Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all,
My name is Kayla. My fiance Steve and I have a 3 year old male Leonberger named Meeko, who is a certified therapy dog. He is a giant breed and weighs 120 pounds. Meeko started limping in June but I thought it was because I accidentally cut his nail too short. The limp did go away but came back. Meeko went to the vet 7-10-12 for the limp and was put on a course of Rimadyl for inflammation. The vet suspected a pulled muscle or ligament at that time. Meeko responded to the Rimadyl somewhat and the limp was intermitten so we did not return to the vet right away. However, over the weeks that followed the limp became more consistent and he went to the vet on 9-7-12 for a re-check. At that time he was sedated and xrays were taken of the affected leg (right rear). The xrays showed a drastically deteriorated distal tibia, presumably a bone tumor. We were at the specialist the next day on 9-8-12 as an emergency walk-in for a consultation. The ER vet recommended we see a surgeon for a consult. We met specifically with a surgeon on 9-10-12 who told us that he felt positive it was cancer and that he felt strongly about amputating the leg. We decided to get a second opinion at another specialty hospital the next day 9-11-12. On that day we decided to meet with an oncologist instead of a surgeon since we were told it was almost definitely cancer. The oncologist got our hopes up when she told us that the bone lesion may just be a benign bone cyst. She told us the only way to know for sure was to perform a biopsy (which we knew since the surgeon at the first hospital told us that the day before). Luckily I really "clicked" with the oncologist, felt very comfortable with her and she gave us a more affordable price for the biopsy than the first hospital. We proceeded with the biopsy same day, luckily had an uneventful and quick recovery in the days that followed. A few days later on 9-16-12 we were sadly given the news that our boy Meeko does have cancer. Luckily though we were told that it is not osteosarcoma and is instead a much milder form of cancer known as chondrosarcoma. Chondrosarcoma is cartilage cancer and is locally aggressive, but very rarely metastasizes to other areas of the body which of course is a great things compared to the horribly high rate of metastases that you get with osteo. Because Meeko's knee is so badly eaten away already, the oncologist did recommend amputation as did the surgeon from the first opinion hospital. My future father-in-law upon hearing the news of Meeko's diagnosis told us to go see his friend who is a veterinarian for a third opinion. Since we knew we weren't dealing with osteosarcoma we felt okay taking a few more days to go see yet another vet. This third vet took our biopsy results and consulted with an oncology colleague at U of Penn. We were saddened to hear that the oncologist at U of Penn thinks it might be osteosarcoma after all. Come to find out, the biopsy samples were small pieces and he didn't feel confident in their reliability from a diagnostic point of view. So we were brought back to square one and to this very moment aren't sure if we are dealing with chondro or osteo. We were presented with 2 choices - either have a second biopsy performed wherein they'd take bigger samples (and consequently jeopardize the leg even more) OR head straight to amputation and do a post-amputation biopsy to confirm which type of cancer it is. Needless to say we said "no" to wasting any more time and are going straight for amputation. Meeko is scheduled for amp surgery this Monday morning 10-1-12. We have already stocked up on old blankets and towels. My fiance Steve has constructed a sturdy wooden ramp for our front porch. I purchased a baby gate to confine Meeko to our living room while he recovers. Tomorrow we are going to buy boneless chicken and a few cans of chicken broth so we are prepared to entice him to eat in case Meeko looses his appetite after surgery. We will also be preparing ourselves for wound seepage by buying potty training pads. I will be buying a cold pack and pill pockets in case he needs to be iced or if he becomes finicky about taking his meds. (I am BIG on planning/thinking ahead and would rather be over prepared than under prepared!!) I figure I can always return any unopened supplies that we end of not needing.
I joined the forum here to meet and become friendly with other tripawd owners. I'd like to gain insight into living with our soon to be three-legged baby. I'd also like to learn as much as I can about whatever type of cancer it ends up being. I'm leaning very strongly towards a holistic treatment approach after amputation. I very much like the idea of a natural low-carb diet, integrating the use of Artemisinin , starting supplements, massage therapy, etc.
So that is our story thus far! Please share with me your experiences and recommendations. I'd greatly appreciate any and all help along this journey 
Our tripawd is Meeko. Four and a half year old male Leonberger. Certified therapy dog with his CGC. Diagnosed with grade 1 chondrosarcoma 9-16-12. Right rear leg amputated 10-1-12. We also had Casper who was an 8 year old Great Pyrenees diagnosed with osteosarcoma. We sent him to the Rainbow Bridge 10-29-11.
Welcome to Tripawds, your future posts will not require moderation.
I'm sorry you are dealing with cancer in your boy- and so young too! You have found a very supportive and knowledgeable community here.
Have you read through Jerry's Required Reading List or downloaded the ebook Three Legs and a Spare? Both are compilations of good information from this site on what to expect with amputation, treatment, and recovery.
My little pug was a rear amp due to mast cell cancer. Her prognosis was 6 to 9 months due to lymph node involvement but she lived almost 4 years. She taught me to always be optimistic!
I have a local friend named Cemil, he is a 150 pound Anatolian Shepard front amp from OSA. His mom chose not to do chemo and he is over 3 years past his surgery! Not all are so lucky, but Maggie and Cemil show that there is always hope.
For absorbant pads you might also consider the human incontinence pads. The come in different sizes and don't have what ever they use on puppy training pads to attract the dog. Hopefully you don't need them at all.
Good luck with the surgery on Monday and keep us posted on how Meeko and you are doing. Let us know too if you have specific questions.
Karen and the pugapalooza
Edited to add: Since you like to prepare you should look at some post amp pictures so you have an idea of what to expect. You can find some in the Tripawds Gallery, scroll down a ways to the treatment and surgery pics. And to make you smile check out the Tripawds Videos and see lots of happy tripawds enjoying life on three!
Hi Kayla,
I'm so sorry about Meeko. What a beautiful boy he is!
Like you, our Dylan, a 7 1/2 year old, 121 lb yellow lab started limping around in July. We thought maybe he slipped on the deck and the limp would go away. It didn't. We noticed a small lump on his left front leg and decided we better get it checked out. Our regular vet took xrays and suggested we go to an oncologist vet. We took him and the vet told us pretty much the same thing. He needed to do a biopsy to know what he was dealing with. He suspected cancer but the biopsy would tell us for sure. The biopsy was done several days later. This lump on his leg was getting bigger and bigger and fast!
Like you, it was cancer but it was much like Meeko's. It was locally aggresive and rarely metastizes to other areas. He was diagnosed with myxosarcoma. We decided to go with the amputation. Heartbroken and afraid for him as he is so big we didn't know if he would be able to get around with a missing front leg plus he wasn't very young either. He was always a couch potato and we were worried if he would ever get up again. Thank goodness we found this forum! It helped so much to read how older and large breeds adapted. It was such a relief to hear other stories and we were confident we were doing the right thing for Dylan.
Dylan had his surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago. He came thru it wonderful. Hopped right out of the vets office! We were amazed and still are. He was pretty loopy the first two days but still ate (never lost his appetite) and went out and down a ramp to do his business. I made a sling so we could help him. He had his stitches out and the bandage off last week and is doing great. Then the next day after bandages came off-he woke up yelping and crying. I didn't know what to think! This happened several times and thru this forum I learned he was probably having phantom limb pain. We gave him a smaller dosage of tramadol (he was off the meds for over a week) and that helped. It hasn't happened again in the last two days. We are so happy and relieved.
So I can tell you that the first two weeks after the amp is rough. There will be good days and then some not so good but little by little Meeko will make progress.
Good luck tomorrow, I will be thinking of you and Meeko and sending good thoughts your way. This forum is such a great help. I would have been lost without it. Dylan is only 2 1/2 weeks out from surgery and as I said before--we are amazed at his progress.
Helen,
Dylansmom
Your story brought back so many memories. We had the intermittent limp, conflicting veterinary opinions, and so many decisions to consider.
We only did one second opinion, and found the vet we were comfortable with and who treated Trouble from surgery until we had to let her go. I hope your experiences will be as positive as ours. The first two weeks are very stressful as they heal and learn to live on three legs.
Our vet did surgery you would expect from a plastic surgeon. There were only internal stitches and a glued edge. There was no seeping, no drain, and no cone. You may not have that to deal with at all.
You will be in our thoughts as surgery time approaches.
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.
Welcome Meeko & Family! Our boy Max was a front left amp in November 2008 for osteosarcoma. We opted to have chemo; he had 6 rounds of carboplatin, and handled them pretty well. Since chemo's effect is cumulative, he was down a little more on treatments 5 & 6; otherwise, he did really well.
It sounds like you are really prepared for Meeko's surgery. Keep in mind that every dog is different. Some dogs have a really uneventful recovery, other dogs take a little longer. It took about 4.5 weeks until we saw the "real" Max emerge from the haze of drugs he was on. Be sure to have a backup for your pill pockets. Max figured those out about 2 days after the surgery. We switched many times, from rolled up cheese balls to braunschweiger (which worked really well). Honestly, getting him to take all his post-surgery meds was almost worst for me than the amputation!
We'll be thinking of Meeko and you guys tomorrow, sending our best wishes his way. Please try to update tomorrow when you can!
Hi and welcome to you and Meeko, sorry you had to find us here.
Sounds like you are well prepared. Try to get some good sleep tonight! Don't worry too much if he seems depressed during his recovery, that is pretty normal.
Do you have some sort of sling for helping him in and out of the car? I just used an old towel and sewed handles on to it, or you could use a reusable shopping bag and cut the sides out of it, then line it with a towel.
Some dogs come home with a bandage on, so seepage might not be an issue. Our Abby didn't have a bandage so we had old towels down everywhere to help catch any drops, and we'd keep an old tshirt on her. For a rear leg amp (he is a rear leg amp, yes?) an old pair of boxer shorts with the tail through the flap works well.
I hope you find out he doesn't have OSA! Keep us posted and good luck tomorrow!
Jackie, angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Hi Kayla and Meeko, welcome. We think Leonburgers are da bomb! Such super sweet pups.
Well, I'm so sorry you found yourself here, but you're in good company with lots of folks who can help you get through this. It sounds like you're well-prepared and have a fabulous veterinary team on your side, I'm gonna bet you and Meeko will do fine.
Did you know we have some information about chondrosarcoma in our News blog, among other places?
My biggest piece of advice other than the logistics of managing amputation recovery, is to manage your own mental health so you can stay calm and balanced through this whole thing. Remember that Meeko will pick up on your emotions and what you believe about the future, so stay strong and show him that you really believe he is a strong capable boy. That will make recovery soooo much easier on all of you.
And of course whatever questions you have, don't hesitate to ask OK? We're here to help. Good luck on the 1st! Keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
krun15 said
Have you read through Jerry's Required Reading List or downloaded the ebook Three Legs and a Spare? Both are compilations of good information from this site on what to expect with amputation, treatment, and recovery.
For absorbant pads you might also consider the human incontinence pads. The come in different sizes and don't have what ever they use on puppy training pads to attract the dog. Hopefully you don't need them at all.Edited to add: Since you like to prepare you should look at some post amp pictures so you have an idea of what to expect. You can find some in the Tripawds Gallery, scroll down a ways to the treatment and surgery pics. And to make you smile check out the Tripawds Videos and see lots of happy tripawds enjoying life on three!
Karen, thanks so much! I have started looking through the required reading list and will be downloading the ebook. I love to read and am trying to educate myself as much as possible.
You have a good point about the potty training pads having something on them to attract the dog to pee. I don't want to introduce anything like to his wound site nor do I want to encourage peeing in the house. I've also been advised that unscented maxi pads for women work well too!
I have definitely had a thorough look through the Tripawds galleries and feel prepared for what I will see when I pick Meeko up from the hospital on Tuesday. The videos on this site are very inspirational!
Our tripawd is Meeko. Four and a half year old male Leonberger. Certified therapy dog with his CGC. Diagnosed with grade 1 chondrosarcoma 9-16-12. Right rear leg amputated 10-1-12. We also had Casper who was an 8 year old Great Pyrenees diagnosed with osteosarcoma. We sent him to the Rainbow Bridge 10-29-11.
dylansmom said
Like you, it was cancer but it was much like Meeko's. It was locally aggresive and rarely metastizes to other areas. He was diagnosed with myxosarcoma.
Dylan had his surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago. He came thru it wonderful.
Good luck tomorrow, I will be thinking of you and Meeko and sending good thoughts your way. This forum is such a great help. I would have been lost without it. Dylan is only 2 1/2 weeks out from surgery and as I said before--we are amazed at his progress.
Helen, I'm so sorry about Dylan's diagnosis. At least it is a cancer that rarely spreads! I'm glad to hear that he is doing well and making good progress. Hopefully the phantom pain
won't return and it is all good forward progress from here. I'll be sure to keep the forum updated on my boy's progress. Thanks for the prayers
Our tripawd is Meeko. Four and a half year old male Leonberger. Certified therapy dog with his CGC. Diagnosed with grade 1 chondrosarcoma 9-16-12. Right rear leg amputated 10-1-12. We also had Casper who was an 8 year old Great Pyrenees diagnosed with osteosarcoma. We sent him to the Rainbow Bridge 10-29-11.
Hi Kayla and Meeko,
I'm sorry for Meeko's impending amputation but can say through experience that you have found the perfect support system with this forum. My greyhound Rocket had his right front leg amputated for osteosarcoma on 3/20/2012 and then 6 rounds of chemo. He is currently on low dose chemo pills and was clear on his last checkup 9/20/2012. We are still cautious but ever so optimistic.
My advice for the next few weeks is to listen to those on this forum-- it worked for us. You will be amazed by the resiliency of Meeko after the surgery-- dogs are amazing. Bottom line is he will react how YOU react. The beat piece of advise I listened to was to treat him normally---BUT also tell him how great he is doing and how proud you are of him. I still do that daily and Rocket clearly responds to it. As for normalcy, we made sure Rocket had normal surroundings which made his mood better when he came home.
Good luck tomorrow -- our prayers are with you and Meeko.
Lynda and Rocket
jerry said
It sounds like you're well-prepared and have a fabulous veterinary team on your side, I'm gonna bet you and Meeko will do fine.
Did you know we have some information about chondrosarcoma in our News blog, among other places?My biggest piece of advice other than the logistics of managing amputation recovery, is to manage your own mental health so you can stay calm and balanced through this whole thing.
Jerry, thanks so much! I'm very happy with our veterinary team and I feel as though we are in good hands. That alone helps a lot. I have not looked for info on chondrosarcoma on this site yet but I am delighted that you pointed out where I can find some info. Thanks for that!
I'm a big believer in caring for your mental health so I will be taking care of myself over the next few weeks as well as making sure my fiance is doing okay too. Meeko deserves to know that his parents have confidence in him!
maximutt said
Be sure to have a backup for your pill pockets. Max figured those out about 2 days after the surgery. We switched many times, from rolled up cheese balls to braunschweiger (which worked really well). Honestly, getting him to take all his post-surgery meds was almost worst for me than the amputation!
We'll be thinking of Meeko and you guys tomorrow, sending our best wishes his way. Please try to update tomorrow when you can!
I am going to stock up on all kinds of yummy stuff to get him to take his meds!! I had a Great Pyrenees who would not take pill pockets, cheese balls, rolled up sandwich meat, peanut butter or pretty much anything. Over the years I've gained a few tricks up my sleeve! LOL Meeko luckily doesn't fuss over medicine and hopefull he stays that way...
I'll be sure to update tomorrow!
hugapitbull said
I hope your experiences will be as positive as ours. The first two weeks are very stressful as they heal and learn to live on three legs.
Our vet did surgery you would expect from a plastic surgeon. There were only internal stitches and a glued edge. There was no seeping, no drain, and no cone. You may not have that to deal with at all.
I hope our experiences will be as positive as yours as well!! I am ready for the next 2 weeks to be filled with its ups and downs and all kinds of life changes and adaptations...
I am really hoping Meeko's wound isn't going to seep or drain. I will deal with it if it happens but that will be hard on me...
AngelAbbysMom said
Do you have some sort of sling for helping him in and out of the car? I just used an old towel and sewed handles on to it, or you could use a reusable shopping bag and cut the sides out of it, then line it with a towel.
Some dogs come home with a bandage on, so seepage might not be an issue. Our Abby didn't have a bandage so we had old towels down everywhere to help catch any drops, and we'd keep an old tshirt on her. For a rear leg amp (he is a rear leg amp, yes?) an old pair of boxer shorts with the tail through the flap works well.I hope you find out he doesn't have OSA! Keep us posted and good luck tomorrow!
Jackie, we have plenty of old towels to use as a sling to help him. We have old bed sheets too. I like the shopping bag idea for the sake of having handles. He is pretty good with us using a sling to help him. We used a towel when he was recovery from the biopsy surgery so hopefully he remembers it...
I don't know why some vets use a bandage and some don't? He is a rear leg amp indeed. It seems (at least from my point of view) that bandages are used more for front leg amps. Maybe they are easier to wrap than rear amps? We shall see what the surgeon does and go from there. No matter what, I'll care for him however he needs. We have plenty of old tshirts and boxer shorts
Our tripawd is Meeko. Four and a half year old male Leonberger. Certified therapy dog with his CGC. Diagnosed with grade 1 chondrosarcoma 9-16-12. Right rear leg amputated 10-1-12. We also had Casper who was an 8 year old Great Pyrenees diagnosed with osteosarcoma. We sent him to the Rainbow Bridge 10-29-11.
Hi kayla and meeko.
We are thinking of you and sending healthy energy your way tonight. My 80 lb. retriever, Sam was diagnosed about one month ago. Our first biopsy was a needle aspirate, which said cancer, but couldn't tell us what kind. Like you, there was no reason to wait tor the surgery. Even if it told us something other than osteo, we would have still gone ahead with amputation. We realized, with the help of many tripawd friends, that the final diagnosis only mattered with the decision to treat with chemo or not.
As it turned out the post amp biopsy showed it was osteo and we were grateful we moved as fast with the surgery as we did. That day was hard. I would suggest having something to do to keep your mind busy tomorrow.
One month later, Sam is doing great. He took a little longer than some to get used to life on three. But, once we all realized there was very little he couldn't do, his transformation to a tripaw was amazing to see. Every time we think there is something he cant do, he does it anyway. It is not all roses, especially those first weeks. Be sure to celebrate all the little victories each day.
We really, really hope for you that it turns out to be the less aggressive cancer. Our thoughts and prayers are with you tomorrow and we look forward to hearing about meekos recovery.
Hugs from far away friends tonight.
Samdog and his mom
Samdog was a 10 yr old Golden and retired SAR dog. We found a bone mass on 8/17/12, needle biopsy showed sarcoma 8/22/12, amputation on 8/23/12, post-amp biopsy confirmed osteosarcoma on 8/28/12. Sadly, we found lung mets on 11/27/12 and my Spirit Sam earned his wings on 12/2/12.
We didn't know where we were headed and we don't regret a single step along our path. It all happened too fast, but he left a legacy of love that we will always cherish. Good bye my heart.
You can find our story at http://samdog.t.....ipawds.com
Meeko3Leonberger said
I don't know why some vets use a bandage and some don't?
We asked Dr. Wiltzius here once, and I believe she said it's really a matter of veterinarian's preference. Some believe that bandages help to reduce the risk of a seroma in large-breed dogs so they use them in that circumstance. But it's so hard to wrap a rear-legger's incision, so you hardly see them with bandages.
Good luck today! You couldn't have picked a better day, since today is my birthday! Keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Best of luck today Meeko, mommy and daddy.
Sending positive golden thoughts your way. Here's hoping he bounces right back, and adjusts to being a tripawd quickly.
Sounds like you have everything covered, so I just thought I would add a little suggestion. A thick bathrobe tie works really well as a sling too. Obviously, a thick one is better than a thin one. Its washable, and its usually pretty long, so you have enough to hang on to. (not sure I would use it at first, but it worked great for our dog after her ACL surgery) it offered support, but it wasnt too big, and didnt get in the way of her going potty). Also, elevated water bowls, and food bowls is much easier for a tripawd.
That's all I have to offer, and by the looks of things, you are prepared!!!!
Best of luck, and healing to you all.
xoxoxo Fenway and mama Sue
rocket414 said
My greyhound Rocket had his right front leg amputated for osteosarcoma on 3/20/2012 and then 6 rounds of chemo. He is currently on low dose chemo pills and was clear on his last checkup 9/20/2012. We are still cautious but ever so optimistic.My advice for the next few weeks is to listen to those on this forum-- it worked for us. You will be amazed by the resiliency of Meeko after the surgery-- dogs are amazing. Bottom line is he will react how YOU react. The beat piece of advise I listened to was to treat him normally---BUT also tell him how great he is doing and how proud you are of him. I still do that daily and Rocket clearly responds to it. As for normalcy, we made sure Rocket had normal surroundings which made his mood better when he came home.
Lynda, I will keep Rocket in my thoughts and prayers!! We will have to do chest xrays every 3 months with Meeko so I have a feeling I will know all too soon about being cautious but yet optimistic.
We are definitely going to keep things normal for Meeko and encourage him. He has always responded well to us being proud of him.
samdog said
As it turned out the post amp biopsy showed it was osteo and we were grateful we moved as fast with the surgery as we did. That day was hard. I would suggest having something to do to keep your mind busy tomorrow.
We really, really hope for you that it turns out to be the less aggressive cancer.
I'm so sorry about Sam. I lost my Great Pyrenees to osteo last October (can't believe its been almost a year already). The disease is so horrible. I will be praying for Sam! We have our fingers crossed that our boy has the less aggressive cancer.
jerry said
Meeko3Leonberger said
I don't know why some vets use a bandage and some don't?
We asked Dr. Wiltzius here once, and I believe she said it's really a matter of veterinarian's preference. Some believe that bandages help to reduce the risk of a seroma in large-breed dogs so they use them in that circumstance. But it's so hard to wrap a rear-legger's incision, so you hardly see them with bandages.
Good luck today! You couldn't have picked a better day, since today is my birthday! Keep us posted.
Happy birthday Jerry! Meeko is doing well. No bandage for his incision. I'm going to say more about his surgery below....
goldenmama said
A thick bathrobe tie works really well as a sling too.
Sue, I totally LOVE the bathrobe tie idea! I think eventually that'll be great for our boy Meeko. Thanks for that idea
Our tripawd is Meeko. Four and a half year old male Leonberger. Certified therapy dog with his CGC. Diagnosed with grade 1 chondrosarcoma 9-16-12. Right rear leg amputated 10-1-12. We also had Casper who was an 8 year old Great Pyrenees diagnosed with osteosarcoma. We sent him to the Rainbow Bridge 10-29-11.
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