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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WOOF! Canada seems really expensive! We weren't recommended for chemo or radiation; however, I did talk to an oncologist re: radiation before we got our histopathology report back, and it was quoted at $25,000. Yes. $25,000.
Amputation Costs
- What city/state/country/date did your Tripawd have the amputation? - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Total cost of surgery? - $7000 CAD which included the one-night ICU stay, all drugs taken during the stay, and the histopathology report (+$4k for the MRI and ultrasound, few hundred on meds, $2K on various consultation fees, $1k on a few different sets of x-rays)
- Private practice or teaching hospital? - private practice
Chemotherapy Costs - N/A
WOAH! That is a ton of money for chemo! This is so good for us to know. I'm glad you didn't need to make that decision about doing it. Yikes.
The amputation costs sounds similar to here when the conversion is factored in ($7k CAD is $5443).
Hi Community,
My 7 year old Labrador, Bo just underwent left front leg amputation and came home from the hospital on 11/30. These are the costs I incurred in South Florida:
fine needle aspiration(inconclusive) and X-rays(suspected soft tissue sarcoma) $829
biopsy and CAT Scan(including chest to confirm lungs are clear) $2100
amputation surgery(board certified surgeon), including overnight care and one day hospital stay, IV meds and fluids - $4123 ( he is very scared at the vet and didn’t want to go outside to pee. He needed his bladder emptied by catheter and IV fluids. This price also includes pain meds for home).
Breed - Labrador Retriever( 7 years old)
Type of cancer - soft tissue sarcoma
Facility - private practice
Location- South Florida
Total Cost -$7100
AJ said
Hi Community,My 7 year old Labrador, Bo just underwent left front leg amputation and came home from the hospital on 11/30. These are the costs I incurred in South Florida
Thank you so much for sharing! It never ceases to amaze me how expensive veterinary care has become since our Jerry had his amputation at UC Davis. Yikes!
Hi - as suggested by Jerry:
5 year old Mastiff x, 170lbs. Diagnosed with front-leg osteosarcoma 2022-11-27; all treatment rendered in BC, Canada (Vancouver, Langley, and Victoria)
- Initial exam/sedation (he's a dink)/xrays of initial site and chest staging/radiology consult: $2100 (private vet, Port Coquitlam)
- Meds (gaba/onsior) $214 every 2 weeks (ongoing)
- Fine needle aspiration for confirmation of diagnosis: $890 (Boundary Bay Vets, Langley BC)
- Surgical consult $340; quoted $8900-$9300 for amputation at Boundary Bay
- CT scan evaluation ability to undergo amputation: $1420 (VCA) - ultimately ruled out amputation
- Initial oncology consult (with a vet we did not like/go with): $320 (Canada West)
- SRT treatment (CT, 3 days of treatment - 27Gy total; 9Gy x3) $13480
- Biphosphinate infusion: $1300
- Oncology consult with the oncologist we ended up going with: $180
- Chemotherapy (carboplatin; 4-6 treatments; with sedation.. because Boone is a dink): $2,248/ea ($8,992-$13,488) + bloodwork every 10-14 days post treatment ($240/ea; $960-$1,440)
Hind leg amputation surgery on 3/10/23 for 75lb dog
location: Mckinleyville, California, USA
Private Practice
total cost: $3529.1 that included all her meds and the biopsy. Surgery was complicated and took 3.5hrs which increased the cost. (The high estimate I had been given was $3,850)
forelimb leg amputation surgery on 97 pound dog
Fort Collins CO
original diagnostic testing at private vet (exam, xrays, pain medication, CBC, urinalysis)- $891.00
oncology consult with Colorado State University and additional diagnostics (xrays)- $391.00
Surgery including 1 night stay, medication (pain and anti-nausea), PT assessment, hold-em-up harness- $3578.81
adaptation supplies- raised food/water, ramp for SUV)- ~$200.00
additional PT visits- $143.00/ech
She is in a clinical trial for her chemotherapy which will cover 4 doses of carboplatin and all the diagnostic testing. I am responsible for any additional routine pain/anti-nausea medication, and there is a $2000.00 amount that can go towards serious side effects (requires hospitalizations)
Thanks for sharing the numbers, this is so important for folks to see before making their decision. 
Just paid a total of $8000 for Max's front leg amputation in the greater Boston area. That included X-rays, surgeon consult, meds and surgery with 1 night in hospital. He is a 50 lb Mountain Cur, approximately 4 1/2 ears old, who had been shot in the leg in Mississippi 3 years ago. The ulna had been shattered and appeared to fuse with the radius. He was rescued, patched up and offered for adoption. He had a minor limp but the leg held up until a few months ago when he was chasing a rabbit full tilt on uneven ground and came down on the leg with all his weight. Since the injury was old, a repair was a long shot (with 8 weeks recovery and approx $25000) so we opted for amputation.
3 1/2 weeks out Max is starting to act like himself but is still on medication for anxiety and possible phantom pain . Stairs are challenging, especially going down. Ordered a Flagline harness to assist in getting into the car. He is getting back to his job of chasing rabbits. We can see he is going to be just fine.
Aileen thanks for sharing! This is helpful information for folks to know, and a good reality check too.
Glad that Max is doing well. Feel free to start a new topic if you'd like, in Share Your Story. We would love to follow along in his rabbit escapades! And it was great talking to you today. Thanks for supporting our community with your purchases!
Please copy and paste the questions into your Reply, followed by your brief answers.
Amputation Costs
- What city/state/country/date did your Tripawd have the amputation? Orlando, Florida
- Total cost of surgery? $7300
- Private practice or teaching hospital? Private Speciality clinic (Blue Pearl in Maitland)
Chemotherapy Costs
- What kind of cancer does your dog have? Osteosarcoma rear left leg
- What size is your dog? Standard Poodle, 72lb
- Type of chemo given? Haven't started yet.
- # of sessions?
- Total cost of treatments? Estimated $3000 for complete treatment protocol
- Private practice or teaching hospital? Specialty clinic with Board Certified Veterinary Oncologist
Amputation Costs
- What city/state/country/date did your Tripawd have the amputation? Brigham City, Utah, USA
- Total cost of surgery? $1,650
- Private practice or teaching hospital? Private practice, I think? Just the local vet office.
Chemotherapy Costs
- What kind of cancer does your dog have? Soft tissue sarcoma
- What size is your dog? Large - 60lbs
- Technically, we aren't doing chemo. The surgeon advised us to start "metronomic therapy" once she recovers from surgery. This means we give her a regimen of very low-dose chemotherapy pills, and anti-inflammatory pills. The cost is about $100/month.
Other Costs/Factors?
Figured I'd include this here. Her initial vet appointment to have the tumor checked was about $100. We then did a biopsy, which cost $500. So, in total, the initial exam, then biopsy, then amputation + pain meds came to $2,250. They did x-rays for free.
Our local clinic is not 24-hour, and does not offer overnight care, so we brought her home after surgery--this probably saved a lot of money. Be ready to stay up with the dog all night, though. The drugs from surgery linger in their system and make them act weird--ours cried inconsolably all night long. Once the drugs got out of her system, she stopped.
We got lucky with our surgeon. Since the amputation was done at a local, small-town clinic it was cheap. But, the clinic has a specialist who visits one day a week to take on the most complicated procedures--he did the amputation.
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