One month ago we had an x-ray done of her liver and it showed this huge tumor. Today, after the x-ray, my vet gave me the "talk" and I'm very distraught. He said a biopsy would do no good and that I should enjoy her while she's here. She had siezures in the past and I now have her on some liver vitamins that supposedly makes her liver numbers go up which is a good thing. Her siezures have stopped but the tumor has now got thicker. This tumor is so big that she doesn't have much of her liver left. She plays and eats once a day and seems very happy. What can I expect of her future? My vet was very brusk this time as he knew the x-rays showed poor news. Is there anyone out here that has experienced this type of thing in their dog?
My 4 year old dog has a malignant softball sized tumor on her liver
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If you're upset with how the visit turned out, see another vet. 4 is pretty young so if you're interested in other options, definitely seek them out. There might not be any thing that CAN be done, but there is never any harm in getting a second opinion.
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I'm sorry about the bad news. What kind of dog?
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Oh I just read that you said your vet was brusk, so I thought you felt you didn't get a good outlook from there.
I thought he was brusk because of the bad news he had to give me. I've dealt with him for a little while and I'm assuming he knows best. Maybe not. You've given me thought to double check just in case. I am selfishly in love with this dog.
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Never wrong to get a second opinion and talk over your options with someone else. If it was one of my dogs I would be devastated, so I really feel for you guys. Good luck in whatever you can find out.
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It's OK to be upset. You can be upset and still make the rest of her life the best time. 
It's not easy to lose a dog, especially young.
It's not easy to lose a dog, especially young.I wondered about an oncologist. I just found out today there are vets that specialize in this. I live out where there's no medical care for humans so I'd have to go a distance but who cares. I might just check that option out too, thank you.
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I am so sorry. I can't imagine what thats like. I wish you the best of luck & make that dogs days the best!
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You can ask your vet to send her records to a vet school for he oncology dept to look at and give you a 2nd opinion that way. It's pretty cheap to do, and will ease your mind that you are doing what is best for her. Most good vets don't mind at all when someone wants a 2nd opinion.
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Without a biopsy, how did he know it was malignant? Did the x-ray show that it had spread to other areas? I guess the seizures were probably caused by high ammonia levels or did the x-rays show masses in her brain?
A 3x5cm mass was just discovered on my dog's liver recently while getting an ultrasound to check for a bladder growth. I was told it was pedunculated so that it's "likely not cancer" and was simply told to check it again in a few months for growth. At the time, I was mostly just glad his bladder didn't have a big issue and since I hadn't slept, the news about the liver mass didn't really sink in. I'm going to ask my vet about it more when I take him back in a week.
From what I was told, surgery to remove a liver growth is a fairly major surgery. When they remove cancers, they would want to remove some of the surrounding healthy tissue as well to try to make sure they get it all. That might be a big problem even if the cancer hasn't spread since you said there's not much of her liver left.
I would think a specialized homemade diet could help since her liver functions are impaired. If the cancer has spread there's probably not much you can really do at this point.
A 3x5cm mass was just discovered on my dog's liver recently while getting an ultrasound to check for a bladder growth. I was told it was pedunculated so that it's "likely not cancer" and was simply told to check it again in a few months for growth. At the time, I was mostly just glad his bladder didn't have a big issue and since I hadn't slept, the news about the liver mass didn't really sink in. I'm going to ask my vet about it more when I take him back in a week.
From what I was told, surgery to remove a liver growth is a fairly major surgery. When they remove cancers, they would want to remove some of the surrounding healthy tissue as well to try to make sure they get it all. That might be a big problem even if the cancer hasn't spread since you said there's not much of her liver left.
I would think a specialized homemade diet could help since her liver functions are impaired. If the cancer has spread there's probably not much you can really do at this point.
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