Moose is a 6-year-old, big, white German shepherd who was diagnosed with bone cancer this summer. Before we (the Gordo Family) found out, Moose was a loud, clumsy, and happy dog. He was always playing and running around the yard, barking at whatever nonsense he saw or heard.

It was mid-June when we noticed he had a large lump on his right front leg and was limping. We thought it was a splinter or a cut, but we couldn’t find anything. We ended up taking him to the vet to be examined, and they concluded that he had bone cancer in that leg. You could tell that he was in a lot of pain and losing his energy, so we contacted UC Davis since they have an oncology department for animals. They accepted his case and gave us a few different options on how to resolve it. We ultimately decided to fully amputate the leg to get rid of the cancer.

It was about mid-July when he had the surgery and stayed at the vet for a few days. Once he got home, he had to take pain medicine and wear a cone for several weeks while his incision healed. At first, he was very slow, tired, and mopey, and he needed time to adjust and find his balance. We gave him lots of love and space to ensure that he was getting comfortable with himself, even if that meant sneaking onto the couch.

Now that he has healed and adjusted to his new life, he is back to being the fun and happy dog that he always was. He is able to walk, jump, run at full speed, and even still gives “paw” if he’s playful enough. Moose will continue to go back to UC Davis for checkups and testing every six weeks to make sure the cancer doesn’t come back. So far, his tests have come back clear, and he is on the road to living a long and healthy life.