Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello all,
I have a 7 year old french bulldog named Pierre. This past thursday, he was wrestling with his brother (another Frenchie) and broke his femur. I took him to the VCA hospital on Friday morning and they said he would need surgery and a plate put in his rear leg to piece the bone back together. I agreed to surgery, and he was scheduled to have this done around 9 PM Friday night. Around 10 PM that same night, I received a troubling call from his doctor stating that he thinks the reason Pierre’s leg broke so easily was because he had bone cancer. I immediately wanted to doubt the diagnosis, but the doctor assured me he’s been an orthopedic surgeon for 30 years and 90% of the time he’s seen this break its due to cancer. We waited until the next morning when the radiologist confirmed the break was pathological. I was feeling hopeless with options at this point and was preparing myself for the worst. Later that day, the other doctor suggested we do a chest x-ray to see if there were obvious signs of the cancer traveling to his lungs because apparently that is what happens most often. If the cancer wasn’t in his lungs, we would opt to amputate his leg. Needless to say, he didn’t see any obvious signs, so his leg was amputated on Saturday night and this is where we’re at now. I was able to take Pierre home last night and he is doing just fine. My boyfriend slept on the floor with him last night, but he is eating, drinking, and running around like normal. When I found out about the bone cancer, I began googling and found this site. It really gave me hope when I read the stories of others so I hope to do the same for someone else. We are waiting to hear back from the place they send his cancerous bone to be tested to figure out what kind of cancer it is. If anyone has any suggestions on where to go as far as treatment from here forward I’d truly appreciate it because this has come as a shock to us and we are very new to the subject. Thank you!
Welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not require moderation.
I'm sorry to hear about Pierre's situation. I had a rear amp pug for almost 4 years, Maggie lost her leg to a mast cell tumor when she was 7.5 years old.
It's good to hear Pierre is doing so well, be sure he doesn't over do it. Most of us experienced a bumpy two weeks or so after surgery so don't be surprised or get discouraged if he has some down time.
There is lots of good information in Jerry's Required Reading list, or in the down-load able e-book Three Legs and a Spare.
It is true that osteosarcoma mets frequently to the lungs, so a clear chest x- ray is a good start. But it sounds like the diagnosis isn't final yet? A consult with an oncologist is in order no matter what type of cancer you are dealing with. Dr. Dressler's Dog Cancer Kit is also a good resource.
I know how devastating the diagnosis can be, but there is always hope. And take your cues from Pierre- he doesn't know he is sick, and he wouldn't care anyway. He just knows he is with his pack and therefore all is right with his world!
Keep us posted on his progress, and final diagnosis. We are here to help any way we can.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Osteosarcoma is the 'dreaded' bone cancer. Traditional treatment is chemo, but there are those who choose no treatment or multiple supplements, or even a combination of treatments. The statistics are pretty grim. They average about 12-14 months with chemo. You will find many stories of pups on this site that fall right in the statistical range. You will also find those that are long term survivors. There is always hope. Statistics are only numbers, they aren't to live by.
Trouble was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, had five rounds of chemo, started living with a modified diet plan and supplements and lived 27 1/2 months before arthritis and age took her from us. At the same time, a fellow warrior, Nova had osteo and an amputation. Nova will be celebrating her 4 year ampuversary next month.
Take the time you are given and make the very most of it. Living with a cancer fighting tripawd changes your life in so many beautiful ways. You will learn more than you ever dreamed possible about cancer, about people, about life, and about enjoying what you have.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Wow, a Frenchie with bone cancer? I'm so sorry! I tell ya, it's supposed to be a "big dog" disease but unfortunately it just doesn't always play by the rules.
Well, take comfort in knowing that Pierre's size will be a big advantage when it comes to recovery and healing. Smaller dogs generally have an easier go of things. The way to ensure this happens is to get back to normalcy as soon as you can. Try your best not to baby him, and let him know that you believe he is a strong, healthy dog. I highly recommend scrolling through our CARE Rehab interviews and videos to learn more about how to have an easier recovery from rehab vet experts.
It sounds like you're working with a specialty clinic? That's great. Because a good next step is to have a consult with a board-certified oncologist. Even if you opt out of chemo (it's not mandatory, many people chose not to and that's OK), at least it will provide you with all of the information you'll need to make a decision for the best treatment plan for Pierre. Keep in mind there are no "right" or "wrong" answers when it comes to cancer. The only ones that count are the ones that are made with love and your entire pack's best interests in mind.
Keep us posted on how things are going. And like Karen and Shanna said, you'll find lots of inspawration here. Tripawds make those pesky statistics look so dumb!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Sorry you had to find us here. Like Jerry, I'm surprised to see a Frenchie with OSA. That is totally not fair! Supposed to be "big" dogs.
I know it can all seem a bit overwhelming right now, but there can still be lots of good times ahead for you and your pup!
We did chemo, and once the chemo was done we also did at-home chemo pills (called "Metronomic Protocol") plus a lot of holistic herbs and what not. Not sure I would do chemo again. Abby did great with it, but it delayed our starting the holistic treatments (some herbs can't be given during IV chemo) so who knows what would have happened if we'd gone totally holistic. Probably/possibly/maybe the same outcome - who knows.
Anyway, you don't have to make all these decisions right now. Even if you start chemo and decide you don't like doing it, you can always stop! There are no right answers! Just what's right for you and your pup.
Let us know if you have specific questions,
Jackie, Angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Thank you all so much for your comments, it's nice to know other people have gone through this. Pierre has been doing great so far, back to his normal self. He actually jumped up on the couch and the lawn chair today...I was completely shocked. My boyfriend has been spending a lot more time with him during the day because his schedule is more flexible than mine (I am a 3rd year pharmacy student so I'm booked mon-fri). We have been babying him a little, more-so he than I, I think because we're just so happy to have him. I have 3 frenchies, so separating Pierre from his brother and sister has been hard...they are very jealous. I have been sleeping with the other two upstairs while my boyfriend sleeps with Pierre on the couch downstairs.
When I came home from work today I noticed some fluid accumulation on his right side near his incision but not directly underneath it. I'm afraid of anything at this point, so I took him down to the VCA where they performed his surgery. He assured me it was fine, but if it gets a lot worse to bring him back and they will drain it. The Dr. also let me know his bone biopsy came back and it was OSA, exactly what we'd thought. He discussed treatment plans with chemo, and although he is not a specialist they do provide treatment there. I've got so many mixed emotions for starting chemo...I've heard positive and negative. This Dr. told me today the last dog they did chemo on developed lung mets when he came in for his 4th chemo appointment. He also said if we don't do chemo, we can just hope it doesn't travel and check monthly with chest x-rays. What did you guys do specifically to change your babies diet, anything in particular? I'm so afraid of the outcome...just trying to think positively. He sure doesn't seem to be effecting at all, so that makes me happy but I'm also afraid of the 2 weeks post amputation pains I've heard about.
Thank you for all advice!
Pierre's Mom
Hey Pierre's Mom,
Yep, that sure sounds like a seroma . They're usually harmless, it's just extra body fluid that had nowhere to go once the leg was removed. Most times they will reabsorb but if they need to be drained it's not a big deal, the vet can do it in about 5 minutes with Pierre still standing up!
That's just so weird that he has osteo. Stupid cancer can be so sneaky. I'm sorry.
Well, you'll find lots of pro and con arguments about chemo. Just scroll through these Forums search results for some interesting discussions.
Chemo is a personal choice and there is never a right or wrong answer because every pack is different and cancer doesn't always play by the rules. I didn't do chemo, and we didn't do follow up x-rays either because we really didn't want to know. Long story there, but well, I ended up having two great years after my diagnosis! Many dogs do beat the odds with and without chemo; and that's something else to keep in mind; there are no guarantees with or without it. Statistics are more on your side if you do chemo, but like your vet said, cancer can play nasty and come back despite the treatments. No matter what you decide, nobody here will condemn you for your choice; all decisions are respected because we all know that everybody's situation is different.
IMHO, in my case, paying a board-certified oncologist to at least have a consult with is well worth the extra expense if only to cover all bases when it comes to the newest treatment breakthroughs and such. If you want to work with your own vet on the actual treatments, maybe they can work together on that?
As for diet and such, have you seen our Nutrition Blog? Lots of good ideas there.
Good to hear that Pierre is doing well!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Pierre sounds like he is doing very well.
Don't fret about the 2 week healing time we talk about- it really is a 'heads up'. Hopefully Pierre is one of the lucky pups who sails right through, it does happen. I like to warn people because I got very discouraged when Maggie seemed to struggle- all my vet said was most dogs do fine on three legs, so when she didn't seem herself I started doubting my decision.
The chemo decision for me has been situation dependent. I had the impression that once we amputated Mag's leg we would be pretty much in the clear- her pre-op tests saw no mets anywhere (mast cell cancer). After surgery the lymph node removed with her leg was found to be full of cancer. I did chemo in that situation in the hopes we would get 6 to 9 months. As it turned out she sort of beat the mast cell cancer. Mag's little sis quad-pug Tani also has mast cell cancer- she has lots of tumors. In her case I have decided on a holistic approach and have not done any chemo.
There really isn't a black and white answer. The stats say that with chemo life span is longer, but I have seen first hand in two, three and four leggers that the stats aren't always right. You decide what works for Pierre and the whole pack. My only advice is to be comfortable with your decision- maybe make a list of the reasons for your choice. Late in life Maggie developed oral melanoma. After considering all her health issues, and consulting with all of our vets I decided not to do any type of treatment. Mag passed 3 months later. It is human nature to doubt ourselves when things go wrong- but when I question myself I am able to walk through my decision making process and know I did the right thing.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Thank you guys again...a week from today his stitches can come out & I'm hoping life becomes a little more normal for us then. Pierre continues to do great, he is perfectly happy. My boyfriend and I have done a lot of research and I think for now we are going to hold off on chemo. I just can't imagine seeing Pierre sick when he is so himself and content right now. We've read many blogs etc, and just purchased a book titled "The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog's Life Quality and Longevity." The author is Dr. Demian Dressler, he is the DVM for the dog cancer site. We also ordered Apocaps CX Apoptogen Formula for Dogs. I've decided if I'm gonna do this diet for Pierre, I will also follow with the other 2 Frenchies. Have you guys heard of any of this? We have not decided if we're gonna do periodic x-rays to tract the progress of the cancer...I don't know if I want to know...
pierresmom said
We've read many blogs etc, and just purchased a book titled "The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog's Life Quality and Longevity." The author is Dr. Demian Dressler, he is the DVM for the dog cancer site. We also ordered Apocaps CX Apoptogen Formula for Dogs. I've decided if I'm gonna do this diet for Pierre, I will also follow with the other 2 Frenchies. Have you guys heard of any of this? We have not decided if we're gonna do periodic x-rays to tract the progress of the cancer...I don't know if I want to know...
Oh yes, absolutely, we're big fans of Dr. Dressler. We've read the book cover to cover and also tune into this monthly webinars too. We've never taken Apocaps
but we know others who have, and there's lots of info about it in our Nutrition and Amazon blogs too (and hint hint 
every purchase made through those links helps to keep our community going, so thanks for shopping with us!)
X-rays are such a personal choice. We chose not to do them but about 17 months in we decided to, and learned he had mets. That was heartbreaking. But in the end, we were comfortable with our decision. Every one is different, there are no right or wrong ways to deal with this disease.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Pierresmom. We did a variation of Dr. Dressler's diet for Zeus. I don't know if I bought into every single thing in his book, but the 'carbs feeding cancer' theory made sense to us. I truly believe that the diet was a big reason that Zeus did so much better than expected. Good luck with the rest of recovery!
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
Hi - yes, I really liked the Dr. Dressler book too. I didn't do the diet or the apocaps , but the book was helpful in making treatment/supplement decisions. I did switch Abby to a grain-free food and mixed in some home cooked chicken and veggies, just to feel like I was "doing something" but to still make sure she was getting all the nutrients she needed.
We did chemo, but I'm not sure I'd do it again. Abby had minimal side effects, so it wasn't that - it's just that I've seen from dogs here that do/don't do chemo what a c**p shoot it seems to be. I know the "stats" say that chemo helps a pup last longer, but I think it comes down to a very personal decision.
Keep us posted on how your sweet pup is doing!
Jackie
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Hello all,
Pierre continues to do great, and I have started all 3 of my Frenchies on the cancer diet. It's becoming very difficult to keep the dogs separated because the other two are getting very jealous of Pierre being in the house all the time. They have been together since birth, but the two boys (brothers) have been known to fight. In fact, that is what broke Pierre's leg to begin with. My boyfriend has been sleeping on the couch with Pierre and I have been sleeping upstairs with the other two still. Pierre is due to get his stitches out by Friday, he is 8 days post amputation now. We have slowly tried to adjust the dogs to being around each-other as a pack again by taking them on a short walk around the block. All was fine, although I've noticed Pierre gets defensive once were back home. They normally fight over jealousy and food. Tonight I let them all come upstairs to just hang out for a few minutes (where they all normally sleep), and Pierre and Peugeot (his brother) started fighting. We broke it up very quickly and nothing was harmed but now I'm so worried and troubled. I don't know if putting them outside alone will help, or if thats too dangerous. I'm gonna wait until all stitches are out to even try again, but I'm afraid they won't ever get back to normal. I can't have them fighting, especially with Pierre only having one leg now, and I don't want to neglect the other two. Any suggestions with tripods and other dogs?
Oh you'll be so glad to get those stitches out! I'm glad nothing happened when the boys got into a scuffle.
We've always been a 1-dog pack here so we dont' have any insight into dealing with multiple dogs, but I'm going to put a call-out to see if others can help. Also, you might want to search the forum for "siblings" to see what you can come up with, I know that others have been in similar situations.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Good to hear Pierre is doing well.
We were a two pug house when Maggie had her amp, Maggie was Tani's older sis from a different litter. Mag was an only pug for almost two years, then I brought Tani home. After a rough start the pug girls became inseparable. They played together, slept together, etc. Tani did periodically challenge Maggie as the alpha pug, but Mag held her place.
When Mag had her surgery the girls were apart for about 6 days. When I re-introduced them Tani immediately attacked Maggie, I think because she sensed the weakness and was going for the alpha position. Well, with sutures still in and doped up on pain meds Mag still put Tani on her butt!! Over the next few years there were occasional scuffles, but they seemed to get less physical, and Mag always prevailed. I do understand the jealousy thing, or whatever dogs perceive as jealousy. If I picked one pug up and held her, and the other one was watching, there was always a fight when I put the one pug down.
I think you are wise to let the surgery heal up before you let them go at it, but at the same time I think getting back to normal pack behavior as soon as possible will help. I've never had more than two dogs at once so I'm not sure how a three member pack dynamic works. Once Mag was healed up I wasn't really worried about Tani hurting her, and obviously Maggie held her pack position. When Pierre is all healed up I think you have to let the pack re-establish itself. Did the boys hurt each other when the fought before? Did you break up the fights or let them work it out then? Is it all three dogs or just the two boys?
Sorry for all the questions- just some things my dog trainer asked me to think about when I was discussing my current pack of 2 pugs and their interactions with other dogs.
Karen and the pugapalooza
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