Noog - did I do the right thing?

[netescapee]

We adopted a badly abused/starved Rott/Shep mix. He was only 63 pounds but his head came to my hip. Back legs were so weak he stumbled from being on a 4-foot rope tied to a dog house half his size.

He started limping about 6 weeks ago. Vet gave rimadyl and it cleared up. Vet thought it was just a sprain. Then a week later it came back. Back to rimadyl for one more try but he got diarrhea so back to the vet, x-rays and biopsy which revealed osteosarcoma.

I was so very torn and worried as the vet said the pathologist felt the bone was badly chewed - front left leg - and was just looking for a place to break.

Noog already looked like it was hard to get up even though he was only 3-5 (we don't know his real age). His hips hurt at times.

That along with him being starved and having to be wormed 4 times to rid him of worms and being on antibiotics for three months due to really bad lick granulomas--he really only had about 6 months where he probably felt pretty good.

He was so big we were very afraid he'd break his leg getting in and out of the car. And if the bad leg was amputated was worried he'd fall on the amputation or break his other front leg - read another person's post that that happened to their dog three months after an amputation.

I was very worried that with his very poor nutrition history that he'd just succumb to the amputation and chemo. Just after the biopsy and anesthesia his eyes had started to look cloudy.

So, we had one last day to the park on pain patch. Noog was so excited he ran a little and looked so happy. That was hearbreaking! And so very scary but he didn't break a leg.

Afterward, we felt if we let him get to the point where even on pain patch he was again holding his leg so pitifully that in the end we were being abusive like the owners we received him from.

Any support or positive comments welcome. I only had him 11 months but this is ripping my heart out. He was so sweet and loving.