[PetulantWolf]

I dont know where to post this...

My Chihuahua has cancer. Onhis foot. He had surgery to remove the tumor, but they say that there is a 50-70 chancer it will recur in the same spot and a 10-15 % chance it will spread. Then they mentioned radiation. Which I thought would be a good idea until I found out that it takes 15 visits and they have to give him genral anesthesia every day for 15 visits. AND its $5000. And after that there will STILL be a 10-15% chance it will or has spread.
The dog cries the whole time he insn the car, the whole time hes at t the vet. I cant imagine what it willbe like doing this. And there are side effects. His foot will get very painful for a while.
My husband died of cancer a year and a half ago and I swore that i would just stay home amnd not go to any doctors after watching what they put him through and he died anyway.
Does anyone have any ideas on this?

[sabby]

((((((((((((((just and pooch))))))))))))))))))))

I'm so sorry to hear of your ill pooch. I had a pup, she was 5 when she had osteosarcoma in her right leg. The vets told us about the same thing that yours told you. We also would have had to take her to Boston for surgery and all her treatments. The cost would have been astronomical not to mention the time off from work and traveling.

It was a hard decision for us to make, but we had to basically do nothing and keep her as comfy as possible. She survived about a year and a half before it spread to her lymph nodes and took her from us.

No one can answer for you what you should do. The only thing you can do is decide for yourself if you can afford the treatments and go through the whole thing with your beloved pooch. I know it's not easy. I pray for you for strength to get you and your pooch through this difficult time.

Hugsssss
J

i can only speak from my own experience. when my "eaglebeagle" had bone cancer and they wanted to remove her leg/shoulder, i decided not to. within three days, the cancer came into a different part of her body and i let her go. it was for her that i did it. it nearly killed me, but i knew that the treatments wouldn't be fair. how do you explain to a dog what we're doing to them? and she would have lost another leg. good luck, xoxoxo pat

[gardenergirl]

Oh I'm so sorry. What a difficult situation and decision. My heart aches for you.

It sounds like you've gathered a lot of information about the choices, and that's a good thing. I wish there were easy answers that weren't painful. All I can recommend is to listen to your heart and to pooch's heart as best you can and go with that. And whatever you decide, please know that if you decide with your heart within the context of the knowledge you gathered, you can't make the wrong decision.

((((((((((jsmua))))))))))

gg

edited to correct a misspelling
And then edited to correct the misspelled edit. Bah!

[bebop]

me personally I don't think I could put my animal thru all that. not sure I would put me thru all that if I had cancer to be honest. poor little thing. I know it is very tough for you. I have a little chihuahua too and it would just about kill me if I had to go thru it with him.

[(JD)]

It's tough enough to make the "right" decision... but then to have money have to weigh in, makes it tougher.

I wouldn't do that to my dog... as most know, I didn't make him go through fighting a bad infection (he was 15) and I put him to sleep in January.

Whatever you decide, it will be right, because you will make it with caring love. ((((hugs)))

[Wants2Fly]

I had dogs for 30 years. I only put one down, because he was very old and very ill. Others died of natural causes . . .

I would not want to put the poor tyke through the treatment, considering all factors: pain and confusion for the beloved pet, high risk of recurrence, money that I personally would not be able to afford.

This is a very personal decision, however. No matter how many people might decide differently from you, whatever choice you make will be right for you.

I support you in whatever decision you know is right for you and your loved little one.

[PetulantWolf]

Thank you all I am leaning toward not getting him treated. I took him yesterday to an oncologist just for a consultation and e was all tired and stressed out the rest of the day. I dont think I could put him through this.

I discussed it with my t and he said : that a dog isnt self-aware and istnt afraid of dying...but would be afraid of all the treatments. So I guess I just have to keep him out of pain...I wonder if when its time I could have the vet come to the house.

I just want to be sure Im doing the right thing. Its so hard because my husband's only been dead a little over a year... of cancer and even if the dog could take the treatments I dont know if I could. I wanted to be sure I wasnt being selfish.. It was eight months of hell watching my husband go through chemo and everything. I dont know how I'm going to be watching my dog die so soon and so young.

I havent told my daughter yet. She's 13. I should put it off telling her right? Imean she just lost her father. Shes not going to take it well. But then she may be mad I didnt tell her...

Thanks Wants, Sky, Bebop, Gardnergirl,Pat,Sabau...I hope I dint miss anyone..Im kind of upset...all of your replies meant a lot...