u/Sudden_weird_42

My lovely lady Lu is two months post-amputation of her rear right leg due to osteosarcoma. She's generally doing great - healthy appetite, loves face scratches (on her terms, lol), and while she's not running around, she's navigating her room and litter boxes well.

My problem is that I can't tell if her right front leg (same side as amputation) is showing signs of swelling in the ankle joint, or if it's an optical illusion as the fur grows back from the surgery shave. Sometimes she holds it in a weird bent position that looks alarming, but then she'll straighten it out and it looks completely normal. I know a visit to the vet would hopefully confirm any problems, but I hate to take her there if it's totally normal, considering the trauma she went thru there just two months ago.

Does anyone else fight with themselves about obsessing over any/every possible change after a big health event like this for their cat?

Our Lu has been suffering with presumed arthritis in her back end which culminated in a splinter fracture in her rear right leg on Thursday. We have a surgery appointment for tomorrow (Monday) to have the leg amputated because our vet doesn't think reconstruction will heal well considering how bad the joint looked.

I need reassurance that this is the right decision, knowing that immediate recovery will be rough. The only other option would most likely be euthanasia, which I don't feel good about because I feel she deserves a chance to get thru this, but I also don't want to put her thru unnecessary pain and trauma.

I know nothing is guaranteed with cats, especially if the break was caused by cancer in the bone/joint (which will be biopsied after removal), but I feel Lu has a good chance at adapting. I'm a little shocked at how active she has been since the break - her appetite is great (she's been on a prescription diet she doesn't love so we've been adding in an assortment of cat junk food, so I'm sure that helps), she's still using the litter box and otherwise getting around with the broken leg, and she still has her feisty attitude. I don't want to let her down!