Weighing choices for Tui

Tough choices for Tui

Written by Vanessa Wilson

Risk-informed decision-making is a routine, often instinctual, part of our daily lives. From mundane choices like which route to take to work, to life-altering decisions, we constantly weigh risk and reward.

Our family recently faced a tough decision after taking our dog Tui ('Too-ee'), the cutest Shih-Tzu x Maltese around town, for a routine check-up. An ultrasound found that a lump in Tui's torso was a tumor. Our loyal companion of more than 15 years had cancer.

When choosing which treatment path, we weighed multiple downside risks in improving and extending Tui's life. The ultrasound did not show the precise location or the extent of the malignancy and so Tui's prognosis was uncertain. Our family huddled to weigh the heart-wrenching options:

1. Symptomatic treatment: we could take our chances that the tumour was benign or slow-growing. Medication would manage Tui's pain and discomfort.
   

2. Exploratory surgery: this option offered more information on the tumor with a chance of removal. But surgery came with significant risks given Tui's age: surgical complications, or the vet's decision to put Tui to sleep if the tumor was discovered to be so extensive and malignant.
   

3. Specialist tests and targeted surgery: transferring to a specialist vet with additional scans and targeted surgery, but with the same risks as option 2.
   

We chose symptomatic treatment because it offered the highest likelihood of extending Tui's time with us. As months passed, the tumour grew. Tui became lethargic, lost weight, and struggled to walk. We cherished every moment, knowing our time was limited.

In April 2024, Tui took his last breath. Our hearts shattered, but we had no regrets. We made the best decision we could for Tui, balancing treatment options with potential outcomes.

The extent to which we formalise and document our risk-informed decision-making should be guided by the scale of the decision we have to make. Complex choices and decisions with far-reaching impacts benefit from structured risk analysis within a decision-making framework.

Image source: Vanessa Wilson