# My dog has a tumor. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 8, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389 "2012-12-08T03:29:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/1 "2012-12-08T03:29:41Z")
Ten year old boston terrier. Good dog. I will be damned to all sorts of hell before I spend three times the money to save an old dog as get a pup. Rather just adopt one. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/2 "2012-12-08T06:22:52Z")
Well aren’t you the considerate one? Don’t expect much sympathy for YOU, but I have plenty for your poor dog. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/3 "2012-12-08T07:19:13Z")
If you won’t take your dog to a vet and find out what’s wrong with him, I hope for some other dog’s sake that you don’t adopt another one. If he’s a “good” dog, why don’t you think he’s worth saving? Ten years is not a real advanced age for a dog, particularly a terrier. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/4 "2012-12-08T07:37:10Z")
Might like a little more info before everybody jumps on the OP and gets all judgmental. Maybe all the diagnostics have been done and treatment would be really expensive. I know I wouldn’t go so far as surgical removal of a malignant tumor. I’ve not seen an acceptable life expectancy after surgeries like that, to put dogs or cats through it. I’ve had two pets with tumors, both of them would not have tolerated the medication needed to even attempt to see if it would help, both over the age of 14, and not surgical candidates. I did steroid, antibiotic and pain treatment as needed at home and let them go as soon as their quality of life took a turn for the worse. That was 6 months for one of them, and 30 days for the other. It sucks. In a way, at least I was prepared to make the euthanasia call sooner rather than too late to stave suffering for each of them. It still wasn’t easy by any stretch. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/5 "2012-12-08T12:31:51Z")
Yeahhhh **Mewl** , looking at your join date you’re still pretty young but should be experienced enough to know where this thread is going to head. Probably would’ve been best if you offered additional information about the situation or not begun this post at all. I can’t see this going well at all. That said, until you offer any additional information we only have to go on the whopping three sentences you decided to post. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/6 "2012-12-08T12:54:41Z")
Thoughts, in random order: 1. It may well be that diagnostics have been done and the tumor most likely be determined to be malignant. If that is the case, I’m sorry. 2. If this is not the case, it is not safe, or perhaps to early to say (especially in an otherwise healthy 10 year old terrier) that it cannot be treated relatively easy. Especially considering than with a new puppy, you’d have the expense of training, vaccinations, and spaying. And as lovable as the new dog will be, it won’t be the same as the (assuming adorable) pug you have now. 3. Treatment does not have to be expensive. Some cancers have various treatment options (for various price ranges). You should talk to your vet. It may not be the most awesome treatment ever that has been shown to have the best effect, but it may be something that is safe and works in some cases. 4. Also, treatment does not have to be curative. Cancer is nasty, and many times the cancer is making the dog feel worse than what you may think any treatment will make the dog feel. Dog doesn’t know it has cancer, it only knows something is not right. Now, a medication may taste nasty, and keep it a bit blue for a day or two, but if that same drug then gives the dog weeks of regaining energy and appetite, why deny it? Palliative treatment is a valid option! Until it progresses such that euthanasia is preferable, the signs and effects of cancer can be managed, making you able to enjoy the time remaining with your pug even more. 5. Again, there is no mention that the tumor is malignant or not. Pugs can get many nasty tumors, but they can also get many tumors which are fairly benign. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/7 "2012-12-08T13:49:14Z")
> [@Mewl\_Dear](#): > > Ten year old boston terrier. Good dog. > I will be damned to all sorts of hell before I spend three times the money to save an old dog as get a pup. > Rather just adopt one. Have you considered giving up animal ownership and finding a new hobby? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/8 "2012-12-08T15:51:44Z")
I see **Mewl Dear** hasn’t come out from under the bridge to elaborate. Now, on the slim chance the story s/he posted on is true, I hope they don’t get another dog. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/9 "2012-12-08T16:22:03Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > Thoughts, in random order: > > 1. It may well be that diagnostics have been done and the tumor most likely be determined to be malignant. If that is the case, I’m sorry. > > 2. If this is not the case, it is not safe, or perhaps to early to say (especially in an otherwise healthy 10 year old terrier) that it cannot be treated relatively easy. Especially considering than with a new puppy, you’d have the expense of training, vaccinations, and spaying. And as lovable as the new dog will be, it won’t be the same as the (assuming adorable) pug you have now. > > 3. Treatment does not have to be expensive. Some cancers have various treatment options (for various price ranges). You should talk to your vet. It may not be the most awesome treatment ever that has been shown to have the best effect, but it may be something that is safe and works in some cases. > > 4. Also, treatment does not have to be curative. Cancer is nasty, and many times the cancer is making the dog feel worse than what you may think any treatment will make the dog feel. Dog doesn’t know it has cancer, it only knows something is not right. Now, a medication may taste nasty, and keep it a bit blue for a day or two, but if that same drug then gives the dog weeks of regaining energy and appetite, why deny it? Palliative treatment is a valid option! Until it progresses such that euthanasia is preferable, the signs and effects of cancer can be managed, making you able to enjoy the time remaining with your pug even more. > > 5. Again, there is no mention that the tumor is malignant or not. Pugs can get many nasty tumors, but they can also get many tumors which are fairly benign. **Mewl Dear** has a Boston terrier. Not the exact same breed as a pug. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/10 "2012-12-08T17:36:51Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > **Mewl Dear** has a Boston terrier. Not the exact same breed as a pug. True. I read too fast and misread pup for pug. With that said, both are somewhat similar for the types of tumors they can get (and are likely NOT to get). ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/11 "2012-12-08T18:06:08Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I see **Mewl Dear** hasn’t come out from under the bridge to elaborate. > > Now, on the slim chance the story s/he posted on is true, I hope they don’t get another dog. Don’t accuse others of being a troll in this forum. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-has-a-tumor/643389/12 "2012-12-08T22:09:13Z")
I see he has been banned; but he has a history of being very non-sympathetic toward animals: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15652867#post15652867](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15652867#post15652867)