Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello! All! I am new to this forum and at a complete loss as to what to do. My baby girl, Revolution Revolver, last Monday was diagnosed with presumed osteosarcoma on her left front leg. She has not had it biopsied yet, but due to the location and formation on her left front leg, they believe it to be so. She is a 9 1/2yo Rottweiler American Staffordshire Terrier mix, so she is top heavy. She right now weighs 90lbs, but I believe she is still recovering from her unrelated spleenectomy she had on 11 Jan. At her last annual when she was super healthy, she weighed 97lbs. Her regular doctor does not feel her frame can support an amputation and he has a bad feeling going the amputation and chemo route. Two falls ago, Revo hurt her back left leg, ending in a partial tear at her knee. I did not operate for her doctor (not her regular vet but another at her hospital) said that since she was not going to be running any marathons and she is no spring chick that surgery is not really necessary but I could go through with it. I opted to let her heal naturally and aside from a bit of stiffness now and then, she runs fine and we have been hiking, running, and going on adventures ever since. She does get a bit ought after long outings but nothing a nap and a tramodyl can't fix! Her regular doctor kept referring to her hind leg as lame, I do not think he knows how active she has been on it. Back to now. We say an orthopedic surgeon yesterday. We talked for two hours going over all possible routes. Going into this, I said that I know for sure that she would want to keep allmof her legs as she loves to dig, and that seems difficult to do with just one paw. The specialist took radiographs of her lungs, which are "clean", and of her hind leg as well to see where/what happened two falls ago and saw a small bit of arthritis forming but nothing he feels should warrant any decisions to be made around it. Basically, her hind leg is not so awful that it could not support an amputation and that I should definitely not think it will inhibit her at all. As I said, she loves to dig. Right now she gingerly walks on four, but when she wants ommotor she picks it up to go. She does jump on her front leg when she gets excited (she hops around in happy circles) but then that hurts her. I said before that I know she wants to keep all of her legs as she loves to dig and loves to go on adventures, etc. Now I see her becoming frustrated at her leg. She is still a super happy vibrant dog except for her leg. She looks at it, licks it, then looks at me and grunts (she makes a piggy noise when she wants something or is being inpatient/diva) so I now know that she is becoming quite fed up with this painful leg as the rest of her is fine. We live in an apartment house up two flights of stairs which she goes up and down on all four so not sure how that would work with three. At my parents house, she willingly hoes up and down the stairs so I do not think that I ammforcing her to do so. I do not think it is possible to find a new place to live as we live north of Boston and it is very hard to find an apartment that accepts big dogs. I am now feeling that amputaion with no chemo as I have heard horror stories about it, and chemo is just scary. Both the specialist and her regular doctor said that dogs handle it better than man, but I do not really want to subject her to 4-5 months of gross icky rss when her time is so short now, and I have heard of so many great stories of happy long life with just amputation. I am at a loss as to what to do. This is so hard! I am playing God with her life and do not know how to handle it. I would love any sort of help at all. She is a tough broad who has been through a lot and she is too peppy to just mope around with a painful leg. She has more love to give! I care about her so much and do not want her to hurt but cutting off a leg is huge! It is a leg! And both the specialist and her doctor said that dogs bounce back from it, but how will she handle the stairs with her front leg gone? How will she deal with not digging? This is the utter most pits!
Hello and welcome to Tripawds,
I'm sorry you have found yourself in this situation, but you have found a very supportive community here that can help you on this cancer journey.
You might want to bookmark Jerry's Required Reading list, a compilation of information from this site on what to expect with amputation, recovery and chemo treatments. There is also a E-Book you can download called Three Legs & a Spare.
You are faced with difficult decisions here. Focus on what is best for your pup and you will do the right thing. Please do some reading here- through all the information that is available.
First off- it is true that most pups do fine on three. Amputation is a big surgery with risks- but most make it through that just fine. What most vets don't tell you is that the first couple of weeks of recovery can be difficult as your pup deals with all kinds of pain meds and learning her new balance. There can be lots of ups and downs, enough to make you question your decision. But once through recovery our pups have amazed us with their adaptability.
And don't focus on what RR will not be able to do- she won't miss it- thats a human thing. Focus on the fact that she will be able to be a happy PAIN FREE pup again. And there are several videos on this site of front leg amps digging holes!
Chemo is a personal decision. Some here do it, some don't. For the most part though those that do have very few side effects. You can always start chemo and if RR doesn't handle it well you can stop. We do have several pups here who have lived a long time without chemo too.
I know how devastating and overwhelming the diagnosis is. But there is hope for more quality time with your girl, and that is all that matters to her.
Karen and the pugapalooza
p.s.- your future posts will not have to wait for moderation as long as you log in, only the very first post from a new member has to wait.
Hi! My boxer, Roxy, had her front left leg amputated a year ago, although from a different form of cancer. She has done wonderfully. There were a couple times recently where she injured her left hind leg and was hopping around on only her two right legs! Even though it was so painful for me to watch, she just kept going on with her life because that's all dogs know to do. Outside of those instances, she jumps and plays with her boxer brother and sister (who are both literally twice her weight), she plays fetch, and...SHE DIGS HOLES!!! Yes, with only her right front leg, she digs holes (that I have twisted my ankle in unfortunately). If RR wants to dig a hole, she will dig a hole with only one front leg.
Karen is right about the first two weeks. I hated myself many times during those first two weeks because it just seemed like Roxy was so miserable. But once she had time to heal and got off her pain meds, we haven't looked back. And I am so thankful that I was able to give her a second chance.
Roxy only has to deal with 5 stairs, so I can't help you out there. Sorry. But, only you know what is right for your pup, and what you are capable of helping her through. You are not playing God, please don't add that extra weight to your load. You are fighting for you girl.
Keep us posted.
Leslie
Revo sounds adorable and doing very well for her age. As you have leaned toward, she's feeling a lot of pain and frustration with that bad leg and probably has been basically favoring it well enough to be making the transition to only using 3 legs for a while now. That's usually the case, by the time we human find out about the cancer, they've been dealing with pain a while and just like us, if it hurts you don't use it much.
My Raven was a pure Rottie and was 120# and was VERY front heavy. He was almost 9 and had some stiffness due to age and I dreaded the thought at first, but did go through with the amputation. It was rough adapting (more for me emotionally, with the whole What Have I Done thing), but he did just fine on 3 legs. He dug holes just fine, unfortunately for my yard... 😉
Here's my new rottie cross Miles digging:
Here's Raven digging, but I had to shoot through the screen because if he saw me, he'd stop:
Here's Raven in the later stages of cancer when he'd get tired really easy, but he still figured out how to bury his bone. Used his face as a shovel. 🙂
Anyways, I would worry a bit more about the stairs. You may want to invest in a harness to help support that weight on the downhill direction.
Do you have an oncologist to consult with? I wonder about the spleenectomy, was it biopsied? Raven's lungs were clear when we did the amputation, but it turned out that his liver was full of mets and we didn't look there. Even though he only lived 3 more months, they were PAIN FREE and he lived a good life and was such an inspiration to everyone. I don't regret my decision at all (and I really struggled at first).
It's a very personal decision for each dog/human. Feel free to post all your questions and concerns here, you've come to the right place. 🙂
Dawn
Rottie Raven, osteosarcoma at 8-1/2 years old, amputation in October '09 and in February '10 due to liver mets he went back to heaven where he came from. raven.tripawds.com
Now I have Miles, rottie mix amputee from a shelter and traveled 1500 miles to find his way here through the Rescue Railroad thanks to tripawds.com. miles.tripawds.com
Why did she have her spleen removed? If it was due to hemangiosarcoma then I would have an abdominal ultrasound done first to make sure that the cancer hasn't spread anywhere since this type of tumor can be very malignant (and sometimes spreads to bones). If the splenic biopsy was benign then I would consider amputation ASAP since bone cancer is quite painful. Your vet can start her on a drug called gabapentin now to help reduce the pain and if continued post-op this drug can also prevent or control phantom pain .
As far as chemo goes most dogs handle carboplatin injections very well but you could also consider oral metronomic chemo or holistic meds.
Pam
Thank you all so very much for your responses! It is really affirming that there are big doggies out there who have had front legs removed and still doing wonderfully! Revo's spleen came back benign, and neither her regular doctor nor the specialist believe the two are related in any way. The specialist said that I may be able to go through with limb saving procedure, but Revo may not be a candidate and to get the ball rolling on that takes a few weeks, and that is a long time to be in pain, and -super crossing my fingers!- what if things have not spread out yet!? My gut is telling me that amputation is probably the best thing right now, and I will have to get her a harness to help her around. I am also concerned with her getting up and down off of the couch, or the bed as she still uses four though it does hurt her. All ready I have said multiple times the pain that she is in, so that should be an indicator of what to do. I am really happy to know that she will still be able to dig holes!
I also have noticed that when she lifts up her leg to hop, she only has one speed and that is GO! I have to jog to keep up with her! Is that because she is getting used to hopping, or is there only one speed? As I live in a crowded suburb of Boston (Marblehead) I have to walk her predominantly on a leash around town, and as the weather gets nicer, her off leash spots will be more and more crowded with people making it not so conducive to have open run/play time. Will she learn to walk, or does she go fast becasue she is excited? She also stops after a bit of hopping. Is she tired? Is her body/muscles adjusting to three legs, or ... You know what! SHe only runs in bursts now anyways, so I think it is just old tired age making her stop.
What are the holisitc medicines? Are they just as bad as chemo? Just because it is natural does not mean it is safe! CHemo scares me because it can kill you.
Thank you again, and am so happy that I have come across y'all!
Welcome snikleydoo! Be sure to log in when visiting the forums and your posts will publish immediately without requiring moderation.
As you can see, community members have lots of advice and support to offer here. Be sure to check out the links Karen provided for Jerry's Required Reading list and Three Legs & a Spare.
You are not "playing God". You are just making important health care decisions for Rev that she cannot make for herself. For help coping with the human emotions you're dealing with regarding her amputation, consider the book Without Regret.
Best wishes, please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I can't help you with the chemo questions, Raven didn't do any chemo.
But, yes, to the one speed thing. Raven and Miles move at a speed that I have to speed walk or jog to keep up. The momentum seems to make it easier on them. Going slow, they have to hop more vertically and for the heavier dogs that takes a lot of new muscle strength.
It sounds like Revo is already using those muscles, so the adjustment shouldn't be as dramatic as you suspect. I've heard it said by OSA humans that the pain they deal with is the same as a shattered bone and there's a huge relief when it is removed.
I'm glad they biopsied the spleen. My senior bulldog had a spleenectomy, and massive tumor and lots of small ones, I thought for sure it had to be hemangiosarcoma, but it came back negative and that was two years ago and she's fine. 🙂
Dawn
Rottie Raven, osteosarcoma at 8-1/2 years old, amputation in October '09 and in February '10 due to liver mets he went back to heaven where he came from. raven.tripawds.com
Now I have Miles, rottie mix amputee from a shelter and traveled 1500 miles to find his way here through the Rescue Railroad thanks to tripawds.com. miles.tripawds.com
Revo, please don't be afraid of chemo. We're with you on that, we were scared too. It's not the right decision for everypawdy (I didn't have any), but at the very least look into it to see if it's something you can both handle.
Remember that the chemo that animals get is a much lower dose than the ones that humans receive, which means most animals don't get the same kinds of side effects. Also, the point with chemo in animals isn't to cure it, but rather to help promote a better and longer quality of life.
Here's are some videos about chemo, along with a video of Daisee Dog during a chemo session. Prior to this we had no idea that a session of chemo was almost as simple as getting a vaccine shot (almost). Hope this helps with your decision process.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Regarding stairs, my house has 2 stories with 13 steps. My dog Dakota will be 3 weeks post-op tomorrow (front amputee) and is getting around really well. Dakota is a mutt, largely golden retriever, and weighed 86 pounds at the time of surgery. He was no lightweight.
At about day 10, he came upstairs because no one was home, except for one person sleeping behind a closed door. Dakota parked outside that closed door and waited. We were astounded that he was able to manage those stairs alone. And after that, I felt much differently about his capabilities. I actually viewed Dakota less as the "poor baby, invalid, amputee" and more as the "independent, capable, decision-making grownup" dog. That was a watershed moment for us.
Dakota has done the stairs again, with no problems. I put his Ruff Wear harness on him to help him down but honestly, I think he'd prefer that I get out of his way and let him do his job.
If I lived in a building with 3 flights of stairs, I wouldn't hesitate to harness Dakota and guide him. I would have him rest between flights of stairs, if he needed, but he has shown me he has no problems with stairs. I feel guilty that I doubted him.
Shari and Dakota
From abandoned puppy to Tripawd Warrior Dude, Dakota became one of the 2011 February Furballs due to STS. Our incredibly sweet friend lived with grace and dignity till he impulsively raced over the Bridge on 12-15-12.
Dakota's thoughtful and erudite blog is at http://shari.tr.....pawds.com/
Welcome to the family, Gus was a lab-rott mix, weighed 110 lbs pre-op, lost his left front leg. We brought him home the next day and he was using the steps that night, now, to be fair, he was already using three legs before surgery, so he had already made that adjustment. If your vet is pretty sure you are dealing with a cancer, my personal opinion is don't waste the money on a biopsy, we did and it still came back negative, still ended up amputating and once healed he was good as new. But I would get this done as soon as possible, cancer pain is terrible. Your first 2 weeks won't be the most fun you ever had but once your past that things start geting back to normal. Gus had no problem digging with one front leg, climbed hay mows like before, jumped in pickups, roamed fields, he was 7. Good luck, don't be afraid to ask anything, experience gives the best answers, Paws up, Spirit Gus and Dan
My buddy Gus had a left front amputation on April 7, 2010 and lived a great life until July 26,2010
I'm sorry about Revo's diagnosis. It can be overwhelming to process all this new information and try to make so many decisions in a short time. If you can take a step back and try to put your sadness & fear on hold for a bit, it will help you see things more clearly. The most important thing in the very short run is Revo's comfort. If you can address that, then you can move forward to the next step. I'm not sure I would encourage her to run & be quite so active. OSA predisposes bones to exquisitely painful fractures.
I know you love Revo and feel intensely bonded with her, but the reality is, she is simply not capable of wanting to keep all of her legs. That is the beauty of being a dog. Anyone faced with the prospect of a physical disability, would choose to avoid it, but life often has other plans. Try not to look at it so much in terms of what you are losing. You are gaining precious, pain free, quality time with her. She will be the same dog on three legs she was on four, but happier, without constant pain.
If your vets are very much in favor of a preop biopsy, you might consider a second opinion, or at least further discussion after doing some research. OSA is fairly distinct on xray. The only other reasonable differential is a fungal infection (difficult to treat) & the outcome isn't often different. A biopsy is painful & puts an already perilous bone, at greater risk of fracture. Osteosarcoma is agonizingly painful. Amputation is the only way to eliminate the pain from that limb.
Take advantage of the valuable information offered on this site, to help with your decision. While most dogs and their owners have a few rough weeks after surgery, not all do. While a good surgeon and excellent post-op management are essential, one of the most crucial elements to a dog's recovery is their parent's attitude. Dogs will often rise or fall to their owners expectations. I encourage you to consult with your anesthesia provider & those responsible for immediate postoperative management to discuss pain control options. There are several. It may take some gentle persistence, but you are paying for their services & should be informed of the plan, reasonable expectations & side effects. If you would like the book "Without Regret " I have a new copy & will be happy to send it to you. PM your address.
Chemo is not mandatory. Everyone makes their decision based on what is right for themselves, their dog, finances, personal beliefs, etc. The choice to amputate is exclusive of the oncology treatment you pursue, if any. The statistics for survival run both ends of the spectrum with & without chemotherapeutic intervention. Again, utilize the resources on this site, in addition to discussions with your oncologist.
Holistic medicine treats the mind and the body, encompassing many Eastern & Western modalities, including, homeopathics, herbals, supplements, acupuncture, etc. Integrative or alternative therapy practitioners often combine holistic practices and conventional veterinary care.
A lot of things can kill you. You have to do some research & ultimately select a practitioner you trust.
I live in the city, in a second floor walk up (24 winding stairs). My dog is a rear leg amp, so running down the stairs is easier for her. I believe it's the opposite for front amps. I carry her up the stairs, by choice and not because of her amputation. She has severe L-S spine arthritis & I am trying to avoid an exacerbation of that process. She weighs 53#. She is able to walk up the stairs & if she weighed 90#, she would. Inside, she independently runs up & down 4 stairs many times a day. We knew a front amp at our rehab center, with preexisting rear leg issues, who weighed about 100#. She lived in a 3rd floor walk up & with the help of a Ruff Wear Harness , managed fine. There are resources here with helpful gear and many parents of larger dogs who can help you. Walks in the city & exercise in general, will be a challenge initially, but together, you will find a new routine. Your walks willl be short. The pavement can be difficult, but Spring will be here soon. Tripawds will always run better than they walk. They will almost always get tired faster and need their activities monitored.
Many dogs here are older & have other orthopedic problems or arthritis & are living well. When the critical decisions are made & you choose a treatment plan, you can investigate what type of rehab might help Revo.
Your life together has changed. You will mourn for the activities you shared and walks you didn't appreciate enough…that is part of this journey. Every moment will be a treasure now. You will be happy, sad, fearful & grateful, all at the same time. You will learn much and love Revo more than you may think possible…that is another piece of the journey. Revo will figure out if digging still gives her joy, if not, something else will and there you will find peace.
Best of luck,
Cynthia
Snikleydoo,
Your situation is SO similar to mine right now!!! My child, Tanner (yellow lab), just had his left front leg amputated yesterday!! They also believe he has osteosarcoma. Tanner also has a complete acl tear on his right hind leg and a partial tear on his left hind leg. Tanner also has arthritis in his right front leg. Tanner is about 10 (we rescued him so aren't exactly sure how old he is). Anyway, this past Monday evening we found out he had bone cancer (he has been limping but back in Oct we had a huge tumor removed from his armpit that we thought was the cause of the limping). 4 months later, I realized that something else was going on (I honestly thought we were dealing with arthritis). When the xrays came back, I dropped to the floor!! Tanner is MY CHILD!!! The next morning (this last Tues), I called Cornell at 8am to get him in on an emergency visit. They confirmed that they think he has osteosarcoma. They wanted to do xrays on his right leg since he seemed a little sore for him and they wanted to do an ultrasound to make sure everything was okay. When the right leg ultrasound came back okay and the ultrasound came back okay, the amputation was a "go". Tanner has too much life and LOVES life for us to put him down without doing everything we can to help him. An amputation is DEFINITELY needed if they have bone cancer (or even a fungal infection) as the pain is said to be SO EXCRUTIATING!! I'd rather have Tanner go through a couple of weeks of pain and getting use to 3 legs then to have him SUFFER with the cancer! Tanner spent 5 hours in surgery (as they were amputating his leg, they had to take a huge section of skin from his testicle and hind end that they believed was a mast cell tumor). So now we have to wait about a week to get the results of the mast cell tumor and about 2 weeks for the results of the leg. We are going to go with Chemo. The dose is not nearly as strong as humans and it will help slow the cancer (hopefully)!! However, I did just order a Chinese herb and k9 Immunity Plus for him. I am also going to be changing his diet to a more hollistic diet (no more JUNK dog food)!! I met with a nutritionalist and she is putting together a meal plan for me since I have opted to make his own food. Tanner is my LIFE and I will do WHATEVER I can to give him a quality and quantity life!! Tanner has had a rough afternoon as they tried decreasing his pain meds already. His heart-rate increased and he started whining... So they increased his meds back up. They try to decrease them to help stimulate the appetite. I'm not going to say it's easy, but once you hear that they made it through surgery, a weight has been lifted off of your chest to know that they are going to be out of pain in just a couple of weeks!! Tanner had his amputation yesterday and he was up walking this morning!! He was standing in his cage as well! I am going to use a harness to help him (probably a lot of the time just because I know I am going to baby him)!! Luckily Cornell University is only about 1 hour away from where I live in NY so I lucked out with the best hospital! If your dog is already limping and favoring his leg, chances are that he's not using it much as it is. It sounds to me like we are in the same situation! As I read your post, I couldn't believe how much it sounded like my Tanner!! I CAN tell you that the power of prayer is AMAZING!!!! I have asked EVERYONE (even people I just meet) to pray for Tanner!! I am posting updates on Facebook abuot every 2 hours and reminding people to pray!! Sounds to me like you should go for it... I would try the chemo too... As well as the hollistic products! Please keep me posted and best of luck to you!! I will add you and your baby to my prayers!!
Thanks for the input christie! Consider registering so your posts publish without moderation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Snicklydoo,
Tai was a heavy set, front end loaded lab. We amputated her right front leg the minute osteosarcoma was suspected. I was, like you and almost everyone else on here, very concerned that she may "miss" her leg and that she wouldn't be able to do the things she loved lilke swimming and digging for gophers (mole like critters). She LIVED to hunt gophers and go for car rides.
Within a few days of amputation she was going up and down stairs and after a week was able to jump into the car for a ride. She very quickly returned to being able to jump on the bed, wrestle with her younger sister, play fetch at a great rate of speed, and stand on the armrest to hang her head (and most of her upper body) out of the car window. Chewing bones was at first a challenge but like everything else she came up with a way to accomplish that too. In the spring she started digging massive holes again 
and in the summer was back in the water fetching sticks and cooling off.
I did opt to do chemo and she didn't suffer any side effects with the exception of some nausea and tiredness which lasted a couple of days.
All in all Tai enjoyed almost 11 months after her diagnosis.
Tai – 9 yr old lab. Diagnosed Osteosarcoma Dec 18/09. Front right leg amputated Dec 21/09. Started chemo Jan 7/10. Lung mets discovered Sept 16/10. Valiant to the end on Oct 26/10 when cancer reappeared in a leg and we made the decision to set her free. Forever in my heart where not even cancer can take her from me.
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