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Darby's surgery..

T

tom e

New member
The family dog, Darby, lives with my mom.. He's had two surgeries over the last year to remove fatty tumors. Our vet told us the first time it wasn't much to worry about but to watch it and see if they come back. Well they came back much larger than before, in about 4 months time, and the vet told us after his second surgery that it was much more invasive than before..
I don't know if anyone has experienced this before but he said they were fairly common. We're waiting for biopsy...
Any thoughts? He doesn't seem to be suffering- At all, but obviously we're on pins and needles.. He's 11 years old.
 
Aww..poor Darby. He looks so sweet. I hope he recovers well from all of this and that the biopys turns out negative. 11 years old makes him as much family as the human inhabitants !
 
Thanks Dawn. Yeah he is the sweetest dog, you have to be careful how you scold him when his nose gets him into trouble... He tends to mope for a bit. He also has this funny way of greeting people he knows, never licks you, he just presses his cheek against yours. We call it the Darby hug.
His old age doesn't seem to bother him a bit though. He rides shotgun with Mom everywhere she goes, and LOVES to chase cats so much he squeels like he's being beaten the whole time!
Also he doesn't seem to be affected much by the surgery which is I think, a good sign.
 
Yes I think that is a good sign too. Animals provide such joy and peace in our lives and I hope he continues to do so for your family for a long time.
 
Lipomas, fatty tumors, just below the surface of the skin aren't usually an issue until they get large. My mother had one that she had removed. Sometimes they do come back and can become problematic. I hope Darby heals quickly and the biopsy comes back negative.
 
Results came back in, and it is cancer. I guess it's called spindle cell and we're told it's of an "Intermediate" aggressiveness.
Poor old Darby has no idea of course and seems as healthy as ever. We've decided that everything is business as usual until we notice that he isn't enjoying his life as much as he is now.
 
Thanks. I don't really know what to say either. I just got off the phone with my mom, and I'm wishing I had been able to be there when she heard. I have so many more questions for the vet. Like whether it's possible that it has been removed enough to never return?
I'm going in with Mom when the stitches come out though so I can ask more...
It's so sad sometimes having pets huh?
 
I'm so sorry to hear that Darby has cancer - I know how hard it is. I work for a veterinarian as a vet tech, and sometimes I wish I didn't when things like this happen. Did the vet mention that the tumor had "tentacle" like things, or was it just one big mass? It may be possible that they got enough of it to do a round of chemo and knock it out depending on what type of cancer and such - also have they done any other scans or x-rays? Are there lumps or masses on any organs?
I hope it turns out ok - I know how hard it is to make any decisions, my last dog passed away from cancer. Its so hard.
 
That's interesting Eriathiel, for some reason it never even occurred to me that they might do chemo for dogs.. I will definately be there for the next visit and I'll bring that up.
I'm guessing that you ask about the tentacle things in reference to how invasive it might be? I will find out that as well, but from what my mom said, there didn't seem to be anything on the organs. I hope that that is true for sure and that I didn't just "get that feeling" from talking to her. (It seems odd maybe that I know so little, but my mom actually lives a fair distance away from me...)
I think my mom's feeling though is that she doesn't want to put him through a big ordeal that would be painful to him. She's thinking she will probably just have him put down when and if it becomes painful for him. I can't say that I blame her, but I would like to find out about the other options if they are available for his particular situation...
It's probably funny to Darby how sad we all look at him all the sudden. His biggest worry right now seems to be itchy stitches, and his seasonal grass allergies.
 
Yes, the larger the mass and the more spread out, the more likely it has spread, which is why I asked about the shape. If it was just one large lump they may have been lucky (once again the type of cancer matters), but if it was an odd shape it may have been too hard to get all of the cells and such, which makes it more likely to return and spread.
Chemo is available - although you would prob have to be near a large, technologically advanced vet - I'm not far from the University of Penn, which has a school for veterinary medicine and is therefore very up to date. So I have seen some cases where dogs have gone through chemo, with good and bad outcomes. I would def. discuss the possibility with the vet, but I'm sure its expensive.
I know how rough it is to watch a pet, knowing that they don't have a clue. :( But when its the right time to let him go you will know. Hopefully tho there is another option that will make that time years from now!
And I also understand that you are prob close to your vet - but don't be afriad to seek treatment elsewhere if someone else offers a better facility! Your vet should know who is able to do what and so on... Good Luck! Keep us updated!
 
I'm sure that chemo would be outrageously expensive for a dog. On top of that, I'm personally not very sure how appropriate it would be to put an 11 year old dog through several courses of chemo.

I think with people and animals, you have to be able to take a step back and determine whether or not the final chapter of life is something you want to be able to enjoy (with some pain), or be in constant pain and feel terrible because of the effects of chemo.

Unfortunately, I've personally seen two people very close to me battle cancer in the later stages with chemo---and I believe it was the wrong decision. I think they would have been better off not having the chemo and simply enjoying the time that they had left---without having to deal with the side effects of chemo---not being able to eat, always feeling sick, constant pain, not being able to sleep, etc.

Something to consider...
 
Yes, chemo is expensive - however should they have pet insurance it may be covered. Chemo def. isn't for everyone, but it is an option that should be explored - if not that many rounds of chemo are needed, the animal won't really suffer too much. Once again, as I said - I've seen good and bad outcomes with chemo. Age, type of cancer, other health issues all have to be factored in! Thats why it should be discussed with a vet - they know who is an appropriate candidate and who isn't!
 
Well, thank you all for your thoughts on this. I talked to my mom again about that, and I don't really think she's really considering chemo as an option though. I kind of understand her ideas on this, she feels much the same about it as we have discussed here. Just that it isn't really something that she could likely afford, and doesn't come with any guarantee, except that it will definately make him feel sick. The two surgeries and the biopsy he's had already have been costly, and since right now he seems quite happy, we'll just enjoy our time with him.
The good news is that Mom's moving closer to us all (for other reasons) and so all us kids will be able to spend more time with him, however much time he has left.
 
Well I'm glad you will be closer to him in his final days... I hope that he thrives for a long time! :) Good Luck!
 
Chemo is a choice however I don't think it is one that you or your family will want to deal with. I work at a vet office and I have seen many dogs and cats that have come in and after a year on chemo they are unable to take care of themselves. It's just like with in humans, in kills all energy and it takes years off their life. However there would be a chance that chemo would make everything better but there is a huge price tag and it's still a lot of work. The pills and the vet trips are only a start. If I was you and your family I would let him live out his days just how he is now. Give him the best life you can and when that time comes don't hold on to him for you let him go so that he will be in peace.

I wish you the very best and give Darby a hug for me!
 
Oh and as far as the photos look, your vet did a good job closing it up. As long as Darby is able to leave it alone you should not have to worry about the wound. I ment to say in the other post. I'm sorry to hear that he has cancer, it's not an easy thing to hear. I'm not sure what I would do if I was told my dog had cancer.

Again best of luck!!!
 
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