Hey everyone! My name is Tamara and my family of three teenagers, my husband and I are here seeking insight and possibly recommendations. We recently brought a new puppy into our home. His name is Walker (trust me the irony is not lost on us at all at this point). He is a Rhodesian Ridgeback and is about 4 1/2 months old. We also have another Rhodesian who is 7 1/2 years old named Quincy. Around a month ago Walker began limping and after three different Veternarians and an Orthopedic Specialist we discovered our puppy has a malformed shoulder. It is his front left leg. We are left trying to decide between a shoulder fusion or amputation. Either way we can't do much until he finishes growing a bit more. The good news we have a couple of months to hopefully decide as long as his leg doesn't atrophy too much as he is growing, in which case the decision is made for us and an amputation would be the only option as a shoulder fusion would require enough muscle tone to support the fused shoulder joint.

I am slowly learning about all these options as we were completely unprepared to consider any of this when we brought him into our home. We thought he was perfectly healthy, so feeling very overwhelmed with decisions. Has anyone here ever had to face this type of decision? What are some thoughts that you would have for us. If you have experienced a shoulder fusion prior to an amputation that would be helpful to hear as well. The specialist was clearly the right person to discuss the diagnosis with, however it was all over the phone from a parking lot. Our 1.5 hour drive home was filled with more questions than answers as I began processing all of the information. 

We want to do everything we can for this sweet pup but also know that financially that there are limitations to what we can do as well. Thank you for helping me find someplace to feel less alone in navigating this overwhelming situation.