hi amanda and porthos, welcome to the family no one really wants to have to join.  your future posts won't require moderation.  you ask some very good questions, many of us have been in your shoes and understand the overwhelming fear that you are now working through.  your vet is of course a great resource for info, as he/she has first hand experience with porthos.  one of the concerns we have seen here with bone cancer, is that the leg will shatter.  unexpectedly, even when no 'event' causes it, the bone just breaks - the pain is unbelievable, and we all fear that for a pup diagnosed with osa. 

seven isn't very old.  you obviously have been a great parent to porthos, and know how he is physically.  once you know if his lungs are clear from the xrays, that will help with your decision.  we've had several tripawds that had knee surgery, i'm sure some folks will jump in with their stories about this. 

read the 'required reading list' http://tripawds.....ding-list/  if you haven't already.  we are all here for you, and will support you with whatever decision you make.  we'd love to see some pictures of your boy!!

charon & spirit gayle

i'll try to help with posting pictures....as my expertice with knees is limited.  you need to have your pictures somewhere on the web - facebook, a blog (you can start a free blog here), photobucket, etc...  then it's just a matter of posting the URL.  our friend cometdog did a picture tutorial for luddites like me, and it should help.  it's located here:

http://tripawds.....t-account/

hope this helps.  it's not that hard (i've been able to do it...).  sending best wishes to porthos!!!

charon & spirit gayle

Welcome and sorry you had to find yourself here. We were able to do the amp with our Abby, so I don't really have any advice on how to make the decision in your case, but if you do decide that amp is not an option, you might want to join the Yahoo group called "artemisinin_and_cancer". I'm no longer on the group, so don't know if the dog it still around, but there was a woman on that message group that had a great Dane that was not suitable for an amp. Their names are Penny and Jane, and the dog did great just with artemisinin treatment. Her vet even said the risk of fracturing her leg was gone. I don't know if that is a total miracle, or something that could be duplicated, but it's worth checking into. She has a file with her protocol (which is admittedly pretty detailed) in the folders there once you join the group. The folks there are quite knowledgable about dosing arte and Butyrex, etc.

I wish you all the best in your decision. I know how hard and overwhelming this all is. Hang in there and know that any decision you make will be the right one because it is made out of your love for Porthos.

Jackie, angel Abby's mom

Hi and welcome.  I haven't commented so far because we were lucky that Zeus' other legs did not have problems (at least not diagnosed - his back end has been a bit more stiff the last year or so, but not too bad.)  But I do hope that his story gives some hope that these pups can beat the statistics.  Even with the lung met we are approaching six months post-amp and so far it appears to still be just one met and has not grown.  I know that we are lucky and Zeus is the exception to the rule but it just shows that it can be done.

This is such a hard journey.  Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck!

Lisa

Our dog,Jack, had OSA in his front left leg. 7 month before the cancer diagnosis he had back surgery for a ruptured disc in his lower back. The surgery improved his back leg function but didn't totally return them to full strength and mobility. We too were concerned that an amputation wouldn't work for Jack with the damaged back end. Our regular vet and the specialist both told us no on the amputation because of the back leg weakness. I wanted so much for the hope and time an amputation migh give, but it wasn't to be. I played so many what if, and best case scenarios but in the end I knew our vets were right. Some dogs aren't candidates for amputation. I don't mean to throw cold water on a what is already a hard descison, but you have to be realistic about what Porthos can and can't handle.

Our time with Jack from diagnosis to the end was much shorter because we weren't able to amputate. The pain is as bad as everyone says, but there are options for pain control. Without an amputation you will eventually exceed the pain control the drugs can offer. It isn't a pretty picture to be caught between the cancer pain and an inability to amputate. I'm so sorry you find yourself in this position. We were so recently in your shoes that it pains me to give you such a bleak assessment.

No matter what you decide, start taking lots and lots of pictures, remember it is the quality of time not the quantity, and try to be very in tune with Porthos and how he feels and what he is trying to tell you.