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In that case I would probably do the steroids treatment. If the dog was younger I might consider it, but I doubt I could ever get DH to agree to the expense.

I would do number two. I love my dogs but after seeing my dad go through chemo I wouldn't put my dogs through it. Sorry for your pup.

I would do the steroids. Dogs don't understand all that stuff. They just know they're hurting and that they're having to be put through some scary stuff, and chemo is awful.

I'm so sorry you're having to make this decision, though.

We went all out when Sparky had cancer... in the end we lucked out because she lived several more really good years!

@Mrs. Train: oh no, i'm so sorry you're going through this. i think i would go for #2 too because i'd rather them live the remainder of their life happy and pain-free than to go through chemo. my dad passed away from cancer, and it was really hard watching him go through chemo and radiation.

It would depend on age, and cost. It would be a tough decision, but I think in your case I would chose option 2. So sorry to hear about your doggy

We have pet insurance, and it would be covered, so yes, we would do it.

Our neighbours dog had lymphoma and they opted to do the steroid treatments, it definitely bought some time, but then she went suddenly two days after a check-up, she was 6.

Another friend up the street their dog has it and they have opted to do nothing. Last May they were told she had just a few months, and up to this point you wouldn't even know she was sick, so it's kind of crazy to wonder what treatment could have done to her had they opted for it.

I think the biggest question (I struggle with this) you have to ask is if your dog passed now, would you give X (any of those options and costs associated) to have them back, or would you be at peace with your decision? Depending on your area, are you able to seek a second opinion/a less expensive vet? I drive an hour for ours, but their costs are literally half of the vets 5-10 mins away and the follow up is phenomenal.

So sorry you are going through this, never a fun decision to have to make, our dog is young, however my parents/grew up with dog is nearing decision making and I don't even want to think about it. When my horse passed, I had the option to do surgery (to put him on the table was $12k to start, let alone getting thru it, and recovery) and I opted to not, and I ended up having to euth him that day, I definitely know I did all I could at that time, but of course have moments where I wish I could have afforded to try the surgery that even then would have had very low chance of success, and no guarantees of it not happening again in future.

Gotta love our furry family members, hugs!

@Mrs. Train: I'm so sorry! I would probably go with option 2.

@Mrs. Bee: I was just going to say this about chemo! Chemo in pets is pretty much always palliative. That means it's given in smaller doses and the main goal is to keep them confortable while helping them live. Like Mrs. Bee said, for the most part, dogs and cats are not dosed highly enough that they get uncomfortable or sick so there really isn't a comparison to the way humans might feel awful after rounds of chemo.

I am so sorry you are dealing with this My Yorkie died of a brain tumor two yrs ago. Unfortunately, he died before we could pursue any treatment - the cancer had spread so quickly and aggressively that by the time we discovered it, it was already too late. If we had the option though, I would def pursue chemo, so long as it wouldn't cause them any additional pain or suffering. I would want to know that I did the best I could to save his/her life.

Again, so sorry you are dealing with this

So sorry you're having to go through this. We had a possible cancer scare with our big guy a few months ago, and luckily it came back benign, but I would have to weigh the possible side effects, the quality of life he would be likely to have, and sadly, the cost. In the end, I don't know what I would do at this time...but with the cost, we would probably have to opt out of the chemo...

So sorry to hear this. I just had to put down one of my cats due to cancer the other week. I would do option 2 like you are thinking.
I think the number one thing to keep in mind is quality of life. However those options apply to that if you keep that in mind and of those options would work. A happy pain free pet with a quality of life would be my main concern.
I didnt choose to treat my cat because I didnt want to prolong what was going to happen anyways. She looked misserable and vet visits and treatment can be stressful. I just didnt want to see her in pain anymore.

our dog (about 9 years old) has a very aggressive form of cancer. We took the mass out but the doctor said Chemo wont help her, we could do it if we wanted to. We decided not to and we're going to let her live her life, make her comfortable and then when its time help her over the bridge.

I think if it was a possibility it would cure her then yes we would have done it. My friend did chemo for her dog when she found out he had a tumor in his intestine. He survived and is thriving. Hes about 4 years old.

I'm so sorry. I lost my dog to cancer and it's heart breaking.

Chemo for dogs is not like chemo for humans. It's not hard on them, their fur doesn't fall out. If I thought it would prolong my dog's life by years, I would do it.

How well they do on chemo though depends on how good their current health is. It sounds like your dog is already dealing with health issues, so I'm not sure he would do the best with chemo.

Steroids can be tough on a dog, but there are all levels, of course. My dog was put on some intense ones, and I hated it. They made her so thirsty, so she drank all the time and had to pee all the time. We thought she was improving at first, but it was the boost from the drugs. They also made her restless.

There's no easy or right answer here. I echo what has been said about quality of life--it's helpful to have set benchmarks for what is needed to keep your pet alive.

Oh man, crying now. It's just so sad, and dogs are such good creatures. I'm sorry.

@Mrs. Train: I'm so sorry, its such a hard decision.

@Mrs. Train: You made one of the most important steps, which is making an informed decision.

There are some great books for kids about pets dying.

We had arranged for someone to come put our dog to sleep at home. We couldn't get in touch with her the night we needed her, so we went to the emergency vet's instead. I was glad I had practiced driving there ahead of time. You may want to ask for some serious pain killers. I was so grateful we had those to pop into our b/c my biggest concern was about her suffering.