Amputation. Did we do the right thing? Right now it feels like we didn't.

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Please reassure me. Our greyhound developed a painful lump in his hind leg which turned out to be cancer. The vet said it's probably spread already, so we had a choice of amputation (which would buy him a few more months pain-free, till more tumours grew) or palliative care - strong painkillers till things got unbearable and then put him to sleep. We opted for amputation, reasoning that it was best for him to spend the last few months happy and pain-free and spoiled rotten

We got him back today. He's bruised, frightened and depressed, and won't eat or drink. He can barely walk and it takes him up to 1/2 an hour to figure out how to lie down. The vet's been brilliant; I just didn't understand the full impact it would have on him. I just thought: leg off, pain gone, problem solved. Idiot.

I know it's early days, but right now it feels like we've made a terrible mistake. Tell me things will get better for him...

mistle He was, in the sense that he was bred to race and had the ear tattoos. We tried to find out his history, but there were no records at all online under his tattoos. We tried god knows how many times to contact the Irish Greyhound Racing body, but nobody ever picked up the phone Overall though, I get the impression he wasn't a racing sensation.

We know that the family who had him before us neglected him to some degree as he was very thin and had had diarrhoea for a long time before they brought him back to the Dogs Trust on the grounds that their DC were scared of him . As a matter of fact it wasn't even them who brought him back - their neighbours did it for them after he killed their (the neighbours') cat. He was always the sweetest, gentlest boy with us though - cats aside. They always did make him a bit stabby and I used to let him chase them out of the garden. (Disclaimer - I gave them a big head-start so there was never any danger whatsoever.) Anyway, he was so gentle with our DS, even when he was in pain.

moose I wish I'd had you to hand when we spoke to our vet! Your dogs are very lucky to have such a clued up owner.

Jesus, I'm just ancient and have been around the block a few times. I'm also lucky enough to have a fantastic vet who goes over and above and takes the time to explain things and discuss current research etc with me and doesn't mind me being a complete pita asking 50 million questions.

We've had so many crappy vets along the years, but this one is amazing. I don't know what I'll do if she ever leaves.

Just read my earlier post. at all the errors. I'm on strong painkillers and antibiotics myself at the moment and clearly not capable of stringing a sentence together.

So sorry. You did absolutely the right thing both times - you tried to do the best for your boy and am sorry the outcome was so sad. We lost our boy to cancer in May and I feel your loss. Much love x