Second Opinion is a Sad One

We took Brutus to another vet today. Our previous vet recommended amputating his toe. An x-ray revealed bone loss in one of the toes on his sore foot. The vet was unsure whether or not it was a bone infection or cancer, but said that amputation was the easiest way to deal with it. My "old man" Brutus will be 12 in July, and I was not eager to put him through surgery at his age.

The new vet took a look at him today. Brutus' toe has really gotten much bigger and during the intial exam today, the new vet discovered an enlarged lymph node higher up on his leg. He is going to treat with a two-week course of a very strong antibiotic in the off-chance that this is an infection in the bone. However, this vet feels very sure that this is cancer, and that it's not confined to the toe and has already spread. This is very sad news, but at least I know now that amputation is not an option and we'll choose to treat him with painkillers once his antibiotic course is finished. Who knows, he may respond to the antibiotic, proving this to be just an infection.

If it isn't, I will be sad to lose Brutus. He is a sweet and gentle soul. But we want to make his remaining time as comfortable as possible for him. For now, he seems to be in pretty good shape and enjoying life.