[ali12]

Hi there,
Me and my mum have just found out that our 13 year old Springer Spaniel, Ben has got a nasal tumour which our vet believes is cancerous.
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For several months now Ben has always had a runny nose. We visited our vet who thought it was an infection but warned us that because of his age it could be a tumour. He gave Ben a big injection of anti-biotics and told us if he was no better within 3 weeks to bring him back. A month later his health has got worse. His face is swollen, and he also has breathing difficulties and all he wants to do is lay in the shade. We took him back to the vets on Wednesday who diagnosed Ben with a tumour. The vet asked if he was still eating and drinking and we said yes so the vet gave him some more anti-biotics but told us that hes not got long left.
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The vet told us to leave it 5 days and if it got no better to have him put to sleep. The lump looks bigger today but we really dont know what to do for the best.
Can someone please give us their opinion on what to do
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Many thanks
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Ali and Andrea

[Jomar]

The vet won't think of removing the tumor?

But at age 13 for spaniels - I'm sorry to say- it is close to the end of normal life cycle for them.


here is a general life expectancy chart I found -
Tip 46 - Life expectancy in dogs - How long will my dog live?

We all want our pet dogs to live as long as possible, but the fact of the matter is that on average, certain dog breeds live longer than others. This might be a consideration when choosing a dog breed and it is therefore useful information to know before hand.

The average life span of the North American or European dog is 12.8 years. This is a large increase in life span over the past 100 years and is mostly attributable to better food and better medical care. Within this 12.8 year average for all dogs is a large range of life spans where certain breeds live longer and certain breeds live less long. In general, larger dogs live shorter lives than smaller dogs. This is due to the fact that the bodies of larger dogs must work harder (are more stressed) than the bodies of smaller dogs. That said, the life expectancy of any one dog in particular is ALSO determined by the stresses in its life (both physical and psychological), what it eats and how well it is taken care of.

Life expectancy of popular dog breeds:
Afghan Hound (12.0)
Airedale Terrier (11.2)
Basset Hound (12.8)
Beagle (13.3)
Bearded Collie (12.3)
Bedlington Terrier (14.3)
Bernese Mountain Dog (7.0)
Border Collie (13.0)
Border Terrier (13.8)
Boxer (10.4)
Bull Terrier (12.9)
Bulldog (6.7)
Bullmastiff (8.6)
Cairn Terrier (13.2)
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (10.7)
Chihuahua (13.0)
Chow Chow (13.5)
Cocker Spaniel (12.5)
Corgi (11.3)
Dachshund (12.2)
Dalmatian (13.0)
Doberman Pinscher (9.8)
English Cocker Spaniel (11.8)
English Setter (11.2)
English Springer Spaniel (13.0)
English Toy Spaniel (10.1)
Flat-Coated Retriever (9.5)
German Shepherd (10.3)
German Shorthaired Pointer (12.3)
Golden Retriever (12.0)
Gordon Setter (11.3)
Great Dane (8.4)
Greyhound (13.2)
Irish Red and White Setter (12.9)
Irish Setter (11.8)
Irish Wolfhound (6.2)
Jack Russell Terrier (13.6)
Labrador Retriever (12.6)
Lurcher (12.6)
Miniature Dachshund (14.4)
Miniature Poodle (14.8)
Norfolk Terrier (10.0)
Old English Sheepdog (11.8)
Pekingese (13.3)
Random-bred / Mongrel (13.2)
Rhodesian Ridgeback (9.1)
Rottweiler (9.8)
Rough Collie (12.2)
Samoyed (11.0)
Scottish Deerhound (9.5)
Scottish Terrier (12.0)
Shetland Sheepdog (13.3)
Shih Tzu (13.4)
Staffordshire Bull Terrier (10.0)
Standard Poodle (12.0)
Tibetan Terrier (14.3)
Toy Poodle (14.4)
Viszla (12.5)
Weimaraner (10.0)
Welsh Springer Spaniel (11.5)
West Highland White Terrier (12.8)
Whippet (14.3)
Wire Fox Terrier (13.0)
Yorkshire Terrier (12.8)


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[ali12]

Hi Jo,
The vet wont consider removing the tumour because of the age of Ben, he said that he is too old to be put under anasthetic.
Bens still the same the tumours not got any bigger - we will just have to see how he goes.
Thanks for your help - it looks like Bens an old dog at 13 and an half
Best wishes
Alison
-x-

[Kathi49]

Ali,

I know what you are going through and I feel for you.
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I went through this in May with my 6 year old male Shih Tzu. He had Emerging Lymphoma. We always took EXCELLENT care of him. So, this was just one of those things. He went from bad to worse in only 3 weeks. It is a very long story. So, I will just say that any decision is a very personal one. The conclusion I came to really...was...what was the kindest thing I could for him. And that was to put him to sleep. With Chemo he had about a year; without it...a lot less than that....maybe a week. I won't say anything more for now because I know you are going through a hurtful time. Just know that whatever decision you make is neither right nor wrong. I struggled with a bit of guilt for awhile until my Vet had a long talk with me. Please post back later and let us know how he is doing.

[Alffe]

I'm so sorry Ali....it's so hard to say goodbye to our cherished pets. I do believe that it's an act of kindness to have them put to sleep.
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And I feel the same about old, terminally ill people. ~sigh

[ali12]

Thanks for all your messages
Ben seems to be a bit more lively today,although his breathings still really bad and he is still panting. Do you recommend getting some more tablets and see how he goes? Or do you think his breathing will stay the same?
Many thanks
Alison and family
-x-

[Silverlady]

Ali,
I came into this late. First let me tell you how sorry I am that your little fellow is so ill. And he is very ill. It would be the kindest thing you could do to put him to sleep. He is suffering. No amount of pills is going to make him any better. And it looks like the group here agrees with me.

He has lived a long life and it has been a good life if you have cared for him all of it. But if it were my pet, I'd put him to sleep to stop his suffering.

I know it will be hard. But think about the suffering you will save him. Putting him to sleep is painless. I've held my own cocker spaniel in my arms when they had to do this and she simply went to sleep.

I'm sorry,
Billye

[Doody]

((Ali)) I'm so sorry to hear about your little friend. It's so hard to face these kinds of things and at the age of 58, I've had to put down quite a few pets. One as recently as last year.

Mine was kind of the same thing except my Sweetie Pie, a cat, had an intestinal tumor that spread and she was really sick. I made a spur of the moment decision, at the vet's, to have her put down after the vet told me she was suffering. It was so very hard. And she was a young cat.

I don't know what to tell you about your own. Do you have a university vet school there nearby?

I just don't know what I would do so I'm of no help for you in making a decision. It is sad that we outlive our pets, and the older you get the more pets you outlive.

Hugs and love to you for whatever you decide.

[InHisHands]

Ali, (((sorry to hear about your little friend))), I know what it feels like going through this all... I have lost many cats/ a dog. It is so hard, I am sending you lots of ((pain free hugs)), I hope and pray you are making it through this.
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[Doody]

Thinking of you tonight (((Ali))).
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