Monty is a 10yr old golden labrador. He's always been a lazy dog. Hates swimming and won't fetch balls! But, he is a loving, loyal and calming member of our family. I took him to the vet because he was retching and had a slightly distended stomach. The vet took some blood, which indicated potential cancer. He had an ultrasound scan which found a large mass on his kidney. The vet said the next stage would be to open him up and have a look at it. Monty is not a brave dog, and I know he will hate having an operation and being separated from us. Besides, he was still eating normally and seemed content to just be around us. I previously lost a Labrador (called Woody) to cancer of the spleen. He had the splenectomy and wasn't the same dog again. He lasted a further two months before he went off his food again and we knew it was time to let him go. I regretted putting him through that operation. So, with Monty, I told the Vet i didn't want to go ahead with the exploratory operation. The vet couldn't give me a prognosis or life expectancy after the operation. The vet seemed almost indecently keen to 'open him up' as soon as she knew my pet insurance would cover up to £10k. I decided we would just let Monty live the rest of his time with us as calmly as possible and give him loads of treats while he still has his appetite. He has always loved food! But now I am having second thoughts. He seems a bit depressed and uncomfortable with his distended stomach. I guess the cancerous growth is pressing on his bladder, because he leaks a bit and needs to frequently urinate. He also drinks a lot of water. I don't think he is in pain, and he still loves a cuddle and a scratch. He is still eating ok. If we just stay as we are, does anyone know how long he may last and how the symptoms may develop? If I do ask the Vet to operate, and remove the growth/kidney, does anyone know how many months that may give him? We love him so much and just want to do the best thing we can. But it is hard to know what that is.
