Have you been in this situation with your dog?

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Our Border Collie has lived with us for 12 years and is at least 15 years old. 18 months ago she became crippled with arthritis but now has monthly injections that deaden the pain so, while she sleeps a lot, she enjoys life. A few weeks ago she brought in a hedgehog, both survived and she tries to go out every night to stalk it. About a month ago we noticed the side of her mouth drooped when she ‘smiled’ and last Thursday her gum looked inflamed. On Friday, at her monthly injection, we asked the vet about it, mentioned the hedgehog and she is having an X-ray on Friday with a biopsy. Because of her age she is having extra fluids and blood.
This is where I’m asking for your experiences, it seems likely it is a tumour and not injury from the hedgehog. It has grown since Friday and we have to make decisions for our darling girl. The vet has said that they can reset her jaw if necessary and she can have chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but at her last yearly health check we were told we would have another year to 18 months with her. When she is awake she is like a puppy, but that is for about 3 hours a day, she enjoys her food, strolls and smells but mostly she likes lying around and watching the world go by.
Our common sense, and love for her, says it is wrong to put her through the trauma of cancer treatment but she is content with her life, added to this we have had three members of the family diagnosed with grade 4 cancer this year, one died before the result of the biopsy came through, another has gone home to die and the third has had chemo, surgery and now is about to start chemo again. I know she is a dog not a human but we really want to do what is best for her, not us.
Has any one had a dog with this type of illness? What would you do?

As a dog owner and dog lover, I'd say do palliative care until the time comes to say goodbye. She's an amazing age and has had a wonderful life. You can't explain treatment to her, and it will only add a small extra on to her life. Gently put, they all have to die of something and at her age death is only around the corner.
If the vets are able to keep her medicated and out of pain for a little while then do that. She'll let you know when it's time to say goodbye.

If she’s not in any extra pain and the tumour isn’t bothering her (ie she’s still eating and drinking happily) then I would start making the most of the time with her.

if it grows that fast though I would be considering putting her to sleep - she’s had a good long life with you and you don’t have to wait for the very last moment to pts which I think far too many people do. It’s trite but better a week too early than a day too late

I wouldn't put my dog through that treatment, especially not an elderly dog.

I've had chemo and radio myself and whilst I know it's not the same - if I'd have been very elderly when I needed it, I'm not sure I'd have done it.

I think make her happy and comfortable for as long as you can. And then say goodbye when the time is right.

I would make the most of the time you have left. At 15 It won't be a quick or easy recovery and there are no guarantees, and as a PP has said, you can't explain why she is going through it all. I really feel for you but just because surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are available, their use is not appropriate in every situation. An ethics committee would almost certainly not approve such aggressive treatment for a dog of that age. Love her, keep her out of pain and live the last months of your wonderful journey together.

Lovely response from @Olivetreebutter .
It's true that they all have to die of something, and when a dog is already old it won't be long, so comfort for just a little while longer is probably the way to go.
Also, an animal has no concept of time passing or their own mortality, so won't be frightened of their impending death.
I'm sorry you have this to deal with; I'm going to be in pieces when my middle aged dog comes to the end of his life 💐

I had a border collie cross who, at 15, developed a lump on his snout. It got bigger very quickly and sadly turned out to be cancerous. He deteriorated very fast and within weeks became doubly incontinent. I could have put him through gruelling treatment, but for what? To maybe give him another 6 months at best? No. It would have been selfish of me to put my boy through that, especially at his age. Not long before his 16th birthday, I woke up one morning and he gave me a look. It was a look which was asking me not to let him go on like that. I phoned the vet who visited us at home where I lay on the floor with my dog and cuddled him into his final sleep. It was calm and dignified, unlike many cancer treatments.

If your dog gives you that look, you'll know what the right thing to do is.

Your dog, your choice, but realistically you need to ask yourself if putting an animal you love so much through huge stress at her age is the right thing for her.

I'm sorry you're faced with this decision. It really is so hard but she may answer it for you before you can make a decision for her. If you still can't decide, ask your vet what they would do if she was their dog.

Whatever time you have left, make it count.

Thank you for your replies. You are basically saying what we know to be right.
Our previous collie was 18 years old and, really, her quality of life was not good for the last 6 months, I wouldn’t want to leave it too long again. My DM had a dog who went in for an X-ray which showed a tumour and it was felt best that she be PTS immediately without coming out of the anaesthetic, I’m on my own on Friday as my DMIL has a medical appointment 400 miles away and I’m trying to decide what to do if faced with the same decision

I’m sure they can smell death at the vets so my own persona opinion is to only visit the vet when it’s absolutely necessary.

Your dog is elderly and repeated trips to the vets for various treatments and operations is not something I would want the last part of her life filled with.

She sounds wonderful and I hope her time passes peacefully at home.

She used to hate the vets but since having her injections she doesn’t seem to mind, she prances for the next week - she’s in double prance mode atm as she was groomed last week as well. She has done her security patrol of the grounds and is currently on her favourite ledge where she can see the road, passers by, the creek and wildlife. We will make sure life is good for her.

Our previous collie was supposedly 10 when we got him from the rescue, but I actually think he was likely nearer 12-14 from how grey he was and the fact he had the beginnings of arthritis.
We decided to put him to sleep when he started getting distressed he couldn't get up as well as he used to and also started weeing and pooing about the house.
We had the vet home visit as he hated going to the vets and we worried about getting in and out of the car - but despite the (very lovely) vet making an absolute fuss of him, and not wearing a white coat that smelt too much of the surgery he still managed to nip him, which was so true to form, but I'm glad he went when he did as he was showing signs of stress about not being able to go outside as quickly as he wanted etc. and I know he'd have hated to get worse. He was at least 18 nearly 19, but I think likely in his 20s.

I'm sorry you're going through this. On the question of what to do if the vet confirms cancer while your dog is under anaesthetic, there's never a right decision is there? We were in that situation unexpectedly with our cat, and faced with having to make an instant decision, we were guided by the vet's advice to let him go without waking him from the anaesthetic to save him further pain and distress. I regret it, as in quality of life terms he wasn't yet at the point where I'd have made the PTS decision otherwise - he was still eating, still active, and if I had the time again I think I would opt for pain meds/palliative care for whatever good quality time he had left, and have the vet out to the house when the time came. However, I comfort myself that our pets do hide their pain very stoically and try to please us, so I may well have left it too long if we'd brought him home, and "better a week too soon than a day too late". I don't know if that helps at all.

This was just like our first dog. We left it too long, not helped by a vet who kept saying there was more that could be done, the last time two days before another vet recognised that she was suffering too much to stay. My only excuse was that my DF had just died unexpectedly but I am worried that I might make the wrong decision this time because of this experience and she might go too soon.

This is exactly our dilemma, she does seem her normal self. The fact that is growing so quickly though might make any decision easier if it comes to that.

Sorry for the multiple posts, don’t know why that happened

No multiple posts, stress is getting to me!

I have a 15 year old Jack Russell who is in very good health to look at her. She has good teeth and no lumps on her anywhere, good eyes and hearing still. She sleeps mostly but when awake she can be quite puppyish and playful. But she has recently started weeing in the house multiple times a day. Sometimes in her sleep (on my bed) too. 😒

She's been on antibiotics for a week to see if it was a UTI, but the vet said if she doesn't stop weeing inside, it could be bladder cancer. We have discussed it as a family and decided that we won;t do any treatment for her if that's the case, just feed her her favourite stuff and take her for lovely walks and make the most of the time we have left.

Its utterly heartbreaking and i can't even bear to think about what lies ahead.

To all you lovely people who helped me earlier we went for the X-Ray this morning but the senior vet came in - he’s looked after her for 12 years- and said there was no point in putting her through the general anaesthetic, it was obviously a nasty tumour and it was best to bring her home until it begins to affect her, which will be in the very near future.
we are off to the beach with a lot of her favourite treats.

All I can say is, don’t leave it too long because that final decision is so very hard, you can’t bear to make it. We left it too long for our poor old dog, and I still feel that I should have been brave enough to let her go a bit sooner.

i promise we will not hesitate as soon as she shows any sign that she is in discomfort, that is what we owe her for the love and joy she has brought to the family. As long as she is looking for food and can enjoy the garden we know she is ok, but we know it is a matter days or weeks not months.

Thinking of you. Such a bittersweet time, knowing time is short, but that you will spend this time making memories with a much loved member of the family.

💐