Get Dr. Dressler's Dog Cancer Diet FREE In the last post, I focused on looking at life quantity, or lifespan, in considering amputation for dogs with osteosarcoma. Â Let’s focus on life quality issues and amputation.
Often the first question that arises is, “But will my dog be able to have a normal life on 3 legs?” Everyone, the answer is almost always yes.Â
There are two big things to factor. Â First, are you available to assist your dog in walking during the recovery period? The remaining limbs need to strengthen to support the extra weight. Â This can take just a few days in a lean, young dog, or it may take a few weeks in an older or overweight one.
The second things to factor in is other problems that could affect the weight bearing, like arthritis, hip dysplasia, old ligament tears, back or neck problems, and so on. Â The presence of other orthopedic issues can slow or complicate things a little and should be discussed with your vet.
Usually, most dogs are up and hopping around whenever or wherever they want to within 1-3 weeks. Â They really do just fine once their strength builds. Â It can be hard to watch but many times when people are depressed about it, they start to look at the dog and realize, “Wow..my dog actually seems pretty happy!”
They just seem to move on with life and live in the moment, which is a good lesson for all of us to learn from our dogs.
During recovery, you will need to help your dog learn to walk on three legs. Â This is really pretty simple. you just need to help them support their weight during walking. Â This can be done with a commercial sling you can purchase, or with a towel looped under the belly or the chest. Â You just lift some of the weight and they will hop right along.
Remember in males that you will need to position the towel away from the sheath for urination or you will have a wet sling and a unhappy boy!
You will want to provide a surface that is not slippery to walk on. Â Ramps can help get up in some cases too.
You should work on keeping your dog lean. Â Being overweight has a whole collection of bad effects in dogs with cancer, and bone cancer is no exception. Â Additionally, the extra load makes it harder to move around. Â Another issue to remember is that being overweight increases the risk of injury in the remaining limbs due to increased wear and tear (arthritis, cruciate ruptures, and more).
Activities that required four legs can always be modified. Â Dogs will learn to live how they can and they adjust, just like we do. Â If you watch them, they will derive as much pleasure in their new life as they did before. The limits of what they can do change, not the limits of how happy they can be.
Let’s look at the surgery itself and preserving as much life quality as possible with pain control in the next post.
Best to all,
Dr Dressler
About the Author
Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM is known as the "dog cancer vet" and is author of Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Beyond Surgery, Chemotherapy & Radiation. Visit his blog and sign up free to get the latest information about canine cancer. Go to http://DogCancerBlog.com.
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Dear Kristy, although it is true that over 90% of the dogs with OSA have mets (often micrometastasis) at the time of diagnosis, it does not mean that your dog will have them. Sadly we do not have a test for these. Most of the time diagnosis by X-ray is adequate, especially if you are dealing with an experienced clinician. I believe you would be well served to use all of the tools at your disposal, from the conventional side, diet, supplements (as usual I use Apocaps in my patients), stress management and life quality enhancement, touch therapies, sunlight and so on, once your Dane is up and going again.
Wishing you the best,
Dr D
PLEASE HELP — front leg amputation???
I found out last week that my 7 year old Rottie has OSA. We took him to a specialist and he gave us our options. The only two I am considering, are amputation plus chemo, or keeping him comfortable and have him live out his life. He has a bone tumor in his front left leg, and the leg would need to be amputated just under the shoulder blade. I’ve read a lot of comments on here, and most of the amputations are of back legs. He is very tall for a Rott and he weighs about 130 pounds. He limps pretty bad, and once in a while I will see him do a little hop and not even use that bad leg. This dog seriously means everything to me. At first I wanted to do the amputation, but then I spoke with some family members and they all thought his quality of life would be poor because he wouldn’t be able to get around that well on one front leg. So in the past couple of days I thought I had made my decision to not amputate. Now that I am reading everyone’s comments, I am even more lost.
Almost 2 years ago I lost my 48 year old mother to non hodgkins lymphoma. She was given 12-18 months to live or to try a bone marrow transplant. Well basically we went for the transplant, and it was a slow and painful 6 months until she died. I don’t want to go for the amputation and have him be miserable and it be unsuccessful. THe oncologist said by the looks of the x-ray, his bad leg will probably break within a month, and at that point we will need to put him down. Other than a little bit of grumpiness due to the pain, he is still himself! I can’t imagine putting him down like that.
Two factors I must consider (besides how incredibly expensive this will all be) is that last summer he had a toe amputated because of carcinoma. The vet said his OSA is unrelated. I don’t want to go through all of this for him to only get a 3rd cancer in a couple of months. Also, he hates going to the vet’s office. He gets anxious and nervous, and he basically hates being away from home, so I can only imagine how stressful being in the hospital and then the chemo visits will be for him.
Basically I need some advice on how his quality of life will be with 1 front leg. I need to make my final decision pretty soon!
Dr. Dressler, May 2009, I had my 8 year old Rottie’s leg amputated because of osteosarcoma, As I have posted, he has had some problems that we have overcome, He is still my strong boy today, loves his food, alert, watching, ect. however, this evening, I was outside with him, he was sniffing, looking around, when suddenly he let out a cry, a cry I remember well. I checked him, and now I see, his right front leg is very weak and very limp. As you can imagine, Im worried. I know you cant tell me what is up with that, because you have not examined him, but I want to ask you, have you seen this and can it be more osteosarcoma in the front leg now? Thank you Dr. D.
Dr. Dressler,Its been over a year since my Rottie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma. Since last May I chose surgery to remove that horrible cancer. My choice for amputation was the best choice I ever made.He No way was ready to be put to sleep. My dog will be 10 this month.We have had some issues, he has overcome. However, again, now he has such a hard time getting up, although once he is up, he goes out, sniffs, does his business. and comes in, sometimes he lays like he is sick, and may not feel good, othertimes, ears out, wrinkles in the forehead to say lets go. Im confused with the outcome of this type of surgery, Originally, His blood tests and chest Xray said no cancer elsewhere, Im curious about the outcome for this cancer, Can it resurface in other limbs? Even after the films came back clear? Again, I know you have not examined my dog, Can you please enlighten me on this Osteosarcoma and typically the outcome?
My dog was diagnosed with osteosarcoma yesterday and I just want to make sure that I am making the right decision in putting her down. This is devestating to my family as she is such a sweet girl and a part of our family. She is a St bernard, great pyrenese and weighs 167lbs. I was told about the option of amputation, it is on her left front leg, and I am afraid she will have a very hard time getting around, and really do not want her to suffer from pain. I am having a hard time accepting the idea of putting her down because she is so loving and she is still mobile, with a limp that varies in severity. She is only 5 years old and I still see her as a baby. Is it the right decision to have her put down so that she does not suffer?
This is all a Lie of bull… 11 months ago my Siberian was diagnoised with cancer in her back left leg, the told me the only way to say her was to amputate… AND he said IF we did this it would be gone!!! Yesterday she was diagnosed with lungs full of cancer and has about 2 weeks to live. I am devistated… The just make their $$$………..:(
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