[Dailydrool] Old Bassets -- To Treat or Not to Treat

[Pat Dill]

Oh these discussions are always difficult.  I've been reading the posts on 
this topic, especially those regarding spleen surgeries and 
hemangiosarcomas.

Truly there is no single answer.  Each person must consult with affected 
houndie and search their mutual hearts for answers.

Kelly, who was in the double digit when we adopted her, was diagnosed with a 
probable hemangiosarcoma of the spleen when she was 12.  We knew it was a 
very serious surgery, we knew there was a good chance that it would spread 
even if it had not already, and we were torn.  The vet (whom we trusted 
implicitly) felt that she was a good candidate for surgery despite her age 
and that with proper diet and herbal supplements the chance of recurrence 
could be minimized.  We consulted Kelly, and both of us felt that Kelly's 
will to live was very strong.  We went ahead with the surgery.  Although the 
diagnosis was hemangiosarcoma and her recovery from the surgery was 
difficult, she recovered fully and lived nearly two years longer, dying in 
the end of an unrelated malady.  We never regretted the decision.

Just last month, our 12-yr-old Sadie was suddenly taken ill and diagnosed by 
the vet (another one, since we had moved in the intervening years, but whom 
we also trusted implicitly) as a probable hemangiosarcoma of the spleen. 
Now what were the chances of two dogs having the same condition in less than 
5 years?  But I digress.  Again, we gave the matter careful thought and in 
the end opted to proceed with the surgery.  As it turned out, it was NOT 
hemangiosarcoma but a large blood clot that had erupted; while in surgery 
the vet opted to remove the spleen.  Sadie recovered, seemingly without 
incident, from the surgery.  She resumed normal eating and activity level 
and even had her staples removed.  About 3 weeks after the surgery, she died 
suddenly at home while I was at work.  My neighbor, who lets our guys out 
while we are at work, was with her in the few minutes right before she 
passed.  She said that she was barely breathing and seemingly unconscious. 
The vet said it was probably her heart and may or may not have been related 
to the stress of the surgery.  There was simply no way to know short of an 
autopsy.  We've reviewed the circumstances over and over regarding Sadie but 
still believe at the time it seemed to be the best decision.

So in two cases of elderly bassets undergoing splenectomy we had two very 
different outcomes.

My advice in deciding whether or not to treat would always be to weigh three 
factors:  your vet's advice (assuming you trust your vet; if you don't get 
thee to one you do trust immediately), yourself (weighing both emotional and 
practical factors), and your basset.  You cannot convince me that dogs don't 
have the ability to convey their wishes to you in nonverbal ways.  Both 
Kelly and Sadie in their own ways led us to believe that they were not ready 
to give up and had the will to forego the hardships of post-operative 
recovery.  And although we chose in both cases to proceed with the treatment 
of our elderly bassets, we would not necessarily always make that choice and 
recognize that each case must stand on its own merits.

Just our two cents' worth....

Pat & Carol
Proud to be loved by Rosie, Bailey and Sampson
Benji, Murphy, Taffy, Misha-Herald, Abbey, Kelly, Maxwell, Hugh and Sadie at 
the Rainbow Bridge