My family and I have an elderly Beagle; we have no idea how old he is because he wandered into our neighborhood about three years ago and we adopted him.
He's recently undergone some testing for a mass in his groin area. Our vet has determined from an x-ray that it must be a tumor on either a testicle that never dropped down or the spleen. The next step is exploratory surgery.
We're going to bring him home for now; but we're confused at what to do. Even if he does undergo surgery, there's no promise that the vet won't find cancer, in which case our Beagle would probably be put down on the table. On the other hand, the vet might simply be able to remove it and he'll be fine.
Our second option is to keep an eye on him at home and hope he doesn't get worse or passes in his sleep. We really don't want to put him down.
This is very difficult. Should we go ahead with surgery or simply let him live out his days as best he can?
Serious, thoughtful answers only.
Cheers!!
2007-06-13 14:38:26 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
So far, our Beagle's been acting okay. He has normal urination and appears to feel good without any sign of discomfort or pain.
One concern is his eating habits; he's not eaten as much as he normally does, but it's very hot where I live and that might be sapping his appetitie.
Another concern is his nipples have become enlarged (but not as large as a pregnant female). The vet said this could be a sign of cancer around the male organs, as tumors there generally cause female hormones to be produced.
Sorry if this is really long, but I want to give all the info I know so to help you guys and gals come up with some good answers.
Thanks!!
2007-06-13 14:43:51 · update #1
If your dog really is not showing any signs of pain I would not do anything. His age could be against him for surgery to begin with. If you are dealing with cancer, what can anyone do for him. I would ask the vet for some kind of pain relief for the future as I'm sure he will have pain if he has cancer.
I'm sorry for your unhappy situation, but at least now you will have time to prepare yourself for what was inevitable anyway, because of his age. Best of luck to you.
2007-06-13 14:55:12 · answer #1 · answered by Cassy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is such a difficult situation. If the dog is not in pain or suffering and he is old, I would probably opt to keep him home and keep an eye on him. The older they get, the more risk that pets will not come out of anesthesia, so I'd hate to put a dog under if the situation doesn't warrent it. If you feel there's a good chance that the surgery will allow the vetto correct the problem, it may be worth considering if the dog ahas several years left. Ask your vet how old he/she thinks the dog is & what the normal life expectancy is. You may also want to consider a second opinion before moving forward with a surgery. Look for a vet who may have more experience with tumors, etc.
2007-06-13 21:52:33 · answer #2 · answered by M3 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have a very serious talk with the vet what does he really think the chances are?? What does he really feel about it being cancer???
he/she should be able to give you a general idea of age by the teeth and what are the chances of the anesthesia be causing a problem if not death??
Ask the vet and look him?her straight in the face and say what would you do if this was your dog???
if you do go for the surgery I would ask the vet about castrating.
yes this is a very hard decision. It doesn't depend on eh amount of time but the quality of time the dog may have.
2007-06-13 21:50:30 · answer #3 · answered by Kit_kat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're right. This is a very difficult situation. The surgery could lengthen your dog's life or if they get in there and things look bad, it may shorten it. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like your vet is going to be able to give you any definitive information unless the surgery is done. I think if it were me, I'd make his time at home as special as I could, then have the surgery done knowing it's a risk but could extend his life. Hopefully, it goes well. Good luck in making this tough decision.
2007-06-13 21:58:16 · answer #4 · answered by Buddy28 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My heart goes out to you. Personally I would keep him home. If it is NOT cancer he will be fine. Benign tumors will not hurt him. If it is cancer, you can provide the best love and care anyone possibly can. This is called Hospice Care. You will know when he is in pain or cannot take care of himself anymore and you can have him 'put to sleep' then.
He is elderly - do not subject him to surgery. IMHO.
2007-06-13 21:44:59 · answer #5 · answered by Owlwoman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why can a small punch biopsy be done? After the results of the biopsy then you can decide
2007-06-14 00:03:20 · answer #6 · answered by leftygirl_75 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
wll i would go through the surgery but i would make sure the doctors think he woud make it
2007-06-13 21:41:20 · answer #7 · answered by Alex the wolf 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋