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.
Join The Tripawds Community
Learn how to help three legged dogs and cats in the forums below. Browse and search as a guest or register for free and get full member benefits:
Instant post approval.
Private messages to members.
Subscribe to favorite topics.
Live Chat and much more!
Register
Log In
Members
Add Topic
Offline
Hello all,
I am new here and have a very long story, and will try to cut it short so I can just get to my question, of out-come if anyone here knows.
I have a 12 year old Belgian Terveran Sheephearder and last August was diagnosed with this Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, so for the tingling, lameness dragging etc that has been going on and increasing with his right left rear foot, he has been medicated, and really doing quite well, running playing, walks and to work with me everyday....
I can tell the tumor must be growing as he is getting more lame, more confused I think also, as he will just stand there like not sure as to how to move his leg.
He is taking Rimadyl twice a day
2 tablets of Tramadol every 6 hours
400 mg of gabapentin 3 times a day every 8 hours
and denamarin once a day
and vitamins, high protein diet
Am I missing anything?? Is there something that might help better?? What am I to expect??
Surgery by the way was not recommended, and radiation I just had already put one dog through that a few years back and just can't see another go through that. thank you
Welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
What is your pup's name?
When you say surgery was not recommended did you mean to remove the tumor, or amputation or both? And out of curiosity why no surgery?
It's OK, not every pup is a good candidate for amputation, and we have several members who's fur baby could not have an amputation.
I had to look up denamarin - it is a liver support supplement for those who don't know.
You might consider a joint supplement with glucosamine, not sure if that will help with a tumor though, but you would think a 12 year old would have a bit of arthritis.
You might also look into K9 Immunity , there are links to that as well as other diet and supplements in the Nutrition Blog here.
You could also check out Dr. Dressler's Cancer kit.
Other members should have some input for you.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Hi and welcome. My Jake was 11 when he was diagnosed with the same thing. It was on his left shoulder. The oncologist gave us the option of trying radiation or removing it. At that point, b/c it had previously been misdiagnosed as a lipoma (for four years it was "just a lipoma"..but that's another story for another day), I chose to have it removed. The good thing about these types of tumors is that they grow slow, they tend to be locally invasive and don't tend to metastasize; but, they can be painful b/c the tumor has "fingers" that reach out and travel along the nerve lines. Definitely keeping the pain under control will be the big thing. Jake was on all the same medicine you listed (minus the denamarin - thanks Karen, I had no idea what that was).
Im just curious why your vet did not recommend surgery. There is a vet (hopefully someone here will chime in, b/c I can't remember his name), in NC who does holistic medicine and he'll work with your vet. A couple people here have used him. I also recommend Dr. Dressler's book .
(On a side note, if you read my signature you'll see that my Jake has passed BUT he did not pass away because of the NST)
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
Hello and welcome. I too am curious why your vet thinks he's not a good candidate for amputation? Is it because of his age?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
I am having trouble figuring this site out so please forgive me. I think I am answering everyone's questions here.
Reason no surgery we were told that the tumor is too high up in his spine, sadly I believe in my heart he was mid diagnosed for the disc surgery and all along it was this tumor but does no good to go there. So at first they thought maybe amputation but after the MRI showing I guess the location and we were told it was too close to his spine and that yes it has all these feelers and even if they were able to do surgery it more than likely wouldn't help and same with amputation just too high up being if it were more in the hip area there would have been a chance....
oh oh gosh I don't know I sit here looking at him now wanting to play with his ball so bad and we just can't so he lays here and just chews it, I cry watching him he is so full of life still!!
i am sorry someone asked his name it is Hobo. , he was a stray that wondered into my shop one day skinny dirty full of fleas and scared , he curled up under my desk and he has been coming to work with me everyday since.
I was thinking of acupuncture although that may help with pain but not the tumor so as long as that darn tumor keeps growing the less he is able to feel his leg and well if there is anyone out there that knows what if any options I have please tell me. I think now maybe I should have just went with radiation but gosh it made our other fog so very dick she just had no life at all with that. Well almost a year has gone by so it's probably too late for anything now right ? Maybe if there is someone here that can read his MRI and get their thoughts. Well that's all for now, hope I did this right . Thank you all kindly
Hobo!! Perfect name! Clearly he was wandering around looking for you to be his forever home the e tire time! And he made an excellent choice!!!
I knlw this is emotionally draining and you are exhausted, physically and emotionally! Glad you found us because we understand like no others can! AND we are here to help support you and guide you to some options!
Clearly Hobo isn't givi g up and he certainly isn't worried about a thing! He is NOT defeated and either are you! And it's not too late, okay?
The Holistic Vet Elizabeth was referring to is Dr. Charles Loops in Nrth Carolina. A lot of peop@e use him here and feel ppsitive about the trestments he customized flr each of them and their individual needs.
Don't have any insight into reading an MRI or the practicality of pursuing radiation. It seems like that could still be an option
You are strong! Hobo DOES have a lot of life left in him and he intends to continuing soaking up all that loving and spoiling for a very long time!And we'd love to see more pics of this handsome fella'!
Sending lots of love!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle too!
Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!
Hi Hobo and family, you are doing a great job figuring out the site! Sorry we had technical issues yesterday but we're back.
I'm really sorry to hear about the location of the tumor, that just breaks our hearts, can't even imagine how sad you must feel. I would too. What a special doggie he is to find you and enjoy such an awesome life.
So it sounds like you got the best type of diagnosis you can get with the MRI and all. Here's my gut feeling; acupuncture and other holistic type approaches won't get rid of the tumor, but what they can do, along with conventional pain medication, is to give Hobo a better quality of life while he's still here. Palliative care is not at all uncommon and when done correctly can lead to very good quality of life for longer than conventional drugs alone can give. If your vets aren't receptive to holistic approaches and you know in your heart that Hobo still has spark left in him, find a vet who is. Where are you located? Maybe we can help find one for you.
Here is a Tripawd Talk Radio podcast about pain relief approaches.
And here is our Resources directory of listings for holistic practitioners, scroll down to "Find Holistic Veterinarians..."
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello.....
Here in Southern California, where it is actually raining today! YAY for that Hobo loves the rain! I am going to check out one couple that I know of for acupuncture, but if you might have any other's to recommend I would appreciate it, as I am not really familiar with these folks much, just that my parents had them for their dog and well they didn't see any improvement for his hip dysplasia, and now their dog has oral cancer, ugh...
I have also been searching for some sort of cart maybe to help him get around. My husband is building an extra ramp to go out the back steps so that he can go directly under the orange tree he loves so much.
Thank you everyone who have replied here, I wish I had found this site sooner. Prayers to all of you and your fur babies,
Penni
Bless the hubbies of the world and their ramp making abilities. My husband had built a ramp and carpeted it for our Leland to get in and out of bed (he'd slept with us since he was a puppy). And a cart is a good idea if Hobo likes to go for walks with you. I had looked into a cart for Leland (but sadly he wasn't with us long after the amp surgery) so I know they can come in all sorts of sizes and models.
I'll be keeping sweet Hobo in my thoughts!
Sahana and her Angel Leland
November 17, 2009 - June 30, 2014
May you finally be healthy and running free at the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again my sweet boy!
Hobo is just adorable. I love that gray face...he is definitely a wise old man to have wandered into your shop! Since Hobo is old, some of his not wanting to play may be just b/c he's tired like old doggies get. He'll have good days and not so good days, they all do. If a cart isn't feasible, you can always get a wagon and pull him around. That way he still gets all the glory of a walk with none of the physical labor. Any sturdy wagon would work. This is one thing I wish I would have gotten for my Jake so he could have still had all the enjoyment of going for a walk. I saw a video the other day of an old man pulling around his senior dog in a big plastic tub he had fixed wheels to. It melted my heart.
Definitely look at the recommendations for pain management . Since the NST travels nerve lines, pain management is definitely something you want to stay ahead of the game on.
My heart goes out to you. You are doing all the right things by gathering as much info as you can so you can make the best decision.
Mom to Tripawd Angels Jake (2001-2014) and Rosco (2012-2015) and Tripawd Tanner. “Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it”
1 Guest(s)
