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 everyone 
This is my first time writing on here, and I'm already very happy I found this place! About two weeks ago my almost 1 year old golden/lab/possibly dane mix Simba started limping ever so slightly, and something told me not to let it go. Through a series of failed pain treatment and X-rays we are almost positive he has osteosarcoma, but a very very very early stage. I honestly could not have caught it any sooner and for that I'm SO thankful. Because of his age it was really a shock for me. I'm 21 and out of college, and he's my first baby, so it's been a rough week! I work in a veterinary office and I have a lot of support from coworkers and friends and family (thank God!). But it was and still is a struggle to imagine letting him go so young because it's just not fair to him. He has the best attitude in the world. I have a very strong faith that will get me through, but it still hurts.
We are still waiting on the biopsy results, but in my mind it's osteosarcoma. I just can't hope for anything better and be disappointed, although I know it's possible! Pending the results don't come back miraculous, we will be amputating his front right leg in two days (April 4th), which is actually his very first birthday. It will be very bittersweet to do it on his birthday, but I know I will be giving him the gift of having a chance at life for just a bit longer. I have been advised against chemo because I don't want him to feel crummy, but nothing is 100% decided. I'm interested in other treatments, and while I have a lot of support here financially through me coworkers I don't want to take them for granted, and would like to stay really mindful of costs.
I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed with all the diets/supplements/treatments etc., in regards to the cancer and the amputation. What to expect his first night home and from this point on. What I need to get for him. Etc. I am prepared to let him go when the time comes (hopefully a long time from now) because I never want him to feel scared or suffer at all, but he's a baby and deserves for me to give him the best chance he can possibly have. My coworkers will give me all the info but none have had an amputee from cancer. But I know I'm in the right place to find some answers, and I look forward to getting to know everyone!
Welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not require moderation.
Simba is so young! Hopefully Angel Abby's mom will see this post. Abby was just a baby when diagnosed with OSA as well.
We usually like to point new members to Jerry's Required Reading list, and you may find it useful to down load the ebook Three Legs and a Spare. Both have lots of info on what to expect with amputation, recovery and treatment.
We all know how devastating and overwhelming a cancer diagnosis is. It might help you to break it down into pieces. First get a firm diagnosis. Then if needed proceed with the amputation. Then decide on treatment, supplements, diet etc. I have heard that in some cases chemo is started earlier in the process now- but that still doesn't mean you have to decide right now. Chemo is not for everyone, but from what I've seen here most dogs handle chemo with no or very few side effects. That was our case, my little pug Maggie went through 6 months of chemo for mast cell cancer after her amp and only a couple of times was she not herself.
Another thing that I have seen here is that the young pups seem to recover faster after surgery. Most of us have lots of ups and downs the first couple of weeks, but some lucky pups sail right through.
The basics you need when you get him home are good traction- very important for new tripawds. Use rugs or yoga mats on tile or wood floors. Maybe raise his food and water bowls. You can make a temporary sling out of a reusable shopping bag split down the seams- it has built in handles! Or you could use a towel, a pillow case, etc.
Others will have more ideas for you. You can look through our gear blog and nutrition blog for ideas on gear and diet and supplements.
But for now, just breath and hug your boy. Make sure you are strong for him so he knows everything will be alright. Take things one at a time, and know that this is much harder on you than it is on him!
We are here to help any way we can.
Karen
I only have a moment to post right now, but I wanted to mention that Kermit had 3 (4? Can't remember now!) chemo treatments for Lymphoma before his amputation & subsequent chemo for his osteosarc (2 treatments so far) and he has yet to have anything more than a teensy bit of diarrhea after lymphoma treatments & a little tired the day after adriamycin treatment. And by "a little tired", I mean he still went to his rehab appointment the next day, he just had fewer minutes on the water treadmill and fewer exercises; so not really all THAT tired.
So don't write off chemo based on a "quality of life" issue... Our oncologist told us right away that most dogs tolerate it very well & so far that's been our experience. I know the adriamycin can be a cumulative effect, but I'm happy with the lack of side effects so far.
Good luck & I'll follow along with your thread when I get back later!
Edit: Kermit's first adriamycin treatment was 6 days after his amputation. Oh- and he'll be 11 next week so he's no spring chicken! 
Hello!
Welcome to you and your Simba. I'm so sorry you had to find us here, but you've come to the right place!! Your baby will do amazing on three legs, it's incredible - I was told that by so many people here and just did not believe it until I saw it for myself! Way to go you for catching it early. As for the chemo, many of us are going through chemo right now and if you have any questions at all about our experiences, feel free to ask! Theres always at least some of us in the chat room , so hop on over there if you want/need any advice on that or ANY questions as you prepare for Simba's amputation.
That is terrific that you have tons of support - I do as well, but as you'll soon come to see, theres nothing like talking with people who have been/are going through the same experience as you!
Let us know what you need!
All the best,
Erica & Kitty Tripawd Jill
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Hi and Welcome to the group. I understand the diagnosis can be overwelming. Sassy is a 6 year old Rottie who was 138 pounds when 1st diagnosed with Osteo (right rear). I have heard younger does do adapt very well with the amputation. Sassy had 4 chemo with her Osteo and she felt a little tired. Its a decision that is hard to make. Many dogs do well doing chemo, many do not. If you decide to do chemo & Simba doesn't react well doesn't mean you can't stop the process at any point in time. There are also other options of Holistic treatments or Metronomics which Sassy is doing now.
Good luck with the amputation. If you feel like chatting the chat room is open 24/7 and a bunch of us usually hang out in there in the evenings.
Michelle & Sassy
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
As others have said....welcome Simba and mom to the club nobody wants to join! Dang...so young to start this journey. On the pawsitive side, the young amps do seem to adapt so very well to their new normal.
Our Libby will be 10 in a few weeks. She's a chocolate lab with a little chessy mixed in, right front amp due to OSA. We chose not to do IV chemo but are doing metronomic therapy.
One thing I've learned from reading these forums...no two cases are alike. OSA has an ugly mind of it's own and seems different for every pet. Choosing to do chemo or not is a personal choice. No one here will judge you either way. There's plenty of info and informed people to help you by reading their stories and advice.
I'm sure it feels overwhelming at the moment but working in a vets office has to be an advantage. Good luck to you and please keep us posted.
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
Simbas Mom, welcome. We're glad you found us too.
It's so hard to believe that a pup as young as Simba can get this terrible disease! I sure hope he doesn't have it, but if it's any comfort, you aren't alone; we've seen many dogs his age get diagnosed and go on to beat the odds. I'm thinking of one in particular, Bart the Vizsla. Bart went on to blow those statistics out of the water and he's still healthy and loving life four years later.
First things first. Deal with the amputation and bringing him home. Take your decisions one step at a time and know that there are no right decisions. The only ones that matter are the ones that are made with his best interests in mind.
Now, I do want to throw this out there: chemo is a personal decision and what's right for one dog isn't right for the other; however, most dogs do fine with it. The side effects are nothing like what human cancer patients experience. To make an informed decision and be comfortable with your ultimate choice, I recommend talking with an oncologist who can discuss a treatment plan and what the potential side effects, if any, would be.
Again though, take things one step at a time. We are here to help!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome Simba and Mom-Sorry you had to join us, but you will find this site really helps us all survive the situation we find ourselves in. You are so lucky to have a great support team. Simba will do great and you will soon be running to keep up with him.
You're right - there is so much out there that it's hard to choose what is the best to do. In the end it comes down to what you personally feel is right for both Simba and yourself. Whatever your choices, they are the right ones because you did it for the love of your baby.
As for chemo, Shooter had his second treatment today and so far slowing down is not in his vocabulary and he is a Senior Citizen around here. There are so many different protocols depending on the situations. Once again, what works best for you is the right choice.
Hang in there and give that pup a big hug!
Shooter and Luanne
Spirit Shooter was a Miniature Australian Shepherd who was diagnosed with a MCT and had a LF amp 1/28/13 at 13-1/2 years old.
Shooter crossed the Bridge on 8/28/13, his 7 month ampuversary and two weeks from his 14th birthday.
...Any suggestions of stuff/toys that make it a little easier for them?
The Tripawds Gear blog has recommendations for interactive toys and games to keep recovering dogs entertained.
Oh, I should also mention that my boss recommended that I deal with his close friend who is an oncologist. He hasn't seen Simba yet or any of his results, but just from an over the phone consult that oncologist said that if it was his dog he wouldn't do chemo...I hate the "if it were my dog" argument and I'm not one to just get one opinion. But that's where the hesitation started.
Also the leg will be sent of for better biopsy results, but the ones we got today said that from what they can tell it is a Kirpensteijn grade II and the intratumor necrosis is 15%. We still need an oncologist to look at it and the post amp biopsy will be able to confirm, but from what I've been told that's definitely not the worst results that could have come back. I'm at least thankful we've been able to catch it so early in him, especially given his age.
simbasmom17 said
...Any suggestions of stuff/toys that make it a little easier for them?
D'oh! We hit Edit instead of Quote. Wyatt sincerely apologizes for eating your post.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
No worries I rambled a bit anyway!
For anyone who didn't see it, I just wanted to thank everyone for their encouragement and let you know that we got the biopsy results back and it is OSA. Amputation tomorrow (on his first birthday 
). I'm a little scared but I'm going to do my best to make the adjustment as smooth as possible for all of us! I hate this disease so much, and the fact that it's attacking my baby Simba so young. But I'm thankful for any time I have with him, and I'm starting to have a peace about accepting this all.
I'll go check out the page for toys too. Thank you
I'm surprised to hear a vet say that about chemo did he say what his reasons were (the "if it were my dog" statement)? It's definitely a personal decision but again if you want to hear any of our personal stories about dealing or NOT dealing with chemo come on over to the chat room
. I think hearing others experiences helps! You'll know what's best to do for your doggy! There's tons of options.
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
Welcome to the group. You have a precious little boy there, so cute. There isn't much to add to what you've already been advised. I will second the advice of taking this in steps. Otherwise it is too overwhelming when you are already going through so many What If's in your mind. As for chemo, I didn't think I would pursue that option until after I had talked with Brendol's internist. The thing that put me over the top on the decision was that we could proceed with the chemo and if she had side effects that impacted her quality of life, we could simple stop doing the chemo. She has had two treatments so far, and the only side effect has been that she is more tired. Based on that I may or may not continue treatment after her next 3rd one. But I know I gave it a shot. There are no judgements here, we will all support whatever you decide and help you through this. I just wanted to let you know what helped me make my decision.
Adelaide is a young tripawd Husky, from an injury. Her amp was on 10/1/12. She has 4 sisters, Aissa (a senior border collie/chow), Maggie May (a puppy Great Pyrenees), Mathilde and Morrigan and 1 baby brother, Bagheera. We are all watched over by our angel Brendol, who was dx with OSA 1/30/13, amp on 2/6/13, and left us on 8/20/13.
You can read their stories at http://adelaide.tripawds.com and http://brendol.tripawds.com
Best wishes and best of luck tomorrow, little pup! You're gonna do great! You've got all that bouncy puppy energy to help pull through it.
We're doing IV chemo and metronomics , simultaneously. Jackson hasn't had any reaction to any chemo at all. But, every dog is different. You can always try it and pull out for many reasons! Metronomics may be an option for you - talk to the onco about it. As for holistic, we're doing a little bit of it. PM me, and I can tell you more. Whatever it is, Jackson is doing great and we sure hope we'll be on this path for a very long time! He's 8.5 and just passed his 3 month ampuversary.
Before you begin thinking about chemo, you've got your puppy to deal with! I think you'll be amazed at how well you pup does! Give it a few days before you begin changing anything. Make sure he's stable and adjusting well before trying a new diet or supplement. I was like you - I wanted to overhaul the whole system immediately, but upon Jackson's homecoming I could tell he just wanted "normal" as much as possible. You know you pup best. Follow your heart and talk it over with him. He'll guide you! And if not...we're here!
Post when he comes home and keep us updated! We like to celebrate first meals, first pees, first poos, etc.
Oh...AND SLEEP tomorrow!!!
~ Katy
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
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