Logan was abit restless last night. Not sure if he was just abit hot, or it was something else. It's hard to know if his panting is heat related or pain related. He seemed fine this morning, although he hasn't really been drinking or peeing much.

Have noticed he seems abit itchy. It could just be general itchiness, although I have read that some dogs get itchy when they have fish oil. Another thing to keep an eye on I think.

Doing this in the wrong order, but adding more as I think of it. (and not sure how to rearrange posts and change dates)

Logans lump is on his left hand side, just behind his elbow, and extends into his armpit. From xrays, it rests against his heart, so has the potential if it grows too much, of interfering with his heart.

I found out late last year that his father died of cancer, although I am not sure what type. I did email the breeder to let her know, but haven't had any reply. So perhaps there is a genetic predisposition there, although I read somewhere that 50% of dogs 10 and over get some form of cancer. Logan turned 10 in January this year.

I'm currently trying to upload photo's somewhere, possibly webshots. I have alot taken of the wound at various stages, although they all look pretty much the same and it's hard to show just how big the lump is.

Before he had his opearation, he had been on a low cal diet for about a month, as he weighed about 37kg, and the average for his breed and sex is between 27 and 32 I think. He got down to 34.7 before his op, but since diagnosis I have changed him to a low carb diet, as that seems to be what most of the cancer mailing lists suggest. Apparently tumours feed on carbs and sugars.

He's having a mixture of steamed broccoli, fresh mince meat,and brown rice. I generally give him about a cup and a half of this mixture, with 2 fish oil capsules and about 2 tblsp of cottage cheese. Whatever he doesn't eat at night, he has in the morning for breakfast.

He also has his metacam once a day, which I think is the standard maintenance dose for a 34kg dog. So far so good!

Logan got his stitches and drain out today after 14 days! I've been looking forward to this day thinking I could finally remove all of the newspaper from the lounge floor. Nope! The nurse told me it will continue to drain for a few days until the drain holes heal. It is also leaking thicker "sludgier" stuff, rather than the blood it had been dripping. So I'm spending most of the day following him round with toilet paper to mop him up when he moves!

I'm not sure whether the lump has grown or not. Part of me thinks (hopes) it hasn't, but another part thinks it looks alot bigger. I did read somewhere about putting a piece of paper over the lump and drawing around it. That way you can keep track of any expansion. Thats assuming of course that it grows out rather than in! It also can't tell you if the cancer is mestasizing.

I will continue to keep an eye on him for any change that could indicate the cancer has spread. (vet mentioned trouble breathing, loss of apetite)

Logan was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma on the 9th March 2006. He had initially had a fine needle aspiration done about 2 weeks earlier, which came back as a benign lump. The vet had put the needle in 4 different places on the lump, to get a good sample. He'd also had xrays and blood tests. Both had come back fine, although the CBC test had been too clotted to read.

On the 3rd of March I decided to have the lump removed, as it was interfering with his front leg action and causing abit of pain. (he had been on Rimadyl for the previous 10 days and the change in him was remarkable!)

The vet rang during the operation with the bad news that the lump was the size of a baseball, and couldn't be removed. It was also growing between his ribs. The vet could insert his index finger through it and it only just came out the other side. I was given the option of putting him to sleep right then, or having him stitched up, and bought home again. I must admit, I did think about it for a few seconds, but decided I couldn't do it. At that stage we didn't know what it was. They sent a biopsy sample away, and Logan came home with 12 stitches down his side, and a drain in.

The lounge quickly became a hospital room for him. It was difficult keeping him from scratching his stitches and drain out. Luckily he could'nt reach it with his tongue. I eventually bought a childs pvc apron that I tied across his side for when he had to be left unattended. And I also bandaged his left back foot. That way, even if he did scratch, it meant he couldn't do too much damage.

On the 9th of March the vet rang with the biopsy results which were not good. Basically the only option we have is to keep him pain free for as long as possible. He was put on metacam immediately after the operation, and will stay on it as long as it works.

I searched the internet for any info on this type of cancer. It is a type of bone cancer which affects the cartilage, and from what I have read it isn't that common. The few cases I found online had been treated by removal of the lump and chemo/radiation. There also doesn't seem to be much info about length of life expectancy. So basically we have to play it by ear and take it day by day.