Hi Redvette. Thanks so much for your nice post. No, not much can be done for Newman. Originally, when he was operated on our vet said not to worry, that he thought he may have stepped on glass or had a splinter that lodged in the pad and caused inflamation. He told us that cancer in the foot pad is so rare that he wasn't concerned. A week later, our vet called and you could hear his voice breaking on the phone (We've been going to the same vet for 10 years) and he told me how sorry he was, that it turned out to be a tumor and that it was a stage III mass cell tumor. The option we had was Radiation Treatment, at a cost of about $5,000 and my husband and I would have went for that but the vet told us that in his opinion it would not cure it - it would just prolong until the tumor reappeared again. The other option we have is to have the tumor removed again, when it comes back but his foot is tiny and to keep putting him through this is unfair. Right now he's fine, he's not suffering. You wouldn't even know he was sick, as a matter of fact he seems like a puppy, better the he's ever been so this is how we're going to leave him and when the time comes and we see differently then we'll do the right thing. The vet said we'd have about a year and we're just enjoying the time with him and spoiling as we've always done. I couldn't see putting him through Radiation at ten years old, having him so sick from it, just to prolong the time he has. Let him live and enjoy himself pain free for whatever time is left. Thanks again Redvette for you nice post. Elaine |