my dog has cancer

[spiders]

she has a tumor on her back leg the size of a golf ball that appeared in two weeks. Its called an osteosarcoma - they reckon without treatment she has 1-2 months, with amputation slightly longer ($1500), or one year with chemo - which costs around $4000.

Its a tough call

[strangebrew]

Sorry to hear that.

Yeah, it is a mighty tough call.

I take that it's recurring if amputation doesn't give your dog much longer?

[Flip]

I'm sorry to hear about this.

Far too many people don't seem to understand that a

"simple pet" can be both a significant member of a family

as well as a best friend in life.

If I can say anything, please don't think about this in terms

of cost, but of quality of life.

that is most important.

regarding treatment options...

It seems like she's terminal and that there is nothing

anyone can do to stop the cancer.

If it was me I would seriously think about making the most

of the weeks that are left and make her life as happy as possible.

(I'd start with a big block of bacon and a beer bowl)

Remove the "golfball" if it can be done without much fuss.

Keep her at home where she knows she's loved and happiest

live it up with her - starting today!

she may be able to teach you a few last lessons...

keep it happy.

and before any suffering starts ...

let her go on her way -without any pain.

going the extra mile....

You may be able to get the vet to let you have the shots for her

and do this yourself if you feel that you're up to it

difficult as it may be.

you may be able to give her a sleeping aid to

keep her calm for the injection.

I had to do this with one of my dogs and it was difficult.

but he knew that I cared for him greatly.

especially those last few weeks we're good times

and that's what's important.

when it certain that he couldn't go any further

we injected him with the narcotics

that would send him on his way.

I held him as he passed.

which I think is much better than him being on a metal table

in a vets office with a bunch of damn strangers.

[ 09. February 2005, 11:56: Message edited by: Flip ]

[ramon]

My dog is on the way out.

Very weak in the back legs, some day she is not going to be able to get up.

As she doesn't seem to be in pain letting her go as long as she wants but a pill at home seems a much nicer way for her to die then having to be dragged to a vet for injections.

[2b]

Sad to hear your situation BM , can't give you any profound advice but from one dog owner to another my thoughts are with you.

2b

[Torsten]

Sad news indeed.

It doesn't seem much of a choice at all really. An operation to prolong the life by a couple of months is hardly fair on the animal.

ie, no operation = 2 months declining life.

operation = 1 month convalescens and 2 months declining life. Doesn't sound like SHE is gaining anything from that.

And several weeks of chemo to delay the inevitable for a year is also aquestionable option' even without regard for the cost. I guess it all depends on the type of chemo though as some may be quite easily tolerated and not cause any suffering at all. That is very unlikely though.

if it was 4 weeks of chemo sideeffects to give one year of life then that sounds wortwhile. If it is 4 weeks of chemo every 2 months then that's a lot o suffering.

In any case, ask the vet to give her cortisone injections and/or pills so she doesn't feel anything and gets to live the small remainder of her live to the fullest. My dog was so happy and healthy while on cortisone for arthritis that no one realised that there was a tumour in her spleen double the size of the spleen. She was a happy and healthy dog until 2 days before she was so far gone that she had to be euthanased immediately.

[waterdragon]

slightly off topic, i've noticed quite a lot of dogs that are fed on commercial mixes seem to break out in all sorts of ills, cereals in particular bring about an adverse reaction in one of my bitches. since feeding them only on bones/butchers scraps their teeth and gums and coats have improved. the stools are a dead giveaway, if they don't dry to a brittle white then the diet's not right, for my hounds anyway.

[spiders]

thanks for all the advice.

The problem is that the tumor weakens the bone in hind leg to the point that it may break just from walking, so they say that amputation decreases pain significantly. But, being the hind leg it would be harder for her to adjust to it. and hte other thing is that she has bad arthritis already in the back legs, so the extra weight on one leg could only make life harder for her.

I think the best option is probably just giving her a couple of weeks of good life - and as Torsten suggests, trying to get cortisone, and then sending her on her way when the time comes down the park where she loves it.

Its tough for my girlfriend, as the dog is like her sister, but as you guys have suggested, the treatment options are only delaying the inevitable and i wouldjnt want her to have to endure too much pain.

[MrBumpy]

Stupid pressing of wrong button... scroll down

[ 11. February 2005, 14:33: Message edited by: MrBumpy ]

[MrBumpy]

Waterdragon : I'd have to agree with you.

I've got a mini-foxie/jack Russell, and he used to throw up after nearly every meal.

He's only fed on dry food (and the occasionaly table scrap from me...damn puppy dog eyes), but he stopped throwing up after we changed his dry dog food.

He was getting the regular PAL and stuff like that, but then we changed to some stuff you buy from vets.. Science Diet or something.

But he stopped throwing up, and he was able to lose weight and stuff (he was also a little fatty)

-bumpy

[Darklight]

So sorry to hear that BM. We lost one of our dogs on Tuesday to ( what was probably ) snakebite so we've been a bit sooky for a few days and our other dog is kinda depressed about it.

Your dog sounds like she has had a good life surrounded by people who love her too. We had a party for one of our old dogs after he died a few years ago ( snakebite again I think ), but we'd been planning it before he died because he was such a legendary character. As it was, people came from as far away as Sydney and Melbourne. If your dog is up for the attention, why not use some of the time to ask some friends around to help her celebrate her life with you all?