Meet Uma. She's a four-year-old sweet, funny, lovable, and beautiful Great Dane. And one of the many dogs with cancer. Uma's story hits close to home for me because my dog, Avery has had cancer for 3 years now. Initially we did radiation and chemotherapy becuase the mass cell tumor had metatstsized, but now we keep it at bay by removng her lumps when they pop up (now that we know what to look for, catching them early is the best plan). We hope to give her as many years to lay in the sun and go on walks as we can.
So when my friend Jeiran told me they found osteocarcenoma in Uma's leg, I understood the pain and worry. Because of how aggressive osteocarcinoma is in dogs, the veterinary oncologist highly recommended taking Uma's leg off. A desision I know was not an easy one for my friend and her husband. Having gone through everything with Avery's Cancer and fighting to save Simon on many occasions, these are the decisions that make pet ownership so hard. Playing God, I call it.
So, after thinkng about it and being advised by the vets that dogs adjust very well to only three legs, Uma's cancer leg was removed. I saw her a week or so after and was really encouraged by how well she seemed to be getting the hang of it–she wasn't all the way there, but she was getting there!
And now, a month or so later (and pictured here in this post) she seems to have it down as beautifully and gracefully as ever. Admirable, don't you think?
