SunFan Posted April 28, 2023 Report Share Posted April 28, 2023 We have a nine year old Beagle with an aggressive cancerous tumour in the urethra. She began spotting blood from the vagina and we took her for a number of tests for a diagnosis. We're now awaiting word from our Vet as to prognosis and treatment options. She (our Vet) is consulting with her peers in Guadalajara. Surgery is apparently not an option because of the probability of metastasizing and incontinence. She shows no signs of problems yet - active, affectionate, eats well, plays with our other dog, urinates and defecates normally. Before specific options for treatment are recommended our Vet indicated chemo and radiation might be required. I have no prior experience with this. Previous pets have simply died of old age. Naturally we did Google searches and discovered dogs seem to have a parallel with human experience. Chemo and radiation prolong life but are usually not a cure. The suffering is simply prolonged. I have had several friends and acquaintances who had undertaken months and years of treatment, experiencing excruciating debilitation and ended up dying anyways. The options I'm anticipating appear to be to pursue chemo and radiation treatment which likely will only prolong the inevitable or taking no treatment options, waiting for the inevitable and making her final time as comfortable as possible and ending with euthanasia when she has no more quality of life. Money is not an issue. I'm asking if anyone and can offer experience and advice with pet cancer. We are obviously devastated to lose our beloved pet before her time. SunFan As a side note, we initially wasted over two months and $ with what I would consider an incompetent Vet who misdiagnosed the problem and wasted time with irrelevant diagnosis and treatment and a recommendation for a caring, compassionate, careful one . PM me for details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEWMtnMama Posted April 28, 2023 Report Share Posted April 28, 2023 The most important thing to consider is quality of life. A dog or cat does not know future. They don't have a child who will graduating from college or know that a favorite person will be visiting in a few months. If they are in pain, it is all they know. If chemo will extend the time she has without discomfort, I'd say go for it. Crossed paws. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunFan Posted May 4, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2023 An update. Thank you to the folks who responded with sage advice and their own experiences. The cancer is apparently fatal without doubt. It's only a question is when. The end will come quickly when the urethra is blocked entirely. We'll have to rush her in for euthanasia. The next move is to have our Vet consult with her specialists in Guadalajara to determine the likelihood of chemotherapy prolonging her life with a high level of comfort. If chemo is not likely to produce significant remission we will wait for the inevitable. SunFan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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