My dog had cancer. Why is he limping with a brown patch on his leg?

Oh no, I'm so sorry Harvey has taken a turn for the worse! Yes, it is possible that this is cancer, and if he has a swollen front leg and can bare little weight, I would be concerned that he is suffering from osteosarcoma (cancer of the bone). I would have him seen by a vet immediately to have his leg examined and x-rays. This will be very painful for him, and the x-rays can diagnose if he does have an osteosarcoma. Unfortunately, an osteosarcoma is a highly malignant, fast spreading type of cancer. Amputation of the leg is an option, and with amputation, the dog can have an addition three months of life depending on if the cancer has spread or not. I would take Harvey into a vet now. I'm sorry :-(

Poor Alfie! It sounds like he has a chronic problem. This could be related to an abnormality within the bone structure of his lower back, or hips. Sometimes an issue like hip dysplasia or a pinched nerve can show up like this. It would be less common, but an injury to his cruciate ligaments could also present this way. The only way to know will be to have Alfie visit his veterinarian. The doctor will palpate all his legs to determine the cause. The doctor may also need radiographs to look for changes to the bone. Until you get him into the veterinarian, he needs strict rest, so no walks, no running, no playing and try to keep stairs to a minimum. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would make sure his pain is adequately controlled and the margins of the biopsy were clean. You may want to have x-rays performed to ensure there is no abnormality to the underlying bone or joints.

The growths you are seeing on Pico can be unrelated to the lameness. It is not uncommon for older dogs to get arthritis similar to humans. They make several classes of medication to help with pain in older animals. It is worth consulting your vet to see which Pico is a candidate for to extend his quality of life.

Osteosarcoma can’t be totally diagnosed by an X-ray, and this doesn’t look definitive to me. I recommend taking him to an orthopedic specialist for a second opinion, and they can take another X-ray to compare with this. If it’s bone cancer the moth eaten area will probably be larger or more defined. They can also do a bone biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. He could be lame from a shoulder problem, or even pain radiating down his leg from a disc in his neck. Hopefully he is on pain medication. In my opinion the next step to be sure of the diagnosis would be to get an exam with a specialist. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Riot.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The fact that these biopsies have come back inconclusive does not mean that this is not cancer. Unfortunately, this is very likely an aggressive form of cancer. After seeing these images, my main concern is that this is possibly a tumor arising from one of the ribs or sternebrae such as osteosarcoma for instance. In one of the images I see that there is likely pulmonary nodules which are most likely due to metastasis or spread of this cancer. It is hard for me to advice further without being able to look at more images or know more about the case. I would encourage you to check in again with them as another biopsy could be performed. Also, if there is truly already signs of metastasis, the treatment options and prognosis are also limited. I would mention to them the possibility of being referred to a veterinary oncologist who can look at the case with more details and advice further. I really hope they can help you and your boy!

Hi there. A close up picture (or even better several) of your dog st different angles would help us to get a better idea of what you're dealing with. While cancer has to be diagnosed in person in a clinic with several types of diagnostic testing-Lucky could just have fatty tumors which are usually benign until they grow so large they press on a nerve, etc. We would need a bit more information before we could help you more accurately. Hope this helps! Resubmit if you have more information to provide.