Hello, I'm new here and would really appreciate any help to get thoughts and options in order please.

I have a 3.5 year old Rottweiler bitch called Sunny. She had arthroscopy surgery to remove FCP fragments from both elbows at 7 months old, recovered really well and had a good couple of years. In the last 9 months however she has gone downhill and has really been struggling on the right elbow. A CT scan in February showed that she has lost significant cartilage and is down to bone on bone with kissing lesions. Her left elbow is in a much better state, although is showing signs of arthritis.

She has been on rapidly increasing cocktail of pain relief just this year, which is now Galliprant, Amantadine, Gabapentin and Paracetamol, but these are not adequate. Exercise is now down to 5 to 10 minute slow lead walks and anything else rapidly exacerbates her lameness. She has daily PEMF and laser treatment, physio exercises (which have been pared down as most are too painful for her), underwater treadmill sessions, household modifications to keep her safe. All activity is carefully managed even a short trot makes her sore. She is a very lean weight. Basically I am doing all the right things and everything in my power to help her and she is fading before my eyes.

I have just sent a very long email to her surgeon asking for help which he has yet to reply to, but her options now are extremely limited. Total elbow replacement surgery is hugely expensive and has a high failure rate. I have been told repeatedly that the technology and methods are just not there yet as it is such a complicated joint. They only consider it as a last resort salvage surgery when all medical and treatment options have been exhausted. Elbow fusion is an option, however from what I understand most surgeons are now turning away from this. Lastly, amputation is a possibility, however due to arthritis in her 'good' elbow I am pretty sure I will be persuaded against this.

I would like to consider the full picture though, so have been scouring this forum for similar stories. On the face of it, amputation seems like instant pain removal for her current predicament and I am currently doing ALL of the things to help her anyway, but I have to consider how she would cope long term. Hoping that you kind people can input your thoughts on this please?

Thank you.