Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I have a senior tripawd boxer (age 11-12ish) who has arthritis &, due to old age, can barely get around any more. He is able to stand up on his own & walk outside to use the bathroom. He still has a healthy appetite & otherwise seems happy. He mostly sleeps - although he’s always been lazy, even during his “active” younger years. He is tripawd due to being shot by a gun - before I adopted him over 9 yrs ago.
He was just diagnosed with a large mass on his spleen or mesentery. Per the vet, my options are to have a risky splenectomy surgery or to euthanize my dog (to avoid a painful death by splenic rupture.) I won’t know if the mass is benign or cancerous unless surgery is done. I was advised of all of the risks of splenectomy. He might not even survive surgery due to blood loss as he is already anemic. If he survives surgery, deadly post op complications can happen, etc. However, if surgery & post op goes well, & if the mass is benign, it could allow him to live out the rest of his life.
The only concern I have with the splenectomy is that I worry it might be too hard on my dog. I believe he is already in his last year of life. Is it cruel to put him through a major surgery at this age? I am not sure how well he would be able to recover from a splenectomy given his age & mobility issues. If cancer is found during surgery, the vet can always put him to sleep rather than bringing him back. But the cancer could be microscopic, & there is no way to know until pathology comes back.
I don’t believe he is ready to die just yet. I think he has a quality of life worth fighting for. I know he is old for a boxer & that his time is drawing near — but I don’t think we are at that point yet.
Have any of you dealt with anything like this? Anyone have a senior tripawd who has had a splenectomy or other major surgery? Any advice on what I should do? I’m at such a loss. I feel devastated.
Hey there. I gave you feedback about your dog's mobility challenges, and now I'll share some of my thoughts about this situation.
First, I'm sorry about the diagnosis, that is tough when a dog is younger and especially tough when you're looking at a senior pup. Now, my main questions are:
What gave you the indication that he may have something wrong with his spleen? Was it more than the mobility issues you were describing? Lack of appetite? Just wondering how much the spleen issue is affecting his quality of life on top of the mobility challenges.
Also, what kind of diagnostics were done? We learned a little about spleen ultrasounds when Dr. Pam did this one several years ago. If you click on the link and read the post, you'll see that the dog survived the surgery. So that leads me to my next question: did you get another opinion? I would. Even if your vet is super skilled, it would help to get an opinion from another vet who is well-versed in treating geriatric dog internal medicine. If you'd like help finding one please let me know.
Yes, you have an older pup for sure, but for dogs, age really is a number and each case is different. To help you decide I think that a second opinion from a specialist would be a good way to go.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Just finished reading about his "senior/mobility " issues. On that front, he seems to be doing okay, and maybe could even do better if uou arr tavle yo follo in some of the suggestions.
Yeah, like Jerry asked, what were his "symptoms ", if any, that made you check to see what was going on with his spleen?
And yes, it would be good to get a second opinion, especially with advice on how strong a candidate he is for this surgery. Cert anemia, ability to bounce back for a senior already in his golden years who has been an amazing tripawd fot NINE years!!
It's clear you have your pup's best interest at heart. As we all know on this journey, it's all about quality over quantity.
Something you might check into: yunnan baiyan (sp?).
Keep us posted.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie 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 there!
My Mitchell dog just celebrated one year spleen free. He had emergency surgery last January and did really well. I would strongly advise getting the senior blood panel to make sure there is nothing else to worry about. Mitchell is 10ish and has had some health issues. He did wonderful without that nasty old spleen and recovered very well. I have a post in the forums with pictures and all if you are interested.
If his bloodwork comes back ok then I say better out than in. I am not a vet, this is just my opinion. The surgery is relatively quick and I think you will def outweigh with good than bad before he ends up in big trouble.
https://tripawd.....-mitchell/
Good luck and please stay in touch!
Jackie and Huckleberry 
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Hi! First, I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this situation. We’ve been there and it’s definitely not a fun time to be facing down a surgery of any kind.
That said, we’ve been through the splenectomy process with three senior pups, though not with a Tripawd. My sister’s 70 lb dog Bailey was 13 and our 65 lb dog Pee Wee was 14 at the time of their splenectomies. Bailey did have some mobility issues and they didn’t interfere with her recovery at all. Both pups were hospitalized for just under 24 hours total and recovered really well afterwards. Their masses were benign.
Our other dog Bear was 11 when his mass was found after he became suddenly very lethargic necessitating a trip to the ER. He was severely anemic when he was admitted for diagnostic workup and they wanted to perform emergency surgery but our regular vet, whom I knew well and trusted immensely, wanted him started on yunnan baiyao overnight to minimize the risk of him bleeding out while in surgery. Benny55 mentioned this above and I second her recommendation! It helped stabilize him and he recovered well from the surgery. He was hospitalized for about 48 hours after surgery as they wanted to make sure his anemia improved prior to discharge. Bear’s mass was not benign (stromal sarcoma) BUT he lived 13 months after diagnosis with a good quality of life.
A couple of words of advice:
- Even benign splenic masses can get really large and can rupture and bleed. There is NO way to tell if a mass is benign or not until a pathologist looks at it after the spleen has been taken out. Unless a surgeon advises against the procedure for your pup, I would personally do it due to the risk of rupture.
- I strongly recommend having a board certified surgeon at a 24 hour fully staffed hospital and not just a regular vet do the procedure. It is not uncommon for dogs to have ventricular arrhythmias after this procedure (Bear and Pee Wee both did) and they should be monitored closely post surgery. Also, though Bear did not end up needing a blood transfusion we knew he might given how anemic he was. I don’t think many regular vets have the ability to do this. My sister had her regular vet do Bailey’s surgery and they didn’t feel she was ready for discharge at the end of the day so my sister had to pick her up and drive her to a 24 hour hospital after surgery. It was an additional stressor that neither needed. She regretted not having the procedure done at the hospital to begin with. I also feel like a surgeon and anesthesiologist can weigh in more effectively on whether or not your pup is a good candidate for this surgery.
We will be thinking good thoughts for you. Please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions or need support.
Heather
Our angel Tripawd had hemangiosarcoma in a front leg which we amputated. When it eventually spread to his spleen we did the surgery and he recovered well. Was able to walk that day and recovered the same as I feel he would have if he had 4 legs. He was a big boy almost 11 yrs old and 110lbs pre amputation
Thank you all. His spleen ruptured yesterday. I rushed him to the vet & he underwent an emergency splenectomy. A 3 lb 10 ounce spleen/mass was removed. He was nearly dead from the rupture. He was stabilized & made it through surgery, but shortly after (within an hour) he suddenly became unresponsive. The vet tried CPR but he wouldn’t come back. His heart couldn’t take it. His bloodwork showed that his heart was at an elevated risk, so I knew surgery was a risk. I miss my boy so much already.
Oh no! I am so sorry for your loss, you have my deepest condolences. You did everything you could to save him, never forget that.
Sending you hugs and love, please find peace in knowing you did everything you could. He's up with our angels now in his beautiful new wings, whole and pain free.
Jackie and Huckleberry ❤️
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry
I am so saddened to read your update. My heart goes out to you- I am so sorry for loss of your beloved pup. You will remain in my thoughts.
Shaming my head in disbelief of what I'm reading. This just breaks our hearts to hear this. I'm so very, very sorry. You have been through such a roller coaster of emotions trying to figure out what path to take. These masses can be so brutal and so unpredictable.
You tried, against all odds, you tried. And your pup knows you tried. I dont know if I can say this in a way that makes sense.qSomehow it's as though your wonderful wise senior pup found his own way to let you know you didn't have to struggle with a decision. He made it for you in his own way.
You adopted a tripawd who most likely had been looked over many times. Ypu loved him, you cared for him, you brought him so much joy and happiness every single second he was with you.
Just as you felt privileged to have this wonderful Soul in your life, he felt just as privileged to have you in his❤
Please, when you can, tell us more about your boy who liked to eat and laze around. What's his name?. Your favorite nickname for him? And we would love pictures too. Here's a link for adding images .
You have a rough road full of grief ahead of you. We know that, when you love hard, you grieve hard. We also know that the happy memories will eventually help push the grief further into the background. And we also know that your beloved pup will make his presence known and let you know he is running free at The Rainbow Bridge.
Surrounding you with our love
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie 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!
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