Hello,

I sure could use some advice. Found out today that Maggie has cancer in her right front leg. Got a second opinion as another vet said it was strained ligaments, but in the last 2 to 3 weeks her leg has swelled up to twice the normal size around her "knee" X-ray showed that bone is kinda of just dissoving. Our vet suggested amputation at the shoulder or putting her down. She is our big ole baby and cannot imagine just putting her down. She is alert and happy all the time except for the pain in her leg. His concern is her weight. She is a mastiff and weighs between 140 & 150. He fears that her good leg would not be able to take the strain. Dang, all she really does is go out and does her business and then lays around the house. Kind of a lazy, mello breed. She is a happy, alert, loving, gentle giant and I want the best for her. The pain isn't fair to her and I am afraid that the cancer will spread if we wait too long to decide what to do. Do you guys think she could get around on 3 legs at her weight and age…she is about 8 years old. I'm sure wanting to give her the chance, but do not want her to suffer. Look forward to some advice…THANK YOU!!

Ben (Neb)

Hi Ben!  Zeus is only 45 pounds, so I cannot help much with the weight question.  However, he is 11 years old and he is doing just fine on three legs!  I will admit that our recovery was a bit longer, I assume because of his "maturity" (and he strained his back a week after the amputation).  About one month in (and finally off most of the pain meds) we finally saw his personality return and now he is doing great.  They really do adapt very quickly.  I know it is a very hard decision to make.  Good luck!

Thank you all for your advice and support. Our family and a few close friends have discussed the options and really there is no option to us. She is getting the leg amputated. She is healthy and strong in every other way and sure does deserve to live and thrive. Even with the pain she is in now, she seems happy. I'm going to call the vet tomorrow and set up a time to speak with him about some of the things I learned from this site. Overnight supervision, blood-pressure monitoring, etc. He is kind of an old timey country vet, so I want to get more of a "feel" for him. Maggie just isn't just another dog. She's OUR baby. I will continue to learn more about all of this, but as far as Maggie…she's got plenty of spirit. She loves life. Again, thank you all so much for the advice and the caring!!

Ben

I must echo Admin's post above.  Several years ago Zeus' brother, Merlin, had surgery with our regular vet for a torn ACL and their requirement was to keep them overnight.  But, they did not have 24 hour service and I refused to leave him (he had already escaped from his cone of shame twice while they were there with him – what would he do when left alone for 12 hours?).  I was adamant that it COULD NOT be better for him to stay at an unattended facility alone overnight when we could be right beside him to keep an eye on him.  They finally relented and let us take him as long as I returned at 7:30 the next morning so they could check him over.

I am certainly not saying that you should bring Maggie home right away, just that you should be prepared to use common sense and follow your instincts when making some of the decisions.  Good luck and keep us posted!!

Got Maggie scheduled for surgery on Tuesday morning. Talk with vet confirmed that we are on the same page. Wish her luck!!

Thank you all!!

Ben