Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My 8 y.o. 70lb active, life-loving mutt Gus was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his front left humerus a week ago, after a week of on and off limping that progressed to his not wanting to go down stairs at all. (My first floor apt has four stairs on all sides to get to the ground, so this was problematic.) In complete shock, concerned about front-leg amputation, and thinking it was the most humane route, I decided to do palliative care until I met with a surgeon this past Monday who convinced me that Gus is a good candidate for surgery - good weight, active, no visible metastasis in his lungs. Gus is scheduled for surgery this Tuesday (5/17) at the Mass Vet Referral Hospital in Woburn, MA.
Gus has been on Gabapentin and a half dose of Rimadyl which has caused his limp to disappear. He doesn't want to walk more than a few blocks (We'd been walking @ 7 miles a day til a couple of weeks ago) It's hard to believe he has cancer.
Yesterday, a dog-owner friend called saying that her neighbor's dog had been diagnosed with osteo and gotten a second opinion and discovered it was something different and thus had avoided amputation. She strongly suggested I get a second opinion, apologizing for calling late in the process.. This sent me into a tailspin of worry and doubt. I called the place she recommended which was closed on a Saturday, open again tomorrow. I started to panic until I reread the x-ray radiology report which is consistent with osteo which an ER vet, a radiologist, and a vet surgeon have all reviewed. Our vet suspected osteosarcoma based on palpation alone because the pain on Gus's bone was so acute, read some more on this site and others, and began to calm down.
I knew scheduling the surgery for a week out (because of the surgeon's schedule) meant a long time to wait and worry. And even now a part of me is wondering if I should be trying to get a second opinion tomorrow when that might only cause more worry and stress in both me and Gus..
Welcome. We're so glad you joined but sorry you had to, it's a tough situation to be in. Many of us have been in your shoes and know the shock and bewilderment. We'll here for you every step of the way.
It sounds to me like you've done your homework. That is an excellent hospital, and you've had multiple opinions. But if you find that you aren't comfortable with another, then by all means do it. Just keep in mind that Gus is hiding his pain. Gabapentin and Rimadyl alone aren't going to be enough in a matter of days.
Keep in mind that every situation is different. Your friend's dog may not have been seen by the level of specialty care that Gus has already had. Primary care vets who aren't used to seeing cancer cases sometimes misdiagnose. We see it here. Board certified specialists...well my guess is they rarely miss. Osteo rarely turns out to be other things that we hope it is, like the fungal or bone disease that vets tell us is a longshot. Usually, and sadly, they're almost always right. But again, do what you need to do to feel comfortable with your choice. Hope is powerful, especially with this disease, so do what feels best for your situation. Your current vet would understand and offer a referral I'm guessing.
Breathe and relax, you'll do good no matter what. Have you seen Jerry's Required Reading List or the Tripawds Start page ? Begin there, the info will help calm your nerves right now. And remember that Gus picks up on everything you feel and project. Stay strong and so will he.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Your story sounds a lot like ours. Our 70-lb boy Bruce has a diagnosis of osteosarcoma in his right humerus, we amputated 5/13 and he should come home tomorrow. It began with an intermittent limp that Rimadyl helped. He was much worse without the Rimadyl but still moderately limped while taking it. However, he did not get worse for the week we waited for his surgery, which made it really difficult not to second guess our decision. We are awaiting results from a biopsy of his leg, but our surgeon told us she's 98% sure its osteosarcoma, with a fungal infection being a very, very rare possibility. Her diagnosis was also based on xray and palpation. Good luck to you and Gus on this journey, we know it's a difficult one.
Thank you so much for your supportive, helpful replies. And thank you for your reassurance concerning the Mass Vet hospital. I do feel secure in the fact that they've provided excellent care for Gus the couple of times we've been there. This is one of the hardest decisions I've had to make and I'm making it pretty much on my own with input from a few trusted people (besides specialists). This site goes on that list. So, thank you.
I hope Bruce's biopsy is helpful. I hope to have the surgeon do one at Gus's surgery also. Best wishes to him in his recovery. I hope it goes smoothly.
I'm sure your friend/neighbor was trying to be helpful, but honestly, who needs to hear that? Isn't the decision hard enough already?
I can easily imagine the vet in the other case could have given a range of things that could be going on....with OSA at one end and a stubbed toe at the other. The owner could have heard "cancer" and at that point their mind shut off....and so it gets passed around as a story about how he was misdiagnosed w/ OSA!
We'd all like to be 110% sure that it is OSA before we amputate, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be the case usually. For many of us, it is just a leap of faith. We do our homework, we ask questions, we rely on our vets and their experience. If Gus was walking miles and miles and now he doesn't, then something must really really hurt. If you have to wait a week anyway, and it would make you feel better, then by all means get a second opinion. But I would worry that putting it off any longer would risk a pathological fracture.
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
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