Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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So, Mom finally put my picture on here. Here I am in my hospital gown. I get my drainage tube out tomorrow. Mom keeps making me slow down when we go outside. I'm not sure why. I'm doing just fine....well...except for the squatting thing. I'm still working on that, but I think I'm getting it figured out. My moms and I want to extend our sympathy to the recent losses. We didn't know you, but our hearts go out to your pawrents.
Skyler – 10 year old Golden Retriever. Diagnosed with Mast Cell Tumor on 2-26-10. Right rear leg amputated on 3-4-10. Crossed Rainbow Bridge on 6-11-10. Chloe – Joined her sister on 4-4-11, due to hemangiosarcoma. The beloved Golden Girls are now back together.
Skyler, your Moms sound like they are doing everything right! We know how pawrents get, but they really are looking out for your best interest. Hang in there, you'll be able to play and have a blast soon enough. And it sounds like your sissy will come around too, she's just a little nervous. Dogs have been known to react like that. I mean geeez, that vet office smell just brings back not-so-nice memories for us, you know?
You are just adorable, by the way!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hey, Skyler! We're glad to hear you're doing so well! And we love your picture - you look very sweet. And what a lovely hospital gown you have, too! 🙂
We're keeping fingers and paws that all goes well with the rest of your recovery.
Hugs,
Holly and Holly's mom
Holly joined the world of tripawds on 12/29/2009. She has a big little sister, Zuzu, who idolizes Holly and tries to make all of her toys into tripawds in Holly's honor. And she's enjoying life one hop at a time!
http://anyemery.....ipawds.com
Hi Jane and Skyler!
Welcome to our Tripawds family!! I'm sorry that Skyler had to have her leg amputated due to cancer... I have been through that too with my golden Jake. As everyone else has mentioned before... the first 2 weeks are the most difficult. The pain meds, learning to balance on 3 legs, etc... Make sure to get your harness, so that once the sutures/staples are out you can start using it. How's Skyler's appetite? I see that you have another doggie too... Chloe... I'm sure the smells that Skyler has from the vet clinic and surgery can be a bit scary for Chloe... Just take your time getting them used to each other, and make sure you're always around in the beginning. Things will work out just fine!
How old is Skyler? She looks alot like my Jake... He was 10 years old...
Angel Jake's Mom
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!
Don't forget Skyler, if you milk this recovery thing a while longer, you'll probably get a lot more tasty treats. Act a little sleepier while you're pawrents are all freaked out about you 
Yoda&Mom united: 9/5/06 …….… Yoda&Leg separated: 6/5/09……… Yoda&Leg reunited: 10/14/09 ……… ……………….………….………….……. Yoda&Mom NEVER separated! …………………….….……....….…… Though Spirit Yoda currently free-lances as a rabbit hunting instructor for tripawds nationwide
Awww, love the picture! It sounds like it's going very well!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Sorry to read of Skyler's cancer diagnosis. What type of cancer does she have? Love the picture in the hospital gown!
I was afraid of bringing Harley home to our other dog … Toby (a Basenji, who is the alpha dog of the two) loves to jump up on and play bite at Harley, so I was quite worried. I was amazed how Toby curled up and would cuddle with Harley … he just knew to be gentle with him. After a couple of weeks of just hanging out together, when Harley was more back to his old self, the roughhousing started up again. Now they play fight just like before the amputation.
Best of luck!!! You found a great place of support and information here!
-Gwen & Harley
Amputation on 11/10/09, due to Histiocytic Sarcoma in left elbow. Angel Harley earned his wings on 06/24/10.
Skyler update. Got the news today that she needs chemo. We are so overwhelmed by all of this. I keep reading conflicting information about chemo. Some dogs tolerate it, some don't. Her diagnosis was mast cell tumor-stage 3, which is very aggressive. They believe they got it all with the amputation, but since it's stage 3 they can't be certain it hasn't already spread-so-they recommend chemo. I've also read that it can adversly effect the heart. Is that true? I don't even know what questions to ask the oncologist. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Jane
Skyler – 10 year old Golden Retriever. Diagnosed with Mast Cell Tumor on 2-26-10. Right rear leg amputated on 3-4-10. Crossed Rainbow Bridge on 6-11-10. Chloe – Joined her sister on 4-4-11, due to hemangiosarcoma. The beloved Golden Girls are now back together.
One thing the Internal Medicine Vet told us that really helped with our chemo decision was … you are in control. It is your dog. If you want to start chemo and then stop it, you can. Just because you start the regimen, doesn't mean you have to finish it. You can stop any time you want.
I believe some (perhaps all??? I don't know) chemo does effect the heart; I've seen others on the site speak about checking the heart out before starting. The heart was not something that was brought up to us. I think we use a different kind of chemo drug than most on here, though (CCNU/Lomustine).
Best of luck to you!! I'm sure someone will be able to answer your heart question around here.
-Gwen & Harley
Amputation on 11/10/09, due to Histiocytic Sarcoma in left elbow. Angel Harley earned his wings on 06/24/10.
We had a tough time deciding on whether to do chemo. We agree with Gwen - if you decide to start it, you can stop it at any time if it Skyler doesn't appear to be tolerating it. They can also reduce the dosage if Skyler doesn't tolerate it, which might help (that's what they just tried for Holly's chemo yesterday since she didn't tolerate her 2nd round very well). Before making the decision, you might want to check out the forum thread on "regrets about chemo" here to read what people had to say. It helped me to read through that, and gave me more questions to ask the oncologist and vet before making a decision.
Do you live near a university with a vet school? If so you might want to contact them to see if they are conducting any studies - I think sometimes it can help with cost to participate in a study. Our oncologist looked up studies for us, but none of them were local for us.
Whatever decision you make, we're all here for you. Best wishes as you go through this...
Hugs,
Holly and Holly's mom
Holly joined the world of tripawds on 12/29/2009. She has a big little sister, Zuzu, who idolizes Holly and tries to make all of her toys into tripawds in Holly's honor. And she's enjoying life one hop at a time!
http://anyemery.....ipawds.com
Adriamycin (doxorubricin) is the chemo drug that can hurt the heart muscle. For mast cell tumors they usually use a combo of vinblastine, CCNU, prednisone and sometimes cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) or Palladia. These drugs can all cause vomiting or nausea as well as low white cell counts and sometimes Cytoxan can cause bladder problems but that is uncommon.
Mast cell cancer can be very aggressive and Goldens seem predisposed to this type but the newer drug combos have increased survival in many dogs.
Pam
Thank you everyone! Pam, I really appreciate you taking the time to give me advice specific to what we're dealing with. I've printed a ton of information from these forums so I can hopefully know what the oncologist is talking about next week. I understand that every dog is different, and not all therapies are the same. But given that, is it wise to go through all of this for a dog that is 9 1/2 years old? Other than this mess, she actually is in very good health. I just want to make the right decisions for her, and at this point I really don't know what those are.
Thanks again everyone. You are all so great to help out.
Jane-Cathy-Skyler
Skyler – 10 year old Golden Retriever. Diagnosed with Mast Cell Tumor on 2-26-10. Right rear leg amputated on 3-4-10. Crossed Rainbow Bridge on 6-11-10. Chloe – Joined her sister on 4-4-11, due to hemangiosarcoma. The beloved Golden Girls are now back together.
jmolen said:
But given that, is it wise to go through all of this for a dog that is 9 1/2 years old? Other than this mess, she actually is in very good health. I just want to make the right decisions for her, and at this point I really don't know what those are.
Jane & Cathy, I think the biggest thing to remember is that there are no "right" answers. The thing about cancer is it can be so unpredictable, and the way to get through it is to do your best to let go of the idea that you can control the outcome 100 pawcent. It's a hard concept for humans to grasp, my own pawrents had a hard time with that. But the way you can cope with this the best is to just Be More Dog . Live moment to moment, doing your best to make that time quality time together.
Just as in you never know who will have chemo side effects and who won't, you don't know for sure how things will play out. There are statistics that can be cited, but those are just numbers that don't take into account Skyler's pawesome personality. Nine and a half in the big scheme of things isn't that old here, we've had dogs as old as 12 go through chemo with flying colors. If Skyler's in great health and chemo seems the best decision for you all, then take it one step at a time and see what happens. You are not bound to continue treatment if you don't like it.
A while back we reviewed the e-book, "The No Nonsense Guide to Cancer in Pets" In it, Dr. Lucroy has some great questions to ask, such as:
- What is the Goal of this Chemotherapy?
- What are the benefits of chemotherapy?
- What are the risks of chemotherapy?
- What can I do to manage or ease side effects in my pet?
There are just a few tips Dr. Lucroy has, but just remember, take your questions and pen/paper with you and don't be afraid to ask lots more when you are there.
Hope this helps!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Skyler Update – She's doing really well, considering what she's been through. We are just past the dreaded "2 weeks from hell". She got her staples out on Thursday, and had her first dose of chemo. So far, so good. We'll see if she has any side effects from the chemo in the next few days. She's on vinblastine, prednisone, and cytoxan. She went
up the basement stairs fairly well. She stopped about half way, so we helped her along. It is so good to have her back upstairs with the rest of the family. The weather is beautiful here today, so I opened the door to the screen room and she immediately went to lay down in her favorite spot – where she can see her yard and enjoy the breeze. I know everyone said the first couple of days were the worst, and you really don't know what that means until you go through it. It was horrible, but we survived. We are learning how to adjust every day.
For anyone who is just now going through the first few days, hang in there! It is awful, but it does get better…. and….listen to the people on these boards. There is a wealth of information here, and the people are very generous in sharing their experiences.
If anyone is in the Atlanta area, and in need of a great vet facility, go to Georgia Veterinary Specialists. It's on Abernathy, near Roswell Road. The place is fantastic. They have specialists in everything – oncology, cardialogy, opthomology, and I don't know what else – just everything you could possibly need. And, they are so compassionate, yet professional. The facility itself is really nice, with a huge area in the back that has trails and benches, so you can walk your pet if they are up to it. I hate it that anyone needs this type of hospital, but if you do, it is the best!
Thank you everyone!
Jane-Cathy-Skyler
Skyler – 10 year old Golden Retriever. Diagnosed with Mast Cell Tumor on 2-26-10. Right rear leg amputated on 3-4-10. Crossed Rainbow Bridge on 6-11-10. Chloe – Joined her sister on 4-4-11, due to hemangiosarcoma. The beloved Golden Girls are now back together.
jmolen said:
If anyone is in the Atlanta area, and in need of a great vet facility, go to Georgia Veterinary Specialists.
Please condider updating the Tripawds vet specialist referrals topic with your feedback. Thanks!
Skyler is obviously a happy dog, he has a great smile.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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