What Age Is a Dog Too Old for Surgery? │ Dr. Nancy Reese Q&A

Are we right to assume that older dogs shouldn’t go through surgery? Is it ever right to put them under? Dr. Nancy Reese has an answer for Louise’s Listener Line question about her senior Maltese. In the process, she also reveals her own internal struggle about getting surgery for her own senior dog. This episode is proof that even veterinarians struggle with this question. 

Helpful Resources and Links Mentioned in Today’s Show:  

Here’s a great article on DogCancerBlog about how to think about age and your dog: Is my Dog Too Old for Cancer Treatments?

Sometimes we worry that our dogs are near the end of their life, but we don’t know what that actually looks like. This article tells you the warning signs, so you can be prepared: https://www.dogcancerblog.com/articles/end-of-life-care/warning-signs-dog-dying/

Here’s an article James’ wife Molly wrote about Dr. Dressler’s epic surgery on their senior Maltese, Kanga: https://www.dogcancerblog.com/articles/dog-cancer-surgery-what-i-learned/

About Today’s Guest, Dr. Nancy Reese:  

Dr. Nancy Reese is a small animal veterinarian with over 30 years of clinical experience taking care of cats and dogs and other critters in the Sierra Nevada foothills. She’s also a perpetual student and researcher, as evidenced by her many degrees. In addition to her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California, Davis, she earned a Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis and then a Ph.D. in Epidemiology at UC Davis. If you string all her letters out after her name it looks like this: Nancy Reese, DVM, MPVM, PhD. In her spare time, she volunteers to help evacuate and shelter animals caught up in disasters, and she’s currently training to help in human search and rescue efforts. Dr. Reese lives in a log cabin with her husband, her 13-year-old golden retriever, and her two 13-year-old cats. Her hobbies include boosting the quality of life and longevity for all animals in her care, hiking, travelling, and cross-country skiing. Oh, and lots of dog walking.   

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 Dog Cancer Answers is a Maui Media production in association with Dog Podcast Network

This episode is sponsored by the best-selling animal health book The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Full Spectrum Treatments to Optimize Your Dog’s Life Quality and Longevity by Dr. Demian Dressler and Dr. Susan Ettinger. Available everywhere fine books are sold. 

Listen to podcast episode for a special discount code. 

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