Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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So my dobie Ava had her left front leg amputated last Friday (24th Jan) because of ostersarcoma. She has done amazingly, I'm so proud of her.
We had one bad day on Sunday after a fall, where I had a little cry and wondered what I'd done to her but I spoke with the vet and we adjusted her pain meds and it's just been up from there. She's had 2 post op checks since, they drained a little bit of fluid off at both which had collected under the skin but they're all really happy with her too. I even heard one of the vet nurses comment on how strong she still was as she was running back to me after the 2nd fluid drainage 
She also managed the stairs last night for the first time, with supervision but she was struggling with being left out, coming down was my worry but she was awesome, even did a happy little dance at the bottom like she was saying see mum I told you I could do it 
For a nearly 11 year old she's done better than I could have ever expected.
So next it's chemo...I think. The vet has recommended 4 injections of carboplatin at monthly intervals and I've been told there tends to be very few side effects with this. I'm still undecided whether to do it though and had a couple of questions I was wondering if people here could help with.
She's been raw fed since she was 4 months old and a couple of people have mentioned the need to stop this during chemo because her immune system will be lower? I'm reluctant to swap something she's done so well on for so many years but obviously will if I needed to.
Also I've spoken to a friend who uses holistic medicine, she's mentioned mistletoe (or iscador) injections. Has anyone tried this? Or gone down the alternative medicine route to treat osteosarcoma?
And finally I've been recommended a supplement to boost her immunity prior to the chemo if it's what I choose for her next but it works out at about £60 a month which I just don't think I can afford on top of the chemo and amputation costs so is there another way I can help her immune system through it? What supplements have people used? I'm definitely going to add a joint supplement to help her remaining legs and some golden paste and CBD oil as well I think.
Sorry for the huge post
So glad Ava is doing so well! I cannot give you any suggestions in the chemo/holistic areas, but others can 
Sounds like you have had your hands full! I hope your son is feeling better, and I am so glad Ava's recovery is going so well. Good for you for monitoring / managing her pain levels 
I am sure others will be in soon to help!
Jackie and Huck
Hugs,
Jackie, Bo, Andy, Oscar, Phoebe, and the coolest feral tripawd kitty Huckleberry 
Glad to here Ava is doing well! We did 6 carboplatin treatments with Nitro; as for the raw diet, I hadn't heard anything about stopping it - maybe her oncologist would have some ideas. We did do some Chinese herbs with him shortly after surgery. His holistic vet prescribed Bone Stasis and Stasis Breaker. Hard to remember, but I think he was on them for like a year. His cancer never did return, but we'll never know if it was the chemo, or the herbs or just plain dumb luck. He also took a supplement called Immuplex made by Standard Process for his immune system. I believe he took this the entire time. Keep up the good work Ava! You've got this!
Paula and Warrior Angel Nitro
Nitro 11 1/2 yr old Doberman; right front amp June 2014. Had 6 doses carboplatin, followed by metronomic therapy. Rocked it on 3 legs for over 3 years! My Warrior beat cancer, but couldn't beat old age. He crossed the Bridge peacefully on July 25, 2017, with dignity and on his terms. Follow his blog entitled "Doberman's journey"
"Be good, mama loves you".....run free my beautiful Warrior
Thanks Jackie for adding the link to my previous post and yes it has been a bit busy, my son's much better now thank you.
She's going to be having the chemo at our regular vets rather than with a specialist oncologist and I don't think they're at all keen on raw at the best of times so I know what they'll tell me which is why I just wondered if anyone here knew anymore. And that's what I'm thinking at the moment Paula, I'm looking into all these options and alternatives for treatments and think the same, if one helps I'll never know which one I'll have a look at that immune supplement as well, thank you.
Beccy and Ava x
So good to hear from you! Brownie and I went the Hollostic route. He had ozone therapy. The way I understand it is cancer can not survive with oxygen. They draw blood from the neck (not painful) then put the blood in a chamber with oxygen. Then they insert the blood back into the dog. We did treatments for three weeks at one week apart. Then follow up once a month. Each session was 195.00. I had a Shepard that had chemo and she did very well. Brownie has anxiety attacks at the vet if I am not with him. I was told he didn't have much time, so I didn't want his last months to be stressed out. Who knew he would make it this long, but so happy he did.
There is a supplement called K9 immunity that helps support the immune system. Brownie has done great on it. You can find it in the nutrition blog on this site.comes in powder or treat form. Also Jerry told me about a joint supplement Actistatin that i highly recommend. Brownie thinks it's a treat, but you can also use it as a pill pocket.
Well I know you have a lot to think about but just remember there is not a wring answer. You need to do what is right for you and Ava.
So good to hear from you!
My Beautiful Beloved Brownie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on February 26, 2019. With all odds against him he lived an additional one year and eight days with amputation, love, and prayer. I was honored to be his mom, and I have never been so proud! He will live forever in my Heart!
04/01/2007 - 03/05/2020
"March Saint"
I'm always cautious about introducing more than one new thing at a time so that I know what may have caused a side effect if there was one. For example, I'm looking at changing my cat's food but need to know first how she is managing a new homeopathic remedy for her kidneys.
My cat Mona did not require chemotherapy after her leg amputation for a fibrosarcoma. I saw an integrative vet a month after her amputation for a chiropractic treatment and the vet put Mona on power mushrooms to support her immune system. After about a year Mona decided not to eat the wet food which contained the power mushrooms so I quit giving it to her.
I stay away from google advice and stick with only supplement recommendations supported by vets and/or veterinary research. The golden paste contains turmeric which is an anti-inflammatory and is supported by many vets. You may want to discuss giving it to your dog with the oncologist.
I'm not experienced in CBD oil but have a sister who works in a cannabis store that sells only regulated cannabis and CBD products in Canada. They have a medical doctor on staff for those who need it but they do not know about CBD dosages and purposes for pets since it's not yet regulated for pets in Canada. However, the staff is trained to steer customers to hemp CBD since the THC levels are very low. Here is a summary of CBD related info https://nutriti...../cannabis/
Recently I thought Mona at just about 14 year old would need something for arthritis. The vet said no, that her remaining front leg is fine but referred Mona for a chiropractic treatment for her pelvis area.
It's clear to me you want to support Ava's immune system and joints. There is a lot of advice out there and lots of ways to spend our money. I'd encourage you to go slow and only introduce the supplements you really need as you go through these steps giving Ava a great quality of life.
Kerren and Tripawd Kitty Mona
You can also check out The Dog Cancer Survival Guide , as well as The Dog Cancer Diet. They are both available here, I believe in ebook form, but not sure about that. In addition to the great input above you'll also find some similar information, as well as additional information.
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!
Happy to hear Ava is doing well!
My borzoi Razbeg did 4 carboplatin treatments after amputation & had no side effects. Now he is on metronomics and so far that has gone well, too.
Before chemo Razbeg ate raw food, but our oncologist said that during chemo raw diet is an absolute no. That's exactly because chemo lowers the immune system and it's possible to get bacterial infection from raw food. I have continued to give Razbeg the same food as ever, I just cook it first. I don't think that's such a dramatic change, and many dogs seem to like the taste of cooked meat.
Power mushrooms, colostrum and conifer extracts are good immune boosters, but also many ordinary plants, berries and herbs are.
Razbeg the rescue borzoi (born in 11.06.2009) became a tripawd in 20.09.2018.
He and his adopted "brother" Myrsky have their own facebook page:Razbeg & Myrsky
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