Osteosarcoma Bully needs rest

Let's start from the beginning.

My best friend and I were in the backyard playing.

We've done this a million times.

He went for a high jump with the flirt pole, but when he landed...he landed horribly where he cried and yelled for pain. I will never forget the scream he did.

It was July 26th 2022 to be exact.

Apollo landed doing the splits. Getting up from the initial injury, I noticed he could not move his right hind leg. Completely limbless, so we rushed to our local vet. Where he was handed morphine. Was then recommended to Mississauga and Oakville vet hospital for more testing.

After X-rays, MRIs, testing and 5600$, it was conclusive that my best friend suffered from Fibro-cartilagenous Embolism (to put it in short, when he landed from the jump, his right leg did the splits and hit a spinal nerve sending a signal to his brain that his leg is completely dead).

I was told he wouldn't be able to use the back right leg ever again, that maybe only 20% of dogs get some function back in the leg.

Let's just say, Apollo is a soldier and he proved all the vets wrong. After 3 weeks of hard work and physio therapy. He had gained mobility back in his leg, not 100%, but we were able to go for runs again after a month or 2. Everything was great, I was so happy to have my best friend at almost full capacity.

Fast forward a year to August 10th 2023.

Apollo started to have a massive swollen ball around his ankle. The same leg with the Embolism accident. I was starting to get concerned, he wasn't walking well. So we went to the same Vet from a year prior. X-rays and testing and another 2000$ for them to tell me, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. The swollen ball around his ankle, turned into cancer. The ankle was broken in 2 spots. Torsionally and horizontally. They told me they couldn't save his leg. That the only way to save him was to amputate the leg. Then they hit me with harder news, that my best friend will not only need amputation, but chemo therapy due to the osteosarcoma spreading into his lungs.

They quoted me roughly under 15,000$ for everything. I panicked, and had an anxiety attack. Not only did I feel helpless, but also alone. I didn't have the money, I didn't know what to do. 5000$ for the amputation, 5000$ for chemotherapy and all the other extras...they told me if I were to just cut the leg, he would only have 4-6 months left to live.

I couldn't breathe driving back home. I felt helpless, I felt like I was going to lose my best friend. Till I came across an old friend from highschool who is a veterinarian assistant. I told her my situation, and I forwarded them all my email quotes from the Miss/Oakville vet hospital.

They were HEAVEN SENT. We amputated his leg, X-rayd his chest to check if the cancer has spread into the lungs. All under 4000$.

I took a risk not doing the chemotherapy and it paid off. A year and 3 months later...and here we are. Not only has Apollo beaten all odds the vets told him he wouldn't....he did. He surpassed all expectations. After the amputation, it was a rough couple months to try and get him in the groove of things. But wow was I amazed. He's a literal soldier.

It is now the end of September 2024. And my best friend hasn't been doing so good. We bought him a stroller for walks, we bought him a walkin'pets wheelchair to help with the back leg. But nothing was working. He's been getting weaker by the day, and in a lot of pain in his lower back. A couple nights ago, I was woken up from screaming and yelling in pain from Apollo, it was traumatizing. I never want to hear him in that kind of pain again. He's currently on pain meds, and CBD and antibiotics and anti inflammatories. But he's not getting any better. My last chance of giving him extra life is going to a chiropractor but I'm scared he won't make it past another day.

I was never one to ask for help, never the type to put my story to the public, but here I am. Asking for any kind of help. Even if it's just advice. My best friend means the world to me, but it seems as though our time together has come to an end. I don't want to see him in pain anymore, and he's tired. He's exhausted. The look in his eyes when he looks up at me, is telling me it's time to let him go. He's been my rock, my savior, my everything, my whole world. I just want to see him pain free and there's only 1 way to get him living a pain free life. This isn't a lifestyle I wish upon nobody, but it's something I will never regret doing my upmost best to keep him running.