Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
Tripawds is your home to learn how to care for a three legged dog or cat, with answers about dog leg amputation, and cat amputation recovery from many years of member experiences.
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Hello,
I may not be allowed to post here as our sweet boy Kona is not a tripawd because his osteosarcoma is in his upper jaw. apparently this is rare, and also means they cannot amputate. the general Vet removed a portion of the tumor but was not able to get all of it. We have not seen an oncologist yet but vet has advised us we should expect to pay $10,000 for chemo and further surgery if we pursue it. It may be just chemo is suggested, or we can choose to make him comfortable for however long we get with him. He is a 10 year old Pitbull Terrier - in good health otherwise, no liver, heart or kidney issues.
we are all devastated, and know that $10k is not an option for us.
so, Im looking for any information about cancer fighting diets and other meds that could help if we are unable to do any other kind of treatment. they also said they are unlikely to be able to remove the rest of the tumor as it is growing up into his jaw and will eventually impede his nasal passages before it is likely to spread anywhere. we don't know how fast it will grow, so it's all a bit unknown and awful.
I found some posts about costs but they were from 10 years ago. would anyone be willing to share what chemo has cost them recently and did it add quality time to your pets life? also any diet advice would be appreciated. clutching at straws here.
Hi Carly,
Of course you can post here. We are so sorry about Kona's diagnosis. Definitely talk to the oncologist to find out the options for treatment. Last I heard, stereotactic radiation therapy (as in Baron's situation) is the best way to treat it. But unfortunately yes, it's incredibly expensive and $10k sounds about right regardless of where you live (in the States I assume?)
Again, talk to the oncologist though. There are clinical trials happening all the time at vet teaching hospitals so if you live near one it would be smart to talk to them.
We do have this ongoing post about Costs of Amputation and Chemotherapy, which you might want to look at (most recent addition was 2 weeks ago), but I'm not sure many will list stereotactic radiation therapy.
I wish we could be more help! Please keep us posted OK? I'd like to know what you find out about treatment.
Hi there,
So sorry to hear of your situation. And unfortunately not much I can add other than some moral support. But if memory serves me correctly, in the past there were one or two members here that did develop tumors on their jaws. I believe one went the radiation way and the other had the jaw bone removed. I remember seeing pictures on the removal one and was very surprised that even though the lower jaw had been removed on one side, the mouth looked like a dog's mouth.
Unfortunately I can not find those topics as I am on my cell phone and the forum search feature has never worked properly on it. But maybe someone else can assist you. I think it was Cooper who had the radiation. I do not remember the name of the other one. If those individuals are still subscribed, they might be able to answer questions too if private messages.
Best wishes and no matter what, try to stay in the moment. One can do a ton of living if one approaches it that way.
-Hugs
Dawna, Tuxedo, Lilly, and Angel Dazzle
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