TAnn Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Today I had to take my very best friend in the world to the doctor. He has not been doing very well and has a large swollen area behind his ear. This best friend is my 15 year old lhasa apso, Caesar. He really has declined recently, has been coughing alot, been very lethargic. She did a needle biopsy of what she thought was a very enlarged lymph node, but did not get much of a sample and she decided it is "something" very abnormal, and possibly a tumor. He is so old, that confirmation of cancer could only be done by sending a piece (biopsy) to a pathology lab and I just didn't want to put him through all that. Her solution is to put him on steroids. I told her what ever makes him comfortable. Then I asked all my questions, since I just finished those terrible things! What are the odds, me and my dog? We are definately "suffering" together. She said she thinks he will "bounce" back with the steroids, and that he may start eating alot, which would be ok. I just don't want to have to make "THAT" decision right now. It breaks my heart. Thanks for listening....... TAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Sorry about your dog/friend. A few years ago we had a Beagle who contracted mouth cancer after 16 1/2 years of the good life. We eventually had to put her down to end her misery. I hope you don't have to make that kind of decision. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stand4hope Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 TAnn, Not only will he eat a lot, he will pee a lot - and I mean a LOT!! One of our dogs has had to be on steroids for a severe itching/allergy problem. We are now trying benadryl instead of steroids because she gets on our bed and will actually pee in her sleep on our bed. YUCK! She would even pee before we could open the door to let her out - the poor baby just couldn't hold it. I hope that Caesar gets a new zest for life from the steroids - steroids are quite a wonder drug and do miraculous things. Just find a bunch of old towels and pile them up in a corner and have them ready - that's what we did! Love, Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Lamb Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Sorry about your best pal.Mine is a multi poo(half poodle and half multese).He is getting older along with me.Hes 11 now and I worry about him at times.Hope your dog gets better with the steroids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nushka Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 I sure hate to hear that about your dog. My little shihtzu is 10 and I worry all the time that something will start up with her. She has allergies and is on prednisone for that...she seems to do fine on it. We give her hers every other day. She also takes atarax for the itching. We are hoping that with the cold weather finally getting here that she will get better and we can stop the meds. I hope your little friend will find steroids helpful and perk up. It is so hard to watch them suffer. Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimblanchard Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Hi. I am so sorry to hear about your furry kid. One of mine got cancer at age 11, he had surgery and gained another year of life. At the end, when he stopped eating, he was put on 3 meds and one of them was a steroid - he was just a like a pup again and eating everything in sight! It gave us a little more time, maybe 2 months, but we lost him in the end. I am not sure if I was right to hang on to him so long. I just took my best guess. I know he is okay now, resting in his own little garden, and will be there to meet me when it is my turn. FYI - shivering is a sign of pain in dogs. That is what clued us in that something was wrong. Pain pills are available, I say use them liberally. They are our good friends and deserve the best we can give them. When that time comes, it is a last loving act to let them go. We take the pain to release them from theirs. No need to let go too soon, though. From what I read, cancer is very common in older dogs. The males primary is usually the testicles, that is one reason neutering is a good idea. The female's primary is usually the breast. Hoping for the best for you and your furry friend, Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gail p-m Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Sorry to hear about your best friend but maybe the steroids will help your friend live a quality life awhile longer. I have 2 best furrry friends,one of whom has had liver cancer and had an operation which gave her another good year. Looks like her problems may be back again and I really fear having to make the decision as to whether i have to put her down when her suffering reaches that point. I hope I have the strength to do it. Wishing your best friend much more quality time. I know how much you can love them. Gail P-M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDianneB Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 So, I just dare people to tell us that they are "just pets." Pfffooey -- they are our family! The week after I got out of the hospital in early June, so many things were buzzing around in my head, getting used to the diagnosis, the first chemo, etc., that when I started paying attention, I noticed my sweet Boopy kitty was ailing. By the time I got the vet here, he was in major kidney failure. She treated him with fluids and some meds for a few weeks, but it soon became obvious that he was going downhill, and I wasn't going to let him suffer, so had him put down. Still reeling from everything else going on, I didn't really even sit down and acknowledge that he was gone and mourn him for a few weeks. He was a funny cat -- did really funny things, and was my best buddy -- always in my lap. I truly miss him, just like I miss every animal I've ever had. If only humans were as kind to each other in death and dying as we are to our animals. Sad. So very sad. My thoughts are with you. Di Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Oh TANN, I am so sorry. I lost a cat a little over a month ago to feline leukemia. I think we should have not put him down so soon, sometimes. I still feel awful because maybe I was so wrapped up in my own health issues that I didn't see that he was ill for awhile. He was a lazy cat and I thought he was just being lazy--sleeping so much. His little face haunts me. He really loved my husband-- I was just someone whose chair he could steal, lol. And of course I was good for filling the cat dish. I am glad he and my husband found each other, though. And I am sorry they lost each other, for now, too. elaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 TAnn, I'm sorry. I've tried typing out a note here for the last half hour and just can't do it, I put my dog down in December of last year - life just isn't the same without her. I hope your story ends gently, one way or the other. xxoo, Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haylee_38 Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 My heart goes out to you my pets are like babies. I know how much they are a part of the family. I lost one in Feb. 04 during a so called simple surgery. I just had Destiny in two days ago. She has a bladder infection and it just breaks your heart to see them suffer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBeth Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 I have to ditto Becky's message...I don't know what to say, except that I do know the pain of having to make a tough decision. We had to have Gizmo, our 17 year old collie, put to sleep a few weeks ago due to many many age related problems. It still hurts to think about it and the worst part of us was that we waited too long and I know his final days were not without pain. I hope and pray that you find the courage and strength to get thru this difficult and emotional time and find brighter days ahead. Love, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addie Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 I hope your little furry best friend perks up with the steroids and the two of you can share many more years together. It's very hard getting to this point with a beloved pet...where their health starts to falter and reminds us that our furkids don't get as long a lifespan as we might wish. You asked, "what are the odds?"....so I have to share this: The first dog we adopted after I was married, was female. I was pregnant at the time we adopted her and guess what? So was she, as it turned out! We kept one of her pups and found homes for the rest. Thirteen years later, Jeep, the daughter predeceased our Sadie-momma, and so we adopted a male puppy to keep Sadie company. I had recently been dx'd with a kidney condition....and sonofagun, if Murphey puppy didn't have a kidney disorder too!! Flash ahead a year and a half.....and Sadie and Murphey both had to be put down within 5 weeks of each other. Sadie just plumb wore out at age 17 and Murphey, who was only 18 months...was a victim of his polycystic kidneys. So....we brought home Bo...who shared our lives for 12.5 years. But around age 6, Bo was dx'd as hypothyroid.....a condition I'd been living with for many years by that point. So...every day, Bo and I took our synthetic thyroid tabs! It seemed like every time we brought a new dog into the house, it ended up sharing one of my medical conditions.....so after Bo was gone, and knowing that the only condition left to emulate was "menopausal bi*ch"....we adopted a MALE to break the cycle. Linus, who is sort of a grumpy guy (hey, is this another pattern forming???) and then a year later, Mattie - our female who is blonde AND has the personality of a cheerleader (uh oh, I WAS on rally squad a hundred years ago! ) Now it seems we're into personality traits rather than medical conditions .....although Jeep (Sadie's daughter) had cancer....and she was the only dog we had that I had NOT shared a medical condition with. I guess now, I do. Anyway, TAnn.....again....I hope you and your little lhasa guy have a long road together, ahead of you! Part of my own motivation for beating cancer is that my two yahoos are only 3 and 4. They need me to be around for a while...and it's part of my sense of responsibility to do just that....to BE here at the end of their lives. Yet another incentive for kicking cancer to the curb, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDianneB Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Addie says: "Part of my own motivation for beating cancer is that my two yahoos are only 3 and 4. They need me to be around for a while...and it's part of my sense of responsibility to do just that....to BE here at the end of their lives. Yet another incentive for kicking cancer to the curb, huh?" Amen to that. Tootsie is 2 1/2 and Button is, well, around 12 or so as best we know. When I got sick, I worried about them SO very much. Then, I lost Boopy. Bummer. Since Button has always been so wild and afraid of everything, she won't play with Tootsie, and Tootsie loves to play. I'd been thinking of adopting an older cat around her age for her to play with, or maybe even a dog. Then, the big hammer dropped, and I wondered if I wouldn't be looking for homes for the ones I have instead. It's one of my major motivations too -- to stay well to be here for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 TAnn, What is there to say to try to comfort someone whose best friend's life is on the line? I have read your post over and over and had a hard time finding any encouragement. There really is none. Hang in there, I know that it is more stressful when I have a sick pet than it is to be sick myself. Cindi o'h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAnn Posted November 8, 2004 Author Share Posted November 8, 2004 Just want you all to know how much I appreciate your kind words and encouragement. My dog seems to have perked up with the steroids! He is wagging his tail and walking around more and not coughing as much (although the cough is still there). I am really glad to see him doing so much better. Now I know how much we all love our pets. They are a part of us. You are all a great group of people. Your pets should be proud! TAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.