Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello Everyone,
Our beloved dog Hagrid, a Great Pyrenees rescue mix with signs of past abuse and trauma, was diagnosed with tOSA. We adopted him at age 3 (we think) and he has been a part of our family for 4 years. I took him for x-rays for an ACL tear and they found a tumor in his leg:( Since the x-ray we have done a lot of research, including reading the posts here and speaking to the tripawds hot-line. Hagrid's hind leg was amputated 11 days ago and he is doing remarkably well. The pathology report came back with heartbreaking news yesterday and now we are trying to make decisions about treatment options for him. We have a phone call appointment with the oncologist Monday and an appointment with Chemotherapy Tuesday morning.
I am seeking some advice/input from others who have had a similar diagnosis, their treatment, and results. I have also read through changing his diet.
Thank you for your help, Kim Z
Hi Kim, welcome to you and Hagrid. Your future posts will not have to wait for approval.
I'm sorry you are dealing with bone cancer - the diagnosis can be devastating. But remember to stay in the moment and enjoy everyday you have with Hagrid. He has no idea he is sick and he doesn't care!
Here are some questions you might want to ask your Oncologist.
And be sure to ask them about all the options you have- the standard for OSA is chemo but there are some newer treatments out there and there is now a vaccine in trials that might be helpful. We have several folks here who are doing the vaccine and can provide some input.
From what we see on this site only a few dogs have any reaction to chemo and the symptoms are usually mild.
My Pug Maggie had a different cancer but we did do chemo. Maggie beat her prognosis of 6 to 9 months living almost 4 years after amputation for mast cell cancer.
As far as diet- some people to make changes to diet and/or add supplements. We have lots of info on diets and supplements in the Nutrition Blog.
Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls
Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.
1999 to 2010
Hi Kim, Hagrid and family, welcome. We are sorry you had to join our club but you are in good company, many of us have walked in your shoes (and paws!) and understand what it feels like to go through a cancer diagnosis, amputation, treatment decisions, etc.
Karen gave you some excellent links to get you started on what to ask the oncologist. By asking great questions, you can feel better about whatever you decide to do as far as treatment. Also, remember that there are no right or wrong choices. Every situation is different, and whatever path you take we will support you.
Meanwhile try not to let the diagnosis and prognosis get you too focused on the negative part of this journey. I think you'll find that Hagrid will handle this so much better than you think, and he'll set a great example of living life to the fullest despite a challenge like this. Follow his lead (we call it learning to Be More Dog ) and you can't go wrong!
I hope this helps you feel a little better, and somewhat more grounded. Please let us know how we can help, we are here for you!
P.S. Did you mean to type "osteosarcoma"? I've never seen it with a "t" in front of it and thought it was a typo but then saw you spelled it twice. Just checking, want to make sure there's not something we're missing. Thanks!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hello,
Thank you for the information! I just printed the questions to ask the oncologist.
Hagird has an aggressive form of Osteosarcoma called Telangiectatic Osteosarcoma, sometimes referred to as t Osteosarcoma in the literature/research. It is rare and more aggressive than general Osteosarcoma because it is in the blood vessels and can spread more quickly. The projected survival rate is several months less with amputation and chemotherapy. His bone tumor looked a bit different than most. It did not have any bone regrowth and produced very little Osteoid cells vs. general Osteosarcoma which produces many more Osteoid cells. His x-rays were clear, chest, lung, hips, . . . The 'rare' diagnosis has been super hard to process. We lost our Golden Retriever to a rare thyroid cancer 2 years ago.
I did start mixing his kibble with an organic homemade dog food today with ground turkey and lots of vegetables. It was a big hit! I do want to learn more about what supplements to add to his diet, there is just so much information out there and I don't want to miss any nutrients he needs changing his diet.
I just read the vaccine article. I am also interested in any more information about that as well.
Thank you all so much for your help and support! Kim
Hi Kim! Regular osteosarcoma is hard enough to deal with, so I'm really sorry that Hagrid has a rare form. Griffin, my 10-year old goldendoodle, was diagnosed with OSA in March and had his right forelimb amputated on April 2nd. He has completed 5 rounds of chemo (3 with carboplatin and 2 with doxorubicin), changing agents when lung mets were found in July. We suspended the IV chemo a few weeks ago so he could have the Yale vaccine, which his local vet administered today. He'll return in 3 weeks for the 2nd dose. I'm not sure where you live, but going to Connecticut in person avoids the $1,200 cost of having the vaccine sent to you (although Dr. Mamula seems very compassionate and will work with you to lower the cost if needed). Griffin is currently taking palladia (low dose chemo in pill form administered at home) and piroxicam (NSAID). I also started cooking for Griffin after his diagnosis (https://tripawd.....e/#p232688) and consulted with a holistic vet (https://petsyne.....ultations/) regarding supplements. I posted about Griffin's supplement regime here: https://tripawd.....s/#p231478. I hope this information is helpful! ~ Stacy (Griffin's Journey)
Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com
Hi Stacy,
Thank you for the information! We are in Texas, 25 minute north of Dallas, an hour from Fort Worth. Looking at your links now:)
Kim
Hello,
With the vaccine, I see Yale and a few other articles at different Universities/Veternarians. Is it all the same vaccine?
Also, we have already had the amputation and the leg went to the pathologist. It sounds as though they get the cells for the vaccine during the amputation. Are we too late?
Kim
Hi Kim,
Well thank you for reminding me about Telangiectatic Osteosarcoma. It has been mentioned here so rarely that it didn't cross my mind that the "tOsteosarcoma" was another way of describing it. Thank you for that education. As if an osteosarcoma diagnosis isn't bad enough. Grr. I'm sorry.
We've had a few members deal with it before, just twice since we began in 2006. Here are some links for your reference:
Did your tripawd have this type of osteosarcoma?
(As you can see, we didn't know anything about it. I'm sad that these folks never returned to update us)
Jewel
KimZ said
Hello,With the vaccine, I see Yale and a few other articles at different Universities/Veternarians. Is it all the same vaccine?
Also, we have already had the amputation and the leg went to the pathologist. It sounds as though they get the cells for the vaccine during the amputation. Are we too late?
Universities are working on various post-cancer vaccines for different cancers, many are for osteosarcoma. These research centers often partner with veterinary clinics around the country.
Generally speaking the different vaccines work in different ways, at different points of the disease depending on how it's designed. Some immunotherapy vaccines need the actual tumor to be created for the patient (hence the "personalized medicine" catch phrase you may have heard), some do not. What they tend to have in common is that they work by teaching the body's immune system to fight the disease.
We are updating our Immunotherapy Articles as we interview different vets and members about their experiences, and you will also find some mentioned in Tips and Resources.
One of our members, Dexter, is one of the longest-lived dogs who received one of the first immunotherapy vaccines (seven + years and counting). He actually lives around where you do, somewhere northeast of Dallas. I would be happy to connect you to his dad if you'd like, he's always willing to talk with people about their experience.
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Kim - The Yale vaccine can be given at any point so long as there is at least 3 weeks washout from the last IV chemotherapy. Here's a link with more information - https://medicin.....inecancer/. ~ Stacy
Griffin lived an amazing life for 11 years! Diagnosed with osteosarcoma on March 17, 2020, Griffin's right forelimb was amputated on April 2, 2020. Ten days later he was running and playing fetch! Lung metastasis discovered in July 2020 did not slow down Griffin and he lived joyfully for the next 7 months, passing peacefully at home on February 11, 2021. https://griffin.tripawds.com
Hi Jerry & Stacy,
Thank you for the information. Yes, Jerry please connect us to Dexter's owners, that would be great!!! We emailed the doctor of the Yale study yesterday, hoping for a quick response. We are scheduled to speak with our oncologist on Monday, with a chemotherapy appointment for Tuesday morning.
My husband is in the pharma industry so I literally typed the description as he put it into words. He has done the medical research and I am the caretaker/implementer. Along with Tripawds we have found the local Pyrenees rescue folks to be a great resource as well. Rescue organizations know the breed they specialize rescue and place and they have connected us with great local resources and other owners in our area. So for anyone needing resources it's a great place to start and follow-up with.
Kim
Kim, you guys are really doing your homework, that's great! I will reach out to Dexter's people and ask them if it's OK to put you two in touch.
Don't forget these Questions to Ask Your Oncologist, they'll come in handy:
https://tripawd.....ncologist/
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
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