Roxy trying to high five with her missing paw broke my heart. You can see the muscles tense and the moment of realization on her face when she realizes "Oh. I need to use my other paw now". Poor baby. It's good to hear she's not having any psychological problems because of this though.
dogs actually (and cats too) have known to show very little sadness about missing limbs. they dont get "depressed" in the same way a human would after losing their limb.
I’m a veterinarian and want to echo what Dr Mike said. Please ask questions! Every pet and owner is different, and one family may want to pursue things aggressively while another family may choose palliative care. Both are ok! Let your vet know your philosophy and goals. Get a second or third opinion if needed to help you decide what’s best for you and your family. I’m glad that Roxy is healing well and that’s an important reminder as well-dogs accept changes like this with incredible grace and resilience. Thanks for sharing her story Dr Mike!
I'd favor applying that to people as well. I know if I were choosing for myself between two active years of life or four bedbound years, I'd take the two active years without a second's hesitation.
My cat just had surgery and the day after, I noticed that his arm was swollen and that the bandage for his IV was quite tight (and also still on) - I thought back to this video and rushed him back to the vet. They were mortified and were so happy that I caught it before it got bad. All he needs now is some massages and more love. Thank you so much for this video, it came flashing back to me and I knew exactly what I needed to do. 💜
I think regardless of the outcome, your kitty would need more massages and love. He's a cat. Our job is to spoil them. They are our masters and demand satisfaction. But I am glad he's okay. I wouldn't know what I would do if my kitties were in that situation. They're my babies.
@@mikaylawagner9988 Sorry, but what does that have to do with anything? It was just simple intuition brought about by watching a helpful video. I don't see how God played a role.
8:03 She went to high five with her missing leg. You can see her muscles try to move it. But she's smart enough to know she can't and did it with her other one. What a good girl.
Tripods always do this, usually when exited or moving or they just feel the need to. My dog is a tripod and so is my cat so I’ve had experience with good and bad xx
I have a tripawd as well, right hind leg, and you can always see him try to scratch his ear with his missing leg. It’s heartbreaking and adorable at the same time. I always make sure to give him extra sritches on his right ear since he can’t reach it. 💕
I'm a human amputee, have been for about a decade, I still catch myself trying to do something with the leg that no longer exists, ie kicking a ball. It's an odd feeling!
Thank you. I think that is the best takeaway from this situation. We can't go back in time sadly so I appreciate Doctor Mike wanting good info to be spread and I think vet students and pet owners are probably the best people to teach. Thanks again!
always remember that the owner knows their animal best. You only glimpse their condition in an office where they aren't comfortable, aren't familiar and are most likely terrified and confused. Thank you for going into veterinary science. Remember that you are practicing medicine. That means learning, every step of the way. Keep learning and keep listening!
Im glad you talked about quality of life vs length of life. I had a dog that passed away recently from Cushing's Disease, a disease that causes the adrenal gland to over produce cortisol which can lead to various life threatening conditions such as kidney failure, and diabetes. He was 14 when he was diagnosed and the vet said that a surgical procedure would be needed to treat him. However we decided not to do the operation, as he was already starting to lose weight and getting weaker. We were worried that a surgery would essentially kill him with how weak he was. We decided to put him on a medicine for cushings that did help slightly, and we just focused on keeping him comfortable. He went on to live another year and a half, with a decent quality of life until he passed away. I think we made the right choice, with how weak he was, i wasn't sure he'd be able to make it through a recovery from a surgery and felt that it would have badly affected his quality of life.
General practitioner vet here. This seems like it was a perfect storm of problems and I’m sorry it happened. However, it is absolutely true that dogs do beautifully with three legs. Losing a front leg is much harder on them than losing a rear leg, because dogs carry 60% of their weight on their front legs. A big reason we remove the entire shoulder blade is so the dog is not having to carry that extra weight on the remaining front leg. I have no doubt she’ll do great!
@@carlieamado6153 I mean, if it's not bothering him then it is better to leave it. Anesthesia is something you should be careful with. Not everyone can handle it, and you don't usually know until you just don't wake up. My dog had to have her tail amputated, but it was necessary, it was necrotic unfortunately, smelled so bad.
I may be wrong here, but I am absolutely pissed; and it's not even my dog. All of the things that Mike listed had to do with the vets causing this, by giving them not great advice, or literally wrapping it too tight to the point that the leg died. Is this their fault? Maybe you being a vet, you could give me some perspectiv here. I literally can't believe this happened, I can't imagine how mike is feeling.
I rescued a kitten with very smashed arm. Eventually had to decide whether to put it down or remove the arm. Surgery was astronomically expensive because she is a kitten. I ended up going through with the surgery with no regrets. Shout out to all the armless animals out there.
My kittens got a miss diognosis and bc we litter trianed them to early and they had an alergic reaction and 1 of them died while we were at school and now the athor one who lived and took the alergy not as strong the kittens had an alergic reaction to the litter we used 1 of them died so now we checked if it works for kittens the older one had 2 kittens they are 1 month old its sad
This is heartbreaking. I'm so sorry. As a veterinarian, my biggest fear is seriously harming a patient. I will never forget something my resident said to me when I was a student on my surgery rotation and learning to place bandages. Him: What's the biggest possible complication from a bandage? Me:Tissue necrosis resulting in amputation. Him: Nope. Death from sepsis from a necrotic leg. That had an impact on me that has lasted 22 years!
Thank you for that story, Dee. Question for you: did you think the bandage on Roxy's leg looked too tight? As I was watching the video and the photo was shown of her leg being wrapped, I thought to myself that it looked TOO tight, and I'm just a person with no medical training. I'm curious as to what you think?
This breaks my heart to watch... You can tell that he wants to get angry. He wants to blame people. He wants to really let it out. But he is way too kind and professional of a person to do that. Thank you for being a good example Dr Mike. Keep looking on the bright side.
He's probably conflicted about his dad, too. Mike wasn't there to ask the questions, he had to rely on his father to do that - and this is the outcome. I'm not saying it's his dad's fault, bad things happen, but it's hard to completely take him out of the equation. =/
@@SearchingOblivion yeah I got that when he was saying how he thought he would fine trusting his dad to handle everything I think he feels like had he done it himself this wouldn't have happened
well more I think he just recognises as a doctor the faults of medicine as a practice. Just think the most scientific part of medicine is the compounds we call medicine... the rest involves a lot of memorization, comparing colors, textures among other things humans are famously terrible at doing in a scientific way. At least without special instruments I have never seen a doctor use since I don't even think a version exists! think paint color comparison strips for human physiology or a book of skin textures....
I lost my Chihuahua 3 months ago to misdiagnosis at 5.5 years. I wasn't ready for this. 😭 I'm angry, sad I want to let it out on my vet but I know that isn't the way to handle it. I want to scream, cry, punch, break and just cuddle with my Scribble-Doo all at once.
This reminds me of a little clip with a three legged kitten. And the kitten tries to smack another cat with its missing paw, you know how cats do with the fast multi-slap. And the woman's like, what are you doing, you have no arm to hit with.
I work as a tech in the surgery department at a very popular and gold standard hospital. Never once have I seen something like this happen, thank God. All of our surgeons are incredible, and the ones that weren't got fired. I am so sorry this happened, it shouldn't have. I agree the surgery should have never taken place.
@@arcosprey4811 That's a bit creepy and alittle doxy, If they wanted people to know who they are and where they work they would have said in their original comment instead they specifically avoided saying the name.
@@DiustheZ I disagree. Comment is not doxy. MVS is super vague- could be anything really. ArcOsprey could have used Liz’s last name but did not, and also could have fully specified what MVS is instead of using the acronym for what likely is “random city name starting with M” Veterinary Services. While I’m sure you mean well, you’re being unnecessarily overly sensitive.
@@nicholem4831 let’s be honest here, MVS is not vague, and actually leaves her workplace easy to find. i guarantee if you typed mvs animal clinic into google, it would absolutely come up, and there’s 0 guarantee that it’s just a city’s name. there’s a reason that Liz didn’t state what clinic it was, in fact she went out of her way to avoid stating that. is the MVS comment a huge huge deal? no, probably not. but as someone who has been doxxed, and stalked, a lot can be done with simple information like that (not necessarily a concern in this case, but comments identifying where someone works in other places can be insanely detrimental depending on circumstances).
I have to say: the way you handled the reveal on those pre-and post-surgical images was true genius. Very well done. As a dog lover, this story really hit home with me. Isn’t that just the way it goes with our dogs? No matter how badly we feel that we could have done something more for them, they remain completely devoted to their hoomans. 🥰🐕
I just lost my own 12 yr old husky to metastatic cancer suddenly, so watching this and seeing Roxy so happy and healthy after the surgery makes me so happy
That's sad, I feel for you. I have an 8-year-old husky and a 13-year-old labrador who is basically a senile old woman. She's partially blind, partially deaf, and should be in a diaper cause she poops all over the concrete because she can't make it to the grass. The only thing I can say is that 12 years is a long life for a dog (unfortunately). A lot of breeds nowadays have a life expectancy of 8 years. So she/he got 4 more years of love and affection than most dogs. It's sad, but also not. Since she had a long and happy life.
As a vet tech I am so incredibly sorry that this is the experience you had. We always aim to be extremely transparent with clients about their pet’s prognosis against the risks/benefits of surgery. I’m so glad she’s doing well after the amputation. She looks beautiful 🖤
exactly! none of the doctors i work with would've recommended the surgery on a dog this age with a stage 1 sarcoma. Since at her age this is more of keeping them comfortable until their last days. Even with more aggressive cancer its risky because of the dog's age and you don't want to keep them in pain or miserable for the limited time they have left. The vet should've been more open about this and listed all of these concerns
I don't trust a single doctor anymore after covid and now after hearing this now I'd NEVER see them for myself or my animals. You guys are losing half.of America's trust also from things I read. Not to mention the tik tok videos we see nurses and doctors doing also..
@@jenma9377 Most likely I've seen place's charge more for stuff that should already be used like stuff for pain like we know we are killing your pet in front of you but would you like us to say it was "painless" for an extra 100. or 300 for a cat to be neutered but a lot of people will do it for 50 to help keep the population down. I can't trust vet's anymore.
Roxie's amazement that she acheived a high five without any balance was adorble. She was like, 'I got this, other paw, that's it, come on!' and she made it and was like, 'YEAH YOU SAW THAT, MIKE?!' and it was so cute.
I'm so sorry this happened. I know the pain and stress of having your furbaby undergo surgery as a vet nurse. Well done on your recovery, Roxy - one tough Husky!
As an RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician), I cannot express how much this breaks my heart. This is a situation that should have been avoided entirely. It makes me uncomfortable that they wanted to go right into surgery. I would not be comfortable with putting a 12yo large breed baby under anesthesia. It sounds like her bandage was far too tight, perhaps incorrect materials were being used. I am so glad she is recovering well after 2 procedures. I wish her circumstances were different and I am so sorry for what happened. My love and support to you and your family💕
IMO (rvn speaking) whilst this is a compounding issue that ended up with poor Roxy losing her leg, the surgeon had to make sure to get good margins around the sarcoma, maybe they took too much but they had to be sure. And a 12 yo large dog sure is an anaesthetic risk but it’s a cancerous lump so you have to weigh the pro vs con, they FNA biopsied it before doing the surgery to check, I can’t see much that was bad about recommending surgery. Of course there is the option to just let the lump stay and keep her but that turns into “what if” scenarios. The bandage isn’t excusable though, all the material at the top of the bandage in the picture was a huge red flag for me
As an RN and an RVT, I feel like advocating is most important. This is why even when I wasn't working at a clinic, I would be there to ask questions about the best direction to go with care. I did this with my 2 cancer dogs I currently have. They are happy and healthy and both 10 years old and surviving cancer well.
My dog had surgery to remove cancer at 13 and she was like a whole new dog after. We like to say she got a boob job because it was on her chest and the kind that really digs into everything around it so they had to remove a lot of tissue and skin. Her old lady loose skin is completely gone now 😆. She’s 15.5 and doing amazing.
As a Vet Tech, I am truly sorry Roxy lost her leg. Sarcomas can be tricky, I think it’s reasonable to have removed the tumor since they could spread. The photo of the foot looked so bad and my gut says it was a bandage tightness issue. It’s so easy to put one on too tight and this is an outcome. Obviously, other complications are possible too. Hopefully she will continue to improve and still live a full life as a tripod, it’s just so unfortunate she had to be one from a “simple” mad removal 😢❤❤
I think the point Dr. Mike is saying is it took this many years for the sarcoma to get to this stage so for it to become a serious problem would take longer than Roxy’s life expectancy and was not even worth the removal.
Not reasonable, no. The average lifespan of a Siberian is 12 years. The oldest Siberian I have had (was a breeder for a long time) was 15 1/2. It is far more likely at her age that she would have died with the sarcoma, not from it. That is very crappy risk:reward ratio. When I worked at the vet hospital, we didn't tend to go so gung ho on things like a stage 1 sarcoma in an elderly dog. It wasn't worth it.
@333Orobas 666 It's unlikely he bandaged the leg. Usually an assistant/tech does that, and most of them are trained on the job like I was, not in school. When I worked at the animal hospital, the vet would finish the surgery and go do something else and we would clean up, bandage anything, take the animal to recovery, etc.
@333Orobas 666 I'm a registered vet tech, and even in school, we were told that it is really easy to bandage too tight. There are many reasons for this, but a big one is simply because there's a fine line between a bandage that is too tight and one that is tight enough to stay in place to do its job, but still allows circulation. Most people have a tendency to go tight because we're afraid of the bandage falling off due to the anatomy of an animal's limbs, coupled with that we use both elastic (can be overstretched) and non-elastic (no flexibility when pulled taut) materials for bandaging, and that our patients can't flat out say "Hey! I think my bandage is too tight, my paw is going numb!". So yes, there was a possibility that the bandaging was too tight for Roxy. Nonetheless, if she was going in for regular wound checks, it makes me wonder if every bandage she had was too tight or not as each check would mean removing and reapplying the bandages. Also wondering if any of the vet staff noted abnormal changes of her leg during each check, even if the surgeon wasn't around (usually with wound checks like this, a vet should be examining the wound before determining whether or not further bandaging is needed). Like the vet answered though, it was very possible that it could have been one, some, or all of the complications listed, that's why Dr. Mike is stressing here that we should always ask questions/communicate clearly with our doctors (medical and veterinary alike) so we can weigh out the pros and cons before proceeding with a treatment plan. It may not always be foolproof, but it'll help lessen chances of situations like Roxy's from happening.
Veterinarian here. I am sorry about your experience with Roxy. I wonder if the tissue necrosis and lack of blood flow was more from the surgery itself though. With sarcomas on a limb there is such limited tissue in the region. It isn't like the scruff of the neck where there is lots of extra skin/tissue for closing up after. So one of the biggest risks with removing masses on limbs is that when you suture the wound closed it will create tension. If you create too much tension with your closure, you will actually cut blood supply to the region and get necrosis. In those cases putting in tension relieving incisions or just trying to heal the wound through second intention rather than closing it should be considered. I don't know how big the mass was that Roxy had or how much tension was present, but I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't a big part of why the tissue died. It is a possible complication of the procedure and should be explained prior to surgery, with the warning that if that occurs, it could result in amputation of the limb. So generally with a sarcoma like that you have 3 different options off the start: 1. Palliative, monitor it. Monitor its growth. It may never grow bigger or cause a problem before the pet has another life-threatening problem and it may. If it does grow bigger, these can get irritated and fairly awful. I have seen these break open and start bleeding and become infected. So it can become worse with time, but be aware that can happen and choose to monitor until that time comes. (I had one case where the tumor ruptured open and with that rupture it broke open an artery and the dog was spurting blood out and going into hypovolemic shock, this is very rare, only time I have seen that happen). 2. Attempt to remove the mass, making the owner aware of the above potential complication, also if you are going to bandage it make them aware of bandage complications. 3. Amputate from the start. The dog's overall health, age, etc should be considered when deciding, but ultimately it is up to the owner to decide. I don't know what conversations were had between your dad and the vet, but sounds like if you had been able to discuss this with the vet yourself, you would have picked option 1. (If it were my personal pet, I also would have picked option 1). Thankfully, dogs do tend to do quite well with amputations and adapt insanely well. Glad to see she is doing well and healing up.
Sounds like the bandage was too tight. I would have been constantly checking the temperature of her paws to make sure the operated leg was not too cold. Huskies are the best dogs.
As a vet as well, I do want to reassure you that yes, dogs don't care emotionally about losing an eye or a limb. While prosthetic (both for limbs and eyes) do exist, they tend more to be for the benefits of the human than the pets. Unless the pet already had significant problems with their legs, they do extremely well with 3 legs. Keeping part of the limbs often result in pressure wound at the tip because pets will tend to put weight on them if any part if left. I've seen a few pet who had partially amputated limbs (Usually they were adopted like this, either following an old trauma they miraculously survived on their own without medical care or because they were born this way). Most of them end up having a full limb amputation eventually because of the wounds they develop over the partial limb. Pets are also, for the most part (Huskies are indeed huge babies), WAY more resilient to surgery and pain than humans. Castrations and spay (which is often an ovariohysterectomy) is an in an out procedure in most clinics, and like 6 hours post op as their owner picks them up, many dogs will be jumping everywhere. In most cases, the owners struggles A LOT to keep their dogs on rest for even 1 week. That being said. Yea, it seems to me that there should have been better discussion of the whole thing before the surgery. 'Technically', while it's true you'd theoretically want to remove any tumors...for a 12 years old husky, there is a whole discussion to have about the risks vs benefits. As sarcomas generally don't spread much, but are locally invasive and requires wide margin resection. So attempting surgery for a sarcoma on a leg ALWAYS come with a significant risk of amputation or local recurrences... But without being there, hard to say how much of this was discussed. And any kind of bandages on pets are like the worst thing ever. We have to do them often for a various number of conditions, but they are horrible, are prone to just slip up or down due to the shape of the legs and complications are unfortunately frequent. (rarely on this scale, fortunately, but things like pressure wound or skin infection are frequent.
So can you explain what happened to her Leg after surgery? cause I’m trusting what he said but as he said he’s not a vet so I’m wondering if his theory of something going wrong in surgery or something wrong with bandaging
@@kaitracksmalgom He literally said that when he asked the surgeon the questions, he said yes to all of the above. So if you were paying attention when he explained what questions he asked? running that back, it would be 1) Yes, common complication due to age. 2) Took out more tissue than anticipated, which hindered the ability to recover due to reduced circulation able to reach the paw. 3) The bandage was too tight, further restricting the blood flow from reaching the lower paw section.
@Allie Phelps I don't feel like I have an emotional attachment to my limbs, I feel like losing one would result in grief and frustration at an inability or difficulty in performing tasks. I hope this is true about animals not being bothered but I'd agree with the comment about it being conjecture even it has some evidence that would lend to its credence. In general, anytime I hear people talk about what an animal is feeling or experiencing that isn't accompanied by at least a bit of uncertainty I am kinda skeptical. For the longest time it was accepted as fact that fish couldn't feel pain (which is clearly counterintuitive). If I remember correctly this was due to differences in fish nocireceptors compared to mammals (along with a long standing biases that serve to reinforce the way we treat animals). It seems like it would be difficult to establish a baseline to compare data to for an animal that is incapable of describing what they are experiencing.
As someone with a chronically ill cat who has had to fight for her to get proper care here's my advice for those reading: Vets are the medical experts but *you* are your pet's expert. You are the best and sometimes only advocate for them so if you ever have even the slightest doubts trust your instincts and speak up. A good vet will never be upset or take it personally that you are looking out for your pet. Remember that you and the vet have the same goal and want your animal to be healthy but at the end of the day you are the one who knows best what they need to have a happy life.
When I worked at a vet we would always tell people that we can advise on how most pets are but only you know your pet best, generally had to break it down like that when getting asked when is it time to say goodbye
That is so true. In the best case you and your vet are a team each of the members contributing their expertise. I keep Rodents as pets and one of them had teeth problems. We went for surgery and did an x-ray in the process which revealed a devastating situation of the dental roots. My vet called me and suggested to not let the little one wake up from anaesthesia because there was no hope. I insisted on the surgery and took my pet back home and she lived 4 more mainly painfree years. In the end it is your decision.
I lived on a farm most of my life. I had a dog(pitty very active) with the same cancer, she was 9. We refused everything she’s now 15. Animals are resilient, no matter what happens, let them live. She’s finally on her last life, we well be putting her down once her “flight” is gone. It’s now that time, she had an amazing life, if I listened to a vet she’d be dead years ago
Poor Roxy girl! She must be one strong pup to have undergone that at age 12. What a champ! So happy you made this video to educate dog owners on what kind of questions we should be asking our vet when considering surgery and the difference between quality of life and length of life
I'm so sorry. Huskies really are very sensitive dogs to pain and they sure let you know about it! Having had tripod animals myself, the vet was right, animals just accept it and adapt so much better than people. And Roxy looks happy and joyful and content, I'm glad she's recovering.
As someone who works in the veterinary medicine field, this is deeply upsetting. I’m so sorry for the miscommunication between you and your vet. They were right, it doesn’t happen like this often. And they do recover from an amputation very well most of the time. As for the arthritis, unfortunately husky’s have a high risk for it even with all 4 legs but you’re right this does increase her chances of it. It’ll be an adjustment for sure but i think she’ll be back to herself soon. Fortunately active dogs recover faster, mentally and physically. (Obviously with taking it easy while the wound is healing) I can’t stress it enough- we would rather be asked a million questions about the procedure and aftercare, than just a few. We want you to be well informed about your pets care and be prepared to properly take care of your pet at home.
Agreed. The owner should have been in the surgery consult instead of having a go between. Surgeons are very good at educating about risks. Why this owner is cutting the vet down when he was not in the consult, is beyond me. He is making presumptions that things were not covered but in the same video admits that he doesn’t know what his dad asked or was told. “It feels you didn’t get all of the information.” Yes, that is hard if you are not actually at the appointment.
@@oatsmcgoats8493 Huskies have had a good life if they live to 15. Our husky went from energetic and silly at about 12-13 years old to barely being able to walk, having accidents all the time [without having many accidents before], and issues with his sight and vision by 15. It just took a couple of years for him to go through all that and from my understanding, it's not that uncommon.
I’ve been in vet med for 20 years. Sadly, some veterinary surgeons, like human surgeons, are so focused on surgery that they lose sight of age and quality of life considerations. It is unfortunate that you came across a surgeon like this. Please know this is the minority. I appreciate you sending out the message that people should be prepared to ask the tough questions just like you encourage people to do with their doctors and the majority of veterinarians are happy to discuss all of the options and associated risks with clients. Happy to hear Roxy is recovering. Thankfully, dogs do so much better as amputees than humans do and they are so adaptable even in their later years. Appreciate you, Dr Mike.
My cat had tumors on her head, but she had max a year left with her other problems. She could of gone blind removing them. We just made her comfy and she was happy as a clam up until the end ❤️ Callie was my best friend, I miss her everyday
This is why so many, many people want the surgical process to be filmed, despite the medical industry being against it. Praying for Roxy's continued health and recovery ~
@@Emily-oy2nq it happens to my country, we have gcs (fb groups with likes 100k members & up) here for cats & dogs. Dog owners, rescuers, those who adopts, there are posts with proof of diff experiences, vets are hoomans, if it happens to doctors for humans of course it happens to vets too.
This is an incredibly important video. I lost my husky a few years ago due to a vet mistake - he went in for a routine checkup, there was a spot on his leg that made him yelp but the vet brushed it off as no big deal. A few months go by and he starts walking weirdly. We take him to the vet and they find out he has stage 4 prostate cancer, and there’s pretty much nothing they could do. We finished out the medicine we had been given (they were expensive and my dog still acted perfectly fine apart from his leg), then he had to be put down. It’s been years and it still makes me cry. Please, advocate for your pets, because they can’t.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm pretty sure I lost my best bunny buddy (who my youtube channel is named after) mostly because of COVID lockdowns, he choked on his food and aspirated, the emergency vet (because my vet was overbooked and on reduced hours) didn't give him odds of surviving the day but he improved and went home with me on antibiotics but had such swelling in his nose that he was having trouble eating and breathing and they wouldn't see him again ("there's nothing we can do") and my own vet was overbooked because of their reduced hours so he passed away in my arms five days later because I couldn't get in anywhere to have him euthanized once I realized it was time. I'm still upset and angry at the whole situation and it's been a year and a half.
Sorry for your loss. We take our beloved pets to get checked naively trusting veterinarians and end up feeling betrayed and lost afterwards. You did everything you could do and it’s hard being left without an option to save the animal we love.❤ My recent experience: I just lost my companion of 14 years. Took him into the vet, his upper canine had broken off and they recommended an extraction. They told us he was strong enough and healthy to go through the procedure….he ended up developing issues and an infection immediately afterwards, antibiotics, some pain meds were administered but his kidneys failed rapidly and I felt pressured to have him put down only to be traumatized by the experience. He fought the sedative and died looking into my eyes. It changed the way I see veterinary care, even euthanasia.
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 Geez, that is really awful.. I'm so sorry! I have lost my bun buddy last year too because no doctor told me that not spaying a rabbit causes them to develop cancer, like 80% chance after the 5th year! I was a young adult and thought none of it, doctors know best, didn't even research as I wasn't given a sign that this needs to be looked into. 7.5 years old, starts not eating.. "yeah it may be tooth problem, we took an Xray no issues though, bring her in two days later" dude she had a GI Stasis! Two days later is Death to her! Brought her to a new vet, had a full body xray, turned out to be malignant cancer. I wanted to give her the best last days she could have but sadly she did not improve. She suffocated to death on her own fluids two days later, had to call a mobile euthanizer doctor. She showed signs of being "hungrier than usual" for like the last two months. That was the only sign she gave that she was suffering. I have a new adopted rabbit, first sign of trouble I am bringing her in for a checkup to the awesome doctor, no matter the cost.
I once adopted a dog that turned out to have cancer who eventually had k be put down. Long story short, I am absolutely vicious when a vet says "it's nothing to worry about" without properly examining it
I'm a vet tech and I'm so sorry this happened to you and Roxy. She absolutely should not have lost her leg. It sounds like you and your dad tried to do everything right and get as much information as possible while the vet was very gung-ho for surgery. At the hospital I work at, I don't know if we would have done surgery on a stage 1 soft-tissue sarcoma in a 12 year old husky unless the owner absolutely wanted it. Maybe we'd send them to a consult with a board-certified surgeon. I don't know. But I'm so sorry you all had to go through this. The only silver lining is that dogs do adapt really well to being tripods like you said, and it looks like Roxy is doing really well.
This breaks my heart. Last year, I lost my dog because of a surgery that resulted in a severe thermal burn…. At least your vet was honest in the aftermath. I think I most resonate with your point about the vet not considering the dog as an individual. It bothers me so much that people don’t recognize animals as having full lives, even if their experiences are processed differently than ours. I hope her recovery continues to go well!
Same thing here, I lost one of my dogs because of the surgeon, apparently a new guy did the surgery and it was so badly stitched it wasn't healing, so she needed a Seco d surgery and had her fixed, but wound wasn't healing, and she was in so much discomfort a d made things more difficult so we asked for help for the vet, they tried stuff but didn't solve the issue and decided to keep her on the clinic to keep an eye on her and they did such an horrible job, they saidshe was doing well but a week later the called to say she was dying and we should say our good byes, seems they took very poor care of her, she ended eating her poop, and got infections and they gave her medicine that damaged her kidneys, and gosh, she was in such horrible state when we saw he... , she had to be out down, I don't think she was even aware we were there, my brother was so angry and the stupid doctors still acted as if nothing had happened ughhhhhhh
@@LeChikapaw So sorry that happened. I recall advice a veterinarian gave my mother over 50 years ago, about her deathly ill pup having distemper; take him home, animals do better with their pack. He was in total disbelief when she brought the dog in for his annual checkup ( her dogs received way better healthcare than any of us ). And while technology has come a long way, I don’t think dogs have changed much, but I’ve noticed veterinarians sure have. I’ve been pet sitting for 50 years, & increasingly this has meant having to take animals to the vet for their busy owners, & some of the options vets give are ridiculous. I know people want to have hope & options, but they throw stuff out there that I wouldn’t even consider for myself. Hate to say, but I think for most, it’s just a money grab. I’ve been most fortunate to have found 3 great vets, in the 4 places I’ve lived. Like good dentist, they’ve been extremely hard to come by.
Gotta say dr mike. When you asked roxy for a high five and i saw her right shoulder move up for that phantom limb movement just made my heart bleed and brought me to utter tears. Shes so sweet and beautiful. Reminds me of my own dog thata currently living with my parents and i stress about her daily. Hearing you say they arent immortal as well made my tears worse. I treasure my Niko and always ask my family how she is doing before i ask how my sister is. She was my emotional support doggo but couldnt take her to my current living area... give roxy a treat and ear scritches for me she's a good warrior that will never stop chugging along.
Same I honestly care more for my dog than my sister and any family members, he’s too my emotional support and I don’t know what I would do if he didn’t get to live anymore because of a vet doing something wrong or anything other than old age :(
i’m very sorry this happened. it must have been so frustrating but it’s also good to see Roxy still being active and happy. I hope Roxy will be healthy for a long time.
Vet here, I'm so sorry this happened to Roxy this shouldn't have happened. It's definitely an all of the above situation, the wrapping around her leg was certainly too tight and played a big part to this. She looks like a wonderful girl Mike and a very resilient dog at that. Thanks for sharing the story. ❣️
It's situations like this where I feel like licenses should be revoked. This was handled so poorly at every step by the vet. They clearly didn't communicate that the surgery is probably not necessary. It was only after the fact that Mike learned it was stage 1 despite asking if the surgery was necessary. Then they're forced to cut out extra tissue while in surgery because they didn't properly inspect the growth and not only that, but failed to inform of this after the surgery and the nail on the coffin is the insanely tight wraps. This is just blatant malpractice and this vet should not be in business.
CVT here. It sounds like there were so many lapses in communication, and I’m so sorry you all had to go through that. I think it’s also important to note that just because a vet can do a surgery doesn’t mean they should - a mass removal in that area should’ve been done by a board certified surgeon AND a veterinary oncologist should’ve been involved as well. Because you’re exactly right - for a stage 1 sarcoma in an older dog (especially in such a risky location on her body), surgery shouldn’t have been the first choice. It seems like Roxy is adjusting well which I’m so thankful for, and thank you for spreading awareness of always asking questions!! As a pet owner you are a crucial part of your pets treatment team and if you don’t feel that way, find a new vet!
I agree about the communication. Mike really should have been present or at least contacted before that initial surgery. He didn't get to hear what the vet suggested, and didn't have the chance to consider the options. Despite trusting his dad, I think I really should have been there and made the decision himself. Additionally, it's clear that the bandage was too tight. It's not fair to place blame for that though because we don't know the full context. I think an emergency vet should have been seen as soon as any signs of the bandages being too tight were shown. Even the regular vet would have likely been able to fix it with a walk in. I wish this situation had overall better communication, but I am so glad that the dog is doing well now.
Poor Roxy 🥺 she’s forever gonna be one of the cutest huskies to ever walk this earth, tripod or not 🤍🙏🏼 I used to have a husky of my own so this makes me very emotional
My 14 year old dog had breast cancer which appeared when she was around 12 years old. The vet didn’t want to operate given my dogs age and told me to keep her as comfortable and as happy as possible. That’s exactly what I did and I had her for 2 more years until she finally couldn’t go on anymore. What happened to Roxy surely is devastating and so senseless. I’m thankful that our vet was honest from the beginning.
Your vet sounds like a decent one... for a senior dog the risk of anesthesia alone is risky 🤷🏼♀️ I can’t believe that since it wasn’t bothering her, wasn’t metastasized, and she is a senior they would even recommend a surgery on roxy ... Idk if I would ever go to that vet again (the vet for roxy)
I had the exact same thing happen to my 12 year old Australian Shepherd. The vet told me "If it was my dog, I wouldn't treat her." The vet loaded me up with pain meds, and said "She'll tell you when it's time." She was the smartest dog I've ever had, and a bit of a sassy pants as well. I'll never have another dog like her.
So sorry. I actually lost my 16 year old dachshund a couple weeks ago, and this reminded me of it. It also reminded me that today would've been his 17th birthday. He was really old, plus he has had cancer in his spleen for about a year and a half before he died. Make sure that you spend as much time as you can with Roxy, as life may slpit you two apart. Thanks for the video, Doc. Really appreciate it.
I am so sorry this vet “let” this happen. As a vet technician I have never seen this happen before and it really seems the vet made a mistake. They should have never continued the surgery without calling you to inform you of the extra risks. I hope roxy continues to be the happy high energy dog she is.
As a veterinarian, I see lots of stuff like this regardless of how textbook the procedure is or how good the vet is. It’s know a surgical complication with any large mass removal on the limb - swelling and tension cut off blood flow and sometimes it’s not caught till it’s too late because a pet can’t tell us their foot is numb and tingly. It wasn’t a medical error.
@@labratsparkles4446 you really can't tell from a picture if a bandage is too tight, Dr. Mike is understandably upset and is speaking with a lot of hindsight in this video.
Lol yes you can absolutely tell from a picture if a bandage is too tight. It’s not difficult to estimate how much of a limb is being compressed visually. These were errors made by both the vet and the dad. Roxy was in multiple times per week for check ups. Which means bandages were not properly applied on more than one occasion. At Roxy’s age and being a small stage 1 cancer this procedure should never have even happened. But sounds like Mr. Vet was looking for a payday instead of the well being of the pet.
@@amandahayes4966 i get that but it seems like there were so many different opportunities to right or prevent this from getting worse, ofc there was the actual surgery, but then also before the surgery and even after too with all the wound checks, it wasn't one person that erred here it seems it was the whole system
As a registered vet tech who has experience in veterinary physical rehab, it hurts my heart that this was your experience with Roxy. But dogs are thankfully incredibly resilient when a limb has been amputated! You probably already have looked into it, but I highly recommend asking a rehab veterinarian regarding supplements and therapy appropriate for Roxy for joint support to help minimize the onset of arthritis. Most people are aware of glucosamine and chondroitin, but therapeutic levels of high quality fish oil and other supplement injections are definitely helpful. Laser therapy for her joints is also incredible! As she gets advanced in her years and becomes less exercise tolerant to get around, a front end cart may be also be appropriate for her. Wishing her many more comfortable years with you and your dad. ☺️
I’m so sorry this happened to you and Roxie, as a CVT (certified vet tech) I’m shocked they kept the bandage on for longer than a day. Typically with a mass removal on a leg a bandage is only kept on the day of surgery and maybe the day after surgery while it is still bleeding a little bit from movement. That bandage was definitely too tight! The bright side is that dogs are honestly so much stronger than people and live long, happy, active lives even with a limb missing. One of the vets I that was a professor at my tech school said dogs and cats are basically built to be tri-pods but just given an extra leg. Because thats how well they do with amputations. I’m sorry that you had this awful experience but glad that you are so professional and not hating/blaming the vet industry. ❤️
Couldn’t they just wrap the place with the sutures, so she wouldn’t be able to lick them/tear it accidentally open? Or would that be unnecessary with a cone? (Idk if dogs should/can sleep with a cone on)
To be honest, he has every right and reason to blame the industry. This kind of lack of care and consideration in risky surgical scenarios is WAY more common than people think. I'm happy that there are CVTs like you who genuinely care and do their absolute best to inform their patients of all of the options and any risks involved, but as it stands you're in the minority.
Props to Mike for keeping his composure throughout all of this. I know personally dealing with such an unfortunate and avoidable scenario would’ve had me angry with everyone, especially the father and surgeon. You truly are a better man than most of us.
You can't be angry at the father for trusting a vet to do their job properly. It's very unfortunate that they happened to get a vet who wasn't as caring or transparent as they should be. I would have definitely been asking my lawyer if there was anything I could do about that vet/clinic though for the lack of transparency and neglect in care, especially with the bandage being too tight and causing a need for amputation.
@@green7449 Agreed, I understand someone being mad at everyone and everything after enduring such a terrible ordeal, but it's so we can get the facts and get to the real problem that makes it so important to focus rather than be emotional. However the dad is also apparently a physician, sooooo I'd expect *some* foresight.
I hope Roxy is doing well! I lost my dog, my best friend a few years ago and remember how hard it was whenever he had operations. I'm glad you still have her and give her the life she deserves Mike! ❤
I had a dog lose a leg to cancer too, it’s incredible and inspiring how resilient dogs are when they lose a limb, unfortunately we lost ours when the cancer came back in the lungs but up until that point she was just as active on 3 legs as she was with 4, scaling walls in our back yard and snuggling up just as she did before. We are extremely lucky to have dogs in our lives
Sending my best wishes to Roxy on her recovery. My bunny broke his hind leg just less than a year ago, and the vet also suggested surgery. The fracture was at a location where they couldn’t put a cast on, so it’s either having a surgery or betting on luck for it to heal on its own. I’m so grateful that she explained all the possible complications to us, especially since surgeries on exotic pets are difficult and rabbits are very susceptible to GI stasis due to stress. We decided to home care, and he’s fortunately fully recovered
You can tell he was irritated, mad, sad, and so many more negative emotions during this video because if you look closely at his hand when he is messing with the toy he is trying very hard not to show his irritation so he is just squeezing the toy hard and also trying to keep his cool for the video whilst doing so
@@foolishlyfoolhardy6004 of course he can because the people he trusted to make correct decisions for the dog failed him. That's their field not his field, all the vets in the comments are saying they would never have operated on a 12 year old dog with a stage 1 sarcoma and a life expectancy of 15 years because it would cause more harm than good, as a professional vet wouldn't that be your job to identify something like that? And then even the reasoning they gave as to how it happened I feel wasn't adequate enough, you wouldn't tell a person all of the above you would explain what went wrong in detail yes vets are people and they make mistakes too but that doesn't mean he's not allowed to be angry about it Roxy's last two years are now going to of lesser quality as a result who wouldn't be upset?
His voice and confidence to be able to ask the hard questions makes me feel more sane, cause I'm trying to have my babies as long as possible as long as they're comfortable.
I’m sorry this happened, it’s incredibly hard to watch your pet go through an illness, surgery, etc… My kitty Maddie was 14 and was diagnosed with lymphoma last March, because of her age we decided to make her comfortable and let her enjoy what time she had left. We lost her June 22, 2022. We now have recently adopted a rambunctious kitten who has helped heal my broken heart. He won’t ever replace Maddie, but will definitely help me smile and laugh again. I’m glad your beautiful Husky is healing well now and looks so happy. 😊
To be honest what hurts more than break up is seeing your beloved pet sad or see them go through the pain alone while all we can do is love them unconditionally but in some way that still won't enough. I have a pet dog she is only 1yr and 3 months now even tho she have a good amount of life ahead, I can't help but cry to the point knowing that she will have to leave the familly which will be unbearable for me when that thing becomes reality. all I can say after everything is that, we must stop people who hurt animals cause they have a very less life span than our human expected life.
@@ningguang1469 I'm sorry to hear that I lost a dog to but mine died but i feel for your pain know hopefully she's gonna be in a nice home hopefully and I know you known her for awhile but I don't think dogs ever forget there people I prey for you during this troubling time in your life if you ever need to talk you can reply I'll check ever few days if not know I hope you do well
He doesn’t need to replace Maddie as well! Every animal friend can have their own special beautiful place in your heart. He is good how he is and Maddie was the best on how she was. I hope more love gets into your life ❤
You lucky to get to see and spend time with your cat until her last breath. My cat just ran away from home for couple of day. Didnt return. She was sick at the time. But im still somehow have a little hope that she was out there, somewhere...😔
She got this! I have a tripod husky, same arm & shoulder were lost due to gangreen from a wound he got when rescued. He is 10 yrs old now. Just keep an eye on her weight, continue walks so she stays strong, & if you hike, a harness with a back handle allows you to help her relieve stress when going downhill! ❤🐶
We've also got a tripod husky! Same limb, 10 years old, lost her's in the first few years after rescue due to complications of having been shot during a cull in a remote community. Our girl is so strong and healthy and happy. Same advice, watch her weight, lots of exercise, we have also found some benefit with massages, glucosamine and CBD for soreness. The 4th limb is a spare, they do amazing despite the loss!
taking everything in me not to sob we had our dog for 15 years before we had to put him down because he ended up having cancer selfishly we wanted to look into surgery but the vets were very honest & adamant that surgery would probably do more harm than good, so we put him down I'm glad Roxy is doing fairly good and I'm sorry you're going through this Mike ❤️
I'm so sorry for your loss, but I'm glad your vets were honest with you- our neighbour's dog was on chemo for a while and the poor thing had no clue why he was feeling nauseous all the time, the local vet didn't provide it so they were driving their poor little pup hundreds of miles there and back regularly for the treatment, and he was just miserable for months. The vets also couldn't really provide follow up care very well as they were so far away- it's not something you'd ever do to a human (give them chemo and send them on their way with no option to come in and be seen/get followed up if they need it) but I think because they were so desperate they'd gone for it. I don't think is was in his best interest if I'm honest- and given how the vet didn't give any meds to mitigate the nausea (even after they called up to inform) I suspect that vet was more interested in the payment than the pup
Wow, I am so sorry to read about you and you dog. I had such a similar issue with my dog in January. He was diagnosed with cancer in his pancreas and diabetes. I had no idea or indication of the diabetes, but the dr was very blunt and gave me so much to consider. My dog would have no normal life if we go through treatment since he would always be weak and in pain. All this to keep him alive, yes, it felt like I would be selfish to have him do this. Painfully I decided to let my 10 year old baby be in pain no more.
For everyone watching this video, please take this in mind: finding the right veterinarian is just as important as bringing your animal in in the first place. Every vet has different experience and different levels of care for their job, just like human doctors. Every vet has the potential to make mistakes, too. But don't just bring your animal in to the nearest or cheapest vet -- do your research. Seriously. Treat it as if you are looking for a doctor for your own health. And always advocate for your pet's happiness and wellbeing over anything else. They can't advocate for themselves.
@@Flameinthecow yes but as said in the video : 1. The cancer was stage 1 2. The dog is very old 3. It hasn’t bothered her in years If they left it instead of taking out too much, wouldn’t she be happier and die with 4 legs ? That’s the question arising… Because since she is already old, her life expectancy isn’t long anyways. So, as a HUMAN doctor, would you cut a 90 yo grandpa’s leg ? Or would you leave it and he will possibly still live for 5 years with nothing since it’s stage 1 ? I think they would obviously leave it ! But this vet did not consider the dog’s life like a human life and chose a painful option. At least she looks happy and energetic still, and as he said she might not be traumatized by the lack of her leg, but wouldn’t she be HAPPIER with 4, running around, having less risks of joint pain and not getting exhausted so fast ??? I personally think the vet was wrong. Also he did say “all of the above” which means they also made the bandage too tight (was kinda obvious), which seems like a pretty easy to avoid mistake…
As someone who has moved vets 3 times in the past two years because I didn’t think my pets were getting the best treatment despite them being expensive and classed as a pet hospital… I agree!
@@Wemby73 at 90 years old? It doesn’t make any sense to have such an invasive procedure at that age. Adapting to a lost limp for a dog is obviously harder when they’re old.
Sorry Roxy went through this Dr. Mike. As a Vet Tech one of the hardest parts of helping animals is that they can't tell us how they feel, where or how much. We do our best to make them comfortable and Roxy looks like she is adapting very well to her new tripod life. I agree, there are never too many questions, ask away until you are comfortable with moving forward or dont.
This is an extremely important topic that doesn't get talked about enough! As a new vet tech, I have a lot of frustrations around this topic that I have been dealing with. It certainly has changed the way I approach vet appointments and medical issues with my fur babies
please please make sure any nurses around you know how to put on a vet wrap properly! oh my lord i nearly caused a problem for a cat because i THOUGHT i knew how to put one on because "it's just like an ace bandage! ....no, no it's not. ace bandages can loosen and readjust because it's not sticky. it glides against itself. the vet wraps are meant to STAY in place because of the sticky factor. the cat, fortunately, only had a swollen paw (had an upper leg injury) and since it was caught within an hour, no extra damage. had i not been instructed on how to put it on other than "it's like an ace bandage!" i would have caused a middle-aged cat to lose a paw. at minimum.
My heart goes out to you and your dad, poor doggo. It's good to see she's adapted well and still living her best life. I will say as a GP vet who does a lot of surgery, mass removals on the distal limb are incredibly hard. There's so little tissue to work with. I always tell my clients there will most certainly be tumor left, cuz my main priority is to be able to close the wound and retain function of the limb. Mentor always told me, "Don't be a hero." Don't get caught up cutting out every bit a tumor and then realizing you took too much. If they're not comfortable with that I advise them to seek a second opinion or consult with a boarded surgeon. It sounds like a communication failure ultimately led to this, whether between the surgeon and your dad, you and your dad, surgeon and you, I don't know for sure. It's incredibly important for families to discuss and come to a unified consensus on what their expectations are, their concerns, and important questions when it comes to procedures like this. The number of times I've had a clueless spouse, adult child, parent, or friend show up with a list and no other information about a pet are too many to count. Sometimes they don't even present the list. Then invariably the primary decision maker calls later upset cuz their questions weren't addressed to their satisfaction/the person they sent didn't understand anything - Murphy's Law they will call when I have 3 emergencies I'm tending to and can't come to the phone that second. PS I think if you could do a video with a veterinarian the conversation would be interesting. :)
Almost 3 years ago my dog had cancer removed from the forearm and our vet informed us of this at the time. He said that it was not possible to get clean margins because there was so little tissue to work with, and so the tumor could return within 6 months. Fortunately it did not return, and as she is now very immobile from spinal issues, we would not treat a recurrence at this time. Still, even the "imperfect" surgery has given us years extra to enjoy her company.
8:03 The fact that you can see Roxy’s muscles moving on her just absolutely breaks my heart. I would have hated to see my dog suffer like this. People need better training if they want to become a veterinarian.
Not a professional but it looks like a phantom limb, poor thing tried to high five with the missing limb and forgot it wasn't there, happy to see that she just tried using the other arm tho, honestly a little inspiring
yea I literally commented the same thing about the dog trying to high five with the missing limb above after hearing the surgeon say that dogs don't experience phantom limbs like humans do... idk man dogs do lots of things in the same way that humans do so I struggle to believe that
I have a three legged cat. All she has ever known is life with 3 legs so she honestly isnt slowed down by it. It's amazing the resiliency of animals when they lose a limb. I am sorry poor Roxy has to go through this.
Thank you for sharing this. I had a vet make me feel guilty for not putting my 14 year old dog through a surgery. He had a back injury and they did blood work before starting him on meds. His calcium levels were high so they suspected a parathyroid tumor. We did additional testing and confirmed it was a tumor. They said that surgery would be curative. He does drink a lot of water which is from the tumor, but he’s been doing that for years. When I told them that I wasn’t going to risk putting him through surgery at 14 years old they really pressured me and made me feel bad. They told me he would get progressively sicker and probably only had 6 months to live without surgery. That was over a year and a half ago. He’s now 15 1/2 and is the same dog he was at 14, just hard of hearing now! I’m so glad that I stuck to what my gut was telling me.
You know your pet. A vet may know them medically, but you know their character. I believe vets do love our animals too, but they can be very focussed on 'fixing issues'. Which isn't so much a problem for vets alone, I am afraid it comes with many specific traits.
I have seen too many vets who were only going for the profit. Especially those that belong to big franchises. They are pressured to squeeze out the profits no matter what. Be very very sceptic and when in doubt go for a second opinion. Pets suffer because of this bs.
Note that you haven’t seen the other side: What would your dog be like without the tumor? Now, maybe your dog is doing well enough that surgery is too risky. I know nothing about surgery or your dog, so I cannot make such a determination, and if you determine that it is too risky or not cost-effective, then I trust that determination. But you do need to consider that surgery could have positively changed your dog’s situation. (That is probably what the vets were thinking about.) The choice you made seems to have been good, but it may not have been the _only_ good choice.
@@astas7364 It’s their job, so? A lot of people think that vets are bad but actually they have studied for so long and it’s obvious that they want money. You can’t live normal life if you don’t have profit from your job. Even doctor Mike earn money and have to deal with stupid patients who thinks that they know better. Just like vets
I lost my 17 year old rat terrier last night. He had a lot of small health issues piling up that we were aware of, but any major surgery would have, like you said, just had too much risk and possibly deteriorated his quality of life. We kept him on medicine and gave him all the pets. He was such a good dog. I miss him so much. I’ve had him since I was 5, and I’m turning 22 in November to put his age into perspective.
So sorry for your loss! 17 is a long life for a dog though! That's wonderful you got to long with him but super hard to lose because you literally grew up with that dog! So very sorry! Time helps, I promise, but we never stop missing our beloved pets!!❤ Praying for comfort for you as you grieve and learn to live without your best friend.🙏❤ One day when you are ready there will be another amazing dog out there for you! My first dog passed 3 years ago and I was completely heartbroken and never thought I could love another dog the same way, yet here I am with my second dog and I love her so much it's crazy! She isn't my first dog, but she is wonderful and helped my heart to heal so much! I hope another dog can do the same for you when the time is right!❤
Please don’t be afraid to seek help with the grieving process. It’s absolutely devastating to watch your bestie get older and pass over that rainbow bridge. Random interwebs love headed your way 💜💜💜
I’m so sorry Mike and Roxy. This could’ve been avoided relatively easily if her overall health and age were taken into account. I cannot imagine having to adjust to losing an entire limb at age 84. She’s a trooper and a fighter. You’re a beautiful and bright girl Roxy!
I'm terribly sorry Roxy lost her leg! This shows why you always need to ask your vets, and doctors about the risks involved in certain procedures. We found out the hard way when after we brought our cat to the vet for castration (we had a female cat as well and didn't want kittens). We didn't know the risks involved and forgot to ask. The vets didn't say anything regarding it either. only, a few days after we found our cat dead, only 3.5 years old, while he was very healthy first. After we go back to the vet, he told us that, Siberian forest cats are very sensitive to narcosis, they shouldn't be put under full anesthetics, but they did. This causes heart injury which can result in a heartfaillure which happened. We were furious and very sad. I never forgave myself for not asking if it was dangerous if we knew, we'd never have let them operate on him. He'd still be alive.
My family dog is a 12 year old lab/boxer and there's these tiny lumps that have been growing all over her body as she's gotten older. My parents had the first one removed, but as they kept coming, they decided to not have her operated every time. She's still healthy and happy, despite having a bit of arthritis, and going a bit blind and deaf, so they didn't see any point in putting more stress on her. I'm sorry this happened to Roxy and wish her a swift recovery 😔 Sending much love from Montreal ❤️
I also have a 7 yr old boxer mix who has hard lumps growing on her body, one on her rear thigh and one on her side, which we had biopsies and came back "inconclusive" (vet didn't perform the more expensive and extensive one) that she said "should probably eventually be removed" but they aren't hurting her, so "no rush." She already removed a few from her hind hip 2 years old and told me they're common and oftentimes grow back somewhere else. I am afraid to put her through another major surgery at this point, especially after watching this video! Yikes!
I have a 13-year-old standard poodle and she gets lipomas (fatty tumors) all over her body. We don’t have them removed because they aren’t cancerous and it isn’t medically necessary.
I really admire how you prioritize patient advocacy and education so highly. As a new grad nurse, you inspire me to continue learning more and more so I can support my patients in making the health decisions that are best for them. So sorry about Roxy, but glad she has adjusted well to the change ❤
Veterinary Nurse here, sonsad to hear that there wasn't enough communication and throrough follow ups with your vet. It definitely shouldn't have happened and I'm sure that the Veterinary team is reflecting a lot on this. Roxy will do great! Tripod dogs have amazing recoveries. Haven't seen one that didn't work out! And yes, always always discuss with your vet before surgeries! Ask as many questions as you can, we do our best to provide you with as much information as possible! Take care Dr Mike and Roxy!!
Poor sweet Roxy. This absolutely breaks my heart for her, but it makes me happy to see that she is still a vibrant, happy dog. Please give her lots of love from a fan in Texas ❤
I’ve been a vet tech for over 22 years and currently work in oncology. Well said with everything. I’m sorry Roxy had complications, but super happy she is recovering now. Did the surgeon suggest a ct scan of the leg? Just curious. Sending quick healing vibes to Roxy !
My heart goes out to Dr. Mike and his dad. Situations like this, even when you know everyone had the best intentions, tend to hurt people's relationships with one another. I hope there's no blame and guilt between Dr. Mike and his dad. It would be natural, as part of the grieving process, but still very heartbreaking. Best wishes for them and for Roxy too.
Just stumbled upon this video...Even though it was so hard to watch and my chest literally hurt the whole entire time, thank you so much for sharing this with all of us who are not as knowledgeable. Roxy is incredible and I hope she is doing well despite all she has been through. Sending her lots of virtual ear scratches and love!
I am so sorry this happened to Roxy! Unfortunately cancer is 10 times more prevalent in dogs than in humans and detecting it early can be a challenge. I actually find this video particularly interesting since I work at a company that focuses on early cancer detection for dogs to hopefully give owners more options and time when diagnosed. If you are interested, this could be an awesome opportunity to educate pet owners about cancer in dogs and options for diagnosis.
TLDR: My dog has a broken back leg. It's twisted and shorter than the other one, and all the vets that she's been to see have said that it's better to leave it as is because it doesn't bother her, than to try to fix it and possibly have to take the leg off. Since she uses it to run and play, they'd rather keep it. When she gets tired she just lifts it up and hops on 3 legs. My dog was found on the streets in Eastern Europe and brought in to Canada. She has a broken back leg. It was broken when the people found her over there. The gone broken just above the back "knee" section. The bone shifted in her leg got pushed up toward her thigh and twisted. So her bone is doubled up where the break was, it's twisted outwards and shorter than her other one. She's been to multiple vets. Vets that saw her when leaving Europe, a Vet when she came into Canada, the Vet that the adoption agency used, as well as the one that I use. Every single one of them suggested keeping the leg the way it is, because trying to correct it would result in breaking the leg and hoping it heals properly. They said that it's crooked, but strong. It healed off-set, but it healed well. And trying to break that strong fusion could result in complications and we could end up losing the leg all together. She can put her weight on it when walking. She has a limp because it's shorter than her other leg is. And when she gets tired, she just lifts the leg up and hops on 3. When we're on a walk she'll alternate between walking on 4, and because she's slower than she'd like while using it, she lags behind a bit, and then she'll lift it and hop forward and get in front of me and then walk on her leg again. She uses it to run and play, and when she gets running around, you wouldn't even know that it was broken. It doesn't seem to hurt her at all. You can touch it and mess with it and it doesn't bother her. The only issue is that she gets tired easier because she has to put more effort in than other dogs. Dogs are incredibly resilient and they just live with whatever cards their dealt. It's incredible how great these creatures are. I love my girl to death.
I can hear the little cracks in your voice Mike, you sound heartbroken and I'm so sorry you and Roxy had to go through this. I'm sure she will make a great recovery and adapt really quickly, but regardless it still hurts. It shouldn't have happened and I hope this video will prevent it from happening to other dogs. Thanks for opening up and I hope you two will be okay soon. 👍
Nothing hurts more than seeing your pet getting older or sick
Gun shot
Seeing a loved 1 get sick, you know a person !?? How is a pets life more valued
Agree, I feel so bad every time my pet gets sick or worse...
Exactly, even though i cant tell my Fish apart sometimes it still hurts to see them get older and eventually die..
@mrbeast commented on my vid nobody cares
Roxy trying to high five with her missing paw broke my heart. You can see the muscles tense and the moment of realization on her face when she realizes "Oh. I need to use my other paw now". Poor baby. It's good to hear she's not having any psychological problems because of this though.
8:03
dogs actually (and cats too) have known to show very little sadness about missing limbs. they dont get "depressed" in the same way a human would after losing their limb.
It broke my heart...
😭😭😭
Yeah, that broke me a little bit :(
I’m a veterinarian and want to echo what Dr Mike said. Please ask questions! Every pet and owner is different, and one family may want to pursue things aggressively while another family may choose palliative care. Both are ok! Let your vet know your philosophy and goals. Get a second or third opinion if needed to help you decide what’s best for you and your family. I’m glad that Roxy is healing well and that’s an important reminder as well-dogs accept changes like this with incredible grace and resilience. Thanks for sharing her story Dr Mike!
I am not a veterinarian but ur correct
Edit: omg tysm for all the likes I didn’t expect 56 I excepted 3 omg tysm
I have my own 4 year old siberian husky that is a boy Im sorry for you Mike.
I'd favor applying that to people as well. I know if I were choosing for myself between two active years of life or four bedbound years, I'd take the two active years without a second's hesitation.
Yes
Doctor Mike's advice as well as that stated by @Happy Life are the same for People too!
My cat just had surgery and the day after, I noticed that his arm was swollen and that the bandage for his IV was quite tight (and also still on) - I thought back to this video and rushed him back to the vet. They were mortified and were so happy that I caught it before it got bad. All he needs now is some massages and more love. Thank you so much for this video, it came flashing back to me and I knew exactly what I needed to do. 💜
I think regardless of the outcome, your kitty would need more massages and love. He's a cat. Our job is to spoil them. They are our masters and demand satisfaction.
But I am glad he's okay. I wouldn't know what I would do if my kitties were in that situation. They're my babies.
God's power is the best miracle maker ❤
@@mikaylawagner9988 Sorry, but what does that have to do with anything? It was just simple intuition brought about by watching a helpful video. I don't see how God played a role.
Mike saved a cat from losing a leg lol😂
Was it cancer or just a swollen spot?
8:03 She went to high five with her missing leg. You can see her muscles try to move it. But she's smart enough to know she can't and did it with her other one. What a good girl.
Tripods always do this, usually when exited or moving or they just feel the need to. My dog is a tripod and so is my cat so I’ve had experience with good and bad xx
I have a tripawd as well, right hind leg, and you can always see him try to scratch his ear with his missing leg. It’s heartbreaking and adorable at the same time. I always make sure to give him extra sritches on his right ear since he can’t reach it. 💕
I'm a human amputee, have been for about a decade, I still catch myself trying to do something with the leg that no longer exists, ie kicking a ball. It's an odd feeling!
Oh that broke and healed my heart at the same time 🥺
It looked like she wanted to high five by hooping with her nose. What a sweet girl.
Her little twitch on her stub when she went to give the high 5 with the missing paw 😭 wholesome
She was like "Here come an hi- oh wait, I don't have the usual paw now,Anyways here's the Highfive with the other paw"
480
I have a tripod and he will offer his nub to shake ❤️
Yeah I noticed that too. It's like she was using her muscle memory, but forgot she was missing that paw. So then she tried the other paw.
As an vet student, I’m going to remember this video as I move forward.
Thank you. I think that is the best takeaway from this situation. We can't go back in time sadly so I appreciate Doctor Mike wanting good info to be spread and I think vet students and pet owners are probably the best people to teach. Thanks again!
Best wishes and good luck!
❤️ 🐾
I hope you become a real vet and not a butcher like the one that took this dogs leg.
always remember that the owner knows their animal best. You only glimpse their condition in an office where they aren't comfortable, aren't familiar and are most likely terrified and confused.
Thank you for going into veterinary science. Remember that you are practicing medicine. That means learning, every step of the way. Keep learning and keep listening!
Im glad you talked about quality of life vs length of life. I had a dog that passed away recently from Cushing's Disease, a disease that causes the adrenal gland to over produce cortisol which can lead to various life threatening conditions such as kidney failure, and diabetes. He was 14 when he was diagnosed and the vet said that a surgical procedure would be needed to treat him. However we decided not to do the operation, as he was already starting to lose weight and getting weaker. We were worried that a surgery would essentially kill him with how weak he was. We decided to put him on a medicine for cushings that did help slightly, and we just focused on keeping him comfortable. He went on to live another year and a half, with a decent quality of life until he passed away. I think we made the right choice, with how weak he was, i wasn't sure he'd be able to make it through a recovery from a surgery and felt that it would have badly affected his quality of life.
General practitioner vet here. This seems like it was a perfect storm of problems and I’m sorry it happened. However, it is absolutely true that dogs do beautifully with three legs. Losing a front leg is much harder on them than losing a rear leg, because dogs carry 60% of their weight on their front legs. A big reason we remove the entire shoulder blade is so the dog is not having to carry that extra weight on the remaining front leg. I have no doubt she’ll do great!
The something similar happened to my golden retriever and the vet actually refused to amputate his paw, so he still has it but doesn’t use it😢
@@carlieamado6153
Why’d the vet refuse? Was there a reason?
@@carlieamado6153 I mean, if it's not bothering him then it is better to leave it. Anesthesia is something you should be careful with. Not everyone can handle it, and you don't usually know until you just don't wake up. My dog had to have her tail amputated, but it was necessary, it was necrotic unfortunately, smelled so bad.
@@carlieamado6153 that’s terrible, im so sorry 😢
I may be wrong here, but I am absolutely pissed; and it's not even my dog. All of the things that Mike listed had to do with the vets causing this, by giving them not great advice, or literally wrapping it too tight to the point that the leg died. Is this their fault? Maybe you being a vet, you could give me some perspectiv here. I literally can't believe this happened, I can't imagine how mike is feeling.
I rescued a kitten with very smashed arm. Eventually had to decide whether to put it down or remove the arm. Surgery was astronomically expensive because she is a kitten. I ended up going through with the surgery with no regrets. Shout out to all the armless animals out there.
My kittens got a miss diognosis and bc we litter trianed them to early and they had an alergic reaction and 1 of them died while we were at school and now the athor one who lived and took the alergy not as strong the kittens had an alergic reaction to the litter we used 1 of them died so now we checked if it works for kittens the older one had 2 kittens they are 1 month old its sad
Legend!
You spent so much for an animal which you just met. It's very nice of you.
Or legless
Tbf, most animals are armless.
Mostly because they're called front legs. :P
This is heartbreaking. I'm so sorry. As a veterinarian, my biggest fear is seriously harming a patient. I will never forget something my resident said to me when I was a student on my surgery rotation and learning to place bandages.
Him: What's the biggest possible complication from a bandage?
Me:Tissue necrosis resulting in amputation.
Him: Nope. Death from sepsis from a necrotic leg.
That had an impact on me that has lasted 22 years!
Thank you for that story, Dee. Question for you: did you think the bandage on Roxy's leg looked too tight? As I was watching the video and the photo was shown of her leg being wrapped, I thought to myself that it looked TOO tight, and I'm just a person with no medical training. I'm curious as to what you think?
Probably explains why my Wheaten didn’t have a bandage after knee surgery. She made a full recovery
😢
Hf
You know that doctor stuff huh
Pets are everything. My heart just broke when I saw the photos of Roxy's leg and amputation, knowing mistakes were made and it needn't have happened.
This breaks my heart to watch... You can tell that he wants to get angry. He wants to blame people. He wants to really let it out. But he is way too kind and professional of a person to do that.
Thank you for being a good example Dr Mike. Keep looking on the bright side.
He's probably conflicted about his dad, too. Mike wasn't there to ask the questions, he had to rely on his father to do that - and this is the outcome. I'm not saying it's his dad's fault, bad things happen, but it's hard to completely take him out of the equation. =/
I feel that they probably didn't take his father seriously. He's 1 elderly and 2 and immigrant... people are jerks... but I might be biased.
@@SearchingOblivion yeah I got that when he was saying how he thought he would fine trusting his dad to handle everything I think he feels like had he done it himself this wouldn't have happened
well more I think he just recognises as a doctor the faults of medicine as a practice. Just think the most scientific part of medicine is the compounds we call medicine... the rest involves a lot of memorization, comparing colors, textures among other things humans are famously terrible at doing in a scientific way.
At least without special instruments I have never seen a doctor use since I don't even think a version exists! think paint color comparison strips for human physiology or a book of skin textures....
I lost my Chihuahua 3 months ago to misdiagnosis at 5.5 years. I wasn't ready for this. 😭
I'm angry, sad I want to let it out on my vet but I know that isn't the way to handle it. I want to scream, cry, punch, break and just cuddle with my Scribble-Doo all at once.
8:03 The way she actually tried to give a high five with her missing leg . I'm so sorry this happened to her
Idk why but it was kinda cute, that lil nub moving
Pls don't hate me
@@ThaddGEARZ I guess smh
This reminds me of a little clip with a three legged kitten. And the kitten tries to smack another cat with its missing paw, you know how cats do with the fast multi-slap. And the woman's like, what are you doing, you have no arm to hit with.
It was so sad when she tried to high five… I cried at that point
@@ThaddGEARZ no one cares enough about you to cancel you dont be ridiculous
I work as a tech in the surgery department at a very popular and gold standard hospital. Never once have I seen something like this happen, thank God. All of our surgeons are incredible, and the ones that weren't got fired. I am so sorry this happened, it shouldn't have. I agree the surgery should have never taken place.
AINT NO WAY are you by any chance Liz from Veterinary Specialists?!
@@arcosprey4811 yes
@@arcosprey4811 That's a bit creepy and alittle doxy, If they wanted people to know who they are and where they work they would have said in their original comment instead they specifically avoided saying the name.
@@DiustheZ I disagree. Comment is not doxy. MVS is super vague- could be anything really. ArcOsprey could have used Liz’s last name but did not, and also could have fully specified what MVS is instead of using the acronym for what likely is “random city name starting with M” Veterinary Services. While I’m sure you mean well, you’re being unnecessarily overly sensitive.
@@nicholem4831 let’s be honest here, MVS is not vague, and actually leaves her workplace easy to find. i guarantee if you typed mvs animal clinic into google, it would absolutely come up, and there’s 0 guarantee that it’s just a city’s name. there’s a reason that Liz didn’t state what clinic it was, in fact she went out of her way to avoid stating that. is the MVS comment a huge huge deal? no, probably not. but as someone who has been doxxed, and stalked, a lot can be done with simple information like that (not necessarily a concern in this case, but comments identifying where someone works in other places can be insanely detrimental depending on circumstances).
I have to say: the way you handled the reveal on those pre-and post-surgical images was true genius. Very well done. As a dog lover, this story really hit home with me. Isn’t that just the way it goes with our dogs? No matter how badly we feel that we could have done something more for them, they remain completely devoted to their hoomans. 🥰🐕
Hello
I just lost my own 12 yr old husky to metastatic cancer suddenly, so watching this and seeing Roxy so happy and healthy after the surgery makes me so happy
That's sad, I feel for you. I have an 8-year-old husky and a 13-year-old labrador who is basically a senile old woman. She's partially blind, partially deaf, and should be in a diaper cause she poops all over the concrete because she can't make it to the grass. The only thing I can say is that 12 years is a long life for a dog (unfortunately). A lot of breeds nowadays have a life expectancy of 8 years. So she/he got 4 more years of love and affection than most dogs. It's sad, but also not. Since she had a long and happy life.
F
As a vet tech I am so incredibly sorry that this is the experience you had. We always aim to be extremely transparent with clients about their pet’s prognosis against the risks/benefits of surgery. I’m so glad she’s doing well after the amputation. She looks beautiful 🖤
Right! The transparency on our part is so important
exactly! none of the doctors i work with would've recommended the surgery on a dog this age with a stage 1 sarcoma. Since at her age this is more of keeping them comfortable until their last days. Even with more aggressive cancer its risky because of the dog's age and you don't want to keep them in pain or miserable for the limited time they have left. The vet should've been more open about this and listed all of these concerns
@@skylarskittlez7809 I wonder if they did it for money 😞
I don't trust a single doctor anymore after covid and now after hearing this now I'd NEVER see them for myself or my animals. You guys are losing half.of America's trust also from things I read. Not to mention the tik tok videos we see nurses and doctors doing also..
@@jenma9377 Most likely I've seen place's charge more for stuff that should already be used like stuff for pain like we know we are killing your pet in front of you but would you like us to say it was "painless" for an extra 100. or 300 for a cat to be neutered but a lot of people will do it for 50 to help keep the population down. I can't trust vet's anymore.
With the high five you can tell she tried to lift the missing paw and was "oh yeah.. hold on" sweet girl.
Roxie's amazement that she acheived a high five without any balance was adorble. She was like, 'I got this, other paw, that's it, come on!' and she made it and was like, 'YEAH YOU SAW THAT, MIKE?!' and it was so cute.
I'm so sorry this happened. I know the pain and stress of having your furbaby undergo surgery as a vet nurse. Well done on your recovery, Roxy - one tough Husky!
As an RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician), I cannot express how much this breaks my heart. This is a situation that should have been avoided entirely. It makes me uncomfortable that they wanted to go right into surgery. I would not be comfortable with putting a 12yo large breed baby under anesthesia. It sounds like her bandage was far too tight, perhaps incorrect materials were being used. I am so glad she is recovering well after 2 procedures. I wish her circumstances were different and I am so sorry for what happened. My love and support to you and your family💕
IMO (rvn speaking) whilst this is a compounding issue that ended up with poor Roxy losing her leg, the surgeon had to make sure to get good margins around the sarcoma, maybe they took too much but they had to be sure. And a 12 yo large dog sure is an anaesthetic risk but it’s a cancerous lump so you have to weigh the pro vs con, they FNA biopsied it before doing the surgery to check, I can’t see much that was bad about recommending surgery. Of course there is the option to just let the lump stay and keep her but that turns into “what if” scenarios. The bandage isn’t excusable though, all the material at the top of the bandage in the picture was a huge red flag for me
You are completely right.
Since this is an energetic husky, the scenario of a larger tumor and quality of life should have all been considered. 😢
As an RN and an RVT, I feel like advocating is most important. This is why even when I wasn't working at a clinic, I would be there to ask questions about the best direction to go with care. I did this with my 2 cancer dogs I currently have. They are happy and healthy and both 10 years old and surviving cancer well.
My dog had surgery to remove cancer at 13 and she was like a whole new dog after. We like to say she got a boob job because it was on her chest and the kind that really digs into everything around it so they had to remove a lot of tissue and skin. Her old lady loose skin is completely gone now 😆. She’s 15.5 and doing amazing.
Stop judging. it's probably Mike's fault or his dad
As a Vet Tech, I am truly sorry Roxy lost her leg. Sarcomas can be tricky, I think it’s reasonable to have removed the tumor since they could spread. The photo of the foot looked so bad and my gut says it was a bandage tightness issue. It’s so easy to put one on too tight and this is an outcome. Obviously, other complications are possible too. Hopefully she will continue to improve and still live a full life as a tripod, it’s just so unfortunate she had to be one from a “simple” mad removal 😢❤❤
I think the point Dr. Mike is saying is it took this many years for the sarcoma to get to this stage so for it to become a serious problem would take longer than Roxy’s life expectancy and was not even worth the removal.
Not reasonable, no. The average lifespan of a Siberian is 12 years. The oldest Siberian I have had (was a breeder for a long time) was 15 1/2. It is far more likely at her age that she would have died with the sarcoma, not from it. That is very crappy risk:reward ratio. When I worked at the vet hospital, we didn't tend to go so gung ho on things like a stage 1 sarcoma in an elderly dog. It wasn't worth it.
@333Orobas 666 It's unlikely he bandaged the leg. Usually an assistant/tech does that, and most of them are trained on the job like I was, not in school. When I worked at the animal hospital, the vet would finish the surgery and go do something else and we would clean up, bandage anything, take the animal to recovery, etc.
So your dad messed up?
@333Orobas 666 I'm a registered vet tech, and even in school, we were told that it is really easy to bandage too tight. There are many reasons for this, but a big one is simply because there's a fine line between a bandage that is too tight and one that is tight enough to stay in place to do its job, but still allows circulation. Most people have a tendency to go tight because we're afraid of the bandage falling off due to the anatomy of an animal's limbs, coupled with that we use both elastic (can be overstretched) and non-elastic (no flexibility when pulled taut) materials for bandaging, and that our patients can't flat out say "Hey! I think my bandage is too tight, my paw is going numb!". So yes, there was a possibility that the bandaging was too tight for Roxy.
Nonetheless, if she was going in for regular wound checks, it makes me wonder if every bandage she had was too tight or not as each check would mean removing and reapplying the bandages. Also wondering if any of the vet staff noted abnormal changes of her leg during each check, even if the surgeon wasn't around (usually with wound checks like this, a vet should be examining the wound before determining whether or not further bandaging is needed). Like the vet answered though, it was very possible that it could have been one, some, or all of the complications listed, that's why Dr. Mike is stressing here that we should always ask questions/communicate clearly with our doctors (medical and veterinary alike) so we can weigh out the pros and cons before proceeding with a treatment plan. It may not always be foolproof, but it'll help lessen chances of situations like Roxy's from happening.
Veterinarian here. I am sorry about your experience with Roxy. I wonder if the tissue necrosis and lack of blood flow was more from the surgery itself though. With sarcomas on a limb there is such limited tissue in the region. It isn't like the scruff of the neck where there is lots of extra skin/tissue for closing up after. So one of the biggest risks with removing masses on limbs is that when you suture the wound closed it will create tension. If you create too much tension with your closure, you will actually cut blood supply to the region and get necrosis. In those cases putting in tension relieving incisions or just trying to heal the wound through second intention rather than closing it should be considered. I don't know how big the mass was that Roxy had or how much tension was present, but I wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't a big part of why the tissue died. It is a possible complication of the procedure and should be explained prior to surgery, with the warning that if that occurs, it could result in amputation of the limb.
So generally with a sarcoma like that you have 3 different options off the start:
1. Palliative, monitor it. Monitor its growth. It may never grow bigger or cause a problem before the pet has another life-threatening problem and it may. If it does grow bigger, these can get irritated and fairly awful. I have seen these break open and start bleeding and become infected. So it can become worse with time, but be aware that can happen and choose to monitor until that time comes. (I had one case where the tumor ruptured open and with that rupture it broke open an artery and the dog was spurting blood out and going into hypovolemic shock, this is very rare, only time I have seen that happen).
2. Attempt to remove the mass, making the owner aware of the above potential complication, also if you are going to bandage it make them aware of bandage complications.
3. Amputate from the start.
The dog's overall health, age, etc should be considered when deciding, but ultimately it is up to the owner to decide. I don't know what conversations were had between your dad and the vet, but sounds like if you had been able to discuss this with the vet yourself, you would have picked option 1. (If it were my personal pet, I also would have picked option 1). Thankfully, dogs do tend to do quite well with amputations and adapt insanely well. Glad to see she is doing well and healing up.
Sounds like the bandage was too tight. I would have been constantly checking the temperature of her paws to make sure the operated leg was not too cold.
Huskies are the best dogs.
I think surgeon took out to much
What a helpful, educational comment. Thank you!
As a vet as well, I do want to reassure you that yes, dogs don't care emotionally about losing an eye or a limb. While prosthetic (both for limbs and eyes) do exist, they tend more to be for the benefits of the human than the pets. Unless the pet already had significant problems with their legs, they do extremely well with 3 legs. Keeping part of the limbs often result in pressure wound at the tip because pets will tend to put weight on them if any part if left. I've seen a few pet who had partially amputated limbs (Usually they were adopted like this, either following an old trauma they miraculously survived on their own without medical care or because they were born this way). Most of them end up having a full limb amputation eventually because of the wounds they develop over the partial limb.
Pets are also, for the most part (Huskies are indeed huge babies), WAY more resilient to surgery and pain than humans. Castrations and spay (which is often an ovariohysterectomy) is an in an out procedure in most clinics, and like 6 hours post op as their owner picks them up, many dogs will be jumping everywhere. In most cases, the owners struggles A LOT to keep their dogs on rest for even 1 week.
That being said. Yea, it seems to me that there should have been better discussion of the whole thing before the surgery. 'Technically', while it's true you'd theoretically want to remove any tumors...for a 12 years old husky, there is a whole discussion to have about the risks vs benefits. As sarcomas generally don't spread much, but are locally invasive and requires wide margin resection. So attempting surgery for a sarcoma on a leg ALWAYS come with a significant risk of amputation or local recurrences... But without being there, hard to say how much of this was discussed.
And any kind of bandages on pets are like the worst thing ever. We have to do them often for a various number of conditions, but they are horrible, are prone to just slip up or down due to the shape of the legs and complications are unfortunately frequent. (rarely on this scale, fortunately, but things like pressure wound or skin infection are frequent.
Thank you for the infos !
So can you explain what happened to her Leg after surgery? cause I’m trusting what he said but as he said he’s not a vet so I’m wondering if his theory of something going wrong in surgery or something wrong with bandaging
@@kaitracksmalgom He literally said that when he asked the surgeon the questions, he said yes to all of the above. So if you were paying attention when he explained what questions he asked? running that back, it would be 1) Yes, common complication due to age. 2) Took out more tissue than anticipated, which hindered the ability to recover due to reduced circulation able to reach the paw. 3) The bandage was too tight, further restricting the blood flow from reaching the lower paw section.
Thank you, Alex
@Allie Phelps I don't feel like I have an emotional attachment to my limbs, I feel like losing one would result in grief and frustration at an inability or difficulty in performing tasks. I hope this is true about animals not being bothered but I'd agree with the comment about it being conjecture even it has some evidence that would lend to its credence. In general, anytime I hear people talk about what an animal is feeling or experiencing that isn't accompanied by at least a bit of uncertainty I am kinda skeptical. For the longest time it was accepted as fact that fish couldn't feel pain (which is clearly counterintuitive). If I remember correctly this was due to differences in fish nocireceptors compared to mammals (along with a long standing biases that serve to reinforce the way we treat animals). It seems like it would be difficult to establish a baseline to compare data to for an animal that is incapable of describing what they are experiencing.
As someone with a chronically ill cat who has had to fight for her to get proper care here's my advice for those reading: Vets are the medical experts but *you* are your pet's expert. You are the best and sometimes only advocate for them so if you ever have even the slightest doubts trust your instincts and speak up. A good vet will never be upset or take it personally that you are looking out for your pet. Remember that you and the vet have the same goal and want your animal to be healthy but at the end of the day you are the one who knows best what they need to have a happy life.
YES!
When I worked at a vet we would always tell people that we can advise on how most pets are but only you know your pet best, generally had to break it down like that when getting asked when is it time to say goodbye
So true!! 👏
So true!
That is so true. In the best case you and your vet are a team each of the members contributing their expertise. I keep Rodents as pets and one of them had teeth problems. We went for surgery and did an x-ray in the process which revealed a devastating situation of the dental roots. My vet called me and suggested to not let the little one wake up from anaesthesia because there was no hope. I insisted on the surgery and took my pet back home and she lived 4 more mainly painfree years. In the end it is your decision.
Roxie shouldn’t have lost her leg, but she seems like she’s going to be ok! 💪
It's "Roxy."
I lived on a farm most of my life. I had a dog(pitty very active) with the same cancer, she was 9. We refused everything she’s now 15. Animals are resilient, no matter what happens, let them live. She’s finally on her last life, we well be putting her down once her “flight” is gone. It’s now that time, she had an amazing life, if I listened to a vet she’d be dead years ago
@@RandomGamer- sorry, auto correct maybe? I didn’t pay attention
@@blueleaf2720 Your autocorrect must be high, if that's to blame.
I wouldn't want a dog to lose a limb like that, when i have the funds I'd get it a mechanical/articulating one.
Poor Roxy girl! She must be one strong pup to have undergone that at age 12. What a champ! So happy you made this video to educate dog owners on what kind of questions we should be asking our vet when considering surgery and the difference between quality of life and length of life
I'm so sorry. Huskies really are very sensitive dogs to pain and they sure let you know about it! Having had tripod animals myself, the vet was right, animals just accept it and adapt so much better than people. And Roxy looks happy and joyful and content, I'm glad she's recovering.
As someone who works in the veterinary medicine field, this is deeply upsetting. I’m so sorry for the miscommunication between you and your vet. They were right, it doesn’t happen like this often. And they do recover from an amputation very well most of the time. As for the arthritis, unfortunately husky’s have a high risk for it even with all 4 legs but you’re right this does increase her chances of it. It’ll be an adjustment for sure but i think she’ll be back to herself soon. Fortunately active dogs recover faster, mentally and physically. (Obviously with taking it easy while the wound is healing)
I can’t stress it enough- we would rather be asked a million questions about the procedure and aftercare, than just a few. We want you to be well informed about your pets care and be prepared to properly take care of your pet at home.
@@oatsmcgoats8493 treatment of cancer in older dogs depends on the cancer. Sarcoma is the worst one to have so that might be the reason
Agreed. The owner should have been in the surgery consult instead of having a go between. Surgeons are very good at educating about risks. Why this owner is cutting the vet down when he was not in the consult, is beyond me. He is making presumptions that things were not covered but in the same video admits that he doesn’t know what his dad asked or was told. “It feels you didn’t get all of the information.” Yes, that is hard if you are not actually at the appointment.
@@oatsmcgoats8493 Huskies have had a good life if they live to 15. Our husky went from energetic and silly at about 12-13 years old to barely being able to walk, having accidents all the time [without having many accidents before], and issues with his sight and vision by 15. It just took a couple of years for him to go through all that and from my understanding, it's not that uncommon.
i swear some people literally writing an essay here
As a dog owner and lover, we appreciate you and all you do! Thank you for your comment.
I’ve been in vet med for 20 years. Sadly, some veterinary surgeons, like human surgeons, are so focused on surgery that they lose sight of age and quality of life considerations. It is unfortunate that you came across a surgeon like this. Please know this is the minority. I appreciate you sending out the message that people should be prepared to ask the tough questions just like you encourage people to do with their doctors and the majority of veterinarians are happy to discuss all of the options and associated risks with clients. Happy to hear Roxy is recovering. Thankfully, dogs do so much better as amputees than humans do and they are so adaptable even in their later years. Appreciate you, Dr Mike.
My cat had tumors on her head, but she had max a year left with her other problems. She could of gone blind removing them. We just made her comfy and she was happy as a clam up until the end ❤️ Callie was my best friend, I miss her everyday
This is why so many, many people want the surgical process to be filmed, despite the medical industry being against it. Praying for Roxy's continued health and recovery ~
& also a 2nd & third opinion or vet surgeon option. So many vets commits mistakes & misdiagnosis.
@@spriteythesillyhuskytv9267 I don't think it happens a lot...
@@Emily-oy2nq it does. But not all are discovered.
@@spriteythesillyhuskytv9267 So if they're not all discovered how did you know it happens a lot??
@@Emily-oy2nq it happens to my country, we have gcs (fb groups with likes 100k members & up) here for cats & dogs. Dog owners, rescuers, those who adopts, there are posts with proof of diff experiences, vets are hoomans, if it happens to doctors for humans of course it happens to vets too.
Sorry this happened, but it looks like she is doing great! Good job and good idea asking all those important questions. Dogs are the best!
This is an incredibly important video. I lost my husky a few years ago due to a vet mistake - he went in for a routine checkup, there was a spot on his leg that made him yelp but the vet brushed it off as no big deal. A few months go by and he starts walking weirdly. We take him to the vet and they find out he has stage 4 prostate cancer, and there’s pretty much nothing they could do. We finished out the medicine we had been given (they were expensive and my dog still acted perfectly fine apart from his leg), then he had to be put down. It’s been years and it still makes me cry.
Please, advocate for your pets, because they can’t.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm pretty sure I lost my best bunny buddy (who my youtube channel is named after) mostly because of COVID lockdowns, he choked on his food and aspirated, the emergency vet (because my vet was overbooked and on reduced hours) didn't give him odds of surviving the day but he improved and went home with me on antibiotics but had such swelling in his nose that he was having trouble eating and breathing and they wouldn't see him again ("there's nothing we can do") and my own vet was overbooked because of their reduced hours so he passed away in my arms five days later because I couldn't get in anywhere to have him euthanized once I realized it was time. I'm still upset and angry at the whole situation and it's been a year and a half.
Your dog died from cancer, not from a medical error.
Sorry for your loss. We take our beloved pets to get checked naively trusting veterinarians and end up feeling betrayed and lost afterwards. You did everything you could do and it’s hard being left without an option to save the animal we love.❤
My recent experience:
I just lost my companion of 14 years. Took him into the vet, his upper canine had broken off and they recommended an extraction. They told us he was strong enough and healthy to go through the procedure….he ended up developing issues and an infection immediately afterwards, antibiotics, some pain meds were administered but his kidneys failed rapidly and I felt pressured to have him put down only to be traumatized by the experience. He fought the sedative and died looking into my eyes. It changed the way I see veterinary care, even euthanasia.
@@bunhelsingslegacy3549 Geez, that is really awful.. I'm so sorry!
I have lost my bun buddy last year too because no doctor told me that not spaying a rabbit causes them to develop cancer, like 80% chance after the 5th year! I was a young adult and thought none of it, doctors know best, didn't even research as I wasn't given a sign that this needs to be looked into.
7.5 years old, starts not eating.. "yeah it may be tooth problem, we took an Xray no issues though, bring her in two days later" dude she had a GI Stasis! Two days later is Death to her! Brought her to a new vet, had a full body xray, turned out to be malignant cancer. I wanted to give her the best last days she could have but sadly she did not improve. She suffocated to death on her own fluids two days later, had to call a mobile euthanizer doctor.
She showed signs of being "hungrier than usual" for like the last two months. That was the only sign she gave that she was suffering. I have a new adopted rabbit, first sign of trouble I am bringing her in for a checkup to the awesome doctor, no matter the cost.
I once adopted a dog that turned out to have cancer who eventually had k be put down. Long story short, I am absolutely vicious when a vet says "it's nothing to worry about" without properly examining it
I can hear the anger and sadness in your voice. Wishing Roxy and your family a speedy recovery.
Roxy, you are loved.
I'm a vet tech and I'm so sorry this happened to you and Roxy. She absolutely should not have lost her leg. It sounds like you and your dad tried to do everything right and get as much information as possible while the vet was very gung-ho for surgery. At the hospital I work at, I don't know if we would have done surgery on a stage 1 soft-tissue sarcoma in a 12 year old husky unless the owner absolutely wanted it. Maybe we'd send them to a consult with a board-certified surgeon. I don't know. But I'm so sorry you all had to go through this. The only silver lining is that dogs do adapt really well to being tripods like you said, and it looks like Roxy is doing really well.
"Can I have a high five? Or is that messed up to ask?" That _killed_ me lmao
Much love for the tripod ❤️
As a pet owner, I can sympathize. I know how much it hurts to hear there is something "wrong" with your pet.
This is the saddest thing ever 😫😫😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
This breaks my heart. Last year, I lost my dog because of a surgery that resulted in a severe thermal burn…. At least your vet was honest in the aftermath. I think I most resonate with your point about the vet not considering the dog as an individual. It bothers me so much that people don’t recognize animals as having full lives, even if their experiences are processed differently than ours. I hope her recovery continues to go well!
😢
I’m so sorry
Same thing here, I lost one of my dogs because of the surgeon, apparently a new guy did the surgery and it was so badly stitched it wasn't healing, so she needed a Seco d surgery and had her fixed, but wound wasn't healing, and she was in so much discomfort a d made things more difficult so we asked for help for the vet, they tried stuff but didn't solve the issue and decided to keep her on the clinic to keep an eye on her and they did such an horrible job, they saidshe was doing well but a week later the called to say she was dying and we should say our good byes, seems they took very poor care of her, she ended eating her poop, and got infections and they gave her medicine that damaged her kidneys, and gosh, she was in such horrible state when we saw he... , she had to be out down, I don't think she was even aware we were there, my brother was so angry and the stupid doctors still acted as if nothing had happened ughhhhhhh
99% of all vets are evil animal killing monsters just like the evil one that cut that leg off for fun.
@@LeChikapaw So sorry that happened. I recall advice a veterinarian gave my mother over 50 years ago, about her deathly ill pup having distemper; take him home, animals do better with their pack. He was in total disbelief when she brought the dog in for his annual checkup ( her dogs received way better healthcare than any of us ). And while technology has come a long way, I don’t think dogs have changed much, but I’ve noticed veterinarians sure have. I’ve been pet sitting for 50 years, & increasingly this has meant having to take animals to the vet for their busy owners, & some of the options vets give are ridiculous. I know people want to have hope & options, but they throw stuff out there that I wouldn’t even consider for myself.
Hate to say, but I think for most, it’s just a money grab. I’ve been most fortunate to have found 3 great vets, in the 4 places I’ve lived. Like good dentist, they’ve been extremely hard to come by.
This broke my heart, you could hear the pain in Dr Mike’s voice. I’m so sorry for what happened to Roxy. I’m so glad to hear that she is better now!
same🥺😞
Bad things happen to good dogs and good docs too 😢😢
Gotta say dr mike. When you asked roxy for a high five and i saw her right shoulder move up for that phantom limb movement just made my heart bleed and brought me to utter tears. Shes so sweet and beautiful. Reminds me of my own dog thata currently living with my parents and i stress about her daily. Hearing you say they arent immortal as well made my tears worse. I treasure my Niko and always ask my family how she is doing before i ask how my sister is. She was my emotional support doggo but couldnt take her to my current living area... give roxy a treat and ear scritches for me she's a good warrior that will never stop chugging along.
Same I honestly care more for my dog than my sister and any family members, he’s too my emotional support and I don’t know what I would do if he didn’t get to live anymore because of a vet doing something wrong or anything other than old age :(
dude when i saw her use her missing paw to high five mike i felt sad :(
Agreed.
It makes our hearts bleed, but the dog's face seemed to simply say "Oooops. Forgot about that."
Stop crying
i’m very sorry this happened. it must have been so frustrating but it’s also good to see Roxy still being active and happy. I hope Roxy will be healthy for a long time.
Vet here, I'm so sorry this happened to Roxy this shouldn't have happened. It's definitely an all of the above situation, the wrapping around her leg was certainly too tight and played a big part to this. She looks like a wonderful girl Mike and a very resilient dog at that. Thanks for sharing the story. ❣️
doctor mike your the best of all and roxy
It's situations like this where I feel like licenses should be revoked. This was handled so poorly at every step by the vet. They clearly didn't communicate that the surgery is probably not necessary. It was only after the fact that Mike learned it was stage 1 despite asking if the surgery was necessary. Then they're forced to cut out extra tissue while in surgery because they didn't properly inspect the growth and not only that, but failed to inform of this after the surgery and the nail on the coffin is the insanely tight wraps. This is just blatant malpractice and this vet should not be in business.
CVT here. It sounds like there were so many lapses in communication, and I’m so sorry you all had to go through that. I think it’s also important to note that just because a vet can do a surgery doesn’t mean they should - a mass removal in that area should’ve been done by a board certified surgeon AND a veterinary oncologist should’ve been involved as well. Because you’re exactly right - for a stage 1 sarcoma in an older dog (especially in such a risky location on her body), surgery shouldn’t have been the first choice. It seems like Roxy is adjusting well which I’m so thankful for, and thank you for spreading awareness of always asking questions!! As a pet owner you are a crucial part of your pets treatment team and if you don’t feel that way, find a new vet!
I agree about the communication. Mike really should have been present or at least contacted before that initial surgery. He didn't get to hear what the vet suggested, and didn't have the chance to consider the options. Despite trusting his dad, I think I really should have been there and made the decision himself. Additionally, it's clear that the bandage was too tight. It's not fair to place blame for that though because we don't know the full context. I think an emergency vet should have been seen as soon as any signs of the bandages being too tight were shown. Even the regular vet would have likely been able to fix it with a walk in. I wish this situation had overall better communication, but I am so glad that the dog is doing well now.
I'm so sorry, I hope Roxy lives a long and healthy, happy life ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏
Poor Roxy 🥺 she’s forever gonna be one of the cutest huskies to ever walk this earth, tripod or not 🤍🙏🏼 I used to have a husky of my own so this makes me very emotional
It’s tough, but seeing her face this whole video was so sweet. Just “Hi Dad, I’m happy and I love you” the whole time
My 14 year old dog had breast cancer which appeared when she was around 12 years old. The vet didn’t want to operate given my dogs age and told me to keep her as comfortable and as happy as possible. That’s exactly what I did and I had her for 2 more years until she finally couldn’t go on anymore. What happened to Roxy surely is devastating and so senseless. I’m thankful that our vet was honest from the beginning.
Your vet sounds like a decent one... for a senior dog the risk of anesthesia alone is risky 🤷🏼♀️ I can’t believe that since it wasn’t bothering her, wasn’t metastasized, and she is a senior they would even recommend a surgery on roxy ... Idk if I would ever go to that vet again (the vet for roxy)
That’s nice that your vet said that. It was honest.
I had the exact same thing happen to my 12 year old Australian Shepherd. The vet told me "If it was my dog, I wouldn't treat her." The vet loaded me up with pain meds, and said "She'll tell you when it's time." She was the smartest dog I've ever had, and a bit of a sassy pants as well. I'll never have another dog like her.
So sorry. I actually lost my 16 year old dachshund a couple weeks ago, and this reminded me of it. It also reminded me that today would've been his 17th birthday. He was really old, plus he has had cancer in his spleen for about a year and a half before he died. Make sure that you spend as much time as you can with Roxy, as life may slpit you two apart. Thanks for the video, Doc. Really appreciate it.
I’m so sorry about your dog.
I am so sorry this vet “let” this happen. As a vet technician I have never seen this happen before and it really seems the vet made a mistake. They should have never continued the surgery without calling you to inform you of the extra risks. I hope roxy continues to be the happy high energy dog she is.
As a veterinarian, I see lots of stuff like this regardless of how textbook the procedure is or how good the vet is. It’s know a surgical complication with any large mass removal on the limb - swelling and tension cut off blood flow and sometimes it’s not caught till it’s too late because a pet can’t tell us their foot is numb and tingly. It wasn’t a medical error.
@@labratsparkles4446 you really can't tell from a picture if a bandage is too tight, Dr. Mike is understandably upset and is speaking with a lot of hindsight in this video.
Lol yes you can absolutely tell from a picture if a bandage is too tight. It’s not difficult to estimate how much of a limb is being compressed visually. These were errors made by both the vet and the dad. Roxy was in multiple times per week for check ups. Which means bandages were not properly applied on more than one occasion. At Roxy’s age and being a small stage 1 cancer this procedure should never have even happened. But sounds like Mr. Vet was looking for a payday instead of the well being of the pet.
@@amandahayes4966 i get that but it seems like there were so many different opportunities to right or prevent this from getting worse, ofc there was the actual surgery, but then also before the surgery and even after too with all the wound checks, it wasn't one person that erred here it seems it was the whole system
As a registered vet tech who has experience in veterinary physical rehab, it hurts my heart that this was your experience with Roxy. But dogs are thankfully incredibly resilient when a limb has been amputated! You probably already have looked into it, but I highly recommend asking a rehab veterinarian regarding supplements and therapy appropriate for Roxy for joint support to help minimize the onset of arthritis. Most people are aware of glucosamine and chondroitin, but therapeutic levels of high quality fish oil and other supplement injections are definitely helpful. Laser therapy for her joints is also incredible! As she gets advanced in her years and becomes less exercise tolerant to get around, a front end cart may be also be appropriate for her. Wishing her many more comfortable years with you and your dad. ☺️
I’m so sorry this happened to you and Roxie, as a CVT (certified vet tech) I’m shocked they kept the bandage on for longer than a day. Typically with a mass removal on a leg a bandage is only kept on the day of surgery and maybe the day after surgery while it is still bleeding a little bit from movement. That bandage was definitely too tight! The bright side is that dogs are honestly so much stronger than people and live long, happy, active lives even with a limb missing. One of the vets I that was a professor at my tech school said dogs and cats are basically built to be tri-pods but just given an extra leg. Because thats how well they do with amputations. I’m sorry that you had this awful experience but glad that you are so professional and not hating/blaming the vet industry. ❤️
Couldn’t they just wrap the place with the sutures, so she wouldn’t be able to lick them/tear it accidentally open? Or would that be unnecessary with a cone? (Idk if dogs should/can sleep with a cone on)
To be honest, he has every right and reason to blame the industry. This kind of lack of care and consideration in risky surgical scenarios is WAY more common than people think. I'm happy that there are CVTs like you who genuinely care and do their absolute best to inform their patients of all of the options and any risks involved, but as it stands you're in the minority.
@@KelseyLovato my dog has slept fine with a cone on, we just can't cuddle because it gets in the way.
@@MichaelCS146 but cuddles are way more important!! Haha my moms doggo wore a bodysuit so she couldn’t reach the stitches since they were covered
She's beautiful. And she's a Rockstar ❤. Thank you for sharing.
Props to Mike for keeping his composure throughout all of this. I know personally dealing with such an unfortunate and avoidable scenario would’ve had me angry with everyone, especially the father and surgeon. You truly are a better man than most of us.
I was surprised he wasn't getting angry, but he was probably holding it in.
And has had time to process before posting the vid. Probably wasn’t this calm when it was happening.
You can't be angry at the father for trusting a vet to do their job properly. It's very unfortunate that they happened to get a vet who wasn't as caring or transparent as they should be. I would have definitely been asking my lawyer if there was anything I could do about that vet/clinic though for the lack of transparency and neglect in care, especially with the bandage being too tight and causing a need for amputation.
@@green7449 Agreed, I understand someone being mad at everyone and everything after enduring such a terrible ordeal, but it's so we can get the facts and get to the real problem that makes it so important to focus rather than be emotional.
However the dad is also apparently a physician, sooooo I'd expect *some* foresight.
I hope Roxy is doing well! I lost my dog, my best friend a few years ago and remember how hard it was whenever he had operations. I'm glad you still have her and give her the life she deserves Mike! ❤
Yoo wsgggg
I lost a dog to 😢😢😢
who asked?
e
I’m so sorry 🥺
I had a dog lose a leg to cancer too, it’s incredible and inspiring how resilient dogs are when they lose a limb, unfortunately we lost ours when the cancer came back in the lungs but up until that point she was just as active on 3 legs as she was with 4, scaling walls in our back yard and snuggling up just as she did before. We are extremely lucky to have dogs in our lives
Sending my best wishes to Roxy on her recovery. My bunny broke his hind leg just less than a year ago, and the vet also suggested surgery. The fracture was at a location where they couldn’t put a cast on, so it’s either having a surgery or betting on luck for it to heal on its own.
I’m so grateful that she explained all the possible complications to us, especially since surgeries on exotic pets are difficult and rabbits are very susceptible to GI stasis due to stress. We decided to home care, and he’s fortunately fully recovered
You can tell he was irritated, mad, sad, and so many more negative emotions during this video because if you look closely at his hand when he is messing with the toy he is trying very hard not to show his irritation so he is just squeezing the toy hard and also trying to keep his cool for the video whilst doing so
@@foolishlyfoolhardy6004 maybe he's angry at the vet, his father and himself, too
@@mx7431-s5y getting the lump checked out is what started this whole chain of events in the first place.
@@foolishlyfoolhardy6004 of course he can because the people he trusted to make correct decisions for the dog failed him. That's their field not his field, all the vets in the comments are saying they would never have operated on a 12 year old dog with a stage 1 sarcoma and a life expectancy of 15 years because it would cause more harm than good, as a professional vet wouldn't that be your job to identify something like that? And then even the reasoning they gave as to how it happened I feel wasn't adequate enough, you wouldn't tell a person all of the above you would explain what went wrong in detail yes vets are people and they make mistakes too but that doesn't mean he's not allowed to be angry about it Roxy's last two years are now going to of lesser quality as a result who wouldn't be upset?
His voice and confidence to be able to ask the hard questions makes me feel more sane, cause I'm trying to have my babies as long as possible as long as they're comfortable.
I’m sorry this happened, it’s incredibly hard to watch your pet go through an illness, surgery, etc…
My kitty Maddie was 14 and was diagnosed with lymphoma last March, because of her age we decided to make her comfortable and let her enjoy what time she had left. We lost her June 22, 2022.
We now have recently adopted a rambunctious kitten who has helped heal my broken heart. He won’t ever replace Maddie, but will definitely help me smile and laugh again.
I’m glad your beautiful Husky is healing well now and looks so happy. 😊
To be honest what hurts more than break up is seeing your beloved pet sad or see them go through the pain alone while all we can do is love them unconditionally but in some way that still won't enough.
I have a pet dog she is only 1yr and 3 months now even tho she have a good amount of life ahead, I can't help but cry to the point knowing that she will have to leave the familly which will be unbearable for me when that thing becomes reality.
all I can say after everything is that, we must stop people who hurt animals cause they have a very less life span than our human expected life.
@@ningguang1469 I'm sorry to hear that I lost a dog to but mine died but i feel for your pain know hopefully she's gonna be in a nice home hopefully and I know you known her for awhile but I don't think dogs ever forget there people I prey for you during this troubling time in your life if you ever need to talk you can reply I'll check ever few days if not know I hope you do well
He doesn’t need to replace Maddie as well! Every animal friend can have their own special beautiful place in your heart. He is good how he is and Maddie was the best on how she was. I hope more love gets into your life ❤
You lucky to get to see and spend time with your cat until her last breath. My cat just ran away from home for couple of day. Didnt return. She was sick at the time. But im still somehow have a little hope that she was out there, somewhere...😔
Oh I am so sorry 😞
Roxys really is a tough dog here and I am glad that she's doing okay
She got this! I have a tripod husky, same arm & shoulder were lost due to gangreen from a wound he got when rescued. He is 10 yrs old now. Just keep an eye on her weight, continue walks so she stays strong, & if you hike, a harness with a back handle allows you to help her relieve stress when going downhill! ❤🐶
We've also got a tripod husky! Same limb, 10 years old, lost her's in the first few years after rescue due to complications of having been shot during a cull in a remote community. Our girl is so strong and healthy and happy. Same advice, watch her weight, lots of exercise, we have also found some benefit with massages, glucosamine and CBD for soreness. The 4th limb is a spare, they do amazing despite the loss!
I'm so sorry that happened to you
taking everything in me not to sob
we had our dog for 15 years before we had to put him down because he ended up having cancer
selfishly we wanted to look into surgery but the vets were very honest & adamant that surgery would probably do more harm than good, so we put him down
I'm glad Roxy is doing fairly good and I'm sorry you're going through this Mike
❤️
👆👆💭📩📩💌.
I'm so sorry for your loss, but I'm glad your vets were honest with you- our neighbour's dog was on chemo for a while and the poor thing had no clue why he was feeling nauseous all the time, the local vet didn't provide it so they were driving their poor little pup hundreds of miles there and back regularly for the treatment, and he was just miserable for months. The vets also couldn't really provide follow up care very well as they were so far away- it's not something you'd ever do to a human (give them chemo and send them on their way with no option to come in and be seen/get followed up if they need it) but I think because they were so desperate they'd gone for it. I don't think is was in his best interest if I'm honest- and given how the vet didn't give any meds to mitigate the nausea (even after they called up to inform) I suspect that vet was more interested in the payment than the pup
Wow, I am so sorry to read about you and you dog. I had such a similar issue with my dog in January. He was diagnosed with cancer in his pancreas and diabetes. I had no idea or indication of the diabetes, but the dr was very blunt and gave me so much to consider. My dog would have no normal life if we go through treatment since he would always be weak and in pain. All this to keep him alive, yes, it felt like I would be selfish to have him do this. Painfully I decided to let my 10 year old baby be in pain no more.
Compared to the surgeon who worked on Roxy... who did it anyway, for a stage 1 cancer that wasn't causing any issues.
That was the last kindness you gave your dog, that dignity. I’m so sorry for your loss ❤
For everyone watching this video, please take this in mind: finding the right veterinarian is just as important as bringing your animal in in the first place. Every vet has different experience and different levels of care for their job, just like human doctors. Every vet has the potential to make mistakes, too. But don't just bring your animal in to the nearest or cheapest vet -- do your research. Seriously. Treat it as if you are looking for a doctor for your own health. And always advocate for your pet's happiness and wellbeing over anything else. They can't advocate for themselves.
It was't all the doctors fault yes they messed up but the tumor had grown so much that they needed to remove some extra tissues
@@Flameinthecow yes but as said in the video :
1. The cancer was stage 1
2. The dog is very old
3. It hasn’t bothered her in years
If they left it instead of taking out too much, wouldn’t she be happier and die with 4 legs ? That’s the question arising…
Because since she is already old, her life expectancy isn’t long anyways. So, as a HUMAN doctor, would you cut a 90 yo grandpa’s leg ? Or would you leave it and he will possibly still live for 5 years with nothing since it’s stage 1 ?
I think they would obviously leave it ! But this vet did not consider the dog’s life like a human life and chose a painful option.
At least she looks happy and energetic still, and as he said she might not be traumatized by the lack of her leg, but wouldn’t she be HAPPIER with 4, running around, having less risks of joint pain and not getting exhausted so fast ???
I personally think the vet was wrong.
Also he did say “all of the above” which means they also made the bandage too tight (was kinda obvious), which seems like a pretty easy to avoid mistake…
As someone who has moved vets 3 times in the past two years because I didn’t think my pets were getting the best treatment despite them being expensive and classed as a pet hospital… I agree!
@@cloebgn yes if my grandpa had stage one cancer for years I would let his leg get cut off mine died of kidney disease when I was 7
@@Wemby73 at 90 years old? It doesn’t make any sense to have such an invasive procedure at that age. Adapting to a lost limp for a dog is obviously harder when they’re old.
Trust me, dealing with an animal with cancer is just heartbreaking 💔 my kitty passed away from a tumor & I cried everyday for her. Bless Roxy 💜
Thank you so much Mike! My dog has a bump too and it’s been there for a while. I will try to get him in asap❣️
Thanks for the support
👆💭📩📩💌
You can hear the sadness in your voice, you’re a great pup dad and she is the luckiest and happiest girl!
Poor baby!!
But thank you for teaching us to be aware of these risks. She is such a happy dog with you though!❤
Thanks for the most useful info! Roxy is beautiful and lucky to have you and your dad as her family!!
Sorry Roxy went through this Dr. Mike. As a Vet Tech one of the hardest parts of helping animals is that they can't tell us how they feel, where or how much. We do our best to make them comfortable and Roxy looks like she is adapting very well to her new tripod life. I agree, there are never too many questions, ask away until you are comfortable with moving forward or dont.
This is an extremely important topic that doesn't get talked about enough! As a new vet tech, I have a lot of frustrations around this topic that I have been dealing with. It certainly has changed the way I approach vet appointments and medical issues with my fur babies
please please make sure any nurses around you know how to put on a vet wrap properly!
oh my lord i nearly caused a problem for a cat because i THOUGHT i knew how to put one on because "it's just like an ace bandage!
....no, no it's not. ace bandages can loosen and readjust because it's not sticky. it glides against itself. the vet wraps are meant to STAY in place because of the sticky factor. the cat, fortunately, only had a swollen paw (had an upper leg injury) and since it was caught within an hour, no extra damage. had i not been instructed on how to put it on other than "it's like an ace bandage!" i would have caused a middle-aged cat to lose a paw. at minimum.
My heart broke seeing her arm un-blurred. I can tell this situation really weighs on you. Sending internet hugs to you both. She's a champ.
She is so beautiful and I am very sorry
My heart goes out to you and your dad, poor doggo. It's good to see she's adapted well and still living her best life.
I will say as a GP vet who does a lot of surgery, mass removals on the distal limb are incredibly hard. There's so little tissue to work with. I always tell my clients there will most certainly be tumor left, cuz my main priority is to be able to close the wound and retain function of the limb. Mentor always told me, "Don't be a hero." Don't get caught up cutting out every bit a tumor and then realizing you took too much. If they're not comfortable with that I advise them to seek a second opinion or consult with a boarded surgeon.
It sounds like a communication failure ultimately led to this, whether between the surgeon and your dad, you and your dad, surgeon and you, I don't know for sure.
It's incredibly important for families to discuss and come to a unified consensus on what their expectations are, their concerns, and important questions when it comes to procedures like this. The number of times I've had a clueless spouse, adult child, parent, or friend show up with a list and no other information about a pet are too many to count. Sometimes they don't even present the list. Then invariably the primary decision maker calls later upset cuz their questions weren't addressed to their satisfaction/the person they sent didn't understand anything - Murphy's Law they will call when I have 3 emergencies I'm tending to and can't come to the phone that second.
PS I think if you could do a video with a veterinarian the conversation would be interesting. :)
Almost 3 years ago my dog had cancer removed from the forearm and our vet informed us of this at the time. He said that it was not possible to get clean margins because there was so little tissue to work with, and so the tumor could return within 6 months. Fortunately it did not return, and as she is now very immobile from spinal issues, we would not treat a recurrence at this time. Still, even the "imperfect" surgery has given us years extra to enjoy her company.
8:03 The fact that you can see Roxy’s muscles moving on her just absolutely breaks my heart. I would have hated to see my dog suffer like this. People need better training if they want to become a veterinarian.
Um... Muscles move. Its what they do
@@richardsmith5803 i think they ment that roxy tried to give a high five with the leg that is now missing
Not a professional but it looks like a phantom limb, poor thing tried to high five with the missing limb and forgot it wasn't there, happy to see that she just tried using the other arm tho, honestly a little inspiring
@@richardsmith5803 guess you see the glass half full. wonder what else goes over your head
yea I literally commented the same thing about the dog trying to high five with the missing limb above after hearing the surgeon say that dogs don't experience phantom limbs like humans do... idk man dogs do lots of things in the same way that humans do so I struggle to believe that
I have a three legged cat. All she has ever known is life with 3 legs so she honestly isnt slowed down by it. It's amazing the resiliency of animals when they lose a limb. I am sorry poor Roxy has to go through this.
I love Roxy so much. She’s such a brave girl, and she looks so happy and healthy. I wish you and your family the best for health!
Such a sweet girl! She doesn’t know she’s different, she’s just a happy pup!
Thank you for sharing this. I had a vet make me feel guilty for not putting my 14 year old dog through a surgery. He had a back injury and they did blood work before starting him on meds. His calcium levels were high so they suspected a parathyroid tumor. We did additional testing and confirmed it was a tumor. They said that surgery would be curative. He does drink a lot of water which is from the tumor, but he’s been doing that for years. When I told them that I wasn’t going to risk putting him through surgery at 14 years old they really pressured me and made me feel bad. They told me he would get progressively sicker and probably only had 6 months to live without surgery. That was over a year and a half ago. He’s now 15 1/2 and is the same dog he was at 14, just hard of hearing now! I’m so glad that I stuck to what my gut was telling me.
That's like giving a 90 year old intensive surgery. Vets are also a business and want to make bank.
You know your pet. A vet may know them medically, but you know their character.
I believe vets do love our animals too, but they can be very focussed on 'fixing issues'.
Which isn't so much a problem for vets alone, I am afraid it comes with many specific traits.
I have seen too many vets who were only going for the profit. Especially those that belong to big franchises. They are pressured to squeeze out the profits no matter what. Be very very sceptic and when in doubt go for a second opinion. Pets suffer because of this bs.
Note that you haven’t seen the other side: What would your dog be like without the tumor?
Now, maybe your dog is doing well enough that surgery is too risky. I know nothing about surgery or your dog, so I cannot make such a determination, and if you determine that it is too risky or not cost-effective, then I trust that determination.
But you do need to consider that surgery could have positively changed your dog’s situation. (That is probably what the vets were thinking about.)
The choice you made seems to have been good, but it may not have been the _only_ good choice.
@@astas7364 It’s their job, so? A lot of people think that vets are bad but actually they have studied for so long and it’s obvious that they want money. You can’t live normal life if you don’t have profit from your job. Even doctor Mike earn money and have to deal with stupid patients who thinks that they know better. Just like vets
I lost my 17 year old rat terrier last night. He had a lot of small health issues piling up that we were aware of, but any major surgery would have, like you said, just had too much risk and possibly deteriorated his quality of life. We kept him on medicine and gave him all the pets. He was such a good dog. I miss him so much. I’ve had him since I was 5, and I’m turning 22 in November to put his age into perspective.
I'm so sorry. Losing a pupper isn't easy.
@@lalaithan It’s not at all easy. I cannot really remember a time where he wasn’t there for me.
So sorry for your loss! 17 is a long life for a dog though! That's wonderful you got to long with him but super hard to lose because you literally grew up with that dog! So very sorry! Time helps, I promise, but we never stop missing our beloved pets!!❤ Praying for comfort for you as you grieve and learn to live without your best friend.🙏❤ One day when you are ready there will be another amazing dog out there for you! My first dog passed 3 years ago and I was completely heartbroken and never thought I could love another dog the same way, yet here I am with my second dog and I love her so much it's crazy! She isn't my first dog, but she is wonderful and helped my heart to heal so much! I hope another dog can do the same for you when the time is right!❤
Please don’t be afraid to seek help with the grieving process. It’s absolutely devastating to watch your bestie get older and pass over that rainbow bridge. Random interwebs love headed your way 💜💜💜
Sorry for your loss
I once have a dog and i know the pain of losing/seeing your dog get sick, truly a living hell
I’m so sorry Mike and Roxy. This could’ve been avoided relatively easily if her overall health and age were taken into account. I cannot imagine having to adjust to losing an entire limb at age 84. She’s a trooper and a fighter. You’re a beautiful and bright girl Roxy!
AWWWW Roxy looks so freakin ADORABLE! I hate to see a dog go through something like this. Such a beautiful dog!
Ikr! I have a dog of my own and if she ever got hurt, i would NEVER forgive myself. Shes my whole world
I'm terribly sorry Roxy lost her leg! This shows why you always need to ask your vets, and doctors about the risks involved in certain procedures. We found out the hard way when after we brought our cat to the vet for castration (we had a female cat as well and didn't want kittens). We didn't know the risks involved and forgot to ask. The vets didn't say anything regarding it either. only, a few days after we found our cat dead, only 3.5 years old, while he was very healthy first. After we go back to the vet, he told us that, Siberian forest cats are very sensitive to narcosis, they shouldn't be put under full anesthetics, but they did. This causes heart injury which can result in a heartfaillure which happened. We were furious and very sad. I never forgave myself for not asking if it was dangerous if we knew, we'd never have let them operate on him. He'd still be alive.
so sorry for your loss
THAT’S TERRIBLE!! 😢
Im so sorry for your loss!!
That is nauseating. I hope anyone else that this happened to can heal as I hope you also can. I’m sorry for your loss.
Same thing happened to my old cat, never doing it again..
It seems the vet has an obligation to tell you such things, you/we shouldn't have to ask.
What a sweet girl!!!! I'm glad she's ok now! Sad what happened to her though!!
My family dog is a 12 year old lab/boxer and there's these tiny lumps that have been growing all over her body as she's gotten older. My parents had the first one removed, but as they kept coming, they decided to not have her operated every time. She's still healthy and happy, despite having a bit of arthritis, and going a bit blind and deaf, so they didn't see any point in putting more stress on her. I'm sorry this happened to Roxy and wish her a swift recovery 😔 Sending much love from Montreal ❤️
I also have a 7 yr old boxer mix who has hard lumps growing on her body, one on her rear thigh and one on her side, which we had biopsies and came back "inconclusive" (vet didn't perform the more expensive and extensive one) that she said "should probably eventually be removed" but they aren't hurting her, so "no rush." She already removed a few from her hind hip 2 years old and told me they're common and oftentimes grow back somewhere else. I am afraid to put her through another major surgery at this point, especially after watching this video! Yikes!
I have a 13-year-old standard poodle and she gets lipomas (fatty tumors) all over her body. We don’t have them removed because they aren’t cancerous and it isn’t medically necessary.
I really admire how you prioritize patient advocacy and education so highly. As a new grad nurse, you inspire me to continue learning more and more so I can support my patients in making the health decisions that are best for them. So sorry about Roxy, but glad she has adjusted well to the change ❤
Veterinary Nurse here, sonsad to hear that there wasn't enough communication and throrough follow ups with your vet. It definitely shouldn't have happened and I'm sure that the Veterinary team is reflecting a lot on this. Roxy will do great! Tripod dogs have amazing recoveries. Haven't seen one that didn't work out! And yes, always always discuss with your vet before surgeries! Ask as many questions as you can, we do our best to provide you with as much information as possible! Take care Dr Mike and Roxy!!
Poor sweet Roxy. This absolutely breaks my heart for her, but it makes me happy to see that she is still a vibrant, happy dog. Please give her lots of love from a fan in Texas ❤
I’ve been a vet tech for over 22 years and currently work in oncology. Well said with everything. I’m sorry Roxy had complications, but super happy she is recovering now. Did the surgeon suggest a ct scan of the leg? Just curious.
Sending quick healing vibes to Roxy !
this hurt my heart, im so glad she is still with you and living the best life possible in her situation!
My heart goes out to Dr. Mike and his dad. Situations like this, even when you know everyone had the best intentions, tend to hurt people's relationships with one another. I hope there's no blame and guilt between Dr. Mike and his dad. It would be natural, as part of the grieving process, but still very heartbreaking. Best wishes for them and for Roxy too.
Just stumbled upon this video...Even though it was so hard to watch and my chest literally hurt the whole entire time, thank you so much for sharing this with all of us who are not as knowledgeable. Roxy is incredible and I hope she is doing well despite all she has been through. Sending her lots of virtual ear scratches and love!
Poor Roxie. She’s a trooper. You’re right is heartbreaking to see them in pain.
I am so sorry this happened to Roxy! Unfortunately cancer is 10 times more prevalent in dogs than in humans and detecting it early can be a challenge. I actually find this video particularly interesting since I work at a company that focuses on early cancer detection for dogs to hopefully give owners more options and time when diagnosed. If you are interested, this could be an awesome opportunity to educate pet owners about cancer in dogs and options for diagnosis.
This ^^^^
Yes please!
TLDR: My dog has a broken back leg. It's twisted and shorter than the other one, and all the vets that she's been to see have said that it's better to leave it as is because it doesn't bother her, than to try to fix it and possibly have to take the leg off. Since she uses it to run and play, they'd rather keep it. When she gets tired she just lifts it up and hops on 3 legs.
My dog was found on the streets in Eastern Europe and brought in to Canada. She has a broken back leg. It was broken when the people found her over there. The gone broken just above the back "knee" section. The bone shifted in her leg got pushed up toward her thigh and twisted. So her bone is doubled up where the break was, it's twisted outwards and shorter than her other one.
She's been to multiple vets. Vets that saw her when leaving Europe, a Vet when she came into Canada, the Vet that the adoption agency used, as well as the one that I use. Every single one of them suggested keeping the leg the way it is, because trying to correct it would result in breaking the leg and hoping it heals properly.
They said that it's crooked, but strong. It healed off-set, but it healed well. And trying to break that strong fusion could result in complications and we could end up losing the leg all together.
She can put her weight on it when walking. She has a limp because it's shorter than her other leg is. And when she gets tired, she just lifts the leg up and hops on 3. When we're on a walk she'll alternate between walking on 4, and because she's slower than she'd like while using it, she lags behind a bit, and then she'll lift it and hop forward and get in front of me and then walk on her leg again.
She uses it to run and play, and when she gets running around, you wouldn't even know that it was broken. It doesn't seem to hurt her at all. You can touch it and mess with it and it doesn't bother her. The only issue is that she gets tired easier because she has to put more effort in than other dogs.
Dogs are incredibly resilient and they just live with whatever cards their dealt. It's incredible how great these creatures are.
I love my girl to death.
I can't take my eyes away from that husky, it's so beautiful.
I can hear the little cracks in your voice Mike, you sound heartbroken and I'm so sorry you and Roxy had to go through this. I'm sure she will make a great recovery and adapt really quickly, but regardless it still hurts. It shouldn't have happened and I hope this video will prevent it from happening to other dogs. Thanks for opening up and I hope you two will be okay soon. 👍