shnmurphy

My ten year old Aussie has been diagnosed with a gum tumor in the upper front gum called acanthomatous epulis or acanthomatous ameloblastoma. The treatment options offered by the vet are surgery to remove a large part of her jaw (7-9 cm) including bone (which is looking like the best option) or several radiation treatments (the nearest clinic with radiation treatments is a two and a half hour drive away and if 12 treatments are necessary I wouldn't be able to take that much time off not to mention that my budget is limited). I don’t want to put a price on my dog’s life but I don’t have unlimited funds. The chemotherapy injections weren’t recommended. Both of the recommended treatments seem drastic and not treating the tumor is an option. It is benign so it won't spread to other parts of her body but it is described as aggressive and the tumor is in her jaw bone. The visible part of the tumor was removed for the biopsy about 3-4 weeks ago and has already grown back and I think it is larger. The vet was very vague about whether it will be fatal and how fast it will grow and I haven't been able to find any specific information regarding these topics in the literature I have read. If anyone has any experience with this type of tumor I would appreciate any advice about what treatment was chosen, how the tumor progressed, if it returned, how much it cost to treat and any other information. Thank you in advance.