[mpp33]

I appreciate all of your comments so much! I've definitely felt like a wreck this week, but having my feelings validated by you guys greatly helps.

I actually did have an account on this forum years and years ago, probably even before I got Baxter. I don't think I have access to the same email address, so I just created a new login. I have peeked in periodically in the forums over the past few years, but just as an observer.

I'm not sure how I'm going to approach the issue with the first vet. He actually goes to Doggie Daycare at that first vet's office and I really like that particular service they provide. They're the only ones in town that provide an active Day Care where he is taken outside multiple times and gets to play with other dogs the whole time.

And yes, they are still working on the biopsy and they haven't officially diagnosed the type of cancer yet. The vet did say that there are cancerous cells and that the pathologist would determine the type. As of today, the vet says that the with the cells in the sample that they took, they were able to rule out 3 (or 4, I don't remember) types of tumors. They said there there is tumor activity in the tissue and they would need a bigger sample to make a diagnosis. The vet said that they only took a sample from one location, but that it is still possible that there are other pockets of cells from the other types of tumors.

Basically, he said that they didn't feel comfortable taking a bigger sample yet, because they would have to take a large portion of his toe and they might as well take the whole toe if they wanted to go that route. He says that the pathologists recommendations were to keep him on anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory medication for the next week and then let the vet look at it then. He did say to check on it in the morning and at night and call him if I notice any changes at all. He said amputation may be premature since we don't know what type of tumor it is.

So that's good news. It's in the early stages and the vet and pathologist feel like it's treatable. We're not out of the woods yet, but I feel better that they didn't come back and say it was the worst case scenario!