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Here's my problem.

I have an 8-year-old female yellow Labrador. Last week, I noticed a bit of blood in her urine, so I brought her to the vet. He thought bladder infection and prescribed Trimethsulfa. A couple days into the medication, my Lab suddenly started having periodic coughing fits - like a cat trying to cough up a hairball, only, of course, nothing would come up. Worried that my dog was having a reaction, we (meaning, my mother and I) had an emergency vet visit - with a different vet than our regular. He took a look, noticed her breathing was a bit rough and her lymph nodes were swollen, and gave a diagnosis as either a) systemic infection, b) fungal disease, or, most likely, c) cancer. Shocked, as the Lab seemed happy and alert and not so seriously ill, we saw our regular vet today. He confirmed it: he thinks she has leukemia (based on checking her lungs through the stethoscope and feeling the lymph nodes).

At this time, we were given two options -

a) give her prednisone to control the coughing (for 2-3 weeks only), but let the cancer run its course until she can no longer go on. With this, as he believes the cancer to be aggressive from the symptoms, she'll probably have a few weeks and most definitvely won't see June.

b) get her X-rays and a biopsy to determine the stage of the cancer, then put her on chemo (both pills and injections likely, he says). With this, she'll get another four to ten months.

My mother lost a dachschund through some careless anesthesis years ago and is completely against the biopsy, as our dog'll be knocked out in the meantime. Money is not an object; I can borrow.

If I can give my dog four to ten extra months, I want to do so. I don't, however, want those to be months where she's suffering and coughing. The vet says that, other than pills and injections, she'll be fine, but I'd like some more info. (Other misc. info - her breath is often short and huffy now.)

I'm rattled now (the last vet visit was an hour ago, and if she's to have a biopsy, it'll happen tomorrow morning), so this list of questions is probably not exhaustive. For starters, though -

Is a biopsy a big deal, relatively? (He'll be removing one of the lymph nodes near the back legs.) My vet says no, but - is it going to be a horrible hardship? (My mother's under the impression that if the biopsy is done, the cancer will get even more aggressive or spread.)
Has anyone had a dog go through chemo? How was he or she during treatment? The vet said that, unlike with people, the side effects were nearly none, save for increased appetite. (He said, without staging things, that she'll probably be in twice a week for 3-4 weeks, then every three weeks in the long run.)
If I opt for chemo, will she still be coughing throughout?
Are there any tests I should ask to be done?
If these are her final, final days, is there anything I can or should do for her to make things better?

And, obviously, what would you do? If she's only going to have weeks left, I don't want them spent in the doctor's office. OTOH, if I can give her more quality life, I want to do so. It's just such a shock - we had our other Lab pass away a couple years ago, but he had deteriorated so physically and mentally. Our Lab now, except for - heh heh, gee - the cancer, she's in her prime, which will make putting her down even more hellish.

Please e-mail if you have any advice. I'd greatly appreciate it.

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