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.
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Hi Dan,
I have a cat, so it's a tad different, but I can sympathize with your comment about him not being in pain. My kitty was in no pain at all, not limping one bit. However, I was told that eventually the pain would come if we didnt get the cancer out of her body.
It was hard for me to go ahead with the amputation when she was in no pain whatsoever, but I can tell you I have no regrets at all.
Erica
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
dpgerson said
Should I have a biopsy?
Please see these related articles in the Tripawds News blog . Search all Tripawds blogs to find many other members discussing biopsies for their dogs.
Why Biopsies Matter if Canine Bone Cancer is Suspected
Diagnosing Bone Cancer in Dogs: What to Expect
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Making that decision is an agonizing one. Our diagnosing vet didn't think Trouble was a good candidate for amputation because she was overweight and being a bully, carried her weight in her front. The second opinion vet was the one who convinced us. He acknowledged she would have some challenges with the weight, but removing the source (leg) was the only way to eliminate the pain of osteosarcoma, and it is very painful.
We chose not to do the biopsy prior to. When they see the x-rays, they are just about positive what they are looking at, in most cases. For us, the biopsy was just a painful procedure to endure and a positive result would then mean surgery anyway. I had two opinions, and they both thought they were dealing with cancer. That was good enough for me.
If you chose not to amputate, know up front what you need to be aware of. You will need a supply of pain killers, and at some point they will no longer work. There is a possibility of bone fracture as the bone weakens. Statistics without treatment are about 3 - 6 months. Statistics are just averages, they can't dictate your life. With amputation and chemo we were given 12 - 15 months. Trouble made it 27 1/2 months cancer free. Arthritis complications took her from us. Nova, who had surgery at the same time as Trouble, is cancer free 4 years later. On the flip side, there are the rare ones who do not make it through surgery. It is a personal decision, make it based on what you know in your heart is best for your pet. What ever your choice, we will be here to support your decision.
Good thoughts to you both as you make this very difficult decision.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
We seem to be something of an oddity, as I never thought twice about the decision to amputate. We didn't do a biopsy first, but that was b/c the tumor/affected area was quite large--most of the way up the wrist--and the lysis was extensive. One look at the xray, and it was pretty clear. So, no biopsy pre-amputation.
Our dog is almost 13, so geriatric, and well past the average life span for either of his parent breeds (he's an akita cross). I didn't wnat him in pain, and other than his leg...he was happy. And we weren't ready to put him down. So we took the leg off. I had been around enough special needs animals in my life to see that they realy don't mind many of the things we do.
Odds are, even without OSA, he doesn't have many months or years left. Having cancer makes that a guarantee. But I didn't want to take whatever time he has left AWAY...and I wanted it to be happy time. And two weeks later, he runs, he eats, he plays, he does stairs. Heck he was doing al of that within days of surgery. Every second isn't 100% awesome sauce...there are some "oh crap, was this the right choice" and "I WANT TO STRANGLE YOU, I DON'T CARE HOW SICK YOU ARE!!" moments of frustration, but by and large, we are living life just like we were three weeks ago. Less the feeling we were waiting for a tragedy to happen.
So, long story short...I don't think amp has made his life harder. It's made it DIFFERENT, but it hasn't taken away his enjoyment.
"Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all."
-Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
"May I recommend serenity to you? A life that is burdened with expectations is a heavy life. Its fruit is sorrow and disappointment. Learn to be one with the joy of the moment."
-Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
Hi, I pretty much second what everyone else has said.
There are no guarantees, without the amputation, with the amputation, without chemo, or with. The ugly truth is that nobody can tell you the outcome of whatever you decide. I too was not sure about amputation, until I did a lot of research and heard from so many people that their pups did so well with adjusting. I ended up going ahead with the amputation and my Brendol recovered wonderfully. She has no pain and does the same things that she used to. I did not do a biopsy prior to the amputation because we could see the bone degradation on the X-rays. My largest fear was an untimely fracture. And sure enough, when the surgeon performed the amputation, the bone broke when they were handling it afterwards. I too didn't feel Brendol had been limping that badly, but obviously that bone wasn't going to last very long.
As for chemo, I didn't think I would go forward with that because Brendol is 12, but at the stitch removal appointment, I asked a ton of questions. Based on the fact that not many dogs have much in the way of side effects and that we could stop at any time, I chose to move forward. Brendol is to have 4 to 6 treatments every three weeks. She has undergone two so far, and showed no effects afterwards from either of them.
So, ultimately, this is up to you and you will make whatever decision is right for you and your pup.
Adelaide is a young tripawd Husky, from an injury. Her amp was on 10/1/12. She has 4 sisters, Aissa (a senior border collie/chow), Maggie May (a puppy Great Pyrenees), Mathilde and Morrigan and 1 baby brother, Bagheera. We are all watched over by our angel Brendol, who was dx with OSA 1/30/13, amp on 2/6/13, and left us on 8/20/13.
You can read their stories at http://adelaide.tripawds.com and http://brendol.tripawds.com
We are less than 2 weeks post amputation, and I just wanted to chime in. I understand how conflicted you are--I was there, too. Our first x-ray (taken, like many here, due to a nagging mild limp) was less than conclusive. It was really just a shadow on her rear leg. Our first vet sent it out for a surgical consult, and the surgeon recommended amputating right away. It was such a shock that we sought a second opinion. The second vet (a surgeon himself) suggested a biopsy. Probably because we were in denial and wanted certainty, we decided to biopsy.
The biopsy was a major surgery. She had a 6 inch incision along the affected leg. The vet reported that the bone looked great from the outside -- they had to refer back to the x-rays to see where he was supposed to be drawing samples from. She bounced back fairly quickly, within a week or two. Waiting for the results was agony. But, much to our relief, no cancerous cells were found, in the bone itself or in the marrow.
Nevertheless, the limp never went away after the biopsy. It got worse. And Rimadyl, which had been enough prior to the biopsy, wasn't touching the pain that our poor girl felt. So we did a follow up x-ray. Then it was clear. The tumor had grown and worsened so much. So her leg was amputated the week before last. The entire bone will be biopsied, but no results yet. The surgeon said the bone on the underside (the part he couldn't see during the biopsy) was decayed, splintering, crumbling when he looked at it after taking it off.
So, although I hate to second guess our choices and hindsight is, of course, 20/20, I do regret that we biopsied rather than amputating right away. (I hadn't found the wealth of info here yet, either). I think of the weeks/months that we lost in holding out hope rather than facing the first vet's tough-to-swallow recommendation, and I hate that we put her through two major surgeries in just a month's time. I hate that she was in pain so much longer than she needed to be, just so we would have answers. I know it's a tough decision and we really struggled, too. Only you know what's right for you and your dog. Best of luck in making your decision.
Lili said
... I just wanted to chime in.
Thanks for the feedback Lili. Please consider registering to take full advantage of these forums and your posts will not require moderation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Well thanks again for all the thoughts and feedback.
I've made what is, really, the only decision, because I love Townsey so much. That is to go ahead with the amputation. I'm taking him in about an hour from now. I will post back with updates.
You and Townsey will be in my thoughts today. I feel you made the right decision. I know its an agonizing choice to make. From what I have read, the pain is horrible for the animal if the amputation is not done. Townsey will be so relieved not to be in pain. The first couple of weeks can be filled with ups and downs, but I am confident that you and Townsey are going to be just fine. You have everyone here as your cheer leading squad and we are here for you when you need us. Do not be afraid to ask questions to us and your vet. Between everyone here, Im sure we have been through it all and are willing to share with you. Sending you and Townsey a big hug.
“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.” ― Milan Kundera
Good luck today! It'll be agonizing while you wait, no doubt about that. But fear not, Townsey will come through it like a champ and soon you can move on to your new normal. We'll be thinking of you, keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Dogperso--you have done your research and have gotten wonderful first hand accounts. I also did NOT do biopsy and did delay decision for a while because of all the scarey uncertainty as Lili and others have shared. You have made a decision and have a plan and can ow be on the road to recovery.
Stay attached to this site (I call it my lifeline and I'm not letting go anytime soon!) and we are ALL here for you to help hold you up should you need it. Do not hesitate to come here for after surgery questions------I doubt there isn't any scenario someone here hasn't experienced
Townes will feel so much better after the surgery starts healing and he adjusts to his new pain free lifestyle
Surrounding you with peace and calm. tap into--it's there for you, Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Good luck today- find something to keep yourself busy. It can seem like forever waiting for the 'all finished' call from the vet.
I hope you have found some peace making a decision and moving forward.
Karen
Good luck to you both. Townsey will amaze you with his ability to adapt to being a tripawd. Get some rest (easier said than done) while he's in the doggy hospital. I look forward to your updates.
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Good luck with the surgery. Any questions don't hesitate to ask. Like others have said the recovery period can be full of ups & downs. Everyone here is a great support system
Michelle & Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
Just heard from the Surgeon. Everything went fine. Townes was just waking up. His color was good and there were no problems during the procedure. We pick him up at 10:00 tomorrow.
I was worried he'd be scared when he woke up but the doctor says he's pretty realaxed and on morphine.
Now for the recovery.
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