When my dog Raven was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer), I posted a note to the Deerhound-L email list.
Within hours, my mailbox was full of notes of sympathy and concern, and stories. Stories of dogs who'd beaten the odds, stories of dogs who hadn't but who'd had good quality of life after amputation, whose owners offered me a shoulder to cry on and hope, too.
And one special email from Jean at Circle of Grey, an email support list for the owners of greyhounds with cancer, mostly osteosarcoma. Attached to her email was a picture that changed how I felt about Raven's amputation and, in a way no words could have done, gave me hope.
This is a photo of a much-loved and much-missed greyhound named Lucky, used with the permission of the photographer, Gretje Ferguson, and Lucky's "mom," Meredith Holderbaum.
For all who think that a life on three legs will be hell for their hound -- who don't think this could be worth it, even to stop the pain and give them more time -- and for those few who, through ignorance I'm sure, wrote begging me not to "mutilate" Raven by amputating her leg, this image is why I didn't listen to any of them, and why I encourage those with a dog with osteosarcoma not to rule out amputation without good cause.
I maintain a page on my website with information about canine osteosarcoma, and there you'll find a link to Raven's story, the stories of other dogs, and also information on how to join the bonecancerdogs email list, which was the single most useful resource I found during Raven's illness.
And if you are hesitating about amputating your dog's leg, please read this, and then look at that photo again before you decide against it.
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