Hi all,

Background: Charlie is a 12 year old beagle.  On May 26th, 2012 (his 12th birthday) I brought him to the vet for lameness in his front left leg that had gotten progressively worse, going from a barely noticeable limp to non-weight bearing lameness over a two week period. After a physical examination where he found no swelling or obvious fractures/tumors, he suggested Rimadyl and rest, but gave me the option of radiographs to rule out a tumor, fracture, etc.  I went with the Rimadyl as a first step.  Over the next couple of days, things seemed about the same-no obvious improvement but not getting worse either-then on the third day, I came home and Charlie's leg was swollen and upon closer inspection, black and blue from bruising.  To the emergency vet we went. Results of blood tests showed pretty low platelet count and slightly (barely above normal range) elevated ALP levels. Chest and leg radiographs showed what appears to be a bone tumor on his humerus and "extensive" metastasis in his lungs.  

Based on his age and the extent of the metastasis, my vet gave him a poor prognosis and recommended simple pain management with Rimadyl and Tramadol until he no longer has an acceptable quality of life.  I am pretty devastated by all of this. I have found nothing in my own research that gives me any more hope. Everything that I have read indicates a very poor prognosis for Charlie.  

I guess what I am looking for here is advice on how to proceed from anyone that may have gone through something similar.  I am pretty sure that I am at least going to consult with a veterinary oncologist to see if he is even a candidate for amputation and chemotherapy, but finances are an issue for me too. I can get some help from my family, but unfortunately spending 10s of thousands of dollars is not an option. And I don't want to put Charlie through intense treatments if they won't substantially improve his quality of life.  

Any advice and/or information would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.