Hi Alison & Shelby,

My guy, Boomer, had his right rear leg amputated on September 13 after nine months of struggling to try to diagnose the problem and get his bones to heal.  It was a long and emotional process to get to the point where we (vets and I) all agreed that amputation was the best option for him.  In a lot of ways, even though it was hard and draining I am glad the process played out the way it did because I knew when I made that decision it was coming from a good emotional place and I was certain I was making the decision for all the right reasons.  The couple of weeks post-op were difficult and I certainly questioned my decision but that was more the emotional roller-coaster, sleep deprivation, and stress talking.  Every time I have stopped and really thought about what I did and why I did it, I know I absolutely made the best decision for Boomer with the information I had.  All that being said, after we were about 3-4 weeks post amputation and Boomer was feeling better, I began to realize how uncomfortable he had been, how much of his personality had disappeared because of the pain and pain-killer haze he was in for so many months.  The changes were slow and subtle, I didn't see them until after the amputation when he became his old self again - it was then that I realized how much that dumb, useless leg was really affecting him.  Now, I find myself wishing I would have done it sooner for him.  But, the reality is, all the information I had at the time said that amputation might not be necessary so why would I push for it?  We do the best with what we have and we can't beat ourselves up for the decisions we make.

As for itching and scratching, dogs are pretty resourceful.  Boomer has figured out how to balance on his butt to use his remaining rear left leg to get to itches on his left side - it took a while for him to get the hang of that because he didn't want to sit or lay on his incision site (it took a little over five weeks for him to lay on the incision).  He pretty quickly figured out that he could use his front legs to scratch his face and ears.  It is pretty cute when he does it - he lays down, plants his nose on the floor, and then uses both front legs at the same time to itch both sides of his head . . . it looks like some pretty advanced yoga pose.  When I am petting him, I try to make sure to get to all those spots that he can't really get to himself - the right side of his neck and his right arm pit - and he always leans into those areas when I start scratching him.

Let us know when she's having surgery, we'll be sending you good vibes!  Take care and stay strong but cry when you need to, that's important, too.

Allison, Boomer & Amy

PS - I am an Allison, too (though I am a "2-Ler") and the first dog I got to pick out for my family to adopt was named Shelby.  We had her for 13 years and I still miss her everyday; she was a wonderful dog.