Bone cancer/amputation

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AlisonRiley

AlisonRiley

Member Since 2016
Last week I noticed my senior cat Sheba limping and thought maybe it was a sprain and watched her for a day. She seemed to improve, then she stopped putting weight on it all together. I took her to the vet and an x-ray revealed she had broken her femur. She's strictly indoors and I was perplexed. Other vets and a surgeon looked at the x-ray and noticed she had bone cancer and advised amputating her leg.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I'm planning on making the appointment tomorrow. They said with cats there's a 90% survival rate and her chest x-ray and blood work were great.
 
We had another member ( jamie ) who had a cat who had to amputate one of his rear legs because of cancer, I think it was just below the hip.

He adapted quickly and was playing in no time.
Prayers for Sheba and you as you go thru this change to have more years together.
 
Hi Alison.

First, am so sorry about Sheba's diagnosis. I know how heartbreaking it is. I may have missed it, but I didn't see if you mentioned whether it was a front or back leg?

Sasha lost her right front leg and shoulder due to an injection site sarcoma when she was about 13.5 years old. I worried about how she would do because she had a congenital joint deformation in both back legs. She has always been very active. Turns out she did amazingly well. She had another year and a half of quality time before a combination of issues weakened her and pneumonia took her.

I don't know if @jamie&jupiter still hangs around, but she has some amazing videos of Jupe after his amputation. I'm on the way out right now, but will post more tonight.
:bighug::bighug::bighug:
 
I had a tripod for 14 yrs. Don't know why the leg was amputated. I got her right after it was done. She jumped, climbed stairs and actually ran faster than the four legged ones.

It was a back leg on her. I did ask about getting her wheels but it was unheard of at the time. Over the years her back started to twist out of line. She lived a good 14 yrs after though.
 
My civvie Pepper had a bone cancer called osteosarcoma. We actually found it when looking for reasons for excessive urination. Did the amputation, did chemo, and lost her in less than 9 months because the excessive urination was due to the cancer metastasizing to the kidneys and damaging them.

Although the vets said that most pets tolerate chemo very well, Pepper had diarrhea and vomiting after each session of leukaran.
 
Thank you everyone! :bighug: @Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey It's Sheba's back right leg. I'm thankful her kidneys, blood work and chest x-rays are clear but I'm so scared they'll find more cancer when they do the operation.

I made the appointment on Monday morning. It's with a vet that isn't familiar with Sheba's situation, but they advised us not to wait until Thursday to see the other vet and we agreed. I know she will be briefed on Sheba, but I'm just so nervous.
 
Sending prayers and vines for a successful surgery and a quick and complete recovery.
I had a kitty that had a rear leg amputated. Although it wasn't from cancer, she did extremely well on 3 legs. I bought a couple pet stairs and placed one by the bed and one by the sofa so she could get up on her own.
 
AlisonRiley said:
I'm so scared they'll find more cancer when they do the operation.
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Take one step at a time...just like Sheba will do once she's done

Sending lots of good vines, prayers and healing light your way for the surgery
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This forum has been so helpful these last few months during some really difficult times. I sincerely thank you all for your information and support. I'll be sure to post an update on my Sheba.

This is her, she was super feral when I started feeding her over a dozen years ago. Her eye has always been that way, it's never hindered her in the least.

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Here is a photo of Stewart. I adopted him when he was nine and he had complicates at birth and lost lost his right rear at that time. He did fine, just a little messy in the littler box
 
Hi Alison.

She is gorgeous. Has the vet said if she has sight in that eye?

I found the PMs I exchanged with Jamie about her Jupiter, who had his right rear leg amputated. She gave me a ton of great info. I'll give you all the links and you can read what she said to me. Here is a video of Jupiter, post-amputation, playing:


Here are the links to the PMs Jamie sent me that I found helpful:

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...s-246-2-185-4-122-sasha-biopsy-results.90482/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...s-246-2-185-4-122-sasha-biopsy-results.90513/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...s-246-2-185-4-122-sasha-biopsy-results.90529/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...s-246-2-185-4-122-sasha-biopsy-results.90995/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/conversations/re-6-19-cinco-amps-209-2-204-4-5-204.91201/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...inco-pmps-154-2-5-100-5-112-sasha-home.91250/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/...inco-pmps-154-2-5-100-5-112-sasha-home.91254/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/conversations/re-6-27-cinco-amps-204-2-124-4-83-5-91.91387/
http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/conversations/re-6-27-cinco-amps-204-2-124-4-83-5-91.91431/

I know it's a lot, but Jamie really shared a great deal of what she experienced with Jupiter, and I think you will find something in each post that will be of interest to you.

I'll be keeping you and Sheba in my prayers. Please let me know if there is anything I can to do help you!
 
Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey said:
Alison, Chris told me that those links don't work. If that is the case, and you would like to read them, please let me know and I'll copy and past the relevant stuff into a PM for you.
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Thank you so much! I would like to read them if it's not too much trouble. I really appreciate the info.

No, they haven't said. I can see her eyeball all the way back there and it moves ever so slightly. They agreed that if it wasn't a problem for her they were content to leave it alone. When she was super feral my mom saw her take down an adult squirrel, so her vision seems fine. I'm thankful I missed that.
 
Okay, I just created a very long PM with what I think is the most useful info from Jamie. I mostly just copied and pasted verbatim.

Again, if there's any other way I can help, please let me know. I understand what you're going through!
 
Tricia Cinco(GA) & Harvey said:
Okay, I just created a very long PM with what I think is the most useful info from Jamie. I mostly just copied and pasted verbatim.

Again, if there's any other way I can help, please let me know. I understand what you're going through!
Click to expand...
Thank you, I'm sure I'll have more questions. When I get home from work tomorrow night I'll post an update.

Tonight she's just her sweet fluffy self. My boyfriend stopped by (and he even gave me some cash to help with the cost) to give her kisses and she kissed him right back. :cat:
 
Good news, Sheba's surgery went well! They did detect a small heart murmur but nothing so concerning that they stopped. She's all doped up and apparently already stood on her 3 legs. The biopsy will take about a week because of the holiday, so fingers crossed there. Will likely bring her home Wednesday morning so she has another day with them since she has a drain in and such.
 
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Great news!! Happy to hear she came through it well!!

Now for the real fingernail biting...the wait for the results :nailbiting::nailbiting:

Sending some of our strongest vines for a very boring test result!!!
 
Thanks guys! Yes, please let the biopsy results be negative.

Looks like Thursday is when I can pick her up now. They have a drain and catheter in and are monitoring her closely, but said she's doing extremely well. They called my mom while I was at work and said she's standing and even tried to jump off a counter, which thankfully they did not let happen. They also said she's "making cookies" on her little blanket.
 
They say they just truck on.... they don't think like we do about I used to have a leg.... or this or that....
They just continue and adjust and enjoy all the good things that come their way.....

Prayers for a "boring" test result.....
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for Sheba....
 
Thank you! My mom went to visit her today while I was at work and she was purring like crazy. They said probably tomorrow we can bring her home.
 
They want to keep her until tomorrow, but I got the visit her today! She was so happy to see me, she was purring and licked my hand. She even stood up once, I was nervous I'd be upset to see her but it wasn't as bad as I anticipated.
 
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So glad to hear that she's feeling so good and happy! Fingers crossed for a boring biopsy result!

The nice thing about amputations for cats and dogs is they don't seem to have the psychological trauma that humans experience with the loss of a limb. Over the years I've seen dozens (probably over a hundred by now) amputations at the shelter I work at, and each time they're just so happy that the source of pain/discomfort is gone. It's amazing how quickly they adjust to having 3 limbs. 3 leggers are always huge favorites at our shelter (we have 3 right now, two cats, one dog).
 
Keep a cone on until the stitches/staples are removed. I didn't and woke up in the middle of the night to horrendous howling when civvie Pepper got a tooth hooked under a staple. I had to push her head towards her rear in order to unhook her.
 
The biopsy results came in today. The vet called and said while it is cancer, her and a pathologist believe they got it all. She used the word "cured". I hope she's right.

Sheba is doing excellent, she's just amazing.
 
Chris & China said:
Did they tell you what kind of cancer?

I'm happy to hear they think they got it all!! Hopefully Sheba has many more years of love to share with you!!
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Thank you! She left me a message while I was at work and I texted my mom to have her call them, so she spoke to the vet. The vet told her the name but my mom didn't pronounce it right, apparently it's the form of bone cancer in cats that isn't as bad as the other one. I'll have to call myself when I can. They were closed when I got home from work.

Actually I just found a note my mom left me saying "Fibrosarcoma, got all".
 
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Thanks everyone! Sheba is doing exceptionally well, she's been out and about and even caught her scratching on her scratcher. She's healing beautifully and she hasn't gone at the incision at all. On Monday her stitches will be removed.
 
I just wanted to thank everyone again for all of the input and support. I appreciate it so much, I was really nervous and you all helped in some way. If I have any further questions I'll surely post them, but for now my pretty girl and I just wanted to say thanks :bighug: She's been jumping up on the couch to sit with me after work <3

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