You know, it's not really an issue of malpractice, I think. It's listening to the pet's owner, and understanding their goals. I will do anything for my dog. She's been my best friend for 12 years. We've traveled the world together. I work from home, and she is always by my side. I respect her like an equal. Money doesn't matter - I can make more money. My dog's well-being matters more than money.

But just as I wouldn't want a loved human to go through traumatic treatments that aren't going to improve their well-being very much, I didn't want that for my dog. And I did my very best to communicate this to the vet, but she didn't care. I get the sense that she just really wanted to perform that surgery. Maybe it was because my dog was an interesting case - she had very advanced cancer with a huge tumor and almost no symptoms - nobody would have guessed she was sick. Even the vet tech asked if she could share photos and my dog's story with her class because she said it was a unique case. Or maybe surgeons just really enjoy cutting bodies open. Maybe she wanted/needed the money. Maybe she was going to write about my dog in her research. I don't know, but I dont think she was concerned as much about my dog's well-being, or my wishes, as she was with whatever other factor caused her to push me to get this surgery.

Anyway, I thank you for your concern, but I do think I will warn other pet owners about this surgeon. I'll try to do so in as even-handed a manner as I can...Technically, it was a very successful surgery in that she opened my pup up, removed the tumor, and successfully sewed her up, and I respect her skill, and my dog survived the surgery. Maybe I don't understand everything that was at play. All I know is that the research was clear about my dog's case (surgery was a bit useless at that advanced stage, and her life wouldnt be extended more than a month or two due to the surgery, and it would cause her a lot of pain), and the surgeon chose not to disclose that to me before the surgery. At the very least, I want her to think about her motives and the way she deals with pet owners.

Also, I think anyone who deals with life and death situations and medicine should read Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. I read the book after all the surgery stuff was over - it made me a little less upset, becuase it helped me understand the medical professional's side of things - sometimes they just want to do whatever they can without thinking about whether it's really the best thing - but I'm with Atul - you shouldn't always do every procedure just because you can. Sometimes you need to consider what makes a quality life, and decide not to do a procedure that's going to reduce quality of life in the time you have left.