Murphy's tumor was in the bone, so we really weren't given any other options - it was actually eating away at the bone, and on the side view, you could see that some of the bone was missing.  If we had waited, Murphy's leg would have broken.  Murphy was perfectly healthy except for being in pain, so we couldn't rationalize putting him to sleep for that.  We felt that we needed to give him a chance to live more life.  So far he has lived 3 1/2 years since his surgery.  We have absolutely no regrets at all. 

I agree, you could always get a second opinion.  That never hurts.  You can take your x-rays with you and they can review them and do an exam.  Most experienced vets can tell by x-ray what cancer looks like.  Some want to do biopsies.  Murphy had a biopsy of his leg - it's a painful procedure and often comes back inconclusive.  And honestly, if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't do that again.  I would just skip that and let them biopsy it afterwards.  It didn't change the treatment, it put him in more pain, cost more money and just postponed the inevitable.

Donna

So very glad you are now past the big decision and Arni has come through it and will be home tomorrow.  There is lots of good info on preparing for his homecoming.  My best recommendation is really talk to your vet about the pain management plan.  What are you coming home with for meds and what is the schedule.  Think of it as a starting point as, with your vet's input of course, you can usually tweak the dosage or frequency and sometimes even add in another med if Arni seems uncomfortable.

Best thoughts!

mcarvalh said
Arni came home today! First few hours were quite whiny, but once I got some Tramadol in him, he was resting more comfortably. Vet said he didnt need more, but I opted for his comfort over pain med caution.

He walked out of the vets office on his own three legs! oO Went outside twice, peed once. Ridiculous! 🙂

Thanks for all your messages of support and advice. Yesterday I was kind of a wreck - second guessing the decision, I suppose). Today, now that the surgery is done and he is home, I am less of a wreck.

He does have a new nickname though: "My Little Tripaw Stinker".

pics to follow  

So, so pleased for you he is home.  And I say, follow your instincts on pain management - consult with your vet if you think you need to change up dosage or if Tramadol seems insufficient - some doctors are conservative, but many others see this as major surgery and that pain serves no purpose.  If you read around this site, you'll see many of our dogs had 3 different pain meds in different modalities to approach pain different ways.  Speak up for Arni if you need to!!

Hooray, for the Little Tripaw Stinker!

Hello - glad you have found an article on phantom limb pain. Remember also that his system is still impacted by the anesthesia and some dogs are whiny after that.  But I would definitely ask about Gabapentin which addresses nerve pain so it would be a different modality to address the pain from what Arni is currently taking and is thought to be very effective with phantom limb pain.  Many of our amputees had a combo of Tramadol, Rimadyl and Gabapentin post surgery.