Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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We also received an osteosarcoma diagnosis this week for our Husky, Maya. She is a rescue and we have had her for 8.5 years so we think she is between 9.5 and 10 years old. The first vet passed off her limp (and lump on her front leg) as arthritis with no x-ray. Three weeks later another (very compassionate) vet saw her and immediately did the x-ray and gave us the terrible news. She is in terrible pain when walking and puts no weight on her leg and seems terribly depressed. She is scheduled for amputation in a few days. At first this decision seemed so hard but then you learn that that is not even the worst of it since this cancer is so aggressive. I would love anyone's comments on chemo decisions for a doggie this age or with this cancer in general. I am heartbroken and so is my daughter (Maya was her 12th birthday present) but more than anything we do not want her to suffer. No nodules in her lungs yet but there are tiny white spots the vet suspects could be cancer. I really appreciate learning about this site and talking to folks who have walked this road before us.
Sorry you find yourself here but, under the circumstances there is no better place to be for support and information and understanding. This is such a scary thing to hear and it really turns your world upside down. Eventually though, you settle down, you do your research, you decide on a plan and then you move forward. There's actually a sense of relief in deciding on treatment.
BTW, Maya is BEAUTIFUL!! I was once owned by a Husky and he was so smart, so loyal, so much fun and so full of spunk! I imagine Maya clearly picked you for a reason...she wanted to know what love and joy felt like! Mission accomplished!
Does the vet have her on pain meds? The fact that she's holding her leg up, as you already noted, shows pain. It a@so shows she is goi g to do well on three legs! At first I was completely opposed to amputation for my Happy Hannah. When she started holding her leg up and wasn't "just limping", I made the appointment.
Sounds like Maya is fit and a good candidate for surgery! No nodules on the rays, already handling three legs..all good.
Recovery is no picnic for a couple of weeks. It is MAJOR surgery and it hurts! Rest and potty breaks for firts two weeks. We can fill you in more on that later.
As far as your chemo. You have time to think about that later. Keep things chunked down, one thing at a time.
Hiwever, that said, chemo is an individual choice. Some dogs "appear" to get extended time, some do not. Same as far as NOT pursuing it Some "appear to get extended time without it, some do not. It really is a crap shoot.
I did continue with four rounds of Carboplatin for my Happy Hannah.
My thought process......I could stop anytime if she had bad issues with it........For me, I felt like I woukd second guess myself if I didn't give it a try (again, a very individual and personal decision..no right or wrong).
In my Happy Hannah's case, she sailed through all treatments with no issues. Some dogs experience lethergy and nausea and loss of appetite for a couple of days. The vet will give you Cerenia in case she does have nausea. Sometimes, not toomoften, the symptoms are too severe and the dog does not continue with treatment and then recovers just fine.
This whole jkurney is about quality! With amputation you are removing a very painful leg. You are giving Maya a pain free life full of more loving and spoiling and tummy rubs a dnd treats and fun and cuddling than you could ever imagine possible!
Maya doesn't have a time frame stamped on ner butt and doesn't even know anything about days on a ccalendar! She's living in the moment with no worries about tomorrow. Let Maya be your guide and you, and she, will do just fine!
Can't wait to see pictures! Her avatar is so pretty!
,Love and 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!
Thank you Sally!
Maya is a good girl and spoiled to say the least. You could call her Diva instead of Maya. She is on Tramadol for the pain along with Advil. She has always been odd when it comes to medication (for instance if we use the topical flea and tick drops she will often go "hide" for a day or two?!?) and while she is a very hilarious dog in general, she gets depressed when she feels bad or even if she feels "embarrassed" (we have 3 other dogs). Since all of the doctor appointments this week, she has decided she will not eat- not even "people food" except boiled chicken!
I really appreciate your perspective on amputation. What you say does make a lot of sense. I am on the fence about the chemo - I made a consult appt with the oncologist to get more info as our vet doesn't administer chemo but will do the surgery.
Thank you again, glad to have found you guys! I am praying for a smooth surgery and healthy recovery!
Maya's family
We did chemo - four rounds of carboplatin. Some nausea, some squishy poo - all treated with the meds that the oncologist gave us. Nothing so horrible that I thought about stopping, but I am also very glad we are done. Obviously, step 1 is getting through the amputation and recovery process. Talk to the oncologist, just for more info., but you do not have to make a decision until (at earliest) when the staples come out.
My Otis is now doing well. He cannot walk very far - we are infamous for the 7 house walk, with a long rest break at house 5. But everything else he does is totally normal - he can climb stairs, chase cats and squirrels, has his appetite back, and can jump on the furniture. I am still sleeping on my mattress and box spring - no frame - to make it easier for him to sleep with me, but other than these few changes, life is pretty good. The first 10 days to 2 weeks of recovery will be hard. Make sure that you have non-slip floor runners or mats anywhere you have tile or hard wood. A good, firm bed is ideal - nothing too squishy - we love the Big Barker Bed . We also love the Ruffwear Webmaster Plus harness (see the Gear Blog ) to help us assist him - a front amp. cannot use one until the incision heals, but it is something to think about.
We are all here for you and Maya - feel free to reach out with questions or frustrations (which will come as you go through the first 3 - 5 nights, likely without adequate sleep!).
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
Hi again, I'm glad you decided to start your own thread for Maya.
Sounds like Maya is quite sensitive! My little pug Maggie was as stubborn as they come and not at all good with any changes to her routines. She really took her time getting used to her new 'normal' after she lost her left rear leg to mast cell cancer. I was sure I had made the wrong decision choosing amputation for her! Most pups are back to themselves in 2 to 3 weeks, but Maggie didn't play with me for 6 weeks after her surgery. In hindsight it made sense because she was so sensitive to changes, but she sure made it extra stressful for me.
I went into the surgery thinking that it was curative, I don't remember discussing chemo with the oncologist before the surgery. When the path report came back on the lymph node removed with the leg it showed the cancer was in her lymph system...very bad sign for mast cell cancer. Her prognosis was downgraded to 'poor' and she was given 6 to 9 months with chemo. We did do the chemo and Mag tolerated it pretty well. The protocol is much different for mast cell, Mag was on chemo for about 6 months. Turns out Maggie beat the odds and lived almost 4 years after her amp, and she did not pass from mast cell cancer.
Chemo is a personal choice, and the situation needs to be right for you and Maya. Mag's little sis Tani also developed mast cell cancer and Mag developed a second cancer and I chose not to do chemo in either of those cases.
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
So good to hear from all of you! I know each journey is different - I am so very thankful for your insight!
So sorry to hear about the diagnosis, we can all relate to your shock and sadness. I felt just like you, the cancer was the first bombshell, then you get the prognosis, but once the initial shock subsides, you'll follow Maya's lead. She'll show you exactly what it is to Be More Dog . Sure, the vets give us all the statistics, they have to, but you know what, Maya is not a statistic, she's Maya, she's unique to this world and she will pave her own way.
None of us know what the outcome will be with our beloved friends, but what we do know is we are here together, right now. We know that we love our dogs and we know that every decision we make for them is out of pure, limitless love. Maya couldn't ask for anything more.
First stop, you're getting rid of that bum leg. Maya is going to feel so much relief. She'll be sore from the amputation for a few weeks but after that, no more pain for Maya! Yay! She can get on with focusing on all the doggie things she loves to do. She sounds like a real character!
Next, chemo or no? Like others have said, its such a personal choice and one which you don't have to make right now if you don't feel up to it. For me, like Sally, I would have second guessed myself if I hadn't tried chemo, but that doesn't mean its the right or wrong decision, everyone has their own gut instinct and thats what we went with. We knew we could stop at any time if we felt uncomfortable or that Beau's quality of life was being affected. So far, he's pretty much sailed through. He's had 5 out of 6 so far. 1-4, no problems at all. 5 he had a bit of sickness and a bad tummy but it cleared up within a day. I'm not sure if that was my fault though, I gave him a bone after chemo for being a good boy
, I'll avoid that straight after next time!
Chemo isn't for everyone, some dogs don't tolerate it, some people just feel it isn't right for them but whatever decision you make, it's out of love, so be kind to yourself whatever you choose. Maya knows she's in safe hands with you no matter what.
As for the little white spots on the x-ray, Beau's x-ray showed lots of little white spots in his lungs, the vet said it could be cancer spread. When we got passed onto to a referral vet and he had his CT scan, it turned out that they were normal, I cant remember exactly what they were air sacs or vessels (I was too happy to hear "not cancer" to keep listening) but it was completely normal. Hopefully its the same thing with Maya.
Thinking of you in the days to come, and hoping the operations goes perfectly. Keep us updated
Beau's family
myboybeau said
So sorry to hear about the diagnosis, we can all relate to your shock and sadness. I felt just like you, the cancer was the first bombshell, then you get the prognosis, but once the initial shock subsides, you'll follow Maya's lead. She'll show you exactly what it is to Be More Dog . Sure, the vets give us all the statistics, they have to, but you know what, Maya is not a statistic, she's Maya, she's unique to this world and she will pave her own way.None of us know what the outcome will be with our beloved friends, but what we do know is we are here together, right now. We know that we love our dogs and we know that every decision we make for them is out of pure, limitless love. Maya couldn't ask for anything more.
First stop, you're getting rid of that bum leg. Maya is going to feel so much relief. She'll be sore from the amputation for a few weeks but after that, no more pain for Maya! Yay! She can get on with focusing on all the doggie things she loves to do. She sounds like a real character!
Next, chemo or no? Like others have said, its such a personal choice and one which you don't have to make right now if you don't feel up to it. For me, like Sally, I would have second guessed myself if I hadn't tried chemo, but that doesn't mean its the right or wrong decision, everyone has their own gut instinct and thats what we went with. We knew we could stop at any time if we felt uncomfortable or that Beau's quality of life was being affected. So far, he's pretty much sailed through. He's had 5 out of 6 so far. 1-4, no problems at all. 5 he had a bit of sickness and a bad tummy but it cleared up within a day. I'm not sure if that was my fault though, I gave him a bone after chemo for being a good boy
Chemo isn't for everyone, some dogs don't tolerate it, some people just feel it isn't right for them but whatever decision you make, it's out of love, so be kind to yourself whatever you choose. Maya knows she's in safe hands with you no matter what.
As for the little white spots on the x-ray, Beau's x-ray showed lots of little white spots in his lungs, the vet said it could be cancer spread. When we got passed onto to a referral vet and he had his CT scan, it turned out that they were normal, I cant remember exactly what they were air sacs or vessels (I was too happy to hear "not cancer" to keep listening) but it was completely normal. Hopefully its the same thing with Maya.
Thinking of you in the days to come, and hoping the operations goes perfectly. Keep us updated
Beau's family
Thanks for you kind words and wisdom. Beau is beautiful - we have a German Sheppard too! I am so glad he is doing well!!
🙂 Maya's family
So sorry to hear about Maya's diagnosis - you and I are on the same time frame. It sure sucks, doesn't it? Clyde is having his surgery today, I'm so anxious. In Clyde's case, I won't be going with chemo but for me its a cost issue. If I could financially afford it, I'd probably try since he's so full of life even at 9.5 (every time we've been to the vet in the past week, other people have asked me if he's a puppy) and I think he'd tolerate it well. But, its not an option. As everyone has said, its a personal choice and whatever choice you make will have been made with love. That's the best we can do for our doggies. Good luck to Maya - I'm probably going to be on this website obsessively for the next several months, and I hope we hear more about Maya's progress.
Clyde's mom
lawcat said
So sorry to hear about Maya's diagnosis - you and I are on the same time frame. It sure sucks, doesn't it? Clyde is having his surgery today, I'm so anxious. In Clyde's case, I won't be going with chemo but for me its a cost issue. If I could financially afford it, I'd probably try since he's so full of life even at 9.5 (every time we've been to the vet in the past week, other people have asked me if he's a puppy) and I think he'd tolerate it well. But, its not an option. As everyone has said, its a personal choice and whatever choice you make will have been made with love. That's the best we can do for our doggies. Good luck to Maya - I'm probably going to be on this website obsessively for the next several months, and I hope we hear more about Maya's progress.Clyde's mom
Yes - "sucks" is a good way to put it. I'm so sorry about Clyde. A week ago I had never heard about this awful thing. Best of luck to Clyde and you too- please let me/us know how he does. He sounds like a fighter!!! Lots of prayers!
Maya's family
Murphy's bone cancer wasn't osteosarcoma, it was histiocytic sarcoma, which is very aggressive. We originally thought we weren't going to do chemo, but when we found out how aggressive his cancer was, and that the lymph node that had been removed was positive, we decided to go ahead with it. We also decided that we could stop at any time if we needed to. He had 6 doses of CCNU, which is an oral chemo, and didn't really have any side effects. So far it's been over 3 years since his surgery.
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
Maya's family, welcome. I know this isn't a place anyone wants to be but we're glad you're here and will be with you and support you every step of the way no matter what you decide.
I just have to second what everyone else says: there are no right or wrong choices here, everyone is different. In our case, we opted out of chemo and have no regrets. Would we opt out again if we had to deal with cancer once more? I can't say. It's different for every dog, and every situation. Nobody will judge you for your choices.
What is important is making sure that Maya is not in pain. It's all she wants, to feel good again, to be with her people. Dog's don't keep calendars, they don't know one day from one year, they just life in the Now, the way we all should. Right now, she just wants to feel better. Amputation is the only way to make sure she's not in pain and if she's a good candidate for surgery, yay! And I will tell you that Huskies are pretty darn resilient, they really do rock on 3 legs, at any age.
I know it's crazy; cancer has this way of teaching us to look at life really differently, and treasure every minute as icing on the cake. In time you'll see it too. For now, lean on us, you're not alone.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Maya and welcome to our family 
Yes, having those kind of news is such a shock especially as we always expect limping will be due to something else. It was the same with our girl and our heart stopped when the vet told us she had osteosarcoma...
But the good news is you can act on it and start the fight right now!
Maya will cope with amputation in a way you never thought possible, wait and see!
We decided to do chemo, Eurydice had her first session almost three weeks ago and is having her second this wednesday, no side effects whatsoever so far.
As everybody said, chemo is a very personal choice and each case is different.
We felt we had to try everything to keep this monster away, especially as osteosarcoma is very aggressive and her lungs and lymph nodes were clear.
Recovery will be exhausting for both of you during a little while but things will get better and I'm sure Maya will be hopping around very, very soon.
Get some rest and keep us updated!
Sending you lots of kisses and cuddles to your gorgeous girl
Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-)
Thank you everyone. MAya seems to know something is up. She won't eat or drink much of anything. I am not sure if its from the pain or just that she feels crummy or weird on the pain rx. Her amputation is scheduled for 6/22 so we just have to work through it until then. We made an appointment with the oncologist for 6/20.
Thanks again,
mayasfamily
mayasfamily said
I am not sure if its from the pain or just that she feels crummy or weird ...
In case you've missed it, here is an informative video interview in the Tripawds News blog discussing chemotherapy sessions and common after effects...
/2010/04/01/chemotherapy-session-for-daisee-dog/
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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