It was initially attributed to soreness from taking a flying leap off a partially dismantled deck. He was treated with warm compresses and a lovely Rimadyl/Tramadol mix. When it didn't improve, it was decided that it was simply a symptom of his Spondylosis advancing.
Eventually, Husdson's minor limp turned in to non-weight bearing lameness. We took him back to his primary care vet for a new diagnosis. We went in secretly suspecting ACL, but fearing Osteosarcoma. X-rays were taken and the diagnosis came back as an ACL rupture. We were delighted it wasn'tcancer and went home to immediately make a consultation appointment with Dr. Preston Stubbs (the most amazing orthopedic surgeon ever.) We were leaving for Chicago the next day, so the consult would have to wait a week and a half, until June 2nd.
Tony was unable to attend the ACL consult at the last minute, so Hudson and I went alone. We brought a copy of his x-rays and were planning to be at the vet for a short time, just long enough for a quick exam and to schedule his surgery. I answered all the tech's initial questions and she left to bring the x-rays to Dr. Stubbs for review. A few moments later, she returned and asked "Who diagnosed it as an ACL?" That's when I knew something was wrong.
I told her the diagnosing vet's name, and that the radiologist had supported his diagnosis. She took notes on the details, including when we first noticed a problem and exactly what the vet had said. A few moments later, Dr. Stubbs came in. He said the x-rays showed a lot of fluid on the left knee, which supported the ACL diagnosis, but that he had noticed some significant bone loss in the femur. I remember looking in his eyes and asking "That's a symptom of osteosarcoma, isn't it?" He confirmed that it was and said that we needed to do chest x-rays to see if it had metastasized in Hudson's lungs.
During an interminable wait in the exam room by myself while Hudson was x-rayed, it was all I could do not to cry. I texted Tony right away, as well as my dear friend Marie. We were all in shock, since a former foster dog (now happily adopted) from our rescue, Big Dogs Huge Paws Inc., had just gone through the same thing two weeks before. Dr. Stubbs eventually came back and gave me the good news that the cancer had not yet spread to Hudson's lungs. Dr. Stubbs started to go over our options, but I interrupted and asked how quickly we could get Hudson in for an amputation. The soonest they were able to get him in was June 7.
We spent the weekend before his surgery spoiling Hudson rotten as we alternately dreaded what was coming, then wishing it would come sooner, just to end the excruciating pain that Hudson was in.
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