Hello
I am sitting here in tears, really not knowing what to do.
I have a little cocker spaniel who is 13 year old, up until today she has been as lively as a little puppy not like an old dog at all, however today she isnt at all herself and is clearly in pain with a large mammary tumor (which maybe benign? or cancerous? dont know yet). I took her to the vets and he suggested that we checked bloods to check liver and kidney function, then if they are ok, an xray on her lungs to check if clear, and then if all okay to operate and remove the tumor.  He feels that it would give her at least another year (which is 7 years in dog years) and if it was his dog he would do it considering she had been such a little live wire before hand.  He said that she would be in less pain after the operation than she is now and that anestheics and pain killers these days are excellent.  I just dont know what to do.  Would you put your little one through this and give her some more happy days or would you put her to sleep?   Has anyone been in the same position?
Please let me know your thoughts either way.  Many thanks.
btw. Has anyone got a cocker spaniel which lived a very very old age?? or is 13 about the max??  Its such a shame as she has been such a happy lively little girl before today. Help! sniff sniff. 

Well it has a 60% chance of being benign, and if it has not spread even if it is carcinoma then it will keep her going to her natural span anyway.

How is it that it has gotten so large?  If it has grown quickly it is less likely to be benign I believe, but if they can get all or most of it then it is likely to give the time she was destined to live anyway, as she is already 13.

Firstly I'm so sorry to hear about your girl.

If she were my girl I would not have the op done. I'd imagine your vet would do a full mammary strip and it is a big operation. I had one girl that I put through this and I said I wouldn't do it again as she was in such pain for several days after the op and the cancer had moved elsewhere too. I had another girl with lumps, an elderly girl. After discussing it with the vets we decided to just leave her and she did have a happy 18 months before peacefully leaving for the bridge. I don't regret this course of action at all.

It's a personal decision though, and one that only you can make.

I don't have a cocker spaniel with a mammery tumour but my 13 year old Goldie developed a pyo and vet left decision to me whether or not to put her through surgery.  It is a very difficult decision to make - although he intimated I may not want to do it as spaying when they have a pyo is more expensive...  I based my decision on, if she wasn't fit/strong enough then I hoped she would just go to sleep under anasthetic and not come round - so would have been very peaceful.  But, she made an amazing recovery - almost puppy like and had another very good year + before we lost her in July of this year.

If her blood tests show nothing wrong and also chest clear - I would let her have surgery, although it is a very tough call to make.

Thinking of you....

Personal opinion?  13 is a good age and we have a rule in the house that we don't send our dogs off with strangers to be pulled about, not even for investigation....... you can explain to children but not to dogs why they are sent away on their own from home.
We keep them pain free and comfortable for as long as possible, and then let them go. :(

I'm not sure how your Vet can say that she will have another year pain free without knowing what's going on inside and if this is a secondary growth?  She will need a general anaestetic for the X-ray and another for an exploratory operation, and then it may still not be good news.

A very hard decision for you I can see by your post.  In our house, it would be a sad but simple one. :( 

I had a mammary tumour removed on one of my bitches last year. This year she won Best of Breed at Crufts -that's how well she recovered. She's only 10, but even so. My Cavalier died this year and he was 15, and that's a breed known to often not live very long. They often do surprise you. So as long as the vet thinks there is a good chance I think you have everything to win by going for the surgery. Good luck!

Myself i wd think twice about doing itat that age.  My friend had her Spanish done for a mammory tumour and she died 3 weeks later andshe wasn'tas old as your girl. I did haveone taken from one of my 11 year old girls once and she lived until 15. 

Im very sorry for your girl and you.
I had a golden retriever with mammary tumours at 9yrs old...we had the surgery done on her as they were malignant.
She was not well after the opp with the wound not healing over after opening up twice and she lived only for 4months after the opp.
If I had to make that decision again I would not have the opp and just let her live out what life she had left without major surgery.
Hope you can make your decision soon x

To me, have the bloods done and go from there.
My Bitch had a growth in her stomach, she was just over 10 (Rottie cross) and they talked about 'going in'. After all the questions the vet said one of the main factors is if the pre op blood tests. (she had had an Xray on her stomach 6 months before) Gemmas(my avatar) came back that her organs were not strong enough to cope with an operation. So the decision was made for me.
She stayed with me 24/7 (came to work with me) for the last 3 months of her lif, more good days than bad,  before a very bad weekend and monday. That monday night I took her to the vets and was told they could keep her the way she was but not get her any better. She was PTS the next day at home on her favorite bed.
What I am trying to say is do all the non avsive things first then think about what you will do.
(((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))) for what ever you decide to do, and I know you will make the right choice for both you and your girl xx
Lea xxx

I am really sorry about the agonising dilema you find yourself in. My MIL's little crossbreed had surgery to remove two mamary tumours when she was about 12 and she went on to live until she was 17. I remember going to pick her up and she gave me heart failure as you wouldn't have thought she had just had surgery. Good luck and I am sure whatever decision you come to, will be the right one for your girl and your family.

Hi
Thanks so much for all your replies... its such an awful situation, made all the worse as my little spaniel is now rather lively and seems a lot happier, so the painkillers which the vet gave must be kicking in.  It doesnt take away the awful decision which I have to make as the mammary tumor is still there.  I guess we all wish our little ones would live for ever. :( sigh.... so sad.....  decisions, decisions....

My labador had a mammary strip when she was ten,she was in alot of pain for a few days after,however she went on to live another 4 years,it is a awful decision,

Sheila

My cocker had mammary tumours starting from the age of 10.  We decided not to operate as we got told it was a tough op on an older girl and our Murphy lived till she was 13years.  Very personal decision which I'm glad I don't need to make.  Best wishes.