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Have a dog with cancer? What did you do?
- Thread starter just_another_jennifer
- Start date
Jen,
We just lost our dear golden retreiver 2 weeks ago to cancer. Last October we moved to Luxembourg, EU so we had to give him away to our neighboors. We could have taken him as there are no restrictions here but our lifestyle (lot's of travelling) would not have been fair to him. He was 10 at the time. 3 weeks ago we got a call from his "new family" that he was having a lot of problems breathing so they took him to the vet. It was the same diagnostic as you. He had a cancerous tumor to his spleen that spread to his heart and liver. He was retaining a lot of fluid which made him uncomfortable but not in pain. The tumor was too big to treat. We (the new family and us) decided that as long as he was not suffering they would keep him as comfortable as possible. We just happened to be in the US at that time. My daughter and I went to visit him. That day he was not doing well, his breathing was very labored and he was confused and tired. It got so bad that they took him to the vet at 3am in the morning.
He then had a lot of fluid in his abdomen that his body could no longer absorb. Draining him would have been futile as it would come back. By then he was in pain so they (we had discussed it prior) decided it was best to put him down.
I guess what I'm saying is that if you feel the vet can keep your pet comfortable and you can enjoy more time with him, go ahead and enjoy. But if your dog will be going in and out of pain and discomfort your thoughts should be about him.
Good luck and I'll keep you and your "pouch" in my prayers. :-(
We just lost our dear golden retreiver 2 weeks ago to cancer. Last October we moved to Luxembourg, EU so we had to give him away to our neighboors. We could have taken him as there are no restrictions here but our lifestyle (lot's of travelling) would not have been fair to him. He was 10 at the time. 3 weeks ago we got a call from his "new family" that he was having a lot of problems breathing so they took him to the vet. It was the same diagnostic as you. He had a cancerous tumor to his spleen that spread to his heart and liver. He was retaining a lot of fluid which made him uncomfortable but not in pain. The tumor was too big to treat. We (the new family and us) decided that as long as he was not suffering they would keep him as comfortable as possible. We just happened to be in the US at that time. My daughter and I went to visit him. That day he was not doing well, his breathing was very labored and he was confused and tired. It got so bad that they took him to the vet at 3am in the morning.
He then had a lot of fluid in his abdomen that his body could no longer absorb. Draining him would have been futile as it would come back. By then he was in pain so they (we had discussed it prior) decided it was best to put him down.
I guess what I'm saying is that if you feel the vet can keep your pet comfortable and you can enjoy more time with him, go ahead and enjoy. But if your dog will be going in and out of pain and discomfort your thoughts should be about him.
Good luck and I'll keep you and your "pouch" in my prayers. :-(
Stay positive. While cancer is a scary diagnosis, many dogs are successfully treated and live a happy life after their diagnosis and treatment.
My Lhasa Apso, Gizmo, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 6. She started having "accidents" and at first the vet suspected that she just had difficulty holding her urine so we put her on some medication. The pills worked for a while but then the accidents started again and upon inspecting her belly, she had a large mass. The mass was removed and she is cancer free 7 years later. She did not need additional treatment.
My other Lhasa has congenitive heart failure. He is 13 and on like 6 medications a day. He was diagnosed last September and still eats like a horse and plays so we will continue with treatment as long as possible. There is no cure for his condition and he will eventually pass from it but the $160/month for medicine is worth every penny to sustain his life for as long as he is comfortable.
My Lhasa Apso, Gizmo, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 6. She started having "accidents" and at first the vet suspected that she just had difficulty holding her urine so we put her on some medication. The pills worked for a while but then the accidents started again and upon inspecting her belly, she had a large mass. The mass was removed and she is cancer free 7 years later. She did not need additional treatment.
My other Lhasa has congenitive heart failure. He is 13 and on like 6 medications a day. He was diagnosed last September and still eats like a horse and plays so we will continue with treatment as long as possible. There is no cure for his condition and he will eventually pass from it but the $160/month for medicine is worth every penny to sustain his life for as long as he is comfortable.