Is my dog in pain?

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am sorry to hear that Jacob is not doing well. I remember from your previous question that Jacob was diagnosed with a tumor on the spleen.

You're right that the most common outcome when a dog has a splenic tumor is that the diseased spleen bleeds into the abdomen.

It's always hard to answer the question of whether or not a dog is in pain. Here are my thoughts on how a dog feels with a bleeding spleen tumor. I don't believe that he is in pain but I do think that he feels really unwell. If he is bleeding into his abdomen then he likely is going into something called hypvolemic shock. This happens where the body's blood supply is dangerously low. Shock does not feel good. It causes the kidneys and other organs to start to fail. I would imagine that Jacob probably feels very nauseous and weak.

It is certainly possible that he could die at home. I have seen dogs with hemangiosarcoma of the spleen die a peaceful death at home. Even still, if it is at all possible, I would advise on euthanasia rather than a home death. The reason for this is that the death may not be peaceful. He may end up having seizures or extreme breathing problems. It would be awful to have to rush him in to the emergency vet in the middle of the night in distress.

I know this is a very hard decision for you. It is hard for any owner to go through euthanasia, but if we look at it from Jacob's perspective it may be in his best interest.

I'm so sorry.

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

It sounds like that is the best decision. We just did this with our cat Albert recently. It's never easy but it is better than letting him continue in his discomfort.