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Regular Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@HappyDaze wrote:

@Linmothank you for your encouraging words and so happy to hear about how long you had with your cat. We are fortunate in that the CT scan did not show any metastasis elsewhere but they did remove the lymph node associated with that leg as it was slightly larger than the other one. We are awaiting results of that but they think it was enlarged a bit due to being reactive rather than cancerous. I pray that is the case but even so, it is removed so that is a good thing. they actually have limb saving procedures now but he was not a candidate for the procedure with the least amount of risks. They actually make prosthesis too. We have options and I just thank God we caught it early and no visible metastisis at this point. Thanks for sharing your story and it gives me hope for more time with my sweet boy. Heart


May I ask how you found out he has bone cancer?  I am always curious in what to watch for.  We just lost one of our dogs on November 1st from cancer.  It was not bone cancer.  It was hemangiosarcoma which is difficult to diagnose in time.  We tried hard though.

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Registered: ‎06-13-2012

@j-lou wrote:

@HappyDaze wrote:

@Linmothank you for your encouraging words and so happy to hear about how long you had with your cat. We are fortunate in that the CT scan did not show any metastasis elsewhere but they did remove the lymph node associated with that leg as it was slightly larger than the other one. We are awaiting results of that but they think it was enlarged a bit due to being reactive rather than cancerous. I pray that is the case but even so, it is removed so that is a good thing. they actually have limb saving procedures now but he was not a candidate for the procedure with the least amount of risks. They actually make prosthesis too. We have options and I just thank God we caught it early and no visible metastisis at this point. Thanks for sharing your story and it gives me hope for more time with my sweet boy. Heart


May I ask how you found out he has bone cancer?  I am always curious in what to watch for.  We just lost one of our dogs on November 1st from cancer.  It was not bone cancer.  It was hemangiosarcoma which is difficult to diagnose in time.  We tried hard though.


@j-louI've lost my last three dogs from various cancers- this is my fourth with cancer. This is the first time for bone cancer though. With him, he would limp intermittently on one leg. He could run, jump, play, etc with no limping, just would limp a bit occasionally when he first got up. Not all the time though, just sometimes. I've taken him to my vet and specialists and everyone just though arthritis or a strain. Bone cancer is very very painful, even just touiching the area can make them cry out in pain but he was different as they squeezed the heck out of the area and he did not even flinch. Finally, about end of November, I noticed a slight bit of swelling in his joint so I took him back to the vet. She told us to ice it and to wait another week or so and then we'd xray it. Again, he was not painful in that area when you touched or squeezed it (or didn't show us he was).  Well, two days into that, I decided to go to another vet I truly trust and asked him to xray it. He did. It did not look like normal bone cancer at that time so we were hopeful it wasn't. But we did a biopsy and it was, very earlly beginnings.  The swelling got bigger in recent days after that.

 

However, the vets say that not all dogs with bone cancer limp nor do they necessarily swell. It can be in the front or back leg(s). Sadly, many dogs do not show any sign except perhaps intermittent slight limping until they break that leg and that is usually how bone cancer is found. We were fortunate in that we caught it before it got that bad. Oh another sign could be occasional coughing. This means it has metastasized to the lungs which is very very bad. So I'd say any limping, even intermittent, any sign of swelling or coughing is concern enough to go get checked out. I'd especially recommend an xray just to rule out anything. I wish I would have insisted on it from the very start. You tend to want to trust the vets/specialists but as I've often learned, I need to go with my gut instinct and insist on xrays or further tests when I know something is wrong.

 

Hope that helps.

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@nycgrl wrote:

@HappyDaze wrote:

@Linmothank you for your encouraging words and so happy to hear about how long you had with your cat. We are fortunate in that the CT scan did not show any metastasis elsewhere but they did remove the lymph node associated with that leg as it was slightly larger than the other one. We are awaiting results of that but they think it was enlarged a bit due to being reactive rather than cancerous. I pray that is the case but even so, it is removed so that is a good thing. they actually have limb saving procedures now but he was not a candidate for the procedure with the least amount of risks. They actually make prosthesis too. We have options and I just thank God we caught it early and no visible metastisis at this point. Thanks for sharing your story and it gives me hope for more time with my sweet boy. Heart


@HappyDaze - I've been thinking about you over the last couple weeks and was wondering how your furbaby was doing.  I didn't see an update or anything from you in a while although I haven't been on here too much dealing with my own furbaby issues.  I pray both our furbabies are around for a very long time.  Prayers Heart


@nycgrlthanks for thinking of me. I hadn't had the emotional strength to post an update until recently when I had a clear path forward and finally can think a bit straight. Everything was a whirlwind and I had to find the right surgeon, etc. I am sorry you are dealing with issues with you baby too. I hope everything is okay? I too hope we have our babies around for a very long time. They are so special, aren't they? Heart

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Posts: 236
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Thank you HappyDaze.  I am sorry you are going through this.  With our Dakota girl we found a small pink tumor on her chest and called the Vet right away.  We had it cut out and the Vet thought she got all of it but she did not unfortunatley.  It had spread to her brain so we had to end her suffering.  We have another older dog that I really worry about so I just like to have as much information as I can for my babies.  Thank you for sharing.

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Registered: ‎12-16-2013

@HappyDaze wrote:

@Linmothank you for your encouraging words and so happy to hear about how long you had with your cat. We are fortunate in that the CT scan did not show any metastasis elsewhere but they did remove the lymph node associated with that leg as it was slightly larger than the other one. We are awaiting results of that but they think it was enlarged a bit due to being reactive rather than cancerous. I pray that is the case but even so, it is removed so that is a good thing. they actually have limb saving procedures now but he was not a candidate for the procedure with the least amount of risks. They actually make prosthesis too. We have options and I just thank God we caught it early and no visible metastisis at this point. Thanks for sharing your story and it gives me hope for more time with my sweet boy. Heart


@HappyDazeBoy, the science has come even further since my cat was treated.  Are you considering the prosthetic?  My cat also had the front leg removed (don't remember which side), but I was amazed at how well she managed on 3 legs.  After she healed from the surgery, she was a completely different cat - playful again (at age 13) and more outgoing.  I think she had been suffering and I didn't notice it.  

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I'm sorry about what your dog is going through, HappyDaze.

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Respected Contributor
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Registered: ‎04-11-2010

@HappyDaze, I've been pretty MIA from the boards lately, so I'm just seeing all of this!! So sorry about you and your sweet pup. Hoping you are both on the mend. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and sending hugs!! HeartHeart

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@FUTURE wrote:

@HappyDaze, I've been pretty MIA from the boards lately, so I'm just seeing all of this!! So sorry about you and your sweet pup. Hoping you are both on the mend. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and sending hugs!! HeartHeart


@FUTUREthank you, my friend. I truly appreciate it. My pups mean so much to me so it has been difficult.  I hope you are doing well and just taking a break from the boards because you are are busy doing other things and not because of anything major. Take care and thanks for the thoughts and prayes for my boy. It means alot. Heart

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Posts: 3,602
Registered: ‎04-11-2010

@HappyDaze wrote:

@FUTURE wrote:

@HappyDaze, I've been pretty MIA from the boards lately, so I'm just seeing all of this!! So sorry about you and your sweet pup. Hoping you are both on the mend. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and sending hugs!! HeartHeart


@FUTUREthank you, my friend. I truly appreciate it. My pups mean so much to me so it has been difficult.  I hope you are doing well and just taking a break from the boards because you are are busy doing other things and not because of anything major. Take care and thanks for the thoughts and prayes for my boy. It means alot. Heart


I totally understand -- our pups are our babies, too, and we love and treat them as such!! Smiley Wink Just been busy lately. Good things, and life, and just busy!! Hugs!!!

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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@HappyDaze, I am sorry to hear about your pup and your having been sick as well. It sounds as if you are making good choices for the little one.


~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland