Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Please forgive me if this has been addressed. I m new here and have only reviewed a few forums. So our Sambuca had his leg amputated today due to osteosarcoma in his right front leg. He is a six year old English Mastiff. His lungs are clear as of today before the surgery. When his diagnosis was confirmed at OSU Vet Hospital they told us that amputation alone will give us four to six months but if we add chemo it can increase Sam's time to eight to 24 months. We planned on doing the chemo until today when the oncologist who did the surgery said he does not feel chemo is worth it because there are some dogs who go through chemo and are gone in three months and there are other dogs who don't do chemo and live two years. Of course there is everything in between too. But his point was he feels the dog should live a happy pain free life with no miserable side effects and the length of time can't be guaranteed with or without chemo.
I would like to get some opinions on this from people's experience and if people here who didn't elect to do chemo still had somewhat of a longer time with their dogs. Or did people who chose chemo regret it because the quality of the life left was diminished. Studies that I have tried to find aren't really conclusive.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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Bless your heart Amy. This is such a miserable position to be in. From my research most chemo treatment starts two weeks approx. From surgery so you have time to research,. My Bullmastiff had her amputation two weeks ago and I'm still undecided myself! This site has tons of info. So familiarize yourselfwith it and you'll find varying success stories and some that weren't as successful. Most all agree the amputation was the way to go regardless of the follow up.
There's a must read offered n this site through Amazon. The Dog Cancer Survival book but Dr. Dresser and Dr. Ettinger. Tis is absolutely the most informative book you can read on median survival times with various treatments and without. I strongly urge you to thoroughly investigate and arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible so you can make am informed decision. Be open minded, get the facts and read as much as you can on this. I know haven't given you much insight one way or another other than to arm yourself with info. from this site and that book.
The very best of luck to you and Sambuca in your recovery and successful decisions. We're all here for you and know group of people knows better than those on this site what you are going through.
Sally and Happy Hannah
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!
Hi Amy & Sally. My dog Max had his left front let amputated due to osteosarcoma in November, 2008. We chose to do chemo. Max had 6 rounds of carboplatin. The first 4 treatments were a breeze for him. He was a little tired and not too interested in food about 24 hours after the treatment; this lasted for about 24 hours, then he'd be back to normal. Treatments 5 & 6 were a little different. Chemo is cumulative, so after 5 & 6, he suffered some diarrhea and was tired a bit longer. Other than that, he really had no side effects from the chemo.
Having said that, everyone here has a different story, because every dog is different. This is just my experience with chemo. Max was cancer free for just under a year. We discovered lung mets in October 2009; Max passed from complications from those lung mets in January 2010. You will see other dogs here on the forums who lived much shorter than Max's 14 months, and others who lived much longer than 14 months. Some of those dogs did chemo, some didn't.
What you need to remember about chemo is that if you do choose to start chemo, you don't have to continue with it. You can stop the treatments at any time. That was one of our major deciding factors when we decided to go forward with chemo for Max. We thought if it affected him very badly, we would stop and it would work its way out of his system in a few weeks.
As for your oncologist saying that some dogs make it a long time and others don't, I'm not sure that was a fair statement to make to a patient. If there was a guaranteed cure for osteosarcoma, there would be no question as to whether or not chemo would or would not be necessary. Since a cure is still being searched for, chemo is just one of the options available to stave off metastasis.
Chemo is a very personal choice, and whatever choice you make, it will be the right one for your pup. You know your dog best, and you know what works best for them. I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences with/without chemo.
I can't address survival time because Kermit is just over a week post-amputation... I'm hoping it's a looonnng time! 
But when he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma he was already undergoing chemo for lymphoma and he's had one chemo treatment for the osteo so far and he has yet to have any side effects save for a little diarrhea for a day after a couple of the treatments.
As noted above, it's cumulative, so I don't know what will happen in the future... But for us it's been a so far, so good experience & we're keeping our paws crossed.
Best of luck with your journey to fight this miserable disease- this forum has been a godsend for us with lots of helpful & knowledgeable people.
Trouble had 5 rounds of carboplatin. I was the resistant one. Our vet and my husband both wanted to do the chemo, I was afraid of the side effects. And Maximutt is absolutely correct, you do not have to continue once you start the treatment.
Trouble and Max had their surgery and treatment during the same timeframe. Trouble lived 27 1/2 months and died cancer free. She lost her battle to age and arthritis. Chemo is not a guarantee, it is gamble. It is expensive, and some folks just can't work it into their budget.
Cancer treatment for a pet is such a personal decision. In the end, there is no right or wrong. Each person makes an individual decision based on what is right for their circumstance and what they feel in their heart.
Given the same circumstance, I would choose to do the chemo. Trouble had minimal side effects and was back to being herself within 12 - 24 hours. In her case, I think it helped, though I have no proof her longevity can be attributed to chemo.
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.
Amy,
I can speak on behalf of Sassy & myself. I chose to do chemo. She got through 4 treatments no problem our 5th chemo was scheduled for March 6th. On Feb 28th Sassy coughed a few times. I freaked out as that is one of the signs that the cancer had spread. Friday the 1st she coughed again. So I scheduled xrays for that day. (She was scheduled for them anyway on the 6th so a few days early wasn't going to hurt). I have to say the cancer has spread to her lungs. We are going to start the metronomics protocal that is talked about on here.
Would I do chemo again yes I would. Each dog's journey is different. Sassy is a fighter and we will continue to fight until she says she can't do it anymore but right now she is still fighting. The chemo could have bought me more time than if I didn't do it. Like was stated before there is no cure and nothing is 100% gurantee but I was willing to try to extend her life and I still am. Hopefully these lung mets (and I am praying, so are a lot of others) will shrink and she will have quite a few more months or years
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
Some good info on this vet's website:
http://www.bath.....rticleID=3
I don't know them; just came across their site while googling my dog's treatment protocol, but I thought it provided some valuable info.
I agree that the stats are tough and the real stories are perhaps tougher: some live long lives without chemo (IV or metronomics ) and some don't make it through their chemo protocol. We decided to go through chemo b/c we didn't want to look back and wonder if we did enough. We also realized that if Jackson didn't make it, we'd probably have a lot of emotions (obviously!), but a new emotion would be anger over the time and expense of chemo. Yes, that's a little callous to say, but it's something I think we all feel here. So, yes, IV chemo it is for our dear Jackson! Like Sassy, we want to give him every fighting chance possible. So far, he has handled his 3 IV chemos (carboplatin) marvelously. In fact, we're not convinced he's getting anything! So there you have it - Jackson has had NO side effects and no cumulative effects. I suspect some of his other meds and supplements are playing a part, which I can talk to you more about in a PM or another post somewhere. On top of IV chemo, we began metronomic therapy on Monday (3/4). It feels great to give him something else on a daily basis for killing cancer! Since you're new here, know that when it comes to chemo, there are 2 major options: IV chemo (for which there are multiple types of drugs, but carboplatin is the preferred) and oral chemo (also called metronomic therapy or protocol). Search for these and learn more on this site. Then talk to your onco. We've got a few people here that are skipping IV chemo and going right for metronomics .
Right now, we would do chemo again: Jackson handles it like its nothing and his quality of life is better than it was pre-amp.
Any decision you make, we will support, as we've all been there and given all options loads of thought. Best of luck...errr....thought?
~ Katy
ACL tear in right hind leg 12/5/12 and scheduled ACL repair surgery 12/21/12. Pre-op xrays revealed osteosarcoma. Amputation 12/28/12. Chemo (carboplatin) started Jan 10, 2013 and ended on April 5, for a total of 5 doses. He handled carbo like a champ! No side effects. We started metronomic therapy at his third chemo and have been also doing some holistic treatments. He's a lively, playful 10 year old huskie-boarder collie and a very proud member of the Winter Warriors! Our love. Our funny little guy!
I can't add much more than the well informed posters have already. I can tell you our experience with Libby. She is a right front leg amp due to OSA. We chose not to do IV chemo and started the metronomics about 2 weeks after her amp. We also changed her diet (grain free kibble + home cooking + supplements) which makes us feel like we are doing something on the home front to fight this crappy diagnosis.
I will just echo a couple of points the others have mentioned. This cancer is different for each dog/cat. Nobody here will judge you no matter your decision. Read all you can and be well informed.
It's unfortunate you have to join this club we all belong to, but there is a wealth of information here along with wonderful people you can turn to for venting, comfort and support.
Amy
Liberty (Libby) was diagnosed with OSA on 1-22-13. Right front amputation on 1-31-13. No IV Chemo. Metronomic Therapy started 2-19-13 along with supplements and some home cooking. Lungs clear until 1-06-14. She's still her happy, hoppy, bossy self. Living the dog life to the fullest and a proud Winter Warrior. :) RIP my Libby 4-21-03 to 3-19-14
I'm sorry, but I just think that was a very unfair comment your vet made. Is the assumption that those oncologists that do advocate chemo don't care about the quality of life for the dog? The #1 concern of mine throughout this whole ordeal with cancer has been to make sure that Suki (my dog) has a very high quality of life. There were maybe one or two days where the chemo drugs hit her harder than I wished (she was basically very tired and didn't eat much), but other than that, she sailed through chemo with almost zero side effects.
No one wants to see his/her pet suffer. No one. We're all doing this because we want to help in whatever way we can. For some, expense, outside circumstances, health of the dog, etc will make the option of chemo out of consideration. But in my opinion, the decision to proceed or not should be based on a valid assessment of the actual situation, not on some vets bias.
I agree! Before we started I asked 2 vets about side effects because I was extremely concerned about Kermit's quality of life... both told me that dogs for the most part tolerate chemo very well and people shouldn't make the assumption that because humans suffer from a lot of side effects that it means your dog will. The levels of drugs administered to pets are far lower than in humans.
But as stated above, there are many considerations that come into play when you make the decision.
I lost a cat to osteosarcoma several years ago when no one had even told me there WERE other options besides amputating the affected toe. Just be informed and you'll make the decision that's right for you.
Dharma you had a cat who had OSA that started in the toe!? That's where Jill's started and they told me this was UNHEARD of!! Wow! Did you amputate the leg?
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
No, we amputated the toe and my poor baby kitty was in agony for days before we finally had to euthanize him. He was 15 & blind so I'm not sure we would have done any other treatments but it sure would have been nice to have had a lot more information to go on before subjecting him to that. It was brutal. 
om gosh im so sorry! jill had her toe amputated first and we got "clean margins" so we were told shed be ok, but then a mass was found 6 months later behind her leg. This is crazy really because my oncologist could not find any info on osa in the digit of a cat! did it appear as an infection? that's how jill's appeared, as an ugly, ulcerous sore on her toe. Sorry for asking so many questions i'm just stunned!!
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
To answer the chemo question (sorry I've veared off topic here........)
It's a very personal decision as many have said. It's hard to go by "the stats". So many dogs have proven the stats wrong (and right), so I think you just really have to go with your gut. Something my onco said to me when we were making the decision that really stuck with me was, you have to ask yourself if you'll be able to sleep at night with the decision you made (either way).
It's so true that you can stop the chemo AT ANY TIME. If your dog is not reacting well to it, STOP! I can tell you from our experience, and take it for what it's worth because I'm dealin' with a kitty here, Jill has done marvelously like Jackson, on the chemo. She had one time when her White Blood Cell count dropped drastically, but showed no signs of it, we only knew from the blood tests. We put her on penicillin and back up they went!
So again, it's really a decision you have to make for yourself, your family and your pup. I hope this was somewhat helpful...........
All the best,
Erica & Kitty Jill
Jill is a 9-year-old tuxedo kitty. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in June 2012 on her toe in her right hind leg. Her leg was amputated on 12/12/12 and she completed four rounds of chemo (2 of Carbo, 2 of Doxy) in April 2013. "Like" Jill's facebook page: https://www.fac.....tty?ref=hl Proud member of the WINTER WARRIORS!!!! Her blog can be read at http://jillsjou.....ipawds.com. xoxo
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