Dogs and Cancer

[OLS]

It might not surprise some of you to know I come from a family of old-school pragmatists
that never saw dogs as patients. Then again, we were pretty lucky with dogs and never
had any dogs that needed some kind of major treatment. But when it comes to dogs,
it is easy to think of them as part of the family and all the cliche's that people use,
because for the most part, they ring true. People really love their dogs. But with that
said, they are dogs. They do have feelings, but they cannot talk. Whether it is severe
arthritis or cancer, when it is a dogs time to go, they do NOT go to M.D. Anderson, they
go behind the barn while the kids are at school. If doctors want money to play "Dog
Mayo Clinic" on your hound, get a biopsy and that's it. If its cancer, send em off to the
doggie heaven, because it is a ton of money for a pet that can best be replaced by a
good old POUND PUP. Just because you euthanize them doesn't mean that they weren't
part of the family. It meant you cared enough about a dog that couldn't put his pain
into words to end his/her pain in a human way. People who over-extend a dog's life are
hurting two dogs...their own, and the dog at the pound who dies because you didn't need
him yet. Save two dogs, euthanize one and replace him with another that needs you, too.

[Subvet642]

Originally Posted by OLS

It might not surprise some of you to know I come from a family of old-school pragmatists
that never saw dogs as patients. Then again, we were pretty lucky with dogs and never
had any dogs that needed some kind of major treatment. But when it comes to dogs,
it is easy to think of them as part of the family and all the cliche's that people use,
because for the most part, they ring true. People really love their dogs. But with that
said, they are dogs. They do have feelings, but they cannot talk. Whether it is severe
arthritis or cancer, when it is a dogs time to go, they do NOT go to M.D. Anderson, they
go behind the barn while the kids are at school. If doctors want money to play "Dog
Mayo Clinic" on your hound, get a biopsy and that's it. If its cancer, send em off to the
doggie heaven, because it is a ton of money for a pet that can best be replaced by a
good old POUND PUP. Just because you euthanize them doesn't mean that they weren't
part of the family. It meant you cared enough about a dog that couldn't put his pain
into words to end his/her pain in a human way. People who over-extend a dog's life are
hurting two dogs...their own, and the dog at the pound who dies because you didn't need him yet.
Save two dogs, euthanize one and replace him with another that needs you, too.

The first statement above could be said for infants, as well...

Our pets are not like broken toys, to be discarded when they wear out. They are sentient beings who are utterly dependent upon their people for absolutely everything. It is a grave responsibility.

The second statement is absurd in that it assigns guilt for the "sin" of having no need. Ergo, the deaths of ALL euthanized pound dogs would fall under this category as they also were not chosen.

I'm sorry, but that isn't pragmatic, it's icy.

[tsolomon]

For us it is a family issue as they are family pets. We first try to find out what is wrong and then if it's curable. If it's curable, what does it involve how much will it cost? There are a lot of factors to consider such as age, health and quality of life. When it comes to the questions of can you afford it and then should you do it, everyone gets to use their own balance scale to answer those questions. I have had to put down two dogs over the past year and a half. We opted for pallative care over treatment and then euthanized them when their quality of life declined, but we got to love them a little longer before saying goodbye.

[omowasu]

This is a very emotionally charged topic and I dont think there is really a right answer, except for what is right for you.

Surgery on any animal is risky, especially on a dog that has a lot less blood to lose than a human. The decision to put an animal through surgery really needs some thinking time - and its not an issue of money, its an issue of survival.

Some folks have mentioned getting a diagnosis and second opinion to determine the extent of tumor outgrowth and make a decision from there. I am inclined to agree with this and would do the same if I were in your shoes and it was my dog.

If surgery had a strong chance of helping, and the cancer wasnt metastisized, I would proceed... But if the cancer was spread and chance of survival was low or zero, I would make sure my dog had the happiest last days on earth possible and when he was too ill to function, I would put him down. And it wouldnt be easy.