Meet Obie! This 13-year-old domestic short hair visited the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital back in July when his primary veterinarian referred him to our Oncology team for a suspected cancerous mass.

Unfortunately, suspicions were confirmed when Obie was diagnosed with a sarcoma on his hind leg. Such tumors have a high recurrence rate, so excising the mass may not be effective, the Oncology team told Obie’s family. Obie’s best option was to start a 3-week radiation treatment on his leg, followed by complete amputation of the limb.

Then began Obie’s treatment protocol. For the next few weeks, Obie spent the weekdays at the hospital, completing his radiation and being monitored by our care team. On the weekends, he was able to return home with his family until coming back the following Monday. Come September, Obie was scheduled for a complete amputation of his right hind leg, the only definitive treatment for his cancer.

Obie’s surgery went smoothly, all things considered. He recovered well, walking shortly after surgery and showing a healthy appetite. But his fight wasn’t over yet. Two weeks after his initial surgery, Obie returned to the hospital with an infection at his incision site. Admitted once again, Obie was treated for his infection and underwent a procedure to reclose the wound. Finally, Obie was ready to again return home to continue his improvement.

“Dr. Christianson has been absolutely amazing during a very stressful time in Obie’s life. Preparing for a leg amputation comes with a lot of anxiety for him and for us as his ‘parents.’ We’ve been treated like a true priority and like Obie is the only animal at the hospital,” said Obie’s mom, Sharon.

Recovering from a leg amputation is no easy feat, but for this older feline, he’s ready to live out the rest of his life with his family, sarcoma-free!