Hi Forrest & Aspen.....Shelby & I are so happy to hear that Aspen is doing well.  She's our inspiration.  You see, Shelby is a 6 year old golden retriever with a Grade III STS on her right elbow....we're going down to Tampa tomorrow to meet with the surgeon and if all goes as planned,she will stay with them and have the leg removed on Friday.

Your Aspen is an absolute doll!

Well I see that some time has past since this post, and I hope that you made a decision you were able to accept and that Aspen is doing ok. My dog just turned 1.5 years old when I took him to the vet for what I thought was "pink eye" (as did the vet). A few days later there was a lump that formed under his eye, so I took him back immediately. The vet pulled out the fluid in the mass and said it looked suspicious and recommended a full extraction of the tumor. Long story short, we did that, and the pathology reports showed that he had Histiocytic Sarcoma, and it was aggressive! In a matter of a month the tumor grew in his eye socket to approx the size of a golf ball or larger, it pushed his eye all the way up and you couldnt even see it, all you could see was tumor. I gave him CCNU (chemo pill) to try and slow the progression of the cancer, although I was told it would not save his life but rather it may extend it a bit. He received two doses before the tumor grew so large that it was causing him pain. Tomorrow my Oreo gets to go to another world and it is devastating.

Being that you have the option of amputation to save Aspen's life, I would reccommend that. I would have been willing to have my dogs' eye removed and another removal of the tumor, but since it was where it was located on his face...they couldn't do it without basically removing half of his face and possibly getting into the brain back behind his eye. I did not have any options other than the chemo and prethnizone (sp?) and trying to keep him as happy as possible. Its hard to watch your beloved animal go through this no matter the age or how long you've owned them. It sucks. But this cancer is not something to mess around with! The CCNU chances of putting the cancer in remission is less than 7% for 6-9 months (Those were the figures my vet gave). Follow your heart. Finances are a legitimate consideration and if you can't afford it, well then its not an option. Do what you can with what you've got, and just make sure you give him a good QUALITY life and don't worry about the Quantity....he'll meet you again one day I believe.

I wish you and Aspen the best. I empathize with what you have been going through. Enjoy each day you've got.