Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi - My big loveable guy Clyde was just diagnosed today with bone cancer (probably Osteosarcoma). He is a mixed breed 9.5 year old guy who weighs about 68 pounds - he is likely a Labradoodle/Something with really big feet mix and is the sweetest dog. He started limping last week and I took him in on Saturday - vet took x-rays and showed them to me, saying the "fuzzy" area on his humerus (right front) was not good. He ran a blood test for fungal infection and today (not to my surprise) gave me the news that it was not a fungal infection but cancer. Because I spent the entire weekend obsessively scouring the internet, I pretty much knew most of what he was going to tell me about the prognosis, etc.
Based on everything he and I discussed, I think the best course of action for my guy and given my financial situation is to go ahead with the amputation, without having a bone biopsy first. I won't be doing chemo. I originally thought about palliative care, but I have to go back to work in a couple of weeks (I'm currently off having had my own surgery) and I don't think I'll be able to keep a good routine for the pain meds. Plus, I'm scared to death of a pathological fracture.
I'm struggling with well meaning friends and family questioning this decision because I'm not buying him more time. I try to explain that I think I'm buying him a pain free existence for the time he has left, but I get why they are saying what they are saying. So even though right now I think amputation is the best choice, I'm second guessing myself. Because its a front leg, I'm worried that Clyde will have trouble getting around. I also feel a little guilty that I'm not doing the bone biopsy first, but the vet said it would cost another $1000 and agreed there's not much chance his cancer is anything other than Osteo.
Ugh. Sorry for the ramble, but I'm just struggling with this. Like everyone else, it came out of nowhere. It doesn't help that before this ever happened, I'd made the decision to put my 16 year old collie mix to sleep in the next week or so because his ongoing neurological issues have now compromised his quality of life to the point where its time to let go. So I'm worried that I'm making this decision for Clyde because I can't face letting them both go now.
Welcome and best wishes for Clyde! Your future forum posts will not require approval.
All of the concerns you bring up are addressed in Jerry's Required Reading List
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which has many direct links to articles and forum topics discussing everything from how to cope with the reactions of "friends and family" to the pros and cons of biopsies, recovery for large breed dogs and much more... For the record, Clyde is not considered a big guy around here! 
You will find many success stories of 100+ lb dogs Loving Life On Three Legs
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Use the Advanced Search above to refine your search results for specific concerns, and you're sure to find lots of helpful feedback. You can also search all blogs here .
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Sorry that you are going through this, especially since your other baby is having problems.
Not everyone elects to do the bone biopsy, and of those who did, many will tell you that they would not do it again (painful, wait for results, results inconclusive). For many, cost is also a very valid consideration (ditto on the chemo decision). My Otis had broken his leg, 5 vets and a radiologist said osteo when they looked at his x-ray, and, at a minimum, the broken leg would never heal due to the condition of the bone. The surgeon offered a biopsy, but I couldn't see what difference it would make and did not want him lingering in pain on heavy meds in an emergency vet while we waited. Otis is almost 4 months post-amp. We did chemo, and I home he will have many more months with us, but even if he did not, I was still the right decision for us. It is hard when you start thinking about life in terms of months before you make the decision to amputate (is 2 months "worth it?" Is 3? Does it have to be 6 to be worth it?). Once you get over the recovery (say 2 - 3 weeks) and your dog starts acting like himself and getting around again, you realize that it is worth it. And really, none of us know how long our dogs will have post-amp. The statistics are just statistics, and no guarantee that your dog's cancer will or will not act in a certain way. (And, if you consider the 7 dog years to 1 human year, even a couple of months is meaningful).
I wouldn't worry about his size, unless he is overweight (in which case you will be advised to get some weight off post-amp). If there is nothing about his health or mobility that prevents him from being a good candidate for amputation, then he will likely do just fine. Maybe not able to walk as long, but my 100 pound Otis still chases squirrels. 
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Hi Clyde 
It is such a shock when we get the news our baby has cancer ... one minute life is beautiful, the next we are down on our knees completely lost and full of fear for what the future holds.
As Otis mom said, no one can really know how long our best friends have but the important thing is to do whatever we can and love them and spoil them even more every day.
Amputation is much harder on us Moms and Dads than on our babies, they just get on with their new lives and are so, so happy to be around us, four legs or three doesn't really matter much to them.
My girl has osteosarcoma, it showed clearly on the X-ray and I did ask the vet who originally found out and later the oncologist and the surgeon whether she should have a biopsy done. My partner had a terrible time accepting the fact she would loose one leg and kept insisting in having one done, "just to be sure".
The vet, oncologist and surgeon's position was that bone cancer can be pretty clearly identified in X-rays, there may be doubts as to which type of bone cancer it is but no doubts about it being cancer.
So we didn't do the biopsy in the end and after the amputation the results came positive for osteosarcoma.
I think you took the right decision to amputate Clyde's leg. Leg gone, pain gone, and zero chance of a pathological fracture too.
And think not Clyde will not be able to have a happy and fulfilling life on three legs, Eurydice is a front leg amp, weighed 77kg and is now hoping around wagging her tail, one month after the operation.
Animals are extraordinary, we can only learn from their example.
You will both be ok, just try to be positive (easier said than done, I know...) and brace yourself for the first days/weeks when Clyde will be on medication and adjusting to his new life. It will be exhausting but so worthwhile once you see him coming around and being Clyde again that moment will come for sure!
Wishing you both all the best and sending kisses and cuddles
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Hi Clyde. Hey dude, you can get through this as well as Mom. I am just 2.5 weeks out from my surgery and already biting at the bit to go for a walk. Do everything the vet says and you'll be fine! drop me a line some time! Bandit from Texas 🙂
I did not do the bone biopsy. We had done an aspirated of his synovial fluid a few months before he finally was diagnosed. It caused my boy terrible pain. I elected to just go ahead with amputation. Results came back Histeosarcoma instead of Osteosarcoma. Treatment is the same. Get rid of the leg, get rid of the pain. As far as family and friends, sometimes, you just have to ignore them. You have to do what's feels right in YOUR heart. It is easy for someone on the outside looking in to make a judgement. Clyde will surprise you with what he can do on 3 legs. Plus, he will be pain free after he heals from his surgery. Lori, Ty and gang
TY GUY, Best Black Lab ever! Diagnosed and had amp in January, 2014. Kicked MRSA's butt. Earned his angel wings on April 16, 2014. Run Free my boy and don't forget a shoe. Ty is a proud member of the " April Angels". Ty sent us Daryl, a Tripawd rescue in Sept. of 2016. Daryl is 5 +or -. We are also Pawrents to Chandler, a Border Collie mix who is 15 and 1/2, Lucy, a Corgi who is 7, 2 minis, 2 horses, and a feisty cat named Zoe. Zoe had a non skeletal Osteosarcoma removed in July 2015. No Chemo, she was at least 16. She is going strong although she is now completely blind. She is now close to 20 and her hobbies are eating and sleeping in front of her personal heater.
Thank you everyone! This website and your support has really helped. I've scheduled his surgery for Friday - he's on Rimadyl and Tramadol was added in yesterday. He's still pretty limpy even on meds, so I'm feeling good with the decision. My vet says I'll be able to bring him home on Saturday. He's also going to have his chest x-rays tomorrow. If those are bad, then things will probably change but I'm hopeful they won't be. So grateful for this site.
Hi Clyde, welcome to the family, but sorry you have to be here. It's a scary, stressful time for sure. My Dobe Nitro was 8 1/2 years old when he was diagnosed with osteo; he had his right front leg amputated, and here we are 2 years later. His recovery was a little rough, but he's a happy, hoppy boy today. Stay pawsitive....if you continue on with the amp, you should know that 3 legged dogs are amazing!
Paula and NItro
Nitro 11 1/2 yr old Doberman; right front amp June 2014. Had 6 doses carboplatin, followed by metronomic therapy. Rocked it on 3 legs for over 3 years! My Warrior beat cancer, but couldn't beat old age. He crossed the Bridge peacefully on July 25, 2017, with dignity and on his terms. Follow his blog entitled "Doberman's journey"
"Be good, mama loves you".....run free my beautiful Warrior
Gosh! Just catching up! And you are NOT rambling at all!! This is a scary and confusing time! We understand like no others can. As you can see, you are not alone anymore!
You've already gotten some great advice, you've done your research, and you are moving ahead with a treatment plan that will eliminate Clyde's pain. As far as what other people think, I also was against amputation for my happy Hannah at first. and then I did my research. And then I found out that the pain meds she was on her needing to be increased. And then I realized that I would have to make a decision about her life pretty quickly as the pain was increasing. You have done your research, others have not. You know your dog best. Your love for Clyde has no limits. While others are well-intended, they just don't have the information that you do. So no need to discuss with anyone else any further, you are doing what is best for cloud and that is all clad cares about. He sure doesn't care what other people think!
As far as second guessing yourself, welcome to the club! I hadn't yet joined this site and it was just myself (and Happy Hannah) making the decision. I aactually cancelled the first surgery appointment because I panicked!
My Happy Hannah was 125 lb somewhat "fluffy" Bull Mastiff. She has aa rougher recovery than some. For almost three weeks I questioned what had I done TO my dog. Then her ssparkle started coming back big time!! 🙂 I could finally say I did this FOR her!!
My Happy Hannah and I had the most gloriously spectacular extended QUALITY time full of loving and spoiling and rummy rubs and sunbathing and treats for one year and two months!!!
THE most important lesson on this journey is to live in the NOW, in the moment! Let NOTHING rob you of your time together! Clyde sure isn't!! He does NOT have a timeframe stamped on his butt!! He could care less about days on a calendar!! Make every moment cou tt and you will do just fine!
STAY CONNECTED! We are here for you, and with you, okay?
Love to all!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie 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!
Hi ~
I'm going to repeat what has been said 
Because the floor dropped out from under me and I was unprepared, Murphy had a biopsy. I grasped at the straw they held out to me that "it could be a fungal or bacterial infection." As is pretty common, it came back inconclusive. That was a painful procedure for him to go through, not to mention another month or so before he had surgery. If I had it to do over again, I would definitely skip the biopsy.
There are no guarantees. With or without chemo, you are helping Clyde to live a pain-free life with what time he has left. The first couple of weeks are the hardest, and you will doubt yourself some more, we all do! But it will get better, I promise. Bone cancer is very painful, and without surgery it will just progressively get worse. So maybe you're not buying him extra time, but maybe you are. Maybe you're stopping it from spreading. Maybe he will be one of the lucky ones who beats the odds. You never know!
Donna
Donna, Glenn & Murphy
Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs
Best wishes for a perfect procedure and speedy recovery! Please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thinking of you and Clyde This is such a difficult time; your timeline is very similar to mine with my Lily. I saw the limp-took her to the vet on Monday-amputation on Thursday. She didn't have anything in her lungs. Lily was a greyhound, and the cancer was in her front leg. Recovery took a few weeks and there were some tricky times, but she hopped out of the vet's office!! We did decide to do chemo-5 rounds. Many here don't do chemo; it's a personal choice. The good news is that Lily lived 4 years, 3 months, and 15 days after her surgery. She died 2 months ago today at age 13.
I totally agree about buying Clyde a pain free existence-bone cancer is very painful. You'll be amazed at what our tripawds can do! Lily chased rabbits and squirrels.
Sending you hugs and best wishes for a good recovery! Please stay in touch and let us know how Clyde is doing.
Sending hugs,
Joan and my sweet angel, Lily
Our beautiful Lily was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her front leg on 12/14/11 at age 8 and had amp on 12/16/11. She completed 5 rounds of carbo. She was so brave and kicked cancer's butt daily! She lived life fully for 4 years, 3 months, and 15 days after her amp. My angel is a warrior princess. I miss her so much.
I'm going through the same thing right now and my husband and I decided not to amputate due to we do not know how much time we have with him and didn't want to put him through any more anxiety. Our vet did change his pain meds to amantadine 100mg in the morning with a Pepcid and piroxicam 10mg at night. He is in good spirits chasing squirrels and he is a smiling happy dog. He is 8 years old. I just joined this site and I'm wondering if we made the right choice for him. It does make sense now that I'm reading this to amputate. Would he definetly need chemo and radiation? The two vets I saw were very blunt with me and had me picking out urns for his ashes. This is very emotional and I would love to think I am making the right choices for him
good luck with your baby.😀
deevilla said
I'm going through the same thing right now...
Welcome and thanks for the feedback! Your future forum posts will not require moderation.
and my husband and I decided not to amputate due to we do not know how much time we have with him and didn't want to put him through any more anxiety.
it's all about quality of life, not quantity. Tumor pain will only get worse, while healing form recovery may lasts a couple weeks.
Would he definetly need chemo and radiation?
No. Our Jerry loved life on three legs for two years after his amp due to OSA—without chemo!
The two vets I saw were very blunt with me and had me picking out urns for his ashes...
Time to find a new vet!
Take some time to search this community for plenty of success stories. Use the Advanced Search above to refine your search results with specific phrases, and you're sure to find lots of helpful feedback. You can also search all blogs here .
Bookmark Jerry's Required Reading List for lots of helpful links, or download the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns and feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline any time. Then consider starting a new topic or free Tripawds blog to share your story.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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