Hi Noms, welcome. I'm sorry you had to join us, though, we know this is a tough spot to be in, especially with a new pup.

You are wise to get a second opinion with a surgeon, that is about the best thing you can do right now. And please don't feel bad that money is an issue: you're in good company  here, we all get it, and none of us grow money trees for our animal's vet care 😉 Plus, just as an observation, but we often get a lot of members who come here after expensive leg repair surgeries don't heal, or come undone. It's not that uncommon. 

It's not too surprising that your vet would tell you that he isn't an amputation candidate, we often see that kind of analysis when it comes to giant breed dogs. Now, I'm not a vet but what I can tell you is what we've seen; Tripawds members come in all sizes, we've had some up to 165 pounds do great. However, Saints generally take longer to recover, just because of their laid-back nature, but most will be fine after surgery, especially when cancer isn't involved.

But, the fact that he is an outdoor pup will pose an extra challenge. First, keeping his incision clean, and making sure he doesn't overdo activity during the healing stages (which can last a few weeks), will be tough if he's roaming with the pack. Also, later on, he will might to keep up with them, and wear himself out. Protecting his joints from excessive stress is the goal, and we realize even with an indoor pup, that's a challenge. Is there any way he can be more of an indoor pup? I know that's gotta be tough since he's a farm dog.

I know others will share some wonderful advice here. We all understand you're trying to do what's best for him, and will be here to help any way we can. Oh, your future posts won't require moderation.