Hi all

It's very rare I venture over here but my OH has sadly found out that his 16 year old collie/German shepherd cross has a cancerous tumour in his gums. We noticed that his mouth was bleeding a lot and he lost a tooth so took him to the vets who said that operating was probably not worth it as it would appear it has gone down to the bone and waking him up from anaesthesia would probably prove to be inhumane

He seems in high spirits at the moment and isn't in any noticeable pain. However my OH and his dog are inseparable and it's devastated him.

Does anyone have any experience of this? Basically we are wondering how long he has left with us. Also he HATES going to the vets and gets very distressed, has to be muzzled etc. My OH is very worried that when the time comes to let him go being distressed will be the last thing he remembers and it's upsetting him a great deal. I have never had any pets so can't really offer any advice as I don't know what it's like

Thank you all in advance

Sophie

X

How awful a situation to be in
i've no experience of oral cancer in dogs myself, though i do know a fella who had a labrador with a growth on its mouth. from diagnosis to it encroaching on the dogs well-being was around 8 months before they decided to let her go.
every dog is different though, so there's really no telling how long.
my ex boyfriends mums dog developed bone cancer in one of his legs, from diagnosis to having him PTS was only around 4 months.

the vet who saw him could be able to give you a better idea.
in my opinion, they are right that operating isn't an option.
16 years is a fine age for a dog, it is likely that it wouldn't be successful.

in regards to letting him go - would the dog be as distressed if the vet were to be called out to your home?
it's more costly, but if he would be more comfortable in his home surroundings, it's worth every penny.

Though i understand it would make it very hard to be in the same room it was done - my own dog passed away in my bed next to me on the 3rd of may last year. it was november before i would let anyone lay on that side of the bed again. i still refuse now to re arrange the furniture in here.

Yes I do! My beautiful dog developed cancer in her neck, we had the lump removed but unfortunately they couldn't get it all out. She was given a couple of months to live(we were told it was the most agressive form of cancer) but managed to struggle on for over a year living a relatively happy life. Ultimately it spread to her mouth, leaving her unable to eat.
I handfed her for awhile, hoping she would get better. Obviously this was in vain and in the end we had to have her PTS, which really was the kindest thing to do as she was clearly in pain by that point.
Only your OH can decide when the time is right but ultimately with cancer of the mouth their time is extremely limited anyway from my experience.

It's a horrible situation to be in, it really is.

We had a lovely 12 year old mongrel who sadly developed a cancerous growth at the very back of his tongue. We don't know how long he'd had it for because he'd had no symptoms at the time it was discovered.
When we took him to the vet they kept him for the day and found he had another growth in his throat so we don't know which one developed first. The vet said there was a place (can't remember where now) where they could try to remove the tongue growth but it would probably return at some point even if they managed to remove it all.

We thought about it and decided against it, partly because of his age and because he had another in his throat that they couldn't remove. We wanted him to enjoy the time he had left without spending part of that time having operations that wouldn't cure him, just prolong his life.

At this point he was eating normally and being just as bouncy as playful as ever but he did start to lose weight pretty quickly. After a couple of months he wasn't so keen on eating so I cut up chicken. steak, fish and everything I could think of to temp him to eat from my hand as he'd stopped going to his food bowl. He then found it difficult to eat even cut up food after a few weeks so I put it through the blender and he took small pieces from my hand.
He still liked going to the park occasionally and meeting other dogs even though he wasn't that energetic at home.
After another few weeks he was no longer tempted by any food at all. I think by this time the tongue and throat growth had grown which made it very difficult for him to swallow.
Then he stopped greeting my husband when he came in from work and that's when we knew that he didn't have that much longer left with us It was heartbreaking for all my family.

Approx. three months from diagnosis we arranged for the vet to come to our house and my daughter and I stroked him and told him we loved him as the vet gave him the injection. All four of us in my family cried and even the vet shed a tear.We later buried him in the garden "asleep" in his bed. We still talk to him when we're near to him and have plenty of photos of him in the house.

This was thirteen years ago and it's so hard to type out the details, even now it makes me cry.
It really is the same as losing a member of your family because that's exactly what they were.

I wish you and your OH all the best and I hope your dog doesn't suffer too much..

Thank you all for your replies.It's much appreciated.

When our lovely boy was a puppy my OH had another dog who was a very old man and living out his last days. When the time came my OH had requested a vet came out to the house as the dog was in in no fit state to travel. The vet couldn't/wouldn't and told him just to stay with the dog and comfort him as 'it wouldn't be long'. The poor thing suffered for a full day before he died with my OH at his side the whole time. My OH was only 15 years old at the time and I think it has haunted him ever since.

Thankfully the vet we have now is much better and I think a home visit will be the best option for us.

It's such an awful experience, I dont envy the decision he has to make at all. But I have taken some comfort from your kind words. Thanks everyone.

One of our first labs had a cancerous growth in his mouth when he was about 8 years old. We caught it early, had it (along with a couple of teeth) removed but the vet told us that it was unlikely that he had managed to remove all the cancerous cells - because you can't see them.

He was fine for about 12 months and then it came back again. We recognised the symptoms the second time - drooling and rubbing the side of his face. The vet advised against a second operation but as we'd been successful the first time we went ahead. That time only gave us about 4 months before it recurred.

It's an aggressive form of cancer, it does cause pain to the animal and if our lab had been 16 when it was diagnosed, I'm not sure we'd have put him through the first op; I know we would not have put him through the second. Make sure your vet has the animal's interests at heart rather than being concerned about the cost to you but if the vet is not wholeheartedly convinced that it's right for the animal, be guided by him. Sixteen is a remarkably good age for a large dog so he's done well.

As has been discussed in another thread recently, most vets will come out to the house to euthanaise a pet. It costs more, but a gentle death is immesurably better for both you and the dog. Try not to be too distressed on "the day" because we all know our pets pick up on our emotions so try and stay upbeat. Decide also what you are going to do after the deed is done - bury at home? Cremation?

It's heartbreaking when you have to make the decision but try and keep in mind the comfort and well-being of the dog. Don't keep him alive because you cannot bear to lose him. It's an awful decision to have to make but you do it because it's the kindest thing for him. Your grief will be the same whenever it happens.

And when you're ready, think about getting another dog. There are thousands of dogs in rescues and refuges desperate to have a home. The next dog/s won't replace the current one - he or she will be a personality in their own right and you'll love them just as much. They're worth all the heartache at the end. And I say this after 6 dogs and 11 cats over 30 years.

Only bad news I'm afraid. Eight years ago our thirteen year old springer developed a cancerous growth on the side of her tongue, between her tongue and gum.

The vet said it was an aggressive sort and if it was removed it would certainly regrow, and there was no chemotherapy for it.

As she was already getting on in age and was terrified of the vets as she had a lot of previous health problems and operations we sadly decided to have her put to sleep.

She was gorgeous and we still miss her.

Hope there is a better outcome for your dog.

Hi OP,

sorry to hear about your dog. My dog had an inoperable bladder tumour at 14. The vet reckoned he'd last a month before he'd be in pain and would have to be put down. He lasted 6 months before his quality of life got to a point where it was the kindest thing to do. You'll know when the time is right.

My dog didn't like going to the vets, so he was put down at home with me stroking his silly floppy ears. Was all very calm and gentle. Not sure we could have got him up to the vets as he was a very big dog. The vet did warn us before hand that sometimes they can get hypersensitive to their surroundings as they are slipping away and may yelp and struggle as the anaesthetic takes effect. I know that you'll be upset about it, but would it be possible for you to have a chat to the vet about whats involved etc so you can help your OH through it?

I lost my dog two months ago. It was a very hard time. She had been going off her food for the past year and was getting more prone to strokes and going senile. I kept her going for as long as she seemed happy enough. IWhen her Appetite vanished completely despite all foods I tried I knew it was about time. Then she started barking on and off from pain and I made the quick decision.

I could have had a home visit but sadly couldn't afford it but I think in the end she was ready to go and although she never liked going to the vets and shook in there she seemed more relaxed that last time. The vets were very caring and considerate.

God I miss her so much and still don't know exactly (She did have early stage kidney failure) what was the cause of her appetite issues and such but at least she is happy and at peace now.

Thank you all so much for the input and sharing your stories with me. I know it must be hard to talk about sometimes especially for people like CBFreak where it is so recent. I really appreciate it.

He is starting to go off his food and I think the time may be drawing near sooner than we would hope. But your advice has been a comfort at a very painful time.

Sorry to hear this, and I think you are right - a home visit from the vet would be far kinder than taking your dog to the vets. It may seem a bit goulish, but have you thought about what you'd like to do with his body? It helped me when I lost a cat last December that I knew what exactly I wanted to do.

My old labrador cross developed oral cancer. My parents decided that when the time came that she couldn't finish her dinner (she wolfed it down when she was healthy) then it was probably time to say goodbye. If the dog's having trouble eating, and I imagine its painful when there are tumours in the mouth, then I think it's kinder to have them put down. It got to the point as well that her mouth developed an awful smell and although we loved her it did become very difficult to live with.

I think if the dog is clearly uncomfortable and struggling then it will become quite clear to you and you will know what to do.

I know this isn't the place so maybe you could PM me?...our dog is coming to the endof his path and we will soon be considering our options. What do we do? I tsounds ridiculous but the thought of leaving him behind at the vets after he's gone terrifies me.

PM sent.