I'm so sorry Trisha. Dogs usually do well on three legs. I don't know if a back leg is any more difficult than a front.

My vet suspected bone cancer in my Rottweiler's shoulder. At 13 years old we didn't put him through any tests.

I am so sorry. We are here for you. I don't know the answer or what I would do in your shoes. Even though in the past I have said I would do the surgery if dogs have a chance I don't think I'd do it in this case. One of my dogs has a bump that I just noticed and it is making me very nervous.
How did you find out your dog had cancer? What were the symptoms?

He had torn ligament in his back leg. Now tis is a smooth coat saint bernard with 24" legs. Just imagine Marmaduke. He was just hanging his back leg up in the air.
So we brought him to the vet. They put plates in his back left leg a year ago. He was fine until lately.
He kept hanging it. Like he did in the beginning, wouldn't put weight on it. So we brought him back to the vet and they said it was either an infection or cancer. We were hoping for an infection, but turns out it's slow growing cancer. Without any treatment he will live a year. He's 3 years old!
With the amputation he will live maybe 4 years. We are still so upset and don't know what to do. He is the sweetet, most gentle dog in the world.
McDuff iws a service dog and goes to nursing homes and kid's cancer hospitals.
His little sister is just beside herself. McDuff had to stay over in the vet for a biopsy. Daisy was in a tizzy. they've never been separated.

When one of my rottie had a torn ligament i was checking
in TPLO. I talked to people who had this doneMy vet told me TPLO is ok, but another vet and a few Rottie breeders and other Rottie owners disagreed with the vet.
They showed statistic that when dogs have plates in their body they develop bone cancer sooner or later.
I guess it is the metal.
Needless to say i went with ACL surgery.
But your doggie is young,and even with amputation he still can have a great life.
Hope everything goes well.
Good luck.

Christine

I'm sorry to hear about your dog, but dogs cope very well with three legs! I worked for a vet that amputated a gread dane rear leg (lick granuloma)- and the dog could get going pretty quick!
McDuff is very young and should adapt very quickly to an amputation and still live a very happy life.
Best of luck to you!

What do you mean by TPLO?. They never told us that a dog with plates in his leg is bound to develop bone cancer.

My DH is McDff's hero. And he said he couldn't stand to see him with three legs. I'll ask the local vet what she thinks. We had to bring him to the Long Island Vet Specialists out here. Our local vet couldn't perform the surgery with a dog over 90 lbs.

They all know and love McDuff at the local vet, so I'm sure they are all sad there now.

Is there a site I can go to to learn about 3 legged big dogs that anyone knows about? DH and I are just sick over this.

And thank you all for your good wishes. We very much appreciate it.

I am so sorry to hear about McDuf, but the answer is that 'no'he can not have a 'good' quality of life without the leg, he will have an 'excellent' quality of life.

Osteosarcoma is a terribly common problem with greyhounds. As soon as they are allowed to move after amputation they do, and you'd never know they were missing a leg. They are completely stable and run as if they had four legs. The saying is that they have 3 legs and a spare :)

If your dog is in otherwise healthy shape (not obese or suffering from other health issues), do consider the surgery. I don't know that this will extend your dog's life (I think most studies show it does not), but it will make him much more comfortable, and he will be much more comfortable for what ever time he has left.

Best wishes to you and McDuff.

Never heard anything about the plates but dogs that have broken legs for some reason seem to have a higher incident of developing cancer in the leg that was broken. Osteosarcoma is a nasty diease and in the end stages is quite painful for the dog along with the chance that it may mestasize and spread to other areas. Animals adapt to amputations much better and faster than people do. The Dr.'s where I work just did one a couple days ago on a Bernese Mountain Dog and he is doing fine. I would urge you tho to decide as fast as you can on your choice of treatment for him.

Lisa

trisha57

Check this out:

Http://www.oscardog.it/English/oscar_en.htm

My second vet told me there is also another side to this
surgery (TPLO)
If something goes wrong, it is bad (wrong)
It will need additional surgery to fix whatever the problem
is.
He also told me that any metallic implant has the
potential to cause bone cancer
in humans and animals.
There is a plate and 6-8 screws in TPLO and they stay until
bone heals.
The plate and the screws can be removed later, of
cause, but that means another surgery.
I don't want my dog to go through all this.
And that's why i picked ACL.

There is a site about this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&;
db=PubMed&list_uids=182427&dopt=AbstractPlus

As Cynthia said, he'll do fine on 3 legs. It's harder on us than it is them!
I once adopted a dog that walked on her front legs and after surgery and a lot of PT , she regained use of both hind legs. Animals are capable of much more than we give them credit for.

I talked with many vets at UCDavis while my dog was being treated and was told that dogs carry the majority of their weight in their front legs so if a dog must lose a leg it's often easier when it's the hind leg.
Not too long ago I saw a video of a 2 legged dog and he could run and play just fine. He was missing a front leg and the opposite hind leg.

I'd opt of 3-4 more years with him if he's in good physical health otherwise. Tell DH he'll be proud of him!

Dogs do fine on three legs. I only wish I had had the opportunity to save my greyhound who died of osteosarcoma about five years ago. She had been to the vet a month before and had a slight limp in the week or so before her death, but greys often pull something on their runs. But when she jumped out of the car, her weakened bone broke and she died that day. I would not have hesitated on amputation if I had had that option. Go for it.It will give you more years with your dog.

Poor McDuff - I remember his cute puppy pictures you shared with us. Tell DH that if McD can cope with three legs, he (DH) will adapt to it, too. McDuff will be fine with only three.

They also make little wheeled carts for dogs without hind leg support if he can't for some reason get around on three legs - it looks like a dog with a wheelbarrow under his back legs - and they do fine, too.

I am so sorry you are going through this. I send you all thoughts of healing as you cope with this illness.

Any fracture repair can predispose dogs to developing bone cancer later, especially if internal fixators were used as correction (most do use internal fixators because they stabilize fractures better than external for the most part). But even without internal fixation, a dogs with previous limb fractures or bone injury are more likely to develop bone cancer than dogs without. Same with people too, BTW.

What kind of cancer does McDuff have? Not all bone cancers are created equal- osteosarcomas tend to metastasize by the time they are found and even with amputation and chemotherapy the lifespan is only 1 year. Which isn't to say that a year isn't fantastic- dogs do great on 3 legs as long as the other legs are all OK. If he has hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia or other disease in any limb, he won't do as well. But the main problem with bone cancer is that it HURTS, and getting the affected limb amputated makes them feel SO much better.

Please see a veterinary oncologist about McDuff's disease. General practioners aren't necessarily as well versed about cancer as a specialist, and any cancer that will cause a giant breed dog to lose a leg requires a specialist IMHO. Giant breed dogs need their limbs more than smaller breed dogs, but still feel better without than with when it comes to cancer.

Dogs are awesome- they don't have any feelings of self-consiousness or embarrassment that a human would feel. Dogs adapt to whatever situation hits them and keep on being who they are. McDuff will be OK without the sore leg, really.

I know this is so hard on you. The giant breed dogs are such great dogs, but don't stay with us nearly as long as they should. It's not fair. I'll be keeping your family in my thoughts.

McDuff has chondrosarcoma. They said it's a very slow growing cancer that affects the cartilage in the bones. They gave him 6 months to a year without the amputation, and 4-5 years with the amputation.

I feel so bad for all the posters who lost a dog to cancer. But, I have printed out your replies on how good dogs do with one missing hind leg.

We will go tomorrow and talk to the vet. We were never told that putting plates in his leg could lead to cancer.

Yeah, remember when I posted here when we first got him? He was the cutest and best dog in the world. I asked you all for names.
But from the bottom of my heart, we thank you all so much for all the information.

We will bring him tomorrow and see what the oncologist says.

Meghane's right:

Dogs don't care.

Leg hurting=bad.

No leg hurting=good.

holding you in my thoughts & in my heart.

How'd it go?

Sending all my best for you and McDuff.

He had the amputation two nights ago. The hospital calls us every monring and updates us. He was up an walking on three legs the next day, and today he is eating and drinkng. amazing.

They said he is doing great. He is in his own room cause they didn't have a crate big enough for him! They have someone there 24 hours to check on the dogs. I could't stop cyring on the phone cause I was so happy. They said we can probably pick him up tomorrow or the next day.

The assitant called me this morning and said he is doing great. She said that he was the sweetest and most gentle and good dog and asked where we got him. Well by then I was sobbing.
They think they got all the cancer but still have to send out his bone for another biopsy.

His "little" sister is breaking our hearts though. they are so close. She'll go to sleep then wake up and go looking for him from room to room even upstairs, where she never goes. Then she'll sleep again, wake up and do the same thing.
But thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. You guys are a bunch of caring people. Wish there were more people like you in the world.

I know it will be a shock seeing him for the first time without his back leg, but I don't want him to see me upset. This will be hard. Thank you all again, so much.

Yay!

Is the clinic near enough for you to visit?

Pets like to see their families, & if you can bring his lil sister it'll cheer up both of them!

Wonderful! Remember to keep upbeat especially around him - he will have no idea why you are crying but it quite probably will upset him. Keep us posted, we'll keep you in our thoughts and prayers!

My brother adopted a young boxer who had lost a hind leg at the hip after a car accident. She never missed it, that I could see. She was a doll, a real ball of fire, and she lived a great life. She lived out in the country and would roughhouse and carouse with her dog buddies who lived nearby, go for long walks, chase squirrels - basically live the doggie lifestyle with no limitations. The only issue that developed, which the vet had explained ahead of time, was that the other hind leg did stiffen up and got arthritic due to overuse. But she lived out her life happily and was a joy to be around.

I also recall seeing on one of those Animal Planet shows a dog who had lost BOTH front legs and simply walked around on her hind legs. Pretty weird to see her bouncing and striding along down the street, but she seemed pretty blase about the whole thing.

I say go for it!
Susan

I was glad to read thru the thread to see that you went ahead with the surgery. I'm sure McDuff will do great on 3 legs. More weight is usually placed on the front legs of dogs than the back, so amputating the back leg is actually easier on them than having to do a front leg.

Our local Children's Hospital has a commercial with a service dog and a little girl - the service dog has hip dysplasia and the little girl had just had hip surgery and could really relate to the dog. I bet McDuff will have an even greater impact on the cancer patients he visits with in the future.

Good luck to you and I hope McDuff shows great improvements every day.

Sorry, I did not read all the way through the posts and did not realize that you had gone ahead with the amputation. Congrats that everything has gone well so far!

I forgot to add, that my brother's boxer made the most of the fact that having one hind leg out of the way made it that much easier to get lots of tummy scratches :o)

Susan

My DH went to pick him up. He'll be home wihtin the hour. I'm so nervous, and upset, but I don't want him to see me so upset. I can't even imagine what he will look like.

I don't know if I thanked you all already, but you guys are the most caring people in the world. I'm so glad I can come to this site. Okay, now I'm crying again.

They said he has 70 stitches inside and 40 staples outside and we have to keep in alone on clean bedding so he doesn't get an infectionl. I have his bed in the wash right now.

The place is one and a half hours away. So it's a long ride for him. I think it's better my DH went by himselfk, this way he can cry and not let me see.
I stayed home cause of his little sister, Daisy. She's been looking all over for him since he left. She's is very confused.

He'll do fine.

& you'll do fine.

(I'd try to blubber it all out & powder my nose before they come in the door!)

I just came across this thread and was rooting all along for him to have the surgery. Dogs don't feel embarrassed for how they look, and they seem to take these things in stride (pun NOT intended!). It is their humans who do the mental suffering! One leg less seems like a great bargain for a possible 4~5 more years with your beloved pet. I'd go for that myself, for either of my cats, or for a dog if we still had one.

"Do any of you know of a dog who had a good quality of life with three legs?"

Yup. As I type, IÂm watching my 80# tripod Doberman girl screaming across the back yard after her dobi brother in play. By the way  the big boy dobi lost. (actually most any dog she engages loses) She had a rear amputation at one year and just turned 8. My immediate neighbour has lab mix with a front amputation and the director of the shelter I volunteer for has a German shepherd with a front amputation. So I can confidently say that a loss of a limb does not affect the quality of their life. My dog, these dogs donÂt even miss the leg. ItÂs a non issue for them.

Tile and hardwoods did make my girl hesitant to navigate across immediately after the amputation, so if McdufÂs path includes these, IÂd suggest some temporary runners until he becomes sure of himself

While you donÂt have to baby Mcduf, you should take preventive action to reduce injury to the good remaining back leg. Obviously, there will be stress on the remaining back leg and the body in general and it must be kept in mind. My girl is very well developed in her front shoulder and chest region in compensation for the amputation. My tripod girl is now starting to see the effects of bone spurs in her rear leg. Slowing down, but barely. Arthritis WILL happen. We keep the girlÂs weight on the lean side at 80#, despite piggyÂs insistence for more food and her large frame for the breed. Extra weight will just hurt her back leg. We keep the "free for alls" and out of control play-fests between her and her siblings to a minimum to reduce the stress to the back leg. When we throw the ball for her- we throw it straight ahead of her, so that she doesnÂt have to turn and pivot on the one good leg and cause more stress. We keep her on glucosamine- whether or not it works  IÂd rather be safe than sorry. We make her sit as often as we can to reduce the stress to the remaining leg.

Yahoo has a disabled dogs forum. I joined years ago when the girl lost her leg, but I found that there was no reason to need help from them, as the girl did just fine with her amputation as IÂm sure Mcduf will do.

Leg- what leg?

How is he doing, Trisha?..I'll bet he'll be running around like nothing is missing. He'll be fine. I'm glad you will have years with him now. It's a scary thing but in a few minutes , he'll seem like that's the way he was born. I saw a three legged Dalmation today at an art show I attended..More common than you think.

I've been avoiding opening this thread again, so was very excited to see that you went ahead and make the decision that you did :) It's wonderful news. I know you'll cherish every day even more now. Please don't count on any particular number of years for him, each day is a bonus, so celebrate that. Best to all of you!

Congratulations on McDuff's surgery! By now, he's been home a while. You'll get used to it. He's probably already over it, even if he's still a little ouchy. Dogs are rarely self conscious. He will be fine. I've seen dogs bouncing around ready to play with anyone only hours after amputations. He'll be fine. Really. You've now got a dog that will get you lots of attention whenever you go out. :)

I just read threw this post. Wow, you have been threw a lot. I am so sorry for McD but hope he is up & feeling good very soon. Sending hugs your way. Terri