I have a possible dog-related quandary coming next week. He has a benign tumour in the glands about two inches down from the base of his tail (where it attaches to his body). It's of a size where there's only a 50-50 chance he can keep his tail if the vet removes the tumour because there wouldn't be enough skin or flesh left to close the gap but there's also the option of castration because the tumour is primarily caused by testosterone. Castration shrinks the tumour and prevents 95% of recurrences but it also causes weight gain. Having the tumour removed surgically with the possible tail amputation would be covered by the insurance (80% of it anyway) but there's no guarantee more tumours wouldn't develop because he still has testosterone and further tumours wouldn't be covered for treatment. But if we opt for castration (not covered by insurance) as well as tail surgery (covered) and he then gains weight it's likely he'll need a hip-replacement which wouldn't be covered by the insurance because it's a pre-existing condition and excluded on his policy (along with allergies, ear problems, skin problems, and arthritis). He only has the barest minimum of food for his size so we wouldn't be able to control his weight by reducing his food further.
I don't want my poor Ridley to lose his lovely tail or his nads!
