Hi Paul and Caroline, welcome! Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.

I'm sorry you got the diagnosis. Sounds like you have a good attitude about everything, and that goes a lonnnng way to help Caroline have a good recovery.

So (if you’re still reading lol) my question is:

Have some of you folks had dogs with leg cancer that didn’t show a noticeable limp or pain?

Of course we are still reading! I know it's a shock to get that news, especially when your dog is not showing any pain signals . With 2 vets saying it's cancer, it's 99.9999% certain that's what you're dealing with. Did you ask them your question? If so, what did they say?

The thing is, dogs are masters at hiding pain (cats are even better at it). As humans we are so obvious about showing pain but not them. Animals will do anything they can to hide they are hurting. By the time they do show they hurt, that pain is really advanced and the cancer is advanced too. So by not waiting until Caroline is visibly limping, you are really doing her so much good. Her body is stronger right now than it would be if you waited, and that is a huge advantage during recovery.

To specifically answer your question, yes, many people here have dealt with a cancer diagnosis that wasn't outwardly visible with signs like limping.

By the way Caroline is adorable!

Paul that was the cutest walk ever! So fun to see her enthusiasm. What a nut!

I do see a limp, especially at 2:01. She is not limping in the traditional sense that we envision, but I can see that she is not bearing all her weight on that back right leg. It's not a constant favoring, but intermittently during that video you can see a few times where she is not flexing that leg as much when she walks, and in a few instances her leg extension is shortened, like a small bunny hop.

These are not things that the average pet parent sees. I didn't see these things when our Jerry started limping from his tumor. It was hidden in his scapula, so we never once thought the limp was cancer. And I probably wouldn't see these things now in other dogs either, except that I've become somewhat of a "vet groupie" since starting Tripawds, and interviewed a lot of rehab therapists in the last 15 years who have educated me about normal dog gait, pain signs, etc. 

You are doing right by her. Get rid of that bad leg. Let your wacky, funny, adorable dog live her best life on three. You will see that she doesn't let anything hold her back! Your job is to manage her activity so she can still have fun without getting injured. It takes time to gauge her abilities, and how to keep her injury-free, but I can tell you will be an awesome Tripawd parent to her!

LOL I loved her puppy videos! So she's part Husky, annnnd....Heeler? With a combo like that no wonder she is unstoppable!

Yes, unfortunately the way her situation has unfolded is pretty standard here for dogs who have osteosarcoma. And it's good they're doing the biopsy after the leg is off. For starters that's a painful procedure (the bone biopsy). The only time it should be done is when the diagnosis is in doubt. So if the vets are that confident the leg is bad due to cancer, you're on the best path forward.

I'm so sorry about your brother. That kind of loss only makes a situation like this even harder. We are here for you.

Going outside is only one or two steps, will she be able to do that, or should I put a temporary ramp there?

I wouldn't bother. Most dogs hate ramps, and one or two steps isn't a big deal for all but the tiniest dogs.

In a few months will she be ok on hardwood, or will we probably need to keep the runners out forever?

Unfortunately, hardwood floors are a Tripawd's worst enemy. Sure, they'll walk on them most times, and might even make it look easy, but rehab therapists tell us that it's the equivalent of ice skating all the time. It's tough on the body and puts the dog at risk of spills. Traction is a Tripawd's best friend and keeps them safe from injury. I recommend finding runners you really like. Look at it like this: doing this now is exactly what you would do for her when she is an elderly dog. She may not use the runners all the time, but most dogs get the hang of using them once they sees how much more confident they feel walking on carpet versus hardwood.

How long will it be before she will be strong enough and balanced enough to go up the carpeted stairs to the second floor?

With her energy and age, she'll make it look easy and would probably do them the next day if you let her. So don't. Rear leg amputee dogs have a harder time going up stairs than going down. She will need to build core strength to make up for that loss of propulsion (dogs have all their propulsion power in the rear). A rehab therapist can best instruct you on how to help her build that core strength. A harness like the Ruffwear Webmaster or Ruffwear Flagline harness can help you help her go up stairs so she doesn't put too much strain on that remaining leg in the meantime.

I assume now it will be VERY important to discourage her from jumping up to beds or jumping into cars, because if she messes up her remaining back leg we’re in big trouble. I guess I’ll keep a ramp in each car she rides in, and put ramps or dog stairs next to the beds she tends to lay on?

Absolutely. Again, I wouldn't bother with a ramp unless she's already shown you she will use them. Pet stairs for furniture are usually best and most dogs will use them. A harness with a handle on top like the Flagline or Webmaster makes it easy to help her up and back out of cars.

Our normal routine has been two 30 minute walks every day. I assume we should start out just walking around the yard carefully for a few weeks, and then slowly walk her as far as she wants to go? 

Rehab therapists recommend that the most fit and recovered Tripawds walk 2-3 times daily, no more than 15-20 minutes each. It's better to take shorter, more frequent walks. Once stitches are out, start walks with 1/4 of what she used to do and build up over time, sloooowly.

It's our job to monitor our dog's behavior on walks so that they don't overdo it. A dog left to walk as long as they want will walk until they drop. You don't want it to get to that point, because it means she's done too much.

Check out the Tripawds e-books library for lots of tips about pre and post-amputation recovery.

Paul you are so very welcome! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous gift. You made our day, and we are very grateful 🙂

Any questions just holler, we'll do what we can to help you feel better about everything.