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| - In August of 2015, my cat, Rockie, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor called a fibrosarcoma on his back hind leg by another vet. My family and I were presented with 3 options: euthanasia, leg amputation, or chemotherapy. This other vet was encouraging euthanasia. Albeit Rockie was 12 years old, he still had a glimmer in his eye and a spring in his step; I knew in my heart he was not ready to die.
University Animal Hospital was a godsend; it is open weekends, and I was able to get an appointment quickly for a second opinion, which confirmed the information presented by the first vet. However, the staff notified me they had a competent surgeon on staff, Dr. Koch, who would be able to successfully remove Rockie's leg. Dr. Koch assisted Rockie and my family by amputating his hind leg and leaving clean margins of cancer-free tissue. Dr. Koch followed up with a phone call after the surgery and admonished me that Rockie's cancer could recur in the future. The research I did substantiated Dr. Koch's statement; I read that the amputation could prolong an animal's life from 1-3 years. Rockie recovered and lived an additional 18 months before my family discovered that his cancer had returned. This time the tumors were internal (near his lungs). We lost Rockie this past Valentine's Day 2017. I miss him greatly, but I am grateful that I had those extra 18 months with him. I cherished every moment, and I know Rockie did too. I appreciate everything this vet did for us!
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