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Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat

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Wait to amputate?
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Member Since:
17 November 2017
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28 November 2017 - 2:40 pm
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Hi All-

Gita (8 year old Great Dane) was diagnosed just 2 weeks ago. She has a low-level limp but otherwise is her normal self. (Negative chest X-ray) We went to the Oncologist this week and also had a phone consult with Dr. Loops. (Remedies in the mail) I understand the decision to amputate is about pain control but it is really hard right now because her symptoms are not severe. (I understand this will change) I am wanting to see if Dr. Loops remedies can keep things the same for now. Am I grasping at straws so I don't have to decide about her leg right now? I have read the forums here and some of the recovery sounds rough. I already know her time is coming to an end (being an 8 y/o Dane), I just want her time to be as easy as possible. I have seen some people wait to amputate..just wondering the Tripawds opinion.

Thank you all,

Sally & Gita

On The Road


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28 November 2017 - 2:51 pm
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sallykod said
Gita (8 year old Great Dane) was diagnosed just 2 weeks ago...

Diagnosed with what? It sounds like you may be referring to osterosarcoma...Nova was a blind Great Dane Tripawd who loved life on three legs for abut 5 years.

While "Stable Disease" is the goal when dealing with OSA, the tumor pain will only get worse, and there are not many homeopathic nor traditional modalities to remedy that pain better than amputation. Don't think of it as removing the leg, view it as removing the pain.

Is there an extreme rush to decide if she is not showing pain? No. Some vets we interviewed have mentioned how primary tumor removal may expedite metastasis, but that is up for debate, and pain will usually get much worse faster than the cancer spreads. Of course, every dog is different, and there are alternatives available like bisphosphonates and braces to help prevent or delay serious injury from the inevitable pathological fracture from bone tumors.

While you wait for comments from others, use the Advanced Search above to refine your forum search results with specific phrases, and you're sure to find lots of helpful feedback. You can also search all blogs here . Or, consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns and feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime!

Best wishes for Gita! Please keep us posted. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.

For help finding the many Tripawds Resources and assistance programs, start here .

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet



Member Since:
21 May 2016
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28 November 2017 - 3:18 pm
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Hi Sally and Gita 🌺

Welcome to our family 🌷

My baby girl Eurydice was a very large Great Dane (77kg) who lost her right front leg to osteo.

When you say your girl was diagnosed do you mean she has osteosarcoma? 

If this is the case, and even if her limp is not too bad now, I would personally advise you to proceed with amputation as soon as possible.

If we're talking osteosarcoma, the pain will only increase and it is a very aggressive cancer so the sooner you remove the primary tumour the sooner she will be 100% painfree.

By amputating, you are also increasing her chances of a longer life as, with the tumour gone metastasis will take longer to develop, (or even not develop at all, rare but it can happen)

As for recovery yes, it can be rough, but it surely doesn't last forever (plus you can count on all of us here to guide and help with any questions you may have)!

You will see virtually all tripawdians agreeing amputation was worth it and we would do it all over again. 

As for her age, we have many, many mature dogs here including giant breeds going through amputation and having a wonderful life on 3 afterwords. 

I think Nova (another Dane) was not young when she had her surgery and she lived for many, many years. 

I can't include links from my mobile but hopefully others will point you to her blog/threads. 

And, as a side comment, I would add generally cancerous dogs have more chances of a longer life when they are older. 

Is Gita's bad leg a front or a back leg? (back leg is easier, especially for deep chested breeds such as our Danes) 

Whatever your decision may be one thing is for sure, to quote tripawds moto "it's better to hop on three legs than to limp on four" 

We are all by your side so do not hesitate in asking any questions, big or small, anytime.

Sending you and Gita a big hug and cuddles 😘😘😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 



Member Since:
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28 November 2017 - 3:27 pm
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See?

Admin just sent you the link on Nova, the Great Dane ☺️ have a look at her blog.

😘😘😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

Member Since:
8 November 2017
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28 November 2017 - 6:10 pm
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admin said

sallykod said
Gita (8 year old Great Dane) was diagnosed just 2 weeks ago...

Diagnosed with what? It sounds like you may be referring to osterosarcoma...Nova was a blind Great Dane Tripawd who loved life on three legs for abut 5 years.

While "Stable Disease" is the goal when dealing with OSA, the tumor pain will only get worse, and there are not many homeopathic nor traditional modalities to remedy that pain better than amputation. Don't think of it as removing the leg, view it as removing the pain.

Is there an extreme rush to decide if she is not showing pain? No. Some vets we interviewed have mentioned how primary tumor removal may expedite metastasis, but that is up for debate, and pain will usually get much worse faster than the cancer spreads. Of course, every dog is different, and there are alternatives available like bisphosphonates and braces to help prevent or delay serious injury from the inevitable pathological fracture from bone tumors.

While you wait for comments from others, use the Advanced Search above to refine your forum search results with specific phrases, and you're sure to find lots of helpful feedback. You can also search all blogs here . Or, consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns and feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime!

Best wishes for Gita! Please keep us posted. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.

For help finding the many Tripawds Resources and assistance programs, start here .  

Do you know if the vets you guys spoke with thought the amputation itself expedited the process or the bone biopsy that is generally done ahead of time that facilitiates it?

if I remember right, Dr. Loops thinks it might be the bone biopsy that could facilitate it. 



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29 November 2017 - 3:02 am
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Bone biopsies are painful and very often come back inconclusive.

Apart from the obvious waste of time (osteo progresses very, very fast so one wants to act quickly) osteosarcoma can be easily identified, in the vast majority of cases, by looking at an X-ray.

In Eurydice's case, when our vet suspected of osteo and scheduled an X-ray for the next morning (and after having spent the night reading and looking at X-rays on the net myself) when I saw her X-ray even I was able to identify what she was suffering from and I'm no vet. 

🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

Member Since:
17 November 2017
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7
29 November 2017 - 9:06 am
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admin said

sallykod said
Gita (8 year old Great Dane) was diagnosed just 2 weeks ago...

Diagnosed with what? It sounds like you may be referring to osterosarcoma...Nova was a blind Great Dane Tripawd who loved life on three legs for abut 5 years.

While "Stable Disease" is the goal when dealing with OSA, the tumor pain will only get worse, and there are not many homeopathic nor traditional modalities to remedy that pain better than amputation. Don't think of it as removing the leg, view it as removing the pain.

Is there an extreme rush to decide if she is not showing pain? No. Some vets we interviewed have mentioned how primary tumor removal may expedite metastasis, but that is up for debate, and pain will usually get much worse faster than the cancer spreads. Of course, every dog is different, and there are alternatives available like bisphosphonates and braces to help prevent or delay serious injury from the inevitable pathological fracture from bone tumors.

While you wait for comments from others, use the Advanced Search above to refine your forum search results with specific phrases, and you're sure to find lots of helpful feedback. You can also search all blogs here . Or, consider downloading the Tripawds e-books for fast answers to common concerns and feel free to call the toll-free Tripawds Helpline anytime!

Best wishes for Gita! Please keep us posted. Your future forum posts will not require moderation.

For help finding the many Tripawds Resources and assistance programs, start here .  

Sorry all..yes, osteosarcoma. 

Member Since:
17 November 2017
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29 November 2017 - 9:16 am
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eurydice said
Hi Sally and Gita 🌺

Welcome to our family 🌷

My baby girl Eurydice was a very large Great Dane (77kg) who lost her right front leg to osteo.

When you say your girl was diagnosed do you mean she has osteosarcoma? 

If this is the case, and even if her limp is not too bad now, I would personally advise you to proceed with amputation as soon as possible.

If we're talking osteosarcoma, the pain will only increase and it is a very aggressive cancer so the sooner you remove the primary tumour the sooner she will be 100% painfree.

By amputating, you are also increasing her chances of a longer life as, with the tumour gone metastasis will take longer to develop, (or even not develop at all, rare but it can happen)

As for recovery yes, it can be rough, but it surely doesn't last forever (plus you can count on all of us here to guide and help with any questions you may have)!

You will see virtually all tripawdians agreeing amputation was worth it and we would do it all over again. 

As for her age, we have many, many mature dogs here including giant breeds going through amputation and having a wonderful life on 3 afterwords. 

I think Nova (another Dane) was not young when she had her surgery and she lived for many, many years. 

I can't include links from my mobile but hopefully others will point you to her blog/threads. 

And, as a side comment, I would add generally cancerous dogs have more chances of a longer life when they are older. 

Is Gita's bad leg a front or a back leg? (back leg is easier, especially for deep chested breeds such as our Danes) 

Whatever your decision may be one thing is for sure, to quote tripawds moto "it's better to hop on three legs than to limp on four" 

We are all by your side so do not hesitate in asking any questions, big or small, anytime.

Sending you and Gita a big hug and cuddles 😘😘😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹  

Eurydice,

Gita's tumor is the right front..so yeah, it will be harder. I am absolutely sick about this..I don't know how to respond to you all but trust me, I am reading your posts and digesting. Thank you!



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21 May 2016
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29 November 2017 - 11:15 am
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Absolutely, sweetie 🌺 we all know how hard it is to make a decision and pursue this journey. 

Take your time and come back to us anytime, we are all here for you, always.

I'll send you a separate link later with Eurydice's travel log, hope that will help you and Gita 💕

Sending you an avalanche of kisses and tons of cuddles to your baby girl 😘😘😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

ps Eurydice was a front legger also and that didn't stop her having a wonderful time 💕

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 



Member Since:
21 May 2016
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29 November 2017 - 12:01 pm
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Here it is, sweetie heart

http://tripawds.....mputation/

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

Member Since:
25 November 2017
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29 November 2017 - 12:31 pm
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admin said

Is there an extreme rush to decide if she is not showing pain? No. Some vets we interviewed have mentioned how primary tumor removal may expedite metastasis, but that is up for debate, and pain will usually get much worse faster than the cancer spreads. Of course, every dog is different, and there are alternatives available like bisphosphonates and braces to help prevent or delay serious injury from the inevitable pathological fracture from bone tumors.

Wait, amputation could speed up metastasis? I thought the idea was the amputation was both palliative and could also help slow the cancer... Fearing I may have misunderstood.

We have a 3 1/2 year old kelpie-pit bull-other things mutt who was recently diagnosed with osteosarcoma. She was hardly showing signs of pain, with some light meds she was hardly even limping! She does tend to be pretty stoic, though.

We chose to amputate immediately to 1) get ahead of the pain and 2) try to slow the disease (maybe futile, but feels worth a shot). We haven't gotten her pathology back, so we don't have a stage for the disease. She's also just a week out of surgery, so right now we're just in recovery mode. Wish I could be of more help! It is so, so hard.



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29 November 2017 - 1:25 pm
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Hi Mokabean 🌺

There is a theory (not proven or properly studied) that suggests removal of the main tumour may accelerate metastasis.

This is ONLY a theory.

What we know for sure is leaving the leg will lead to excruciating pain and a REAL possibility of a pathological fracture (which never heals) as the cancer eats the bone away and makes it so fragile that it can break for no reason (like getting up or something as minor as that) 

By that time it may be too late for amputation ...

Also, if you leave the primary tumour you allow cancer to develop further, quicker. 

Now go and give your gorgeous cutie pie tons of ear scratches from auntie Teresa here 🐾💕

Lots of hugs to you, too 😘😘😘🐮💫✨🌟🌹

Eurydice 77kg/170lb Great Dane limping end of April 2016, amputation (right front leg/osteosarcoma) 4 May 2016 6 courses of carboplatin followed by metronomic therapy, lung mets found 30 Nov 2016. 3 courses of doxorubicin, PET scan 26 Jan 2017 showed more mets so stopped chemo. Holistic route April 2017. Lung X-ray 5 May 2017 showed several tennis ball size mets, started cortisone and diuretics. Miss Cow earned her XXL silver wings 12 June 2017, 13 months and 1 week after amputation and 6 1/2 months after lung mets, she was the goofiest dawg ever and is now happily flying from cloud to cloud woof woofing away :-) 

On The Road


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29 November 2017 - 2:56 pm
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mokabean said
Wait, amputation could speed up metastasis?

That was certainly not meant to cause any alarm. The comment is based solely on one video interview we did with a certified vet Oncologist in 2010...regardless, any spread caused by primary tumor removal will never be as fast as primary tumor (and pain) growth.

Does Amputation Speed Cancer Metastasis?

You will find a wealth of more helpful information in the Tripawds News blog , Featured blogs, podcasts, videos and Tripawds e-books .

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

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