The tumor came up suddenly and started weeping yesterday as she was down at the vets today. The lump appeared very quickly. Just on October 24, she had a full check-up before we embarked on a four-month road trip. She loved every moment of it. We are administering palliative care, and she will be put to rest peacefully next week when our adult kids have had a chance to say goodbye. Like most pet dogs, she helped us raise the kids. She traveled all over Australia in a dog pusher and brought smiles to so many people with her infectious grin. The people in wheelchairs loved her, especially the kids, who saw a dog still out enjoying life. She also has a degenerative neurological disorder and has little feeling in her hind legs, so she is not in pain. If she was, we would have put her to sleep today. We’ve started her on medication to prevent infection and fly strike. Surgery is not an option due to her age and the location of the tumor. It’s in her hind leg, and we were told that if surgery were an option, they’d need to remove her back leg. Given her age, the surgery would be risky, and with her limited mobility already, it just isn’t an option if we want her to have a quality of life. I can’t post a photo of her enjoying her best life, or I would.
I’m so sorry. You’re giving her all your love, and she knows it.
This is my biggest fear. I am so sorry you are living it. All three of my dogs just had vet appointments in the last two months, but whenever something seems off, I can’t help but worry something was missed or has suddenly formed. How did you know something was wrong?
So sorry to hear that. Very sad. My dog had a mast cell tumor when he was 9. They cut the tumor out, and he lived normally until he died at 15. It’s always best to judge whether or not to do surgery based on quality of life afterward. I think you made the right decision no matter how hard it was.
Big fluffy dog hugs. You will see her again.