Aw, Forrest, so sorry about Aspen's diagnosis. Cancer really, really sucks. I don't envy you having to make such a tough decision. As Hopalong Harley says, there are simply so many options and no guarantees and of course then there's the financial resources too.

Catie, our 6 year old Golden, lost her front foreleg on January 13 to osteosarcoma. Never in my life would I have imagined 1) I would ever find myself in a position where I had to make such an awful, heartbreaking decision; 2) that everything would cost so much; 3) that I wouldn't regret anything. There are no guarantees for sure but I do know that the amputation got rid of what must have been tremendous pain from the tumor and she's still with us and it's lovely.

I know how hard this is and I wish you the best of luck. 

Hi Forrest!  Sorry to hear about Aspen, but as you can already tell, this is a GREAT place for advice and support.  We are so programmed to think of our time with our dogs in terms of years, but this forces you to change your whole outlook on life.  It really isn't about quantity at all...one happy day is worth a million.  We went ahead with amputation and chemotherapy.  We were scheduled for 6 treatments but stopped at 4...partly for money issues, but partly because I felt that I wanted Jack to just be a normal dog, to not get poked every 3 weeks, to not have his heart damaged a little every time because of his protocol (adriamycin).  We will celebrate one year on June 3.  Last year, a year was hardly any time at all, I couldn't imagine only having 1 year left with Jack, but now...this past year has felt like 10, simply because we are living life to the fullest.  Your thoughts may change as you go throughout this journey, but the one thing that remains the same is the love and support you and your family offer Aspen.  Feel good about the treatment you choose, because if you do something you don't feel comfortable with, you'll be questioning yourself quite a bit.  Our dogs tend to feed off of our emotions, so be positive, stay calm, and give lots of treats (YUM!!!).  Best of luck with your decisions!!!

<3 Laura and Jack

Hi Forrest and Aspen-

Our Calpurnia was diagnosed at the age of 12 with a grade II soft tissue sarcoma in her front leg.  We know how agonizing it is to worry about what to do with an older dog.  We first tried a chemo regime with Cali, and she tolerated it reasonably well.  However the tumor continued to grow and started to rupture through the skin.  It was quite painful, so we were faced with amputation or euthanasia.  Cali seemed to have fight and life left to live, so we did, as you are, chest xrays and determined that her lungs looked reasonable clear.  The amputation went smoothly and now here it is 2.5 years later and Calpurnia is a happy, highly active, totally deaf, 14-year old bouncing around with the rest of the hoodlums.  

If I can answer any questions, feel free to shoot them my way.  I think you can probably search "Calpurnia" on the Tripawds site and read more about her story and our experience with her amputation.  My understanding is that a rear leg is a little easier because there is less weight on it.  If Aspen is otherwise healthy and you can keep her active and trim, I'd say she has a good chance at having a good quality of life after amputation.

Best of luck!