Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I feel hopeless. My vet does not want to amputate. My dal has OS in the left front leg. The vets opinion is that it metastasizes to the lungs frequently, even before the dog has made a recovery from the amputation. I do not see much about this on these blogs. Does anyone have any comments regarding amputation benefit vs this metastatic issue?
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There is hope! You just need to find a new vet.
Better yet, find a specialist, veterinary oncologist or teaching hospital. Yes, OS is an aggressive nasty disease. And if it has already metastasized in the lungs then palliative care may be the right course of treatment, instead of amputation. But if not, you can buy precious time with your pup by proceding with the amputation.
Perhaps your next step should be to get some high quality chest x-rays done. Amputation will not keep the cancer away. The surgery is primarily to alleviate pain, and eliminate local spread of the disease. Metastasis will occur. But if the lungs are clean, Dal can enjoy a pain free life on three legs until they do appear.
My doctor gave me 3-4 months when I had my amputation. Here I am over 18 months later, loving life. While my mets have reared ther ugly little heads, we have them under control with oral chemo and metronomic therapy. IV chemotherapy may even be more effective. But amputation is where to begin.
Best of luck finding a vet knowledgable and compassionate enough to understand its all about quality of life, not quantity. Thanks for asking.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Halo's Mommy,
I would definitely get a second opinion.
It is true that statistically the cancer has already spreaded by the time limping occurs. However, it didn't sound like your vet would want to even try to find out if there were lung mets happening in your dog, either by taking chest x-ray or some other sophiscated scans. (radiographs sometimes can't pick up microscopic spreads)
Though in general, most vets would not recommend amputation if there is obvious evidence of lung mets.
Unfortunately amputation is not a cure. It is primarily to help eliminate the brutal pain coming from the bone tumor. The rest ... is to walk the journey with our furry friends one quality day at a time.
Good luck, and please keep us posted!
Jessie
Hello and welcome - although I'm sorry that you've found us during these circumstances of course.
As the others have said - find a new vet, but please do it very very quickly.
If your dogs chest is clear and if your dog is suitable in other respects for amputation, I would certainly go for it and be followed up with chemo.
Yes, the stats say that in 98% of cases, osteo has spread before you even know your dog has got it...but that means that in 2% of cases, it has not.
Someone has to be within that 2% margin and with my Darcy, that's something I have always clung to. There is room within the 2% for your dog too, if her chest is currently clear (((hug)))
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
Hi Halo, I had my amputation on 13 May - without chemo and I am still here, just without the pain. I would also advise your mommy to get a second opinion - my vet also recommended that I dont get the amputation and painted a very very sad picture, but mommy googled and talked to other (human) doctors - and from their advise (and my luck) we decided to amputate. Please dont listen to that vet, and get a second opinion! It will change your life! Good luck - we are here for you! Dee xxx
There is definitely hope. My understanding is that it's usually microscopically metastasized, but if you don't see visible tumors in the lung, it's absolutely the best pain relief method.
We saw a specialist for Barley's osteosarcoma, and the first vet at the group discouraged the surgery -- he had it in his left front leg, and had really bad hip dysplasia. We were trying to come to terms with what that meant when another vet at the same group called and did recommend amputation.
We are SO glad we went through with the surgery. Barley was 11 when he had it done, and we got another 8 awesome months with him afterwards. It was so worth it. He was a happy boy, and it didn't take him long to adjust to having 3 legs.
Good luck! 🙂
Remember that is his"opinion". Even after post amputation with my Buster it is recommended he get a chest x-ray every 3-6 months since that is a risk.
If it is conclusive that it has metastasised , you have to ask to what extent. That is why there is treatment available with chemo & radiation. The typo of cancer, chondrosarcoma, Buster had is resistant to such treatment although is was low grade.
The purpose of amputation is pain relief and clear margins. Especially, in my dogs case , the tumor was sitting on a nerve and the worry of the leg fracturing. Pain can drastically reduce quality of life. Not to mention a dependence on pain relievers. It is a leap of faith. Please see a specialist. Canine oncology has and continues to improve daily.
Get a 2nd opinion.... for your peace of mind. As with life ,there are no guarantee's. All we can do as pawrents is give our beloved pets a fighting chance to beat this dreaded disease -till we find a cure.
KIM&BUSTER
Kim & Angel Buster
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
–Anatole France
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