2 1/2 Year old Doberman bone cancer diagnosis

[DobeGal]

I took my Doberman Miesha to the vet on friday and they informally diagnosed her with bone cancer! Im am freaking out! The vet I saw is new at the hospital where my vet is, she explained nothing to me, to be honest I feel like she really just wanted me out of there so she could get on with her holiday weekend! Miesha is only 2 1/2! Im still just so lost on how Miesha, was a perfect, healthy, happy Dobergirl just a few days ago running around like nothing was wrong, and now she is obviously uncomfortable, she doesn't really want to bear weight on it, she spends most of her day sleeping (although Im sure some of that has to do with the Tramadol).
Im just in shock! We have been up at camp, and we do 2 40 min hikes at least a day up there. I first noticed a slight limp on tuesday, as a horse person (and one who has worked in barns and cared for other peoples horses) I am constantly checking legs and gaits, I figured that maybe we have just been over doing it a little, so on Wednesday we just relaxed on the deck most of the day, then on Thursday it seemes worse, she barely wanted to put wait on it, and was obviously uncofortable.... but there was no swelling or heat, I thought maybe she had been bitten by something or just had been rough housing with Baruch... I decided to leave camp early just in case we would have to go to the vet... I couldn't take her on thursday anyway because I had given her a canine asprin to try and make the car ride a little more comfy. So thursday night rolls around and I notice there is a little swelling around her hip area... so I decided to call the vet first thing.
From thursday to 3:30 today the swelling just about tripled.
Make a long story short, and because I still haven't really grasped the days events.... since it was an emergency I had to see one of the other vets... who really WAS NOT helpfully... they haven't diagnosed her, the swelling at the base of her tail was aspirated and they didn't find anything. So the vet came in and said that the swelling felt more like a mass so they did a couple X-rays, the first set they said she had a small mass, which after starring at the stupid x-rays for hours on my computer screen, which even at 22 inches is giving me a headache, I still can't decide whether I see it or not! Then she came in and told me that they had found a mass and they wanted to do a radiograph of her chest to see if it had metastasized, that one came back clear.
She said something alone the lines of "There is a very small chance it may be an infection in the bone", but was really thinking it was a tumor. When I asked what her prognosis was all I got was that this will "eventually" be fatal... (this wasn't my normal vet mind you... it was an emergency call and she wasn't available today). She reffered me to the oncology department at Cornell....

The scariest thing for me is that if this thing progressed that much in 4 days then what is another 10 days going to allow it to do? I have all the x-rays on my computer. I don't know if I should send them to someone for a second opinion now, or what, I know that Iam calling my personal vet on tuesday so that she can actually take the time to explain it too me, but in the meantime I am panic sticken!

That all being said... the vet did say that there was all be it very small chance of it being an infection... well the vet apparent really didn't think it is because she didn't give her antibiotics, which would have at least ruled it out. I had a refill on a recent perscription of Cephalexin which was perscribed to her for a skin infection a few months ago, after doing a little research and finding that it was used in the treatment of bone infections I have started her on that this morning with a little bit of yogurt!

[DobeGal]

[DobeGal]

Im not sure if that helps at all...

[CarolC]

Hi and Welcome!

I don't have anything helpful to say on this topic, I am sorry. Yesterday when I saw your post I sent a PM to someone with a lot of experience with this problem but it is a holiday weekend, I hope she will see it soon. I was going to suggest there is another website you could also try if you haven't already,

http://www.tripawds.com
http://tripawds.com/forums/

and there is also a Yahoo group for bone cancer dogs.

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/bonecancerdogs/

I can't see anything on the xray with my untrained eye, but I'd be looking for answers just like you are if I was in the same situation. Your dog seems young to have osteosarcoma, if that is what they have in mind. I can see why you wanted to try the antibiotics. I think since they didn't even try that, in order to rule out an infection, you might want to get a second opinion.

Hope this helps a tiny bit, and please keep checking for replies, I am hoping you will have a better one soon.

[Shaz]

Hi Dobegal

I can understand you being panic stricken. I am trying hard to understand regarding the Mass? is this "mass" within the bone, if so I can't see any, if it's outside it can't be bone cancer??? In any event an x ray is not the diagnostic tool for dx'ing any type of bone cancer, whether it be a primary or secondary (Met). It's a lot more involved that that. You really need to speak to a Vet who you can trust.

In my experience of the human cancer world, a suspicious change in the characteristic of a bone MIGHT indicate Cancer, MIGHT. I have many friends who have been through the agony of waiting for a dx regarding "suspicious" spots to find them benign. I hope for B9 for your dog. Before they get to that B9 status they have Bone Scans and if there is any doubt a bone biopsy. It's a long drawn out process, not just an x ray.

I wish you well and will be looking out for news.

Sharon

[slshepherds]

Hello

Sorry to hear about your pup. Does Cornell vet school have a 24 hour emergency department? If so you may want to take your girl there today so they can work her up further and, if it is an infection, start her on antibiotics and pain medications sooner rather than later.

The radiograph you have posted is somewhat bright, but I think I may see what the vet was talking about. If you look at the right ischium (side labelled R, at the bottom of the pelvis, inside the femur) it looks moth eaten compared to the other side.

Crossing my fingers for you.

Joanne

[tessa]

OMG...carol wrote to me but i never got a notification.
soooooo sorry to rock up here so late.
in the meantime...10 days have passed. no doubt...there are clear answers by now.
i hope you'll come back and let us know what's happened.

unfortunately...i am two days away from vacation and will have only spotty access to the internet over the next 5 weeks.
xena's blog is still up and maybe that will be helpful. i'll attach a link to this post.

i'm so sorry to read about your miesha.
i know just how devestating this kind of news is.
but the swelling bit doesn't ring right to me. hopefully it is a soft tissue injury.

i wish you strength and courage,
xx
tessa