Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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...but it's just her toe!! 
While that is a bit of "good" news, the story really is serious.
My youngest pup Kali, who is 5, was licking her paws a lot last night. When she let Roxy have the rope and licked her paw instead I knew something was wrong. I sat her down and immediately saw blood on her toe and at further investigation realized there is a tumor right next to the nail, pulling the skin up and away from the paw pad. 
I freaked of course, immediately thinking I had at least a general idea of what this tumor was. This is one of the rare moments I wish I was wrong.
I was able to get her in to see the vet today. Kali loves her dogter so she was completely relaxed. Within minutes the vet said the toe needed to come off. She only referred to Squamous Cell Carcinoma. She said this cancer is commonly in nail beds. She said if it is SCC then the toe amp has a good chance of being curative. I said as long as it's not Mast Cell, which is the cancer Roxy was diagnosed with. Even though my Roxy has been blessed enough to have survived for so long, MCT in the nail bed is not good as these tend to be of the most malignant. This is when I think she decided to get serious and tell me that it could be MCT and yes, that's bad. We also discussed the fact that if it is a Melanoma then this particular tumor is probably a metastatic tumor. Bottom line, cancer sucks and it makes me very angry. 
I told Dr. Hollis that MonkeyButt Kali is just trying to get some of Roxy's attention. It's amazing the lengths those monkeybutts will go to just to get attention. 
So, my girl goes in the morning, she will have her 3rd toe removed from her front, right paw and come home tomorrow evening. I'm oddly calm. I don't know if it's because I'm in denial or there's some greater power keeping me relaxed for Kali's sake. Either way I'm grateful for the calm.
I need all my tripawd and monkeybutt friends to send up a prayer or just send good thoughts our way if prayers aren't your thing. We need to think "squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma" (say that 5 times fast!) Weird how you start wishing for the "good" cancer.
Leslie
All the best of luck for a "good cancer" or better yet completely non-cancerous! will be thinking of you today. Our boy had his dew claw removed a few years ago as there was a tumor in/on/under it that wa causing problems. We didn't get it tested as we didn't have the money at the time and thankfully havent had any issues since (well not with that anyway)!!
Good luck and let us know how it goes
Sarah
sending best wishes for kali - when i first read your post...my mind went the way of melanoma (as gayle had in her mouth) and i got a very sick feeling. we're sending our best ET juju to you guys, hoping the outcome is plain old SCC and that will be that...
charon & spirit gayle
Life is good, so very, very good!!! Gayle enjoyed each and every moment of each and every wonderful day (naps included). She left this world December 12, 2011 – off on a new adventure.
Love Never Ends
I can only imagine the panic you must have felt. Many, many good wishes for a quick and full recovery. I will add you guys to our prayers!
Well, we have monkeybutts and tripawds. If her motive is attention, does this mean we need to start a new division for tri-toes? Or maybe three-toed sloth dogs? 
Lisa
Zeus was a Husky mix diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 11. A visible lung met and suspicious spot on his liver meant a poor prognosis-six weeks was our vet's best guess. We decided to fight for our boy and his right front leg was amputated on 12/1/11. We did six rounds of chemo, changed his diet and spoiled him completely rotten. We were blessed with 10 great months after diagnosis. Against the odds, the lung met remained a single met and grew very little over those months. A wonderful furbaby with the most gentle spirit, he fought with a strength that we never imagined he possessed. We have no regrets...
http://zeuspod......pawds.com/
good luck! I'll be thinking of you guys tomorrow. I hope it comes back as just SCC!!!
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/
Hope everything goes well for Kali, and that the biopsy report comes back with good news!
Rio's momma, Micki
 |
~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
My Kali wishes good news to your Kali on the biopsy results. Bet she'll hardly even miss her toe, let's hope that taking it off is completely curative!
Laura of K&T
Tai – 9 yr old lab. Diagnosed Osteosarcoma Dec 18/09. Front right leg amputated Dec 21/09. Started chemo Jan 7/10. Lung mets discovered Sept 16/10. Valiant to the end on Oct 26/10 when cancer reappeared in a leg and we made the decision to set her free. Forever in my heart where not even cancer can take her from me.
Thinking of you and Kali, Leslie!!! Good wishes to Kali coming from Maine!! The calmness you're experiencing is a good thing I'm thinking!
Tracy, Maggie's Mom
Maggie was amputated for soft tissue sarcoma 10-20-09
Maggie lost her battle with kidney disease on 8-24-13
Thank you all so much!
Sarah - Non cancerous would be so great! I would feel really bad for taking her toe off if it wasn't cancer, but probably not as bad as I do now thinking it IS cancer.
Cheetosmommy - OMGosh! Your Cali is so adorable! She has very pretty blue eyes.
Oh Charon, let's hope and pray your gut feeling is wrong. I know how we tend to be afraid of what we've already faced. That's why I immediately thought "please don't let it be Mast Cell"
zeuspod said
does this mean we need to start a new division for tri-toes? Or maybe three-toed sloth dogs?
Ahahaha!! Hopefully we don't ever have any more toe amputees, but if so my Kali would love to be a charter member.
Spencer's mom, Micki and Laura - Thank you for the well wishes! The more we have the better we'll be.
Tracy - I sincerely hope the calmness is a good sign. I'm not so calm this morning though. My stomach is all tied into knots.
My husband is on his way home from work (he works 3rd shift) to take her to the dogter. I will let you all know when I hear from the vet that she came out of sedation ok. That's the first step and for some reason I'm really nervous about that. Kali handled it fine when she was spayed and she's otherwise very healthy, but I'm still nervous. I'll also find out if her lungs are clear at that time. Cross all fingers, paws, toes, legs, arms, and eyes. We need good luck. (SCC, SCC, SCC)
Leslie
Good luck! Sending good thoughts! SCC! SCC! SCC!
Jackie, angel Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Ok, talked to the vet tech. Dr. Hollis was just bandaging up her paw and getting ready to take her off anesthesia, so at least that part is over. I'm going to pick her up in about 2 hrs and 30 min. I can't wait to see her. I'm wondering if she will limp or just try to avoid using the paw at all for a few days.
So we should get the pathology report back next week. Hopefully it'll be the best case scenario.
Dang Leslie!
I hope everything is going or went OK. The calm is good! You have been here before- you know it doesn't help to get worked up.
I find my self really calm dealing with Tani's issues, including the recurring mast cell tumors. I know it is a good thing, but I have had one argument with a vet who didn't know me or my history who thought I wasn't taking Tani's eye injury seriously enough!
I'll be looking for an update later.
Karen and the pugapalooza
OH GOSH!!!
I hope it's all okay! Let us know!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Yikes! Just saw this. So glad the surgery went well. I can't believe you are going through an amputation again, I'm so sorry! Kudos to you for remaining so calm, you are a Tripawd warrior yourself!
I hope you all have a very relaxing, quiet weekend and that the report comes back with positive results.
We've met quite a few toe amputees, they're usually just fine for a very, very long time. Paws crossed! Keep us posted.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
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