Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi everyone,
My name is Amy, and my wonderful, 8 year old, Golden Retriever McGwire has been diagnosed with osteosarcoma. He had his left front leg amputated yesterday. He's coming home today and I'm excited, but nervous.
The vet said he's doing great, getting up and down, peeing outside. Our vet doesn't have someone there 24 hours a day, so we paid a vet tech to stay with him and she said he would only lay down if she laid down next to him! He's always been an attention mooch, now I think it's going to be 100 times worse! 
I've been reading and lurking here for a while, and it's been so helpful! I know everyone reacts differently, but now I can kind of know what types of reactions are 'normal.'
Emotionally, it's going to be really difficult on us. He was my husband's first dog and our first baby. We now have another Golden and 2 boys of the human variety. I vary between being thankful for the time we have left and the opportunity to refocus on what's important, to incredibly angry, to just plain tired. Mac's been through a lot in his life, starting with severe allergies at a very young age, having to have his anal glands removed because they were deformed, liver enlargement becaue of long term steroids. And now this?!
We are debating chemo. My initial thought was yes, absolutely!, but my vet is worried about his compromised immune system being able to tolerate it. I don't know.
Anyway, I just wanted to introduce our story and get advice on the first few days home. Thanks for being here!
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McGwire, Amy and all the family,
We first want to say how sorry we were to hear of McGwire's latest battle and all the difficulties earlier. He was lucky to be with a family that clearly loves him so much and is willing to take such good care. You have definitely found the right place for support.
Cherry turned eleven the day before her surgery and started her chemotherapy treatments literally hours after the surgery. For her the chemotherapy was far worse than the amputation and I had to stuff nearly every morsel of food during our two months of chemotherapy. While every one responds differently, I am sure that the chemicals will affect McGwire. The pain killers often make them restless or have the opposite effect and they sleep all day. Our surgery sent us home with a sling similar to the ones used for broken arms in humans. The sling worked great to help adjust. I was able to place the sling around Cherry's chest, place the hand loops around my neck and then had both arms free to pick her up and take her outside. Then one can use the hand loops to help steady them. After two weeks, the surgery brought her out from an examination, handed me the sling, and told me to stop using it and allow her to adjust. We have never looked back. (Cherry is also a left fore-leg amputee.)
As I said, the chemotherapy was far worse than the amputation, but once the chemicals left her body for the final time, there was an exponential increase in her quality of life. We are approximately eight and a half months post amputation and things could not be much better. You are going to have a hard call regarding the chemotherapy but no one knows McGwire like you do. No mater what your decision, be assured that it WILL be the best course of action possible. I kept a journal and posted it online and this helped me to make better assessments regarding Cherry's progress or backtracking. It is hard to accurately remember what was happening a week ago much less a month ago. Also, remember to treat the spirit as well as the body. Find something that McGwire loves (and can still do) and expoit that love to provide meaning to his life. For Cherry it is her trips in the truck/car. To this day, one can see her excitement build at the normal time for these trips approaches.
Sending you positive thoughts and best of luck for a speedy return to a great quality of life.
Bob & Cherry
I'm so happy for you both that he's doing well from the surgery. I hope he gets better and better quicker than you even expected. Can I ask where you live in VA? Me and my dog MacLeod live in Harrisonburg. I don't know if you've been to an oncologist or specialist to discuss whether or not your Mac should be on chemo, and I don't know how far away you live from Northern Virginia, but I've just started getting a second opinion and scheduled a phone consultation with Southpaws Veterinary Center in Fairfax, VA. I've heard good things about them and so that is where I'm pursuing opinions and probably treatment. You might want to give them a call. The phone consultation is 170 dollars. I just have to wait for my vet to send them Mac's information and records and x-rays. They should be able to tell you a lot more about treatment options if that's a way you would like to go, just a thought. 
Hello Amy
It is going to be hard to keep the two new Mac's straight. Welcome!
That is great idea to ask a vet tech to spend the night at the clinic. Also great that she was willing to sleep on the floor with McGwire. I find I've been doing that a lot lately - my dog seems to pant until I move to the floor and then he seems to settle down.
I definitely was not ready to think about chemo until sometime near the end of last week (our surgery was July 15). The vet brought the subject up but I was just worried about Tazzie making it through each day. After an auspicuous start running and jumping at the vet clinic and the first night home, he has been a lagard. Even when I went to pick him up from the chemo place yesterday, I expected to be told that his blood work was not up to snuff and that they did not do the chemo, but they had in fact administered it. It is kind of like a breath of fresh air in that it gives much more hope for the future, which would not exist (in my eyes, not everyone on this site would view things the same way) without the chemo. But so far there has not been time for any negatives to show, other than the expense.
Good luck with the recovery!
Susan
Hi guys and welcome to the site! I am so glad to hear that McGwire is doing so well after the surgery. If he is an attention mooch, he will definitely love his new status as a tripawd as almost EVERYONE will want to come up to him, give him a pet and talk for a while. Taking him home for the first time will probably feel like you're getting a puppy all over again…making sure he is behaving himself (ie not licking and not being too active) and taking him out to help him potty.
We had it really lucky in the fact that Jack was super resilient and had little trouble besides phantom pain and broken capillaries that were easily fixed with medication…I hope it goes as smoothly for you! We are almost 2 months post amputation and started chemo 3 weeks after surgery. He has had 2 cycles of adriamycin with absolutely no side-effects. If you decide to do the oncologist consult, they may be able to give you a few options that would work for McGwire and his immune system.
There are quite a few different protocol options out there, so it's just a matter of deciding which one is right for your particular situation. Is McGwire on any sort of immunity booster? We and many other dogs on here are using K9 immunity with Transfer Factor and I seem to think that these herbs are partially the reason Jack is feeling so great these days.
I completely know what your emotional factor is like!! Jackers was my first dog I picked out and bought all on my own, and he is my little munchkin. Upon diagnosis I was a wreck for like a week, thinking his life was over. But now, 2 months later, I think it has been a blessing in disguise. He is soooo much happier now than he was before (in the months before surgery when the cancer was growing and we did not know) and is perking his ears up again and initiating play time with his little brother.
We have also met so many wonderful people on this site as well as in our community that have really supported us and have made it easier for us to enjoy our life with Jack. The main thing that got me through my sadness was to realize that Jack doesn't know he has cancer! If we lost him tomorrow I wouldn't change a thing, because I know that these past 2 months have been the happiest we have been in months, and we can't ask for much more than that!! Continued luck to you all 
Thanks everyone for your replies!
McGwire is home resting now. He's doing pretty good, all things considered. One of the worst parts right now is that he has a drain in and is draining a lot of extra fluid so he's confined to our office, which I have draped with every old moving blanket or quilt I can find. When I went to pick him up, they were trying to undo the bandage from where his IV was on his right front leg (his only front leg now!) and he saw me and his tail started wagging, practically knocking over everyone and he was trying to walk to me, except that they had his leg! Once he got free, he walked right to me. It was so good to see! He does a weird little head bounce but he's been pretty mobile so far. He even just laid down on the amputation side! I wasn't expecting that! I think it's on the side that he prefers to lay on, so that'll make things interesting. He's not overly panting, he was when he first came home, but I think it was all the excitement, and has totally settled down since.
And yes, I am from Harrisonburg! Jackie, I PM'd you. Don't know how this works but… Going to be pretty confusing with 2 Macs from Harrisonburg! BTW, for those of you who don't know, Harrisonburg is a whopping metropolis of about 100,000 between the city and county including the 15,000 students at James Madison University. Go figure!!!
We have talked with a cancer specialist, though not an oncologist, about chemo and it's been very confusing. The doctors I spoke with at the office said absolutely do chemo, though I don't know if they really understand McGwire's background (allergies, long-term steroids, etc.) The head specialist talked with our vet and said that while the research shows increased survival times they don't see that and that he could go either way on it. My husband is very pro-chemo, but now I'm not so sure. I just want McGwire's time with us to be the best it can be for as long as it can be, but I want it to be great! I don't want to be forcing every morsel of food into his mouth. I don't want him to be sick at all! He's been through so much…
He's on Dinovite for his allergies-just started about a month ago, which is high omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, along with salmon oil. I'm also going to start supplementing his food with more protein and giving him an overall multivitamin. I need to compare the K9 Immunity and Transfer to Dinovite and see if we should switch him. Thoughts?
Amy, McGwire and family, welcome! Thanks for hanging out here and lurking for a while, we really hope it helped prepare you. McGwire sounds like he's doing GREAT! Keep in mind that he might still be loopy from the painkillers, so if he has a slight crash over the next few days, it's usually pretty normal. Make sure he takes it easy if he starts to go stir-crazy.
We can't believe we've had two Macs in two days from Harrisonburg! Now you two really need to hook up with Zeus, an 11 year old Goldie and 15-month survivor in Oakton, about two hours from you I believe. Wouldn't it be great to have a Tripawds party near all of you?!
McGwire sounds like has been through so much, but still going strong. Deciding whether to do chemo or not is a hard call, and only you know what's right for all of you. Some dogs do great on chemo, and outlive prognoses, others don't. It's a gamble. We opted not to do chemo for many reasons, and it wasn't until I was told I had lung mets, 14 months after my diagnosis, did we do a low-dose metronomic therapy, which added an additional 7 months of quality time to my life.
There is a great natural medicine doctor in New York, Dr. Marty Goldstein, who might be able to help you decide what path to take. He is one of the leading natural medicine practitioners and canine cancer specialists in the country. He sees many pets with extremely complicated cancer-related issues, and his success rate is unprecidented. He and his staff at Smith Ridge Veterinary Clinic do phone consultations, you might want to give them a try.
Hang in there. The next two weeks will be ruff, but you'll see improvement little hop by little hop. We'll keep you in our thoughts, and feel free to write anytime.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Amy and Mac. Glad to hear Mac's back and adjusting well. I'm right there with ya. Millie (minus her right foreleg) just got home on Tuesday. We have had our hands full the last couple of days - meds, drains, potty breaks, panting, whining, etc..., but it seems to get better as we move along. Last night was our second night with her home, and we had very little whining, so that was a definate improvement. I think the hardest part for us has been her medication regimen...She had a Fentanyl patch that came off today, Tylenol 3 & Tramadol (for pain), and Cephalexin (antibiotic). She gets the Tylenol and Tramadol in alternating 8hr increments, and last night my poor wife got confused and accidentally gave her two Tylenols back to back. We kind of freaked out (afraid she might overdose), then remembered we had a number for a 24hr pet ER. We called and talked to a doc who said she'd be just fine, but I was still up about every hour to make sure she was still breathing. Funny how worried we parents can get. How soon we forgot that Millie once ate Half of a door, and that didn't kill her. What's one extraTylenol gonna hurt, right?
How's Goldie #2 reacting?
I hope everything continues going well for you and your family. Hang in there Mac!
Bret
macsmom said:
He's on Dinovite for his allergies-just started about a month ago, which is high omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, along with salmon oil. I'm also going to start supplementing his food with more protein and giving him an overall multivitamin. I need to compare the K9 Immunity and Transfer to Dinovite and see if we should switch him. Thoughts?
They are very different supplements. While we've never used Dinovite, it appears that this is a supplement specifically for allergies. Some of the ingredients in Dinovite, like kelp, flax and alfalfa, are supplements that many of us already take to boost our immune system (see my Health Tips Page). If you've seen positive improvements with this supplmement, you might want to stick with it.
K9 Immunity is not like Dinovite. It's an immunity booster made specifically for cancer patients, which uses mushroom therapy. Check out our recent discussion about this type of canine cancer supplement.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Ah yes, Yoda liked laying on his incision-side from the start too. In fact, I think he still likes that best, though he's a BIG sunbather, so he has to turn himself over now and then to get both sides. I think he might be solar-powered.
Yoda just had his third round of chemo, using carboplatin, today. I was glad to hear that's what our oncologist recommended because I had read the other drug options can be hard on different organs, and apparently carboplatin is not. Anyway, he just had his third of four and he has not shown any side effects up til now (knock wood). I have some drugs on hand in case he does have diarhea or vomiting, etc., but haven't had to use them. Also this morning, Yoda had his first chest x-ray since before his amputation and there was (I'll now quote directly from the official veterinarian report): "no evidence of pulmonary metastasis, yeah!" And I think it's further worth noting that Yoda's regular vet (before referring us to the UW Vet School), upon diagnosing the osteosarcoma, said Yoda probably had just 2 months. He has passed the two month mark now with no metastasis and has been doing all his favorite activities that he did on four legs for about a month now. 
But of course, results with chemo do vary and it's a gamble. During my first consultation with Yoda's oncologist, before I gave her my decision, she pointed out that if there were side effects and that I felt harmed his quality of life too much to be worth it, of course, we could discontinue it at that point. After you get all the facts from an oncologist, and they're clear on the allergy issues, if you're still on the fence about whether chemo is a good gamble, maybe trying the first dose to see how Mac does would be a good option? Like Cherry says though, you, Mac's people, know him best and will make the best decision possible for him.
Good luck! Get as much rest as you can. Keep reminding yourself that's it's for Mac's sake too that you take care of yourselves too during this time.
Yoda&Mom united: 9/5/06 …….… Yoda&Leg separated: 6/5/09……… Yoda&Leg reunited: 10/14/09 ……… ……………….………….………….……. Yoda&Mom NEVER separated! …………………….….……....….…… Though Spirit Yoda currently free-lances as a rabbit hunting instructor for tripawds nationwide
Hi and welcome. Chemo is a gamble for us all. I had an tough time with the chemo decision. When Trouble's pre-surgery x-rays came back clear, and the post surgery biopsy came back with the tumor completely contained the surgeon and my husband were both convinced chemo was the way to go. I on the other hand wasn't so sure.
They finally convinced me to do one round to see how she tolerated it. If she had a rough time, we could discontinue and not do the other four treatments. Chemo for us was relatively easy and I am so happy now that they talked me into it. Follow your heart and make each decision for the good of McGuire.
Fingers and paws crossed for a speedy recovery.
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.
Okay, so now I gotta scratch the part about Yoda not showing any side effects to the chemo (sigh). Guess I didn't knock wood enough during my last post, haha. Yoda vomited a couple times tonight so I just started him on the anti-nausea pill that the oncologist sent home with us just in case and I'll call her in the morning. But that's supposed to do the trick. If he should continue to have a rough time I will surely post very soon, but for Amy and anyone else gathering input on how dogs do on chemo, if the pill works just fine, I'll probably wait til I have something more interesting to report before I post a new update - in short, you can assume no news is good news.
Still, making it through two out of the four treatments without a reaction was totally awesome!
Yoda&Mom united: 9/5/06 …….… Yoda&Leg separated: 6/5/09……… Yoda&Leg reunited: 10/14/09 ……… ……………….………….………….……. Yoda&Mom NEVER separated! …………………….….……....….…… Though Spirit Yoda currently free-lances as a rabbit hunting instructor for tripawds nationwide
Hello!
I really think that it would be worth it to at least try chemo, since it does seem to increase survival times in most dogs. You can always discontinue it if it doesn't work out. My dog Tazzie is a 7 year old Mastiff and she had her Rf leg amputated 8/28/08. She had a pre-existing liver condition (chronic hepatitis) as well as allergies (controlled with allergy vaccines) but she did really well with the carboplatin chemotherapy. She no longer needs allergy injections and her liver disease is stable (she does still take SAM-E, milk thistle, and vitamin E for liver support). She is currently also on Power Mushrooms as an immune booster and fish oil 4000 mg daily.
I would talk to an oncologist if possible to schedule a consult.
Pam and Tazzie
Heya Amy. I wrote back in the PM but I don't think I saw your most recent message and thought I'd tell you that I'm so glad Mac is doing well being back home. Everyone here has really good advice, and I agree that being on the K9 Immunity is a good idea. My Mac has been on it a day or two, and I don't know if it's the reason, but he's been feeling better. He even ate kibble last night for the first time in 2 weeks! I think I'm going to start him on milk thistle for his liver problems, and I thought I'd mention that to you as well since I think being on steroids for a long time can wreak havoc on the liver. If his liver functions start to go down at all it's something you should probably consider. Even with the past allergies, based on your Mac's age and how well he's doing recovering (although it's still early), I'd go ahead with chemo.
I PM'ed the other Virginian Zeus, who lives in Oakton, to see where they went for treatment, but haven't gotten a response yet.
Woo go Harrisonburg Macs though! Valley dogs in the hizz-ouse!
...ok I don't think white chicks can get away with saying hizz-ouse smoothly...oh well
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