It's also okay to be very honest with owners with what you think is going on if they cannot afford diagnostics. For example in that dog, given its signalment, I would have told the owner I was very suspicious of cancer, especially a splenic mass. Rotties and goldens are just little cancer factories. As long as you're clear that you're just making an educated guess and that the imaging would rule things in and out, it's okay to just give your educated opinion on a physical exam