I’m so glad I found this site, but am also overwhelmed with the decision we have to make.  Our 14 yo pug, Darcy started favoring her right front leg around the holidays.  She tends to get quite gimpy in winter due to arthritis, so we weren’t too concerned at first and gave her some pf her pain meds for the arthritis.  I brought her in to see our vet on Monday night.  She took xrays and explained that Darcy’s right shoulder had weakened and basically crumbled due to cancer.  MY poor little pug had been hobbling around in so much pain from a broken shoulder and we never knew!  Her appetite and routine hadn’t really altered.  She’s low energy but happy and continues to get a bit manic at dinner time, she loves to eat so much.  She also still gets excited for visitors and extra attention.

Our vet put a splint on her leg, sent us home with tramadol and meloxicam and said we had to make a decision by next Monday at the latest.  She’s concerned with Darcy’s age and already decreased mobility in the hind quarters.  She did not see anything in her lungs on the xray, but would want to do more diagnostics if we choose amputation.

Some background on Darcy’s mobility issues

She had back surgery at the age of 9 due to a decrease in rear mobility and a suspicious potential tumor in a CT scan and MRI.  It ended up being benign but the surgery was quite traumatic for all of us.  Recovery was challenging with us initially having to express her bladder as she had no control from the mid-back downwards.  The first week or 2 were the worst.  As the swelling in her back receded she regained some mobility and started months of PT – underwater treadmill, exercises and cold laser.  

She has not been able to go up stairs or hop up on her hind legs since before her back surgery and her gait is permanently wonky.  As she has aged, the arthritis has become more pronounced in cold weather and she drops poop bombs around the house on a regular basis.  Since getting the splint on Monday, she’s not quite sure how to move with that big thing and has been balancing on 3 legs and leaning against furniture to keep herself from falling down.  It also seems like it is easier for her to maneuver backwards instead of forward.  I crafted a sling from a pillowcase to help her when squatting outside.  She’s been angling her left front leg more towards center to help her balance as she holds the right leg out.  She's only 16 lbs and easy to carry.

Aside from being gimpy and mostly deaf, Darcy has been relatively healthy and, up until the past month or 2, she still enjoyed short walks and exploring the yard at her leisure.  She still has a sparkle in her eye and is eager for treats and ear rubs since she hasn’t been able to use her hind legs to scratch herself in years. Surgery and recovery would be hard on her and I don't want to be selfish and put her through all this and not improve quality of life.  We never expected to have her with us for almost 15 years, should we be grateful for the time we’ve had and let her go peacefully? I’ve called our vet to ask for more info on the diagnostics she’d like to do and what she’d be looking for.  We're scared and sad and not quite ready to decide to let go.