Front Leg Sarcoma

Pooch’s surgery went well. He was hopping when I picked him up. Over the next couple of months adapted very well learning to balance and play. He needs rest breaks as we walk and he face plants as he gets used to his situation. He turned 11 years old and is a true warrior.

I stapled down rugs all over my hardwood floors so he can walk without slipping. I had a 5 foot long bath mat I use as path into the kitchen to his food and water bowls. I also made a table to raise his bowls 6” so he doesn’t have to bend. I’m getting used to him plopping down so hard.

A couple of times he’s got himself stuck where he had trapped his good front leg and had to wait for me to get him up. He’s in and out the doggy door all day long while I’m at work.

 

A video 3months after amputation can be seen at:

https://youtu.be/ET1G1ogc38Y

I looked for information thru Google searches, talking to people, and the Tripawds forums. This turned out to be one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make.

My decision to amputate was complicated by my Pooch’s size and weight. The front legs carry more of the burden, 60 to 70% more of the weight. A lot of people told me “if he were a younger dog” and others relate how well they have seen Tripawds perform. He had a  mast cell tumor removed with good margins, and he has lymphoma which still requires treatment. Removing the leg removes the Grade 3 Spindle Cell Sarcoma that has made him lame. He is in considerable pain; I will have to put him down soon because of pain. To remove the pain the leg must be removed.

I decided with his irrepressible enthusiasm and hard-headed nature I am pretty sure he will adapt to the change. Why not give him the chance? Remove the pain and let him carry on.

I was concerned he would be vulnerable to other dogs. Loose dogs are a common occurrence in spite of leash laws. He is neutered and gets challenged.  Most dogs are friendly sniffers, and the more aggressive ones decide its best to respect him. I don’t think that will change and I don’t think we are going to wander off on long hikes anytime soon either.

Finally, would I be able to put in the time, effort, and expense to carry on with this, to make the changes to accommodate him as a Tripawd? He has been with me for 10 years thru good times and bad times and has been my most loyal friend. I am not ready to part with him. So I began to look at it as another adventure for us to pursue together.

Pooch, my 10.5-year-old Terrier Mix (otherwise known as Pitbull) has been a healthy energetic dog since he was born. He has always hung out with me doing outdoor chores and is my exercise partner.

We began 2018 with our normal activities. Pooch is energized with the cold. On my days off we would take 2 to 3-hour walks in the morning, checking out his favorite sniffing spots and following interesting scents, I let him follow his nose.

Our walks could cover 7 miles and when we returned he was ready to play. I would throw a Jr. Football and he would retrieve it quickly. Then we would his favorite game – Tug of War; he usually wins. I would tire before he does.

In the summer our outings tend to shorten because of the heat, we go out early and I carry water for him. By the end of the summer, he was not covering as much territory and I put this down to his age. 10 for him is about 2/3 of his life span making us about the same age.

He seemed pretty normal except on occasion in tight spaces he seemed to have a little problem turning, sometimes a little stumble. His paw would not always flip out before he settled on it. I was told it was probably just a dog’s anatomy.

In the fall he was still active but he did not pick up as much as I would have expected when the weather cooled. He developed an occasional limp. At first, I could not tell which leg was bothering him. Then it got worse.

His breed can ignore pain to accomplish his goals. And a long walk to check his sniffing spots is the best thing ever to him. One day we left he had a small limp and it got worse as we went. The next day I made an appointment with the Vet. He already had a swollen gland under his throat for the last 3 years which was a suspected cancer. An aspiration over a year ago showed normal cells. I couldn’t afford a biopsy at that time.

The vet pointed out a lump on the dog’s leg and suggested a biopsy. Now out of debt, I could pay for a biopsy. The biopsy report came back with a low-grade lymphoma from the gland and a grade 3 spindle cell sarcoma in his leg.

The bump on his leg was growing into his elbow joint. Over the next couple of months, it became quite large.

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