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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
OK - let's start with the GREAT news - Abby's lameness is NOT due to a spread of her bone cancer to her remaining front leg!
The bad news is that it is also not "just" an overuse injury.
The weird news is that it is this rare disease called "hypertrophic osteopathy" (HO). (Which I now need to go google...) It causes extra bone to be deposited on the leg, which causes some pain. The pain can apparently kinda come and go.
The good news is that the bone itself looks perfect! So, no risk of a fracture (which I had been dreading) and we are OK'd to go for walks again and even to the beach, depending on how she feels.
The other good news is that the Masitinib (which we've been trying to get her started on for a while now) should not only help with the tumors in her lungs, but it should also possibly help w/ the HO. So, Masitinib here we come again. Hopefully this 3rd time will be the charm!
This is such a weird and unexpected result that I didn't even know what topic to post under, so decided to stick w/ "Shout Outs" where we started...
Will do a longer post on the blog. Thanks again to everyone for your concern!
Hugs from me (although I have a wicked cold, so you might want to stand back) and kisses from Abby!
Jackie, Abby's very-much-relieved mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Wow, never heard of it............but SO grateful it's not cancer in that leg!!
Yay for no cancer -- I've been worried all day! Hopefully the masitinib will be easier on Abby this time around -- I read somewhere that if they can make it through the first few weeks of treatment then the side effects seem to go away. Maybe by starting a low does and ramping up over a few weeks would be easier for her to deal with...
Yay again for no cancer!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Micki and Rio
 |
~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
Hi Jackie,
I don't want to be a harbinger of bad news... but I believe knowledge is power.
My local pal Caira Sue developed HO. Keep in mind that Caira Sue's case was really advanced when her mom Mary wrote the post you can find HERE. Mary is no longer active here.
I've only heard of one other dog who developed HO on this site, and it was recent, but I don't remember who it was.
I hope Abby's can tolerate the Masitinib this time and that her prognosis is good!
Karen
Thanks Karen for the link - that certainly does make things sound....grim.
But I'm still relieved because it's not as grim as a spread of the OSA would have been. I really thought we only had maybe a few more days left with our girl, and I thought I'd never get her back to the beach because we'd be risking a fracture/rushed goodbye at the ER. So... even if this still means The End is Nigh, well, at least it's not as nigh as I thought it was.
It sounds like Caira Sue's situation is similar to what Dr. V. explained about Abby - her lung mets have not acted normal. The combo of things we've tried with her has slowed them to the point where they didn't just take over her lungs and bring her down, as normally would be the case. So, since the cancer couldn't have it's way with her lungs (just like Caira Sue) other 'odd' things start to pop up.
It does sound bad (real bad) from the wee bit of googling I've done - but hopefully the Masitinib (which is still pretty new) can help. At least I have a little hope again and Abby has a visit to Fiesta Island in her future.
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
well, we here in ET are glad it's not cancer...geesh, the earth could be hit by a meteor tonight and none of the scary stuff will matter anyhow. so, we're sending our best wishes that our little 'beach cousin' abby has a zillion more wonderful adventures at the beach, and this new 'wierd stuff' just adds more initials to her signature page. can't any of us just be boring?????
charon & gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
HI Jackie
Well it is great that you have the drug, Masitinib - this could really slow down or even stop the progression of the hypertrophic osteopathy.
And, yes, our 
Super Star Abby Cover Girl Extraordinaire will have more trips to the beach!!
On my gosh, Abby is so special in our hearts.
Sending huggs and wags from one NorCal Tripawd Warrior Princess down to our SoCal Tripawd Warrior Princess!
TGP furever!!
Joanne & Lylee
xoxo
http://lyleegir.....ipawds.com
Hoppy to hear it's not cancer! Whew!
Thanks for the head's up on HO Karen, I had forgotten about that. We learn so much here.
Abby, I hope your pain takes a holiday so you can now live it up. That's all that matters. Enjoy your beach visits, running free and loving life. You are unstoppable!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)
