My limping 8 year old boy...

GONTY -- Sorry it took awhile to get back to you, I was away during the weekend. It wasn't my intention to scare you, just give a "heads up" about the possibility of bone cancer. I'm rooting for you and your buddy, and pray that it's a simple matter that can be easily cleared up. Good Luck.

UPDATE: My Flat Coated Retriever DOES NOT HAVE CANCER!!!!!!!!! I brought him to the D.M.V., (a doggy hospital filled w/ specialists...), and they found that he has a ripped tendon that holds the femur bone and the fibula and tibia bone together. This tendon is inside the bones, not on the outside...so he has to undergo invasive surgery on Thursday, Nov. 30th/06. They will perform a surgery called a T.P.L.O., (Tibial Plateau Levelng Osteotomy). You can google it under, "canine T.P.L.O.). It's going to save his quality of life. It has a 99.9% success rate! He's too young to be put down just because he's becoming increasingly lame, when a surgery which will put him back to normal within 2 months is the clear answer. It's quite costly...but the alternative is that he goes to doggy heaven at almost 9 years of age. What would you do? Anyhow, this is the happy ending. Thank you all for your concern and advice/help. xoxooxoxxooxoxoxoxoxoxox

Great news, gonty! I'd do exactly as you are doing. You need to know that the next few months will not be easy. I'm sure you've figured that out with the research you've done, but you are dong the right thing.