Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hey Guys
My 4 year old Dane Dior was diagnosed with Oseteo a little less than a week ago and we have been through a roller coaster of emotions. I am so happy that a site like this exist for us to communicate. It is such a difficult experience and reading through everyone’s post has been so helpful. So…3 weeks ago she started limping around. We initially thought it was from an exhausting day at the park but after about 2-3 days of limping we took her into the vet. The vet gave us Meds and said let us know if in 5 or so days she doesn’t get any better there is probably a soft tissue or ligament concern. After the meds wore of she continued to limp and we took her back in. The vet then noticed the lump on her leg and sent us to an Orthopedic Surgeon immediately. After the biopsy it was confirmed and we were devastated. It is now 6 days after diagnosis and we are scheduled to meet with an oncologist on Tuesday. Some days have been better than others but we have noticed her lump has gotten bigger. We took her to the vet and they gave her an injection. We are worried that the increase in size so quickly is not good at all. We are going to move forward with amputation as long as it has not already metastasized. I live in Brooklyn New York in a 4 story walk up and I am nervous the location will no longer work. Prior to this I had to keep her from barreling up and down the stairs. The past week I have been carrying her up and down (which she hates). Has anyone else had a similar situation? A friend told us to use turmeric for the swelling… has anyone else tried this and had success? Â
Welcome and best wishes for Dior, she is beautiful. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.
Is Dior losing a front or rear? Front leggers will have a harder time going down stairs, while rear leggers may find it more difficult going up. We lived on the second floor when Jerry lost his leg. After just a couple days of us carrying him, he would much rather go it on his own, with our assistance. He actually learned to lean against the wall and slide along for support as he went down.
A harness will certainly help you help Dior on the steps. The AST Get A Grip harness is designed specifically for large breed dogs needing extra support. The most important thing will be to focus on building core strength and muscle mass once she has recovered. The first week or so may be difficult, and you might want to get some "puppy pads" to use for potty time during recovery.
Search these forums above for stairs, Great Dane, and turmeric (be sure to also search for tumeric). You can also search all blogs here , and consider downloading the Tripawds e-books library for fast answers to common concerns.
Please keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi and welcome, I'm sorry cancer has brought you here.
What was the injection the vet gave her?
Depending on which leg she is losing stairs may be a bit more challenging (front amps have a harder time going down, rear amps have a harder time going up). Most dogs her size should be able to do stairs once she is healed up- a harness would be a great assist tool.
If the potty pads are too small you could get absorbent pads for people- the kind that are used to line a bed. There are a couple sizes and are bigger than normal puppy pads.
How much does she weigh? You must be getting a great workout! Could you use a sling now to help her up and down the stairs?
Good luck with the oncologist visit on Tuesday. Keep us posted.
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
Â
        Maggie's Story          Amputation and Chemo
Thanks so much for the support. She is about 105 pounds and "yes" it has been quite a workout but we have been getting it done. I will def. look into the harness because I think she would feel far more comfortable. It is her back left leg. Right now were are on a combo on Rimadal and Trimadal.. is this pretty common practice? For a couple days I did try to use a sling going down but she would try and walk so I would not out it on her so I just resorted back to carrying her both ways. Both of you guys mentioned the pads.. post amp do you think carrying her up and down the stairs will be too hard on her body?Â
diorthedane said
Both of you guys mentioned the pads.. post amp do you think carrying her up and down the stairs will be too hard on her body?Â
Up and down a few times a day may indeed be a bit much the first few days. Pads might come in handy for convenience. Please consult your vet for a professional opinion with any serious concerns.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Online
So.sorry you find yourself here. As you can see though, there is no better place for support and a whole lot of first hand knowledge! Plus, we understand like nomothers can the emotions involved in dealing with this piece of crap disease!
And yes, the Rimadyl and Tramadol are what we see a lot of around here prior to surgery and for a couple of weeks after surgery. The Vet will also add an antibiotic and possibly Gabapentin after surgery also. Others will have to chime in on the specifics of the stairs.
A d just so you'll know, weve had a lot of magnificent Great Danes do very well on three legs! Mighty Atlas was diagnosed with Wobblers prior to amputation and it was advised to "put him down". Atlas had other ideas! He did beautifully kn three legs and got an additional two years bonus time of loving and spoiling and tummy rubs and trrats!!
I knkw all this is hard to wrap your head around. I think you'll find some dgree of relief knowing you are going forward with the amputation and getting rid of that painful leg! Dior will certainly feel the "relief"! Recovery is no picnic, that's for sure. Sometimes large dogs have a slower recovery and sometimes it takes a few days to get their "sea legs". So stay connected! We'll help you through all the ups and downs of recovery. But once his sparkle comes back...oh my...Dior will be so happy being pain free!
You are not alo e! We are right here by your side!
((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
PS...Chocolate, lots of it, does wonders ro help calm the nerves!
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!
Otis is 96 pounds now and a front amputee. Â He flies up and down our one flight of stairs now, but took him a while to do so (amputation was early February's). Â They are carpeted, which helps. Â Are yours carpeted or with treads? Â Are there landings at each floor (also helpful)? Â For four flights, I would suggest a harness so that you can assist him a bit. Â But I would plan on potty pads or carrying for at least the first week. Â But he might be eager to get back to his routine, so consider getting the harness now, even if you don't use it right away. Â And bless you for being able to carry Dior - I wouldn't even try to carry Otis!
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. Â
Wherever they are, they are together.
I am getting a little worried. Although, Dior was diagnosed last Monday this weekend her pain level seemed to increased significantly. The past 2 nights she has cried at 1 am for about 30-60 minutes. She is still eating ok but is not moving around too much. We see the Oncologist tom. but I am afraid her health is declining quickly. Has anyone else experienced this?
Quincy was diagnosed on a Mon and amputated on the Friday of that same week. He had been limping for about 10 days total before that with a vet visit in btwn with some meds (Gabapentin) and watch it instructions (like you). The weekend before the Mon xray there was swelling and severe limping and generally you could see him very uncomfortable but he didn't really cry. That Mon they gave him Rimadyl to go with the Gabapentin they gave him at the initial watch it visit about a week prior and you could tell as soon as he got the Rimadyl it provided enough relief to keep him comfortable until the Fri surgery. It could be that Dior just needs more or different combo? Can you call the vet to see if you can increase the dosage or frequency while you wait for the consult?Â
Also Tramadol does affect some dogs (crying, panting, unsettled) so symptoms could be due to that. Quincy was given Tramadol post surgery (to go with more Rimadyl and Gabapentin) but we stopped that pretty soon due to the side effects (above) after calling the vet.Â
I too was freaked out about how quickly Quincy's limp got worse and the swelling that appeared but when we met with the oncologist they said it isnt surprising and Quincy's leg wasn't immediately in danger of breaking (which is how some dogs are diagnosed). IOW, it seemed very bad and bleak and a tumor isn't good but with the right meds wemanaged him until the leg came off and then he was much, much better.Â
Try to Be More Dog and take things one day at a time. Talk to your vet about upping Dior's pain medication and consult with the oncologist about getting scans done so to determine if amputation is recommended. While that may not eliminate the cancer it will get rid of the pain. Best wishes, please keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Gosh, I know this was a hard night for you. Getting the pain managed as best you can is paramount right now. I wish you could get the appu moved up. Once they check Diro out you'll be avle to move forward with amputation and get that painful leg removed. If, for some reason Dior is not a candidate for surgery, there will still be other options.
Is the pain more apparent as it's getting closer to her next dose? It could be that she needs her doses given closer together. Gabapentin may need ro be added to the mix.
I'm certainly no vet, but the "symptoms" you are seeing are ost likely pain related and not decly health". Pain can certainly make Dior feel miserable.
Please keep js posted. Paws crossed you can move forward with a treatment plan and get Dior out of pain. Hang in there! This part of the journey is no picnic!
Stay connected! We are right here by your side!
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!
You said she had a biopsy- was it the kind where they go in surgically and remove a piece of the tumor/bone? I understand those are very painful. Pain from the tumor will continue to increase- talk with your vet about adjusting the pain meds.
A harness would be a great aid for Dior and you. Much better than a sling since it is attached to her body and she can't walk out of it. You will also be able to use it right after surgery since she will be a rear amp.
Karen
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Â
        Maggie's Story          Amputation and Chemo
I had a needle asperation done last Wednesday. Today we picked up Gabapentin and I am really hoping this puts her in a more comfortable place. I purchased the Gingerlead sling here from Amazon because it has super fast delivery. She is a pretty good sized dog.. has anyone else had success with a sling? I am also open to buying a harness and would love any recommendations.Â
I hate that we are all on this site because of cancer but I cannot tell you all how much I appreciate your help with this. To give a little more background on Dior's time line.
Dior started limping March 19th
I took her to the vet March 24th. The initial thought by the vet was a soft tissue injury (most likely the knee). We were given Rimydal and followed with that. After 6 days of that twice a day I seen great improvement and assumed it was just a strain.Â
April 1st the limping starts again and I schedule for an MRI and X ray on her knee
April 11th She is diagnosed with Osteo in the lower bone close to her foot
I'm in the chat room right now if you want to talk. I know this is hard, but you can get through this just like Dior will.
The slings have mixed results, let us know if it works for you and Dior. We do recommend a harness, you can see all of them in the Tripawds Gear blog 's shop page.
This post about harnesses may help too: http://gear.tri.....or-my-dog/
In the meantime, just a tip: any time you start your Amazon shopping through any links in the Tripawds Amazon blog , a small portion of sales helps support this community 🙂
Hang in there, you are moving along and before you know it this will all be behind you. We're here to lean on in the meantime.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Your dog is beautiful. I hope that amputation is an option for you. While I have a cat, and not a large dog, that needed an amputation, I can tell you that he is now running around on three legs and is not experiencing the pain he had previously. Hoping to hear Dior is feeling better soon!
Hattie & Jerry the Cat
Hugs,
Hattie and Jerry Cat (right front leg and scapula amputation due to chondrosarcoma at age 14, lived 2 1/2 years post amputation, succumbed suddenly to suspected lymphoma at age 16)
10/2001 - 10/9/2017 R.I.P ~ Love you always
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