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Don’t feel sorry about unloading on us we all have done it when one of our fur babies were in trouble. A little over two years ago in Sept. my baby Tristen had an inverted stomach and boy did I unload. Unfortunately I lost him last April but the IS surgery ($6K a lot of people thought I was nuts to spend that amount on an almost 12 year old dog) gave me another 19 months with him and it was worth every penny to me. He was a chow and they have a life span of about 10-12 years and he was 13 1/2. Just keep unloading any time you need to.
Jennifer wrote:I am so sorry. We just lost our dog Nikki to lymphoma and it was a terrible thing.
I am so sorry to hear that – my deepest sympathy to you.
tasgrs wrote:[
I would be interested in hearing from anyone about their experience with lymphoma in their pets: good, bad, otherwise; how much time you had between diagnosis and the eventual loss of the pet, chemo/no chemo, remission times, etc. if it isn’t too painful to recall and list.We took Nikki ( http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs11/i/2006/177/b/2/Nikki_1_by_tenma_mouko.png ) to the vet this July after we found what we thought were ‘swollen glands’ in his throat when we were petting him. IT was very subtle, like less than what it feels like on a person when they have a sore throat. We were expecting to find out he had some sort of minor illness, but it was lymphoma. We were shocked that it was already metastatic too, as he had been showing no signs of having it, which we found out is sadly common. Nik had bad genetics (we adopted him from the dog shelter as he was a stray) he already had been having several health issues including canine dementia and hip dysplasia. Due to his health problems, age, the stage of the lymphoma, and the fact that the nearest facility that would be able to preform chemotherapy and radiation on him was a 2+ hour one way drive, the vet suggested that it would probably be kinder to him to provide good ‘end of life care’ instead, but let us decide. Our family talked about it at great length and in the end decided to make him as comfortable as possible. We fed him the best diet possible like you are doing, and for several months he was quire well. We went to the vet religiously (much to the horror of the checking account) and for a while it seemed like the lymphoma didn’t ‘go anywhere’.
Then suddenly in October he began going downhill fast. Suddenly he got very thin and despite having a great appetite and eating well he couldn’t keep weight on. He began having a harder time walking (he already had a bad time from the hip dysplasia) and his legs started to swell with lymph. He still seemed very happy and not suffering, and we were advised that he was not in pain. We got to where we had to carry him everywhere but we were happy to be his transport and he didn’t seem to mind. Then a little over a week ago he seemed to be having a harder time breathing and one morning when we got up his beautiful blue eyes were jaundiced yellow and that happy spark was suddenly gone. We could tell he was just barely holding on and took him to the vet right away. She confirmed what I already knew, that his organs were shutting down and his lungs were close to non-function, so we helped him to the big sleep that day as we knew to keep him around longer would only cause him suffering.
It was very hard to see him go downhill. Even though you are mentally preparing, it’s really hard. He was my buddy for so long and supremely good-natured.Volunteer mod- I'm here to help! Email me for the best response: nambroth at gmail.com
My art: featherdust.comWarm hugs of love and sympathy for you both.
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{{hugs}} to Jennifer–I’m sorry to hear about Nikki….It IS supremely difficult to watch a pet decline. What makes this worse is that less than a month ago, Flurry was romping around the yard doing her “Goofy Dog” thing. This is just where she would run in circles, and play bow, with a big goofy Pyr smile on her face. In the short time since her diagnosis, she’s aged. Granted she’s not exactly a spring chicken to begin with, but still. And knowing that there really isn’t too much we can do REALLY bites.
We have a follow up visit to the vet tomorrow at noon. They’ll probably want to ultrasound her chest again to see if they can determine how much fluid has returned. Her breathing is still about the same as it was last week after the chest tap. Her appetite is good, and her color on her gums and tongue is nice and pink, so that’s good, too. She doesn’t object to the chest taps, but with me not working, I’m not sure how many times we can afford to take her to have it done. I’m trying real hard to not think about the checking account, but it’s not really working. 😳
But all we can do is take things 1 day at a time, and if that isn’t good enough, then it’ll be 1 hour at a time. As long as Flurry is eating, has good color and isn’t in any pain, then it’s a good day.Well, some fairly good news for a change. 😀 The vet visit this afternoon went pretty well; they did check Flurry’s chest, and the fluid is not accumulating as quickly as feared. So the vet has decreased her prednisone dosage, and gave us instructions to continue at the lower dosage, keep doing what we’re doing with the diet and call him with updates in a week or so if all stays status quo or if changes occur call sooner. She does have some muscle wasting going on due to the prednisone, so we’ll be giving her a “helping hand” with a folded towel under the belly as needed to go down the stairs. I’m relieved for the moment, at least. She was pretty happy to go for another ride in the car–she was sitting up and looking around with her usual Pyr grin. I’m going to operate in the “cautiously optimistic” mode for the time being. I’m looking forward to feeding her Thanksgiving dinner this week. :yum:
I’m really sorry about Flurry’s diagnosis. *hugs* I’m glad the most recent vet visit went well.
As for others experience with lymphoma, Dice passed from lymphoma last year. He was 8 and we took him to the vet for suspected Kennel cough. He was diagnosed with lymphoma when they checked his lymph nodes; the neck, chest, shoulders, and legs ones were enlarged (the vet had me grasp them, they were that big! >.< ). None of this was visually apearant from the outside, except for a slight droop on one side of his jowls. We opted for no chemo. My vet was willing to do whatever we wanted, but he's also not about sugar coating things, and let us know because of the stage of the cancer, that we might be only extending his life six months or so. Financials played a role in the decision because I would have gladly given up luxuries to have spent even six more months with him. But I was close to the bare bones of lifestyle living already without much to tap into and the treatment was going to be quite substancial. Honestly, I'm still in shock about the whole thing. When Dice had his appointment for what we thought was only kennel cough, he was still so vibrant, but by the appointment after the biopsy one, he was clearly in discomfort and was in pain trying to sit or lay. All of this happened so fast! They put him on predisnone and another drug (the name eludes me). He had almost weekly vet appointments for check-ups and for tweaking of his meds depending on how he did that week. During one of his check ups, the vet detected a huge mass in his stomach region that might be pressing against his organs. We continued to try to make things as comfortable for his as possible (and spoil him rotten). On the drugs at first, he was just a ball of energy. And had insatiable hunger! But it was short lived. Eventually he couldn't do the things he once loved. In the end, he was clearly in pain moving or even resting and was no longer able to control his bladder. From the time Dice started on drugs to when he was put to sleep, it was a little over two months. Like I said, I'm still in shock how quickly it all happened. Not even the weekend before his diagnosis he was trekking in the woods with me, just a ball of happiness.
{{Hugs}} back to you, Lokie. I hear you. Thanks for sharing–I do appreciate it.
We haven’t found where the lymphoma originated. None of her lymph nodes seem to be involved; ultrasounds and X-rays have been clear…..So far. Flurry has aged since the diagnosis. It’s hard to tell if she’s feeling the effects of the disease, or if her age just finally started catching up to her, or if it’s both. Only a few weeks ago she was playful and energetic. The vet feels that she might have had the beginnings of age-related arthritis that have been exacerbated by the meds/disease. Hard to tell, although it’s too coincidental as far as I’m concerned. Her weight is stable for the time being. One of the side effects of the prednisone is increased appetite and/or thirst. The thirst is a biggie right now. I can’t keep the water dish full enough it seems. And the muscle wasting. I was quite surprised how fast that came on. And there’s not a whole lot to be done to fight it, aside from the high protein diet, which can slow it down a little, but won’t stop it. I’m determined to take this day by day, and consider that each day she has that’s pain free is a good day. And if she enjoys her meals, then it’s an even better day. Tomorrow’s meal should be epic.
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