i'm sorry to hear, but i'm afraid you have some tough times ahead of you.

i had to go through the same exact thing 5 years ago with my german sheppard of 14 years. she was my baby, my little girl, i weened her with a bottle from a baby when her mother refuse to feed her any longer. she even knew judo and tripped other dogs/people using judo techniques that i taught her (grab one leg and use her body to get push/pull the other leg until they fell).

it started with her getting diabetes. we had her on insulin shots plus a strict diet. but the diabetes was never under control and it created cataracts in her right eye. later she was diagnosed with osteo-sarcoma in the left rear leg and it came on very fast. at first everyone including 2 vets thought it was just arthritis setting in on an older dog causing her to limp slightly. then the leg grew hard and stiff and it started to gain in mass. i would carry her up and down the stairs, outside, on and off the couch whenever she wanted to move.

we were also advised to remove the leg and undergo chemo. we were given alot of pain meds. we were told it only subsided the pain, not mask it or remove it... she would still feel the pain constantly. however i couldn't bare the thought of her having to learn to walk and move on 3 legs at her age. after 2-3 months of trying to convince myself that she still had more time left, i finally gave in seeing how uncomfortable and tired she was. we put her to sleep and i cried for weeks. typing this still brings a tear to my eye.

it was the most difficult decision of my life. i still mourn her passing to this day... good news is that i have TONS of great memories with her that i will never forget.

cherish the time you have with your dog. he'll love spending that time with you.

Keep you're chin up and I hope that the quacks are wrong.

thanks for all the support thus far all! my father has been the contact w/ the
vet. we're waiting for him to call now. the question of quality of life is a big
deal at this point. seeking a second opinion never actually crossed our minds.
we'll have to discuss that also. from talking to my dad, he gathers from talking
to the vet, that the prognosis post surgery and w/ treatments is not good
either. the vet said that this type of cancer actually develops in the bone
and by the time it shows in x-rays, the cancer has more than likely already
spread to other areas. i don't know for a fact that the entire leg would be
need to be removed, but i believe it would because of the location of the
tumor.

thanks again everyone!

That sucks, and I am really sorry to hear that.

Sorry to hear about that bro. I have a rottie too and I know what great dogs they are. Dogs are very adaptable animals, and rottweilers are pretty smart, so I don't think your dog would have that hard of a time learning how to get around on 3 legs. My only concern would be whether he will injure his hip since he is a large dog. I remember reading somewhere that if a dog, particularly large breeds, carry too much weight on their hind legs, they might have hip problems. One thing to remember is that rottweilers have a high pain threshold, so even though they may not yelp, whine, or cry, they may still be in pain. Check with your vet, or with a couple of vets to see if that will be a problem. And see if your dog would be able to use one of these. I personally would go through with the surgery and chemo since giving him meds and letting him live out his life while the cancer wreaks havoc on his body is not much of a consolation. At least he will have a chance at a better life after he's done with chemo, whereas, watching him slowly deteriorate will be both hard on you and him. Good luck and I hope you'll be able to save your dog. Please keep us updated.

I, too, am sorry to hear that. I also agree with those advocating getting a second opinion. As for the tumour itself, it all depends on the type and growth rate as to how quickly it'll show up on an x-ray. If it wasn't there a month ago, and it is now, then your vet's right and it's pretty aggressive. However, it may be locally agressive, i.e. only in that particular bone, and maybe the adjacent muscle(s), and has not yet spread to other organs (e.g. the liver), in which case an amputation with chemo &/or radiation may be curative. You should also consider further imaging as it might be helpful in making a decision. Good luck and hang in there.

Oh man this is a tough thing. Take him to the woods, the beach, the lake, and let him be the best dog he can be and let him be your best friend for as he seems to have good spirits.

Get a second opinion so you know you can be at peace with the course of action you take.

Aww I am so sorry, I have a dog and I have such a bond to him so My Thoughts are totally with you

sorry to hear that Brian.

Just checking in while in an airport, coming back from vacation. I am so sorry about your dog's situation. As a dog lover, I can totally relate. Our precious dog of 16 years died after trauma last year. She was really becoming arthritic and senile, but still was the sweetest thing in the world. We have mourned our loss of her since, and the decision to put her down was very difficult. However, we are warmed by the love we shared, and the great memories. You will be too.