Hi Karleigh and Daphne, welcome. I hope you don't mind I moved your post here but this is a good spot for situations like you're in. As you can see, you're not alone. I'm so sorry you're dealing with the amputation possibility though, I know it's scary.

It sounds like your vet thinks Daphne is a good candidate for surgery? If so that's great. Yes, Tripawds should be thinner than dogs of their same size/breed and it's pretty easy for them to lose weight, so don't worry about that. Most dogs won't eat a whole lot the first couple of weeks after surgery so it's a good time for weight loss to begin.

Have you seen Jerry's Required Reading List or the Tripawds e-books yet? You'll find lots of fantastic information there to put your mind at ease. Rest assured, most dogs do fine after surgery. The biggest obstacle is usually the one that we humans place in our minds. Our dogs just go on with life, they just want to feel better. So, the stronger more pawsitive attitude you project to Daphne, the less of an ordeal this all will be if you decide it's the right decision for her.

On and speaking of, there are no right or wrong decisions, just the best one for Daphne. And please don't feel badly that money is a consideration--it is for every single one of us here too. We can all relate.

Thanks again for joining. Stay tuned, others will chime in.