This is Cole. He is a 5 year old English Mastiff. He is a sweet and sensitive boy who is happily bossed around by his two siblings, Rufus the cat and Ella, our other mastiff. He likes to lean on people and snuggle. He is stubborn. He snores and sleeps with his tongue out. He roars like a bear when he wrestles and likes zerberts and playing with his octopus toy. He likes to be with us all the time. He is scared of the cat despite being eight times his size. He loves everyone. He is one of the brightest parts of my life.
We just found out he has osteosarcoma in his right front leg. A week ago, we went to the vet thinking his slight limp was an injury from playing in the yard and were told he has cancer and we only have a few months to maybe a year left. All we could do was manage his pain as much as possible. We were devastated and we spent the next several days holding him and trying not to cry too much.
I tried to be strong and not show how much pain I was feeling so the pets would not be upset or worried but it was impossible. I was already grieving him and felt like I was being ripped apart. I worried about him and also about how Ella would handle this. They have been together since she was a few months old and are so bonded. My mind raced for days and I could barely concentrate on anything. I would go from crying to numb to crushing sadness to flashes of rage. I couldn’t eat or sleep.
I read about the disease online and everything I found was very grim, especially for a giant breed dog like Cole. Amputation is usually the best choice but my primary care vet and so many online articles said is not a good option for my 160 lb boy. I also couldn’t imagine putting him through a major surgery and all the pain it would cause, especially when he would likely only get a few months.
We saw the oncologist a few days later and learned about our options. They were not quite as limited as we originally thought but there is no good choice. We can only make the least horrible choice possible. There are basically three options: surgery and chemo, radiation to slightly slow the cancer and manage pain or no treatment other than pain medication. She recommended we see an osteologist and see if he is able to have an amputation so we set up an appointment. She also recommended the Tripawds website.
As the days went by, I kept reading and thinking and started to see things more clearly. The desperation and panic to “fix it” was clearing. I realized we cannot eliminate pain. He has cancer. He has an extremely painful kind of cancer. No matter what happens, he will be in pain. He is already in pain. We chose to pursue amputation and chemo because we feel it is the best bet for the least amount of pain possible. The tumor is extremely painful and as the bone is eaten away, it becomes pretty excruciating and there is danger of the leg snapping. When you think of every step hurting, the bone aching and the possible pathologic fracture, amputation suddenly seems a lot less drastic. It will eliminate that source of pain and the pain from the surgery can be planned for and managed to some extent. I also had to stop thinking of it as literally buying time. None of these options come with a guaranteed amount of time. I chose to focus completely on his comfort and quality of life instead and any additional time we get from the treatment is something to cherish.
I learned from the oncologist and Tripawds that giant breed dogs are not automatically bad candidates. Cole is big but not a huge mastiff. He has a pretty athletic build and we have always kept the dogs trim so their joints would not be strained. I am feeling hopeful for the first time in over a week. I am hoping that he will be approved for amputation and the chemo will give us at least a year. I hope this is not just denial. Even if we only get a few months, we will know we did everything we could and those months will have the least amount of pain possible.
Good luck I will say a prayer for Cole right now. My journey is just starting with my girl Zoe .We are awaiting amputation approval. She has a sarcoma on her leg too. Be strong only time will tell.
Good luck
Win
Thank you Win 🙂 Good luck to you and Zoe too. I will be thinking of you and sending you strength and good wishes. I hope Zoe gets approved.
Hello! I wanted to reassure you that we too have a giant breed Bullmastiff who weighs in at 60 kg after surgery. Before surgery she was 72 kg. She also had the same cancer, in the same limb. We chose amputation for her, and honestly, we would do it again. She is amazing and has recovered fully. It has not stopped her at all! Check out my blog to see her story. Carly’s story. Tripawds is an amazing website!!
Hi Renee, I checked out your blog and Carly is such a pretty girl. I’m glad she is adjusting so well! Did you have any trouble with her other front leg? I have been looking through as many photos and videos and articles as I can find since we decided to do the amputation and I worry about all that weight bopping up and down on that left wrist as he walks. I was planning to ask the orthopedist when we go in tomorrow morning if we should add some support there. Good luck on all of her future chemo treatments. Hugs and belly rubs to Carly.
Hi there, I just went through this with my 13 year old bulldog, Tubby. He’s 40 days post op. First week of November my vet told me there were no other options, he’s too old and I should put him down right away. Thank goodness I didn’t listen to her. Like you, I went online and saw so many other Tripawd stories. As scared as I was, he handled the surgery like a rock star and healed so quickly. Dogs are so resilient and can do very well on 3 legs. Here are two links. Sending prayers to you and Cole. This book is very helpful: The Dog Cancer Survival Guide Here are a few videos of Tubby. Hugs to Cole. – Alicia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHuTAdf-km8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYyya_Hcb64
What a cutie! I love that he is playing. Thank you for the book recommendation and videos. Tubby looks great!
Hi Cole and Family!
Cole just radiates sweetness in those pictures!
I’m so sorry that you find yourselves here. But you’ve written a great first post which I think we can all completely relate to. None of us ever want to face amputation w/ our pups, but it sounds like you’ve got the right attitude! There are no guarantees, but at least w/ amputation whatever time you get will be free of the OSA pain. It will definitely be a rough couple of weeks if you proceed w/ amputation. It can take the bigger guys and gals a bit longer to get back on their feet, but most do really well. Tripawds is a great resource though and we’ll help you through it!
Denise, Bill and Angel Ellie
Thank you 🙂 He is such a sweet guy. This site is amazing. The support offered here has me all misty at times. It means so much to hear from others and read their stories and hear words of encouragement. I am confident we are making the right decision but it is so hard. Thank you all for your support.
You have an amazing attitude that will help you in this journey. The majority of us do the amp to get our dogs out of pain and to eliminate the risk of fracture. We know it won’t cure them but it does give them quality of life after recovery. Our boy Max is a very large long legged German Sheperd of 110#s. He had his amp Sept 1 followed up with 4 chemos and is doing well for now. He’s back to being our happy boy. We get joy from each and every day with him. If and when those dreaded mets come we know we gave him every chance to live his life pain free. Hugs to you and the beautiful Cole and wishing you good luck. Please keep us posted on your journey. You guys are one of us now. I also want to add that our vet did not think Max was a good candidate for amp but we got a second opinion at our teaching UW here.
Linda & Max
Thank you so much. I hope the mets stay away for Max. That is good to know about a second opinion. It is my biggest fear right now that he will not be approved but my brain had not made it far enough past that fear to think about seeing a different doctor. We are in the Seattle area so we are lucky to have many doctors to choose from. I wish you and Max continuing good luck and good health.
Hey guys, thank you so much for sharing your story here. We are beyond grateful that you are, because as you said, not every big dog is a bad candidate for amputation and we hope with all we’ve got that your VERY handsome pup gets the go-ahead. Please keep us posted and let us know how we can help OK? And who is your oncologist? We’d love to give them a big THANKS and send them our free brochures.
Much love to all of you, keep us posted.
Thanks Jerry 🙂 I will update as we go for sure. Our oncologist is Dr. Tripp at http://www.vcscseattle.com/ Hopefully all goes well tomorrow morning and my boy has his surgery tomorrow afternoon. I’ll update tomorrow morning.
By the way, your logic and mindset is spot on, I have no doubt you can handle whatever comes your way. You have done great research and have a very level head. Kudos to you, Cole is a lucky dawg.
OOOOOOOMMMMMMDDDDDD!!! I can’t stop s.ooching the screen long enough to post!!! And when I stop smooching Cole, I start smooching Ella! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE COLE PORTER!! LOOOOOVE HIM!!!
You have done an exemplary job of explaining your thought process is took to get to this point. Not a fun time, that’s for sure.
But once the “forced choice” decision is made, there seems to be a calm, a sense of relief, that washes over us.
My Happy Hannah, a 125 lb. Bull Mastiff, had her rear leg amputated due to osteosarcoma. I felt like I was stuck in a nightmare when all this first started. I hadn’t found this site at the time. I was so scared I even cancelled the first surgery!! And recovery was no picnic, especially for if you’re the only human in tnhe house! It wasn’t until three weeks that I finally coukd say I did this FOR my Happy Hannah and not TO her!!
We had THE most glorious one year and two months full of @oving and spoiling and laughter and treats, more snuggli g by the woodstove, more sunbathing, more sitting together in the shade, that anyone could imagine!!
And you know what? Cole does NOT have a timeframe stamped on that precious Mastiff butt of his! Take a look! It’s not there!!
And yes, should a second opinion, or even a third one, be needed, do not hesitate!! Atlas, a dynamic Great Dane comes to mind. When he was diagnosed with this piece of crap disease, Two different vets felt that he would NOT be a good candidate for amputation, not only due to hus size, but because he had an uneven gait due to “Wobblers”! His human thought a THIRD opinion and proceeded with amputation. Atlas had a wonderful, pain free life, living it to the fullest, for over TWO years!!
Keep js posted a d stay connected!! And PLEASE post more pictures! Can’t get enough f this gentle giant!!
Lots of love to all!
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!
Lol I’m glad you love the pictures. I kiss his big noggin all the time. So much surface area for smooches on a big block head which is one of the many reasons I love mastiffs. I will keep posting photos of both Cole and Ella. I recognize your very cute avatar. I have read several of your posts while going through this site and they have been so helpful. Thank you for sharing. I love the pictures of Hannah. I’m glad you had that time with her. You are so strong to go through it alone.
I have a lot of hope after he saw the oncologist. I know there is no set amount of time but I have a lot more hope now than when he was first diagnosed. I will post updates as we get more news. Thank you so much for your support!
I just posted in your newest blog, but I want to thank you again for your kind comments about my beloved Happy Hannah. To know she is still reaching out touching lives means the world to me! Thank you for acknowledging her, thank you so much.
I follow tripawds on facebook and saw a post about Cole and it made me think of my Mastiff, Bruiser. I clearly remember the first weeks/months of diagnosis and amputation. I thought you might like to read Bruiser’s blog:
http://stephaniedbar.tripawds.com/about/
Bruiser had osteosarcoma, had his front right leg amputated and went on to live for an additonal, happy 15 months. Wish we had more time, but SO happy to have had him in my life for the time I did.
Also, I have a XL harness if you need one….
I read Bruiser’s blog. What a beautiful boy! I love the photo shoot pictures. A lot has happened with his recovery so I am going to do a new post in a minute in case you are interested in an update. My surgeon/osteologist’s office keeps help em up harnesses in stock and we bought one through them so we are all set for a harness. It fits him really well so we are all set but thank you!
I had a 170lb bull mastiff who had the same cancer in his rear leg. I choose to amputate after talking to an amazing vet who went through the same thing with her mastiff. I got 9 more pain free, fun filled mths with my beautiful big guy. i would do it again in a heartbeat. He had no problem with surgery or learning to walk. He actually ran, sometimes with a little help from me holding up his rear end with a harness. He got so fast I couldn’t keep up. My vet also told me to check out Tripawds and read her story as well as other extra large breed story’s of successful amputation, which help to make my decision a little easier as well.