Hi everyone, my dog Isa is a Bernese Mountain Dog turning five this September. Yesterday I found out she has osteosarcoma in her right leg, and it's already spread (metastasis). The vet says she needs an amputation followed by chemotherapy, which is going to cost around £850.
I’m trying to decide whether to go ahead with the surgery, as I'd have to take out a loan from the bank to afford it otherwise.
I’m terrified that if I go through with the operation, in a few months' time I'll just be told the cancer is back...
I’d really appreciate some advice to help me make the right decision.
Translated from French
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He’s given me a few different options, but I really wanted to know if she’d be cured if I went ahead with the amputation and chemo. If I’ve understood correctly, the answer is no. The trouble is, I can't afford around £850 unless I take out a loan.
How can I even answer a question like that? No, you’ll be taking away the pain in her leg, but the cancer itself will keep spreading very quickly, especially since she’s so young. Vets sometimes like having "guinea pigs"! Personally, if your dog isn’t suffering, I’d give her everything I possibly could—everything she loves—right up until the moment I notice she’s in pain (loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy). And then, unfortunately, I’d do the kindest thing and have a vet come to the house so she can pass away peacefully. Once again, I'm so sorry!
Which referral centre are you planning to go to? Because even under the care of a top specialist, osteosarcoma is the most vile, horrible thing a dog can have! I'm sorry, but I’d rather be honest than lie to you. At the risk of sounding like a "monster", with or without surgery, your poor girl has less than a year left. I’m so sorry!
I need to get a bone biopsy done to find out what stage it’s at. The vet told me she’ll need an amputation followed by chemo. She’s limping, but she isn’t showing any signs of pain.
Have you had a chest X-ray done to see if there are any metastases? If there are visible metastases on the X-ray, it worsens the prognosis and limits how effective chemotherapy can be. Amputation allows the entire bone to be removed and is ideally combined with chemo. Amputation doesn't actually increase life expectancy, but it significantly improves the animal’s quality of life and gets rid of the pain. The prognosis for osteosarcoma is sadly poor, as around 90% of pets already have metastases by the time they’re diagnosed. Sending lots of strength to you and your girl. Is she in much pain at the moment?
