Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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A week ago our world took a drastic turn when our vet walked back into the room without Kobe (our 10 year-old lab/shepard mix) and told me that they believed he had an osteosarcoma in his rear right leg. I had no idea what that was but as she patiently explained what this all meant I struggled to focus. They had previously thought he had a soft tissue injury but when he didn't get better, our vet decided to take more films. She referred us to a specialist who she felt could provide Kobe with the best possible care. We saw the specialist on Monday (August 2nd) and ended up scheduling the amputation for the next day. They applied a Fentanyl patch and we took Kobe home. Kobe hadn't been sleeping because he was in a lot of pain and Monday night was no different - so as I sat with him at 2 am I started searching online and I found this website. I am so glad that I did!! Reading everyone's personal stories has really helped my husband and I through this stressful time and helped to prepare us for possible outcomes.
Kobe's surgery on Tuesday went very well and the doctors were pleased with the results. They told us he was getting around really well - which wasn't a surprise because he had been basically only using 3 legs for about a week or so. This morning when they called they told us that he had found a way to reach his tongue around his e-collar and had managed to lick out one of his sutchers. They added a few staples and gave him a longer e-collar and told us we could pick him up this evening. I read on this site about staying positive when you first see your pet after the surgery and I was really nervous that I would cry (I have been so emotional since last Thursday that I thought for sure I would lose it) I tried to prepare myself by looking at the photographs that the site recommends and I do believe that really helped me. My husband and I both stayed very positive and were so happy to see Kobe and his wagging tail!! The wound has a lot of bruising and is a little swollen (the vet said it was some fluid - he had a name for it but I can't remember what it is) and said that it should absorb back into his body. He has slept a lot since we got home - he is on quite a few medications - so it sounds like that is normal. We have a crate for him when I have to go back to work on Monday, but the e-collar makes it a bit difficult for him to turn around in it so we aren't sure what we'll do....
We don't know yet if we are going to do chemo - the vet is going to take more chest films when they take his sutchers out and depending on the outcome discuss options. Again I just want to thank everyone for the sharing you've done on this site - it has really provided so much information and comfort to me in the past couple of days!
Bethany
Hi Bethany,
Welcome to Tripawds. I am sorry to hear about Kobe's diagnosis and amputation. You have found the best place there is to help you deal with Kobe's journey. We all can relate to hearing those words from our vets. I heard something like "cancer, bla bla bla bla, amputation, bla bla bla bla....".
If you didn't already see it you should bookmark Jerry's Required Reading list. This is a compilation of links with information about what to expect with amputation, recovery and cancer, as well as advice on living with and caring for a Tripawd.
The fluid build up you are probably talking about is called a seroma . It is common with this type of surgery. My pug Maggie didn't have much fluid build up from her amputation, but a seroma did form after her first surgery to remove a skin tumor (Mag had mast cell cancer not OSA). It looked pretty weird, but it absorbed by itself.
Of course if you have any concerns about Kobe you should call your vet. We have lots of combined experience to share, but only one of us (that I know of) is a vet.
As you probably read the first couple of week after amputation can be bumpy, so don't get discouraged. Kobe will regain his balance, and start building strength, and soon will be back to his old self- without the pain.
We are looking forward to hearing more about your boy as he begins life as a Tripawd.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Hi Bethany,
I'm sorry to hear about your sweet Kobe.
I know what kind of a shock it is when the vet starts talking about the 'C' word... My hubby and I were also devastated when Jake was diagnosed. I also found this site before his amputation... and I don't think I could have gotten through everything without the information and awesome support from everyone here.
So by now you've probably read through Jerry's Required Reading List... so you should know what to expect. I'm not sure what you can do about preventing Kobe from licking his incision when you go back to work on Monday... It's hard to get around with an e-collar in a crate... Are you able to close him in a small room when you go to work? Preferably one without a bed or couch, so he doesn't jump on and off it while you're gone. Hopefully some other rear leg amp pawrents will have some good tips for you about that.
You and your hubby will probably not be getting much sleep for the next week or so... Hang in there...
Sending you all a big fat hug!!
Angel Jake and Wolfie's Mom
P.S. Love the avatar pic of Kobe as Santa Claus... He looks like such a sweetheart!
Jake, 10yr old golden retriever (fractured his front right leg on 9/1, bone biopsy revealed osteosarcoma on 9/10, amputation on 9/17) and his family Marguerite, Jacques and Wolfie, 5yr old german shepherd and the newest addition to the family, Nala, a 7mth old Bengal mix kittie. Jake lost his battle on 11/9/2009, almost 8 weeks after his surgery. We will never forget our sweet golden angel… http://jakesjou.....ipawds.com ….. CANCER SUCKS!
Hi Bethany,
You and your Kobe have been through a lot! He sure is a sweetie!!
We found Tripawds the same way - preparing ourselves for our golden Honey's surgery. She went through amputation about 2 weeks ago but we had more than 3 months to prepare for it. You had no time to prepare. I think we were in denial hoping it wouldn't have to happen. Hindsite is 20/20 - We now think we should have done it sooner because Honey was in a lot of pain and on a lot of medication.
You've gone through a lot in short time and the thing that makes this bearable is knowing that Kobe isn't in pain - and as many have said in this forum - the don't know they have cancer! !! I've seen videos of tripawds happily running, fetching balls, catching frisbees, swimming - doing the things they love, without any hindrance.
You'll get lots of support and advice here like we have. It's made all the difference. I'll look forward to hearing how Kobe's doing. He sure makes a cute Santa!!
Alice
Dx Osteosarcoma 3/31/10. Amputation 7/21/10. Honey put up a valiant fight and lost her battle 9/22/10. Missing her and treasuring 9 years with our Honeygurl.
Hi Bethany,
So sorry to hear that Kobe has osteosarcoma. It's such a shock when you hear those words...never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that a limp would be cancer. It sounds like Kobe is doing really well so far. This recovery time can be pretty difficult as I'm sure you've read. There were moments when I regretted my decision and 2nd guessed it but that changed quickly once the recovery time was over. Absolutely no regrets whatsoever now. It was the best decision we could have ever made.
As for the cone, another option is to put a t-shirt over the incision. That really worked well for us although Mackenzie had her front leg amputated (I know there are instructions on this website for a rear leg.) She wore a t-shirt the whole time during her recovery and it helped protect the incision and prevented her from licking it. Those cones can be so hard on them and after what they've been through you want to make it as comfortable as possible for them.
Wish you all the best and keeping our paws crossed for a smooth and speedy recovery for Kobe!
Kami (Mackenzie's Mom)
P.S. My other golden is named Kobe too!
My sweet golden Mackenzie. She became my angel on Dec 29, 2010 at the age of 8 1/2 although she was always my angel from the time we brought her home. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in Sept 2009 and officially became a tripawd (front leg) on Nov 5, 2009. She will be forever in my heart and now she's running free with all of our other tripawd heroes. I love you Mackenzie!
Good morning Bethany,
I am so sorry to hear about your pup Kobe. Skyler was also a rear leg amputee, so we had her wear a t-shirt and a soft e-collar any time we weren't with her (usually at work). She never bothered with the incision (thankfully). I'm glad you found us here at Tripawds. This is the best group of people you'll ever come across!
Kobe is well on his way to recovering. The first 2 weeks are horrible, but just take it one day at a time. Don't look ahead, stay in the now if possible. Get LOTS of rest!
Paws are crossed, and sending you a hug! Love the pic of Kobe in the Santa hat 
Cathy
Hi, I'm so sorry about your Kobe news. Ajax is a recent (a little over 2 weeks) rear leg amputee and a Lab. I am sorry to say, but I think you are stuck with the giant cone and the better option is to try to curtail the space outside of the crate. Ajax too could lick around a small collar, and was given a giant one, and EVERY SECOND that I take it off and turn my head he started licking. Result - his stitches are out but he still has to be a conehead when I'm not home, because he licked it raw and it is taking longer to heal.
I may be scolded for this next point by others on the site, so take it only as my experience, which may be relevant since Kobe is a Lab: once the anesthesia wore off and Ajax was no longer kooky (we did not give Tramadol, but instead were ok only with Rimadyl, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory), he didn't really try to do anything crazy. He took a couple of spills in the first 3 days home, but after that he knew his limits. He did not try to hop on any furniture or anything until he was ready.
Of course, Ajax is a furry genius, but Kobe may be one too!
Hang in there.
There are several options to the cone. the Whole Dog Journal just did a review of them all, and all of them are better tolerated than the typical cone. I'm forgetting the names other than the No-Bite Collar and the Soft E-Collar. Even just getting a transparent one from Petsmart is better than the ones they can't even see through. I haven't used a regular E collar (cone) on my dogs in years, opting instead for t-shirts, socks, shorts, vetwrap over gauze, or one of the cone options. I hate those stupid cones and so do the dogs! I hope you can find an option that works for you and Kobe.
now that my rant is over...I lost my labrador last year to a soft tissue sarcoma and I feel for you. The diagnosis is devastating. Yesha had the sarcoma in his jaw and there was no way to treat it so he wasn't a tripawd, but now my Tshuvah is. She's not a labrador and I notice a big difference in how much bothering of incisions there is from labradors to terrier-types. I also had a labrador who had two orthopedic knee surgeries and it was really challenging to keep him away from the incisions. But we managed, wtih creative use of children's clothing and a lot of vet wrap.
Good luck for you and Kobe. Beth
Beth with my beloved Tshuvah, 10 year old "TaosDog". Provisional diagnosis osteosarcoma on 6/10/10, amputation of left foreleg same day, firm diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma 6/24/10. Set free on 9/9/10. Treasured forever.
http://labrador.....ipawds.com
welcome bethany and kobe. no great words of wisdom, just know we are here for you...no question/rant is too outragious!! have you considered a blog?? paws crossed that kobe keeps improving and leaves that incision alone. you will be AMAZED at how much your tripawd brother has to teach you, and how quickly you become the student in this adventure. our best to you!!
charon & gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
Hi Bethany, I'm sorry to welcome you to Tripawds. It sounds like you are off to a good start on this unfortunate road. Yes the Whole Dog Journal just did a review on many different alternatives to the conventional e-collar. I hope you can find one quickly without having to order it and make Kobe more comfortable.
Best of Luck and stay in touch,
Spirit Ruthie's Mom
Bethany and Kobe, we're so glad you found the community here to be helpful. It IS a lot for both the dog and the human to experience (usually in such a short period of time). Sounds like you're doing fantastic!
Yes, the bruising is called a seroma . You'll find info about it in the Required Reading List that Karen recommended above As for an e-collar in the crate...yes, the are difficult to maneuver with. Is there any way you can get a baby gate and confine him to a small room while you're away? Sounds like you'll have a challenge with keeping him away from his stitches, but other than that, his recovery sounds like its going great.
Your vet team sounds great too. Where is he getting treated?
Thanks again for joining us here, we'll try to help however we can OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome Bethany and Kobe.
We can all understand the devastation of this disease. It is heartbreaking and awful. You look into their eyes and you see the love and you figure out what to do. My boy is a recent front leg amp, 10 days ago. I hate this period of recovery, it is just so difficult emotionally. Luckily, you have found this website and like myself will probobly be on here a lot.
We are all here to listen to your rants and raves and to offer cyber shoulders when you are sad. We will also be here to celebrate with you when you have the small milestones (like the first poop!)
Pawsitive thoughts heading your way!!
Shannon
Alexander The Great Dane
Suspected Osteosarcoma July 12
Diagnosed Officially 7/16/2010
Amputated 7/27/2010
Became Spirit Xander 2/20/2011
Thank you so much for all your helpful words! We are now 5 days post-amputation - yay!!
I read the recommended article and we bought a pro-collar for Kobe - it worked really well at first but about an hour into wearing it he found a way to get at his sutchers (we were watching him pretty closely so no damage done), we also tried a t-shirt (which looked so cute) but he hated it and got very agitated. The e-collar he is wearing now is transparent so at least he can see us but we are also still letting him wear the pro-collar when he's eating (it's much more comfortable for him). Basically we are still looking for the best solution - we go in on Tuesday to get his Fentanyl patch off so I am hoping they can help offer some more options. I'm also hoping his sutchers will heal quickly and we can get them out on day 10 (which would be Friday) I think that would help him be so much more comfortable. Overall Kobe is doing well - he is eating well, has gone to the bathroom several times (I was so proud of him when he did the first time - I'm sure he thought I was a little nuts cheering him on) and is drinking his water. When we go to work tomorrow we are not going to use the crate - we are going to use a baby-gate and put Kobe in the laundry room and a small hallway. There is nothing for him to jump on and it has carpet and a small section of tile (he seems to really like sleeping on the tile floor).
The last 24 hours he does seem to need a lot of scratching/petting and I am wondering if that could be a side-effect of the medicine or just the fact that he is under some stress and shedding (he has always been a big shedder) and he can't really scratch some parts himself. We are happy to scratch and pet as much as possible but I don't want him to be uncomfortable when we are at work and can't scratch him. I am having some guilt about going back to work tomorrow but I can't get a lot more time off (and will need it for his follow-up appointments). I do work close enough that I can come home over my lunch hour and check on him and my husband gets home 2 hours earlier than me so he shouldn't be alone more than 5 hours.
To answer the question - Kobe is being treated in Maitland, FL at Affiliated Veterinary Specialists - our regular vet referred us there and they have really been wonderful. Dr. Madden performed his surgery and Dr. Goodson is helping us decide about his post-amputation treatment.
Thank you again for your words of encouragement!
Sounds like a beautiful recovery!
His neediness is probably all of the above; too much medicine, he's itchy and he knows you feel bad. As hard as it will be to get back to work, it's so impawtant that you normalize your life together again. It will help him in the long run.
Good to hear about the vet specialists. If you get a chance, do post a quick review in our Vet Specialist Referrals forum topic. Someday in the future it could help someone who's looking for a great doc in your area.
Let us know how tomorrow goes. We're cheering you on and sending lots of pawsitive energy your way.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Keep up the good work Kobe! Thanks for the update.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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