Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Thank you to those of you who've lent an ear or offered your support over the last few weeks. Like many others I see posting for the first time, the last few weeks have felt like an absolute whirlwind of information and research, and an emotional roller coaster. We are four days post amputation surgery to remove the front left arm and Daisy is doing as well as can be expected. Today she started perking up and eating her regular meals. It seems to take her a lot of effort to get around, but I know she's still hurting and has to develop strength in her right leg. We learned on Friday that it wasn't synovial cell sarcoma as originally thought, but a more rare malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. It had eaten away a hole in the elbow joint and damaged the cartilage. The lymph nodes fortunately were clean. If anyone has experience with this type of tumor, (benign or malignant) I'm curious to learn more. In general, it tends to be slower moving so that's a good thing. The surgeon said it was an unusual location for that type of tumor and I should talk to an oncologist. I suspect it may have had to do with an injury she had years ago that I thought was just a sprain, but not sure we'll ever know. I keep reminding myself that this recovery phase is short term, and in time she'll be my energetic girl again. I am so grateful she's on the road to recovery, and in time will be pain free. I started a blog with numerous posts that were spinning around in my head over the last week. If interested in getting to know us better, you can read our story here: http://www.fetc.....awds.com
Awww I'm glad to hear Daisy and you are both handling this really, really well. So much of this journey is about staying strong and projecting a good attitude to your Tripawd. We are reflections of eachother; what one thinks and feels, the other one more easily absorbs. The more positivity you project, the more you both feel it and make it reality. You're doing great!
As for dogs who have lost a leg to peripheral nerve sheath tumor, it looks like we've had a few through the years, here are search results you can poke through:
"Peripheral nerve sheath tumor"
And now I think I'll go poke around your blog!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Sooooooooo glad your Daisy is home and on the road to recovery.
YES, all this recovery stuff that is no fun to go through is, indeed, SHORT TERM-------even though right ow it feels like forever!
I'm sure you've read enough here to k ow that as the hospital. eds get out of her system and she adjusts to "at home meds", she will have ups and downs for awhile. Bub boy oh by, when those UPS start kicckimg in on a consistent basis you AND Daisy will be ecstatic 
!
It's a little harder so etimes for front leg amps to get their. navigation figured out, but she will......-PROMISE!
Gonna a' go check out your other bllg--see ya' there!
Lots of heal I g energy coming your way from all of us!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
awwww Sweet Daisy.... what a face!!! I just want to kiss her between the eyes!! And she is wearing purple.. what a great colour! My Franklin wore a purple bandage as well!!
Every day recovering at home makes them. and you, stronger. It does get easier.. and the day that you notice the spark back in their eye.. well.. your heart becomes 5 times larger!! Just like the Grinch!! lol
off to read your blog!!!
sending mega good vibes your way... and just wait till you find out how easy it is to do belly rubs without that darn leg in the way!!! lol
Christine.... with Franklin in her heart ♥
Franklin, he was the Happiest Dog on Three Legs! Diagnosed 09/26/2012 with Osteosarcoma, amputated 12/4/2012. Had a wonderful 5 1/2 months painfree until he ran for the Bridge on 5/15/2013. Always in my heart, and always a guardian angel of my pack... You can follow his Tripawd Adventures, before and after, in my blog, Frank'n'Farter!
Daisy you are such a pretty girl! I've been following your blog and you sound like you are doing great already!! Keep up the good work!!
xoxo,
Erica & 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 Daisy!
Dotty had a tough time in her recovery, but in hingsight (we are two weeks post surgery today!) it was a short time that seemed to take ages to get through. I can echo what everyone said to me in the hard first few days, each dog is different and never underestimate the physical shock of surgery and the motherlode of drugs that they pump into our lovely hounds.
She will be working hard to metabolise all that stuff that was so necessary but ultimately needs to be filtered out now. We had no appetite for walking, eating or even being aware of what was happening in the household for about 5 or 6 days. Then little by little our wee menace started to return, everyday is another tiny triumph. Dotty ran to the door yesterday shouting her head off, that's the first time she's done that since surgery. Hooray!
Pats and hugs to you and Daisy.
Victoria and Dotty
Hey Daisy!
I promise you will start feeling better and the first time one of your old bad habits shows up the celebration will begin! Just keep batting those beautiful eyes and you will get whatever you want
!
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.
Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement. I was feeling a little out of sorts tonight and your notes lifted me up, so thank you! Daisy is getting more confident about hopping out to use the potty, but then she sometimes looks as though she gets too tired or is in too much pain to return inside. She lies down for a while in the yard and then when she's collected her energy hops back inside. So hard to watch her struggle. That being said, it's much more than she could or wanted to do a few days ago, so I know she's improving day by day. To Victoria's point, it's only been a week, yet feels like an eternity. She seems to have forward figured out, but turning is tricky. I miss my spirited, fun-loving girl! Looking forward to having her back in another few weeks or however long it takes. : )
Beautiful girl, Daisy so glads shes on the road to getting stronger. The days move slow during recovery for you watching, bur before you know it big changes will come.!
She will get there! Every step, every hop, is progress.
How much walking does she have to do when she goes potty? It may be that she still needs to be on controlled leash walking when she does her business in order to minimize the effort it takes.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
She is still soooooo early in recovery and everything sounds well within boundaries of the "form"
Almost always, larger older dogs take a little longer with their recovery. And it breaks your heart to watch!
"Give me patience.....and hurry up!! I want it. NOW!". Nah, not gonna happen! I applaud you for being ale to focus on the improvements. That's what it's all about! And she IS improving!
Now, don't be a little startled (aka scared out of your wits!) if she has a little downturn right about now. This often napens......then back up....and maybe a repeat a time or two.
Eating! Drinking! Pooping! Peeing! And walking, albeit a little unsteady and not with a whole lot of bounce yet.....all good signs!
Just keep posting any concerns and know that we are all here for you!! We are holding your paw and won't let go!! ISTILL cling to this site like it's my only connection to oxygen! These caring people were here every step of the way PROMISING me it would get better!! And it did!
Happily Hannah's sparkle is back even more than before!! Everyday is a gift and everyday is none filled with love, spoiling and just floating on clouds of happiness because she is with me!! Walk as much? No. She'd rather Rollin the grass, lay in the sun and sniff all the delicious scents nature has to offer! Short bursts of off the chart energy? Oh yeah! Kitty cats, Calli g out "supper" and she moves faster than me grabbing for a Hershey's Chocolate Kisses!
Hang in there! It will get better! We all promise! You are doing a great of!!
Holding onto your paw! Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Thank you all, could kiss your right now! She doesn't have to go very far to pee, maybe 12 feet or so. There is a little ramp though which may put more pressure on the lone front paw for her first few hops. I think this is preferable though to the step. Even at 4 in the morning, she wants to sit after she pees, and I have to encourage her (very quietly so as to not wake the neighbors!) to come inside. I could let her go by herself at this point, but there was an incident with a skunk once, so I'm paranoid about letting her out at night by herself. She also didn't want to eat her food at 10pm with her meds, so I was worried, but she ate it up in the morning. phew! Having said that, today I took her to the surgeon's office to have her bandages removed and ensure the incision looked good. Once she was out of the car, she went charging in as fast as she could hop. Fortunately, she doesn't seem to remember the trauma of it all, and she must only remember the cuddles and treats! I couldn't believe it! I told them that was the fastest I'd seen her move. ha! So it's good to recognize there'll be ups and downs. Today we had our first 'up' so that's good!
Yay for more ups!
I'm glad she had a good vet visit. See, these things DO happen!I hope you have more today.
I haven't hopped over to your blog since you posted...any news on the diagnosis or how you think you'll proceed?
Oh, as far as her not having to walk far to potty (can't blame you for not letting her out alone at night...a skunk encounter is the last thing anyone needs but especially a new Tripawd!)....if she is at all overweight, even a pound (1 lb of fat on a dog is like 5 on a human), that could be making it more challenging to hop any kind of distance. It's early on but as soon as she has her strength back, if she is at all overweight do talk to her vet about losing the extra weight. Also check out Dr. Khuly's interview about keeping Tripawds slim. Just a thought.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
YAY FOR "UP" MOMENTS:-) Good girl Daisy! Your momma sure sounds happy now!
Funnythi g, if you felt like not eating every now and then BEFORE the surgery. no big deal.......but after the surgery it gives usheart palpitations and our head goes crazy with scarey thoughts!! Reality is, you must weren't hungry at that moment!!
Sooooooglad you gave your momma insight into how you re slowly getting your sparkle back and figuring things out. You WILL start seeing more "up" moments now....of consistently yet, but they will be.
Okay, you really need to do something for us.....and it will make you feel better too. Stand up. Come on, stand up and go to the center of the room. Good. Now, we are all going to give you a group big for being such a strong, loving pawparents!!! (((((((((((((((HUG)))))))))))))))))))!!! OOPS! Hope that wasn't too tight!!:-)
Okay, you can sit back down now.
Lots of love and CONGRAULAIONS ON UP!!
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Hello Ms Daisy,
Sounds like you are doing great post amp. As everyone has said, the recovery process takes awhile and each dog or cat, is different. Tahoe is almost 12 weeks post amp but has little interest in going for walks anymore...possibly the arthritis??
With regard to the suspected (or confirmed now?) diagnosis of the tumour, your situation sounds very familiar to Tahoe's events leading up to and eventual diagnosis. Tahoe, too is a Golden Retriever, had no issue until a very bad sprain in the right front leg, vet suspected bad sprain and osteoarthriitis, no improvement after 4 months, which led to all in the investigative work. Ultimately, after several different tests the specialist felt the cancer was, periarticular hystiosytic sarcoma (PAHS). Have the Drs tested for this? The odd thing, our onco questioned the histochemisty results in the last 2 weeks, suggesting another lab confirm the PAHS diagnosis as Tahoe's liver enzymes were/are all wonky with chemo. Even when you think you have a 100% definitive diagnosis, we are guessing ...
I wish you all a speedy recovery and yes, things will get much better and you will have your girl back real soon.
Stirling and Tahoe
"Tahoe" - Our Amazing Superman and Best Friend.
Dec. 01-03 to Aug. 19-14
Diagnosed with Periarticular Hystiocystic Sarcoma Feb 14-13; Amputation March 18-13, and diagnosed with STS April-14. Tahoe touched so many people while visiting us, leaving a massive void in our lives. Always Missed, Never Forgotten!!
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