The other day our vet told us that our 12-year-old Standard Poodle had internal bleeding from a recurrent cancer and that the best option was euthanasia. One month earlier Jake had undergone a splenectomy when a large tumor was discovered growing on his spleen. Although the spleen is not a vital organ, it is close to other vital organs and any cancer can spread quickly. Our dog's symptoms were weakness and lethargy and unwillingness to walk. We attributed them to old age and arthritis. We were so wrong.

One morning on the dog walk, I looked into Jake's eyes and thought, "You are very sick." We immediately went to the animal hospital where they did blood work and x-rays. It appeared that something was wrong with his liver. We came back the next day for an ultrasound and the vet saw that the spleen and tumor had ruptured. It appeared that the growth had not spread to any nearby organs, so we agreed to emergency surgery. A blood transfusion was required for clotting purposes.

Although it was risky for a senior poodle to undergo abdominal surgery, we decided to take a chance. She was sure she could get the entire tumor attached to the spleen and buy him time.

Jake did extremely well and was walking around again the next day after surgery. But a week after the operation, the lab report came back with grim news. The tumor turned out to be the dreaded hemagiosarcoma, a highly malignant form of cancer, which usually recurs within one year. This type of tumor thrives on the blood supply and is common to Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Greyhounds, and any other large dog. Usually by the time the condition is diagnosed, malignant cells have spread to other internal organs.

Here we were again only a month later faced with the same symptoms Jake had the first time. He could barely walk and his stomach was slightly bloated. The doctor was surprised to see with ultrasound that there was internal bleeding again, an indication that the cancer had spread.

My husband and I didn't know what to do. He started to cry while I temporized. If we waited, how we would get him in and out of the apartment? Would he be in pain? The vet gently told us we had to consider his passing at home and that we would then have to transport him back to the hospital for disposal of the body.

It was a lot to take in so suddenly. We had never had a dog before Jake, who we loved and cared for since he was 11 weeks old. We remembered the day we got him. He was so scared

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Knowing when it's time to euthanize?
We want to hear your view. Write now!