Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Simon's lungs are clear!! We have an appointment tomorrow with an oncologist, Dr. Helfand (thanks again Pam and Tazzie!), at OSU to go over his x-rays and do some tests to see if he can get that painful leg gone! Wish us luck!
If anyone has any input on questions I should ask or anything like that it would be much appreciated.
i'll update again in this thread tomorrow.
Best wishes for a perfect procedure and quick, complete recovery!
Our review for Vet Confidential includes of few of that book's great questions all pet owners should be asking their vets. Speaking for Spot is another incredible book we recently reviewed. That post includes a link for helpful health forms and templates you can download.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Good luck tomorrow! You will really like Dr Helfand. He was one of my professors when I went to vet school in Wisconsin. They might have some sort of funded study for osteosarcoma involving chemo or other treatment.
Pam and Tazzie
So I'm back from seeing Dr. Helfand. First, let me say he is a wonderful, compassionate and smart man; our experience with him was great. He basically outlined all of our options after looking at the x-rays and giving Simo the once over. His recommendation was that if were going to amputate, we should also do chemo. If we couldn't/didn't want to do chemo he recommended radiation of the area and pain meds. i feel like I am back at square one all over again. He didn't say he wouldn't do just the amputation, but he really acted like that would be a lot of stress (for lack of a better word) on Simon considering the 18 weeks he would have, on average, to live. His recommendation of the radiation with pain meds was what he felt was the best palliative option.
I can't seem to accept the fact that if we don't amputate he may have to be euthanized because of a broken leg (caused by cancer, I know, but...). I'm at a road block with that and I need to get past it.
I'm back in that place where I am too emotional to process any of this so i think I will go for a walk with Simon. The tramadol seems to really be helping, we gave him his first dose today and he isn't limping right now.
simonsmom said:
If we couldn't/didn't want to do chemo he recommended radiation of the area and pain meds.
Do you mean, if you didn't / don't want to amputate?
We are so truly sorry you're in such a tough place. We were really hoping that Dr. Helfand would be a lot more enthusiastic about amputation, but I guess we just try to accept that that's what second opinions are for, to get a reality check, for better or worse. {{{hugs}}}
You say he "acted" like amputating wasn't the best idea. What led you to believe this?
We all want our vets to say what they would do in situations like this, to have decisive answers for us. But when it comes to the hard calls, they hold off from doing so in the patient's best interest, because only our dog's families really know what's right for them.
Sounds like it's time for a heart to heart with Simon, to find out what it is that he really wants. Believe it or not, dogs can indeed communicate, their humans just need to dig out their doglish translator to understand it.
Again, we are here if you need anything. We are thinking of you. Let us know what you and Simon decide OK? Good luck.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
It is true that you get the best outcome with amputation plus chemo. Dogs handle the chemo drug (carboplatin) very well! Sometimes there are issues such as travel time and cost to consider. Amputation alone has the shortest survival time, but some dogs will do okay for more than a few months and at least the pain is gone.
Dr Helfand makes a good point that you often get a longer survival time with radiation and pamidronate than with amputation alone, and many dogs do quite well with this option for 6-8 months or longer. The reason that amputation alone gives you the shortest average survival is that once you remove the primary tumor (amputation) then any cells that have already made it elsewhere (lungs or other legs) will grow more quickly. That is why chemo is only helpful if the leg is removed (chemo treats microscopic disease). Some dogs have responded well to amputation plus oral metronomic chemotherapy .
You will have to think about the options and see which works best for you but I would highly recommend amp plus chemo.
Pam and Tazzie
So after much soul-searching and looking closely at our options and finances, we have decided to help Simon have the best time he can while he is stil with us. Dr. Helfand and my vet are in communication about the the best pain management for Simon. This was such a difficult decision for me but I feel better now and know I have to be strong and cheerful for my friend. Deep inside I am still angry at how helpless ultimately am against this cancer, but I am working through that too - meditation helps. In the meantime I am giving Simo all the backrubs he can handle and we are going to find some snow tomorrow for Simon to play in (we used to live in Buffalo, NY and Simon would ask to go outside in 4 feet of snow to chew on his big bone treats!).
I want to thank everyone again for the support you have given me thus far. I hope to keep you posted on my and Simon's journey through this - I know I will need words of encouragement when I am feeling down. It's just so hard to look at him every day and know. He looks so young and healthy when he is standing there. You know, I'm not sure I really understood the depths of my feelings for him until now. It is such an awesome thing to have a relationship with an animal, so different than it is between humans-less complicated. Simon keeps me honest, does that make sense?
Total sense. Thank you for sharing Simon's story with everyone here. Remember, there are no wrong decisions when it comes to this emotional mess, and we don't allow any regrets here! (But anger doesn't help either, in fact it only makes matters worse.)
Enjoy every moment to the fullest with Simon. Because no matter what, every day is a great day. That's just one of the valuable lessons Jerry taught us which I am sure Simon already knows.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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