Did you look here? A lot of people assume people should go to vet schools...that is totally not necessary. You just want to look for boarded specialists. www.acvs.org

So glad he is doing ok. :)

Thank you. I'll check it out. And, yes, I would think a competent specialist in private practice would be fine. I actually think it's strange that a teaching college would cost more when, in addition to them helping their patients, those patients provide the school and its students with the benefit of a teaching experience. Seems like it should cost less. But what do I know?

A lot of people think they are less expensive, but they are not. I agree it seems a bit odd, but I guess like any other place, they have an overhead.

I have actually found that the specialists here in the Houston area sometimes charge less than Texas A&M for certain things. I honestly prefer private practices because then I have a choice which vet I am getting. Not all vets are equal and I don't just look at the facility....I look at the individual vet. You don't choose your vet at a school.

And of course with a teaching hospital, even though they are supervised, students have to get hands-on experience. I'd prefer the surgeon cutting on Turner already have experience, especially when it comes to something this critical.

Sadly, we had to let Turner go today. The vet told us that his mass was inoperable. It was extensive, had wrapped itself around his pancreas, spleen, stomach (and other things I can't remember now), and she believed it was cancer. At any rate it could not be removed. His prognosis was not good. She said that often when cancer is exposed it grows even faster, and that it was going to strangulate his organs, which would lose their blood supply and die, which was not a pleasant way to go. We decided to let him go then rather than have him wake up to not only the pain of a large abdominal incision but the impending strangulation of his organs. He was a sweet dog--the sweetest I have ever known--and we miss him terribly. But we felt that letting him go now was best for him. It's hard for me to understand how this mass had become so extensive when he got his last annual wellness check less than a year ago and his organs were palpated. The vet said sometimes they grow really quickly. Our other pup is very subdued today, which is about as far from her personality as you can get. Yesterday she sniffed him at a distance and backed away. I think she knew. Later that night, Turner lay down right against her for a while, which they usually don't do. Thank you all for your support during this crisis.

Oh, I am SO very sorry. :( Sadly, many of these tumors are like this...they just seem to pop up out of no where. I have had it happen twice...once with a foster and once with one of mine. You did what was best for him ... I wouldn't want a pup to have to experience the pain of surgery only to end up being in pain again. I know how hard those decisions are....sadly we have to do for them what is the most painful for us.
I hope that very soon your good memories will help to heal this pain of losing your sweet boy.

Thank you. It's comforting for me to have the knowledge that these tumors can come up quickly, because occasionally I have had the thought that I could have saved him if I had been more aware or vigilant.

I am in pain and will be for a while, but he gave us years of joy and unconditional love. And I am grateful for that.

I too am so very sorry about this.

Prayers your way--bless you for the love and care you shared with Turner.

Thank you. So kind.

Ohhh please don't do that to yourself. My foster who I mentioned had been to the vet a couple of times in a two week period for some neck issues he was having. He got up one day and was really acting odd...I took him in and they did xrays and found a massive tumor in his abdomen. We were all stunned. So, yeah, it does happen.

One of my favorite sayings......"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."

I'm so sorry. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Thanks so much. I love that quote. I just read it aloud to my husband.

I might have taken him to the vet sooner if not for the fact that both he and his sister both have sensitive stomachs, and we've had them on Royal Canin Intestinal Low Fat as Annabelle got pancreatitis a couple of times and Turner, maybe once.

Turner was one of those dogs who picked up things off the ground and ate them. The funny thing is, they gave him the antibiotic Metronidazole about three weeks ago after doing blood work to try to diagnose the then daily vomiting, and as long as he was on it, the vomiting foam each morning stopped. It could have been an entirely different issue that led us to discover the tumor. If so I'm grateful for it because I wouldn't want him to get to the point where the tumor had strangulated his organs. He played yesterday so I know he felt at least that good before he died and seemed to feel at least okay today.

Thank you so much. We appreciate that.

It does sound like it was just an incidental finding...thank goodness because he would have really been in pain at some point.

Oh and yes, when you look back you will realize that it was a gift that it happened this way and that he didn't suffer and that he was happy up until it was time to go. I know it is terribly painful now, but it will get better...although we never totally get past it. I just hold on to the thought that one day I will see my babies again.

I am so sorry to read about your dear Turner. I am in tears reading this and just brings back memories of losing my Keally. You did the right thing and I hope Turner meets my little Keally over the Rainbow Bridge. It is sad your baby had to get that tumor and it is hard for all of us why these things happen. Anyways Turner knew you loved him and had a wonderful home. Cherish those good memories and take one day at a time. Sending a hug from me and my little Kinder. Susan