Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all,
Boy am I glad to have found this website. Charlie is our big, goofy, yellow lab. Not sure exactly how old he is since he was a Humane Society rescue, but probably in the neighborhood of 7-8 years old. I rescued him when he was about 2 years and I was single. He saw me through a lot of tough and lonely times. I'm now married and my husband is just about as head over heels in love with him as I am. He's so special--I know you all can relate. The handle "sassybutt" is what we call him when he's using his cuteness and big brown eyes to get what he wants.
Charlie recently developed a limp. Being a lab, he has had minor limps here and there before. But this seemed more persistent. Took him to the vet and, long story short, we appear to be dealing with osteosarcoma. Wow. Didn't see that coming. Initially, we were obviously devastated. While we still are, we are turning the energy around on the situation in the interest of the best possible outcome, and for Charlie's sake. He so sensitive and feeds off our emotions and it's so not good for him when we're upset. So, expecting only the best outcome!
We weren't super pleased with the way things were handled with his vet, so we're seeking confirmation and second opinion with Colorado State University. The appointment is on Thursday and we're just...waiting. In the meantime, I've done a lot of my own research. I also spoke with one of the oncology specialists there, who was great. While I'm hoping they'll do more to confirm the diagnosis (x-rays didn't look all that conclusive but everything else is ruled out), we are definitely prepared to amputate if it is confirmed, even if just in the interest of pain control. I can't imagine just waiting for the pain to get out of hand. As for chemo, it may be a little more challenging. Perhaps TMI for this group, but we had planned to try to get pregnant in the upcoming months. So we'll see what the risks are in that regard, and I will continue to read up on more holistic options that I've seen at this site.
So sad that our boy has to deal with this--he doesn't deserve this. He's just nothing but pure love and joy...ok, and a little anxiety. 
But if this is the road we're on, I'm so grateful to have CSU nearby and very grateful to have this site to learn from others and get some support. Thanks for listening.
Heather, John, and Charlie
Charlie, our English yellow lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2014. He became a tripawd on February 24th, with clear lymph nodes and lungs, but that didn't last long. After three doses of Carbo, in May 2014, x-rays showed lung mets. We briefly tried Palladia, which went well. Unfortunately, Charlie developed unexplained complications in his hind limbs. We said a reluctant farewell on June 11, 2014. Still miss our boy each and every day.
To add on to my previous post...would love an opinion or two on whether or not I'm being too patient in waiting until Thursday for Charlie's appointment. Until today, Rimadyl has been keeping Charlie's pain pretty well under control. Today, I can tell he's struggling more with finding a comfortable position. We went for a very short walk (still take him since it's so good for his mental wellness) and he did ok. But he's just not himself. I called CSU and left a message on the consult line as to whether or not we should do something more before Thursday. More diagnostics with the local vet? Schedule a surgical time just in case? I have Tramadol that I may give him, as well. Just want to get on the road to him feeling better. Thoughts?
Charlie, our English yellow lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2014. He became a tripawd on February 24th, with clear lymph nodes and lungs, but that didn't last long. After three doses of Carbo, in May 2014, x-rays showed lung mets. We briefly tried Palladia, which went well. Unfortunately, Charlie developed unexplained complications in his hind limbs. We said a reluctant farewell on June 11, 2014. Still miss our boy each and every day.
Hi Heather, John & Charlie, welcome to the club nobody wants to join.
I'm really sorry about the diagnosis, it IS devastating isn't it? But you have a terrific attitude that will take you very, very far as you begin this journey. You're in GREAT paws at Colorado State, I think that what will happen is they'll see you Thursday, confirm whether or not it's osteo and then if it is, schedule you for surgery on Tuesday (our pack has had some experience with the docs there so we learned Tuesday is their big surgery day, at least when we were there last year -- we spend summer in Red Feather Lakes). They are wonderful and they won't miss a beat. You're pawesome pawrents for taking him to get a second opinion. Go with your gut instinct and you cant' go wrong.
Did you happen to check out Jerry's Required Reading List yet? Do it when you have a moment, it will put a lot of your fears at rest, and of course so will the great people here.
Oh and nothing is TMI here, it makes sense to wonder about the chemo and pregnancy, I would definitely talk to the oncos about it. As far as I know the general precautions of not being around urine or feces when a dog is on chemo are the same for everyone but do let us know what they say.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Heather-
You are definitely in the best of hands at CSU! I know the diagnosis can be devastating, but you've come to the right place since so many of us (including myself) have been through it.
I saw you come into chat, if you scroll down all the way to the bottom the chat room is at the bottom of the page. Hop on over theres a few of us in there now who can help!
Erica
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Welcome Heather, John & Charlie! This is the group no one wants to join but are so glad to have found. There is so much information available here. Read, read, read and you will be well armed with the knowledge to get through this.
You're so right...it's not fair...they don't deserve this.
The only advice I can give at this point is be careful with walking Charlie until you get a definitive diagnosis. If it's OSA, he can be in danger of breaking that bone and then you're in an emergency situation and have to make quick decisions. I would take it easy with him and limit his activity (easier said than done with a lab, I know!) for now.
Good luck with sassybutt and I look forward to your updates.
Amy & Libby
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Thanks for the support, everyone. Jerry, that timeline is so helpful to know. Knowing how quickly this stuff moves, I was feeling awful about all the waiting around. CSU has been reassuring, and I've been chatting with some others who waited much longer and their dogs had great outcomes. Really ready to start moving forward. And I have been on the reading list--thanks! Lots of helpful stuff there that's already helping me get my head and my priorities in order.
Erica, thanks for the instructions on the chat area. It's not intuitive...at least for me.
Amy, thanks for the concern. I appreciate the heads up. Yes, we are careful. No running and jumping around. But he's so attached to his walk that even a slow walk down the street lifts his spirits immensely. I don't have it in me to take that away from him right now, especially knowing that he may have a lot of down time coming up. Plus, he's a lab and they put on weight in a hurry. We have cut back a little on his food since he's expending less energy. Just want him to be as slim of a machine as he can be if we need to amputate. He's the English variety of lab, so he's stockier and bigger.
Again, thanks everyone. We're in a holding pattern until Thursday morning. I'll report back.
Charlie, our English yellow lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2014. He became a tripawd on February 24th, with clear lymph nodes and lungs, but that didn't last long. After three doses of Carbo, in May 2014, x-rays showed lung mets. We briefly tried Palladia, which went well. Unfortunately, Charlie developed unexplained complications in his hind limbs. We said a reluctant farewell on June 11, 2014. Still miss our boy each and every day.
I totally understand the lab's need/desire to walk! Libby (3/4 chocolate lab, 1/4 chesapeake bay) is our tripawd (12 1/2 months post right front amp) but Sammie is our English variety of Chocolate Lab and stocky and bigger is right! Love that breed to pieces!
You sound like pawesome pawrents and are on top of everything right from the git go! Charlie is in excellent care.
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Sassybutt! LOVE IT!!! He's precious.
Sorry you found us here, but I'm also glad you did. I'm really happy to hear you're so in love and such an advocate for his health and wellbeing: a second opinion with a superb organization and wondering about drugs, etc. YEY!
CSU is awesome! You'll love. No worries there. Way to go.
Call your vet and discuss adding tramadol. I suspect they'll support it. The good news about that is that's a common drug post-amp. This is good b/c so many here struggle with pain med management, that if you've already had Mr SassyButt on the same cocktail when not recovering you'll have a sense for what's PAIN vs SIDE EFFECT. Make sense? You'll know better how to handle side effects, if any, and doses. Adding tramadol now makes sense.
You've heard it a million times: there is no perfect time to have a child. We're edging closer to that decision, too. But for the sake of TMI: I'm finishing my PhD and fighting against Jackson's cancer. To consider pregnancy I think my body wouldn't go along. For me, it'd be too much stress. I really commend your ability and commitment to turning your energy into pawsitivity. Keep it up! This journey is strong, powerful, moving, and bonding; if you thought you loved your pup before, THIS will amplify it 1000x. These pups and cats are impressive beings that astound us daily. Just wait...it's amazing! Your Mr SassyButt will amaze you. It's magical.
Best wishes for Thurs. I'm sure you'll get all the answers you wish and feel much better about everyone's future.
~ Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Thanks, everyone. We're finally at the day of the appointment and I woke up with a little bit of relief. We'll get some answers. Unfortunately, I have an irritated, hungry puppy who is wondering why our morning routine has been upset with no breakfast. But such is life with a rather food-oriented lab...
One last thing. What should I be very sure to ask today in order to make good decisions? Of course, I want confirmation of the diagnosis, I want to know if there is metastasis and where, and I want to know what they feel our options to be. I also want to ask their thoughts on artemesinin (spelling?). But am I missing anything? In case we need to make quick decisions, I would appreciate thoughts on any additional important questions. We're leaving in a couple of hours, but I can check on my smartphone, too.
Thanks, again, for the support.
Heather and Charlie
Charlie, our English yellow lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2014. He became a tripawd on February 24th, with clear lymph nodes and lungs, but that didn't last long. After three doses of Carbo, in May 2014, x-rays showed lung mets. We briefly tried Palladia, which went well. Unfortunately, Charlie developed unexplained complications in his hind limbs. We said a reluctant farewell on June 11, 2014. Still miss our boy each and every day.
CSU will know just what to do! But make sure you feel good having left and find out who you can call later to have more questions answered. We often find that at these big meetings, emotions flood the system and we don't always hear what we want to or should. Having a patient person and a phone number can help a lot.
Specifics: make sure they take 3 xrays - R, L, and ventral (that's standard). If it is OSA and you're moving ahead with amp: Find out who will do the surgery. A board cert specialist? What's the common pain med program they use? After amp, will your pup be supervised 24hrs? Have them send out a tumor sample (or three!) to a pathologist for analysis. There are some features of the tumor that can help you figure the best plan forward.
Those are my thoughts for now. I'd let your mind ease about drug/nondrug treatments until you know the diagnosis and pathology report comes back. After amp, you want pups to recover before marching on with drugs/nondrugs for cancer. You've got time to research and relax and recover with Charlie.
Have a good appt! We know you will.
~ Katy & Jackson
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
Oh how I remember that nervewracking day!
I know you'll be pretty amazed at how well the docs and students at CSU cover their bases. You'll get the royal treatment, they are so great there. I doubt they'll forget to tell you anything but one thing I'm sure they won't be able to tell you about is artemisinin . They do have a complimentary therapy center now that they'll probably refer you to.
Oh, ask how they will coordinate care with your regular vet, and what are the contingency plans for care if any setbacks occur, like an incision infection. I would be interested in finding out their latest protocols for pain management too.
Good luck to you! Let the good CSU folks know that the Tripawds gang says Hi!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hey everyone. Appointment went well. Just posted in the "Treatment..." forum.
Heather and Charlie
Charlie, our English yellow lab, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2014. He became a tripawd on February 24th, with clear lymph nodes and lungs, but that didn't last long. After three doses of Carbo, in May 2014, x-rays showed lung mets. We briefly tried Palladia, which went well. Unfortunately, Charlie developed unexplained complications in his hind limbs. We said a reluctant farewell on June 11, 2014. Still miss our boy each and every day.
Oooh good, I'm hopping over there now.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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