The day after Thanksgiving a few years ago I got biopsy results confirming lymphoma in one of my Great Danes. Based on conversations with the vet I was going to start chemo. After talking with my sister, who is also a DVM, and a friend of hers who is a veterinary oncologist I changed my mind. They said my vet oversold both the likelihood of successful treatment and the realistic amount of time that might be gained. I had to say goodbye to her on Christmas morning, just a month later.

Something like 12 month survival after diagnosis and treatment is a median and something like 16 months is the end of the bell curve. It's possible that your friend won't respond or will have only a short remission. I imagine that depends on a variety of factors like the stage of the cancer, the exact form of it, the age and health of the dog, etc. In reading just now survival without treatment is more like a month, which is just where my girl was. It sucks. It completely f'ing sucks. It's one of those times where there is no good outcome.

Over her last month my girl was up and down but never seemed in distress until the last night. I stayed on the couch next to her that night but I didn't sleep a wink. If I could do one thing over it would be to put her down a day earlier. I have come to think since then that if the end is inevitable I would rather put a dog down a week too early than a day too late.

I have some other more personal but very relevant info. If you would like email me at Hokiejoe2001@yahoo