Dear Dr. Pam,

My 7 years old beagle start to have his back left leg limping since early this year. We brought him to vet this year and we did x-ray for him, he was suspected with osterosarcoma. After some x-rays on the bone and chest, the vet found that there is a spot in his chest. The x-rays also shows that there are swelling / suspected tumor at the knee bone of my beagle and the leg bone connected between the knee joint was completely look bristle. Out vet advised us to get his leg amputated and proceed with chemo.

Later on we went to another vet for second opinion and the second vet told us that  he rather think that it would be kinda of an bone infection / fungal /bacterial infection rather than osterosarcoma. The reason the vet said this is because the bone that connects to the knee joint was bristle and he mentioned that osterosarcoma will not spread among two bones. He suggested us to do a biopsy to confirm the real cause behind all these. Whichever the cause of it my poor beagle's leg has to be amputated as the whole stretch of his leg bone already bristle based on the x-rays.If it is not an osterosarcoma, then we have to worry another thing as his lung x-ray shows a small lump. Hopefully it is not a met.

What is the symptom of bone infection? Is it almost the same as bone tumor? Hope you can give some advice to us. Thank you very much.

Dear Dr. Pam,

I'm wondering whether a bone infection will has the same symptoms as the osterosarcoma or other type of bone cancer? Will the bone infection will cause the bone to look bristle under the x-ray? I have try to search around the internet for more information on the bone infection, however not much information i can get.

Our amputation surgery has been postponed to next Tuesday as the surgeon is not available. Really worry alots.