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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We are still worried that we are doing the right thing. There just don't seem to be many "good outcome" stories for dogs with Osteo. Is it right to amputate when he may only live a few months? (We are doing Chemo too) Just curious about other people's experience with Osteosarcoma. Thanks! I'm a nervous wreck.
Levi was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 7-7-11
Ampuversary 10-14-11
Lung Mets Discovered 1-4-12. Chemo seemed to not be working so we switched to Artemisinin and other supplements. In May, Levi developed a sinus infection and started having seizures. The cancer had moved to his brain. We let him go 6-26-12.
Welcome. We are so sorry about the diagnosis, but we're here to help make it easier. Can't blame you one bit for being so nervous, that's pretty normal.
One of the reasons we started this community was to share pawsitive experiences when losing a leg and living with cancer. I know it doesn't seem like there are any right now, but eventually, when you see your pup's resiliency and ability to thrive despite this bad news, you will. Yes, an osteosarcoma diagnosis is pretty depressing and for the most part, we know the outcome. But inbetween the diagnosis and that inevitable time when we part ways (hopefully a long time from now), there is room for lots of good times and beautiful moments that you wouldn't otherwise have.
Many dogs DO beat those awful statistics (remember that statistics are based on studies of OTHER dogs, not yours!). and we know of dogs who have lived up to 3.5 years after the diagnosis. Many dogs will live out their natural lifespans even after the diagnosis! This is an exciting time for cancer therapies, and the odds of living longer are better than ever.
I don't want to give you false hope, however. Not everyone is so lucky, and there are some dogs who don't survive long after surgery. But no matter how long we have together, always remember that "time" is a human thing. Dogs have no concept of a week or a month or a year. All they want is to have fun NOW, with their pack. Learning to live with cancer is learning to live in the moment, in the here and now, and is one of those gifts that cancer brings.
OK, so what I would suggest is starting with our Required Reading List, then checking out our ebook, Three Legs & A Spare if you haven't already. In addition to the Forums and the blogs, these are two of our best resources for learning about others' experiences. You can always come here and find a shoulder to lean on. We're here for you, and we'd love to hear more about your Tripawd. Keep us posted OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
just a little note...osteo really corrupts the bone, and is very VERY painful. your pup may not show it, but it's terrible pain. and, there is a possibility that the corrupted bone will just break! james the poodle's leg snapped, i believe sammy, the newf, had his leg break in the back yard. by amputating, you are stopping the immediate pain, and you eliminate the possibility of a break.
we had a soft tissue cancer, so we don't have the history you're looking for..but, there are many others here that can give you specific info to help ease your mind. remember, if you make your decisions out of love for your pup, then you're on the right track.
charon & gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
We're sorry to hear about your pup, but you have found a great support group here!
I was like you and questioned whether or not I was doing the right thing. Should I put my sweet dog through a major surgery if he possibly has a few months to live? Bo lived for 3 months post-amp (no chemo) and I don't regret a minute of it. He was in pain. I'll never forget the painful look in his eyes the morning I took him in for surgery. I never saw that look again, not even the day he died.
Surgery recovery can be difficult, but once you get through the first couple of weeks, your dog will amaze you! Bo could still swim, roll in the grass, and tear up squeaky toys. Same happy dog. We chose to focus on the quality of life, not quantity of life.
So, what is your dog's name? Front or back amp? We'll be sending pawsitive thoughts your way. Come here for any questions you might have and keep us posted!
It's hard not to worry - you worry that the surgery will go well, you worry about how much time you'll have, you worry about how advanced the disease might be. BUT - don't worry whether or not you are doing the right thing. As Gayle said, you are taking away the pain for your dog. Some might choose not to amp if their dog is older or has other health/mobility issues, but you know your dog best. If your dog (what is your dog's name btw?) still has that will-to-live spark in his/her eye, then you are most definitely doing the right thing.
Not gonna lie - the two weeks post amp are tough. Definitely consider the ebook mentioned above so you know what to expect. You might get sleep deprived. You might wonder if you did the right thing. But once you get through that 2 weeks and once your dog is off the pain meds and fully recovered, then he'll begin to amaze you.
We are almost one year post Dx/amp and it's been wonderful. Even if you only have a "few" months - that is extra special time that you'll have with your pain-free pup.
You have definitely come to the right place. This is the site no one wants to join but everyone is glad you did.
Please let us know some more about your pup and definitely let us know how the surgery goes! We'll all be here pulling for you. I'm pretty sure you won't find a more supportive group on the Internet anywhere!
Hang in there,
Jackie, Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Welcome
94vettegirl
I'm so sorry about your boy. It is very, very, very scary. Take it from a community of experience, you are doing the right thing.
Please update us and tell us more about your baby!
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.
Yoda only had a few months following his amputation, but they were so high quality that I certainly didn't have any regrets! (Though it's totally normal to struggle with serious doubts in the two weeks or so following the amputation when they're really wigged out on painkillers and doing some major healing – so don't be caught by surprise about that). Yoda (a doberman mix, by the way) re-learned to do everything on three legs that he loved doing before. Though, chasing his tail again took him the longest – about three months, haha! (Everything else took him closer to three weeks). He caught a rabbit in the back yard, even after his cancer had come back strong (alas). But for most of the approximately 4 months he had post amputation, he was even more outgoing with people and other dogs than he had been before and he still had a grand time at the dog park.
As Charon touched on, osteosarcoma tumors are very painful. Some dogs can really hide that, but once the tumor is gone your dog's relief becomes obvious, even if they were on a lot of pain meds already (at least, that's what I saw with Yoda). And there is the potential for what they call pathological fractures, which from what I hear (Yoda was lucky enough not to have any that I'm aware of) are really scary to see your pup experience and can occur during very normal physical activity. So, in my opinion, the amputation is really immensely practical because of the risk of pathological fractures that may just lead you to need to amputate later anyway.
Remember – cancer is the evil one. Take it easy on yourself. You're gonna do the best you can for your boy, whatever that is. Nobody can do it better. Nobody here will judge you for your choices on his care – whatever they are. Tell anyone who tries to take a hike 
Oh, and ask your vet lots of questions! Bug 'em lots. It's good for him/her and way better for you then letting questions/worries stay bottled up inside you.
Spirit Yoda will be watching out for your boy tomorrow and he probably won't be the only one of our tripawd angels doing so... (Sorry if that was too cheesy for ya, but I feel it strongly tonight 
)
Yoda&Mom united: 9/5/06 …….… Yoda&Leg separated: 6/5/09……… Yoda&Leg reunited: 10/14/09 ……… ……………….………….………….……. Yoda&Mom NEVER separated! …………………….….……....….…… Though Spirit Yoda currently free-lances as a rabbit hunting instructor for tripawds nationwide
Hi 94vettegirl,
My 5 year old Irish Wolfhound is 3 weeks post amp and 1 day post first chemo treatment (carboplatin). He also has osteosarcoma and the tumor was in his right rear leg. So...I am a few weeks ahead of you. All I can tell you is use this site! I have found it very helpful getting answers to my questions and getting reassurance from others who have gone through what I am going through. The first 2 weeks are hard. You will question your decision and wonder how you could subject your dog (and yourself) to this process. Just know, you are making him much more comfortable and he will adapt. We are still sleeping on the couch, to be sure we can let him out for bathroom breaks when needed (not monitoring as closely anymore). Fergus still has some of his staples because, being a giant breed, he puts more stress on the incision and it is taking a longer time to heal. Since he still has staples, we are not allowing him to try steps or to go off leash yet. He is not enjoying that part at all. But, we think it is better to wait until he is all healed up. His personality is back, he is dragging me around the yard but he is bored and wants to take off on his own. The first chemo (so far) just made him sleepy and we had to find a food he would eat (pasta with chicken and chicken broth). We a giving him anti-nausea and anti-diarrhea as a precaution.
Please be sure to post any questions or concerns you may have. I sure someone on the site has experienced whatever the topic may be. Good luck and be positive!!
Tara and Fergus
Tara, we're glad you're finding it useful! When you have time, would you mind sharing Fergus' experience in our "Size and Age" matters Forum, so people with big dawgs can easily find his story? Some pics too would be great! We need more for our Giant Breed photo gallery! When you have time of course, i know how busy you are. Glad to hear he's doing well overall. Hang in there!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome to the site! I also struggled with the decision to amputate, but Charon is right, OSA is very painful. I still remember Chili Dawg's eyes. He hurt... ALOT. After the amputation, though, I never saw the pain return to his eyes. His tail wagged again, and his quality of life improved. We did not do chemo with Chili Dawg.
We only had him for 3.5 months after the amputation, but I do NOT regret our decision to amputate for a second. It was the best decision we made. He was a happy dog for the remainder of his time with us. He ran around outside, wrestled with his monkeybutt brother, Finchy. I don't even think he really noticed that his leg was missing. The first 2 weeks are the hardest, and you will wonder if you made the right decision while you watch your dog on meds, but once you get through those 2 weeks you will see how fast they adapt to life on 3 legs. Dogs are amazing animals.
Diagnosed with OSA: 5/2/2011 Ampuversary: 5/11/2011 OSA returned in hip: 8/26/2011
Chili Dawg crossed the Rainbow Bridge on 8/30/2011 & is now pain free. He was my heart dog, and I miss him every day.
Thanks Everyone! It feels good to have made a decision. We have been going back and forth and listening to everyone's "opinions" for a couple months actually. Levi had his left front leg amputated today. He is a 6 year old Blue Doberman. The surgery took about three hours but it went well. We pick him up Sunday Morning. I think he is going to do better than some because he is used to being on the pain meds, used to using three legs (mostly), and used to shoulder pain 🙁 at first we just decided to put him on pain meds and wait til he was in too much pain, then let him go (he was really happy until a few weeks ago)...this seemed to be everyone's "opinion" of what to do. But then suddenly this week I decided to act like my normal self and quit worrying about what everyone else thinks and do what I want to. So here we are- and I appreciate all of your support! I need to read the ebook. we have a 9 month old Doberman Puppy that we are going to have stay somehwere else the first week... It is going to be so nice when Levi is healed and him and Koa can finally play together without me FREAKING out that his leg would break. Levi has been my jogging partner for years. We ran 14 miles together this April (He was ready for more. I was exhausted). I'm hoping we will be able to get a few 2-3 miler trail runs in together after a few months?? That's our story! I feel like I'm ready to pick him up Sunday. We will see. I know it's going to be shocking.
Levi was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 7-7-11
Ampuversary 10-14-11
Lung Mets Discovered 1-4-12. Chemo seemed to not be working so we switched to Artemisinin and other supplements. In May, Levi developed a sinus infection and started having seizures. The cancer had moved to his brain. We let him go 6-26-12.
My name is Erica-by the way 🙂
Levi was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 7-7-11
Ampuversary 10-14-11
Lung Mets Discovered 1-4-12. Chemo seemed to not be working so we switched to Artemisinin and other supplements. In May, Levi developed a sinus infection and started having seizures. The cancer had moved to his brain. We let him go 6-26-12.
Yay for Dobe power!
Someone may have already said this, but it's one of the best pieces of advice we give here, I'd say:
Try to take advantage of this time while Levi is at the vet and get extra sleep and take extra good care of yourself in general cause it'll be all downhill from there once you get Levi home. Levi won't necessarily need you to stay up nights fussing over him, but it'll be hard to help yourself.
(By the way, I'm also YodasMom)
Take care! Best wishes!! Levi's going to do great as a tripawd!!!
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
Hi Erica, so glad to hear the surgery went well! That's a relief. It's good he's staying at the vet's for 2 nights, he'll be so much better when you pick him up.
Hang in there, we're cheering you on!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hooray for a successful surgery for Levi!!
Super Kudos to you Erica for going with your own gut! YAY! To heck with what people think! It's your lovable furbaby after all and some don't "get it"!
Now, I don't want to disappoint you but Levi may not be able to endure much running anymore. He may! But he may not. Tripawds, especially front leg amputees have a tougher time with running since they have to raise their upper body and head up to go forward. THey hop. But don't get discouraged...it's all good. He won't be handicapped, he may just not have the endurance.
My Comet had a congenital birth defect and her front leg didn't function. I've had her as a puppy and she really could only go for about a 1/2 mile even as a healthy young dog. She could play like mad and could jump on the couch but going on a walk was more difficult.
Again, it's all good!
Keep us posted on when he is home, okay?
PS
Since Koa is having to stay elsewhere during the first week...she is officially a "monkeydog"! What's a monkeydog you ask? Well! You'll find out when Levi is getting all of the attention! Monkeybutt-bunny Vampire Pirate, the King of all Monkeydog will be so happy to have another one join his Federation!
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.
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