Hi Heather,

Welcome to the site!  I can give you a perspective from a giant breed point of view.  Fergus, my Irish Wolfhound, was 130 pounds prior to his rear amp due to OSA.  I think the main difference for a giant breed is the amount of assistance you can offer and the amount of strain put on the incision.  As I have posted in other giant breed queries, you can't just lift them up and carry them, you need to be a little more creative!  We found using a beach towel as a sling was the best.  The split cloth grocery bags just weren't large enough.   I also constructed a ramp to help Fergus get on and off the back deck.  The pre-made ramps at the pet store were not wide enough for him to feel comfortable.  Mine was 4 feet wide by 11 feet long and I bought all of the supplies at Home Depot...pretty easy to construct.  Feel free to PM if you want some guidance.  Fergus' recovery was longer then average which I believe was due to the amount of pressure put on the incision.  Having 130 pounds hopping around and learning a new gait can put strain on the wound.  So, it just took longer including a second surgery to re-close the incision.

Fergus was in one snow storm of about 5 inches.  He did very well in the snow.  The ice was a different story.  I bought the pet safe ice melt and carried the sling with me whenever he went outside with ice.

Fergus was on a carboplatin regime.  The only side effects we noticed was he was a little more picky when eating.  Keep in mind, which I am sure you already know, for 48 hours post chemo, you need to dilute his urine in the yard with a bucket of water.  The urine can be toxic to his pack mates.

Eventually, he was getting around really well.  His IW brother Shamus adjusted to Fergus's limitations.  Eventually, they were running around the yard again.  They no longer slammed into eachother, but he had a great time.  I think packmates can see eachothers limitations and adjust accordingly.  They are extremely sensitve.  When Fergus developed OSA in a second limb, I believe Shamus was the first to know.  He became more protective of Fergus (who was the alpha).  He was sleeping next to him most of the time.  Dogs are truly incredible.

Good luck as you begin your journey and this site will be able to help you along the way,

Tara & Spirit Fergus

Glad to hear Jazz's surgery went well and she's back home with you.  Stairs is the only way into my house, too.  Doesn't matter which door, they all have stairs.  Daisy did just fine when she came home the day after her surgery.  I took someone with me because I thought I was going to have to carry her (I didn't really know what to expect).  She hopped right up the stairs and into the house like she had always done it with three legs.  I think maybe it's because she had basically quit using her leg anyway because of the pain so she adapted quickly.

Best of luck with the recovery!

Marla and Daisy