Accepted Answer

Hello there.

I'm sorry to hear about your dog. I know how difficult it can be when your pet is ill in this way.

I think you have a few decisions to make at this juncture. If this were a younger dog, I would recommend treating this aggressively in many cases and I will still give you some tips if you decide to go that route. But with her age, we have to consider her quality of life and longterm prognosis.

Firstly, we have to determine if this bump is malignant (you say cancer, but many pet owners say cancer when they really mean tumor). This can often be done at little expense by means of a biopsy where a needle is stuck into the tumor, a little sample is nipped away and examined under the microscope. In a little more than half of cases, you can tell what type of tumor you're dealing with. So that would be the first step.

We also need to find out what happens if we do nothing. We can assume that it will keep growing and it could spread to other parts of her body and ultimately lead to death. The question is how quickly. Some cancers are slow moving and it can take years for metastisis to take place, and this wouldn't really be a big consideration with an older dog because it's unlikely she'll live four or five years more to see that take place. But if it's a fast spreading and quick growing cancer, we'll want to act quickly if we're going to act at all. So that's something that needs to be determined with your vet if you've not done that already.

Other considerations are going to be her general health and the risks associated with removal. If she's in not-so-good health or if the tumor is affixed to major organs or structures, then removal could very well kill her and it's better to let her live out her days in peace.

All of these things can be determined with a vet visit and if your vet has already investigated the situation, he may have already provided you with some of this information.

In terms of what you can do with a not-so-ideal financial situation, there are options. The key is to get a bit creative.

Firstly, I would recommend discussing what you CAN afford with your vet. Sometimes, in the case of an animal with an infection or an injury, some care is better than no care at all, and certainly better than ignoring it or euthanasia. So if you had $50 to spend at the time, a good vet should work with you to make that money go as far as possible. In your case, if we decide to leave the tumor in place, we may need pain medication, or antibiotics (some large tumors can be associated with sores) down the road. It's no guarantee and it's not the same as going the full gamut, but it's usually better than nothing.

Another option would be to save up for a surgery. If you put away $50 a week, hopefully you can have enough for the operation within a couple of months. I recommend doing this even when your dog is healthy, just so there's that cushion there in case you ever need it.

I would also call around to other clinics, as the cost from clinic to clinic for certain procedures can vary dramatically. You can ask what the fee is for an office visit - this will give you an idea of their pricing. I'm in the northeast of the U.S. and a reasonable fee is $35 here. In the south or midwest, I imagine it would be a bit less. Calling around can make a difference. For example, I had a dog with a cyst that had to be excised. One clinic quoted $800+ for the relatively simple and quick procedure. Another quoted $200 and they did a wonderful job. So that just goes to show how much it can vary.

Another option would be to contact an area humane society - like an ASPCA - to ask if they know of any low-cost veterinary clinics. Often, larger humane organizations run these clinics, or they can refer you to one in your area. Usually, they work with pet owners so that you pay what you can afford. The disadvantage is that there's usually little flexibility in terms of appointments, as these clinics are often open a few days of the week, so they're not idea for emergencies.

Another option to consider would be approaching a veterinary teaching hospital at a university in your area. Teaching clinics often charge significantly less for equal services and you'll have some of the best minds in the field working on your pet.

Here's a list of some additional resources that can sometimes help in a time of need:

American Animal Hospital Association
http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/

Angels 4 Animals
www.Angels4Animals.org

Care Credit
www.carecredit.com

God's Creatures Ministry
http://www.all-creatures.org/gcm/help-cf.html

Help-A-Pet
http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html

IMOM
http://www.imom.org

The Pet Fund
http://thepetfund.com/

United Animal Nations
http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html

This list is for local and national help resources:
http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=163

If money is a limiting factor, you may want to consider looking into a pet insurance policy for future pets - it can really make a tremendous difference in what type of care you can afford. The company I recommend is called VPI. You can call or go online for a free quote - it's at least worth a bit of investigation right? They'll ask you questions about your pet - it takes about ten minutes. Unfortunately, they won't cover existing problems, but in the future, it may be a good avenue to pursue. It can be very affordable at about $20 per month and I can tell you I've gotten my money back ten-fold.
VPI Veterinary Pet Insurance can be found online at www.petinsurance.com or by phone at 1-800-USA-PETS.

I hope your dog is feeling better soon! Let me know if you run into any additional questions, okay? You can "reply" if you would like to discuss your case further.

****Please "ACCEPT" if my answer was helpful!****

-Mia Carter
Pet Expert

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Edited by Mia Carter on 6/23/2008 at 7:30 PM

Expert:	Mia Carter
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Accepts:
Answered:	6/23/2008

Animal Expert

Specializing in the training and care of ill pets and special needs animals! Mom of 22 pets!