Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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So my beautiful 6 year old black lab started limping 3 days ago. We got her in to her vet, took xrays, went to a "specialist", took more xrays, and are now trying to decided to amputate or not...
Vet says that it's osteosarcoma, biopsy not in yet, but it has not spread to her chest yet. At least the xrays do not show any abnormalities as of now.
My immediate thought after looking at websites, blogs and forums is that amputation is the way to go. nip it in the bud before it gets a chance to spread. Am I jumping the gun? have any of you faced this with your dogs before they were tripawds?
I'm nervous because the biopsy results are taking so long and I've heard that this type of cancer is aggressive and spreads very quickly. So if we wait, it may not give her as much time as amputating earlier...
The specialist is talking as if it IS osteosarcoma, not as if there is a CHANCE. He also seemed surprised that her bone is still in one piece, and not fractured, with how deteriorated it looks towards her ankle.
For those who have gone through this, what was the quality of life for your pet post-amputation? what was the quantity?
she is my baby, and I don't want her to be in pain for the next 10 days waiting for test results that the vet already seems sure of. She is only 6, as I said, and still seems happy and healthy outside of the limp.
I want to do right by her and still give her as much time as I can...
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Hi! We literally just went through this (only with synovial cell sarcoma cancer) in our dog, Mack's back leg. It all happened so fast but because we caught it before it metastasized we had a chance to cure him by amputating. His surgery was on Monday and we get to bring him home this evening.
It was the hardest decision so I understand your dilemma completely. I still wonder if we did the right thing at times and I have cried so much in the last week, it's ridiculous. But my bottom line was this...Mack is our baby and he is only 4yrs old. We had to try everything to give him the best chance at survival. There is still a small chance that some tiny, microscopic cancer cell spread and we won't know for a while if that was the case. But what we did know for certain was that if we left the leg, the cancer would spread and he would die. Amputation gives him a chance and that is important to us. We like to say a three-legged Mack is better than not having a Mack at all.
No one can make the choice for you and your family. You have to decide with the help of your vets whether amputation will give your dog (what is his/her name??) a fighting chance or not. Hang in there and keep us updated. Everyone on this site has been in your shoes at some point. It is amazing the amount of advice and support you can find here! Good luck!
Hello and welcome to Tripawds.
I am sorry you face this situation, but you have found a great place for support and information.
Most here have been right where you are now. If you haven't already you should read through Jerry's Required Reading List- a compilation of information from this site on amputation, recovery and cancer treatment.
Amputation surgery has some risks, as any major surgery does, so should not be taken lightly. And the recovery period can be trying, with lots of ups and downs. But once past that I think most everyone will tell you that quality of life was excellent post amputation- that was certainly my experience with my tri-pug.
One thing to consider with waiting for the biopsy results- there is a chance the leg can fracture. If it is as damaged as the vet thinks then is amputation the only course forward anyway, cancer or not?
As far as life expectancy with osteosarcoma- some here have made a year or two, a few have made three or more. Some have only made a few months. But those were quality- PAIN FREE months for the pup which is the most important thing. My girl has mast cell cancer, not osteosarcoma. After amputation she was given 6 to 9 months, she lived almost 4 years and did not die from mast cell.
You are approaching this with the right attitude- doing the best thing for your pup. As long as you make your choices with that in mind you will make the right decision.
What is your pups name?, Which leg?
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.
Her name is Pup, and the growth is in her front left leg. She's barely using the leg as it is now, but it's still hard to picture her without it (she has white on her toes which is why I picked her over her brother all those years ago)
thanks for the advice on the reading materials!
we'll keep you posted on how Pup does over the next few weeks.
Welcome and thanks for joining, sorry to hear abut Pup. Is that her name?
Every dog is different, but the vast majority make it through amputation with flying colors and adapt to life on three legs quickly. Osteosarcoma is extremely aggressive, the pain will only get worse and it will eventually cause a traumatic fracture. Not trying to scare you at all, but very rarely (if ever) have we heard of a suspected cancer tumor turn out not to be such.
Coincidentally, we Jerry recently posted a video interview with Dr. Pam discussing Bone Cancer Diagnosis in Dogs in the Tripawds News blog . be sure to bookmark the link to Jerry's Required Reading List Karen provided, and please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
We were exactly in your shoes recently, the oncologist was certain Tate had histiocytic sarcoma just based on the x-rays and his years of experience. We were so reluctant to amputate - what if it's not cancer? We spent weeks with more tests, second opinions, needle biopsy, surgical biopsy - nothing conclusive. It was all so unreal, Tate was on pain meds and was his normal, healthy, active, happy self.
What tipped it in for us was the fact that our boy's leg was so deteriorated and the prospects for repairing it were not good, assuming it was not cancer. So it was either amputate or have him constantly on a leash, never getting to run and play again, and the constant worry of fracture.
We went ahead with the amp and it turned out it was exactly what the oncologist thought it was. Our oncologist came highly recommended and he has years of experience, so I'm not saying you should go ahead since I don't know anything about your vet. But we are one week post-amp, and yeah, it was heartbreaking to see him the first time. But we're past it now.
You're being a great mom to Pup, due diligence and we all understand how torn you are. If you want someone to speak with, I found the help line at Colorado State University very, well, helpful. A canine oncologist called me back in about a day and spent as long as I needed on the phone with me. The number is on their website, sorry I don't have it here right now.
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
So sorry to hear about Pup. It is definitely a very hard decision you face. Our vet ( the second opinion) at first didnt feel Cooper had osteosarcoma, but he saw the xrays then and felt it more than likely was. We didnt do a biopsy - we decided right then and there that we were going to remove the leg. Cooper had made it obvious how much pain he was in each day. After the amputation he of course had recovery to go through, which I would be lying to say it wasnt difficult, but it also helped forge a stronger bond than we had had before, his quality of life after the amputation ... wonderful! As far as quantity.. 5 months post op and still counting. Considering that the first vet told us last October that Cooper was done and it would be cruel to amputate - I really like the way it has worked out. Good luck and please keep us posted.
Coopsdad
Coopsdad/ Kenneth Blackburn
http://cooper.t.....ipawds.com
the monkeydogs only THINK they have invaded the tripawd state
So we called and asked yesterday if there was a way to skip the biopsy and just amputate. We figured it was one less time that she had to go "under" and since they seemed convinced that it's cancer pre-biopsy, what was the point? I am also worried that we're just give the cancer more time to spread as well as increasing the risk of a fracture...
they said no!
I couldn't believe it, they said they were doing the biopsy either way and that we should just be patient and wait to do the amputation later.
Am I being unrealistic to have the worries that I have?
Hi,
I'm a little confused...did Pup have the mass biopsied already & you're just waiting for results?
If Pup already had a biopsy & your waiting for results, it's not going to be that much longer anyway. Survival rates/mets are not dependent on the timing of amputation at this stage. It is widely accepted that (in OSA) microscopic mets have already occurred…it is really dependent on tumor growth rate & there is no indicator or control over that. The bigger concern is the insult to the bone/tumor & risk for pathologic fracture and intractable pain.
If he hasn't had a biopsy & the xrays are consistent with OSA, there really aren't too many differentials except a fungal infection…which is a nightmare to treat & often ultimately results in amputation anyway. Do you even live in an area where this is a possibility?
Your questions are reasonable. You have every right and responsibility to question ANYTHING. You are paying for services and should be confident in the professionals providing them. If you aren't…get another opinion. There is never a time you should be told you have no choice.
If the biopsy has not been done, you can refuse it. Keep in mind, you are paying a fee for the procedure & pathology. The Path will likely be done again after surgery anyway…so if it's already done & you have a conclusive result, you may want to address this as well.
Sorry to be confusing, yes, they went in last night and took a small amount out for biopsy after my husband had called to request that it not be done. They said it needed to be done regardless of what our next move was going to be. We are now waiting "10 days" for the results and they will do nothing else until the results are in. But if I ask the vet if he thinks it's cancer, based on x-rays he says yes. (so why are we waiting?)
so you're saying that microscopic mets have most likely already spread? I've voiced my fear to the Dr. of the bone fracturing and he just kinda blew me off and said that it was possible but not likely... but reading all these blogs and websites tells me it's absolutely likely.
i'm having a very difficult time with this. We just got married last year, we're expecting a baby this July, and as much as I love my dog I can't just make money appear... I'm just crushed at the thought that all I can do is wait and watch her pass...
Pretty sure that picking Pup up at 3 today is going to be the last time I work with this "specialist"
Just because microscopic mets are assumed doesn't give you any time line for their appearance.
OSA is an aggressive cancer. Amputation is usually palliative, but there's no way to know if a dog will survive months or years. It is extremely painful. Amputation is the only way to eliminate the pain & maintain a good quality of life.
I would have to agree with finding another practitioner.
Since it's already done, be sure you get a written copy of the pathology results and address whether or not you want a specimen sent post op if you decide to amputate.
If they sedated Pup & did any labs, be sure to get copies of those too. Ask for xray copies. Get these records before you leave with Pup today, so if you decide not to return, you have them.
Be sure they send you home with medication for pain control.
Personally, if I'd actually requested the procedure not be done and was clear about it, I would seriously negotiate the payment.
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