Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hello 
I've been pondering something about Darcys osteo for a while and I wondered if anyone had any thoughts on this situation.
Until the 15th October 2007, Darcy was a normal, healthy Deerhound (5.5 years of age). On 15th October, I took pictures of her playing - and play bowing - with one of our other dogs.
On the morning of 16th October 2007, Darcy walked across the room, let out a scream and held her front right leg off the floor. She was x-rayed that afternoon - bone cancer was detected and her leg was amputated immediately.
We waited for the biopsy results and they came back as osteo. Darcy went onto have a chemo (carboplatin, doxorubicin, carboplatin, doxorubicin at 3 week intervals) and now we are celebrating 17 months (and she had clear chest films very recently too).
My query is this.
The cancer must have been there for some time, to weaken the bone to the point where it broke (clean across), yet Darcy showed NO outward signs of pain. I have had a bone cancer dog before and as an owner of large sighthounds, I am very aware of limps and bumps and all other such things but Darcy truly had NOTHING in the way of symptoms.
How can this be? How could she have had no symptoms and how could she have been playing and bouncing on that leg the day before, yet the bone was so weak that it broke whilst she was simply taking a step across the room?
I'm not sure if this is even answerable! But it's something I've been pondering so I thought it was worth asking 
Darcy – tripawd since 16th October 2007.
***Darcy would love to be your friend on Facebook - just search for Darcy Deerhound***
Not a vet, and I'd be interested in the answer too. But a friend's Rottweiler did very much the same thing...we used to go on regular weekend hikes with our dogs, usually 5-10 miles. We'd done a hike the previous weekend, and a couple of days later her two dogs were out in the back yard, she went to let them in and the one was on three legs and in obvious pain. Just that fast, no previous warning, was diagnosed the next day with a broken leg due to osteo.
I do think bitches tend to be more stoic than dogs...at least that's been my experience.
It is hard to explain, but I would say at least 25% of the time I first diagnose OSA based on an unexplained fracture in an older dog. The dogs have had no limping but come in with a broken leg and no history of trauma. I think that if a dog's cancer starts in the very center of the bone and is not causing soft tissue swelling then there really is not much pain. Eventually in these large/giant dogs the leg can no longer support their weight so the leg breaks.
Most other dogs with OSA have cancer cells in the bone marrow but develop more of a periosteal reaction on the outer surface of the bone which then involves the soft tissues so these dogs can have intense pain, some even before the tumor can be seen radiographically! These dogs are often misdiagnosed as sprains or ACL problems because there is just no evidence on a radiograph. If I have one of these dogs I will give them pain meds but recheck the radiograph in 2 weeks because then the tumor is often visible and surgery or biopsy can be performed.
This cancer is just so unpredictable and we have a lot more to learn about prevention and treatment, so it is great thst everyone here can share their experiences.
Pam and Tazzie
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