Hello Jo and Egan, welcome. Your future posts won't need approval, so you're good to go, post away!

I'm sorry about the diagnosis. Osteosarcoma is a shock but as you've seen here, it doesn't need to be a death sentence. At seven years old, Egan should have a lot of spunk left in him! Does he have any other health conditions that make your vets think he wouldn't do good on three legs? Is he overweight? Any neurological issues? Generally a 7 year old dog would be a great candidate.

And why do they want to do a hemipelvectomy when the tumor is all the way down his leg?

This is a procedure that removes half of the pelvis bone. Yes, search the forums for hemipelvectomy and you'll see many members with dogs who have gone through it. But are you sure you're thinking of the same thing? That procedure seems mighty excessive and usually only done when the tumor is so high up the leg, or very invasive into other tissues (generally the hip area) that getting a complete removal isn't possible without a hemipelvectomy. But for osteosarcoma tumors located so far down the leg, usually a general amputation is what's done. This is the most common procedure for osteosarcoma.

If your vets insist he's not a good candidate for amputation surgery, it's time to get another opinion at a different clinic. Can I ask where you are located? Yes, vet clinics are slammed these days but most will push up the surgery date when osteosarcoma is involved. Or at least put you on a cancellation list. This cancer is an aggressive, incredibly painful condition. Is he on any pain management ? If not, he needs to be. Even if he doesn't appear to be in pain, if it's osteosarcoma, I guarantee he is (in my non-vet opinion, that is!). If you'd like us to find an orthopedic vet or oncology clinic for you, please let us know. 

Dawna thank you so much! You are such a sweetheart for offering your experience and support! Hope that you, Tuxedo and Lilly are doing well!