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.
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Hello. Admit I'm not thrilled to be here but so thankful we stumbled on this site. Our 8 1/2 year old golden retriever was diagnosed with a sarcoma. We noticed it 1 week ago Saturday, went to our vet, Had aspirated testing from regular vet and met with oncologist today. Because the cancer is spreading up his leg into/near his body, the oncologist (with brief look by surgeon) said amputation was the only option- we'd never get enough margin otherwise. As it is, he is concerned we won't get all of it and will need to follow up with radiation. He also said we did not have 3 weeks to think about it. We are trying to process and try to figure out what the "right" thing to do for us is.
Had anyone done amputation and no radiation? Oncologist said 80%chance of getting it with amputation and radiation. Trying to guesstimate how that translates to years with us and the expense (close to $10k) but I feel horrible for even mentioning money. I've read many stories- anyone care to comment on why or why not no radiation after amputation? Any advice? Tilghman is a total goof and love bug and doesn't seem phased by all of this. I feel like we have to give him a chance to fight...?
Hi Emmie,
Well you are correct; this is the club that nobody wants to join, for sure. But we're glad you found us and hope that we can help make your journey easier.
Do you know exactly what kind of sarcoma your Tilghman has? It sounds like something other than osteosarcoma? Where will you be getting treatments done? At a university or a private practice?
You are doing all the right things by getting your options lined up in front of you. Don't ever feel badly for bring up money as a concern; every one of us has to factor that into our pet's healthcare decisions, it's a fact of life. It doesn't mean we don't love them any less, I promise. Your dog just wants you to be happy; if you go into horrible debt over this, you will be miserable trying to make those payments, and Tilghman wouldn't want that. You need to balance what you can afford to do with what will help him the most, in order to give him the best quality of life possible.
I didn't do chemotherapy when I had my amputation. It was a crap shoot, but I lived 2 years. We have seen many dogs outlive the prognosis they are given. Chemo and radiation is no guarantee that the cancer won't behave badly, so you just never know how it will play out really. You have to make the best decision that you know you can live with should the worst case scenario happen.
I think this post might help you a bit: Why Didn't You Do Chemo?
And of course, check out our Required Reading List and ebook, "Three Legs & a Spare" for more information about what to expect with life on three legs.
Thanks again for joining us, your future posts won't require moderation.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Welcome to Tripawds, we like to say 'sorry you had to find us', but you beat us to it.
My understanding of radiation therapy is that you need something to shoot at. Once Maggie's leg was removed the tumor was gone, we did chemo because there were cancerous cells in her lymph node, but no more tumors (at that time anyway). Maggie had mast cell cancer, but I think most of those here with osteosarcoma have the same experience. I don't remember very many people talking about doing radiation here.
So is your situation that even with amputation part of the tumor would remain?
I do remember a pup named Happy (posted as happy2003) who had a nerve sheath tumor and had an amp then radiation, 5 weeks I think. Here is a link to all of the posts Happy's pack started: http://tripawds.....038;type=5. Maybe there is something there that will help. We haven't heard from them for awhile, hopefully no news is good news!
Don't feel bad about considering costs. None of us have unlimited funds, it's just a fact, it doesn't mean you love your boy any less.
Karen and the pugapalooza
It is not osteosarcoma-- nerve sheath tumor or something similar. So we can feel the big tumor on his upper right front leg and the mini "string of pearls" that extend up out of it. What bothers us is that we ont know the extent of the tumor or stage until after surgery. Oncologist said it is not an option to just remove the tumor as it has spread up his front leg-- we have to amputate.
Oh I'm sorry. Yeah unfortunately these tumors can do that. Most times when there are no options besides an amp, cancer is staged afterward. lots of pups here have dealt with the same tumors and went on to live great lives, just search forums for stories.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Like others have said I am sorry you had to find us here. Sassy, has Osteoscaroma different type of cancer so we did the amputation & chemo. No radiation. We would have had to travel to Colorado or Kansas to have that done as there is no where in Council Bluff Iowa/Nebraska at least close to where I live to have it done. Sassy will have a total of 5 chemo treatments
Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013
05/04/2006 - Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19 fought cancer for 4 months.
"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."
Just wanted to wish you all the best tomorrow. Lupe had a STS but it was a nasty one, amputation was the only option and I didn't speak to an oncologist about radiation or chemo. I would definitely prob them about options because my understanding is in line with Karen's above...if the tumor is gone, what would radiation get rid of?
Best of luck tomorrow and please keep us posted on Tilghman's progress.
Best,
Kori & Angel Lupe
Diagnosed with possible synovial cell sarcoma of right front elbow 5/31/12. Amputation surgery performed 6/7/12. Final diagnosis of histiocytic cell sarcoma 6/11/12. Her soul and spirit were strong, her body was not...my little girl earned her wings 6/14/12. "If there are labradoodles and goldendoodles, why can't I be a cockadoodle?"-Angel Lupe (June 28, 1997-June14, 2012) http://lupepod......pawds.com/
Just wanted to say hi and to let you know I will be thinking about you tomorrow. Keep us posted on how the surgery goes. If you have any questions on what the expect after the surgery let us know. We have all been there and everyone here is always willing to help.
“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.” ― Milan Kundera
I'm so sorry you are going through this.
Our Spencer had fibrosarcoma. We saw the tumor, took him right to the vet, had the biopsy done the next morning and the leg was amputated one week after we first saw it. We did know the tumor type since we had the biopsy done (they didn't even try to aspirate, went in and took a sample). Unfortunately for us Spencers was a grade 3.
We did do amputation, then followed up with Chemo for 15 weeks (once per week), then more chemo when it went to his lungs. I don't regret at all the treatments and the money spent. Spencer never had a bad day until the day we had to put him to sleep.
Our oncologist told me that if Spencer's had been a grade 1 or 2 that the amputation would have likely been a curative surgery. He also told me that 90% of fibrosarcomas ARE grade 1 or 2 (and that 90% occur in dogs over 10 years old). We just had all of the bad luck with Spencer's tumor.
Spencer was back up and running just days after his amputation. I am positive that the surgery bought him months, probably 5+. The vet suspected that the rate that his tumor was growing that if we hadn't done the amputation we would have had to put him to sleep less than a month after we first found it. We had 6 months with him after finding the tumor and they were 6 wonderful months.
I still wish it could have been a less aggressive cancer and that somehow he could have beaten it. about 5 months after Spencer died we adopted a new dog, Teddy. I am positive that if we ever face the same situation with Teddy that we will again go the amputation and chemo route.
Jac and Angel Spencer. Spencer was 5.25 years old. He fought a grade 3 fibrosarcoma, started on his shoulder. Left front leg amputated in August 2011. 15 weeks of chemo finished 12/22/11 (mytox and adria). Lung mets found on x-rays 12/28/11. Started carboplatin 1/6/12. Went to Heaven on 2/27/12. I miss him like crazy every day. See his blog here: http://spencer.tripawds.com/
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