this thread but I wanted to say welcome. You have great advice already, as you can see you have found a great group of people who are willing to share experiences and offer support.
You have been dealt a tough hand, but just keep Drake's best interest as your focus and you will make the right decisions. I hope the new info brings some better news for you.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Ohhhhhh that sucks. But he's so lucky he got someone as caring and thoughtful as you obviously are, given the effort you're putting into making the best choices for Drake.
I had lost my dog Yoda to osteosarcoma about a month before I met Gerry while volunteering at a shelter. They didn't know why he was limping for several days, maybe it was weeks even. The shelter that shipped him over cause they were full didn't make any mention of an injury. So, I was terrified he would turn out to have a tumor, like Yoda. He had already reminded me a lot of Yoda just because he was a doberman mix and it would have crushed me to know it was cancer, for which I expect the shelter wouldn't have felt it had a choice but to euthanize him. And I was in no position financially or emotionally to take Gerry in if he had cancer, but it would have tormented me not to also. Fortunately for my sanity, it turned out to be an old injury, not cancer. And the shelter had some connections that got him a free amputation, so I did my part and agreed to at least foster him, before I ended up adopting. But having gone through that, makes me all the happier to hear, as unfair as it is that Drake is sick, that at least he gets to be in your wonderful home with people who love him rather than being in a shelter or alone.
Gerry's got his paws crossed right now that your journey with Drake will be as easy as possible on your family. Best wishes and lots of pawsitive thoughts for you all!
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
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