Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Good luck for Wednesday. Be strong and positive for Bree - she'll look to you for reassurance. She'll need your support and understanding when the surgery meds are making her feel queezy, when the surgery site might be sore or itchy, while she adjusts to her new stance and learns how to do all her normal activity (which she will do - you'll just stand there in amazement at how fantastically she will do, I assure you that). Brace yourself for the next 2 weeks, it will be tough and upsetting and tiring BUT once she's recovered from the major surgery she'll wow you with her spirit and her fight - its humbling and inspiring to see.
Focus your energy on being prepared to make Bree's recovery as easy and quick for all of you as possible;
1) Have food ready to tempt her in case the meds dampen her appetite
2) cover slippy floors so she can confidently manoeuvre around the house
3) Have a harness ready to help her with stairs and in/out the car. Though as a front amp you may need to wait till the wound has fully healed. In the mean time a sling should help to provide her support
4) Work out a meds schedule that gives her full coverage without a high dosage that may make her feel funny. We were on 3 different types of meds and found that giving them at 2/3hr intervals limited the hit on his system but also avoided a drop off 2/3hrs before the next dose.
5) Have ice packs/warmer packs ready to help treat the swelling and bruising caused by the surgery. I also found cooling aloe vera gel worked well on the skin where Zuki had been shaved but obviously kept away from the incision
6) raise her food and water bowls as she will find balancing on her remaining front leg quite hard until her stamina increases
7) I've read that front amp's benefit from wearing a t-shirt to help protect the surgery site, might help you avoid a cone of shame , although if she needs one of those to stop her fussing with stitches do it, its a lesser evil than split stitches (talking from experience!)
I think that's the things I found useful. I appreciate its a horrible time and you constantly question the decisions you make, what's right, what's wrong, what will make a difference. The problem is there just aren't the answers out there that you are looking for. Even those of us that have lived through it don't have the answers as we had to choose one route or the other - most of us who amputated (like 99%) say we have no regrets and would do the same again if we had to - I would. But then I didn't go down the radiotherapy route or try the alternative therapies, maybe if I had Zuki would have been a statistic buster - he wasn't, we only got 5.5mnths of our quoted 11mnths. But honestly he was so happy, the first week was tough and the last week was really really tough but everything in between I can confidently say he was happy and that's the most important thing to me. I know you want longevity because its awful to think of a life without them, but really from what you've written the reality is you want Quality and you will get that with the amputation. I'll be honest I would have been very curious to see your journey had you gone with the SRT as not many stories I have read have gone down this route, but at the back of my mind I was thinking 'but if it fractures down the road it'll need amputating anyway, are they wasting recovery time'. I do think amputation is the quickest route back to normal for your family.
As I said good luck, stay full of love and happiness and as a family you'll rock this.
Keep us updated on how Bree gets on
Best wishes
Karis and Zuki with wings
x
Zuki Wuggafer 30/09/06 - 11/11/16. Right hind tripawd due to Osteosarcoma. He had a strong 5 and half months as a tripawd but unfortunately a secondary issue with his spine ended our battle. He loved life, loved our family and was the best dog I could ever ask for. Truly my first love, forever in my thoughts and heart.
Read our story: http://zuki.tripawds.com/
All the best for Wednesday!!
I think Karis and Zuki said it all, really. The first two weeks will be bad and you will question your decision.
I also agree with the cone-thing. It's unpleasant but a WHOLE lot better than an infected wound. In our case (front leg), a T-Shirt was enough as long as we were actively watching but, especially at night, the cone came back on again.
I think we are somewhat alike in that I go about these things as analytical as can be while it is still really heavy on my heart. The thing with these decisions is, as people have said before, you will not know what's right until you did it. The main thing really is that there is not one option that will make everything better. Rock and a hard place and all that. The thing that was killing me was that I was trying to analyze all this to come to the conclusion of what would be the best thing for my dog and I could analyze all I wanted and didn't reach that point with total conviction. We here can only tell you how our dogs get by -from ok to fantastic- on three legs but this disease is just so nasty that nothing is predictable. Do I think my dog is happy on three? -Yes I do because (unlike me) he doesn't dwell on his situation. Do I think that he knows he is one leg short? -I honestly do. and I honestly think that he does miss a few things in certain moments but obviously not in the same way that we would. Would I do it again? -Yes I would, but then we have made it pretty far. If my dog had died say 2 months post-amp: I'm not sure. But at the same time it's not like there's tons of options and again: you won't know beforehand.
The risk with fracture under the SRT would be too big for me personally, but then again I would also probably always ask myself "If I had gone this route he/she would still have 4 legs wouldn't that have been better".
Sally always says to live in the now and be positive and she is right. It's just very hard to do. But once you see Bree running again, this time on three, I hope you'll be able to leave any doubts behind. The thing I have learned on this journey is that all you can do is stand by your decisions since you tried to make these in your dog's interest and to the best of your abilities. You seem well informed and you know what's coming at you but you are doing this for you dog and that's all we can do, really.
Wishing you the best of luck and keep us posted
tina & Manni
Guardian of Manni the Wonderdog. -Or was it the other way around?
Osteo and amputation in Dec 2015. Second, inoperable, primary osteosarcoma found in June 2017.
The end of our adventures came Dec 10, 2017. 2 years to the day.
Well sincerely expressed by Karis and Tina, and very heartfelt too! Karen always provides good references from jer experience with Stubborn Pug Maggie.
Everyone continues to give such valuable support from their first hand experiences. Quite frankly, none of this can be found anywhere else but here.
You've made the decision and now is the time to move forward. Bree will be adjusting moving forward with no looking back. She won't be counting days on a calendar and she's completely unaware and, quite frankly, unconcerned, about all the agony her humans have gone through to get to this point!!
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO FOR BREE, AND FOR YOURSELVES. NOW, IS B E. M O R E. D O G!!!! BE MORE BREE!! The only thing that matters is the now! Do NOT waste one moment looking into the rear view mirror. From this day forward, it's about making today the best day ever!!! It's about living in the moment and letting NOTHING interfere with your time together!!!!
STAY CONNECTED!! Let us know how we can help during this recovery period. Oh, and when yoy pick Bree up, don't even bother to look at her surgery site. She won't be. She'll be looking straight into your eyes and kissing your face and wagging her tail, all while being very drugged!! When you do glance at it later, be prepared for the fact they get mighty clipper happy and shave a lot of fur!! I think I found that more shocking than the incision itself!
YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR BREE!! One surgery, no vet trips, no pain, and just getting on with living life to the fullest!!!
Lots and lots of hugs to all
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
Just got a call back from the UF Dr we've been working with. She has been very open with options, which is nice on some level, but has been hard in making a final decision.
She was still open to us doing either, but did say that if we're looking for the (admittedly low) chance of a cure, amputation is our best bet. She just said we need to do something soon.
So that's some confidence in the decision, though we're not still fully at peace.
Again, anyone here who has come across stereotactic radiation who could give some perspective would be great, though unfortunately I know it's pretty rare. Hopefully our discussion will help others looking at this too at a minimum.
You guys are great and thanks for the perspective thus far.
- Chris and Katie and family (including Bree)
Well, we went in today for the amputation, and the surgeon said no-go. Her white blood count is too low (3.84) due to the chemo, and this risks infection. So this has thrown us for a loop. My biggest concern now is keeping her on the chemo schedule, and waiting a week (what he wants to do) means we throw off the chemo schedule almost 3 weeks.
I emailed the UF oncologist we've been working with and hoping to get some advice. We're awaiting a response. She did talk to the radiation oncologist to see if any dogs had ever been "cured" via SRT. He said he only knew of a couple cases where dogs died of another illness, but doesn't know of any "cured" (i.e., 3 years clear) cases, and would recommend amputation if that's the goal.
Again, yes, we know it's very unlikely, but we've been praying for Bree and for wisdom like nothing else. We want to do what gives her the best shot at beating this. And, more importantly, we want to do whatever God wants us to do... which has been hard to discern, especially as we keep getting turned around in all our treatment attempts.
What is the impact of waiting a week on chemo? I know that many times, dogs have their chemo delayed by a week when their WBC is too low due to the prior chemos. I am not a vet, but I had the impression that this did not impact on effectiveness of the chemo.
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
otisandtess said
What is the impact of waiting a week on chemo? I know that many times, dogs have their chemo delayed by a week when their WBC is too low due to the prior chemos. I am not a vet, but I had the impression that this did not impact on effectiveness of the chemo.
One week is no big deal. The normal protocol calls for carboplatin every 3-4 weeks (ideally 3). Going to 5 weeks isn't ideal but we've been told it's ok. We would be looking at closer to 6 weeks by waiting, however.
Oh drats I'm sorry about that delay. But better to be safe right? As for delaying the chemo, she's still getting it eventually so that's going to help her fight the cancer no matter what.
You are doing great and staying strong, hang in there.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Talk about a roller coaster ride, UGH!! I know you must be stressed like crazy! And throw in second guessing.....and trying to read "signs"..UGH!
How many chemos has he already had?
Really hope the Onco can give you some clarity. Update after you speak to him.
Sorry you are goi gg through all this 
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
benny55 said
Talk about a roller coaster ride, UGH!! I know you must be stressed like crazy! And throw in second guessing.....and trying to read "signs"..UGH!How many chemos has he already had?
Really hope the Onco can give you some clarity. Update after you speak to him.
Sorry you are goi gg through all this
Hugs!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
She has done one dose. We did it while waiting results to do SRT. Obviously we ended up deciding against that, so our oncologist said shoot for around day 20-21 (today is 20) for the amputation.
We're waiting to hear from the oncologist. Hopefully she has a good idea, but I have a feeling it's going to be "well, you shouldn't wait that long but you don't have a choice".
Got a reply, but maybe you guys could give some advice? Here are our options:
1. Wait a week and amputate.
- Good: Gets rid of local tumor. Bloodwork should be fine, so low risk surgery timing-wise.
- Bad: Lose a leg (standard dilemma like discussed). Delays chemo! That's our big concern - it'll end up being 36 days BEST CASE between carboplatin infusions, and possibly more like 40 days. The standard is 21 days, with 28 days being acceptable if needed for the dog.
2. Find a doc willing to amputate now.
- Good: If all goes well, it doesn't throw off chemo schedule too much.
- Bad: Risk of infection. Besides short term concerns, infection would likely delay chemo until she recovers.
3. Reconsider SRT. We already went though a lot to decide on amputation, but circumstances are different now.
- Good: Keeps leg (for now). Keeps her on chemo schedule!
- Bad: Same as before. Risk of fracture (like we discussed). Is not a guarantee to be rid of all the local tumor (though the procedure has had good success).
4. Do another round of chemo and hope her blood levels are better this time.
- Good: Stays on chemo schedule.
- Bad: This is very unlikely, and we would probably be in the same predicament in a month while leaving the tumor unaddressed. This was not an option presented by UF.
Any thoughts? We could really get some more opinions on which route makes most sense now. The oncologists are presenting options with not many opinions, since it's understandably hard to know what option is best.
If you haven't read the whole background, Bree has osteosarcoma in her left front leg, is a very active 10 year old lab with some hip problems/arthritis/pain that she usually runs through, and while considering stereotactic radiation (which could preserve her leg but carries about a 30% risk of fracture and may not fully kill off the local tumor), we started chemo at the recommendation of the oncologist. We since decided amputation was best to be rid of the local tumor and prevent the unknown of a potential break. But the effects of chemo are preventing amputation now, resulting in an altered timetable.
Again, our goal is long term survivability, since we know we can give Bree good quality no matter what. Thanks for any and all thoughts! They are all welcome!
Does anyone know the science on timing of the chemos? I remember reading something on this site that the key was to get at least 4 carbo rounds, and I recall that the WBC delays are common. I wonder if the 40 v 21 days really makes any difference if you complete all rounds?
Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016. Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016. Lung mets August 25, 2016. Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016. Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.
Wherever they are, they are together.
otisandtess said
Does anyone know the science on timing of the chemos? I remember reading something on this site that the key was to get at least 4 carbo rounds, and I recall that the WBC delays are common. I wonder if the 40 v 21 days really makes any difference if you complete all rounds?
Don't know. The oncologist email said they didn't really know either, but it would theoretically allow cancer cells to spread. I do know the chemo timetables are well established as the most effective use. UF recommends 6 doses, and especially since we did 1 prior to amp/SRT, we plan to do all 6.
Great video! Sweet girl.
We are in a similar boat. Mosby, a rear amp, has a sarcoma on his remaining hind leg, discovered after amputation. We don't know if it's osteo (his primary tumor was) or soft tissue, and won't know until we remove and biopsy it. But of course can't do it while on the chemo schedule. So the plan is 3 chemo treatments, wait 3 weeks (it was initially 2 weeks but he had some setbacks), remove the tumor, 2 weeks recovery, then resume chemo. This puts us at a minimum of 5 weeks between treatments 3 and 4, and it'll more likely be 6 weeks. And I don't like it. But it's a balancing act between wanting to get rid of the main tumor which could metastasize and staying on the chemo treatments to suppress likely existing microscopic metastasis elsewhere. You act on the best information you have at the time, so that is what we are doing, and while it's not perfect, it's a solid plan in the face of a crummy situation. Maybe getting half of Bree's treatments under her belt would be an option for her, as well, if she is comfortable and able to get around with a good quality of life until the amp (if you go in that direction). I'm sorry you're in this position, and I know how hard it is to make decisions when there is no "perfect" plan.
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