Hi Lara and Venga, welcome. Your future posts won't need to wait for approval so post away! You've come to the right place, we are here for you and hope to put your worries at ease. Many people have been in your situation, and understand what it's like to be so scared and worried.

So yes if you've already poked around our community you can see that dogs can do very well on three legs! They will recover at their own rate, so try not to compare Venga's recovery with others. He his is on dog on his own timeline, but he will get there. Have you seen our What to Expect articles ? Or Jerry's Required Reading List ? Our Tripawds e-books library is also helpful.

It's normal to think your dog will be in pain and confused. But if the pain management is done well, he should not be in terrible pain, just discomfort. Be sure to ask your vet what kind of pain control he will be on, because pain control can make or break recovery.

And while he may seem confused, it's not going to be about his missing leg but more about why he's feeling so weird from the medications, and why his mom is so worried. 

Remember, the stronger and more optimistic you are, the more Venga will feel that and reflect it back to you. It's your attitude that will set the tone for recovery.

Tell us more about Venga. How old? What kind of breed is he? Are there other dogs in your family that will be there during his recovery? The more we know the better we can offer suggestions to help ease your concerns.

Wow he sure knew who to pick for his people! What a beautiful story.

OK so as a larger, senior-ish dog, he will need more time to adjust. So be patient, and don't compare his recovery to others. 

Here's an article about why more vets are leaving as much residual limb as possible, it's a newer way of doing things (our info here is just catching up with it) so it doesn't surprise me that the board-certified vet surgeon would prefer this method. I would want to know if he has done it very often, because wound healing can be an issue when the skin isn't sutured to withstand the abuse a stump can take during the first few months after surggery:

For Hind Limb Amputee Dogs & Cats, is a Full or Partial Leg Amputation Best?

Oh what a sweeeeet puppy face! He is gorgeous. Thank you Sally.

When it comes to stairs, how many do you have? Most Tripawds can handle up to 3 or 4 steps at a time. Anything more than that and it's always smart to assist them with a harness that has a handle on top. That's why we love the Ruffwear Flagline harness (especially for front leg amputees). By helping your dog with stairs (going down is always harder for front-limb amputees, but they can go up without any real issues), you can take less stress off the joints and make sure they don't tumble down the stairs.

As for front versus rear leg amputation surgery procedures, yes you are right that study was done on hind limb amputees. Coincidentally, we just spoke with a rehab therapist last week and talked about that very subject (leaving a lot of remaining limb, or not). She mentioned that it would be the same thinking for a front leg amputee as well, to leave as much limb as possible especially if a prosthetic might be in their dog's future.

Ask any questions you'd like, we are here for you and adorable Venga!

You are so welcome. Yeah the flight of stairs is tricky. We had 18 steps to take our Jerry in and out of our house. He was also missing a front leg, so we blocked off the staircase, and he only went outside when we took him. We would always assist him going up or down stairs. That's when we discovered how helpful the Ruffwear harnesses can be for a Tripawd. As Venga gets stronger you can help him up and down the stairs with a harness handle, just don't let him do the stairs alone, even when he is healed up.

cluster of tumours has appeared just above the original tumour and up the leg toward his armpit, sitting just below the armpit. We are consulting with the vet this morning, however, given this, I don't know that a partial would be a good idea at this stage, since the tumours have spread. It will be interesting to hear what the vet says.

Your instinct is correct, cancer can change how an amputation is performed. It's all about getting as wide of margins around the tumors as possible to prevent it from returning.

 He suggested that if the leg is 'weak', that there is no point in proceeding with the amputation at all! We don't agree with that.

I wouldn't take one vet's opinion if that is the case, I would get at least two more, preferably from a vet focused on orthopedic medicine if possible, and a rehab therapist too. Many people here have been in a similar situation and multiple opinions helped them make a good choice for their dog.

We are keeping our paws crossed for good news from today's visit, keep us posted!