This is my first post; Dee is an 8-10 year old Am Staff mix. Diagnosed a couple weeks ago with bone cancer in his back leg (distal femur). Xrays and ultrasound last week were clear, with the exception of one enlarged lymph node which could be something or could be nothing. We adopted him in July 2021 from the shelter where I volunteer. He has had a hard life. Found chained up in an apartment after his owner died, had an embedded collar that had to be surgically removed. Was heartworm positive and was treated. His back has spondylosis and 'remodeling of spinous processes TL region, likely secondary to past trauma'. Hip dysplaysia. And a torn CCL in his 'good' leg. It is so unfair that he has had so much pain in his life and now this. But he has overcome everything that life has thrown at him, he loves his life and that is what makes me think he could do okay on 3 legs. I don't know if I'm being naive, though, with all his orthopedic challenges. The surgeon who did his initial consult said he wasn't a good candidate for amputation. But she doesn't know him and she doesn't know me. His regular vet initially said he probably wasn't a good candidate but we shouldn't necessarily take the option off the table. I should also add that he will not tolerate handling by anyone at a vet's office unless he is drugged. I think he has experienced a lot of pain at the vets in the past.

One of our Rotties had bone cancer 10 years ago. It was in his shoulder and we did not amputate; we did palliative radiation, pamidronate and various alternative medicine and supplements. We got a year with him. But Dee's tumor seems to be growing fast. I have doubts that we would get so lucky a 2nd time. And SRT does not seem like a good option to me.

He is still using the leg, usually in a step/hop/step/hop pattern. He's on lots of pain meds. He did have a zolendronate treatment last week when he had the imaging done. Also, he did have a mast cell tumor removed from the sheath of his penis in September. It was a low grade 2 with a mitotic index of 5, but margins were incomplete.

My hope with amputation would be that he could still get around the house ok and short bathroom breaks. I'd be planning to get him a wheelchair for long walks, to not overwork the remaining back leg. I am lucky to be home most of the time with him. He's never been one to run around much, I'm sure he already compensates a lot for his prior physical challenges. He does two 20-30 minute walks a day and enjoys his life of leisure in the house the rest of the time. He loves car rides and stuffed animals. So his lifestyle has never been 'athletic' during the time I have known him. At present he still acts very much like himself. I also need to be mindful of his hatred of veterinary handling. Though if I could explain it to him I think he'd be ok with some drugged vet visits if it meant longer life. : ) He is a slim 66 pounds.

I am having a terrible time making a decision. I keep going back and forth between amputation and palliative radiation. I just read a thread about a dog with a slipped disc and I question how I can consider putting more stress on his back.