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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Hello! I am new to the site and have just been browsing the last couple of days.
Our pup Zoey had a lump on her front paw and we took her in to have it biopsied - it came back as a soft tissue sarcoma and we decided on a definitive round of radiation to get rid of the cancer. It worked great at first we thought, then the tumor came back barely 6 months later. Our oncologist and family vet both recommend amputation this time around. We are wrapping our heads around it and I plan on calling to schedule the surgery tomorrow morning... We know it's the best chance for her, but it's still a hard decision to make for her...
Has anyone had anything like this before? Our oncologist was pretty surprised that it came back so quickly and we're still worried about what will come back after they biopsy it after the amputation. Hoping for a low grade, but preparing for other possible outcomes too.
This community seems awesome and super helpful and I am grateful that our vet recommended looking here.
Thank you!
-Elizabeth
Hi and welcome, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm sorry cancer has brought you here, but as you have seen this is the best place to be when dealing with cancer and amputation.
Since you've been browsing you have probably seen the Reading List -links to helpful information from this site on what to expect with amputation and recovery. You can also consider downloading one or more of the ebooks from the Tripawd Library.
From my experience here it is not uncommon for STS to come back after a debulking surgery. I don't think I've heard much about radiation treatment without tumor removal first. I'll let those with more direct experience provide their stories.
The important thing now is to focus on getting Zoey out of pain from that tumor! I know that amputation seems daunting but we have all been through it and can help you though this.
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
Thank you for your response. 🙂
We did get the tumor mostly removed when they did the biopsy, but they couldn't get good margins without taking out important bits in her foot that would render it useless, so we decided on the radiation to try and avoid the need to amputate... Part of me wishes we would have just amputated to begin with and wouldn't have put her through the radiation at all...although I don't think she hated it - she loves her new friends at the vet now.
My biggest fear now is that since it came back it will be a higher grade and more likely to metastasize than it was before...like we made the wrong choice with taking that chance. But I suppose we can't dwell in the past and only make the best decisions we can for her now.
I just don't want to have her go through amputation only to find out we have another battle to fight on the other side with chemo... 🙁
I don't have any experience with STS. I'm sorry you're going through this. Don't feel bad about decisions you've made - you made them with the best of intentions, with the best hope for Zoey and with the information that you had available at the time. Sometimes things change, and when they do, you have to change your plan of attack. So now you can just go forward from here.
The first 2 weeks or so are usually the most difficult for most dogs. Murphy came home on Tramadol, Rimadyl & Gabapentin for pain control. Some dogs have a Fentanyl patch and some have antibiotics. You want to make sure that you are giving her something every few hours so that she has adequate coverage. You can also apply an ice pack, wrapped in a towel, to the incision for about 10 or 15 minutes a few times a day. Rest is very important - no running or jumping on the furniture, just potty breaks until her staples come out. Since Zoey's been having trouble with this leg, she may adapt very quickly to being a Tripawd.
If you have wood or tile floors, you'll want to get carpet runners or yoga mats to provide some tractions for her. Raised food bowls are helpful. And a we love the Webmaster Ruffwear harness - it has a handle on the back which makes getting in & out of the car super easy! Murphy weighs about 50 lbs and I can lift him by myself.
We love pictures! Stay connected - we are here for you. We've all been where you are.
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
Okay...deep breaths.....B R E A T H E....B R E A T H E......
You are doing an EXCELLENT job of trying to do what's best for your sweet Zoey!! Do not spend one more second with the "wudda', shudda's! 'That takes you away from being in the NOW...in the moment...with Zoey! From this point forward let NOTHING interfere with your time together...Zoey sure isn't!!
For whatever it's worth, many of us here had several months delay prior to the amputation for a variety of reasons...trying debulking first for tumors, or treating off and on for sprains or arthritis before determining it was osteosarcoma, etc
Zoey's leg/paw hurts. Amputation takes away the pain AND gives her a chance at quality time chock full of loving, spoiling tummy rubs, socializing with all the friends who have become her fan, and to s of yummy treats
For now, just keep things chunked down...one step at a time. Deal with the amputation, the recovery, and then you can decide how to proceed should you need additional treatment.
The recovery can be a bit rough as it is major surgery. Like all surgeries, there are risks so talk to your Surgeon about that. We'll be by your side the whole way. Nothing like a lot of first hand knowledge to rely on for support!
Remember that Zoey does NOT have a timeframe stamped anywhere in her butt and she certainly doesn't give a rip about statistics or days on a ccalendar!!
YOU ARE. IT ALONE, okay? We understand hearts like yours who will do everything possible to give their dogs a chance at life.....and we applaud you!
Would LOVE to see pictures of Zoey!!
Hugs!!
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!
Sorry - you are here, but glad you have found us. My dog, Pofi, is 4 months post amp and he has STS cancer as well. In his case, a peripheral nerve sheath tumor located in the brachial plexus (arm pit). Amputation is only possible first treatment and unfortunately, his was undetected too long and we did not get clean margins with amputation.
As I understand it, the closer an STS is to the foot, the better the chance of limb amputation being very effective and even curative.
I don't know if your Zoey's STS is a nerve sheath tumor or other connective tissue, but Pofi was on Gabapentin, Tramadol and Rimadyl for nearly 2 weeks prior to surgery and for 2 full weeks after. But he had a very, very smooth and rather uneventful recovery.
Don't dwell on what might have been if you had chosen differently; it is natural to do and I fervently wish our amp had been sooner too and before his tumor was as large as it was, but thinking that way only gets me down and that does my boy no good. Right now he is a joyful, silly, happy and pain free dog again.
Take a look at our blog (in my signature) and other topics I started on STS, etc., though we are the minority around here with this type of cancer. I would love to know more about radiation treatments for Zoey. They still are recommended for Pofi because of the margins and grade of tumor, but I can't seem to talk myself into it, so would really like to hear some detail about her program.
We are currently opting for Metronomic Chemo (low dose oral chemo daily) - both Palladia and Cytoxan alternating days. And Pofi is doing very well with that therapy. Let me know what else I can tell you or share with you!
Best thoughts for Zoey!
Lisa, Minneapolis
On October 27, 2016, nearly 6 months after amputation, and 18 months since his cancer likely started, we lost Pofi to a recurrence of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in his spine quite suddenly. His canine sister also succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2019 - we lavished her with our love in the interim, but life was never quite the same without her only real canine friend. Cliff kitty had to leave us, too, suddenly, in August 2019. Lucia kitty grieved all these losses, but helped us welcome two new Lurchers into our home and our lives, Shae and Barley.
It is hard not to second guess when things don't work out- but really we never know what would have happened if we chose a different path. Cancer is such a crap shoot anyway all we can do is make the best decisions with what we know.
Take things one at a time, focus now on the surgery and recovery. We are here to help!
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
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