Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello, my Sammy has her leg amputated and we are doing chemo on Thurs.
Today I noticed a lump in her belly by where her leg is amputated and she has diahrea. She is on pain meds for phantom limb and tramadol for pain. She doesn't want to eat dog food but will eat hamburger. I am so scared the cancerspread. Will they still do chemo, her leg was amputated 3 weeks ago and at that time, she had no signs of mets in the lungs. Thanks for any advice.
Jessie (and Sammy)
Hi Jessie,
Be sure you log in before you post- that way you don't have to wait for moderation.
I think you need to talk to your vet with your concerns, and have her checked out. If she has diarrhea I don't think they would start chemo.
What kind of cancer was your Sammy diagnosed with? While there are some very aggressive cancers out there it seems pretty fast for mets to be causing her issues.
Sorry I don't have anything else to add that might help. I know it is hard not to automatically assume that every thing that seems wrong is caused by the cancer. But try not to go there until you know for sure what is causing the problems.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Hello, thank you. She has Osteosarcoma. I am having xrays tomorrw of the bladder lung and
Stomac. I am so worried, this lump is about the size of a golf bal, in her stomach right next wheere
Her leg is amputated. She finally at a few kibbles tonight so that's good.
Thanks again and I will keep in touch.
Jessie and Sammy
Sorry for the mispelled words, my computer is getting fixed and am using a phone:)
A "lump" in her belly"? Like a subcutaneous fatty tissue type of lump, or a large swelling type of mass? We doubt the cancer would manifest in such a way so quickly, unless it was already there. But we are by no means veterinarians. Did she have an abdominal ultrasound, or just her chest x-rays? An ultrasound can sometimes reveal much more than x-rays.
Try not to worry yourself too much. We all tend to jump to the worst possible conclusion with cancer dogs. Good luck and please keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello,
I would agree with Jerry on this. Around 3 weeks after Jack's amputation he developed a swelling spot as well. He also stopped eating as much and did not seem very comfortable. It turned out to be massive swelling (much like humans get after surgery). His surgeon inserted a pump that removed the built up fluid in which I had to empty twice a day. After the swelling went down he was much more comfortable and he started wolfing his food down again. Keep us posted! I would be shocked if it was an actual tumor.
Erin and Jack
Thanks everyone......good new, Sammy's mass was a fatty tumor, so we have
Chemo in the morning. They really scared me about the 48 hours after chemo.
I have a 3 year old son and 2 other dogs, any advice. I could bring my 2 boys to doggy
Daycare.......any ideas?
Thanks again, I am sooooooo happy I found this site where others know how tough it is.
Jessie and Sammy
Hi Jessie,
That's terrific news! Are you going to leave the tumor where it is?
Good luck with the chemo tomorrow. You might want to ask for an anti-nausea/anti-diarrhea prescription just in case, since it sounds like Sammy has a sensitive belly.
You probably wont' need to send the kids to doggy daycare, most dogs do just fine. Side effects tend to show up the day after or not till 5-7 days later, depending on the chemo drug used. Be sure to ask your vet about what kind of side effects you should be on the lookout for, and keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello, they told me to leave the fatty tumor as it has probably always been there. Her chemo went perfect, so far no sideeffects. She is on anti-nausea meds and they told me with her chemo (Carboplatin), usually the side effects are for the first couple of days. It has been 4 days since chemo today.
I am having a hard time finding food for her, she turned really picky after the amputation, I suppose because of the pain. I need her to lose about 10 lbs (she was a little overweight before) so I dont want to keep putting hamburger in her food. Any advice??
Thanks again.
Jessie and Sammy
Hi Jessie and Sammy
Try to remember to log in before posting. Then your posts do not need to wait to be moderated.
Glad the chemo went well with no obvious side effects. Dogs usually tolerate carboplatin well.
My tazzie mainly lost his appetite after chemo (on a different drug than carboplatin). The only food I could coax him to eat was straight-up meat - chicken, game meat a local hunter had in his freezer. If Sammy is a bit overweight, I'd try not to worry too much. But make sure she gets lots of liquid. If drinking becomes an issue, you can add things like the juice from cooking meat to the water, or sometimes they are more likely to eat ice cubes, especially 'stew water ice cubes' than straight water. Just be careful about giving sources of water that contain a lot of salt (e.g, cooking stock).
For some dogs who really do not want to eat, people sometimes find the dog will take things from their hand more than from the dog dish, especially if you act interested in eating it first. But usually the more serious appetite issues are related to certain types of chemo, not amputation.
You will find lots of discussion on ways to entice our mutts to eat if you want to dig into the archives.
This is going to be one of those 'for what is worth' posts. When Trouble was going through chemo, our vet specifically asked that we wait until after the chemo was completed to make any changes to her diet. He did not want to be second guessing if she developed complications, whether it was a chemo side effect or the food change. Of course, Trouble had a long history of being allergic to everything.
The other comment I have is that Trouble lost 14 pounds after surgery and through her chemo period (Nov 2008 – Mar 2009). No diet change, nothing on our part different. Unless told otherwise by the vet, I would just keep doing whatever you've been doing. After the chemo is done, make adjustments as needed to lower the weight if it is still necessary.
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.
sammy177 said:
I am having a hard time finding food for her, she turned really picky after the amputation.... Any advice??
Honest kitchen makes some great dehydrated grain free and raw premium dog foods...
Get Dogs Eating With Honest Kitchen Foods
April 21st, 2010
Stimulate your dog’s appetite with nutritious, human grade dehydrated foods from the Honest Kitchen.
In fact, you can try Honest Kitchen for Free with their recent offer to Tripawds readers...
Free Honest Kitchen Dog Food Samples for Readers
March 22nd, 2011
Tripawds Spokesdog Wyatt Ray
shows no upset stomach after trying a
free sample of Embark, a human-grade dehydrated dog food made by Honest
Kitchen.
You will also find many other recommended grain free dog foods in the Nutrition blog . Hope this helps!
BTW: We were surprised that Jerry's surgeon left a fatty tumor on his chest just inches away from the leg he removed. We were surprised, but it never grew or caused any concern.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Thanks for the advice, I found a food she likes called Origen, of course the red meat formula which is pretty expensive. It seems like a really good grain free food and she seems to like it when I put the fish oil on top.
She recently started licking her leg where the incision is from the chemo, it started a couple of days ago and now looks pretty
red, should I call my vet about this?
Thanks again, I thought I logged on last time before I posted, so hopefully I did it right this time 🙂
Jessie and Sammy
Hummm- I had to moderate your post again- does it say 'Logged in as sammy177' at the top of the forum before you post? Every time to open Tripawds it should ask you for your user name and password- that should log you in and allow your posts to show.
When ever you are concerned about something you should call the vet- you pay them to be there for you.
Licking can be driven by a lot of things- I have limited experience with it, but have been gaining knowledge since I adopted a rescued pug! Can you cover it with a wrap- or put something on it that tastes bad?
Karen and the pugapalooza
sammy177 said:
Thanks for the advice, I found a food she likes called Origen, of course the red meat formula which is pretty expensive. It seems like a really good grain free food and she seems to like it when I put the fish oil on top.
A great food indeed! Here's a little Tripawds Nutrition blog post about it.
As for the licking, I would do your best to cover it up. If it starts looking nasty (as in oozing or being smelly), call your vet. That's a tough one to cope with but it's best to keep it from getting irritated any further.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I would contact your vet about the leg. I'm assuming you mean the IV site as opposed to an incision? IV sites can develop inflammation, infection or thrombus. The risk is inherent with chemo (immunosuppression) and the drug itself is caustic. It's better to have it checked sooner than later & err on safety's side. I would not put any topical lick deterrents on it without checking with your vet.
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