Hello, I just found this forum and thought I would ask for quick feedback...

Shadow is a smaller terrier mix, about 14 years old (was a stray, we've had him about 13 years), 15.2+lbs (he used to weigh a bit more, but lost weight due to not eating well this summer). He's slowed down a bit but was very healthy until this May--a lump on his front leg had gotten bigger over the winter, so went to the vets who sent us for a biopsy.  Turned out to be a plasma cell tumor, usually not so bad as cancers go, but with the placement and size they did not recommend surgery but referred us for radiation... his kidney numbers (which our old vet had noted was going up, but thought "normal" for an older dog..)  were not good either, and further testing showed a second cancer, prostate carcinoma which is usually very aggressive.

So after 2nd opinions, etc. he went through 2 weeks of daily palliative radiation followed by chemo with mirtazapine (he's gone through 4 treatments). The prostate carcinoma is stable and he has no symptoms, much to everyone's surprise.  His plasma cell tumor, on the other hand, has gotten larger and opened up two Sundays ago (always happens in the middle of a weekend night!) --it's an ulcerated necrotic mass and apparently not enough healthy tissue to go in and debulk/etc--we were keeping it bandaged hoping it will "close up", but this Monday the oncologist said it's not healing, and that  Shadow has weeks at most before it gets infected and then there is nothing they can really do.  (they say they've never seen a plasma cell tumor act this way!!)

They now recommend amputation...surgery dept that earlier hadn't recommended it looked at his leg monday with the mass, and agreed.  He's in the middle of his 3 week chemo cycle, so if we do it tomorrow, assuming he recovers well, we will resume chemo for his prostate carcinoma after a 1 week delay....  

Tentatively booked to take him in tomorrow morning (that way he'll probably come home Friday night or Saturday when I can be home with him for a couple of days), but trying to decide what is best for him!  

Already arranged to first test to make sure his kidney numbers aren't worse (they were improving with daily subQ fluids and diet changes, but a check two weeks ago showed them back up a bit..)  as well as a blood panel...

Fortunately I can afford this (would have been nice to know the radiation treatment was a waste though before paying for it!!)  but is it worth putting him through the surgery and recovery?  Here and elsewhere I'm reading amputation is not that bad and I already saw the harness that I will get if we have the surgery...  but he is older, his balance isn't that great -- think he's lost muscle tone as he's not getting much exercise last few months or his pain meds is affecting him (he reacted very badly to gabapentin, on tramadol now)...  he often sits down awkwardly after I put him on the ground after carrying him up/down stairs as he's got a huge bandaged front paw....  although once he gets up and going, especially outside (without the dreaded "ecollar"!), he is walking well on his own for a bit... sometimes quite like his old self.    Also he's been a picky eater for years but now he barely eats anything on his own (drinking fine) so I am hand feeding him prescription canned food with supplements and pills (so he probably won't eat the 2 day post op at the vets!)...

Sorry for the long story.. I think he's not quite ready to give up yet as he has times he looks lively (when he's outside especially) and they tell me he should be ok with the amputation--but am I "projecting" my wishes on him? will it be too hard on us both?  I am hoping this will give us several months with better quality of life, rather than losing him to an infection to the open tumor in a few weeks...