My dog might have pancreatic cancer. Should I get a second opinion?

This sounds very serious. I recommend an exam with another veterinarian if you are unable to get a diagnosis and effective treatment. Murphy may need hospitalization until his condition improves. I agree this could become life threatening so I would bring him to a specialist for a second opinion soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Murphy.

Discuss your dog's quality of life with your family and vet. Consider xrays and bloodwork to diagnose the cause of the weight loss. A biopsy of the area at the hind end may also provide information which could aid you with this difficult decision. It could be a treatable infection. A second opinion is not a bad idea in this situation, especially if your dog is eating and "happy".

I'm sorry to hear that Macey is going through this. Lethargy and pale gums certainly make me suspicious that she may have been bleeding into her abdomen for the past week. The most common causes of bleeding into the abdomen are due to cancer (hemangiosarcoma is most probably on the spleen and/or liver), a hematoma (essentially a bruise that ruptures), clotting disorders, or a benign mass (these are relatively uncommon). The only definitive way to differentiate between these issues is through a surgical biopsy of the affected organ, but abdominal ultrasound can certainly raise or lower suspicions of cancer. Unfortunately, without examining Macey and seeing a pathologist review of the aspirates, I can't offer a conclusive opinion as to whether or not she may have cancer. However, odds are good that cancer is likely since she was bleeding into her abdomen. If you are questioning your vet's conclusions, I would recommend seeking a second opinion from a vet at a practice with capability for abdominal ultrasound to provide more clarity. I hope this helps and I'm sorry that you're going this.

Unfortunately both pancreatitis and cancer can be difficult to diagnose. Ultrasound with an experienced ultrasonographer is often the best way to diagnose pancreatitis, but sometimes the pancreas can look relatively normal or difficult to see during an ultrasound. A tumor in the stomach or the pancreas can be be very difficult to see as well. You may want to ask your veterinarian about referral to a radiologist or internal medicine specialist for an ultrasound if Sirius is not responding well to current treatments.

I think it depends on how stable she is, what her overall quality of life is aside from this sudden new issue. (Here is some helpful information about quality of life: https://www.lapoflove.com/Quality-of-Life ). It also depends on her prognosis after surgery, which your vet can help you determine. I think surgery and euthanasia are both reasonable in this situation, but the can't tell you which would be better from your description. I hope that helps and I'm sorry your family is going through this.

I'm sorry Diesel isn't doing well! If he had pancreatitis, you would see symptoms such as repeated vomiting, vomiting undigested food, a hunched pain, a painful abdomen, a distended abdomen, diarrhea, loss of appetite, dehydration, and lethargy. Diesel would be extremely ill if he had pancreatitis, and from what you are describing, I would be inclined to think he doesn't have it. It is possible that he does have cancer even if your vet didn't feel any masses in his abdomen. There can still be tumors even if they can't be palpated, and cancer would cause him to eat and lose weight. Cancer can also cause diarrhea. Certain cancers also do not show any changes in blood work. I recommend having further testing done on him, such as x-rays or an ultrasound of his abdomen. These would help visualize if he has any tumors in his abdomen, and further testing such as a biopsy of them can be done if any are found. Unfortunately cancer is very common in senior dogs. I recommend having him seen by your vet again to discuss further testing. I hope this helps!

Hello. I am sorry for your concerns about Petey. The distal colon is primarily responsible for adjusting the amount of water reabsorbed from the ingesta, so if a significant amount of the colon is removed, you can wind up with Petey constantly leaking diarrhea from his rectum. If there has not been a diagnosis as to whether this is cancer or IBD, it is imperative to do a biopsy first. If it turns out to be cancer, it really is no use the remove only 1 section of the bowels because of the possibility of spread or metastasis. In this case, you have to think about doing chemo too, & this may not buy Petey much more than 6months to a year. You really have to consider what is best for him without making him miserable for what time he has left. So I would definitely consider seeing the specialist. All the best to you & Petey. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.