Ranee is a beautiful 4 year old red and tan Doberman Pincher. She is energetic, intelligent, strong, and very gentle with children. Ranee is by far, the strongest Doberman (male or female) we ever owned. In August 2011, after a week of boarding, I noticed a small hard lump on her rear left leg between the tarsus and tibia. We assumed she hurt herself in the kennel, so we took her to the veterinarian for an x-ray. Unfortunately, the x-ray indicated she had a bone tumor. Approximately 90% of bone tumor cases are osteosarcoma with a prognosis median of 1 year to live, with or without treatment. We had a biopsy done which came back inconclusive. Without any concrete answer to what kind of tumor it was, and taking into account the bleak prognosis, we decided to let Ranee be while booking an appointment with a specialist.
The tumor continued to grow at a steady rate, roughly doubling in size every month. Ranee has been on Metacam (pain killer and anti-inflammatory) so she is her normal active self, but tends not to put any weight on her leg, lifting it up when standing still. The specialist ran new tests in December, and surprisingly, Ranee’s lungs remain clear with no visible sign of disease spread. There might be a chance that the tumor is osteochondroma, a benign tumor that doesn’t spread and can be cured with amputation. It would be nice if that’s the truth, but regardless, the leg has to be removed because the tumor will continue to grow until her leg breaks and she is in more pain then her current medication can subside. So in January 2012, Ranee will official become a tripawd. This is a new experience for us and I want to document it for myself and other pet owners who find themselves in this unfortunate situation.