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
Hi everyone,
I'm new here and really so happy to find this site. My big beautiful Pyr was just diagnosed with bone cancer. He has his biopsy this Friday to see exactly what type of tumor and cancer we are dealing with. I am preparing for OSA and trying to wrap my brain about options and treatments. I am looking forward to everyone's help and advice in these next few weeks.
Amanda
Welcome to the club nobody wants to join! You future forum posts will not require moderation.
You'll find lots of recovery and care tips in Jerry's Required Reading List, and for immediate answers to the most common dog amputation questions download the new Tripawds e-book Three Legs and A Spare.
Best wishes to you and Winston for a perfect procedure and speedy recovery. Please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Amanda,
Welcome, and I am sorry you are dealing with this but this is a great place for info. My newfie mix had OSA too, he is a front right leg amp, almost 17 months cancer free now. There is hope 🙂
What questions do you have? there are tons of video's and there have been several Pyr dogs here so you will get some great advice I am sure. How old is Winston?
Elizabeth and Sammy
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the right front leg 8/23/10,
leg fractured 8/27/10,
leg amputated 8/30/10
http://sammyand.....pawds.com/
I couldn't begin to say how special Sammy is to us. Living and laughing with and loving this wonderful boy is priceless.
Welcome and good luck on friday. You will find a lot of wonderful people here who will not only offer their advice and experiences but open their hearts to you and your boy. I know it's very hard playing the waiting game but we are all one big family here and will be here for you anytime.
Best wishes and sending lots of good juju your way
Corey and Ryder
Winston is 5 yrs old and 140 pounds (not overweight just a big boy). The vet gave a grim prognosis and did not recommend amputation as she stated it would not "treat" the cancer or guarentee a longer life. Have read everything and anything I can get my hands on about OSA (I'm also a registered nurse). Wondering what the next steps are -cannot shake my sadness right now. Have had 2 Goldens go through hemangiosarcomas and it is heartwrenching. Just want to make the best and right decisions.
Welcome to you and Winston. I'm sorry you had to find us here, but you won't be sorry you did.
It's true that amp is not considered as being a "treatment" for the cancer - but it will remove the pain. We have had other big dogs here who do very well and since your boy is not overweight, he should do okay too.
I know how hard it is when you first get the diagnosis. Our pup was also young (only 15 months). We had another 15 months with her and it was a wonderful amazing time. I know it's hard to see beyond the bad news right now, but there can still be good times ahead with Winston.
Hang in there. We're here if you need answers to questions or just need some support!
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Hi Amanda,
We're so sorry you are facing cancer again! We hope it's not osteo but if it is, your medical background and your past experience, however, will prepare you well for what's ahead if you decide to pursue amputation and chemo.
Is your vet negative about amputation just because of Winston's size? Because if that's the case, I would get another opinion from a vet at a different practice. Many vets who don't have experience with larger breed Tripawds typically discourage clients from pursuing treatment, while those who have seen how well they can get along after surgery are generally more encouraging. Many dogs larger than Winston have done well as Tripawds (our own favorite Tripawds vet who often helps out here, had a giant Mastiff, Tazzie, who did great on three legs after an osteo diagnosis).
Your current vet is right; the amputation will not usually cure the cancer. What it will do is get rid of the horrible pain he is in and help give him a better quality of life for however long he has left. While there are no guarantees about how long they have, nearly every pawrent who's been through it has said that they don't regret the amputation at all since it was able to give a good quality of life, even if it was only for a few months.
Another thing we have seen here is that some, not all, giant breed dogs will take longer to recover. While this can be true for dogs of every size, the sheer size of giant breed pups can make recovery more of a challenge. It's ideal if you have some help for at least the first two weeks, to help ensure that he can get around OK.
As admin says, our ebook lays it all on the line and you'll also find TONS of great support here. Please let us know how things are coming along, we're here to help.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Amanda,
Welcome to the site. Sorry to hear about Winston. I can give you some insight to giant breed tripawds. My Irish Wolfhound, Fergus, was 5 years old and 130 pounds prior to his rear leg amputation. His recovery did take longer then the average on this site. I think it was because of the pressure of that much weight and strength on the incision. But, he eventually was all healed and doing well as a tripawd. Unfortunately, he developed a second OSA tumor in a front leg and we had to say goodbye (which is very rare).
I think the main differences for a giant breed is the strength of the remaining limbs and the difficulty of helping them immediately post amp. You should be confident his remaining legs can handle the stress. Also, as mentioned above, you will need some help in the beginning. You can't just pick up a giant breed and put him in the car or carry him outside. I was very frustrated on how to help Fergus in the beginning, but we worked it out quickly. I used a beach towel as a sling to help him the first few days (the cloth grocery bag was not large enough) and I constructed a ramp off of our back deck to help him get outside.
Once you make a decision regarding Winston, please use this site for guidance and support. We can try to guide you through the process of being a tripawd mom. Although we lost Fergus quickly, he was happy as a tripawd.
Good luck and I'm thinking positive thoughts for you and Winston,
Tara & Spirit Fergus
Thank you everyone. I am having more issues with dealing with the news myself. I feel like I'm just going through the motions of my daily life and feel really spacey since our vet appointment Monday. Winston sleeps next to me at night and I found myself sobbing last night lying in bed thinking that my time with him is now limited and I will not hear his breathing at night. I will find out more information next week after his biopsy and then will need to make some decisions. I am so grateful to have found this site and the amazing people who have been through it all and care enough to support others through it.
Welcome Amanda and Winston,
Sorry to read about Winston, but he is 5 yrs young. Is you vet not comfortable doing amps? (Mine admits that he would rather not) Is there another vet you can get a 2nd opinion from? Whatever your decision, we are all here for you!
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
We always recommend getting a second opinion. No, amputation will not cure the cancer, nothing will. But it is the only way to get rid of the tumor pain. And if you're dealing with osteosarcoma, it's the only way to avoid a painful, traumatic pathological fracture. But only you and your vet(s) can determine if Winston is a good candidate. If he is otherwise fit and healthy, seek another opinion soon.
If you have any concerns about finding the right surgery center to perform an amputation, please read Jerry's post on the subject in the Tripawds news blog:
How to Choose a Veterinarian for Amputation Surgery
Posted by jerry on Tuesday, July 13th 2010
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)
