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 - My Great Dane Brutus who will turn 7 in a couple months has been diagnosed with bone cancer. Luckily we caught it fairly early and we've taken all of the steps, regarding x-rays, blood, & biopsy, all conclusive for bone cancer.. But has not spread to the chest.. yet... He has really shown no signs of any discomfort, just a slight limp (which changes daily) and his front right ankle is swollen. One of my questions is regarding amputation, I have been against it from the beginning, only because he weighs 170 pounds (big boy) and about 2 years ago he tore his acl in his back leg which we never got surgery on since it would've been very expensive and it really didn't seem to bother him and has some what gotten better, no limp. He also is a little shaky on his legs in general, always has been. I don't want to put him through the massive surgery to come to realize he can't handle the 3 legs... Which may give him an extra year from amputation.... I am leaning towards just chemo and pain meds to keep him as comfortable as possible. I would just like imput before I make the very hard decision....
Welcome, your future forums posts will not require moderation.
While every dog is different and only you and your vet can make the best decision for Brutus, we have plenty pf success stories from giant breed dogs who have done well on three legs.
Don't miss our video about Tazzie the 225 lb. three legged English Mastiff. And be sure to checkout the blog of Nova, a blind three legged Great Dane who has been cancer free for going on four years!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
As admin said, we've seen many large dogs do well here on 3 legs.
But I understand that amputation is not for every dog. It will get rid of the pain, but if you and your vet decide he is not a candidate, you might want to check out the Yahoo group called "artemisinin_and_cancer" - it is for cancer dogs using the herb artemisinin to fight cancer. There used to be a woman and her Dane on there (they may still be on, I left the group when we lost our pup) who she treated with arte and other hollistic supplements - no amp, and the dog's xrays actually showed that it's risk of fracture reduced. The dog was going on 1 year post dx when I was there. There's names are Penny and Jane and I know she has the protocol she used listed in the files.
Radiation is also another option to look into. (You can't do artemisinin while doing radiation though).
All the best! It's so overwhelming when you first get the Dx. Hang in there.
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!
Hi Ryan,
I'm so sorry about Brutus' diagnosis. Bone cancer is such a tough situation, and it's especially worrisome for pawrents of giant breed dogs like Danes. We have had many giant breeds do fine on three legs (even with past ACl problems), but if your gut instinct is telling you that Brutus might not be able to handle being a Tripawd, you need to investigate all of your options before deciding. What does your vet say about his candidacy for being a Tripawd? Have you gotten a second opinion? If you're undecided, a second opinion can make all the difference in your confidence level when it comes to deciding.
If in the end, you decide that amputation is not for him, that's OK too, and we will be here to support you either way. While palliative care usually doesn't provide the amount of time that amputation will, always remember it's the quality of that time that you spend together, not the quantity. A good book we have reviewed that outlines one pack's journey of palliative care is The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer.
Keep us posted and remember we're here to support you.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
My dog Tazzie lost her RF leg to cancer and she did have ACL surgery on both of her rear legs prior and she did well. Even if your dog did not have surgery for his ACL he might still do okay. Is he overweight? If you decide against amputation you could look into limb-sparing surgery or consider injections of pamidronate which can decrease bone destruction as well as help control pain.
Pam
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