Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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I have an 11 year old boxer/pit mix pup. Last May she recovered very well from getting a lump removed from her upper right front leg. Unfortunately it was a soft tissue sarcoma, and it recently has grown back with a vengeance.
Yesterday I took her into the vet to get it looked at and to see my options. The only hopeful choice seems to be amputation. But it isn’t guaranteed to cure her of cancer. Do I take that risk? Or will I regret amputating her leg? It is such a difficult decision to make, I am still in shock.
Hi there and welcome to you and your pup. Your posts won't need to wait for approval now, so post away.
I'm sorry you are faced with this situation. Those tumors can grow really fast and catch us off guard!
My guess is that the amputation is probably your best bet, but did you have a board-certified vet oncologist look at your dog to make sure? If not, I would want a second opinion asap. These questions to ask your vet oncologist can help during the interview. You would also be able to find out more if the cancer is or isn't curative, or offers a good chance that it will be.
If you have already met with an oncologist, and they are giving the green light for your dog to become a Tripawd, that's really great! Because it means she's in good shape, has the spunk and the good health to make a good recovery. And while amputation is a scary concept to us humans, dogs do sooooo much better than we can imagine! Even senior dogs can make a great Tripawd. The recovery can have some bumpy patches but overall it is faster and easier than we think it will be. Check out Jerry's Required Reading List and the Tripawds e-books library, and our What to Expect articles to learn more.
What is your gut instinct about your dog being able to live life on three? Oh and what's her name?
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Her name is Mookie 🙂
My gut is telling me to do the amputation, I know Mookie would do just fine on three legs. I am having a hard time scheduling and going thru with it, but I really do think it’s for the best. And the sooner the better because those suckers do grow quick.
Thank you for the support.
Edit: I called the vet to schedule surgery. They are having me meet with an oncologist Tuesday 🙂
We understand all of the emotions involved in making this decision. You Are Not Alone! We understand the uncertainty and the fear all too well. We also understand once you have gathered all of the information necessary there is a sense of relief in moving forward with a plan.
You're doing a good job of processing everything and doing the appropriate research well talking to the professionals.
It sounds like thst bum leg needs to go to give Mookie a chance at a quality pain free life. Days on a calendar mean nothing to our dogs. But living in pain with no quaility is not the life any dog would want.
Not saying recovery is a picnic for first couple of weeks. It is MAJOR surgery all while adapting to three. pain management is crucial to recovery and sometimes takes some tweaking of rothe dosing g to find the right balance. We are all here for you to help navigate thru recovery.
First two weeks, short leashed potty breaks and back in for rest, rest, rest and more rest. Drinking and peeing are important, but eating and pooping may be off a bit.
You'll want nonslip scatter rugs for traction if you have hardwoods. Raised food bowls are helpful too to prevent any staining.
And no, their are no guarantees on this crazy journey. We learn very quickly that NOW is all that matters and we must love fully in the present, just like our dogs. That is the lesson of this journey. Be Morw Dog. Be More Mookie.
Update us Tuesday and know that we are all cheering for your sweet Mookie.
Hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
I'm so glad you can see an oncologist! That's a small miracle, it's tough to get speedy appointments these days. It should give you the confidence you need to decide what to do. I love Mookie's name!
Let us know how the visit goes.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello,
I just went through this with my dog for the same reason. She had surgery September 27th. It is a lot to absorb, and go through, and we still question whether it was for the best, but she is doing pretty well, and was getting around on her own a couple days after surgery, with no help. She still lacks some stamina...Going out to go potty is about the extent of her energy, but her tail is wagging, and she was barking at our little mules today.
Tess first got a soft tissue sarcoma on her right rear leg when she was 7. She turns 14 this month. She has had the sarcoma taken off 6 times. The last time was in April of this year, and it was back by August. This time it grew faster, and almost encircled her leg. It was also starting to ulcerate. We had hoped to get her into a new sarcoma study at the University of Minnesota in October, but she wouldn't have been eligible once it grew all the way around. All the (still) COVID delays didn't help in getting her in soon enough to debulk it again, either.
The veterinarians at the University of Minnesota, told me that on these cancers, depending on the grade, surgery is usually curative, if they can get a good margin. The problem with legs is there isn't enough tissue to get a good margin, so they come back. They did check Tess for metastases, and she seemed clear.
Please feel free to ask me any questions. I will help if I can. Although it is awful, it is encouraging to see her getting around, so I hope your dog has a similar outcome. We are all getting used to it. I will feel better when her fur grows back...They shaved off her whole back end on one side. Somehow, I never thought about that!
mars29 said
I just went through this with my dog for the same reason.
Thank you so very much for offering your support and experience! It means so much to folks to know they aren't alone. You rock! 
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Update:
Mookie had her vet appointment today and I have decided to debulk her tumor growth. She is going in for surgery this Thursday 🙂
The time wasn't right for such a major surgery / recovery process. She is a healthy pup and I didn’t feel amputation would be the best choice right now.
Thank you everyone for all your help and support ! It isn’t easy feeling alone while making a difficult decision and it helps knowing you’re not alone ❤️
Thanks for the update and glad you have a path forward. We will all be cheering for Mookie and hoping the debulking is a success!
And we are absolutely here for you and understand completely the difficulty when it comes to decisions like this. You know your Mookie best amd that is a very important factor when dec what's best for your sweet pup.
(((((((((Hugs)))))))
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
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!
Of course, you've gotta do what you know is best for the pack! You got all the information to make a decision you can feel good about, rock star! 
We are here to support you in any way we can. Let us know how things are going! Best wishes to Mookie for a speedy recovery! 
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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