Suspected osteosarcoma in our 5.8-year-old girl Bullmastiff Emma. Looking for support and advice!
Hi everyone,
Two weeks ago, our Emma, a 5.8-year-old Bullmastiff living with us in Valencia, Spain, started limping. At first, we thought it might be because she had jumped out of the car and maybe sprained or injured her front leg.
Our vet prescribed pain medication, and it seemed to help temporarily – she would stop limping for a while. But yesterday, during a visit with a traumatologist/orthopedic vet, they did an X-ray and told us there are changes in the bone. He suspects osteosarcoma.
We are in shock.
This week, Emma is scheduled for a CT scan, and we are still hoping with all our hearts that it is not cancer. But if it is oncology, we are hoping there are no metastases and that we can manage it with front leg amputation and chemotherapy.
Has anyone here gone through something similar with their dog, especially a large breed dog or a front leg amputation?
We would really appreciate hearing about your experience: how your dog handled the diagnosis, treatment, amputation, recovery, chemotherapy, quality of life, and anything you wish you had known earlier.
We are looking for support and advice because we feel completely overwhelmed right now. Emma is so much more than “just a dog” to us. She is our best friend and a true member of our family. It breaks our hearts to think about what she may have to go through, and we are devastated that she might not get the 10 years of dog life we always hoped she would have.
Thank you to anyone who can share their story or advice.