Got Snoop back from the clinic this morning. He had been there since Tuesday morning for the surgery. He looks well and lively. The diagnosis was what I have prepared myself for. The lump was a kind of tumour and with a bit of it left in place, it will keep growing back at the same spot. This will require painful and stressful surgery everytime it needs to be cut off. The sorta good news is that it is not an aggressive tumour and it hasn’t spread anywhere else, but it might over time.
The vet and I both agree that having repeated surgery to cut it out is not a good long term solution. Plus, by leaving the tumour to grow, Snoop might develop cancer somewhere else. So the other option is amputation of the leg and it will be scheduled for sometime next week. I wasn’t sad about it because it really had to be done, though I wonder how will it affect his personality.
My family and cousins were more shell-shocked because they haven’t been updated about it as constantly as I was. It’d be an interesting time helping him walk on three legs, but better a live dog than a dead one. I’ve always been practical about things, and I is definitely not sentimental.
No point dwelling on what couldn’t be avoided. Instead I’m going to focus on the positive – Snoop’s only 6 this year. He’s got quite a few more years left in him yet. 
24 Responses to “Snoop the dog lives”
Leave a Reply
You might also be interested in these
- Everybody loves Snoop
- Acting like a kid
- Snoop my three-legged dog
- Snoop the dog sleeps a lot
- Snoop the dog says, “Don’t call me Tripod!”
May i be honest and tell you that i am feeling sad about this, as well as amazed that you are taking it so calmly, so well. I’m glad that you are, though, and i’m sure both you and Snoop will be fine. You’re right to focus on the good stuff – Snoop is only young, and he’s going to be around for a while yet. He may as well be healthy and able to enjoy life. Go Snoop.
Awww, he’s so cute! Heaps of dogs get around fine on three legs, i’m sure he’ll cope.
I feel sad for Snoop. But, better to lose a paw than lose ones life. It’s a pity he won’t understand why.
I hope he adjusts fine. i think he will because he is much loved.
Whoa, damn man, sorry to hear your dogs losing a leg.
Still like you said, better a 3 legged dog then do dog at all. Plus I don’t think dogs care about stuff like that like we do, he’ll be as happy with 3 legs as with 4, after awhile.
Good luck to both of you.
I feel so sad for snoop…:(
Poor Snoop! I hope the amputation means that the cancer is completely irradicated from his body and that he’ll have a long and happy life.
No other method than amputation ka? cos honestly sad to know that he have to live with 3 legs. I mean it’s like incomplete. But i do understand the reasoning ……….. sigh sigh. Poor Snoop
My dog lived 18 years.
I hope Snoop will live happy and long!
It is sad to hear that Snoop has to lose a leg. But looking at the bright side, he gets to live. I guess it’s not what you lose or don’t have in life that matters, but it is what you have. Hope he has a full recovery soon.
Poor Snoop! I wonder if dogs can be fitted with a prosthetic leg….
Hi! Perhaps you could let Snoop heal first and observe the lump.. and then decide to amputate if the lump acts up..
JL: I was mildly depressed when I contemplated it earlier in the week. But once I knew what had to be done, I felt calm about it.
steph: yeah that’s why I’m not too shook up about it though because he’s so hyper normally, I’m a bit anxious as to how it’d change him.
Dabido: that’s the idea – think he’d be more pampered as a result.
BigZapher: yeah that’s what I think so too. Thanks for the thoughts!
sourrain: for a while, me too. But better alive than dead.
CW: me too!
DeV|LisH: the alternative is letting the tumour grow again, and then have to keep cutting it off. It’s painful and stressful for him. Plus surgery has risks too such as infections, complications.
Yuuka: that’s comforting to know! and thanks!
10/3: yeah exactly. thanks for the kind wishes!
dreymer: heheh that’s what my mom said too. But nope.
Su: although the lump is not aggresive, it is malignant. I am not running the risk of it spreading elsewhere. It’s like breast cancer in a way.
aww…amputation….=_=
i’ll be so sad like dunno wat if my pet has to lose a paw.
U r sure taking it v well.
take care (to both)
Definitely a calm approach for someone close to you dude, but yeh all the best with his surgery and recovery.
man… i feel sad
Hi there, I’ve been lurking. Sorry to hear about Snoop. Do you know the name of this tumour?
Did your vet say why it wasn’t a complete excisional biopsy the first time round? i am also in
the profession and am curious as to why amputation is the next step already
Maybe it is better to seek a second opinion before proceeding with the amputation?
mf: thanks for the kind thoughts!
Fredison: well the situation is the same no matter how I would react, so I choose to be calm and rational about it.
herman: for a while I was too, but like I said – he lives.
j: hi thanks for de-lurking! The name of the tumour is something beginning with “m” – sorry can’t be more specific!
It grew in and around the cartilage and muscle around his ankle and it was hard to remove it all. The vet would have probably incapacitated Snoop if he wanted to go all the way, end result being the leg would be useless after.
The vet said that I could leave it but it will grow back in place and it will have to be excised again – obviously not a good long term solution. And it might spread.
vesance: we did – we asked another vet who is more specialised in the area and he came to the same suggestion.
I’m not judging you on how calm you are, I’m just saying it’s good that you are this way.
hey, i’m glad it’s nothing major.. major i mean it’s outta control… as a pet owner,i know how you feel.. it’s really the best for you and snoop…do give snoop extra hugs for me.. and oh, do shower him with more treats.. i’m sure he’ll appreciate it.
As always, you are such a wonderful positive person. I wish you’d put some of that stuff you have in a pill and sell it to me. I sure do need it at times.
Also, I’m sure your dog will be fine, and over time he’ll get over it. I think it is far more traumatic for an animal to experience MULTIPLE VET visits then it could ever be for them to just lose a leg. Plus, like you stated, there is no guarantee that the tumor wouldn’t become cancerous eventually. I feel you made the right decision.
Fredison: none taken.
Kate: I’m sure he will be more pampered by everyone in the family after. Even though I rather that he has all his limbs, but at the same time, I’d much rather him be healthy.
shelly: yeah I agree about continuous surgery being traumatising. Plus if we do that, that wound of his will never heal, having to be cut open every time. It’s something where I had to bite the bullet on and deal with it.
My philosophy is: even though we have no control over a lot of things in our lives, we do have control over how we face it. It took me time to learn this as well, so here’s wishing you getting there too.
i dun like this entry but it cannot be wished away.
=_=
bm: I don’t like it either, and I wished it wasn’t happening but it is. Oh well. Life would be really swell if not for the bad stuff.