Hello and welcome to you and Samson. Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away.

 We are searching for more specific experiences of mastiffs of this size with osteosarcoma.  I haven't found any good info.

Oh gosh, we have tons. Although they might not all be 155 pounds, many were close, some weighed even more, like Tazzie, Mastiff to Tripawds' Fairy Vet Mother Dr. Pam. See:

Forum Search Results for "Mastiffs" and "Osteosarcoma"

and the Tripawds News Blog Stories About Mastiffs

and finally, member blogs with stories about Mastiffs

There's a lot to search through but you'll see that they can be very, very happy on three legs. Of course all dogs are different and there are no guarantees, but most do get along well. I'm so glad you're going to see an oncologist, because then you can learn all your options and find out if he's a good candidate. How does your vet feel about him being a good candidate? How do you feel? Do you think he has the stamina and spirit to bounce back? Recovery often depends as much on the pet parent's attitude as it does the dog, so if you feel good about it, he will too.

Stay tuned for more information and feedback from the folks in this wonderful community! 

tazziedog said
Somewhere on this site is a YouTube video of her hopping around on three legs.

Ahhh, one of our favorite memories!

Hi Kim, thanks for the update. We're glad that Samson is holding his own and things are moving along so he can start to feel good again. Look out bunnies! Put those ear plugs in neighbors. Samson's coming back in a big way real soon!

Regarding the ramp....has he ever used one before? Not all dogs take to them, and we see lots of folks returning ramps. Does the harness you purchased work like the Ruffwear Webmaster Plus, with a handle on top? If so that may be all you need to lift him up into your truck and while getting out so he has a soft landing.

Carpet runners...glad you're thinking of them. We find that Costco has some really inexpensive ones (around $12 each) and you can always use yoga mats too. 

Boots...has he ever worn boots before? If not he may not need them. See how he gets around on the traction you've laid down. Boots are great for ice and slippery surfaces but for a long-term indoor solution they're impractical for most people. Remembering to put them on the dog is the biggest challenge.

Bandaging....that really depends on the vet. Many front-leg amputees come home with compression bandages to minimize the chances of a seroma fluid build up. Rear leggers don't because it's hard to bandage there. If he doesn't come home with one, that's OK too, but if you're more comfortable with one so your boys don't panic, then let your vet know you'd prefer one for Samson.

The first few weeks aren't always ruff, but they can have ups and downs. Samson may be low-energy and low appetite for a while until the meds work their way out of his system. In general larger dogs take a little longer to bounce back but they do get the hang of it.

The best thing you can do is play it by ear and day to day to see how he does. Just remember that the faster you can normalize the situation, the faster he will see that life is normal again. Too much babying (hand-feeding, doing everything for him) and messing up the routine can be detrimental when it comes to amputation recovery. For that reason, we don't encourage things like sleeping on the floor but many here do it. That's entirely up to you. Just follow your instinct and you can't go wrong. And of course come here to ask any questions you'd like,that's why we're here.