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el_twirpo
member
Dog has cancer - WWYD
el_twirpo
member
my dog has cancer. he had pretty bad nosebleeds this summer, which turned out to be a tumor growing in there. he's been getting chemo treatments since late september, which seemed to help at first. the bleeding stopped, but he had other side effects - vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite etc. in the last 3 weeks, his tumor has been growing - literally out of his nostril - and he can't breathe normally. you can just tell that he's getting weaker and weaker.
at today's appointment, the vet specialist said it's clear the chemo isn't working. his body simply isn't responding to it. radiation would probably be effective for him, but will cost anywhere from $2500 - 6K and extend his life for 6-12 months, depending on the type and frequency. there are of course side effects to radiation and the need for anesthesia every time he goes in. as much as i would love to drop all that money on him, we're not in a position to do so and especially if it will only delay the inevitable.
so... i'm really torn about what to do. we can keep trying to make him comfortable with anti-inflammatory medicine, drugs to help with vomiting/diarrhea and pain medication (although, he's a chow mix and doesn't often show when he's in pain). but at what point is it more humane to euthanize than let the cancer take over until he passes?
we've had an amazing 6 years with him, adopting him as a stray, and he's really just the best dog ever. we're so sad that DS won't get to play with him over the next few years, and it's just a really hard decision when he's been our first "child". at this point, he probably only has a month or 2 left.
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Re: Dog has cancer - WWYD
This, I am so sorry ::hugs::
I'm going to be honest and say that I'd probably put my dog down if he had cancer. With two growing kids, our funds are limited. Before kids, I would have done anything I could (and actually did with both a pet iguana and a pet cat) to keep them alive. I wish an animal could just *tell* us they were suffering or in pain to make it easier on us, as pet owners.
It's a hard situation all around and I'm sorry you're in it. I think you just have to decide if you're keeping the dog alive for you or for him. Is he going to have a good quality of life on all the drugs? Is he going to die in pain? I have had to put one pet to sleep as an adult and it was the absolute hardest thing I've ever done. But knowing that I was putting her out of her misery in the most gentle way I could made it somewhat less painful for me. I miss her dearly and she was a fantastic cat, but I couldn't have been ok w/ myself for keeping her on fluids daily/drugs all the time just because *I* would miss her. KWIM?
I'm sorry.
hugs.
I would crumble into a puddle of a sobbing mess on the floor.
But yeah, this.
I am so sorry to hear about your dog.
What sad news, my heart goes out to you.
We had a fatal diagnosis for our cat a few years back and it was so hard to watch him deteriorate in front of our eyes and to see him in so much pain and misery. I think back to it a lot and really wish that we had put him down sooner than we did because I think we were just not ready to let him go and I don't think it was fair to him.
If you feel that his quality of life isn't so great right now, I would put him down sooner than later. It's easier said than done though.
I'm so sorry you're going through this. Lots of ((hugs)) sent your way.
i think the hardest part about determining his quality of life is that he doesn't express when he's in pain. he doesn't whimper or whine (not even when he's cut his paw in the past or ripped a nail). he's actually eating normally again after being on a food strike for a week.
but i know that's all temporary. his appetite and energy levels have been up and down all year as we were trying to get a diagnosis.
ugh. this totally sucks.
I'm really sorry to hear that - I know I'll face this decision in the next year or so with our dog. I don't think I'd go through further treatment. It doesn't buy him much more time, and he may be miserable during the treatments and with the meds. In the short term, I'd give him pain meds, and then make the decison to put him to sleep if he starts to show he's suffering or really starts losing his personality. Lots of hugs to you - thinking about this makes me want to cry =(.
We had a similar experience with our dog last year. It isn't easy, I'm sorry. :-(
He had cancer and some other problems but always seemed his happy self. We were told he only probably had a few months. He went without eating for a period of time then rebounded and was eating fine again. He was having trouble standing and walking outside, and was going to the bathroom in the house. But, then again he started getting up and going outside himself. We just decided one day on one of his good days to put him down. He was able to walk into the office by himself, which sad as it was to do it when he seemed to be doing well we knew it was only temporary and felt better about him not getting any worse off. We had prolonged his life for a year with a previous surgery and had seen other family pets that we had let go on too long. We've seen where people can get used to a situation where an animal needs carried outside to go to the bathroom or is destroying the house with fluids, etc, you can still see in their eyes they are your pet that you love, but the quality of life isn't there and if they were a human I think they would probably want to be put down.
Agree with all of this. We had to say goodbye to 2 dogs this summer and it still hurts so much.
Lots of HUGS for you and your family.
Oh man, I'm so sorry. I know I'd want to extend his life, but radiation on people is very hard. I'd hate for a dog to be going through that and not know why. Does that make sense? I mean, if it would go away completely, then YES I'd spend every dime. But that doesn't sound like the case. I'd probably put my dog down just so they can go peacefully. I know they may not be hurting now, but down the line it will just get worse.
Whatever you choose is the right decision for your family. (HUGS)
I can't really type any more because I'm crying for poor Boo Boo and you and J and B who won't get to ride him when he's bigger.
But ditto the above. I'm so, so sorry, I know how much he means to you.
BFP 12.20.2010 :: missed m/c 1/2011 around 8 weeks
BFP @ 9dpo 5.24.2011 :: missed m/c 6/2011 around 7 weeks
positive for ANAs (1:40) with a speckled pattern
MTHFR c677t mutation (heterozygous)
*folic acid, baby asprin, Prometrium, acupuncture, Lovenox*
BFP @ 9dpo 2.1.2012 || HCG = 8 : Progesterone = 19.2
2nd HCG @ 11dpo = 40 || 3rd HCG @ 21dpo = over 5000!
Stick, little one, stick! EDD October 15, 2012
I'm going to chime in once more and then I'll shut up.
My cat died of what we think was cancer (none of the tests would confirm, but after she passed so quickly, the vet thought that's what it had to have been) in January. We medicated her for about a week or so and that did absolutely nothing. She looked miserable and I made an appointment to take her in to have her put down. She died in our living room that night, thankfully I was up still and she died in my arms.
All that to say that it is extremely difficult to let go of a family member, even one with paws and fur, but sometimes it just has to be done. The animal hospital gave me this poem w/ Abigail's pawprint when I had to put her down: https://www.milwinkennel.com/poems/time.html It was incredibly sad but so helpful too, just to know that I did make the right decision. Sometimes I think we, as humans/owners, hold on too long. I used to work at an animal hospital and I saw it all the time. It's not easy, I know.
And again, I am so sorry.
Oh no, I'm so sorry!
My dog had lymphoma cancer a few years ago. The vet said chemo and radiation would only delay the inevitable and he did not recommend either. We decided to treat with steroids. The vet said he would seem almost like new again for a few months (and feel TONS better) and then it would be a quick decline after that point (when they stopped being effective). That is exactly what happened. He was sooo much better for about 2-3 months, then downhill fast! We decided to not treat him in any other way just make him as comfortable as possible. The vet actually told us that he thought it was time at the last appointment and we just could not bring ourselves to do it. We took him home and made him as comfortable as possible. The next morning I was laying next to him talking to him and petting him and I could just see it in his eyes. There was not much left.
I knew it was time. DH and I agree it was time to end his suffering then and there. We had him put down that afternoon. Still pretty much the hardest thing I have ever done.
Like yours he was the best dog I had ever had. He was so much a part of our family I still miss him so much even today, 3 years later.
Good luck with your decision, I know how hard it is. I will give you the advice people gave me- when the time comes you want to be in the room. I wasn't sure if I could handle it, but I'm so glad I was with him in those final moments.
((Hugs))
I am so, so sorry to hear this. My dog has heart failure and I know it's only a matter of time before we have to make this decision. Even though it's so hard, I think you'll know in your heart what's the best thing to do. Honestly, I can't tell you whether or not I'd be able to take him in and be put down or just wait. I like to think I'd have the courage (or whatever) to take him in before he's in too much pain but I just don't know. It's so hard. He sounds like an amazing dog and I'm sorry he's sick.
I'm so sorry you are having to go through this. I'm actually waiting for pathology results on a tumor my dog had removed Monday
I've been in the vet field almost my whole life (currently work in an vet allergy lab). I love my animals with all my heart and would do just about anything for them. I can not honestly say I would do radiation, in fact I can pretty much tell you I wouldn't. I just don't see the reward there for the cost and suffering it could incur.
I will always remember what one vet I worked for would tell people in this type of situation. Pick three things your dog loves- it might be chasing squirrels, eating food, tennis balls, walks- whatever he loves. When he can no longer do those three things it is time to seriously consider quality of life issues.
Again I am so sorry, I know how hard that is.
TTC #1 since February 2011
BFP #1 1/14/12 EDD 9/24/12 m/c at 8w4d on 2/20/12
March 2012- Dx with PCOS, started metformin
July 2012- SA completely normal