Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi all, I'm Carol a nervous newbie on Tripawds. My 6 yr 9 mth old Rottie Titus started limping 1.5 months ago, and he had to have an emergency surgery to remove his left femoral head which was fractured and shattered . Biopsy results came back positive for Osteosarcoma 
.
Titus went though the amputation yesterday, and since it was so high up in his left hind leg, parts of the pelvis had to be shaven off as well. I got very concerned today when i visited him because he was bleeding quite a bit from his wound, and not wanting to stand, possibly from being drugged up. He was eating and drinking well though. i was told to expect the bleeding for a few days, and he will be discharged tomorrow.
I'd like to know more about the bleeding, especially after reading how some dogs are up and about just a day or two post-op. I just want to say all of you are doing such a great job with your tripawds, you guys have given me so much courage to make the best educated decisions for Titus. He's such a sweetheart and has so much drive and energy to play. It's painful to see him like this, i'm looking forward to see that sparkle in his eyes again.
xx,
Carol
"A dog is the only thing in the world that loves you more than he loves himself."
OSA in left hind leg–30 August 2008. Ampuversary–4 October 2008.
Titus earned his wings on 15th July 2010.
He is dearly missed and our love lives on.
Hi Carol,
Bleeding can be normal post-op, especially if part of the pelvis has to be removed. It is difficult to control bleeding when bone has to be shaved off, since it can't be sutured or cauterized very well. The muscles that have been sutured to protect this site can also ooze blood, so expect some bruising in the next few days.
I'll bet that Titus will do well! It just takes some of the bigger, heavily muscled dogs a few days before they are up and around. My mastiff Tazzie had to stay in the hospital 3 nights before I felt comfortable taking her home.
Pam and Tazzie
Thanks for joining the discussion Carol!
It sounds like Titus is in good hands. But are you sure it was bleeding? Seeping, swelling and drainage are perfectly normal. But even if he was bleeding, I'd take Pam's word that he'll probably be just fine. Tazzie's mom is a vet and knows what she's talking about!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
The good doc is spot on. Lalla had a long drainage period, it's a bit alarming at first, but perfectly manageable.
Thanks for the encouraging words, Titus is more bruised today and had been up to pee twice since last night. Yay! There's still blood dripping when he moves, more so when he's standing. He would only eat bits when hand-fed, and the vet suggested an extra day or two. He's been gently massaged occasionally around the wound to hopefully expel the blood slowly.
My next concern is, we have decided to go with Carboplatin as his chemo drug, but i was told Titus would need 10 sessions every 28 days. the vet favors 10 sessions instead of 4 because they have tried it on several dogs and results were good. (last dog he treated with 10 sessions was a 14 yr old spaniel who lived almost two yrs after diagnosis). Im not sure about the stats for dogs who had 4 treatments here.
I consulted Titus' previous vet in Chicago and she said the normal chemo protocol in the US is amputation, followed by 4 treatments of Carboplatin every three weeks, just 4 treatments. What do you guys think of this discrepancy? She also mentioned that the size of a dog is not a factor in determining the number of treatments.
xx,
Carol & Titus
"A dog is the only thing in the world that loves you more than he loves himself."
OSA in left hind leg–30 August 2008. Ampuversary–4 October 2008.
Titus earned his wings on 15th July 2010.
He is dearly missed and our love lives on.
Can i also add that our vet here is not too keen on supplement and special diets. I brought up the Budwig diet as i am very interested to start Titus on it. He wasn't too helpful in giving me advice, and said for now Titus should eat whatever he wants to, as much as he wants, to put some weight back on and that the normal dog food has the essential nutrients he needs.
I guess he was trying to tell me that things i read off the internet may be misleading. I just want to give titus the best chances available, and i dont want to sound like im pushing the vet to advice on something he doesnt believe in. What should i do? Btw, he did not mention K9 immunity as well.
I have a million and one questions and am so glad you guys are here giving such great advice and suggestions and giving us so much hope. i cant stop reading all the entries on this forum, thank you all so much again =)
"A dog is the only thing in the world that loves you more than he loves himself."
OSA in left hind leg–30 August 2008. Ampuversary–4 October 2008.
Titus earned his wings on 15th July 2010.
He is dearly missed and our love lives on.
I know that some vets aren't well versed in alternative diets and supplements, and this may be the case with your vet. It may not be so much that he doesn't believe in them, then that he isn't well educated on them and so cannot give advice.
However, we have all run into those times, especially shortly after surgery, where our tripawds appetite just isn't there. When this happens we all get into that situation of "feeding them whatever they want" to get them to eat. Some folks have gotten very creative in the treats and dishes they've come up with to get their tripawds to eat (you can search the forums for appetite and foods to get some ideas). Possibly this is what your vet is alluding to. The thing right now is to get Titus eating and get his strengthe back. After he has recovered from the surgery then you can work on getting him on a better diet.
Glad to hear that Titus' bleeding is coming under control. The first few days are always heart wrenching but Titus will pick his time and show you how amazing he can be.
Hugs
Connit & Radar
I'm sending good thoughts out for you and Titus as he continues his recovery!!!
I would also be interested to hear other's thoughts on the Carboplatin questions...
best to you both,
Christine (and Sophie, in absentia as she is currently recovering as well)
My apologies if this is a duplicate post, but I think my other one got lost!
I have never heard of anyone giving that much carboplatin! I searched VIN (Veterinary Information Network) and the standard is still carboplatin at 300 mg/m2 bodyweight 4 or 5 treatments every 3 to 4 weeks. My understanding is that furthur doses are ineffective and increase the chance for bone marrow suppression (may need blood transfusion). How many dogs has your vet treated this way? Maybe he is using a different dose? Some dogs live over 2 years even without chemo, so maybe that other dog was just lucky. I think that it depends on how fast you can notice the cancer and get the leg off, and how aggressive is the cancer, because some are slower-growing than others.
Titus' oozing should slow down over the next few days. Hot compresses with a warm washcloth (5-10 minutes 2-3 times daily) should help encourage drainage and a compression bandage (changed daily) is also beneficial.
I hope he feels better soon!
Pam and Tazzie
Just another update on Titus' progress and concerns. I apologise for this long entry, there are just so many thoughts and emotions pent up in my unrested mind.
Titus is still at the vet, it was his 4th night last night 🙁 He appeared to be walking more yesterday but when i was leaving he leapt to his paws and excitedly made his way to out to the waiting area ahead of me, he was in pain immediately after and laid down whining 🙁 his wound was still dripping blood but it seemed more watery compared to days 1 and 2. Silly boy must have been waiting for me to take him home and got overly excited.
I hope he is well enough to come home today, he's been wanting to leave with me when i visit and has this really miserable (and probably angry look) that he gives me.
Not really eager to eat on his own yet, but he definitely is picking the best meats out of the chicken/beef/vege mix i give him by hand.
Regarding the chemo plan, I will get more information from the vet, and has located a local vet oncologist for a second opinion but hes only available next week. Our vet has actually sent all of Titus' reports to cancer specialists in the UK, to get a professional second opinion (will most likely hear from them end of this week), i believe he did so with the last few dogs he treated, so if the advise is to go with 10 treatments of Carboplatin, do i have any reason to doubt it? I know they everyone is trying to do what is right to treat cancer patients, but i wonder if i want to compromise Titus' health with 10 treatments instead of going with the standard 4? Titus's chest xrays 3 weeks ago showed no lung mets, and all bloodwork came back normal.
Thanks Pam, for looking it up and further confirming the standard protocol is 4-5 and not 10 treatments. Just wondering if a compression bandage will affect the healing muscles and cause muscle necrosis?
Thank you for your contributions and thoughts, I hope you and your tripawds are doing great!
"A dog is the only thing in the world that loves you more than he loves himself."
OSA in left hind leg–30 August 2008. Ampuversary–4 October 2008.
Titus earned his wings on 15th July 2010.
He is dearly missed and our love lives on.
Titus said:
I hope he is well enough to come home today...
Good things come to those who wait. Titus is in the good hands of people best suited to deal with any complications. The last thing you (and Titus) need right now is uncertainty or an urgent ride back to the vet.
Thanks for the update. You have our best wishes for a continued, complete recovery.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Carol. I'm sending good thoughts and hoping that Titus will be well enough to come home shortly.
With regard to the chemo - Darcy's treatment went like this:- Carboplatin then 21 days later, Doxorubacin, then 21 days later Carboplatin and then 21 days later Doxorubacin. Our vet was actually thinking of tagging another one or two doses of Carboplatin onto the end as she tolerated it so well but then she became very poorly after the last Doxorubacin so we scrapped any extra treatments (and they were *extras*, not part of the actual and usual protocol).
Do you know which place in the UK the stuff has been sent to? (I ask because I am in the UK).
Bev & Darcy
x
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
I wish you all the best with Titus.
Henry's treatment was Carboplatin alternated with Doxorubricin every 3 weeks for a total of 6 treatments. Carboplatin is very expensive. Our bill was about $550 for each treatment.
In regards to Titus' pressure wrap; it should be snug but you should be able to get 2 fingers under it. Because this wrap supports the muscles and swollen tissue you should see less fluid production and it won't cause muscle necrosis. It is a bit tricky to do with only 1 front leg as you have to make a figure-8 around the existing leg and around the neck and chest. If your vet thinks that this is a good idea then he can put it on and show you how or schedule bandage changes every 2-3 days.
If your oncologist feels comfortable with 10 doses of carboplatin and Titus' blood counts remain normal then I would do it. There are lots of different chemo protocols for this cancer, so I would do what your vet feels comfortable with!
I hope he can come home soon, since I'm sure you miss him.
Pam and Tazzie
Hi Carol,
Sure hope your boy gets to come home soon. Regarding food, we found that offering a little food every few hours worked well while Abbey recovered. Feeding fresh instead of processed foods certainly can't hurt anything. Abbey enjoyed the variety and her coat was shinier and more beautiful than ever on a fresh diet so I feel sure it was good to do. Our holistic vet recommended a natural dog food called
"Wellness" (canned and dry) that was all natural meats and brown rice and vegetables, for times when you are traveling or in a time crunch. I found that preparing large batches once a week and freezing in baggies works well.
Be encouraged! It won't be long and Titus will be home and running again~ Our Tripawds are amazingly adaptable creatures!
Love, Joy, Peace,
diane riley
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