Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all,
I just came back from the vet with a devastating diagnosis of my nearly 8 year old doberman. Osteosarcoma in her left front shoulder. The vet also saw two small pea sized mets in her chest. We have a consult with a veterinary oncologist on Wednesday, so I am looking forward to getting more information then. The vet today gave her a fentanyl patch for her pain, as she's not weight bearing on the leg after jumping off the bed this morning.
We discussed amputation, chemotherapy and radiation, but I have no clue what to expect as far as any of these things. In addition, I'm single, with a full time job, and I do not have another person that can care for my dog while I am working. Chemo and radiation are options, but only if they have appointments after the work day or on the weekends.
Questions for you guys:
amputation? What's the recovery period like?
Chemo? How often do they need to go?
Radiation? How often do they need to go?
Costs for all of this, too. Thanks in advance. I'm a bit too distraught right now to do much searching on the site.
Hi Prudy and family, welcome. Your future posts won't require approval so post away.
I'm really sorry about the diagnosis. Having also dealt with it, I understand the emotions and overwhelming feelings you're having. Many others here do too, so know that you are not alone OK?
First, I'll answer your questions as best I can.
amputation? What's the recovery period like?
Every dog is different but in general if everything goes according to plan, about 10-14 days. That's generally speaking. All dogs are different, some taken longer or shorter.
Chemo? How often do they need to go?
It depends on your ocologist's preference but chemo for osteosarcoma is anywhere from four to six rounds. Remember though, chemo is not mandatory, it's all up to you. It doesn't guarantee anything but statistically speaking it gives dogs a better chance at longer survival times. Key word is statistically. Some dogs live even longer if they have chemo, some don't live up to the predicted timeframe. Not everyone has chemo and whatever you decide, we will support you.
Radiation? How often do they need to go?
Generally this is only used for palliative care (pain relief) for osteosarcoma if you decide not to amputate and if it's available in your area or a place you want to travel to. Number of times depends on your onco's preference and the clinic's equipment.
Costs
Again, it depends on the dog's size, number of treatments and the type of chemo used. This Discussion Forum topic, "Costs of Amputation and Chemotherapy for Dogs: What Did You Pay" should give you an idea.
Also, as far as amputating with lung mets, this post will give you some insight, http://tripawds.....dr-intile/
I hope this helps. Do check out 'Jerry's Required Reading List ' for more insight and remember, take things one day at a time. The best thing you can do right now is be a strong pack leader and project a pawsitive attitude to ensure a good quality of life for your pup.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you so much for your kind reply with some great information. I'm starting to check out the reading list, and contacted the hotline yesterday and spoke to someone.
She is very lethargic from the fentanyl and it really pains me to see her like this. She's not interested in her favorite toy or treats. She has drank a bit of water this morning and ate a bit of food. Has not pooped since yesterday at noon at the vet, but she has peed a few times.
This is what I posted as a reply to a different post, but I thought it might help you as well. 🙂
Tuesday was two weeks post amputation for us, his surgery was July 28th. I have to tell you, I don't regret my decision one bit. I was an emotional trainwreck in the vet's office every day. I could not cope with the idea of amputation although everyone told me that it had to be done and was the best treatment option. I finally had to just do it, as it was best for him, and it would be eliminating the primary cancer site. The longer that you leave the leg, the more time that you are giving those cells to continue to multiply and metastasis through the body. That's what helped me - It just had to go! I finally did it, the night before was the most I'd cried in my entire life.
From a needle aspirate done on his left elbow (the cancer site) they originally told us that it was likely synovial cell sarcoma and that the survival rate was 2-3 years. So, my mindset was "if he's going to live 2-3 years, why can't I try to save his leg?". Well, guess what? They were wrong. We were diagnosed with Osteosarcoma yesterday. They told us that osteo was highly unlikely because the cancer crossed the joint (destroyed the elbow and was above and below in the humerus and ulna). So, I am so happy that I amputated when I did because I wouldn't want to leave an aggressive cancer in his body any longer.
The recovery was not that bad, he has really has done well with it and he is not a lean dog. (Well, he is now) The staples were shocking to see and the first few days were a little challenging, but he did good. He still needs a low dose of pain meds though. Your dog will likely be restless without constant pain meds. We did 100mg of Tramadol every 8 hours on the dot.
If I could do it all over again, I would've made exactly the same choice and I think you will feel the same way when it's finally done. The best advice I can give you is to make a decision and stand by it 100%. Just decide what's best and DO IT. No regrets, know that it was the best decision for him right now. Do it sooner rather than later!
Please keep us updated and feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions, I can share photos of what the recovery looked like as well.
Heather
Heather
Pit Bull Mama to Zeus (10 year old Tripawd :-) & Pennie (5 year old)
Zeus became a Tripawd on 07-28-2015 and surgery was done at the University of Florida. He had a sarcoma in his left elbow joint and amputation was done of the entire arm and shoulder blade. Diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 08-12-2015. Secondary cancer - Adenocarcinoma - in anal gland diagnosed and removed in October 2015. Finished 6 rounds of Carboplatin on 12-21-2015!!! Woohoo!!!!
Thanks you so much for sharing your story. This gives me a lot of hope. She is doing better this afternoon, after we went for a very short walk, went for a ride in the car. She peed and pooped outside when we got home.
Well,we have PEE and we have POOP and thatr always deserving of a great big YAAAAAAAAAY
YOU ARE NOT ALONE, OKAY? From this point forward you have an "extended family" to help support you on this journey!
When my Happy Hannah was first diagnosed and then the word amputation mentioned, I felt like I was stuck in a nightmar, frozen in fear and couldn't srop crying. It's just myself and my dogs. It was before I found this wonderful community. I live in a relatively rural area and had no real access to any other human help. Happy Hannah wighed in at 125 lbs.
So, to answer some of your questions.
If I recall, I scheduled the surgery so that I would pick her up on my two days off. Then I was able to arrange to take an additional three days off (for me, no worky..no payee and I'm well acquainted with "living paycheck to paycheck!)
Happy Hannah's recovery was no picnic so I didn't have to worry about her overdoing anything when I went back to work. She never messed with her stitches so she didn't have to wear a cone
Happy Hannah had four rounds of Carboplatin every three week. Once inbetween those three weeks I had to take her to have blood drawn to check her white vlood count. Sometimes if it's too low, they will delay a treatment a week until it goes backnup. No biggie. The whole chemo process took less than 45 minutes. I just stayed in the waiting room while it was given. She bouncec out everytime just as happy as good be!
As far as recovery...and you will hear this a lot...EVERY DOG IS DIFFERE T! My Happy Hannah whi ed and cried and was restless and did not sleep a wink for 24 hrs. And then very little after that for the next two days. And yeah, when it's just you being the caregiver it can be pretty exhausting! Some dogs just pretty mich stay zonked out for a few days. Some dogs come home and act as though not much has happened and then crash a couple of days later for a bit. .any dogs don't eat mich st first, if at all. My Happy Hannah NEVER, EVER missed a meal!!
With or without mets, amputation removes the painful leg. NO dog has a timeframe stamped on their butts. And because of that, most vets proceed full steam ahead with amputation to give our dogs and cats quality pain free time for .ore loving and spoiling....and scoops of ice cream!
I can tell you this, when my Happy Hannah did recovery, she got her sparkle back bigger and brighter than before!!
Take some deep breaths...B R E A T H E....B R E A T H E...and gobble down some chocolate by the handfuls!!
We are right here with you!
Sending love and hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
PS..Really glad the Helpline was there for you. I know Michelle was on duty that day so I know you were well supported.
My day off at the time was on a Wednesday. I scheduled all her chemo seeions for morning.
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!
The decision to amputate was made for me this morning. Her left front leg was extremely swollen and purple, she wasn't really eating and she was crying. I could tell she was in a lot of pain. I spoke with her oncologist (who I'm seeing Wednesday) who was not thrilled that I decided to amputate today, saying that it wasn't going to help her mean survival time.
I know that my days with her are limited. I made the best decision I could for her right at this moment. I could not bear to take her back home with me for her to suffer like she was. My family is not very supportive of the decision I just made, but I am working with work and the hospital to keep her there for a little longer for her recovery. She'll be there for 2 days as of right now, but I will likely bring her back on Friday, as I need to work.
I am so sorry 🙁 Are they doing the surgery today? I think you're making the right decision and as long as you're confident you are making the right decision for HER, then don't worry about what anyone else says. They don't sit through those oncology appointments with you and learn about the disease and treatment options, nor do they live with your sweet girl. I think most people here can tell you that not everyone will be supportive of this. My parents were not supportive at all and thought it was crazy that I was "doing this to him". I made the decision for him, he has recovered so well (3 weeks tomorrow!) and now everyone is so impressed with him and this process.
Zeus' surgery was on a tuesday at 10:00am (i dropped him off at 7am) and he was discharged the next day at 4:00pm. He was fine to go home. I was terrified, afraid of taking care of such trauma when I live 3 hours away from the hospital where it was done, and afraid of his incision. I was scared to help him walk and thought I would hurt him. All of this worked out MUCH better than I ever imagined.
Seeing as how your girl already is in immense pain with that leg, I think she'll actually be a lot happier and a lot more comfortable with it gone. The dogs that already do not use that leg tend to recover better because they are used to putting all of their weight on 3 legs already.
Where are you located? I wish I was nearby to help! We're in Clearwater, FL.
Tips:
- I put a bed in the center of my living room (matress & box spring) as our "post-op bed" because it was closer to the door, food bowls, and crate than the bedroom. Our whole house is tile and he doesn't get good traction on it, especially right after surgery.
- I bought a cheap area rug for the kitchen that covered the entire floor and tried to put either rugs or yoga mats everywhere.
- You can use a towel as a sling to help her walk at first
- She will do better going faster. Slow steps are harder.
- I bought an ice pack from Target that looked like a sheet of ice cubes and was very moldable and it laid across the incision perfectly
- I used an inflatable collar (petsmart) rather than the cone. They had a cone on him after surgery and it was pushing into his neck so hard, I left and bought the inflatable at petsmart and brought it back for him to wear during recovery. It's MUCH more comfortable for them, especially when they need rest after surgery. I would drop her off with one of these.
Please let us know if you need anything! I can send photos of the recovery if you'd like to know what to expect.
All the best,
Heather
Heather
Pit Bull Mama to Zeus (10 year old Tripawd :-) & Pennie (5 year old)
Zeus became a Tripawd on 07-28-2015 and surgery was done at the University of Florida. He had a sarcoma in his left elbow joint and amputation was done of the entire arm and shoulder blade. Diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 08-12-2015. Secondary cancer - Adenocarcinoma - in anal gland diagnosed and removed in October 2015. Finished 6 rounds of Carboplatin on 12-21-2015!!! Woohoo!!!!
prudy said
The decision to amputate was made for me this morning. Her left front leg was extremely swollen and purple, she wasn't really eating and she was crying. I could tell she was in a lot of pain. I spoke with her oncologist (who I'm seeing Wednesday) who was not thrilled that I decided to amputate today, saying that it wasn't going to help her mean survival time.
I know that my days with her are limited. I made the best decision I could for her right at this moment. I could not bear to take her back home with me for her to suffer like she was. My family is not very supportive of the decision I just made, but I am working with work and the hospital to keep her there for a little longer for her recovery. She'll be there for 2 days as of right now, but I will likely bring her back on Friday, as I need to work.
Of course you can't see her suffer. And of course you know that she's got limited time---but what is the most important thing is that whatever time she does have isn't full of pain and suffering. So it sounds like you're making a humane decision to relieve the pain and then face the next step---whatever that might be. And even if your family won't support your decision, everyone here knows how hard a decision it is and that no one makes the decision lightly.
I'm afraid I don't understand the comment from your oncologist about her mean survival time. It seems a callous thing to say if she's in pain right now.
Denise, Bill and Angel Ellie.
Active 10+ Pyr mix suddenly came up lame with ACL tear in left rear leg. Scheduled for a TPLO but final pre-op x-rays indicated a small suspicious area, possibly OSA, which could have caused the ACL tear. Surgeon opened the knee for TPLO but found soft bone. Biopsy came back positive for OSA. Became a Tripawd 9/18/14. Carbo6 with Cerenia and Fluids. Pain free and living in the moment. Crossed the Bridge on 7/12/15 after probable spread of cancer to her cervical spine. A whole lifetime of memories squeezed into 10 months. Here's her story: Eloise
You jave .ade a COURAGEOUS out of love for your sweet Dobie! She helped in that decision by showing you she wanted that painful leg gone!!!
Everyone of us here on this journey all "hope" longevity. We also understand it's about QUALITY!!! Always has been the main reason for amputation. I'm REALLY sorry that your Onco. Is. not fully understanding the reason for your decision. We do!! We understand!! The current trend among most vets now is to remove the painful leg whether there are mets or not.
Recovery is no picnic for a bit. But you will be absolutely amazed at how good your pup will feel o ce recovery is over and that painful leg is gone!!! You may even find that you can bring her home a lot earlier and just keep her more confined to a small area while you are at work.
If you have hardwood floors you'll want to get nonslip scatter rugs for traction . Raised food bowls also help alleviate any strain for large dogs.
And NO dogs have a timeframe stamped on their butts! Dogs could care less about a calendar. You are now giving her...and you...pain free bonus days for more loving and spoiling and steak and ice cream and butt rubs and treats...ENJOY THE BLISS! She sure will!!
STAY CONNECTED! YOU ARE. NOT ALONE! Update us as soon as you can!
Sending lots of love!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle 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!
Ditto everything DENISE and HEATHER said!...ueah, Denise, me no likey that onco comment either!
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!
I'm trying to figure out how to post the video of the first time Zeus walked after surgery. This was about 24 hours exactly after surgery and the first time we took him out to pee. He did incredible! The red stuff is adhesive around his bandage, not blood.
I can't get it to post on here, but here's the youtube link. I just uploaded it so that I could post it here!
feature=youtu.be
Heather
Pit Bull Mama to Zeus (10 year old Tripawd :-) & Pennie (5 year old)
Zeus became a Tripawd on 07-28-2015 and surgery was done at the University of Florida. He had a sarcoma in his left elbow joint and amputation was done of the entire arm and shoulder blade. Diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 08-12-2015. Secondary cancer - Adenocarcinoma - in anal gland diagnosed and removed in October 2015. Finished 6 rounds of Carboplatin on 12-21-2015!!! Woohoo!!!!
The oncologist travels and couldn't come to the office today to see her, so all he had were her x Rays and no other imaging. I don't know. I did what I felt was right. If she doesn't recover well from this surgery, I can always put her down later. I wasn't ready to make that decision today.
Hi Prudy and family, I'm in the chat now if you want to talk. More in a sec...
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
This was two weeks post amputation. I'm hoping this makes you feel better! 🙂
You can see that he had seroma (sterile accumulation of fluid) and it was really tender. Two days after this video, he got his staples out and they drained 72ml of fluid from it. It is now less than half that size and he's getting around much better. You can tell that he's more comfortable.
Heather
Pit Bull Mama to Zeus (10 year old Tripawd :-) & Pennie (5 year old)
Zeus became a Tripawd on 07-28-2015 and surgery was done at the University of Florida. He had a sarcoma in his left elbow joint and amputation was done of the entire arm and shoulder blade. Diagnosed with Osteosarcoma 08-12-2015. Secondary cancer - Adenocarcinoma - in anal gland diagnosed and removed in October 2015. Finished 6 rounds of Carboplatin on 12-21-2015!!! Woohoo!!!!
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