Tripawds Three Legged Dog & Cat Forum Archives

Oh Geez, I love this idea.

Chemo - what type, how many treatments, side effects, would you make the same decision again

Recovery hell - what method(s) did you use to help them get around, how long was assistance required, what pain med, how long, side effects

What other challenges did you face at the same time - ie.) we needed to reduce Trouble's weight substantially to reduce the stress on the remaining leg

Did you get a second opinion & what prompted the decision

For those who have passed - how long past Dx, would you do anything differently,

Hi Jerry

Thanks for moving on this. I'll probably add to general questions related to surgery recovery and chemo (funny that topic occurred to me just this very week, hehe!) later. Here are some general background questions that probably need to go at the beginning of a survey. It might be nice to get more medical details (other indications of spread at time of amp), although that will depend on our goals.

I think size and weight and age of dog might have a lot to do with the way it responds post-amp, which is why I include these questions.

Background info

1. Breed (or general type of cross): ____________________________________

2. Age: __________

3. Sex: __________        Spayed or neutered:     Yes _____    No _______

4. Weight (pre-amp):        ______lb    or    _____ kg

5. Assessment of weight:
a. Obese        b. Chubby        c. Normal        d. Lean

6. How long did you notice your dog limping (even if it was intermittent) before amputation?
<1 month        1-2 months        3-4 months        >5 months

7. Was there evidence of lung mets from the chest x-rays at the time of diagnosis?
Yes __________        No ______________

On the background questions maybe something about whether the dog had any major health issues prior to the surgery.  Diabetes, thyroid and other conditions can definitely play a factor in how they and we handle the recovery process.

Here are a few thoughts.....................

Did your dog have a biopsy, if so what were the results? 

What tests were done pre op such as chest xray, abdominal CT, lab work, etc?

what drugs did your dog receive post op and any problems?

what does your dog eat pre op and post op?

what treatment after lung mets found?

How about:

"What complications did you have after surgery?  Bleeding, bruising, nausea, crying, etc?"

"Is there anything you would have done differently during recovery?"

This is such a great idea!! In addition to all of the questions above, I would like to expand to questions about the time after the recovery from the surgery itself. We were told to expect Willy to last between 4 and 6 months after diagnosis (even given the amputation), since we did not do chemo. Jerry lasted much longer, and we are wondering how common that is among those of us contributing to this board. (Willy is in month eight from presentation, month seven from surgery--with no symptoms of lung problems.) So--maybe questions like the following (trying to supply the multiple choice options!):

(Assuming that we've already asked about time between limping and diagnosis and surgery. And we've already asked about chemo and other treatments. And we know how old the dog is.)

How far post-amputation are you now (or were you when you passed)? A. 0-4 months; B. 5-9 months; C. 10-14 months; D. 15-19 months; E. 20 + months

Once the surgery site had healed, how was the recovery process? How long did it take to be able to take normal (what does that mean to you) walks? A. within the first month; B. by the end of the second month; C. by the end of the third month; D. never, we now only walk a short distance for elimination business.

Are you still taking normal walks (and if not how long has it been since you've stopped)? A. yes, we are still taking normal walks; B. no, we had to stop within this last month; C. no, we had to stop two months ago; D. no, we had to stop three months ago.

Were there occasions of depression or poor appetite?A. no; B. yes, but fewer than 3; C. yes, between 4 and 10; D. yes, more than 10.

What brought you out of those occasions of depression or poor appetite? A. nothing obvious; B. special food; C. change of routine.

Did your pawrents take special care to stimulate you (given that we can't all take off for an extended road trip--darn it!). A. more car rides; B. new games to play; C. new routines for stimulation; D. special play dates with other dogs or people.

Did you monitor the possibility of lung mets with xrays? A. No; B. yes, but only with symptoms; C. yes, periodically regardless of symptoms.

I think the survey idea is great and would be extremely helpful for future people.  It's kinda hard to think of something that hasn't already been mentioned, but ones that I personally would like answered are

1. Which period of recovery were the hardest for both you and your dog? (first 3 days, 4th-7th day, 8th-11th day, 11th-14th day, 2 weeks +)

2. Which day in recovery was your dog noticeably better?

3. How long after amputation did you see your dog act his old self/do the things he used to do?

I know that each case is different, but a base timeline might be helpful and bring peace of mind to some.