Hi Charlie and family, welcome. Your future posts won't need approval so post away. 

I'm sorry you're faced with this tough situation. Amputation is never an easy choice and it's especially hard when a senior dog is affected. And of course money plays an issue for everyone so don't feel badly about that, we understand completely.

My dog Charlie was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma of the right rear leg back in late 2019, and had surgery in March, 2020. 

So, I'm a little confused about the type of cancer. You said he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2019 and had surgery. What kind of surgery did he have? About the only surgeries I know of where the limb was left after an osteosarcoma diagnosis, are limb sparing and radiation therapy / cyberknife.

The vet told me that having another surgery wouldn’t really do any good because of where it is – on the ankle and not a lot of skin to reclose after surgery.  

Going back to the present diagnosis, are you sure it's not another type of cancer? Osteosarcoma tumors in the bone are not typically resected (cut out) the way you described it above. Is it a subcutaneous ostesoarcoma tumor (embedded in the skin?)?

When these surgeries are done, do dogs tend to have complications or not?

Usually dogs do fine. As with any surgery there is a chance of complications like infection or a blood vessel that didn't get closed. They don't happen with every canine amputee, but it's a possibility. I've only rarely seen dogs needing to go back into a hospital because of complications. As long as you choose a great clinic (which it sounds like you have, since you mentioned you are working with a specialist), everything should go smoothly.

 I figure mine may be on pain meds for the rest of his life, due to the arthritis. 

Possibly. A canine rehab therapist can help you with his pain management needs. The Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit so don't let the idea of another specialist overwhelm you.

Also, it’s a rear leg amputation – he won’t be able to run around like he used to, and I worry about him climbing stairs – I live on the second floor of an apartment complex.

Rear or front, all Tripawds have certain challenges that can compromise their mobility. But overall, most adapt and overcome, going on to have excellent quality of life. Check out our Quality of Life Surveyto see what pet parents thought about the amputation decision.

As for stairs, that's what a Ruffwear Flagline or Webmaster harness is for! It makes it super simple to assist a dog going up and down stairs.

Now, I won't guarantee that things will be easy at first, or that he won't have mobility challenges. Senior dogs are a special concern, but we've seen many of them do very well here. What is Charlie's breed type? At 15 pounds he probably still has a lot of living to do and with his size, should do pretty darn well on three legs. Your vet wouldn't recommend amputation otherwise. And while everyone doubts their decision to amputate during those first few weeks of recovery, 99% of Tripawd parents were glad they did it so their pet could go on to live a pain-free, happy life on 3.

I hope this helps! Stay tuned for feedback from others.

Hmm...it's just so weird because it's soft tissue tumors that typically described as octopus arms. Regardless, I'm glad you're going to an oncologist now.

There are no stupid questions here, I promise. Ask whatever you want. You'll be surprised at how dogs figure out how to go to the bathroom, but they really do. Your vet won't let your dog go home until he does, and that usually happens in the first 24 hours.