I was in similar shoes six days ago. My dog Sampson is a large breed (akita x) who has arthritis (troublesome) and mild dysplasia in his hips. He also is hypothyroid, has an autoimmune disorder that made him lose his hair and be prone to skin issues, and has invasive lipomas (one in his hamstring which add to our back leg issues). He is almost 13.

For me, it would be a no brainer...as I have had him since I was 23 years old. DH, otoh, is a little more..."old school" in his thinking. And, we have four cats (one of whom also has a chronic, terminal illness that set us back a  couple grand already this year) and another dog. So...lots of vet bills, even in a good year. I had to take that into account.

At his diagnosis, the lysis was so advanced in the front leg, that the vet basically said...amputate now, or put him down (or wait until he has a traumatic fracture, which, honestly, could have happened at any second). We chose amputation (about $750), and no chemo (although there were studies at the U we could have gotten in to). We are considering metronomics .

Bone cancer is horribly horribly horribly painful. Meds don't really touch the pain.

Everyone's decision is different, there is no right or wrong answer. But with OSA, the only way to really get rid of the pain is to amputate, or let them go (esp. if they are shoing signs of discomfort, b/c by then they are REALLY in pain).

For me, and even my very practical husband, in the end, amputation was an easy choice. But that is our decsion--you have to decide what is right for you.

fetchon3 said
All those issues, for the simple sake of her life, are too important to ignore.  If your pack cannot help her through recovery, amputation may be too cruel...  It's noted that OSA in older pups moves less quickly, so it's possible that amputation alone *may* give her the months everyone wants/hopes!  The same can't really said for a pup diagnosed with OSA at age 2 or 3...

~ Katy

The age thing is one of the reasons it made our choice relatively simple--Given Sam's age and size and breed, seeing 14 or 15, while not IMPOSSIBLE, was highly unlikely. But at almost 13, he was still enjoying life (albeit in his low-key, yet slightly neurotic way).

Doing chemo would be very pricey, and stressful given his temperment. Even the study--while less expensive would have been VERY stressful for him, for a variety of reasons. Chemo would net us (likely scenario) 6-12 months at most.

No chemo and amp alone, we could go 2-6 months (most likely odds)...and low-stress. And it was cheap. Even the metronomic protocol would be relatively inexpensive should we go that way (we are already on piroxicam).

So for the extra thousands of dollars, and a stress-inducing experience, our chance of a gain would be small. Again, it made it easy. Lung mets or more other bony tunors also woudl have made it easy (relatively speaking, I mean).

In a way, I am very glad I didn't have to make this decsion at 6 or 7 or even 9 or 10.

I'm so sorry you have to make this decision.  I adopted Willow after her amputation, so her amputation wasn't my decision to make, but I have had to make other difficult decisions with beloved dogs in the past.  Even though I made the decision out of love and in the best interest of my dog, I have always wondered after the fact if my decision was the right one.  So, maybe there isn't a "correct" decision. 

If she is in pain that will alter her outlook and how she behaves.  If she isn't on meds, maybe you can get her on some pain meds and see how she does for a few days.  That may help you with your decision. 

People here will tell you how great dogs do on 3 legs, and that's true.  They will also tell you that it's a major surgery, that the recovery can be rough, and that it is a huge commitment on the owner's part to help their pet through the recovery.   There are no guarantees, there are never guarantees in life.  There is no way to know what Beamer's recovery will be like and how long she will live after amputation.  Will you be upset with yourself if you don't try the ampuation and see how she does?  Or, maybe even worse, will you be upset with your wife because you feel pressure from her to not choose amputation?  It wouldn't be healthy for your marriage if you end up blaming your wife.  If you choose amputation, are you prepared to help Beamer though her recovery?   You love Beamer so much, so make your decision based on your love for her.  And whatever you decide, you can be sure that Beamer knows that you love her. 

Carol

One thing I would add, if you are considering palliative care...most vets (and probably doctors and people who've had it) would agree that when it comes to bone cancer, the best drugs still don't take the pain away--certainly not if the individual taking them is staying reasonably coherent.

So, and I sound like a bossy, pushy, proselytizing harpy, I'm sure...but if you want palliative care, consider amputation, at least. Or don't let her linger. YOU may "not be in a hurry at this point to do anything", but it is probably very, very painful for her. And, beside that...esp. if they tumor is large and visible, that bone could shatter at any time. That, for me, was the worst thought. I couldn't have handled that--and it would have been horribly ugly for the dog.

And while he didn't say it in these exact words, more or less, our vet boiled it down to "whether you choose chemo or radiation or any of that or not later, make your decision now to take the leg off, or put him down. B/c if you DON'T, the alternative could be heartbreaking and traumatic."

It's a tough place to be in, absolutely. And I can't tell you which option is right for your family--but putting off a choice IS a choice, and in the end, there is a very real chance that it's one without a happy--or even peaceful--ending.

I have to agree with mmrocker above- if she shatters that bone, which can be absurdly easy to do when it's severely compromised by the tumor, the result is catastrophic and you do NOT want to have to go through that. Sorry to be so graphic, but this will likely not be a quiet, "the dog started limping badly" kind of break.