my poor little buddy had his left hind leg amputated on Thurs - he has osteosarcoma and is a decent candidate for surgery+chemo extending his life. he is having a hard time with the pain and so has to stay in the vet hospital a few more days (older dog with GI issues so they cant give him the really strong “happy juice”). I wanted to give him a shot and plus everyone swears the tri-paws adjust well but these first few days have been rough sledding.
It gets better (???) 
Im so sorry 
FWIW I know a LOT of dogs who have gone through with an amputation and chemo and did well. The first week is the hardest, they are dealing with visceral pain (but no longer osteosarcoma pain) which generally resolves in under a week.
The routine chemotherapy for osteosarcomas is Adriamycin (doxyrubicin) and carboplatin. I would recommend putting your dog on a gastroprotectant when receiving these treatments not because most get ill, but its something that we can do to help minimize side effects (if any) from the chemo.
I have known one border collie who was diagnosed around age 6, and lived to 13. However most dogs that I have treated with chemo live 1-3 years if they have clean chest radiographs prior to surgery.
He will do ok, amputations are harder on us as it is on them (pending they have 3 good legs!). By next weekend, you will likely be chasing after your dog…not carrying him around 
Jingles!!
Hi Ray, I’m sorry you and your pup are going thru this. I lost my girl to osteosarcoma in Sept. She was not a good candidate for amputation so we did palliative radiation and Pamidronate. I had a thread on palliative care, lots of folks shared their stories. I’m sure your buddy will be feeling better soon, and you will have plenty more time together. Wishing you the best possible outcome. Jingles.
Always a tough decision, so sorry you’re having to go through this. The tri-paws I’ve met have done great. Many hardly notice the loss (depending on age and weight).
You’re not there at this point and hopefully won’t be for a long while but here are some things to consider in the future if you feel your guy’s health/quality of life is in question.
-Make a list of things your dog loves to do. Keep track of how interested he is in these things and how he is changing over time.
-Keep a journal of every day or mark good day/bad day on the calendar. This can help you to see the whole picture. It’s hard to realize how bad things get when you see your animal every day. But then you can look at the journal and see that a month ago, he was so much more active or had 23 good days last month but only 15 this month. It helps keep you aware of where your dog is at quality of life wise.
Best wishes to your guy and to you too. The amputation always seems like a more difficult adjustment for the owners than the pets.
Thank you very much for the good wishes and advice!
I am really hoping to get him home today…
Jingles for you and your pup!
Such an awful diagnosis. I am glad you are giving him a chance to spend more time with you. Your mantra needs to be quality over quantity. Once he gets to the point the quality is gone it is time to let him go. Many jingles for you both.
I lost my barely 11-yr old lab/greyhound cross to it four years ago this month. He was diagnosed in October and I lost him 3 months later. I did not opt for amputation or chemo - didn’t think it was fair to him and it wouldn’t have been. I adopted him from a shelter where he had no chance (big 87 lbs when I got him - he filled out at 109 lbs, black, uncontrollable and energy through the roof). He became a farm dog and was able to run and play every single day - that was what he needed! Not being able to run and play anymore was hard on him. I’m all about quality over quantity - no question on that. He had a great life with me right up until the end - he went peacefully at the vets with his head on my lap 
.
FWIW, Tri Paws can have quality life As can dogs who come in for chemo visits. Its NOT for every dog, and owners typically know if they have a good candidate or not.
Id say 90% of the dogs we treat are great, they are SO EXCITED to come for the chemo treatment (they get really good treats!). The remainder 10% are cats lol…
However, we always give owners the speech that not every dog will enjoy car rides every few weeks to the hospital, and not every dog can support a 3 leg life (ie. hip dysplasia, advanced arthritis). Most of the time owners make a very educated decision and know their dogs best
The goal of chemo in pets is NOT TO MAKE THEM SICK, so saying “it isn’t fair to him” isn’t the same as if you are picturing chemo in a person. The goal is not to cure, but to slow further spread. Doses are generally very low, and significant side effects are rare. As an owner, you MUST keep this in mind though. If during the chemo, your dogs quality of life is not good (say frequent vomiting or diarrhea) then you can always stop treatment. Its not like a train that doesn’t have stops - you can get off at any point.
The goal is always quality over quantity. “Quality” however can only be judged by the owner and can be different for each pet.
Best of luck and please keep us posted!
My heart Dobie was diagnosed at 9. Did the surgery, but not chemo, and he did great. Was home in 48 hrs, moving around independently in 10 days, back to normal workload in 30 days. He was 12 when he died, and not from a reoccurance of the osteo. Fell asleep in the sun and didn’t wake up on Xmas eve 2006. He was happy and healthy to his last breath. I was terrified to do the surgery. But he did great and I was so happy I had done the surgery. Best wishes for you and your pup.
first up-date: my dog is home from the vet hospital after surgery and doing great. he can walk well already and did some cute canters around the place when he first came home, he was so happy his appetite is great and he is tolerating all his meds well. now if he could only figure out how to poop without freaking out 
thanks very much for all of the advice, sharing of experiences and support.
Great update! Hope you have a lot of quality time left together.
The tumor is the major source of pain in animals with osteosarcoma, most dogs improve significantly after amputation. This is only if the animals remaining three legs can support the dogs weight. Hip displasia and obesity limit this greatly. Chemo is indicated and can improve quality of life especially if the tumor has spread. We did an amputation on a 7 year old Golden, the owners noticed an ever so slight limp and radiographs showed osteosarcoma. The owners elected to forgo chemo, due to the fact that chest films showed no metastasis. After a year he was still going strong and I lost track of him after leaving the clinic. He of course is the exception not the rule.
Chemotherapy is almost always indicated after amputation. The large bone tumor typically suppresses the progression of smaller tumors in the body. Once the main tumor is removed that signal is dampened and the small tumors begin to grow. Chemo keeps those small tumors from growing.
Best of luck with your boy, sounds like he is on the right track.
We had a greyhound mix, Queenie, who developed osteosarcoma at age 9. She had a hind leg amputation, and then chemo.
I thought long and hard about whether or not we should do this, but she indicated to me that she still wanted to be here (I asked her!), so we gave it a shot. Though tall, she was slender enough to support herself on 3 legs easily, and would canter around. The chemo was not hard on her. She was a champ through it all, and inspired all the staff at the vet clinic, as well as inspiring others with her cheerful, graceful ability to adjust to life on 3 legs.
I developed cancer myself a year after hers (breast cancer), and, believe me, not only was she my loving support, she was my inspiration! (Human chemo is at much higher doses, much harder to tolerate). I’m doing well, years later.
She had three more good years with us, worthwhile years free of illness.
Here’s to you, beautiful, wonderful Queenie!
And best of luck with your wonderful dog!
My dog died (well was euthanized technically) due to osteosarcoma a little over a year ago. She was six. We didn’t amputate due to other health issues, joints, etc. She lived less than a month after diagnosis and that was probably the worst month of my life from that and some other things going on.
I would have no issues with amputating if the circumstances were different (don’t want the above to sound like I’m against it or anything) and wish you the very best!! The tumor is extremely painful, even with drugs (my dog’s tumor was actually warm and I swear it grew before my eyes), so your dog is probably very relieved to be free of it. Plus now you don’t have to worry about a horrible break at the cancer site, which we were constantly worried about. Wishing you many years together!
TrotTrotPumpkin and I had Dobermans going through osteosarcoma at the same time. A sad outcome for both of us.
TTP - How’s your puppy coming along?
StG
[QUOTE=StGermain;7405892]
TrotTrotPumpkin and I had Dobermans going through osteosarcoma at the same time. A sad outcome for both of us.
TTP - How’s your puppy coming along?
StG[/QUOTE]
True words.
Very good, thank you! He is quite a handful. I am hoping he will be ready to trial by summer. And your rescue?
TTP - Sleeping under the covers. 
He’s a great dog, will rarely leave my side.
StG
Ray, Hope your wonderful dog is finding his balance, once he does you should have many happy times to come.
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