When Love Means Letting Go

Facing the News No Pet Owner Wants

Tonight I found out that my dog Pippi has a mass on her spleen. The ultrasound results will tell us more about the size and location of the mass. But at 15 years old and with underlying health issues, going in for surgery to remove the mass is not an option. And taking a biopsy to check if the mass is cancerous could ultimately cause internal bleeding.

We all want what’s best for our dogs. So, could a possible answer to do what’s best be… do nothing?

When it comes to medical intervention, we have to remember one critical thing: our dog does not understand “why.” In that light, we have to be really honest with ourselves and ask this ultimate question: am I doing this for my dog or for myself?

When Medical Intervention Truly Helps

There are many medical procedures that dogs undergo that will benefit their survival 100%. From spaying and neutering, to healing broken bones, amputating limbs, to the very stringent but lifesaving process of helping a dog recover from heartworm.

While your dog does not understand why they have activity restrictions or why they have to take an antibiotic, we know that in the long run, the dog benefits. Even if it means they may be a tripod, dogs have a wonderful ability to heal and adapt.

When the Diagnosis Becomes More Serious

But what about more serious diagnoses, like cancer?

For a young, healthy dog, the oncology route could be beneficial. Even though the dog will undergo a very stressful medical journey, the odds that medical intervention will benefit their survival are good.

However, this also depends on the severity of the diagnosis. As dogs age, this becomes a different conversation. Older dogs are naturally more at risk to suffer complications from anesthesia. And at this point in their life they also may be struggling with other medical issues, which put them in the high-risk category.

We are our dog’s advocates always and forever. And the first question we have to ask as we move forward on this medical journey is: will my dog truly benefit?

A Lesson From Saying Goodbye

When my dog Gaston was 12.5 years old, he woke up in the morning with a swollen belly. We rushed him to the vet. This was at the height of COVID, so owners were not allowed in the vet’s office. I handed Gaston to the vet tech and walked away. The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.

An ultrasound confirmed that his spleen had burst and he would need emergency surgery. Knowing that our dog was already in a great deal of pain (though he did not show it) we consented for him to go in for surgery.

On the surgical table, the doctor then found a tumor the size of a softball on what remained of Gaston’s spleen, along with a few others. We were devastated.

Due to the extent of the cancer and the burst spleen, the likelihood of Gaston bouncing back from this was very low. The doctor offered to suture Gaston back up, allow him to wake up, so that we could come say goodbye to him.

Knowing the pain he would be in upon waking up from such an ordeal, we decided to go with the alternative and allow him to stay asleep, giving the vet permission to let Gaston go.

In this scenario, we took age, diagnosis, and quality of life into consideration. I did not want to say goodbye to my dog. But his quality of life mattered more to us than our need for him.

Honoring Pippi’s Life and Love

Right now, Pippi loves her breakfast and dinner. She shakes me down for treats whenever I come home. She takes pride in her yard and keeps outsiders at bay. And she is completely head over heels infatuated with my parents, never leaving their sides.

She is most likely in pain, and the doctor gave us something to make her more comfortable. She’s also on medicine for her thyroid, medicine for her pancreas, and medicine for arthritis.

There is a strong likelihood of this mass causing her spleen to burst, or the mass bursting itself. So, while we monitor the situation closely, ultimately, we do not want Pippi to suffer if we can help it.

We know our dog. And she has always put on a strong front. She has always persevered for her family, with little regard to what was in her best interests.

A love like that will be honored, valued, and protected… until the end.

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