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My 100 pound Rottweiler current story with osteosarcoma
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Member Since:
4 May 2016
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7 May 2016 - 1:30 pm
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Hello All,

Here is my girls current story.

A little over 2 weeks ago my 8.5 year old Rottweiler Onyx started to limp on her front right paw, we thought she had a sprain. Didn’t seem to be getting better so 2 days later we took her to the vet not to worried figured she be on Rimadyl for a couple days and that would be all.

Went to pick her us and wow it just felt like a kick to the face, Onyx has cancer and maybe 3-5 months to live if we just do pain management .

So last week made an appointment with a holistic vet, surgeon and oncologist.

Saw the holistic vet he did a cancer screening blood test for $350 what a joke but I just could not think at the time. He also did acupuncture and chiropractic care she seemed to respond very well to that.

Wednesday we saw the surgeon who also said cancer and might only have 2-3 weeks because of the pain she will be in, but he also said she is a good candidate for amputation also her current vet agreed.

Well what to do we went home my emotions everywhere started reading everything I could and found this website and how good there dogs do on 3 legs, bought the books and have read as much as I can.

So after finding this site and reading the books I have decided to amputate her leg on Thursday the 12th.

So thank you for letting me vent and read everyone’s amazing stories

Thanks for your time……

Kent

On The Road


Member Since:
24 September 2009
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7 May 2016 - 3:10 pm
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Welcome and best wishes for Onyx! Start here if you ever need help navigating the many Tripawds resources.

Please keep us posted, your future forum posts will not require moderation.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Member Since:
7 May 2016
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7 May 2016 - 6:47 pm
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Kent,

I am so sorry to hear about Onyx. It is so extremely similar to my current situation, and I hope my reply helps you to feel a bit more comfortable.

My 8.5 year old Rottweiler Mischa (who is about 90lbs) was just diagnosed on 4/24 with osteosarcoma in her back left leg. She is a registered therapy dog and the dog love of my life...so, I opted to waste no time, and we had her leg fully amputated from the hip last Wednesday, 4/27. They kept her hospitalized for 2 days, and when I brought her home, I was more of a mess than she was. It is truly incredible how adaptive dogs are, and it made my heart feel more at ease seeing how well she had adapted to her 3 legs in a matter of days.

The first night was rough, as it was the first day off of IV pain meds, and she was struggling to get comfortable...but we are now 10 days post-op, and you would think that she had been on 3 legs for years. She is healing beautifully and seems to be experiencing minimal pain. Any pain I think she is experiencing is from her back right leg working harder than it ever has before. I can only imagine that she is sore from basically doing leg day at the gym nonstop, every day for the last 10 days...but she is being an incredible trooper!

Are you considering chemo? We are waiting for the all clear from the surgeon on Wednesday, and hopefully we can start chemo on Friday. Our oncologist was very reassuring that with amputation and chemo, she thinks Mischa should have a strong fighting chance. She said we caught the osteosarcoma pretty early, thank goodness.

Anyway, hang in there heart Onyx will do GREAT! My heart will be with you all on the 12th, and I hope your baby girl recovers as well as my Mischa has.

All the best,

Joy and Mischa in Texas

Livermore, CA




Member Since:
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7 May 2016 - 7:08 pm
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Welcome Joy and Misha, your future posts will not have to wait for approval.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with Kent and the rest of us.  I look forward to hearing more about your journey.

Karen and the Spirit Pug Girls

Tri-pug Maggie survived a 4.5 year mast cell cancer battle only to be lost to oral melanoma.

1999 to 2010

 

              Maggie's Story                  Amputation and Chemo

Michigan
Member Since:
2 April 2013
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7 May 2016 - 8:47 pm
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Your story is all too familiar around here.  You definitely have found the right place!

Donna

Donna, Glenn & Murphy 

Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17  
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs

Donna.png

Member Since:
4 May 2016
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7 May 2016 - 9:23 pm
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should i opt for surgery sooner I probably can but my parents live next door to us and Onyx loves my mom 

they get back from out out town on Wednesday 

Should I get it done Tuesday can it METS in that amount of time?

I am just worried if something were  to happen in surgery I would fell bad

Kent

Member Since:
4 May 2016
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7 May 2016 - 9:28 pm
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Hi Joy 

I am unsure about chemo what I have heard it is very expensive. the amputation i s going to be between 4 and 5k and I have heard 15 to 25k for chemo and radiation. we do not have that if I did I would do absolutely anything possible.

Are you going to do chemo?

Kent

Member Since:
14 February 2016
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8 May 2016 - 5:27 am
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Our chemo was nowhere near that expensive.  We had 4 rounds of carboplatin - two were about $1000 (included meds and one included X-rays), one about 800 and the last just over $600.  Not cheap, but not what you were expecting.  Ask for an estimate, you may be surprised, and you do not have to make any decision until the staples come out, about day 10.  

On the surgery, if you go in on Tuesday, Onyx probably will stay the night so would not come home until Wednesday, when your Mom is back in town.  It is great if you can have someone home with her for the first week or so, so having family around is a real bonus.  It is major surgery, but on balance, I would probably get it done as soon as I could.  Onyx probably has pain from the cancer, and if your mom is like most moms, she probably would want you to move forward, knowing that it is relieving the pain.  (But I have no idea on the question of how fast it can spread - Otis broke his wrist due to the cancer on a Sunday, we had surgery on Tuesday).

Hooray for Mischa - great that she is doing so well!  And nice analogy about leg day at the gym.  Our vet told us to imagine hopping to the mail box on one foot.

Thinking about you both.

Otis - 106 pound lab/Dane mix, lost his right front leg to osteosarcoma on Febuary 9, 2016.  Four rounds of carboplatin completed in April, 2016.  Lung mets August 25, 2016.  Said goodbye too soon on September 4, 2016.   Lost his adopted sister, Tess, suddenly on October 9, 2016. likely due to hemangiosarcoma.  

Wherever they are, they are together.

On The Road


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8 May 2016 - 9:56 am
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kent said
should i opt for surgery sooner...can it METS in that amount of time?

Please consult your vet with serious concerns, but we suggest taking your time and sticking to your selected treatment plan.

We are not vets, but have interviewed many oncologists. Many agree that micromets are present at the time of diagnosis, and some have cited studies that indicate removal of the primary tumor may actually speed metastasis...

Does Amputation Speed Cancer Metastasis?

Best wishes for Onyx! Please keep us posted.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet





Member Since:
16 October 2012
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8 May 2016 - 7:01 pm
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Welcome Kent & Joy.

Sassy had Osteoscaroma and was diagnosed at age 6 was a right rear amputee and adjusted very well.  We did 2 bone biopsies & by the time they came back both inconclusive it was about a month from the original suspicion.  We amputated Nov 14, 2012 and were scheduled for 5 chemo of carboplatin.  Between the 4th & 5th one she developed lung mets.  Now that being said she did survive 7 3/4 months with Mets and crossed the Bridge Aug 20, 2013.  We did metronomic therapy after the lung mets were diagnosed.

No one knows how much time each one has.  Each dog is individual.  The only thing I would do different if I had to do it over again was no biopsies.   With that being said the chemo that we did was around 500 per treatment and it was a pay as you go type thing.  Chemo is a very personal choice some decide not to do any.  Some decide to treat holistically and some decide to do a combo of both holistic & chemo.   The thing is you can try and if they don't do well you can always stop. 

Make sure to ask about overnight care if you vet provides it or if you need to take to an ER clinic for overnight care.  Most dogs stay at least one night.  My vet did not provide overnight care and I chose to take Sassy home vs me taking her another 20 minutes away to an ER clinic. 

Good luck  & the link to Sassy's blog is at the bottom of my signature.  Please go all the way to the beginning as I still post on her blog about my other furbabies too now.  🙂

hugs

Michelle & Angel Sassy

sassymichelle-sm.jpg

Sassy is a proud member of the Winter Warriors. Live long, & strong Winter Warriors.
sassysugarbear.tripawds.com
07/26/2006 - Sassy earned her wings 08/20/2013

05/04/2006 -  Bosch, Sassy's pal, earned his wings 03/29/19  fought cancer for 4 months.

"You aren't doing it TO her, you are doing it FOR her. Give her a chance at life."

Michigan
Member Since:
2 April 2013
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8 May 2016 - 8:55 pm
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Murphy had originally started limping in October, 2012, but we didn't suspect cancer until February 2013.  Then he had his biopsy, waited for results (which were inconclusive) and then more x-rays which showed the tumor growing.  By the time he finally had his surgery in April 2013, he had been limping for about 5 months.  The lymph node they removed at the time of surgery was positive, so it had spread to the nearby lymph nodes (his chest x-rays were clear).  I think his surgery was about $4500.  His final diagnosis was histiocytic sarcoma, which is a different type of bone cancer.  We did do chemo - he had 6 doses of CCNU, which is a pill and was about $350/treatment.  Plus he had to take denamarin every day to protect his liver, have blood work the week of chemo & a week later (at our regular vet so we didn't have to drive so far).  When he finished his chemo, they found what they suspected was another tumor on his left shoulder blade.  They tried to biopsy it, but didn't get anything.  They've watched it on x-rays and it hasn't grown.  He has a couple of lumps on his chest, probably lymph nodes, but I haven't had them checked out.  His prognosis was 12-18 months "if we were lucky," and it's been 3 years.  So at this point we figure that we're not going to put him through anything more, and he's doing so well!  He runs, barks, eats and is just such a happy dog smiley

So yes, it can spread, but there's no way to know how fast.  And even if it does, it doesn't mean that it's the end.  A day or 2 shouldn't change anything, but there are no guarantees here.  Are you wanting to make sure your mom gets to see Onyx before she has surgery?  Or to make sure she's there to help after?  Onyx will probably stay overnight at the vet (most stay at least 1 night).  Then she'll come home.  The first 2 weeks are the hardest, but it will get better.

Donna 

Donna, Glenn & Murphy 

Murphy had his right front leg amputated due to histiocytic sarcoma at 7 years old. He survived 4 years, 2 months & 1 week, only to be taken by hemangiosarcoma at 11 1/2 years 6/12/17  
Read about Murphy's Life on Three Legs

Donna.png

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7 May 2016
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9 May 2016 - 6:44 pm
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kent said
Hi Joy 

I am unsure about chemo what I have heard it is very expensive. the amputation i s going to be between 4 and 5k and I have heard 15 to 25k for chemo and radiation. we do not have that if I did I would do absolutely anything possible.

Are you going to do chemo?

Kent  

Kent,

I was unsure about chemo as well. The price absolutely contributed to my stress and worry. However, I was quoted $700-$800 for chemo, and they wanted to do 4-6 rounds every 3 weeks. Perhaps ask for an estimate for the chemo? $15-25k sounds exceptionally high, especially after spending a lot of time on here reading other's stories of chemo treatment...$3-5k for chemo is what I have been finding to be the range. They also did not recommend radiation, since the main cancerous lesion will have been removed with the amputation. Our oncologist only recommended radiation if we did not amputate.

I set up Mischa's first chemo appt for Monday, and I told myself I would do as many rounds as Mischa could bear. As soon as she begins to act like the treatments are bothering her, I am going to stop. I don't want her to experience any discomfort in the time she has left.

Speaking of discomfort, I am currently freaking out that the osteosarcoma has spread to Mischa's front left leg/shoulder. One of the questions I asked the oncologist was if this cancer would spread to other legs after amputation, and she said it was very rare, but possible. Well, Mischa has now started favoring her front left leg, and I am freaking out that she is the "very rare case" with metastasis to another bone...it had not metastasized to her lungs or lymph nodes when we checked 2 weeks ago, and it is probably from her moving around more than she should...but I can't help but have a horrible sinking feeling that it spread to her front left leg/shouldercrying We have our recheck with the surgeon on Wednesday, and if she is still limping/favoring I am probably going to do some x-rays to ensure that I'm stressing out for nothing...ughhhh this whole situation sucks so bad >.< 

I hope you're still doing ok with all of this heart I will be thinking of you and your sweet furbaby on Wednesday.

All the best,

-Joy and Mischa

On The Road


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9 May 2016 - 7:42 pm
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kent said
Hi Joy 

I am unsure about chemo what I have heard it is very expensive.
Kent  

The only way to know for sure is to consult with an oncologist. It will put your mind at ease and you can make a decision that you're more comfortable with once you do. Chemo is not mandatory so if you can't afford it, that's OK too. But don't let hearsay decide for you, find out for yourself.

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Virginia







Member Since:
22 February 2013
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9 May 2016 - 10:24 pm
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Just a wuick.welcome.and letting.you know we are.sending you positive.energy and best wishes for a smooth recovery.

Stay connected and, as you now know, you are definitely not alone! Keep things chunked down for now. You can make decisions about chemo.later. Just focus on recovery, deep breaths.and getting.some rest!

Can't wait to see pictures.of Onyx when you get a.chance!

Lots of.hugs!

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!

Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!

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10 May 2016 - 10:40 am
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Wow what I great website thank you to all.

I understand I am not alone but wow i didn't know how nervous I would be for her about this 🙂

I know she will fell a 100% better buy my goodness 2 days to go

Kent

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