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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
I was so happy to find this site because until last week I thought a tripawd was for a camera and osteosarcoma was those Sally Field commercials!
My most beloved Frankie just turned 3 and was diagnosed with osteosarcoma last week. Front left paw amputation is Thursday.
I read everything I can find on this and it's so hopeless. I cry every 30 minutes asking myself how we ended up here. All I want is a few more years. Is that selfish? Too great a hope?
Frankie is bouncing around post bone biopsy with not a care in the world. No limp. No whimpering. He's the only one in the house who has no clue how pissed I am.
I guess I am looking for hope. Tips on how to help him post surgery and through chemotherapy and some guidance on how to not fall apart.
You poor thing. I'm so sorry about Frankie. Gosh, he so young and it seems we've had a rash of young ones here lately.
There is nothing wrong with wanting more time! There is nothing wrong with being totally mad either! You aren't alone now. Of course, it's not fair! But sometimes life deals a crappy hand (really crappy)!
So, dry your tears. Frankie needs you to be happy and you need for Frankie to pain free. Osteosarcoma is horrifically painful so focus on the severe pain that you are going to remove from Frankie with this amputation. Put on a happy face! You can do this! Your love for Frankie is going to get your through!
Out of curiosity, why are they only removing the paw? Most take the entire leg since a partial amputation is so much harder to heal. Without a paw, the leg isn't of use and it can cause more issue with stress on his neck and such since the leg has weight.
As you notice we have a lot of inspiring stories. Three legs isn't as dreadful as it seems. I know! I had my Comet 12 years and she was born with a deformed shoulder and non-functioning leg. It took me all of 3 days of first having her to stop evening noticing she was 3-legged! It made her unique in my mind.
Abby's mom will come and tell you about her beautiful girl who is even younger. She's still be-bopping along!
We all are going to be rooting for Frankie! Team Tripawds is now on your side! So, take some deep, deep breaths, blow them out and you'll feel better! It's going to be okay!
HUGS
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Welcome to you and Frankie. Waiting for the amputation day is the longest wait ever (aside from waiting for the phone call after surger). My Charley was 2.5 years old when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and he also had his left front leg amputated. I too had never heard of OSA in dogs and I unfortunately now know more about it than I ever wanted to!
We did amp, followed by 5 rounds of carboplatin (every 3 weeks). We feed a no grain, high protein, high fat diet (Orijen 6 Fish kibble). After chemo was finished we starting giving (and still do) immune boosting supplements and cancer fighting supplements. Don't worry about all that right now (except the food) get through the amp and decide your next step is.
Charley will celebrate his 11 Month Ampiversary this Wednesday and he is doing great! At the bottom of this post will be my signature box and within that is a link to a video of Charley playing in the snow at only 12 weeks post amp--it is amazing to watch and you can look forward to Frankie running and jumping too without the pain of OSA. There is also a link to his blog.
Bone Cancer Dogs is a yahoo group (there is a link to it on Charley's blog) that is very active and the majority of us have done amputation if you need another resource. Please email me if you have more questions.
Hang in there!!! Frankie is adorable!!!
Hugs and chocolate kisses,
Ellen & Charley
Charley's Blog: CHOCOLATE KISSES
DOB: 3-29-08, male chocolate lab
Dx: OSA L proximal humerus 10-19-10
Amputation: L front leg & scapula 10-28-10
Chemo: 5 rounds of Carboplatin
Video (12 weeks post amp):Tripaw Charley Playing
♥♥♥ Lots of supplements and love!!! ♥♥♥
Oops...I need to add the link of his video to my signature. Here's Charley's video.
Hugs and chocolate kisses,
Ellen & Charley
feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
Charley's Blog: CHOCOLATE KISSES
DOB: 3-29-08, male chocolate lab
Dx: OSA L proximal humerus 10-19-10
Amputation: L front leg & scapula 10-28-10
Chemo: 5 rounds of Carboplatin
Video (12 weeks post amp):Tripaw Charley Playing
♥♥♥ Lots of supplements and love!!! ♥♥♥
Welcome to Tripawds.
I'm sorry you have had to find yourself here with Frankie's diagnosis.
First off- there is lots of information on this site on how to care for Frankie. You can go through Jerry's Required Reading list, or even download the e-book 3 Legs and a Spare. And the members of this site are a great resource.
As far as how not to fall apart- your model is right in front of you- its Frankie! We call it being more dog. You said yourself that Frankie doesn't have a care in the world. Dogs live their lives as they come- one day at a time. If there is an obstacle they deal with it. They don't worry about the future, they don't watch a clock. Everyday they have is their best day. We can learn a lot from them.
You didn't do anything wrong, Frankie didn't do anything wrong. Cancer happens- and it sucks. After Frankie recovers from his surgery he will inspire you with how he just gets on with his life!!
And for hope... I think it is important that you read up on what you are dealing with so you can make knowledgeable choices. BUT- don't get hung up on stats and prognosis. You (and the vets) don't know how much time Frankie has. Unfortunately some pups only have a few months after amputation- some are still going years later. You just don't know. So I would plan on Frankie being one of the long lived ones- approach it that way. If something happens later then you deal with it.
Some examples:
My Tri-Pug Maggie lost her leg to mast cell cancer. Because the cancer was in her lymph system she was given 6 to 9 months WITH chemo. We did chemo and she tolerated it fine. Maggie lived 3 YEARS and 9 months after amputation and did not die from mast cell cancer.
My local friend Cemil- is a front amp 2.5 years or so past his amp or OSA. No chemo for him- he is doing great.
Queen Nova the Great Dane. Nearing 3 years post amp for OSA and still ruling over her world. She is also blind.
I'm sure others will chime in with their stories.
You will be surprised how much strength you find as you go through this cancer journey. You will hold things together because Frankie needs you to. You need to be a strong pack leader so Frankie knows everything is OK.
Ask lots of questions here, do lots of reading, look at pictures and videos. Most of us have been where you stand right now, and we got through it!
Good luck with the surgery, keep us posted.
Karen and the pugapalooza
good luck! I know it is scary; but try not to worry too much. For us, it was an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma that led to amputation. When I fist saw the lump on Spencer's shoulder I took him straight to the vet and right away the vet knew it didn't look good. He brought up the possibility of amputation before even going in for the biopsy. When the biopsy results came back we knew it was a must do surgery. For that week - from noticing the lump until his amputation - I was so worried about how it would go. How would the recovery go? Would he adapt to being on only 3 legs OK? Would it change him somehow, personality wise? I am happy to say that Spencer had a relatively easy recovery from his amputation. He was back to himself in just a few days and I think on day 4, when he stood there drinking chicken broth instead of water, tail wagging a mile per minute, he might just have been wondering why he didn't do this a long time ago if it meant he got so much attention and to eat and drink such great stuff.
I don't regret the amputation for a second. I might be regretting the chemo... I'll know more about that tomorrow. But the amputation - absolutely NO regrets!!
Jac and Angel Spencer. Spencer was 5.25 years old. He fought a grade 3 fibrosarcoma, started on his shoulder. Left front leg amputated in August 2011. 15 weeks of chemo finished 12/22/11 (mytox and adria). Lung mets found on x-rays 12/28/11. Started carboplatin 1/6/12. Went to Heaven on 2/27/12. I miss him like crazy every day. See his blog here: http://spencer.tripawds.com/
Hi again - i've been commenting away over on your blog, but will just welcome you to the site here as well. This is the site that nobody wants to join, but everyone is glad they did.
If you go back to the earliest entries on my 'detailed blog' (link in my sig) you'll see that we were the same - scared, crying, etc. The amp recovery had ups and downs, but we got through. She was running (in little bits) again with a few weeks.
Hang in there. We've been there and know what you are going through!
Jackie, 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!
Welcome to the family. As usual, everyone has given you great advice, I'll throw my three paws in. It seems the majority of us were right where you are now before surgery, and when we have gone to pick our buddies up, they are usually wagging their tail and seem to have a smile on their face, and believe me, it takes a ton of fear and worry away the second you see them, so take a deep breath and try to relax, you will find Frankie will adjust extremely well, and with being so young he might do well with his recovery. Get some sleep if you can, or once he is home and you get a chance, take it, it seems like a day or so after you get them home they crash, and aren't really themselves for a week or so, meds play a big part in that. You will find you may learn more than you would ever imagine from him about dealing with adversity, and don't try to think about how will he do something, he will do it the way it works best for him, you'll see. Once he is home and heals, you will find he will just have a new normal, don't try to compare before and after, before is gone, good luck Thursday. I too wonder why take just the paw, inquiring minds would like to know, seems he would be better off with a full leg amp, Paws Up, Spirit Gus and Dan
My buddy Gus had a left front amputation on April 7, 2010 and lived a great life until July 26,2010
In my case, I was thrilled that amputation could potentially be curative and more importantly, end Shelby's terrible pain in her right front leg. She became a Tripawd on July2 of last year and once the staples were removed, she took the world on with gusto and hasn't slowed down since.
Dogs don't have the same hang-ups that we do............Shelby couldn't care less than she has 3 legs instead of 4. She doesn't hurt, she is FAST, catches more lizards with 3 legs than she did with 4....she's a dynamo.
Lots of love and good thoughts to you and Shelby sez THREE PAWS UP!
Welcome Lucilla! We're so sorry to hear about Frankie, but try to keep that crying to a minimum, at least around him. He doesn't know he has cancer, and what he needs most right now is for your to be a strong balanced pack leader. As rehab vets told my people, if you want life to be normal again, you must act as though life is normal.
We're happy you found us, as you can see already from the replies above this is the best place for support and advice from other who have traveled the road you're embarking down. I for one survived nearly two years after my oseteosarcoma amputation, and my people chose not to put me through IV chemotherapy. They put me on K9 Immunity and started my metronomic therapy after discovering my lung mets. For more details about me and my pack, watch the episode of Nature, Why We Love Cats and Dogs which first aired on PBS in 2009.
For more inspiration check from long-term survivors check out Nova's blog and the story of four-year osteosarcoma Eisen.
Please give Frankie a good ear rub for us and keep us posted on his progress.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
For more details about me and my pack, watch the episode of Nature, Why We Love Cats and Dogs which first aired on PBS in 2009.
The show is on PBS right now!!! I just watched it again and saw Jerry!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
cometdog said:
The show is on PBS right now!!! I just watched it again and saw Jerry!
Never underestimate the power of coincidence... our Spirit Dawg has apparently been busy providing comfort for those worried about their furry friends facing amputation.
And Lucilla, no hope is too great. We only suggest that anyone facing this dreaded disease prepare for the worst and hope for the best. That, and to Be More Dog . One book that has helped many here to cope with the human emotions you're facing is Without Regret.
The title of your Tripawds blog says it all, Frankie Can Do This. We know you can too! 
Please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
1 Guest(s)
