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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I am so glad I found this forum. I just found out that my Rottie, Xena, has osteosarcoma, this afternoon. She had a swelling in her right front leg and was limping. They showed me the xrays and it doesn't look good. So, of course I have been scouring the internet and am so glad I have found people who have been through this. I am not ready to say goodbye to my girl. I cannot even imagine walking through the front door and she is not there to greet me. She is almost 8 years old and is the best dog I have ever owned. She is quite the character and is the typical velcro Rottie.
The vet told me of all the options and I definitely want to do whatever will save her. I think she has the heart and spirit to do well as a tripawd. I just don't like reading that most dogs only live 4-5 months after - is that correct? I have read a couple of threads on here but have not had a chance to go through everything yet. I am on an emotional roller coaster right now and can hardly think straight. I will continue reading. So glad to have found this!
Welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm sorry cancer has brought you here, to the club no one ever thought they would join. We have all been there and can help.
Upside down is a good way to describe it, but take your cues from Xena- does she look worried?
You should look through Jerry's Required Reading list and consider downloading one or more of the e-books available here. There is lots of good information on what to expect with amputation, recovery and treatment, if you go that route.
As far as the prognosis- it's kind of a crap shoot. We have had lots of pups survive over a year, and some who only make a few months. The important thing to remember is that you are taking away her pain and allowing what ever time you have to be quality time with you. You are also giving her a chance- to be one of those pups that beats the odds.
My little pug Maggie had a different cancer, mast cell, and after her amp she was given 6 to 9 months. She lived almost 4 years and didn't pass from mast cell cancer. Not everyone is so lucky of course- but there is hope!
Do you have a surgery date yet?
Karen and Spirit Maggie
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Oh yes, I remember diagnosis day. I went out to my car and sobbed while he was getting his X-rays. It is like Karen said, a crap shoot. Read Charley's blog for some some inspiration. He has 46 months under his belt. The amp does however, remove the source of pain. I know it is just so very overwhelming, but you have come to the right place. Lori and Ty
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.
Welcome! My dog had a different kind of cancer but was still a Tripawd. There are LOTS of dogs that do great!!! Some that don't but I liked to focus on the positive stories... positivity (and medicine) helped my Shelby girl outlive her 6- 8 week diagnosis for her cancer to live 6 wonderful months. We have quite a few rotties here... Sassy is one that comes to mind! I am sure her mom, Michelle, will chime in.
And like Lori said, many long stories... Charley, Jackson, Hannah (who has passed but lived over a year) and of course, our founder and idol, Jerry!
Stay close to us and we are here to help!
Many hugs!
Alison with the Spirit of Shelby fur-ever in her heart (and little Jasper too)
Shelby Lynne; Jack Russell/Shiba Inu mix. Proud member of the April Angels of 2014.
October 15, 2000 to April 8, 2014
Our story: Broke rear leg in June 2013 - non-conclusive results for cancer so leg was plated and pinned. Enlarged spleen in September 2013 and had it removed and was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma and started chemotherapy. Became a Tripawd January 8th, 2014 and definitive Hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Three major surgeries in 7 months and Shelby took them all like a champ only to lose her battle to cancer in her brain. We had 8 amazing extra months together and no regrets. #shelbystrong #loveofmylife
Karen -no date for surgery yet. My vet wanted me to take the week-end to decide what to do. She was talking about doing a biopsy too first, to be totally positive, but the xrays look like everything I have seen online. Not sure about doing the biopsy as it seems that that can cause a fracture and more pain. I will read everything that you have recommended. I am so torn right now. I read the positive posts about amputation and relieving the dogs of their pain, but then they go through more pain later when they succumb to the cancer. But, I know she is not ready to die and I am not ready to lose her. She still has a healthy appetite and wants to play. She is laying on her back behind me right now, with all paws up in the air relaxing. She is a funny dog who always makes me smile.
I will add my 2 cents. Welcome and I am sorry you have to go through this. Sassy was a 6 year old Rottie. Her x-rays they weren't sure that is what it was. Sassy's was a right rear. We did 2 biopsies and did not get the "definate" Osteoscaroma diagnosis until her amputation. Me personally if it even looks like it I won't do another biopsy. Just because I put her through more pain without that diagnosis.
I don't know about more pain from the cancer when they pass. Sassy didn't seem to have that pain. She developed lung mets survived almost 8 months with them a total of almost 10 months post amputation. We did 4 rounds of Carboplatin and somewhere between 4 & 5 she developed those mets.
Feel free to look at our blog. You will have to go back to the beginning as that is about Sassy. I have been updating her blog with my 2 new babies & her "brother" Bosch.
Good luck and don't hesitate to ask questions and you can send me a private message if you have any questions although I don't know much about front leg amputations I will answer any questions I can
Michelle & Angel Sassy Sugar Bear
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
Hi Rottsrus,
So sorry your sweet Xena has been diagnosed with the ugly "c".......but you have found the best support group in the world to deal with this unwanted journey. And you are right, OSA and many other awful cancers in our fur babies do turn your life upside down. My precious Polly, like Alison's Shelby, did not have OSA, we dealt with hemangiosarcoma in our girls.
Everyone here has given really great advice, and the only thing I really want to add is that there is NO timetable on prognosis.....my girl outlived her prognosis by almost double the time estimated, and there are SO many others here that have had, and are having huge success in this battle. Never give up hope. And don't worry about being on that roller coaster of emotions, we have all definitely been there, and I can't say that it ever really stops once we start this road of uncertainty......I WILL say we all do our very best for our beloved pups and kitties, and that is what matters most......quality time for them.
Keeping you and Xena in my thoughts as you go through the process of deciding what your next step will be......your heart will guide you in the right direction....
Bonnie & Angel Polly
Is this like being stuck in a nightmare or what? It seemed like I cried non-stop from the moment of diagnosis straight through until the surgery..and then for the first two weeks of recovery because I thought I'd made a horrible decision!
I joined this site on day six of Happy Hannah's recovery in a complete panicked state. The information and support here are absolutely INVALUABLE. They threw me a life line and saved me from drowning in fear!
We are allhere for you and you are not alone, okay?
Im going to sharewith you some of mynthought process when it came to making THE decisiow. I switched from "yes"..."no"...off and on for a coupe of weeks. I even cancelled her first scheduled surgery!!!
I was obsessed with "time frames" and how could a 125 lb. Plus size model Bull Mastiff possibly walk on three legs!!!
Her limping became more pronounced and I was having to increae her p a in meds. At that rate it would probably be a matter of weeks and I would have to let her go.
Like your Xena, Hap p y Hannah was full m of lofe and joy and would not want to miss our on an opportunity of a pain free life!!! A pain free life that would give her time for more tummy rubs, more treats, more lpving and spoiling, more snuggles, more food....yeah, she wanted more of all of that!!!
For me, I wo u ld regret if I didn't try. I had to accept the risk that things could go wrong with surgery...accept that there are some dogs for whatever reason, have only made it a very short time after suregy....while they were in the minority...it does halpen!!!! I had to stand bynmy decision knowing I was at least giving her a chance at more quality time.
One thing that, for me, tipped the scales in favor of amputation was to remind myself that, in dog years, six months is the equivalent of approximately THREE YEARS in a do's life!!!
Once you can wrap your head around focusing on quality and, as best you can, let go of time frames, it makes the decision easier.
None of the dogs and cats here have time frames stamped onntheir butts!!! It really, real k y is such a crap shoot!! You'll see statistics with or without chemo, young versus old, overweight versus slim......EVERY DOG IS DIFFERENT and every dog pretty much make their own statistics.
Oh, and to piggy back on what Michess said...many, many here would not go the biopsy route if they had it over to do again.. Again an individual choise to be discussed with your vet.
As far as "ending of this life".....many times it's the result of lung mets, or sometimes spreading to the spine, and in almost all cases, it becomes about good days and increasing less good days. It's ab o ut maybe loss of appetite, or being "uncmfortable", , or sleeping more. Guess Im trying to say the physical aspect is not generally one that is about long term pain, or pain that cany be managed. Younhave warning signs generally before it gets to a bad place
Now, as far as Happy Hannah. It was THE best decision she and I made!!! We had ONE YEAR AND TWO MONTHS (over seven years in dog) of happiness, joy, love, sacred memories...it was the most gloriously blissful time I could ever have imagined!!!
And let me add, when it came time for her transition, she was still wagging her tail and exited as she was eating steak, ice cream M&Ms and deer poop! Yep! Deer poop! One of her favorite delicacies!!! She was growing more and more tired and not sleeping very well (mets), but still loving life. I was able to "celebrate her home" before her joy and happiness were taken away by that piece of crap disease.
Xena sounds delightful and I do hope you will post some pictures of her. We love pictures around here!!
Sendingnyou strength and clarity. Remember xena is not worried about a ting and could care less about anynole stinkin' diagnosis or statistics!!! She's a Warrior!!!
Now go give her a hug and kiss and watch how hap o y that makes her..and you! Oh, and eat lots of chocolate...it helps!! Really!
((((((((((((((((((GHUGS)))))))))))))))))))
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!
Welcome, Xena's mom! my boy also was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (OSA), also front right leg. We "lost" about 2 months with biopsies, the first one a "false-negative" but fortunately the orthopedist insisted that the X-ray image was compatible with OSA. It isn't easy to get a good sample depending on the affected area. If I may give some piece of advice, is: don't go for a surgical biopsy. If you can, do a full-body CT-scan and aspirational biopsy associated with this, because at the same time that you get the sample for biopsy you also check if the disease has spread to any other organ. This is important for the decision on the post-op treatment. Don't be afraid of the amputation. That is the easiest part for most dogs, especially when they are in a good physical condition, and are not senior dogs.
Check my posts (my dog's name is Johnnie Walker) for a series of photos I took from Johnnie's recovery. He is a big boy - 90 lbs - and is doing just fine. If I have one regret is not having obtained the diagnosis earlier on, because he could have had the surgery many months before and would have spared him a lot of pain and a lot of medication.
For the moment, do your background reading, and look into other dogs' stories to give you confidence in your decision. One book I did buy was Dr. Dressler's book "The Dog Cancer Survival Guide ". I first downloaded it to my Kindle, but then ordered the normal book, much better. I also changed Johnnie's diet to a home-cooked "cancer diet".
Don't be shy to share your anxieties here in this forum, because there is always someone with a previous experience that can give you some advice and support. This has also become an international support community, with "pawrents" not only from the U.S. !
regards,
Daniela & Johnnie
Our awesome Golden Boy was diagnosed for OSA in April 2014 in the proximal humerus, front-leg amp on 05/20/2014. Finished chemo (Carbo6) on 07/10/2014. Ongoing treatment: acupuncture + K-9 Immunity Plus ( 3chews) and home-cooked no-grain diet. Stopped Apocaps because of liver issues. Liver issues: controlling altered enzymes with SAM-e and Milk Thistle. October 17: started having seizures. Taking fenobarbital for seizures. April 18: started prednisone.
I'm so sorry, the diagnosis is a real hearbreaker, we understand totally.
When it comes to the prognosis I like to say "prognosis schmognosis!" You just never know. Yes, some dogs sadly don 't make it very long but we have seen a lucky few go beyond 2 years, sometimes 5! It just depends on the dog and what the cancer does. Unfortunately even with chemo there are no guarantees but what this disease teaches us is to live every day to the fullest...cancer or not, you never know what's in the future so why not make the most of living in the now?
Your girl is still young and so strong, it sounds like overall she is a good candidate for surgery which is fantastic! Remember, every day after surgery and recovery is icing on the cake, it's such a gift. Try not to focus too much on the future, just help her with the pain she's in now and take it from there.
Whatever you do we will support you either way so keep us posted OK? And share some pics too if you'd like, we would love to see 'em!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed you had made a decision. It is a good idea to take a couple days to research all your options.
No matter what you decide to do we are here to help you on this cancer journey.
Let us know what you decide and how we can help.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Thank you so much all of you for your kind words and advice. This week-end has been hell. Every time I look at my baby I start tearing up. I am still up in the air about what to do. One minute it is fight, the next is can we afford it, how will I look after her while trying to work. We have a split foyer house so no matter where you go there are stairs. Xena is 117lbs. How will I manage that post op? My husband just started working after being unemployed for a year, so he can't take time off.
But, I am really not ready to let her go! She is my right hand lady and has always been there for me. I wish she could talk and tell me what she wants. I'm not sure if she is fit enough to deal with life on three legs. She is 117lbs and pretty much a lazy dog. I was just starting to get her into an exercise regime when she started limping. I just don't know how that other front leg will hold up. Oh man.
I have a 14 year old daughter that is a mess too with all of this. She said she doesn't want to see Xena with three legs, so I am dealing with that too.How did your children take all of this and were any of them against it and how did you get them to come around or forgive you for going ahead with it??
Thank you again. I really appreciate being able to come here and vent and ask questions. Thank you all for your time!
I am in the chat right now for a few more minutes if you want to talk.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
First, I'll try to address your concerns:
Re: Watching her at home during recovery/taking time off work
If you can confine her to a small area of your home without stairs for at least a week, she should be fine. Most dogs just lay around and sleep after surgery. If she can get out to go potty she will figure it out, of course it would be best to have someone stop by to check on her a couple of times while you're at work.
Re: Your daughter
Most kids take the lead from their parents. If you believe she will be OK, your kids will feel that and act the same way. Has your daughter seen our community videos and photos and such? Parents here report that it REALLY makes a positive impact.
Re: Her weight
If she doesn't have any major arthritis or joint issues, and your vet thinks she's a good candidate, then she will likely do just fine. Weight can be lost and unlike people dogs lose it VERY quickly. You'll find lots of tips here on that. Her fitness routine can be picked up later after she regains her confidence on 3 legs. You can ask other Rottie pawrents here like Michelle, Sassy's Mom; although their dogs were very large, they eventually caught on to being a Tripawd.
Amputation isn't right for every dog. It's not always an easy recovery and sometimes setbacks happen. But overall, very few people ever regret the decision (see our Survey). Have a heart to heart with your girl and listen to her, talk to her, she will tell you what she wants. Every human has the ability to hear what they are saying, we just have to be calm and centered enough to listen.
Good luck and remember we will support you no matter what you decide.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Ok,
I don't have kids but I can agree with Rene. Let her look at pictures. There are plenty in the gallery. Three legs isn't bad. Yes, it is shocking the first day of surgery but most front leg amputees have a bandage. Sassy they didn't because no way to wrap it.
recovery. I worked from home so I was here but a lot of people use baby gates to confine their dogs to one area. Most of the time she will sleep the first week anyway. Steps she will have a harder time going down than up. When she comes home you can use a sling. We made one from a baby bumper pad we got from the Good will (I will post pictures at the end of this post). There maybe some ups & downs during the recovery period and the 1st 2 weeks are usually the toughest as far as recovery goes.
Her weight. Sassy was 138 pounds when she was amputated. she lost some after her amputation which she needed to do. Sassy did great as a Tripawd. Hopped out to the car surprised even her vets that she did so well. Check out our blog you have to go back aways there are some videos of her
Michelle & Angel Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
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