Hi, I just went through the same thing with my hound/bulldog mix, Khaos! About three years ago we noticed lumps on my boy's front right leg surrounding his dewclaw. We had it removed, but it came back bigger faster. We wound up switching vets shortly after, and for the next 3 years we just monitored it, knowing it would  come back. As long as is wasn't impacting his quality of life, we trusted our vet.

Fast forward to March of this year, suddenly one started to bleed. We rushed him to the vet's office, but unfortunately my usual doctor, who is familiar with his history, was out sick, and the backup doctor tried to convince us to euthanize him. Per him, he didn't think Khaos would get back up post surgery. Not ready to make that decision, the vet just wrapped it up and sent us home. This was all on a Friday.

At first we considered the option, as we could see it impacting him some, but within a day he was his happy, bouncy, vocal, tail wagging self. The only thing bothering him was his leg. We did research, found this site, read the success stories, and made the decision that we'd request the amputation instead. 

We brought him back to the vet, finally got to speak to my usual doctor, discussed the risks, but because he was perfect otherwise, there was no reason not to. Due of scheduling, the appointment was month away, so we left with antibiotics and a commitment that we'd change the bandages daily, which is what you're going through now. It's awful, especially when infected, and he didn't do well with the cone, but by placing an ankle sock over the bandages, he (mostly) left it alone.

April 4th, at age 11 and just 6 weeks before Khaos' 12th birthday, he had his right front leg amputated. It was cut at the shoulder area, but we kept the muscle. After doing the biopsy, it was confirmed to be soft tissue sarcoma, grade 1, and to make sure we got it all, that's why the ful leg was done.

The first couple weeks were challenging. We doubted ourselves some, cried a little, but discussed daily successes and what changes we need to make. The best thing we did was get a harness (or three... Because, well, males!) to help him as he was navigating being a tripawd. Since we have no rugs, we found inexpensive runners and throw rugs on Amazon to prevent any slipping. And not gonna lie, we even removed the legs on our already low profile bed so he could easily just about step on and off. 

Fast forward to now, just over 3 months later, Khaos is doing AMAZING! He gets around absolutely fine without the harness so we don't use it much, but when he wants to take walks occasionally, we will use it just to keep some of the pressure off the other leg. He will get tired quickly, and will rest a minute, but then  sometimes it's hard to keep up with him! He jumps on the couch on his own and knows how to slide off. We even did a road trip with him the end was May, and he was great. Friends who see him now saw he seems even younger and is much more full of life. 

May 11th, Khaos turned 12, and he's about 50 lbs, just to give you an idea of size. His back legs also have hip dysplasia and arthritis, though he hasn't had to be medicated for it.

My suggestion, you know your dog best. Follow your heart!  If the leg is the only thing bothering your baby, give him the chance. While there is always a risk, if he's still young at heart and healthy and happy otherwise, he's got a great chance. 

Sorry for the long post! I just wanted to give the perspective from someone who went through just about everything you're going through only a few short months ago... from the leg, including infection and which leg, to the diagnosis, and even the dog's age!  There is hope, and it can be a success story! 

Hello - I just wanted to say thank you for the positivity in the post! We are facing amputation with our 12 year old Aussie who was diagnosed last week with a nerve sheath tumor. Reading your experiences is giving me some peace of mind and hope for our girl 🙂