Last year, Scout—our 11-year-old Golden Retriever mix—had an amputation. This wasn't a regular amputation but a hemipelvectomy – her left rear leg and half of her pelvis were amputated due to a soft tissue sarcoma. Without the surgery, she would've had a couple months to live. Now, one year later. Scout is our mighty 12-year-old tripawd cancer survivor. As I type this, she lays at my side after playing in the yard with her dog siblings. She’s doing wonderfully.

Due to the costs and involvement of a hemipelvectomy, few people pursue them for dogs, so it’s hard to do research to make an educated decision. A hemipelvectomy has a longer recovery time and steeper cost than most amputations. But I know that this surgery is why Scout’s still here and why she’s doing so well, and I’m so grateful that we pursued it. Here are a few things I've learned that I wished I had known a year ago:

What was harder than expected: Seeing Scout after surgery was heartbreaking. There were bandages and tubes were a leg once was. When we brought her home a couple days later, the recovery was tricky; she dealt with complications that had us to the emergency vet frequently. Those first couple weeks were really, really hard. We navigated a situation that few people have been through, with a dog who couldn’t tell us how to help her, and we were afraid that we had put her through too much. 

Why I’m glad we did it: While those first couple weeks were hard, the recovery that followed was full of some of our favorite memories. It wasn’t much longer before we had our first walk with her, with her wagging away and me behind her (trying to keep up with her!!!), equally laughing and crying with overwhelming gratitude and joy. A couple months later, she was the picture of glee on her first mini-hike. Those were the moments that got us through it.

One year later, Scout’s happy, vibrant, and cancer-free. She still loves her neighborhood walks and romps through the woods. Her walks are shorter now, but they come with a victorious hop in each step. She’s proof that a dog can kick cancer’s ass with three legs.

What helped us:

• Rugs! Hardwood and tile floors are tricky for tripawds. We have rugs everywhere now, giving her a path that offers sure footing. This helped her confidence and mobility immensely.
• A ramp: My husband constructed a ramp that allows her to bypass the steps outside on our deck. While many tripawds handle stairs well, Scout can have a hard time with wood steps. The ramp gave her the ability to run outside like the old days. Putting roof shingles on the ramp makes it weather proof and gives her solid grip.
• Toe-Grips: Such a simple invention, such a brilliant idea. These toe grips slip onto her nails, giving her greater traction .
• This site: Tripawds.com was a great source of information and comfort to us as we made our decision and worked through recovery. I'm very grateful for the community here! If I can answer anyone's questions or hear their concerns, I'm happy to help.
• Patience and Kindness: If you pursue the amputation, be as kind to yourself as you are to your dog. The path will be tricky, and you won’t always feel like you’re doing the right thing. Ask questions when you have questions, cry when you need to cry, and celebrate the heck out of each victory, no matter how small.

No one wants to see their dog with just three legs; but life on three legs isn’t suffering. Life is different, sure. But our lives now are filled with just as much happiness than before and even more gratitude—for each day, each walk, and each wag.

Scout, five months after her surgery