I’ll give you the short story of my little Rat Terrier’s adventures.
She had a low grade mast cell tumor removed from her side. We went to a university clinic. They looked around everywhere else to make sure it hadn’t spread. All was good but a needle biopsy of her spleen showed a small section of indolent lymphoma. My dog is 17 years old. She is in great shape but in the last year has had several surgeries. She’s had both eyes removed because of glaucoma and then this mast cell issue. She has come through anesthetic great. I like the university because they have a cardiologist and an anesthesiologist to make sure everything is as safe as it can be for her.
Because these cells are indolent they could sit there for a long time and she could die of natural causes before they are a more serious problem. Or, they could spread. There’s also the threat of the spleen possibly rupturing. But these are all big ifs.
Do I put her through another surgery and have the spleen removed? Her oncologist and surgeon assure me its a quick and easy surgery, under an hour. She should be fully recovered by the time the stitches are removed in 2 weeks. The upside to the surgery is bye bye cancer. I’m really torn. I’m not a big gambler. Rat Terriers are long lived little dogs, and it is not unheard of for them to make it to 20. Other than this issue she is in great shape. I welcome opinions. I want to do the best thing for her. I know she isn’t going to live forever, just want the years she has to be good ones. Thanks for listening
I wouldn’t really call a splenectomy a easy surgery. It is major abdominal surgery. We do them regularly at the clinic, personally I would not put my older dog through that.
No. I did a splenectomy for an older dog (maybe 12/13 at the time) and in retrospect wish I had just let her go. It was for me, not her, as it didn’t drastically improve the quality of her life.
Our vet didn’t think it was am easy surgery either.
I’m caring for an 8 year old German Shepherd that had a splenectomy due to cancer. I remember his owner saying that the vets were really surprised he recovered as well as he has. In his case he was bleeding internally so he had to have the surgery. They gave him about three months to live and he’s on his forth month and doing very well.
I’ve had old dogs myself and I don’t think I’d have such a surgery done on a 17 year old. Sounds like you do the best for your friend and I wish you well.
No. I wouldn’t.
Puff, before he died, was having some symptoms that suggested to me he might be at risk of cancer. An exam showed no signs of tumors, just arthritis, and he died of old age at 16 before any further symptoms developed, but I had already decided that if he had tumors, unless they were skin-only and easily removed I was not going to put him through surgery. The vets did not disagree with my reasoning–he was an elderly dog, and major organ removal, especially with something with as high a bleeding risk as the spleen, is not easy. Heck, in HUMANS, it’s not something they undertake lightly–I have an autoimmune condition where splenectomy can be helpful in extreme cases, but it’s reserved for the absolute last resort, as in ‘after heavy corticosteroids and infusion chemo have failed to resolve long-term.’ I don’t know that I would consider it a worthwhile risk for a dog who’s already had major surgeries and who is a senior, even if some examples of the breed can make it to 20.
Another vote for no. I’m sorry.
nope. Keep her comfy, don’t put her through that.
