Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I have a larger labrador 100lbs and he is 10 years old with stage 1 low grade mast cell on his forearm. Definitive treatment would be amputation vs palliative chemo/radiation.
I am not sure how larger breeds at an older age fair with amputation
wondering if I should let him live out his life on four legs with palliative chemo and radiation or have the definitive amputation done but then he would live out his life with 3 legs - and i am not sure how his mobility would be. Due to his size and age. Right now he is very active and enjoys walks and running around.
Thank you for any advice
Oh gosh you've come to the right place. We have tons of folks here who have experience with dogs that size and even larger. But first, what is your dog's name?
You can see in this Forum that big dogs can do great on three legs. Scroll through and also look here for giant breed dogs in our News blog.
What does your vet think about your dog being a candidate for amputation? And are you working with an oncologist yet? It sounds that way but just wanted to be sure. A second or even third opinion from an orthopedic specialist can also help you decide.
I've spoken with many orthopedic vets through the years and they've all said to me that if a dog is otherwise healthy, size shouldn't be a deterrent to amputation. Yes, they can take a bit longer to recuperate and it's not always a picnic during that time, but we've seen here that the vast majority do get along and live happy lives.
Sounds like your pup has a lot of living to do, and as long as you can keep his weight below "normal" for a Lab (I know that's tricky!) he could enjoy more quality time with you. How long is anyone's guess but remember that dogs don't keep calendars, they just want to make the most of every day.
Stay tuned for feedback from others.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
jerry said
Oh gosh you've come to the right place. We have tons of folks here who have experience with dogs that size and even larger. But first, what is your dog's name?You can see in this Forum that big dogs can do great on three legs. Scroll through and also look here for giant breed dogs in our News blog.
What does your vet think about your dog being a candidate for amputation? And are you working with an oncologist yet? It sounds that way but just wanted to be sure. A second or even third opinion from an orthopedic specialist can also help you decide.
I've spoken with many orthopedic vets through the years and they've all said to me that if a dog is otherwise healthy, size shouldn't be a deterrent to amputation. Yes, they can take a bit longer to recuperate and it's not always a picnic during that time, but we've seen here that the vast majority do get along and live happy lives.
Sounds like your pup has a lot of living to do, and as long as you can keep his weight below "normal" for a Lab (I know that's tricky!) he could enjoy more quality time with you. How long is anyone's guess but remember that dogs don't keep calendars, they just want to make the most of every day.
Stay tuned for feedback from others.
His name is Samson
Yes we are working with an oncologist.
At first we were a hard NO on amputation. We took it off the table completely. We were not going to submit our dog to limb loss. To have him wake up from anesthesia and his leg would be gone - i mean how would he understand?? how could he comprehend this change? It just seemed so CRUEL to do that to him. I would rather him live the rest of his life with 4 legs.
This website I found makes amputation seem more of an option now. Seeing the multitude of dogs with amputations living great lives.
I see a lot of success stories - i wonder if there are those dogs that the amputation just takes so much out of them and even though they live a while they are just never the same.
I would hate for that to happen to Samson. But in the same breath - doing chemo and radiation would be a long haul for him as well.
Unlike some of the other dogs on this website with Bone cancer - he is perfectly normal dog now - no pain, no limp. This was found as an accident. it makes the decision so much harder I think? You look at this normal happy dog and think - im going to take your limb away. To prevent , MAYBE, future cancer issues.
But this site was TREMENDOUSLY helpful to me and at least put amputation back on the table as an option.
thank you!!!
Hello and welcome.
I'm sorry you are dealing with a mast cell tumor (MCT)- our oncologist called it the most frustrating cancer she dealt with.
I know what you mean about the lack of pain- my pug Maggie's tumor in her knee did not cause any limping or signs of pain. Mag was quite a drama queen so she would let me know when she was uncomfortable! It was very hard to come to grips with amputation as the solution for the lump in her knee. You can read about Maggie's amputation and treatment if you are interested, the links are in my signature below.
I do have a couple of questions for you. Since you say the tumor is stage 1 and low grade I assume the tumor was removed. Did the give you a mitotic index? That is helpful in determining how aggressive the cancer is. Were clean margins obtained? What tests were done to do the staging?
Does your vet think that Sampson would be a good candidate for amputation? Is he otherwise healthy- other legs in good shape?
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
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