Dear MeltC,
Its a hard decision to make, and I think in the end its going to be up to you.

Can you feel the lumps, would it be a major surgery with a big wound? Can you afford the time to clean it every day till it heals? Cuz without proper care it could get infected. How much potential time could you gain from the surgery anyway, and could you afford it+meds+bandages and dressings (which can add up to a lot). What are the risks involved? What are the potential gains?

Since she has been living with the lumps for 2 years, and assuming they have been stable, and not bothering her, why not keep an eye on her and them for more time before making that decision? Your dog sounds pretty healthy right now, its a tough situation where its hard to do, hard to not do.

One of the factors you could consider is that your dog is now 8 years old, thats sort of middle aged, but dogs lifespan can vary a lot. Is she slowing down? Muzzle turning grey, arthritis kicking in, that should be a factor when making a decision for you

When we found a lump on my dogs tail when he was 16, we made the decision not to operate due to his age. When the lump turned cancerous, and he was put on anti-cancer meds and antibiotics to clean up the smell, he felt very sickly (wouldnt eat, but still want to go for walk), so we stopped the anti-cancer pills, and used the antibiotics for a few days as necessary. He felt better but finally passed away peacefully 6 months later.

Sometimes I wonder if I should have taken surgery when the lump was benign, or when the lump turned cancerous. Should I have stuck with the anti-cancer pills, or not? However, pills are not enough to cure or control cancer, ppl mostly do surgery, sometimes radiation, and a) I dont have access to that, b) dogs already 17, worth the pain to gain a few months or a year at most?

Like humans, medicine and surgery isn't free. While surely it would be wonderful if we could afford the best from time and money for our pets, sometimes love is all we can give and it is enough. It's easy for someone on the internet to say you SHOULD do this and that, hang the costs, your pet deserves the best, but if they were in your situation would they practice what they preach? We all do what we can. There are people out there who choose to die because they can't afford surgery and don't want to burden their children.

All the best for your dog, she's lucky to have an owner who loves her and considers her options for her. Whichever you decide, as long as your dog knows you love her, and she loves you, thats more than enough

---

Added on December 25, 2008, 10:09 am


On a different note, I had a TERRIBLE experience with Maju Animal Clinic in Melaka. 3 years ago My dog was sick and because my regular vet, Dr Jeya from Semabok was out of town, I decided to bring her to Maju as we had been buying dogfood/dog shampoo from their place and it looked pretty well stocked and ok.

When I brought my dog in, the lady vet barely touched her, looked over her, took her temperature, gave her a jab, and gave me some antibiotics for her. Very fast. (My dog hadnt been eating and drinking much for a few days, we didnt notice cuz another dog was sick as well). Then (my big mistake), I asked her if there was anything long lasting to prevent ticks and fleas, and she recommended a med called "spot on" to dab on the dogs shoulder, and I was interested and asked when I could use it on my dog. She said it was very safe, and safe even for nursing/pregnant dogs and I could use it now, and she put it on my dog. (I still feel like slapping myself for not thinking).

Later that night, my dog started passing blood but was still moving around, I freaked out and called Maju (they were closed so I called their mobiles. First the lady (who didnt answer) then the guy vet on the card). I told him my dog was passing blood, I brought her to your clinic this afternoon, could you come over? My house isnt far from your clinic. And the ba5tard tells me TO GO TO THE PHARMACY AND BUY ANTI DIARRHEA pills and give to my dog. Then he hangs up. I was furious, Dr Jeya was out of town, and I didn't know the number for Vally. My dog died within the hour.

Now, frankly I don't know if my dog could have been saved, since it was already passing blood. But the idiocy of his advice was such that I felt like storming into his clinic with my dogs bloody body (she bled from the eyes when she died) and asking him if anti diarrhea pills could have helped THAT.

My regular vet told me later that if the dog had not been eating/drinking few days, she should have been put on an IV drip.

So yeah. I've never gone back to Maju and I still feel like spitting on them when I pass that so called clinic.

This post has been edited by Sashan: Dec 25 2008, 10:12 AM