Nerve Sheath Tumour

[lorna anne]

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My 12 year old male whippet has had a growth removed from his foreleg. It was sent away for a biopsy and according to the vet it is perhiperal nerve sheath tumour. It is malignant and because it is on the leg where aggressive surgery is impossible because of ligaments, nerves, bone, etc, it will reappear in time. This type of tumour doesn't react well to radium or chemo treatment. The tumour will not spread to other parts of his body, so obviously amputation is an option. But, he is 12 years old . . . . Has anyone out there had experience with this type of tumour? Any advice as regards amputation too please. He is VERY precious!!!

 

[eve]

I am sorry to hear this. Did your vet give any indication of how quickly the tumor is likely to return?

This is a personal opinion and others may disagree, but you have to think of his quality of life in his last year or two.

Given your fellow is 12 years old, I would think that amputation would be a lot for him to cope with and there the associated risks of anesthesia in such an old dog, He could die on the table, from shock or die of complications later. He would also have to adapt at what is a good age to life on 3 legs. My dog aged 9 died from a thromboembolism 1 month after a general anesthetic to have his teeth cleaned. I blame the anesthetic as he was a very healthy dog otherwise. Your dog has already undergone anesthesia and an operation to remove the present tumor. It may be as much as his old body can cope with.

I would advise leting him enjoy what time he has left with all 4 legs. Amputation may buy him an extra year but yould you really want to put him through all that. If and when the cancer returns you will still have the time left that pain relief offers. He is a good age at 12. Enjoy the time you have left together. :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[lorna anne]

I am sorry to hear this. Did your vet give any indication of how quickly the tumor is likely to return?This is a personal opinion and others may disagree, but you have to think of his quality of life in his last year or two.

Given your fellow is 12 years old, I would think that amputation would be a lot for him to cope with and there the associated risks of anesthesia in such an old dog, He could die on the table, from shock or die of complications later. He would also have to adapt at what is a good age to life on 3 legs. My dog aged 9 died from a thromboembolism 1 month after a general anesthetic to have his teeth cleaned. I blame the anesthetic as he was a very healthy dog otherwise. Your dog has already undergone anesthesia and an operation to remove the present tumor. It may be as much as his old body can cope with.

I would advise leting him enjoy what time he has left with all 4 legs. Amputation may buy him an extra year but yould you really want to put him through all that. If and when the cancer returns you will still have the time left that pain relief offers. He is a good age at 12. Enjoy the time you have left together. :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[lorna anne]

I am sorry to hear this. Did your vet give any indication of how quickly the tumor is likely to return?This is a personal opinion and others may disagree, but you have to think of his quality of life in his last year or two.

Given your fellow is 12 years old, I would think that amputation would be a lot for him to cope with and there the associated risks of anesthesia in such an old dog, He could die on the table, from shock or die of complications later. He would also have to adapt at what is a good age to life on 3 legs. My dog aged 9 died from a thromboembolism 1 month after a general anesthetic to have his teeth cleaned. I blame the anesthetic as he was a very healthy dog otherwise. Your dog has already undergone anesthesia and an operation to remove the present tumor. It may be as much as his old body can cope with.

I would advise leting him enjoy what time he has left with all 4 legs. Amputation may buy him an extra year but yould you really want to put him through all that. If and when the cancer returns you will still have the time left that pain relief offers. He is a good age at 12. Enjoy the time you have left together. :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[Hula]

I would have the leg amputated . 12 years is not particularly old for a whippet . I just lost one aged 15 and I have others aged 12 and 14 . The fact that this is a tumour which will not spread to other parts of his body is a very important consideration . Anaesthetics these days are very safe and if he was mine I would give him a chance . The decision is yours though and you might prefer not to take the risk , everyone will have a different opinion on this .

Good luck with whatever you decide and I hope you have him for a long time yet .

 

[rls22]

I am sorry to hear this. Did your vet give any indication of how quickly the tumor is likely to return?This is a personal opinion and others may disagree, but you have to think of his quality of life in his last year or two.

Given your fellow is 12 years old, I would think that amputation would be a lot for him to cope with and there the associated risks of anesthesia in such an old dog, He could die on the table, from shock or die of complications later. He would also have to adapt at what is a good age to life on 3 legs. My dog aged 9 died from a thromboembolism 1 month after a general anesthetic to have his teeth cleaned. I blame the anesthetic as he was a very healthy dog otherwise. Your dog has already undergone anesthesia and an operation to remove the present tumor. It may be as much as his old body can cope with.

I would advise leting him enjoy what time he has left with all 4 legs. Amputation may buy him an extra year but yould you really want to put him through all that. If and when the cancer returns you will still have the time left that pain relief offers. He is a good age at 12. Enjoy the time you have left together. :luck: :luck: :luck:

I have to agree with this.

 

[Suerose]

What a difficult decision to have to make, and what a shame for your lovely old chap. What are his general health and vitality like? What matters most to him at this stage of his life? How long do you have to make your decision, is there time to do some research into other possibilities for him? For example, I have a friend who has had some success in shrinking tumours with electronic gem therapy lamps (PM me if you would like her number). Good luck to you both :luck: :luck: :luck: and :huggles: :huggles: :huggles:

 

[Whippets Rule]

It would really depend upon the speed at which the tumour is likely to return/how big it is and how complex the surgery to remove it.

To me it would be better to let him keep his leg and take the chance that he would need further tumour surgery at a later date, should it return fairly rapidly, to my mind that type of surgery would be less for an elderly dog to cope with than the major surgery and recovery and adaptation to the removal of a limb.

That's just my opinion, good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Whippets4eva]

So sorry to hear this my heart goes out to you :huggles:

Almost 2 years ago our 9 year old whippet Jesse :wub: was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (Bone cancer) in his hind leg we wre obviously devastated,

and the only option really was amputation, followed by chemotherapy, which we eventually agreed on.

Osteosacoma is an aggresssive tumour, and we were told that he would benefit from another 6 months to a year :thumbsup:

Jesse was running around just 2 weeks after his amputation and never let it bother him :wub: we were the ones that suffered more emotionally :b

Even tho he went thru 6 sessions of chemo the cancer eventually returned in his neck and then his lungs sadly almost a year after the op he was

pts :wub: The extra time he had with us was quality time, and he was very happy :wub:

We feel we made the right decision, plenty of fellow k9ers know jesses story and would tell you the same :thumbsup:

Obviously your whippet is 3 years older and it is not an aggressive tumour, so it is your decision and one that will not come easy, all being said not sure if

our decision would of been the same under your circumstances :unsure:

I know this doesnt really help you but I wish you all lots of :luck: with what ever you decide, it really is a hard one to make.

Jesse just 2 weeks after his op :wub:

What he loved doing best running after his ball :wub:

 

[lorna anne]

I am sorry to hear this. Did your vet give any indication of how quickly the tumor is likely to return?This is a personal opinion and others may disagree, but you have to think of his quality of life in his last year or two.

Given your fellow is 12 years old, I would think that amputation would be a lot for him to cope with and there the associated risks of anesthesia in such an old dog, He could die on the table, from shock or die of complications later. He would also have to adapt at what is a good age to life on 3 legs. My dog aged 9 died from a thromboembolism 1 month after a general anesthetic to have his teeth cleaned. I blame the anesthetic as he was a very healthy dog otherwise. Your dog has already undergone anesthesia and an operation to remove the present tumor. It may be as much as his old body can cope with.

I would advise leting him enjoy what time he has left with all 4 legs. Amputation may buy him an extra year but yould you really want to put him through all that. If and when the cancer returns you will still have the time left that pain relief offers. He is a good age at 12. Enjoy the time you have left together. :luck: :luck: :luck:

I have done some surfing on the internet and apparently this kind of tumour returns within months rather than years. It also obviously depends on how much of the tumour the vet was able to remove, given the proximity of crucial ligaments and nerves. The anesthetic doesn't worry me that much as I always insist that my vet uses the human anesthetic, Propofol (aka Diprivan) which is VASTLY superior to the anaesthetics usually used. She is also well-aware of the sensitivity sighthounds have to anasthetics. So, as long as I can keep removing the tumour when it regrows I will do so. But, my vet has warned me that it will not be possible to do this many times as their is simply not enough tissue in the area of the tumour.

What does worry me about amputation is that obviolusly his other limbs will be taking more strain, and at 12 years old the chances of him then developing debilitating arthritis are pretty good. I definitely don't want to put him through the trauma of amputation, only for him to live a life with the constant pain of arthritis.

Also he is not the most stoic of dogs. He believes my sole task in life is to look after him and keep him happy, comfortable and of course pain-free And he has a MAJOR sulk if I neglect my duty!!!

I also have quite a number of whippets, so things can get quite boistorous at times. I don't want him to have to suffer the indignity and danger of being bumped by the others and taking a tumble.

I have thought of strapping up the leg so that I can see how he adapts to hopping on three legs before I take the BIG decision. Thanks all of you for the wonderful support. I'll keep you posted on my very precious "Boots'". He was was born in the UK and I imported him to Cape Town when he was a pup. And ever since he has been the light of my life.

 

[lorna anne]

So sorry to hear this my heart goes out to you :huggles:
Almost 2 years ago our 9 year old whippet Jesse :wub: was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (Bone cancer) in his hind leg we wre obviously devastated,

and the only option really was amputation, followed by chemotherapy, which we eventually agreed on.

Osteosacoma is an aggresssive tumour, and we were told that he would benefit from another 6 months to a year :thumbsup:

Jesse was running around just 2 weeks after his amputation and never let it bother him :wub: we were the ones that suffered more emotionally :b

Even tho he went thru 6 sessions of chemo the cancer eventually returned in his neck and then his lungs sadly almost a year after the op he was

pts :wub: The extra time he had with us was quality time, and he was very happy :wub:

We feel we made the right decision, plenty of fellow k9ers know jesses story and would tell you the same :thumbsup:

Obviously your whippet is 3 years older and it is not an aggressive tumour, so it is your decision and one that will not come easy, all being said not sure if

our decision would of been the same under your circumstances :unsure:

I know this doesnt really help you but I wish you all lots of :luck: with what ever you decide, it really is a hard one to make.

Jesse just 2 weeks after his op :wub:

What he loved doing best running after his ball :wub:

Jesse looks absolutely amazing after the amputation!! If that is how happy he was for the extra time you gave him, then you MOST DEFINITELY did the right thing. Us humans have hangups about the "mutilation" of amputation that animals don't have. I am a paraplegic and my dogs most defintiely think able-bodied people are the handicapped ones - as far as they are concerned, I am 100% normal. They get extremely excited if we meet someone else in a wheelchair, because they are convinced that this toal stranger must be family of mine, because they have the same "round legs" (i.e. wheels) that I have. QUITE AMAZING!

 

[jayp]

I am sorry to hear this. Did your vet give any indication of how quickly the tumor is likely to return?This is a personal opinion and others may disagree, but you have to think of his quality of life in his last year or two.

Given your fellow is 12 years old, I would think that amputation would be a lot for him to cope with and there the associated risks of anesthesia in such an old dog, He could die on the table, from shock or die of complications later. He would also have to adapt at what is a good age to life on 3 legs. My dog aged 9 died from a thromboembolism 1 month after a general anesthetic to have his teeth cleaned. I blame the anesthetic as he was a very healthy dog otherwise. Your dog has already undergone anesthesia and an operation to remove the present tumor. It may be as much as his old body can cope with.

I would advise leting him enjoy what time he has left with all 4 legs. Amputation may buy him an extra year but yould you really want to put him through all that. If and when the cancer returns you will still have the time left that pain relief offers. He is a good age at 12. Enjoy the time you have left together. :luck: :luck: :luck:

I have to agree with this.

Me too sadly, and whippets would seem to cope better with hind leg removal than front, what a horrible horrible time for you and i think 12 years is a good age for a whippet, he is an old boy and obviously a very well loved boy Good luck

 

[lorna anne]

I am sorry to hear this. Did your vet give any indication of how quickly the tumor is likely to return?This is a personal opinion and others may disagree, but you have to think of his quality of life in his last year or two.

Given your fellow is 12 years old, I would think that amputation would be a lot for him to cope with and there the associated risks of anesthesia in such an old dog, He could die on the table, from shock or die of complications later. He would also have to adapt at what is a good age to life on 3 legs. My dog aged 9 died from a thromboembolism 1 month after a general anesthetic to have his teeth cleaned. I blame the anesthetic as he was a very healthy dog otherwise. Your dog has already undergone anesthesia and an operation to remove the present tumor. It may be as much as his old body can cope with.

I would advise leting him enjoy what time he has left with all 4 legs. Amputation may buy him an extra year but yould you really want to put him through all that. If and when the cancer returns you will still have the time left that pain relief offers. He is a good age at 12. Enjoy the time you have left together. :luck: :luck: :luck:

I have to agree with this.

Me too sadly, and whippets would seem to cope better with hind leg removal than front, what a horrible horrible time for you and i think 12 years is a good age for a whippet, he is an old boy and obviously a very well loved boy Good luck

Many thanks for the kind words of support. I take it you are Pencleave Whippets? Forgive my ignorance. If so, interestingly, my boy with the tumour is a litter brother to Silkstone Secret Gold ("Damon"), the grandsire of your "Diva". Small world, hey? "Damon", who as you probably know is in Germany, has also had a non-malignant tumour removed more than once from a similar place on his foreleg.

 

[TillynPip]

I am going to add my twopenneth worth. My Whippet X, Tilly, (slightly smaller than a whippet but same body shape), had an horrific car accident 2 years ago and to cut a very long story short, had to have her left hind leg amputated. She has never looked back and adapted wonderfully, using her tail as a sort of rudder. The orthopaedic surgeon told me to run her immediately on the flat and not to treat her like an invalid. She leaps around the sitting room from chair to chair rather than use the boring floor, she swims in the sea and she can still catch rabbits. She has a marvelous quality of life, copes with two other rumbustuous dogs in the house (she is the Alpha), one of which is a 19 week puppy.

The difference, well Tilly was only 2 yrs old when the accident happened and she lost her hind leg which I think it easier to cope with than a fore leg insomuch that they don't have to heave the bulk of their torso off one leg. Tilly hops on her back leg but whippets are light dogs and, assuming Boots isn't carrying weight, he should cope. It can only be your decision and a very hard one at that. You know your dog and you'll make the right decision for him.

Good Luck and let us know how it all goes. :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[eve]

I have done some surfing on the internet and apparently this kind of tumour returns within months rather than years. It also obviously depends on how much of the tumour the vet was able to remove, given the proximity of crucial ligaments and nerves. The anesthetic doesn't worry me that much as I always insist that my vet uses the human anesthetic, Propofol (aka Diprivan) which is VASTLY superior to the anaesthetics usually used.

Most vets in the UK use Propofol especially if a whippet is involved. This was used with Peat but he still had a Thromboembolism 3 weeks later. At the age of nine in an otherwise very healthy dog, I do blame the anesthesia. Most of my whippets live to 12 or 13. They have all been rescues that have had a pretty poor start in life. I think Hula is lucky to have such long lived whippets

The amputation may give you and extra year over doing nothing and waiting to see what happens perhaps you will be lucky and the tumor will grow back slowly or be removable again. At the end of the day, it is the dogs comfort and happiness that needs to be considered. He will pass to Rainbow bridge either way in a couple of years. It is something we all need to cope with and it is not easy.

Best of luck, whatever you decide. :luck:

 

[Hula]

A year may be about 1/70th of a human lifespan but a year may be 1/12 approx of a dogs lifespan therefore a much bigger proportion

 

[jayp]

I am sorry to hear this. Did your vet give any indication of how quickly the tumor is likely to return?This is a personal opinion and others may disagree, but you have to think of his quality of life in his last year or two.

Given your fellow is 12 years old, I would think that amputation would be a lot for him to cope with and there the associated risks of anesthesia in such an old dog, He could die on the table, from shock or die of complications later. He would also have to adapt at what is a good age to life on 3 legs. My dog aged 9 died from a thromboembolism 1 month after a general anesthetic to have his teeth cleaned. I blame the anesthetic as he was a very healthy dog otherwise. Your dog has already undergone anesthesia and an operation to remove the present tumor. It may be as much as his old body can cope with.

I would advise leting him enjoy what time he has left with all 4 legs. Amputation may buy him an extra year but yould you really want to put him through all that. If and when the cancer returns you will still have the time left that pain relief offers. He is a good age at 12. Enjoy the time you have left together. :luck: :luck: :luck:

I have to agree with this.

Me too sadly, and whippets would seem to cope better with hind leg removal than front, what a horrible horrible time for you and i think 12 years is a good age for a whippet, he is an old boy and obviously a very well loved boy Good luck

Many thanks for the kind words of support. I take it you are Pencleave Whippets? Forgive my ignorance. If so, interestingly, my boy with the tumour is a litter brother to Silkstone Secret Gold ("Damon"), the grandsire of your "Diva". Small world, hey? "Damon", who as you probably know is in Germany, has also had a non-malignant tumour removed more than once from a similar place on his foreleg.

Yes, "Diva" is a grandaughter of Secret Gold, A lovely dog I only saw at Crufts a few years ago when he came over, it is lovely to "meet" you although sadly in difficult times for you and your boy, he is lucky to have someone putting so much soulsearching into whats best for him

It is a small world..... would be great to keep in touch

Very best wishes jan x

 

[jinnyfizz]

It is always sad to hear about a much-loved whippie friend being in a dilemma like this

I am sorry that I have no personal experience to draw on, but I know that K9 members such as whippets4eva (who posted earlier in this thread) and myfairlady (also recently been through a similar decision to yourself with her staffie) will be of great support to you :thumbsup:

Good luck :luck: and be strong in whatever you decide ...... quality of life is so important for our beloved friends and they are lucky enough not to fear disablement, illness or death as we do :huggles: