Assessing major influences on decision-making and outcome for dogs presenting emergently with nontraumatic hemoabdomen

OBJECTIVE To evaluate factors contributing to owner decision-making, satisfaction, and perception of quality of life (QOL) with treatment of dogs with nontraumatic hemoabdomen (NTH). ANIMALS 132 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES An electronic survey was administered to owners of 436 dogs that presented emergently with NTH to a single institution between January 2015 and May 2022. Following survey response, retrospective data collection was performed. RESULTS Owners reported QOL as the most important factor influencing their decision-making (92%), followed by risk of cancer (57%) or time remaining with their pet (56%). QOL scores were significantly higher with surgery versus those with palliative care (P = .007). Median survival time (MST) was 213 days with surgery and 39 days with palliative care (P = .049). Survival benefit of surgery was lost when considering only dogs with malignant histopathology (MST, 81 days; P = .305). Owners were more likely to be satisfied when they chose surgery over either euthanasia or palliative care (P = .039). Thirty-four owners (26%) second-guessed or were unsure of their decision.