My dog has an intestinal tumor, low surgery success. What should I do?

I'm really sorry to hear this. Unfortunately, surgery is the mainstay of treatment. It is the only proven method to influence survival of dogs with these tumors. Usually dogs with this type of tumors also have kidney failure or high calcium as well which can complicate things. Metastasis (spread) can also be a problem. There is a drug called Palladia (a chemotherapy agent) that is usually given to the dogs after surgery however, I am unsure if it is helpful without surgery being done first. You would have to consult with a veterinary oncologist about that. That being said, that medication is extremely expensive. There is not much that can be done short of surgery and chemotherapy. If you cannot afford treatment then all you can do is make her as comfortable as possible and when it gets to the point that her quality of life is no longer good then you should consider humane euthanasia so she does not suffer. There are no over the counter medications that can be recommended. Hopefully this article will answer more of your questions. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/anal-gland-tumors ) Again, I am sorry to hear this. I hope this helps. Best wishes.

I"m so sorry this is happening to Kayden. This actually happened to my dog, who was also a Boxer. He had a splenic tumor that ruptured. I opted not to do surgery because there was no guarantee he would live through the surgery, and even if he did, it was only a three month prognosis. I chose to put him to sleep. You can get a second opinion, but letting him go peacefully may be the best option. Again, I'm sorry.

Gumbo definitely is at increased anesthetic risk (risk of adverse events during anesthesia and risk of poor recovery) at age 14 (7-8 years of age is considered geriatric), even with normal blood work (normal liver/kidney values). In addition those are extremely large masses and surgical removal could definitely affect anal tone (result in incontinence) assuming that anesthesia and recovery do go well. There is also a possibility that the type of cancer Gumbo has is metastatic and has already spread to the lungs for which the prognosis is poor (chest rads would be recommended prior to proceeding with surgery). I would recommend bringing Gumbo to have the anal glands checked regularly to make sure that they are empty. I also recommend keeping Gumbo as comfortable as possible as consulting with your veterinarian about treatment and humane endpoints if the masses become ulcerated.

IF the mass is located on an organ that is safe to remove, then good. If it is attached to the spleen or uterus, those can be safely removed and dogs recover well and live comfortable without those parts. However, it should be sent off for analysis to see if it is cancer or not as that can affect the time and quality of life after. If the mass is attached to the stomach or liver, then it may not be able to be removed and you will be forced to make the decision to not wake her up from the surgery or wake her up and let her live a comfortable life for however amount of time that may be.

I'm sorry Ben has an anal tumor! Your vet is right that he will be pain, even if he doesn't act like it. Dogs can be very stoic about pain, and he is also showing you he is in pain from his arthritis based on the fact that he moves around slowly and can't get up stairs well. It's a hard choice to make as to when it's time to say goodbye to a beloved pet. I work for a home euthanasia company, so I face this question all the time with my clients. I recommend making a list of five things Ben loved to do. When he's not doing at least two of them, then his quality of life has declined to a point when humane euthanasia should be considered. Also consider his quality of life if he starts having trouble passing feces due to the size and location of the tumor. In the meantime, I would discuss giving him pain meds with your vet. This may improve his quality of life in terms of getting around and help with the pain from the tumor. If you'd like to discuss things further with me, you can request a consult for more in-depth help. Good luck, I hope this helps!

First off, I'm so sorry Jack has cancer! I work for a home euthanasia service, so I face these questions with my clients all the time. I tell them to make a list of five things their dog loves to do. If he isn't doing at least two of them, then their quality of life has declined to a point where euthanasia should be considered. Another factor to consider with Jack is his appetite. If he stops eating all together, he will slowly be starving, and that will be quite painful for him. I wouldn't let him get to that point. Oftentimes, our dogs are ready to go before we are ready to let them go, and they hang on longer for us. Dogs are quite good at hiding their pain, especially if they see their owner is distressed. I would make that list I suggested, keep trying to get him to eat, and have blood tests done to see if he is getting anemic. This may help you decide when it's time to let him go peacefully. I understand it's hard to say goodbye when he's still running and playing, but it may be better to let him go sooner rather than later as he will leave you happy and in a good place, rather than extremely ill and weak if that makes sense. Only you can decide what's best for him, and I'm so sorry that you have to face this decision. I'd certainly be happy to consult with you if you'd like to discuss things further, just click the "consult online" button under my answer. I hope I've been helpful.

This is always such a difficult decision to make, and it is very normal to have second thoughts when you have to decide quickly about proceeding with invasive procedures vs. euthanasia in an older dog. While it's impossible to know for certain, I have seen many dogs during my career who have had splenectomy surgery and either have extensive metastatic cancer found during the surgery, or succumb to the disease a couple of months afterwards. I honestly don't know if I would go forward with surgery for my own 12 year old dog in a similar situation. There are many pet loss support groups that can be very helpful: this website lists a few that may be near you https://aplb.org/support/groups/michigan.html