Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hey all,
Sorry I have so many questions! My mom took her puppy to the vet today and told her what was going on with my Jill and he said sometimes clean margins (which Jill had, very clean in fact) when they removed her toe, don't always mater with osteo. He said osteosarcoma is a type of tumor that "splatters" so sometimes clean margins don't always mean good things. No I am totally freaked out that I should have amputated her leg six months ago. I don't know much about osteosarcoma and all the vets haven't given me much info since its "so rare" in cats. Does anyone know if this is true that good margins don't really mean much?......
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
Well, I don't know about cats, but with dogs, the tumor is in the bone, so unless a "limb spare" procedure is done (which seems to be more rarely done than full amp because of the high risk of infection and longer recovery time), there are no "margins" to consider since the whole limb is gone.
Sorry, I know that doesnt' really help...
Whatever the "scientific" answer is - there's no changing the fact of what you did for Jill in the past, so try to not upset yourself by wondering "what if". I know that's harder to do than say, but try to not have any regrets! You are moving forward and that's the important thing.
Jackie, Angel 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!
You never need to apologize for asking questions, that's why we are here so ask away!
In the Dog Cancer Survival Guide , Dr. Dressler says:
I believe Jackie i s correct, the leg is gone, the margins don't get much cleaner than that! Of course that's my non-vet-like opinion. Clean margins are more important to prevent cancer recurrence when it comes to procedures like removing a soft tissue tumor on one part of the body. For osteosarcoma in cats or dogs, keep in mind that with or without clean margins, amputation is only palliative; that means it is a temporary measure, ultimately the cancer will recur, usually in the form of lung metastasis (mets). I know that's hard to take, I'm sorry to be so factual about it, but it's good to be prepared. However, being that osteo is rare in cats, who knows what will happen with Jill, maybe she will beat those odds and the cancer will stay away indefinitely. I sure hope so.
In any case, don't worry; you have done the best you could with the information you had at the time. Don't live life with regrets. Jill doesn't neither should you. Focus on today and making the most of every day after that.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you! It's just so frustrating that she has something so rare, that being osteosarcoma in a cat and that it appeared first in her toe. But I'm trying to keep my hopes up and stay positive that maybe since its rare she'll be the rare one to beat the odds 
. You guys have no idea how much tripawds have comforted me over the past few days while making the decision to amputate. Thank you!!!!
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
In general osteosarcoma is not as aggressive in cats as it is in dogs. Often amputation alone is curative so I do not think it is routine to give cats chemo for this cancer. It is more common for cats to get squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma on their toes.
Pam
Really? Hmmm they are recommending my jilly get 4-5 rounds of chemo after amputation....
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
tazziedog said
In general osteosarcoma is not as aggressive in cats as it is in dogs. Often amputation alone is curative so I do not think it is routine to give cats chemo for this cancer. It is more common for cats to get squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma on their toes.Pam
Wow Pam, I didn't know that. That's terrific news!
Rica55, always remember chemo isn't mandatory, and you wouldn't be a bad pet pawrent if you opted out. The chemo decision is a highly personal one that depends on a pack's circumstances. Only you can decide if it's right for you and Jill, and we'll support you either way.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
If an oncologist has recommended chemo then I would consider it and maybe your cat's osteosarcoma is more malignant than typically seen but usually the disease is not that severe in cats versus dogs. Cats with clean margins or low-grade disease on the biopsy are usually monitored every few months. If the margins are not clean or if the tumor is high-grade then chemo with either carboplatin or Adriamycin can be tried. In general less than 30% of feline OSA has metastasized at the time of surgery unlike dogs where over 90% have done so.
OSA is not as common in cats as dogs but many more cats are cured with surgery alone.
Pam
Thanks Pam! I think the vet and oncologist are all puzzled because they can't even find studies of an osteosarcoma that has started in the toe of a cat. It's very frustrating 
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
Thanks Jerry! I appreciate the support! The oncologist is going to wait to see what the biopsy shows after the leg amputation as we do not yet know what this new sarcoma is. Although it would be quite the coincidence if it were a brand new cancer I think. We will see!
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
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