Osteosarcoma advice :(

Got the worst news ever on Wednesday. My baby boy has a tumour. Can't even type it without crying let alone say it. Vet doesn't think we should operate, just pain-killers and make the most of him. Just wondered if anyone has any experience of what to expect?

Em x

So sorry. This is never easy. Are there no other options? How old is he? I've haven't got any experience of tumours so I can't give you any helpful advice. Just so very sorry.

I am sure you make the most of your darling woofle anyway - and always have done.

Oh dear,
I really am very sorry to hear that news. I'm afraid I have no experience when it comes to tumours either.
Just wanted to send out (((hugs))) to you.

Thanks guys. He's 8 and a half next week. Vet reckons even with amputation & radiotherapy, we'd give him 6 months of misery. Better to give him 3 of happiness.

x

Sorry to hear this news, sadly I have been there and its not nice.......

Bandits story is here in the archives somewhere if you want to take a look, if it may help a little.

No one can advise you on what to do, there are option and depending in whether or not its spread may influence your decision.

Rottis are big dogs and at his age can he cope with the loss of a leg (I am assuming this is a option) my vet told me that amputation only buys them time, and the inevitable will still happen,

I can see where you vet is coming from, its a lot of trauma for an older dog to go through and the likelihood of a complete success is not good.

Osteosarcoma is an extremely aggressive and painful condition, like you may vet advised pain relief for as long as we could, to be honest it helped for a short while, but the pain got to much and the pain relief was not touching the pain.

If you are asking what to expect, then I can only tell you what happened to me, we medicated as long as we could, and I regret to this day I left helping him on his way a couple of days to late.

Don`t make that mistake, enjoy the time you have left, spoil him rotten, watch the leg (it will be weak) so no strenuous exercise , don`t let him jump about , they can mask the pain (specially rotties) you don`t want him damaging the bone any more than it already is.

My friend also lost her Rotti girl to this horrible disease , sadly hers got to her lungs and she went into heart failure.

What a bit of luck he will respond to the meds for as long as he can.... you will know when the time comes and cant cope with it any more.

My heartfelt sympathy goes with you, watching them go through this is horrendous.

Well I have no experience with osteosarcoma, but I lost my last dog to cancer. It was a horrid malignant squamous mast cell tumor. In the bone of his face, totally inoperable. Shutting off his airways and at the age of 15, nothing else could be done.

He suddenly begun acting very oddly, and not eating and limping for no reason. And a bump on his face grow HUGE within a very short time. Took him to the vet. The cancer was probably in his brain already, and probably other places, too.

As soon as the vet confirmed what I already knew, he was put down that day. The vet said he could come home, but he was already suffering and though he was not in pain, he could barely breathe and the tumor was only going to grow and grow.

Always such a sad time