Ok....I'm probably going to get bashed on every pet board in the country for this, but here is what I would do......

I would call a rescue for her breed type and see if they are willing to take her in.  Some of them do, and will care for her needs by means of a foster family.  If I had no luck there, I would have her put to sleep.

I KNOW that is a hard pill to swallow, but sometimes its just for the best.  You have to take you're own personal feelings out of it and do what is best for the dog.  Some would argue my point here, but I firmly believe that it is going to be VERY hard to find someone who can commit to her expensive health care for the rest of her life.  Even if she is with a rescue....what if she gets adopted out?  Will they be as nice about her chewing on their porch?

It is a very unfortunate circumstance, but I feel that without handing her over to someone else (and finding someone else will be HARD), the best option is to have her pts.  I know you feel guilty about the possibility of ending a dogs life, but more guilt would lie in leaving her here to suffer.

I have no doubt in my mind that you love your animals and would do anything possible to save them......but sometimes we just can't.  I appreciate you coming here and asking such a tough question.  In the midst of our jokes and funny photos, this is a reminder of what we are all apt to go through at some point.

Don't look at it as taking a life, see it as helping a soul.

   I really feel for you.  I have had to live with a similar decision {not the same medical condition}  but costs about the same, if not more every month for the last 2 years.  Its been a struggle for sure!!! None of my other furkids come close, or probably ever could come close to the cost of Holly!   At times it cuts our grocery budget in half, or more.   Or her bills will cause me to put off paying a Utility bill!!   But never had one shut off!!   Everyone who knows me personally, tells me Im crazy for not putting Holly down, or a family member of mine said MANY TIMES TO ME,  that if I want to put Holly to sleep, they will just give me there dog!!   I think its totally up to you, and I know your asking for advise  and so Ill give my opinion that I wouldnt give up, and I couldnt sleep at night or  live with myself until I know that there is not one other thing to do for that furkid.  Or at least to prolong life for him.  I am well aware that I have done what some think is crazy for Holly, and I will continue to do everything that I can for my Hollys medical bills!  But its ultimatly up to you.  I know the condition my Holly was in the last time she had a really bad relapse, anyone else would have just said it ....its time to say good-bye.    The vet thought it was time too.  But I never gave up on my girl because I KNOW she would never give up on me!!  So my opinion is do not give up, and if I get Hollys surgery taken care of, I would gladely send you anything that could help as well!!!  Though it would be small!!  I feel awful for you, and your pup!!   Best wishes, I know that you must be really struggling now with a tough choice.  I wouldnt condem you either way though.  Good luck, and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers!

She is a DOG.
Put her in a very large cage in the house, release her for potty periods, and give her stuffed kongs and wood blocks, and other cheap, hard to destroy, toys.
Your main problem is in assuming that she will learn or outgrow destructive habits.SHE WILL NOT STOP CHEWING OR DIGGING. By allowing her to have things to chew or dig, YOU are at fault, not her.
If the enviornment you are able to provide cannot exclude those activities, you WILL experience them, sorry.

I am going to agree with kitty's mom on this one.  I have 2 reasons why.  The first reason is Tucker.  Tucker was diagnosed with a disease called Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD).  For the first year of his life he was pretty much lame.  There were days when he could hobble around and days when he couldn't even stand up and he laid around and whined, bless his poor little heart.  I finally put Tucker on a very strict schedule.  He spent most of his first year of his life in his crate.  He even had to stay in a small crate because I couldn't allow him to stand.  That would put to much pressure on his joints and cause him pain again.  He would be allowed out of his crate to go potty, he was allowed out an hour a day to play, not all at once mind you, but a broken hour throughout the day, he also was allowed out to eat with the other dogs and he got a short walk at night after dinner.  I had to hang onto his leash tight because if he wanted his hour of playtime during the day he couldn't run or exert himself on our walks.  I gave him for that first year of his life the best life I possibly could. 

Reason #2.  For Zoe's first 8 months I hated her.  She was unmanageable.  She ate everything, and when I say everything I mean everything.  The worst things were the mattress.  She ate my mattress and box springs.  I have a solid oak door frame around my door, she ate it.  I only have carpet on a little bit of one level of my house.  She snuck down there ate half of the rooms carpet and padding underneath in just a very short time.  This is a very large room.  I would guess around 30x20 at least.  She ate a corner of the tv stand.  She has eaten on all of the door frames.  I can't even continue to name everything she's eaten.  She ate a leg off of the couch.  Literally, all of the way off.  As you can see these are all things that I couldn't put away from her.  If kitty hadn't talked me into getting a cage for her I wouldn't have her anymore.

Bottom line is this, even though Tuckers disease was a puppy disease and went away when he stopped growing I kept him as comfortable as possible for that first year.  I would move his crate around the house with me so he was never alone and I gave him the same amount of attention I would have had he not been in his crate.  Had he been in constant pain and I couldn't control it I wouldn't have done it but at the time it was controllable.

Zoe is now not as bad with the chewing.  She still gets things every now and again.  She still spends a lot of time in her cage but she's not in there 24/7 like she was.  I also gave her constant attention when she was in there.  If I went upstairs or downstairs where the cage was not I took her with me and enclosed her in the room with me so I could watch her constantly. 

I know Kaia will not outgrow either of these things.  His is an actual incurable disease but I think my point is this.  You need to do everything possible to keep him comfortable and keep him away from things.  You need to give him your love and devotion for as long as possible.  If you cannot do these things, keep him comfortable for as long as possible, and keep him in sight or in a large cage at all times than you should find somebody who can. She is not in constant pain now and you need to see to it that she stays this way for as long as possible.    I don't believe in letting a dog live a horrible life in pain but as long as he's not in pain you need to do everything you can for him to show him you love him and you need to let him have the best life possible for as long as its possible and if you can't do these things you need to find someone who can. I don't want to sound mean and I hope I don't come across that way, I'm just giving you my opinion.

I do not care about Kaia's chewing. That is not where her problem lies. I have had and still do have animals that destroy my house. That is what I got into by getting the animals I have. But I DON'T CARE about that. Basically my question was aimed at more of what would you do if you found out that your dog would almost positively be dead within a year and 95% positive that she won't be walking in three months? It had NOTHING to do with her chewing on stuff. That is the least of my problems with her. Even if I got Kaia's surgery for both of her knees, no medicine is going to make her better and I do not think it is fair to her to put her through three months of surgery and recovery just to buy her a few more months possibly.

    My vet is EXTREMELY trustworthy and I trust him with my animals lives. His opinion means EVERYTHING to me. Not only did I get his word but HE also got a second opinion from another orthopedic surgeon. AND on top of that he called a research facility in Tennessee and asked about the growth hormone as well as any types of meds that might work. They also did research for him and said that she was too far advanced in her problems and that there was nothing they could do. Giving the meds would not cure her in ANY WAY.

     I am a good pet owner and my dogs are well trained. Kaia learned as much as her little brain would let her and I have NO problems with Koda. (He even has stopped digging through training) This is not a question based on training and if there was anything I could do to fix her I most definitely would. By the way, Kaia does take a glucosamine pill everyday and she takes it just fine. I do not think that it is a very nice life for her to spend everyday stuck in a crate. I can deal with chewed up items rather then think of her last days in a cage. (Just so you know, my dogs are crate trained and enjoy being in their crate) But I would hate for her to have the rest of her life stuck in it all day. I will know when the right time is but I am not going to keep her cooped up in a crate for the rest of that time. That is no way of life. IF she was going to get over it, I would do it temporarily as Zoe and Tucker did. But Kaia cannot be fixed and I will not subject her to feel like she did something wrong in her last times.

Sorry if this comes across as mean but my dogs are important to me and I feel offended that you think that I am not caring for them properly. I know how to raise dogs.