This just keeps getting worse.  Went into regular vet yesterday and he tells me that he has spoken to some of his mentors and has been told that he shouldn't have done the surgery on his own.  Tells me there may be another issue too in that he found out that he was supposed to leave pockets in relation to the lymph nodes he removed and he didn't do that.  And EVEN WORSE, this morning it looks like 2 of the 3 new stitches he put in the other day have come open and the area is badly infected looking again.  I've booked back into the specialist for tomorrow afternoon.  Still in discussions with current vet about the fact they have charged me for the second surgery.....and now I find out that one is botched too.  Leaving aside the money aspect of this, Zoe is suffering at a time when she should be getting better.  Much needed chemo is being delayed and the amputation will have been for nothing if we can't get the chemo started soon.  I am so upset and angry.

I have an appointment with the regular vet in an hour.....don't really have a choice as she needs her 2 x daily antibiotic injections....I will get the injections done tomorrow at the specialist.  Going to be really hard to be in the same room with him now that this second surgery also appears to be botched.  I think they should be paying for the specialist treatment she now requires due to their negligence.  I'm so shaken up by the fact Zoe and I have been going through this for 10 days now and am not thinking straight, but my current thoughts are that I have to change regular vets after tomorrow's specialist appointment?  Would appreciate other's thoughts.

As for the further info he gave me re not leaving pockets around the lymph nodes, I can't help but think he's likely messed up in other ways too that I don't yet know about.  Yesterday he seemed to be saying that he may have spread the cancer by how he removed the lymph nodes?  I brought her to two different oncologists for 2 opinions ffs....I would have had a surgeon do the surgery if he hadn't told me he was able to do it.  Mad at myself for not waiting and having a surgeon do it and mad at him for telling me he could do it when he really wasn't qualified to do it.

A quicky summary update:

Unfortunately Zoe's infection didn't clear for weeks and they were unable to start her chemo and melanoma vaccines until it was healed.  She had her first chemo & vaccine almost 4 weeks ago.  Around that time I had noticed a small bump on her back which I assumed was a reaction to a needle going into her.  2 weeks later it was much larger and a biopsy last week revealed it was melanoma.  Also, sadly Zoe began breathing very quickly late last week and had chest xrays done on Monday to find out the cause.  Sadly, the cancer has made it's way into her lungs.  

I had known from the time the infection started that it was a disaster.  I had received 2 specialist oncologist opinions prior to surgery and both had her prognosis as days/weeks without amputation and chemo.  They were right.....she couldn't afford the weeks long delay in the treatment starting.  The whole experience has been a disaster due to my decision to have my local vet do the amputation.  

I am back to the oncologist this morning and I am not sure she will be coming back home.  My heart is absolutely broken.  I did everything I could to give her every chance and though I knew that the chemo might only buy her some time, the botched surgery meant she really no longer had any chance.

Please cross your fingers for a miracle for Zoe.