[Dailydrool] Merlin

[Linda H]

My baby boy, Merlin, has a large mass on his leg. It is on his back leg, by the knee. It feels like muscle. A biopsy was done, and the tentative diagnosis is hemangiopericytoma. Heck of a long name for "cancerous blob". Good news is that it rarely metastasizes (sp??). It tends to happen on legs, spreading by tendrils around blood vessels, nerves and bones. X-rays show that the joint is NOT involved. (The vet had to x-ray the opposite leg to make sure that is what the joint is supposed to look like!  Gotta love our bassets!)

Anyway, the recommended course of treatment is to remove it, as much as possible. It usually comes back. On a young dog, radiation is recommended after that, at an exorbitant cost, with hospitalization required and full anesthesia for each treatment. Merlin is 10 years old, and has arthritis. I will not even consider radiation for him.

Now for my question. Has anyone had any experience with this? I found lots of good info on the web, despite my first attempt at spelling it (thank you, Google, for knowing the correct spelling)?

Linda and Merlin

BTW, it is fast growing but does not hinder him at all right now. Or hurt. It is a bit tender to palpation.

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