Bryn is an ex-racing greyhound that we got from our local (UK) Greyhound rescue centre in 2014. Although he was quite a bit older than the other dogs (Bryn was 6 when the average age of an ex-racer seems to be about 3), the look he gave us, as he gazed up through the bars of his kennel, meant we had to take him.

The past 4 and a half years have been the best. We have learnt a lot about dog ownership from him, but he always offers his full unconditional love. We avoid leaving him wherever possible, taking him on dog-friendly camping trips all over the UK and Europe - from the battlefields of WW1 to the picturesque coastlines of Cornwall and national parks in Scotland, wherever we go, we always make sure we take him along.

Everything seemed to be going well until September 2018, when Bryn became reluctant to use the stairs. At first, we didn’t think too much of it, but by October we noticed that he had muscle atrophy in his left hind leg and he had started to limp. We went to the vets and were told that due to his age, it was likely arthritis - with the muscle wastage likely due to him avoiding using the leg. The vet took some X-rays and although they didn’t seem to show anything, felt confident in her diagnosis, prescribing painkillers and a review in November. November came and Bryn’s leg had only worsened. We went back to the vets where we were seen by one of the more experienced partners. He had reviewed the X-rays and after a thorough examination, determined the lameness was likely an issue with the nerve, referring us to a specialist.

Bryn and I went to the specialist yesterday (November 16th), within about 10 minutes the vet noticed a painful tumour at the top of Bryn’s leg. 24 hours, an MRI, CT scan, and an ultrasound later we now know that Bryn has a nerve sheath tumour at the top of his leg, on the sciatic nerve. This type of tumour is usually benign (slow growing, self-contained and not spreading) though to be sure, a sample has been sent away for further examination. Provided this is the case, then the treatment will be the complete removal of his left hind, likely including a small amount of his pelvis. This will likely cure Bryn. The only other option is palliative care, simply managing the pain.

That is where we are at, at the moment. Reading about other peoples experiences on this site has made the decision about his treatment so much easier. As the slogan goes, It’s better to hop on three legs than limp on four!