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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Sammy is a 12yo 27 pound cocker spaniel. He had a pathologic fracture of the calcaneus on September 23 which was misdiagnosed as an acl tear. October 11 Sammy goes for acl surgery find the acl is fine but fracture of calcaneus. October 14 bone biopsy for suspicion of cancer. October 21 results looks like lymphoma. My vet consults oncologist who thinks lymphoma unlikely probably another round cell cancer like multiple myeloma or solitary osseusplasmacytosis. He recommends taking off the leg to ensure the cancer doesn't spread and get definitive diagnosis from it. November 9th Sammy gets amputation. November 22 lab missed the tumor with their cuts and only see one edge of tumor ask for x-rays to find leison. Second pathologist thinks lymphoma not multiple myeloma when my vet calls to complain. Lab states they will have round cell expert from uc Berkley look at new slides to confirm. They say this is a very rare cancer and that is one of the reasons it is taking so long. I can't find anything anywhere about lymphoma as a primary lesion in bone. lymphoma goes in bone marrow as a last metastasis. Sammy has been happy and healthy with normal labs. his chest xray was clear. The wait is killing me!
Oh gosh! So sorry you and Sammy are going tnrough this! Well, obviously Sammy is worried or frustrated about a thing! Ahhh...the bliss of being dog!!
I have no insight into the specific "possible" prognosis you may be may with. The only advice I can offer is to stay off of Dr Google! He can be a very scary "doctor" and often very misinformed!
You have removed Sammy's pain and for that, I know he is grateful!
TRY and focus on being present with Sammy and spoiling him and loving him and snuggling him and giving him extra treats!! It sounds like henis handling recovery very well, especially this early on! Whatever "it"'is, you will come up with athe treatment plan and move forward.
For now though, waste no time worrying, Sammy sure isn't!!
We are here for you and would loooove to hear more about your special boy when you jave a moment! Cockers are soooo cute!!
Hugs from allmof us!!
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!
I agree entirely with Sally's comments. It sounds like a horrible diagnosis and an even worse wait for news about the prognosis, but Sammy isn't concerned about it at all! He just wants to get on with life and is happy that the painful leg is gone!
Don't dig too far into Doctor Google, a lot of research can be misinterpreted by website authors or people reading the websites and it will only lead to more stress.
Best wishes for you and Sammy, spoil him with love, treats and fun, and just enjoy every day with him 
Oh yikes, you and Sammy have been through a lot! But I"m glad you're able to see how he's handling things so well and going on to be himself despite this issue. So it sounds like he is doing pretty well with recovery?
That's awesome the vets are working with experts. I don't believe we've ever had anyone here with a similar potential diagnosis, that's an unusual one for sure. I know how frustrated you must feel, it's crazy when things like this happen. For now, try to focus on Sammy and how resilient he is.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I can totally relate to what you are going through!!! We went through a similar thing with Murphy. Before his surgery, he had an x-ray guided biopsy - because they told us that there was a chance he had a fungal or bacterial infection. You know, we tend to grasp at those straws when we see them. But after a few weeks, the biopsy was still inconclusive. When we returned for x-rays, it was obvious that the tumor was eating away at the bone ... I could see where a piece was missing! So we proceeded with amputation. They would get a better sample that way, right? Well, it still took almost 3 weeks to get results. I was on the phone or texting with the fellow who did Murphy's surgery almost every day. He kept bugging the pathologist, who just couldn't give him an answer. We finally got an diagnosis of histiocytic sarcoma, which is normally found in the liver or spleen, sometimes even in the skin. It's less often found in the bone. Luckily for us, the oncologist where Murphy had his surgery had done a study on this exact cancer, so that was a little reassuring, but still.
The good thing for you is that it's been a busy couple of weeks for Sammy. You were busy with his medications and pain control, helping him to heal, getting him to eat & go potty. He probably has his staples out now and is feeling so much better! He's getting back to his old self and is in less pain than he was before. He's so glad that you got rid of that bum leg for him!
So take a page from Sammy's book - take a breath, have some chocolate, enjoy today, look forward to tomorrow - he is 
Pretty soon you'll hear from the pathologist, and you'll talk to the oncologist, and together you will come up with a plan.
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
Online
How frustrating!
I know you want to know what it is and get going with whatever treatment is needed.
Take your cue's from Sammy and make everyday his best day!
Now we all want to know the diagnosis.
BYW- are you in the SF Bay Area?
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Thanks for all the support. Sammy is a sweet mommy's boy. He lives to snuggle and wants to be with someone always. He had a sister cocker spaniel who died two years ago and he was with her his whole life. It was hard at the end and she went senile he rejected her. His grandpa Cat was also there his whole life. Grandpa was 24 and left us a month ago at the beginning of Sammy's cancer. Sammy often lays in his Grandpa's favorite spot. He has always had a good appetite and only has had trouble wanting to eat with his pain meds. He has alot of anxiety to mirror his mom's. I try to be positive and not rile him up.
1 Guest(s)
