Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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My girl has low grade hemageopericytoma on her right front foot. I have had a lumpectomy preformed twice ( last one was 2 weeks ago) I know I am facing with great certainty a front leg amputation. Has anyone else's dog had this that can give me some advice? Thanks so much
STephanie mom of Daisey
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Hi Stephanie…my eight year old Rottweiler had his left front leg removed on Feb 13 for osteosarcoma and is going very well. Some pics here: scroll back for ones of the incision post op, forward for a couple taken this last weekend.
http://pets.web......com/photo.....7343kuAUpV
Read through all the forums here, there's a ton of good first hand information. What kind of dog, and how old is your girl?
Daisey is her name. She will be 7 years old on JUne 23rd. She is a JAck Russell Mix. Thanks you for replying. I have really been putting off the amputation. The oncologist suggested me doing it last summer. I couldnt really face doing it to her since it is a tumor and not causing her any problems at all. She has no pain with it at all. It is however going to continue to return. It came back with in 8 months. It is very invasive. Not a big spreader though. or so I have read and been told. She loves to run and chase and I am really worried about that aspect of her life plus putting her through a painful surgery for something that doesnt hurt.
It is a very difficult decision. My regular vet says he doesnt know that he would take the leg for this kind of tumor but the oncologist thinks it should be done. Really that is only the only way to get rid of the cancer. Like I said it will come back.
Was the surgery and recovery very painful for your rott?
Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us here, we hope we can be of some help to you. We know this situation isn't easy.
Daisey is in a unique situation. Most of us here became tripawds becuase of a nasty, rapidly invading cancer. Daisy's case is a little different, so we can see why you're hesitating, that's totally understandable.
But here's a couple of things to consider: dogs hide their pain incredibly well, some hiding their pain until their bone shatters into pieces. Do you know for certain that she isn't in any pain from the tumors, the surgeries, and the recoveries? Think about how you would feel if you were in her paws. Humans definitely aren't as stoic.
Also, practically speaking, we know that it's definitely not about the money, but it's something to factor in; consider what you have spent on lumpectomies, and what you'd continue to spend. An amputation (especially on a smaller dog), would probably cost less than that.
Can radiation treatments take care of the tumors instead?
Daisey is a smaller dog who find life on three legs super easy to adjust to. As you can see from the many videos and stories here, most dogs do just great on three legs. It's the humans who have the hardest time.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks Jerry! The oncologist told me lst summer that to only consider this as an annoying little bump on her foot. After the initial surgery last May 2008. She was absolutely fine after the little surgery. This time 2/9/09 she has had more pain with the incision. She holds it up licks it more, had trouble jumping on the bed, etc. It is a bigger incision and its across the top of her foot. The last surgery was 250.00 then I spent 450.00 for an oncologist visit. This surgery was 350.00 and I have to go back to the oncologist just to be sure that it hasnt spread. It isnt about the money. She is petrified of going to the vet. I dont really want to keep putting her through ENDLESS lumpectomies because that is what it will be. I am reading the stories on here about pain meds and drainage tubes and frankly it FREAKS me out! I know that I am not going to do anything immediately. but it is something that I know I have to get ready for. Like I said in another post , I am woried about her not being able to run and chase. It is her absolute favorite thing to do. She weighs about 27 lbs. So I think that is in her favor. Thanks for your help.
Thanks Jerry! The oncologist told me lst summer that to only consider this as an annoying little bump on her foot. After the initial surgery last May 2008. She was absolutely fine after the little surgery. This time 2/9/09 she has had more pain with the incision. She holds it up licks it more, had trouble jumping on the bed, etc. It is a bigger incision and its across the top of her foot. The last surgery was 250.00 then I spent 450.00 for an oncologist visit. This surgery was 350.00 and I have to go back to the oncologist just to be sure that it hasnt spread. It isnt about the money. She is petrified of going to the vet. I dont really want to keep putting her through ENDLESS lumpectomies because that is what it will be. I am reading the stories on here about pain meds and drainage tubes and frankly it FREAKS me out! I know that I am not going to do anything immediately. but it is something that I know I have to get ready for. Like I said in another post , I am woried about her not being able to run and chase. It is her absolute favorite thing to do. She weighs about 27 lbs. So I think that is in her favor. Thanks for your help.
Thanks Jerry! The oncologist told me lst summer that to only consider this as an annoying little bump on her foot. After the initial surgery last May 2008. She was absolutely fine after the little surgery. This time 2/9/09 she has had more pain with the incision. She holds it up licks it more, had trouble jumping on the bed, etc. It is a bigger incision and its across the top of her foot. The last surgery was 250.00 then I spent 450.00 for an oncologist visit. This surgery was 350.00 and I have to go back to the oncologist just to be sure that it hasnt spread. It isnt about the money. She is petrified of going to the vet. I dont really want to keep putting her through ENDLESS lumpectomies because that is what it will be. I am reading the stories on here about pain meds and drainage tubes and frankly it FREAKS me out! I know that I am not going to do anything immediately. but it is something that I know I have to get ready for. Like I said in another post , I am woried about her not being able to run and chase. It is her absolute favorite thing to do. She weighs about 27 lbs. So I think that is in her favor. Thanks for your help.
rookerboys2 said:
Like I said in another post , I am woried about her not being able to run and chase. It is her absolute favorite thing to do. She weighs about 27 lbs. So I think that is in her favor.
Hi Stephanie, after you view these, I am sure your worries will be put to rest … 
- A retired greyhound racer, tripawd Calamity, shows you what a tripawd can do
- Pogi, a border collie tripawd, in Mastiff Tazzie's video
- Pogi's story, One fast border collie.
Painful? Possibly, but clearly not as much pain as there was with the cancerous leg. I took him off pain meds on day five and he appeared to dramatically improve after that. You can also go to YouTube and search for tripod dog, and add swimming/agility/flyball/fetch/frisbee and see how many hits you get! (Quite a few of them will be Jerry, the tripawds site owners' dog.)
One of my other dogs is a JRT x cattle dog, I call her my Little Spotted Dog and she's insane. 🙂 She weighs just the same as Daisey.
I suggest you look at post-surgery photos so you know what to expect. It's NOT that bad at all. Actually I thought my dog looked much more beautiful without that nasty cancerous leg...by surgery day I was so ready for the damn thing to come off. The drain tube was not a big deal at all...I did put down old towels and sheets over his bed, and wiped him down a few times a day. He kept himself cleaned up well but there were some areas he couldn't get to. I started a thread about it here because I wasn't sure what was "normal" with the draining and of course you worry when it's your own dog and you haven't been through it before!
An agility judge last weekend told me that she gave Combined High In Trial to a tripod Border Collie at a UKC trial. That means fastest times combined with highest scores for the whole weekend...which is awesome.
Carina said:
The drain tube was not a big deal at all…I did put down old towels and sheets over his bed, and wiped him down a few times a day. He kept himself cleaned up well but there were some areas he couldn't get to. I started a thread about it here
Here's that thread you started Carina. Thanks for the great advice!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thank you so much Carina! That is what I am freaked about is all I have read about the pain meds and etc. I know what you mean about taking the damn thing off. It will not be going away and I ready to be done with it. I hope that if they take it then they will only take it at the elbow. I will check out you tube at home, I cant get into at work. Thanks so much for all yor help. Have a great day.
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