Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Dear Abnersdad,
I have sent you a reply PM. So sorry for the delay. Toby is doing extremely well. He was around nine when we amputated. He was lethargic after the chemo, but picked up after the first week. His second and third were OK, but his fourth did knock him back a little, so we did not do the additional two offered after 3 months and 6 months, well here in the UK anyway. His lungs etc., were checked after 3 months, all clear and then his bloods after 6 months. It is now 13 months and as I said in the PM he has become stronger as time has progressed. The only issue is his back, as he is a very large Pyr, around 117 at the time of the amputation. PM me and we can discuss whatever you wish.
Best
A
Hello. I am sorry that Abner is still not feeling so great. And sorry too that you are doubting what you did. But I have to say that you have no idea how much I thought that I made the wrong decision during the first 4 or 5 weeks of Valentina's recovery. She had complications and everything that her recovery entailed was absolutely mentally and physically exhausting. The only thing that got me through was this site. Everyone just kept encouraging me to stay positive and I tried my hardest to do that. Somehow Valentina and I got through and all my doubts or regrets went out the window. When she was finally healed it was a joyous time and even though Valentina is gone now I am still thanking God continually for giving me the time that I had with her. I could never wish that I hadn't done the amputation now. If I hadn't I would have had to put Valentina to sleep back in July. The joy of seeing Valentina become herself again after her recovery and being able to focus on making her happy while she was still here is priceless. Seven months doesn't sound very long but it's seven I wouldn't have had otherwise. I remember feeling just like you do. We didn't do chemo and I thought she may not have as much time as other Dogs that do but all I wanted after she was healed from the surgery and complications was for her to feel good and be happy. And that is what she got. And remember that she didn't die from the actual cancer it was her spine that was the problem. So who know how long she could have made it if the spine thing didn't happen. I think her size had alot to do with why she developed that problem. In my opinion I think that Dogs that have amputations should be able to heal from the surgery first and then do the chemo. It is so much stress on their bodies to start with and then to bombard their systems with the chemo on top of it seems like a bad idea to me. But I am not a vet so I'm not sure of the reasons to rush into chemo so quickly. You could just stop the chemo and see how Abner feels and then maybe decide not to continue with it. If he starts to feel dramatically better you may decide to just let him progress naturally since the side effects are seeming to bother him and you so much. It still seems early after his amputation though to tell if it is the chemo or not causing him to feel bad. If it was me I would just stop the chemo and see how that goes. You can always choose to do it again later after he is healed and stronger. Which ever you choose we are behind you 100%. This is so confusing, scary and emotionally taxing it can really take a toll on you. I will continue to pray for you and Abner. I think that you absolutely made the right decision. You just may not be able to see this until Abner is healed and back to himself.
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Most here know, I'm an adovate for not doing chemo but that's not why I am commenting....I just wanted to say, I hope Abner feels better soon and whatever you decide to do, it is out of the love for Abner. So please never forget that there is never a wrong decision when it's made out of love.
Hugs to your big guy.
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Thanks for all the helpful comments and opinions and mostly the cheering up. Abner had a rough 4 days with chemo and on day 5 seemed to have passed the worst of it. Today is day 6 and he is not as strong walking as he was before chemo but in other respects he seems to be largely back to normal. I guess we will reduce the dose the next time and we still have to get through the blood tests tomorrow to see how his white cells are holding up.
It is very difficult, when things are bad like right after chemo and for the next three days, to not second guess the decisions I have had to make for my treasured companion. Three weeks ago Abner got into the car to go for a ride and a few hours later woke up without one of his legs and in a strange place, in a cage, with strange people and other wounded dogs surrounding him. That was a tough thing to take in for both of us. He probably has handled all of the events leading up to the amputation and since better than I have. I am most appreciative of this forum for the help and information provided, and because it allows me to vent my doubts and fears without bursting into tears in front of my friends.
Abners dad, I am glad things are looking up. You will find you are stronger than you can imagine. You have to be for them. And I feel you regarding what you said about being able to vent and talk about your doubts and fears in here. When Cadence was first diagnosed I spent the first week doing a lot of crying, most of it in my office's bathroom and over my keyboard. Thankfully most people in my office know I have allergies so that is what they thought. I told them later on about Cadence but I didn't have the strength right away because for sure I would have lost it. Hang in there! One day, believe it or not, this will all become normal to you...you will see a 4 legged dog and think it's weird. 🙂
Cadence Faye: Born 10/30/04, stepped into our hearts 12/23/2004. Rear leg tumor found 7/24/11 by mom and dad, Xray on 7/25/11, Osteosarcoma suspected 7/26/11, amputation 7/29/11, Carboplatin started 8/23. Met free so far!
I'm so sorry Abner is not feeling well. What you describe is somewhat similar to how our Sam reacted....he didn't tolerate Carbo great. He became pretty sick about 7-8 hours after his first dose....the only thing that stopped his dry heaving was sitting outside....which we did until 5:00am...we were not sure he would make it through the night. But he did, and we became used to the routine. His first round was the worst....as we progressed, we just knew it would take 3 days for the light to come back to his eyes and and by day 6 or 7 he was back to his old self. We let him not eat for the 2 days....he had chemo on Fridays so it wasn't until Sunday night we would try to make him eat. We would try but didn't push him if he turned away. After the first round,he didn't get so sick....he was definitely nauseous but better than the first round. We used to melt peanut butter and mix with vanilla yogurt and freeze in cups....he loved the cold on his tongue and it was about the only thing we could keep in him right after chemo....it had good protein so we would just wait until his appetite came back. Hang in there and don't second guess yourself....it's hard, I know. Xoxo Sue
One more thing that I forgot to mention. Go with your gut with chemo because you know your pup the best.....meaning if you try the lower dose next time and Abner still does not tolerate it well and you feel that his quality of life is impacted, you can choose to not continue carboplatin chemo.
You do have options...
Instead of IV chemo, you can try low-dose oral chemo (metronomic protocol) which is typically tolerated well. I think you do it everyday or every other day. We did not go this route, but others have.
You could also look into artemisinin which is a herb. Artemisinin and its derivatives (artesunate, artemether, Artemix) kill cancer cells by apoptosis (cell suicide).
Hugs and chocolate labby kisses,
Ellen & Charley
Charley's Blog: CHOCOLATE KISSES
DOB: 3-29-08, male chocolate lab
Dx: OSA L proximal humerus 10-19-10
Amputation: L front leg & scapula 10-28-10
Chemo: 5 rounds of Carboplatin
Video (12 weeks post amp):Tripaw Charley Playing
♥♥♥ Lots of supplements and love!!! ♥♥♥
We can learn so much from our furbabies! Think how happy we could all be if we lived in the present moment as much as they did. Abner's not spending time worrying or dwelling on the past or future. He's concerned with right now - is he fed, comfortable and, most importantly, loved. Sound like he's getting there! It's tougher for us humans sometimes. I'm glad you find comfort in chatting with us. I think being able to share stories and vent a bit is the best thing about tripawds.com.
Hugs and Wags
Judy and Baby
It all sounds about the same as my Pyrenees Rooster is going through . It took him about ten days to get through this last round ( his forth) with the problem of him having to pee every three hours because of the hydration they do along with the chemo. His first three were about the same without the excess peeing ,but in all of them his appetite was not there for at least a week after each round of chemo ( he has always been a picky dog as far as food anyways ,and has never ate a whole bowl of food in his life( 5 years) but after each session of chemo he has no want for food. Have you changed his diet any since this all began? I changed Roosters to much better food ,though he was getting good food before ,and have come to the conclusion that besides the loss of appetite after his chemo he has come to the conclusion that the new food has something to with his not feeling well( these Pyrenees are smart dogs) so i have to mix in a little of the old food with the new and he still will pick out the old food and eat it instead. His appetite comes back around after a week to ten days though this last time took almost twenty days . What i have been doing is feeding him some of what i eat off my plate and any meat ( though i don't eat much myself ) i throw him he will eat .So getting ready for this next time i have a bunch of chuck steak which i will cook up for him, as he never turns his nose up at it or fish .And he never turns down a cheese burger(though the vet frowns on it , i think its much more important that he eats ) and being a registered service dog i take him to a place near by and order him a plain burger or a steak and let him eat it under my chair .It may get worse before it gets better but i think it may give him a better chance with the chemo then without.As for the walking ,don't push it .I have three acres and just let him out to walk as he wants ,but yes he won't walk as far after his chemo sessions, but it picks up a little more each day . I think it saps their strength and given that they are being exposed to this poison ,i don't expect him to gather it back until after his last session. His blood work has always looked good and he has never vomited though this last time #4 he had some runny poop which returned to normal after two days. But as far as eating try some real good cooked meat (Rooster has woofed down three plain cheese burgers just an hour after each of his chemo treatments on the way home) and any old treats that he use to really like ( i lucked out by having a 30lb box of peanut butter flavored dog biscuits stashed away that he really likes. And i also figure he is a big dog 89 lbs so he has a bit of weight to keep him going as long as he keep drinking. So watch out for the excess peeing in the last chemo sessions ( not that it will happen) but i wouldn't be to alarmed as long as the blood work looks good. Its scary and many times i have wondered whether i have chose the right route in this whole thing ,but I think he will spring back as he has each time (though i still worry about the next ,which will be Friday the 30th ) and figure after the chemo is done i will then get on with the whole changing of his food a little at a time( im running out of his peanut butter biscuits) And yes it is hard to watch them go through this without being able to tell them its for the best and just why.....
If you get a chance go read Roosters blog ,i have tried to explain it through his eyes and have added some humor as well to get ME through these times.Its been hard but i don't regret the road i have chosen . And remember as you probably already know ,these Pyrenees are like NO other dogs . David .....Roosters pet.......
http://threeleg.....pawds.com/
I hear your pain, I feel your pain, your words remind me of how I felt after I had my dog, Maggie, amputated. She wasn't sick due to chemo but sick thru the recovery process. I doubted my decision to amputate. What in the world did I do? Did I just do it for me? Look at my poor dog! We got thru it EVENTUALLY...with a lot of heart ache, lack of eating and hoping I'd done the right thing...
I never did do chemo as it was actually recommended to me to NOT do it as she was so sick after amputation...
Maybe, because you're doubting, you should just stop the chemo treatments for a bit? Is that even feasible once you start? Can you stop and then decide to continue later? I don't know the answers to that as I chose to treat Maggie with homeopathics...
But I guess I just wanted you to know, I'm sorry for you right now...I hope it passes soon for your pup...and everything all works out in the end... Follow your heart, it will lead you the right way.
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Today was day 8 after chemo and Abner is doing better. His walking is still somewhat weaker than before the first chemo but he is eager and always wants to go farther. . .just doesn't realize he will get tired. His appetite is pretty much the same as it was before his surgery and chemo so that seems to have leveled out. We had blood work done yesterday and everything was within normal limits so he is still on the schedule for a second round of chemo in about two weeks. We will be reducing his dose by about 15% but truly I have stopped expecting anything. I have come to realize, mostly from the experiences people have reported on this board, that he could have the same reaction, less, or more and there really is no way of predicting. So we will try this again and see how he does. At least I won't be unprepared this time. I already have anti-nausea drugs sufficient for 8 days (he only needed them for 5 after the first dose) and I will make no plans for outings that would take me from the house for the first few days.
Thank you for the ongoing input and suggestions. This provides me with lots of information and alternatives if ultimately the Carboplatin turns out to be a major problem. At this point, as long as it doesn't get any worse than the last time, I think we can get through it.
This is a picture I have posted elsewhere that I took of Abner on a hot June day last summer when we were vacationing around Ithaca New York. He is still just as handsome. . .just minus a back leg.
Abner is like one giant puppy, what a handsome furball.
You said it best: the key is not to expect, just take each day as it comes and hope for the best. And always remember to celebrate the little accomplishments, for they add up to a big huge success!
Glad he's doing better.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Glad he is doing better. Sounds like you have a good plan in place.
He is a gorgeous baby!
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!
It has now been almost 4 months since Abner's amputation and almost 15 weeks since our very difficult experience with Carboplatin. The problems with the one session of Carboplatin were pretty horrific. Abner was ravaged by infections that left him weak and in pain. He had ear and urinary tract infections and the vets believe that the UTI seeded discospondylitis for which he is still being treated and probably will be for a year. Suffice it to say chemo was stopped after the single session.
He seems to be enjoying his life now that he is accustomed to having three legs and is also used to being medicated twice a day. It bothers me that we are facing the prospect of continuing to do this for a whole year but I guess the current wisdom on discospondylitis is that it is very hard to get rid of and causes pretty serious discomfort while it is afflicting the dog. Abner gets Cephalexin twice a day for the infection and is on a combination of gabapentin and meloxicam for the pain. Pyrenees tend to be quite stoic so it is hard to know for sure that he isn't uncomfortable but I am pretty confident that he is feeling OK. We walk a couple times a day, depending on the weather, up to a mile and a half with a rest stop or 3/4 mile without. He rarely needs any additional support although I always take his sling just in case. I have become very careful with what I allow him to do anymore since an injury to the remaining hind leg would be impossible to treat. He still wants to play but it is too risky to allow him.
One other word of warning I would offer to others whose dogs need assistance for a protracted period of time is this. You may find yourself with some injuries and aches and pains generated by compensating for your dog's weakness. I am now being treated for ulnar nerve problems resulting from more than 4 months of supporting my dog and lugging his ramp in and out of the car multiple times a day. There was probably no way to avoid this but I think I might have figured out a way to depend less on one side had I know there was this risk.
One the good side, Abner's blood work two weeks ago was completely normal. He has good liver and kidney function which is a worry after 5 months of NSAID treatment and there were no abnormal levels determined in his cbc. On balance, I think we are doing OK. Life isn't easy but my sweet boy is alive and with me, I think he feels good, and he seems happy. I think that is the most I can expect at this stage.
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