Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Raven is 5 yr old Great Pyr. He often licks the "nipple" that is left at the bottom of his scar from his amputation (October 2011). The leg had osteosarcoma and it is in his body now. Anyone else have this go on with their dog. If so what did you find out about this behavior? It concerns me because in October we were given a max of 7 months. I am watching him closely so that if he is in pain we can act on it very quickly. Thank you for any opinions or same circumstances.
Welcome! Your future forum posts will not require moderation. Hopefully others can provide feedback about his issue.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
we didn't have alot of licking - we put a t-shirt over gayle after the surgery, and once the stitches were out, she didn't bother much with the scar or the remaining 'nip'... do you think maybe there is a remaining stitch, or an internal stitch that is irritating your pup?? might be worth a look by the vet to see if this is the case.
so unfair that your pup is so young, and the cancer has spread. we'd love to see a picture of raven, and hope to hear more about him. sending our best!!
charon & spirit gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
In this and one of her previous surgeries, Rio actually had a nasty reaction to the material they used on her internal stitches and it actually created an almost blister-like appearance to her suture line. She had a couple of spots that ended up ulcerating and the material came out rather than dissolving like they were supposed to. She would lick at those spots quite intently even before the blisters and ulcerating occurred.
By the way, you might want to check Raven's butt for an expiration date. Just because "most dogs" or "some dogs" only survive that long with mets, that doesn't mean Raven won't knock that 7 months out of the ballpark! We were told a few weeks to a couple of months with our mets, and Rio is almost 5 months out from that estimate. She's been living with her cancer for more than 4 and a half years now -- way longer than either I or her oncologist ever thought she'd be with us.
So don't lose hope. It's a rough road, but we'll be here to encourage you and hopefully answer a few of your questions.
Micki and Rio
PS: We'll add our voice to the clamor for photos!!!
 |
~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
I'm so sorry to hear about Raven. I never kept track of how long it had been for Tate because it just made me depressed. I didn't add it up til he was gone (it was 8 months).
Anyway, Tate licked that darn incision for a long time. The vet and the oncologist could not figure out why and tried all sorts of stuff. The vet wanted to do laser therapy on it, it kills the nerve endings. He explained they use lidocaine to numb the area first. Well, we were reluctant to do the laser thing, it is not recommended on a cancer site because it "may" instigate metastasis. So we got an Rx for lidocaine, which is a topical gel that numbs the area and it lasts an hour or two. We started strictly enforcing the cone (yes, we had been too lax) then we could use the lidocaine to give Tate a break from the cone and he wouldn't be so unhappy.
If Raven's cancer has already metastisized, then I'd recommend cold laser therapy. I was told it would definitely heal the wound and end the licking, and the opinion on the cancer thing is very divided anyway. I think it is pretty expensive, but don't rely on me, ask a professional. You may have to call around to find someone that does it.
Best of luck to you and Raven!
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
No advice here on licking an incision but Samson just got done with cold laser therapy to heal a spot on his foot that he began licking when his housemate died. He licked all the hair off until it was a lick granuloma and quite infected. Anyway- 6 cold laser treatments and the hair is finally started to grow back.Treatments here in upstate NY were $45 per treatment.
Is the incision warm to the touch? Swollen? Painful?
Spirit Samson was Spirit Tripawd Daisys four legged "brother" and ruled as the self proclaimed head of the Monkeybutt Federations East Coast Division. Lady Chunky Monkey stayed from Oct 2011 and left for the bridge in Apr 2012. Miss Perdy is left and has some big pawprints to fill.
Do you have what it takes to be a Monkeybutt? Find out more at the Monkeybutt Federation
Howdy Raven and Ma, we're so glad you came over here from Facebook! As you can see there are tons of great people here who can help you and share their insight. And kudos to you for giving Raven a chance at a good quality of life even with a cancer diagnosis; a lot of folks who don't know what Tripawds are capable of, dismiss larger breeds as good candidates. We're so hoppy that Raven recovered well!
I'm also thinking the licking could be a reaction to internal stitches, or just scar tissue buildup. If it was a reaction, you would probably see itching and swelling, so maybe it's just scar tissue bothering him?
Cold laser therapy is indeed great for breaking up scar tissue, you may want to look at that as an option. Make sure it's done in a veterinary office setting though, or at least with a rehab tech who is supervised by one; it's the best way to ensure you're getting your money's worth.
And remember, those prognoses are just numbers based on studies; they don't specifically apply to every dog like Raven. In fact I outlived my prognosis by TWO YEARS and I didn't have chemo! So you just never know. Try not to focus on those numbers, and instead just make the most of every day you have together. It's really the best way to live life, since with or without cancer, nobody ever really knows how long they have, right? It's another one of those life-changing lessons we learn from cancer. Who knew?
Thanks again for joining us here. Let us know how we can help OK?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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