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.
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Hello all,
I come to this website with a heavy heart. I am trying my best to remove myself from the situation and figure out what the best thing to do for my best friend is. This last week my almost 8 year old Rottweiler/Shepard mix Yogi was diagnosed with terminal osteosarcoma. He has a fairly large tumor on his front leg, and after some further tests the vets have found that he has a cancerous spur on his pelvis and it may have spread into his lungs.
The vet determined that because of the potential spread and his size (he's 126lbs, with some arthritis in his unaffected limbs), we should make him comfortable until the end. I'm currently speaking with an oncologist to get a second opinion on if they think he will be able to cope with an amputation and the subsequent chemo, and how long that might give him.
I am devastated to have to say good bye to my friend so soon in his life, and my intention in this post is to get some feedback through others experience. I want to get the amputation done because I don't want my dog to live the last days of his life in pain, but I am in such a difficult position with this decision because of his size/age/arthritis, I also don't want him to be miserable and struggle with learning how to re-walk for the last months, along with the potential that the cancer may have spread to one of his other limbs and then he won't be able to walk at all.
Any personal experience that can be shared from people in similar situations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hello Yogi and his hooman. Your post jas been approved and now all members can chime in and offer support.
We understand what a kick in the butt it is to get this kind of news. You are in the right place to get information and first-hand experience from those who understand all the emotions in forward.
I am in such a difficult position with this decision because of his size/age/arthritis,
Generally arthritis, size and age don't necessarily factor in to a decision to amputate. We have seen many, many dogs older than your sweet Yogi and certainly a lot larger. We've seen Great Danes, English Mastiffs, Etc Who weigh in between 170 lb all the way up to 200 lb who have handled amputation and have gained Mobility on three. We've even had some with hip dysplasia and arthritis do very well.
Is Yogi on any arthritis medicine now? Was the arthritis very prominent prior to this and was he having any trouble with Mobility before? Is he on joint supplements, Maybe adequan injections, etc?
From what I understand in your post, lung mats have not been confirmed, is that right? You would want to get a definitive answer on that. Well I can't address the specific of the spread to other limbs, I can only say that that does happen, but very rarely. Not saying that's not the case, just saying that it is rare as opposed to common.
I want to get the amputation done because I don't want my dog to live the last days of his life in pain
That's exactly the main reason everyone here proceeds with amputation. Of course, it's to get as much extended quality time as possible and to even give our pets a chance to kick this curb disease to the curb. In the past it used to be that if a dog had sons of lung mats, they didn't recommend proceeding with amputation. Now veterinarians have evolved into thinking that the best thing is to get rid of the pain and ensure whatever time remains is pain free.
Is your sweet Yogi on any pain medicine now, maybe something like gabapentin? You definitely want to get that handled if the vet hasn't prescribed him anything yet.
Hopefully this helps give you some reassurance and, if at all possible, a bit more clarity as you decide what path to take. I know you still have some unanswered questions and I think they do need to be confirmed one way or another.
Just want to add that there are other potential treatments should amputation be off the table. You can ask your oncologist and surgeon about limb sparing procedures, radiation just to mention too.
The most important thing our dogs teach us on this journey is to live in the moment, be fully present in the now. Dogs don't count days on the calendar or have a time frame stamped anywhere on their butt. All they know is they want to be paying free and have good quality time for more spoiling and loving.
Stay connected and know that we are here right by your side, okay? You Are Not Alone on this journey!
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Hi Christine, and Yogi, welcome. I'm sorry you had to find us but am very glad you did.
Sally's given you some fantastic insight. To that I'll just add that you are absolutely doing the homework required to make a decision you can live with. A dog shouldn't be immediately dismissed from amputation because of their size, and even arthritis isn't always a dealbreaker. If the cancer is in multiple places, that's another situation entirely. But the more information you have the more you can know that you are leaving no stone unturned to get clear on the situation.
Meanwhile don't forget to focus on Yogi. He is still himself, and still wants nothing more than to enjoy your company. Love him up and don't forget that he's still the same old pup.
When are you talking to the oncologist? Will they do any diagnostics at the time of the consult?
Hi Christine and Yogi, so sorry to hear about the diagnosis.
My wife and I are parents to a 6 year old American Bulldog, Nova, and are going through this difficult period as well.
I noticed that you said that "some further tests" performed by the vet found some signs of metastasis. What were those tests? With Nova, we performed an X Ray and ultra sound but did not do a CT scan.
Hello all and thank you for your support and questions so far.
I've been reading some really nice stories on the forums here about bigger/older dogs recovering well from the amputation surgery and that makes me feel a lot more like it is the right decision. To answer the question about his arthritis: he has been stiff in his back legs for a couple of months but the diagnosis was fairly recent (January). I have him on joint supplements, fish oil with his food and he just got his first dose of Librela which we plan on continuing. So it's not the worst arthritis case but it's not the greatest either.
In regards to getting the lung mats confirmed: we drove down to the big city to see an oncologist on Wednesday this week and I am so happy and grateful for their expertise. I should mention that I live in a rural area and his primary veterinarian, though very skilled, more commonly sees large animals. I don't fault them for their initial reaction that he was a lost cause as I don't think they often run into people who can afford to run the proper tests. That being said, we got some good news at the oncologist. The tests they ran at my rural vet were only xrays, so the oncologist wanted to do some further diagnostics. They confirmed the osteosarcoma in his front leg with a small needle sample and performed a CT scan to check if it had spread, there's the good news - the CT scan did not show any matestasis in his lungs or anywhere else in his body, though it did show DBD in his elbow. I don't know if that is the same as arthritis and didn't think to ask.
So we are left with the decision of leaving his leg and trying to manage the pain (which appears to be getting worse every day) and amputation with some follow up chemotherapy in order to address the cancer that would be in his body on a microscopic level due to the nature of bone cancer.
I should mention also that they found a small hairline fracture in the bone with the tumor, and it seems like only a matter of time until the bone breaks. They gave him a shot of zanderlo(?) Can't remember the specific name but it's purpose is to "bind to the bone" and hopefully strengthen it up a little bit.
I have now booked a consultation with the surgeon for Monday, I'm under the impression that there they will assess him to make sure that his remaining limbs will be able to support him well enough to enable them to do the amputation surgery.
I feel hopeful but also terrified about his recovery from such an intense procedure. I thank you Sally for mentioning that it is rare for this cancer to present in other limbs, that definitely helps to ease my hesitation to go for the amputation.
Please send your love and hope our way, I will continue to read the forums on here and get advice on how to move forward with my "tripawd" doggo if he does end up having the surgery.
Thank you all,
Yogi and Christine
Super smart to get that other opinion and the diagnostics done. The oncologist sounds terrific. Glad that the surgeon will review his case too.
The injection they gave him is probably Zoledronate, a bisphosphonate that is also given to humans with osteoporosis. That should keep his pain levels down a bit too. Is he on any pain meds right now?
Let us know how the visit on Monday goes!
Hi again,
The visit with the surgeon went well, all appears in order as for the level of care he will receive after his surgery. The surgeon said that though he has the arthritis, and that might slow him down a bit, it is still in Yogis best interest to amputate.
He's a big happy guy and from everything I've read in the posts on here likely far more resilient that I think.
I will start a new topic for his post amputation recover. Hoping for the best, the surgeon said they will give me updates throughout the day and he will be monitored all night. If all goes well I should be able to pick him up tomorrow.
The surgeon suggested a "Help em up" harness, does anyone have any experience with these? He's 125lbs so lifting him up may pose some difficulty.
Thanks,
Christine and Yogi
Hi Christine,
Glad the visit was helpful. So he's in surgery today? Oooh wow! Yes do keep us posted!
We are not fans of that harness for most situations. It tends to be awkward on 3-legged dogs. The front slips around even with their special attachment piece, and the rear piece tends to cut into the penis area and cause pressure points. We prefer the Ruffwear Flagline for front-leg amputees. The only problem is that it doesn't go as far back down the body, so if Yogi's legs in back are super weak, it won't be much help. In that case we like the AST Pet Support Suit for a less mobile dog who needs serious lift assistance. Our recommendation is to start with the Flagline . Yogi may not need as much help as you imagine. Most dogs will stand and do their business without much help after a week or two.
Sounds as if Yogi will be doing well and so glad to be free of pain. Nicholas, front amp, did not care for harnesses or slings but we did get a thickly padded sling for emergencies (inexpensive and doesn't take up much room in the car). You may be surprised at how well Yogi figures things out. Our rehab doctor said just follow their lead as they recover.
Hey Suzanne...just wanted to send some love and some thanks for your input.. Nicholas is still having a pawsitive impact here.....always will💖
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
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