About two months ago, my husband and I listened to the words that every pet owner dreads: “your dog has cancer.” Advanced lymphoma, to be exact. I knew that something was wrong when in a matter of weeks, he had lost a significant amount of weight; then, one evening while we were playing, I felt a lump in his throat.
Looking at my nine year old boxer in the vet’s office, I just had a feeling he would be one of the many of the breed who succumb to some form of cancer. The doctor told us that it had most likely already metastasized, but that as long as we don’t feel lumps in other areas of his body, he should do well. We opted for a Prednisone regimen that we hoped would prolong the inevitable without any suffering.
Earlier this evening, I felt a tumor behind his knee. I know his remaining time is short, but I just can’t seem to prepare myself for life without him.
He is still a happy and playful boy, eats voraciously (more than likely due to the prednisone,) and acts as if nothing has changed. Still, I know that this new lump is not a good sign. We won’t let him suffer; as soon as we feel that his quality of life is diminishing, we will make the call.
Don’t take a single day with your pets for granted. Every day with my dog and his brother has been a true joy. I know that I will never live in a home that doesn’t include animals, but I often find myself wondering if having pets is just too hard. I cannot imagine anything more agonizing than watching my dog every day and knowing that I am watching the final days of his life.
76 responses so far ↓
Mercedes // Sunday, December 9, 2007 at
Praying for you and your doggy. I too am an animal lover and have an 11 year old dalmatian. He is having health problems right now too-I am worried that it might be cancer. I need to remember “Don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you”.
I agree with your last statement: “but I often find myself wondering if having pets is just too hard. I cannot imagine anything more agonizing than watching my dog every day and knowing that I am watching the final days of his life”.
Sending you doggy hugs and prayers again!
Mercedes // Monday, December 10, 2007 at
Hello! Wanted to ask you about the tumors. Patch has fatty tumors which the doctor says are ok-just to keep an eye on them and report any changes. Today the vet said he wanted to test the fatty tumor on his neck-it has grown to the size of a golf ball…I will be upset if something is wrong with this fatty tumor-knowing we might have been able to do more tests a long time ago. Did your vet ever say these were fatty tumors at first? I posted an update about Patch-he is staying at the vet all day today.
wvbocere // Monday, December 10, 2007 at
Hi there-
My dog also has tumors in his neck, on his lymph nodes. They feel about the size of golf balls, yes.
His vet was pretty sure that they were cancer before he even biopsied them, given his age, weight loss and the tendency for the breed to get cancer.
I really hope that Patch has better luck. Try to remain positive until you know! I will be thinking of him!
Mercedes // Sunday, December 16, 2007 at
Thank you for continuing to keep up with Patch on my blog. I really appreciate it! Please keep me posted on your doggy!
WOOF!
p.s. I was very upset when I came home Friday-I had to calm myself down so that I didn’t upset Patch. I am taking your advice and will be trying to keep my emotions hidden while I am around him. I do know he senses things are wrong when I am upset. Thanks again!
sue // Friday, December 21, 2007 at
My sweet girl was just diagnosed with cancer too. It’s just awful, isn’t it? Chin up. We knew this day would come eventually but I guess we always hope the day will be tomorrow. I know I will miss her like crazy and am just trying to make the best of what time we have left together.
wvbocere // Friday, December 21, 2007 at
Thanks, Sue.
He is quickly going downhill, I’m afraid. He is still his usual, playful self, but he is just skin and bones.
I am very sorry to hear about your puppy, too. All we can do is enjoy them while they are here, even though they won’t be with us very long.
Thanks again for your comments…
Mercedes // Friday, December 21, 2007 at
sue~I am sorry to hear that. I agree with wvbocere: All we can do is enjoy them while they are here…
wvbocere: what is the dosage of prednisone your dog is taking?
Still waiting for more test results to come in…hopefully tomorrow.
WOOF!
Mercedes // Friday, December 21, 2007 at
Hello
Thanks. Patch only takes 20 mgs a day. Patch is getting worse too. He has sores that are on his feet and the incision has a new sore near it that is oozing. He is still sneezing with the blood too. He has a hard time lying down and walking up and down steps. The doc called in tramadol for him too-for the pain. I feel for you-that is exactly how I feel too. Feel free to email me if you wish to talk in private-on my contact me page-or at: mercedes.rules@hotmail.com. Curious if you have thought about a “plan of action” for the future. That is what I am trying to decide on. Patch is my first dog-”all my own”-and we have been together for 10 and half years-through so much together…
This sucks that we are dealing with this through the Holidays too. Praying for you, your family, and especially your dog.
Mercedes
Mercedes // Saturday, December 22, 2007 at
Hello
I hope I am not bothering you with so many questions. Good news~Doc said the sores weren’t cancer and the tumor in his neck aren’t~still waiting on another test and still don’t have a clue what everything is. Question~What do you feed your dog? Patch won’t eat his dry food but he ate some canned food-looks like potted meat-bleh. He has had diarrhea and had a major accident in the house-oops. I am not sure if it is related to the yuck food or meds or his condition. I stopped giving him the canned food to see if that is what it is.
Thanks and doggy hugs to you and yours!
Meredith
wvbocere // Saturday, December 22, 2007 at
Hi Meredith!
Of course you are not bothering me! It makes me feel better to know that someone else is going through the same experiences that I am.
That’s wonderful news that it isn’t cancer - what does your vet think it might be, then? What a relief!
The dogs always ate Pedigree dry food, and then after the pet food scare last year, we switched them to Nature’s Variety dry food. They both did well on it until Bill got sick, and his gas was really bad! We decided to try going back to Pedigree. It has lessened the problem, but not eliminated it!
Patch probably had the accidents from a sudden switch…could you try to wet his dry food with some water so it is a little softer? Maybe he will eat it then. I wish I had better advice than that!
Please keep me posted on what his vet says!
Eve
Mercedes // Saturday, December 22, 2007 at
Thanks again. Yeah, I tried to wet his food-he won’t touch it. I did sprinkle cheese on his dry food and a biscuit and he managed to eat the whole bowl-amazing how we can trick them-lol. It is good news that these tests sown no cancer, but the tumor in his nose?? Can’t really biopsy it-too difficult for his age. Patch seems better last night and today, but his incision has a new sore and it has oozed on the side-looks horrible. Updated on my blog.
WOOF!
wvbocere // Sunday, December 23, 2007 at
Sue, thank you for your comment. I am sorry to hear about your puppy.
It is a terrible thing, and we can only hope that we make the right decision when the time comes. I don’t want to let him suffer for my sake. It will be a horrible decision to make, though.
Mercedes // Friday, December 28, 2007 at
Hey! So sorry to hear about Bill. The more I research-the more I find that could be a possibility. So crazy! Bill’s brother probably senses that something is wrong…Still thinking and praying for you, your family, and pets~especially Bill!
WOOF!
A difficult journey… « But You Eat Chicken, Right? // Thursday, January 3, 2008 at
[...] talked about Bill’s diagnosis with lymphoma in an earlier post. While he did well on the prednisone, the last couple of weeks have been difficult; his health is [...]
dianeschuller // Sunday, January 6, 2008 at
very sorry to hear your dear Boxer has advanced lymphoma. I’ve dealt with that too. It’s difficult for sure. Good to hear you’re planning not to let him suffer when the time comes.
Diane
Dogs Naturally
Sand to Glass
Tara // Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at
I’m so sorry about your furbaby :(. We have lost 3 of our own the past 2 1/2 years (old age-relared) and it’s one of the hardest things to go through. I am at that point where I can’t deal with the emotional stress and don’t want anymore pets after our elderly cat goes and our little bichon cross. We started out with 2 dogs (the other was a irish wolfhound cross) and 3 cats. We were the home for wayward animals lol. The ones nobody else wanted. Sorry for rambling…my thoughts are with you♥
wvbocere // Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at
Thank you all for your thoughts. It really means so much to us.
Bill crossed the bridge on Saturday, and I just haven’t had the heart to write about it yet.
Give all of your pets extra hugs and kisses today…
Victoria Matson // Sunday, January 13, 2008 at
I am also going through the same. My 6 yearold shepard/ husky mix was diagnos on 1/11/08 with lymphoma stage IV. Just trying to make her comfortable. Also is on predisone 2 1/2 20mg tabs a day. Hoping it will help prolong her days with us. Can’t believe that last january we lost our 14 year old cat to a stroke and this january we face losing yet another pet. My prayers are with all the owners of sick animals.
Hazel // Sunday, January 13, 2008 at
I am really sorry for your loss.
I am going through the same thing right now. My 14 year old Jack Russell-KC has at least 4 swollen lymphnodes-we did not undergo further testing to see if it has affected other parts of his body. After a lot of discussion with the vet we decided not to go the chemo route. I am starting to feel horrible about it as his health gets worse. He hates the vet and it wouldn’t be a good quality of life for him. I really don’t want to see him suffer but I just can’t seem to do anything about it, will I really know when it is time?
wvbocere // Monday, January 14, 2008 at
Victoria, I am so sorry to hear about your dog! Just spend as much quality time that you can with her, and take in all of her silly behaviors and attitudes. Remembering them will make the loss a little easier. Please let me know how she is doing.
Hazel, I am also sorry to hear about KC. My vet felt that at Bill’s age, the chemo would only inhibit his quality of life. Enjoy the time you have with him. Everyone kept saying that I would know when it was time, and I kept second guessing myself when I tried to decide. Last Saturday morning, we knew. And you will, too. I promise. It will be hard, but you will know in your heart. Please let me know how KC is holding up.
Oh you guys have me in tears again thinking about you and your babies! Give them lots of love…
Hazel // Monday, January 14, 2008 at
Thank you so much for your support. I knew this time would eventually come, but I guess I just wasn’t ready for it. He is such a rambunctious little dog-this isn’t the end I pictured for him. Somewhere in my heart I always thought he would pass away from a heart attack while he was chasing some squirrel, cat, chipmunk or the mailman… or while he was attacking my husband. He really is my little man, he has always put himself in front of me whenever he sensed danger-this includes any time my husband tries to touch me or hand me the remote etc., We really are going to miss him running around and growling. He has brought us so many wonderful memories. I am going to wait and enjoy every moment until then. He really isn’t eating much anymore so he is getting to eat his favorite treat for dinner every night-Zesty Cheese Doritos. Not the best nutrition but something is better than nothing.
Thank you again for your support and guidance, and for letting me ramble.
wvbocere // Monday, January 14, 2008 at
Hazel, feel free to ramble anytime - I know exactly how you are feeling. As hard as it is to lose them, the memories and joy they bring to our lives make it worth it.
Take care-
Victoria Matson // Sunday, January 27, 2008 at
Hey nobody has posted in a while including me.
Thought I’d update everyone. Syndey is doing good still on the higher dose of steroids for at least 10 more days. Vet said as long as she is tollorating them well we will keep it the same. She wants her lymph nodes to decrease in size more before we start to wean her down. She can see now as the bleeding in her eyes has stopped for now at least. Gained 1 pound last week which is great at least she didn’t lose anymore weight. Seems okay for now still breathes kinda heavy at times. Aleast she’s seems to be okay for now. Guess that’s about it.
wvbocere // Monday, January 28, 2008 at
Hi Victoria-
I am so glad that Sydney is doing well! That’s amazing that she gained weight, must be a good sign!
Keep us posted!
Thanks for the update on your baby…
Jeanine // Sunday, February 10, 2008 at
We just found out this morning that our dog also has lymphoma–all of her nodes are extremely large. The doctor put her on 4o mgs of prednisone to help shrink the size to help her with her breathing/snoring. The doctor guesses that she has 1-6 months to live. I am just wondering if any of your vets put a time frame on your dogs life and, if so, has the vet been correct. I just want to know how much time we have left with our baby girl.
wvbocere // Sunday, February 10, 2008 at
Jeanine, I am so, so sorry about your little girl. How old is she and what kind of dog is she? Bill also took 40m per day every day until he died. When we first started it, the nodes shrank almost immediately, but soon re-grew. He ate his pills in a “Canine Carry Out” and loved the extra treats!
He was diagnosed the first week in October and our vet told us that we should prepare for the end of the year. He died on January 5th. He was pretty stable most of that time - it was the last month it really started to show.
If you have any other questions, please ask! What is your dog’s name?
Take care.
wvbocere // Sunday, February 10, 2008 at
How is everyone doing out there? Lee, Victoria, Hazel, Patty, Sue?
Mer, how is Patch this weekend?
Mercedes // Sunday, February 10, 2008 at
Oh wow! How did I miss Hazel’s story? My thoughts are with all of you during this difficult time: Eve, Sue, Patty, Hazel, Lee, Victoria, and Jeanine!
Eve~I just posted an update last night-took me all day to do it-lol. He is doing fine right now. We will find out in about a week.
Thank you so much for your stories, thoughts, and prayers. Thank you to everyone else too. I couldn’t do this without ALL of you!
WOOF!
p.s. Patty~I hope things are getting better. Lee~how are things going?
Jeanine // Sunday, February 10, 2008 at
wvbocere , thanks for the reply. My baby will be 12 in July if she makes it that long. Her name is Makena (named after the beautiful Makena, Hawaii). Makena is our first baby together which makes it really hard. I didn’t sleep last night thinking about her. I just do not want her to suffer as she has had a great life–much better than most dogs will ever have. I have been looking at different websites trying to guess a time frame, but it seems impossible to do. When the vet said she wouldn’t consider chemo, I took it as she is probably too far gone. On the way home from the vet, we went to the pet store and bought her whatever she wanted so we can make her last few months as happy as possible. I was actually incorrect about her dosage–she is actually taking 60 mg. of prednisone, not 40 as I had previously stated. Does that mean it’s really bad or is that because of her size (German Shepard)? We have a camping trip planned in April and we were going to leave her with her Grandma, but I think we should cancel the trip…distraught, Jeanine
wvbocere // Sunday, February 10, 2008 at
Hi Jeanine.
That is a beautiful name! It is my understanding that chemo only gives them a little more time, and often the time is spent ill and miserable. Considering that the time may be hard, most vets figure that better that she have 6 good months than 10-12 hard months.
That’s hard to even think about, I know. I am sure Makena loved the trip to the pet store! I remember the last time we took Bill, and I felt obligated to tell everyone that he had cancer so they didn’t think he was neglected and starving. Poor little baby. He was skinny, but he had a heck of a good time!
You should wait before you cancel your trip. April is only 2 months away, and you might be surprised to find that Makena is well and can go on the trip with you!
How is she doing now? Is she still strong and healthy overall? Or is she thin and getting weaker? That’s probably the best way for you to judge. Oh, and the 60mg is probably because she is bigger. Bill was only about 60 lbs at his heaviest.
Have fun with her and enjoy her while she is here. Take lots of photos to enjoy after she’s gone. Extra hugs and kisses don’t hurt either!
If you need anything, or just want to ask more questions, stop by anytime! You will meet lots of great people here who are going through the same thing.
Eve
Jeanine // Monday, February 11, 2008 at
We just had a horrible night because of the prednisone and are beginning to wonder if she would be happier without it. My poor girl panted like crazy all night which kept both of us up. She couldn’t get comfortable because of the panting and also because of the terrible gas she had. She wasn’t this bad before the prednisone. We are calling the doctor to see if maybe we should just let her live her final days without the prednisone because she seemed happier before. Has anyone else had a horrible experience with prednisone?
Thank you,
Jeanine
Mercedes // Monday, February 11, 2008 at
Jeanine~Is your dog taking any pain medication? You might ask your doc about that. Patch takes Tramadol. Also prednisone increases water and food intake, therefore increasing trips to the bathroom. I know that Patch has to pee when he is panting inside: I call it the pee pant. He acted a little different on meds as to how he would tell me he had to go. Patch has ups and downs: Check my Dogs Page on my Blog to read his story~various posts.
Of course now I am dealing with: Is it really lymphoma? Old Doc dodn’t ever biopsy lymph node. Just went to New Doc to actually do that~since that is how to diagnose lymphoma.
Anywho~I had to type this twice-first one disappeared.
Good luck on your journey. Know that you will be in my thoughts and prayers.
How is everyone else? Hope thing are getting better for you.
WOOF!
wvbocere // Monday, February 11, 2008 at
Jeanine-
Bill had absolutely indescribably gas from the time he started the pred until the day he died. Wowza. Boxers have stinky farts normally. These were devastating. Ha. Poor little guy!
As for the panting, he did pant occasionally. Nothing I was concerned about, though. I would give the medication time to adjust to her system.
Mer is right, though. She will definitely need to go out more because she will drink twice as much.
Did you call your vet yet? What did he say?
I’m sorry you are having a tough time.
Victoria Matson // Monday, February 11, 2008 at
Just updating everyone.
Sydney’s last vet check on Friday wasn’t any different than the others. They were going to reduce the predisone but because of size of her lymph nodes hasn’t gone down they decided to keep her on the original dose 2 1/2 20 mg tabs per day. Her lymph nodes originaly had decreased but now are back to the size of golf balls maybe bigger. She also pants alot ( breathes like she’s been running for hours ) It’s now been 1 month since she was diagnosed, not much has changed she has her sight back and again gained weight this check up was + 2 1/2 pounds.
Just hoping to have her as long as possible but we won’t let her suffer when the vet says she’s in pain or that her days are numbered we will do what is best for her.
Our vet said 3 weeks to 3 months well we made it past the 3 week mark but not sure about the 3 month one.
Thoughts and prayers are with ALL
wvbocere // Monday, February 11, 2008 at
Hi Victoria-
Bill only panted occasionally, but Jeanine is having the same issue with her dog. The weight gain sounds like a good sign! I am glad to hear that.
Thanks for the update. Keep us posted!
Give Sydney a hug from all of us!
Eve
Jeanine // Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at
Thank you everyone for your help
My husband and I finally decided to sleep downstairs with her last night because we were up and down getting drinks and going potty. Makena did not really show any real symptoms of being ill (just normal old dog things) until she started prednisone. Her panting was loud, quick and uncontrollable. We tried laying with her and petting her to calm her but that didn’t work either. We decided on our own to cut her prednisone in half and the vet said it was fine. Apparently, prednisone doesn’t prolong their life anyway so we decided that it was better to have her back the way she is. She is already feeling better–wagging her tail, wanting to go car bye bye to take the kids to their activities etc..
The doctor said her nodes were about the size of a tennis ball, and figures that she is in stage 4, but we won’t know for sure until Wednesday when her lab tests come back.
I am praying for a better night for poor girl and a tired mom and dad! I will keep you posted.
-Jeanine
wvbocere // Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at
Jeanine,
I’m glad to hear she had a better night last night (and you and your husband, too!)
Thanks for the update.
We’ll all be thinking about you and Makena!
Eve
Victoria Matson // Sunday, February 24, 2008 at
Help,
sydney has stopped eating and only drinks a small amount of water. I had her at the vet on friday and told him that he is not eating that much he didn’t seem worried. does this nean the end is near. I’ve tried to entice her with hotdogs table scraps (which were her favorites) but nothing is working, any ideas would be heplful.I’m not ready to lose her yet.
vickie
wvbocere // Sunday, February 24, 2008 at
Hi Victoria.
Well, I would have thought the vet would be concerned if she isn’t eating as there is obviously some reason. Bill stopped eating totally a few days before he passed, but he would eat treats. There were other signs that he was going downhill, though. He was very weak, shaky when standing etc. How is she doing otherwise?
Eve
Victoria Matson // Sunday, February 24, 2008 at
I got her to eat some cooked chicken livers not much but at least some she also drank water after but again not much. I was afraid that her not eating was a sign the end is nearing.
I Had to tell my father in-law last night. He took it really bad as he just loves Sydney. He has not seen her since the early fall as he is in Florida for the winter.
All she seems to do is lay around no energy. Have to really coax her to go outside. I hope she hangs on for a while as my daughter will be home for 4 days and I really don’t want to have to make that call when she is home as Sydney is her baby.
Thanks for all the help
Vickie
lisa // Thursday, February 28, 2008 at
I just finished reading all of your posts and I’m crying like a baby! I just found out my lab has lymphoma. I was unprepared because he acts so healthy. He is 12. We got him at the spca the last day of school when my son was in kindergarten. He has been a wonderful pet for the children. I feel so guilty right now because the vet thinks we should do chemo but I really can’t afford it. I feel selfish. I don’t want him to go through shots and pain. I just don’t have 4000 dollars to prolong his life possibly a year. But a year in a dogs life is a long time. I am so sad. Have any of you tried chemo? Do you recommend it? My teenage children say not to put him through it all. I guess I could take a loan out. But the kids need things too. I’m so stressed and sad. Can anyone offer any advice? Thanks so much and I’m sorry for your loss. I know that day is coming either way and I know it was unbearable for all of you.
wvbocere // Thursday, February 28, 2008 at
Lisa, I am so glad that you found us, and of course, I am so sorry to hear about your dog.
It is a horrible decision to make, I know. While I can’t tell you what you should do, I can say that we opted against chemo because of Bill’s age and because of what we believed would only be a little bit more time with a poor quality of life due to the chemo. I think we made the right decision. Somebody else might have a very different opinion, though. I think you should talk it over with your family and do what everybody agrees on.
Please let me know what you decide to do. I will be thinking of you, your dog and your family.
Take care,
Eve
Victoria Matson // Saturday, March 1, 2008 at
Not sure how to tell you but. This morning I decided that it was time for Sydney to take that final trip to the vet.
It’s been a long 7 weeks since the vet gave us the news. After trying meds and coaxing her to eat the last few days with nothing working it was time. Near the end she would only drink and the vomit couldn’t keep anything down. Even the vet when he saw her today said time is now to end her suffering. There was nothing left to try.
The kids and I brought her home to bury, right next to the cat we lost last year. She will watch over the house now.
Kids have taken it hard. Will call my daughter to tell her tomorrow after her boyfriend gets back.
Thank you all for the suport this site has given me and my pray are with alll still facing the dreadful end of thier loveable pets.
Victoria
wvbocere // Sunday, March 2, 2008 at
Victoria,
I am so, so sorry about Sydney. Really, I am so sad to hear this.
I am sure she was ready be healthy again at the bridge. How are you and the kids doing this evening? I wish there were something I could say, but I know that not much can make you feel better right now. I will be thinking of you.
Let me know if you need to talk.
Eve
Jeanine // Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at
Victoria-
I am so sorry—7 weeks isn’t long after diagnosis (according to what I have read). Lisa, we opted for prednisone instead of chemo. Our vet was very honest with us and said that we would “maybe” get a year more out of our baby and none of us thought it was worth it. I want to make her final days pleasant and don’t want her to suffer.
I am not sure if any of you have had this experience: Makena, at least 3 or 4 times that I have seen, has trembled uncontrollably to a point where I even heard her teeth chatter. I just laid down next to her and held her, talked to her calmly, and rubbed her belly. It passed after 2 minutes + or - a few seconds. I have also noticed, when she eats or drinks, her hind legs quiver—are these signs of pain?
If you have any info. it would be great.
Thank you,
Jeanine
wvbocere // Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at
Hi Jeanine.
As a matter of fact, Bill did that very same thing a few times. The first time, it scared me to death, and I called the vet. He said it could be pain, but it passed after a few minutes and so we didn’t worry about it too much. He had the teeth chattering, too. Strange. I would guess that he only did it about 3 times total.
I miss him so much.
Linda // Friday, March 7, 2008 at
Our dog Max was diagnosed with Lymphoma on February 23. He is 13 years old but, up to this point, acts like a pup. It was unbelievable we were handed our dog’s death sentence. We knew time might be drawing to a close due to his age, but to be given a definite time is so painful. We decided against chemo - no chance for cure just keeping him around a little bit more. The treatment would have made him miserable so we would have treated him for us–not him. We have him on prednisone and cytoxin and may, if lucky, get 3 months. He does pant at times, snores a lot, seems to breathe faster than normal and I have seen him shaking also. I too wonder if this is pain, or what??? I have talked to so many people about when it was the “right time”. They all told me the dog will tell you. I dread that day. Max is a shelter dog we brought into our family and he has been a joy from the day he leaped up and kissed me on my lips. He’s a terrier mix - sort of like the Tramp of “Lady and the Tramp” fame. My heart aches with the thought of saying good bye. We won’t let him suffer. My husband says we need to feel our pain to take away his pain. I am so sorry we are all on this forum, but it’s nice to have someone to “talk” to.
wvbocere // Friday, March 7, 2008 at
Hi Linda.
I am really sorry to hear about Max. We all know how you feel, and it is awful. Your friends are right, though. Max will let you know when it is time.
Enjoy every moment with him for the next few months. Please stick around and let us know how you and Max are doing.
Eve
Linda // Friday, March 7, 2008 at
Eve,
I will. Thanks for your thoughts. For those of you that have just lost a beloved pet, it must be so hard to talk to those of us that still have our pets, but know their time with us is short. I hope I am able to give some peace to someone that is suffering after our Max is gone. I love him so much.
Jason // Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at
My dog Kiara was diagnosed with Lymphoma on mach 3, 2008
she also had inlarged lymphnodes under her chin she has been on a prednisone for the past couple weeks , already lost 20lbs this is the most depressing thing i have ever seen , she would be 7 in june but i dont think she will make it , she is eating drinking and sleeping . everday she still goes up and down stairs to go out , so I take this one day at a time .
i think this would be easier if she would go fast ,but i am chershing every day with her . i feel for each and every one of you .
wvbocere // Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at
Hi Jason.
I am really sorry to hear about your Kiara. What kind of dog is she?
I know exactly what you mean about it being a slow process. I remember thinking the same thing about Bill. Watching him deteriorate was so hard. At one point he could jump straight up into my arms, and then suddenly, I had to help him stand. It was excruciating.
I am glad you found us, and I hope you come back and let us know how Kiara and you are doing.
Hang in there.
Eve
Linda // Friday, March 21, 2008 at
Hello Jason,
I’ll bet it was like a punch in the stomach. The time is like waiting for the other shoe to drop. You don’t want it to end but then you do want it to end so you don’t see the dog’s decline. We have Max on pred and cytoxin to perhaps get a little more time. But if he declines rapidly and we see no quality of life, we will make the decision to ease his suffering. Max is 13+ years old so we were sort of expecting something. He was sleeping a lot more and was losing a little of his old energy but not a lot. I am sorry to hear your dog is so young. I guess it is not a disease of the older dog, but can hit any age. Max does sleep alot, poops and pees a lot more than he usually did, has a harder time jumping on the bed, snores a lot, breathing is a little labored. He still runs for his treat, begs for food constantly and will still play with his stuffed toy for a few minutes. I still see a quality of life and he has not given up the fight yet. I am on a dog cancer forum and they tell me you will know when your dog has had enough. I look for it and will listen to Max when he tells me it is time. I am glad we decided not to prolong his life with chemo. The chemo would have been for us- not Max. I hope talking with other people helps just a little bit. It’s still painful but it is nice to know you can share your pain. I will say a prayer for Kiara in my prayers for Max.
Jeanine // Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at
Our Makena is still going but we keep saying that she really isn’t the dog we grew to know and love. She basically spends her days sleeping. She won’t go upstairs anymore and we hear her nails clicking on our wood floors all night so we don’t sleep that well. Last night my husband slept on the couch next to her because I haven’t been sleeping. She still eats, but shakes a lot and looses her balance. We can’t bring ourselves to take her in yet because she still wags her tail when she sees us and when she wants to eat. I just don’t want to wait too long until she is miserable and suffering–when is the right time to let her go?
wvbocere // Thursday, March 27, 2008 at
Hi Jeanine. I’m sorry to hear you are having a difficult time. I can’t tell you when it is time, although I wish I had an easy answer for you. Bill was having a lot of trouble keeping his balance towards the end, too. The morning we made the call, he had begun vomiting (although he hadn’t eaten), and I actually wondered if we had waited too long. Still he seemed happy until that morning, so I don’t think so. But we knew right away. Actually, I think I knew the night before. I was up all night with him because he was so restless.
Please keep us posted!
Eve
Linda // Friday, March 28, 2008 at
Hi Jeanine,
OUr dog was diagnosed on February 23. We decided against chemo and give him prednison and cytoxan. I checked back to see when you started posting and it wasn’t too long before Max was diagnosed. We have seen Max go downhill a little bit. He sleeps most of the day also but we attribute that to his age - he is 13+. He was shaking a little also but that has stopped. He does pant the day we give him the pred but that stops also. He get 10mg/every other day. He is 21 pounds. Perhaps your dog pants more because his dosage is higher. When we found out Max was sick, we were told prednisone only would give us about 4-6 weeks. Adding the cytoxan may add another 4 -6 weeks to give us a total of possible 8-12 weeks. Some days, if I didn’t know he was sick, I would think, he is fine, yet other days, my stomach is in knots because he just mopes around. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain. I’ve been told this is a painless type of cancer. I guess the cancer just takes over all the body systems and they start to fail. I too, have asked that question when is is time. Everyone has told me your dog will tell you when it is time. A friend of mine just put her dog to sleep - elderly golden with arthritis - she said the day they took her, the dog kept looking at her - following her every step as if to say “Why are you doing this to me, please end my suffering” Her dog could no longer get up by herself just laid all day until someone picked her up. I think her dog wanted to have some dignity when it was time to go and told her owner to please help her. I keep praying our dog will just go to sleep some night. He sleeps next to us on the floor as he can no longer jump up on the bed which he used to do. I would listen to the folks on this site who have already gone through it. I am still asking myself that same question. Tought to play God huh? I know I am rambling. Sorry.
in loving memorie // Friday, March 28, 2008 at
i am so srry about your animals that have tumors, i know how that feels becuase my dog has one tumor on his neck. And i am so worried about it, hoping that it doesnt turn into cancer, and tomarrow i’m going to pick up his medican which i really hope that it works, and if it doesnt were going to have to put him to sleep since my family dosent have enough money to pay for therapy and i dont want my boxer to die :’(
wvbocere // Friday, March 28, 2008 at
ILM,
I am sorry to hear that your dog has a lump. What is his name and how old is he? Has you vet checked his lump?
Eve
Debbie // Saturday, April 5, 2008 at
Our 11 year old shepherd, husky mix has been diagnosed with lymphnoma. We also chose against chemo. Our feeling is that we keep her comfortable and let nature take its course. My idea of keeping her comfortable means pain free. Our vet perscribed Tramadol for pain and Prednisalone. My question is will the Prednisolone extend her time. That is really not my goal. I want her to be pain free and let nature take it’s course, without doing anything to interrupt the natural process of dying. Should I stop the Prednisolone? Your site has been extremely comforting and I am saying a prayer for all your pets as well as for our Maggie.
Debbie
Linda // Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at
Hi Debbie,
We chose not to do chemo also. However, we wanted to maximize Max’s time with us with no discomfort to him. We have been told that lymphoma is a “painless” cancer. We haven’t seen Max in any true discomfort. He plays, eats, poops, etc. He sleeps a lot and snores. He is panting due to prednisone - urinates a bit more and poops a bit more. Max was diagnosed 6 weeks ago. We have him on prednisone and cytoxin. Cytoxin is an anti-cancer drug. When we talked to the vet, we were told that pred does not prolong life - just makes the dog a bit more comfortable - we may get 4-6 weeks with pred alone. Our daughter is coming home from college in April and wants to spend a little time with her dog. We asked the onco vet if there was something we could use to gain a bit more time and that is when they prescribed the cytoxin along with the pred. He is now on 10mg every other day on the pred and cytoxin- 2 pills/week, then off one week and then 2 pills/week until…………..vet told us we could expect, at maximum, 12 weeks. Some days I look at him and think, there’s no way he can make it another 6 weeks - sleeps most of the day…. and then other days, wonder if he is sick at all. This is a roller coaster ride - not fun at all. Whether you do chemo, pred, cytoxin, etc. your dog will not be cured. We decided that, no matter the cost $50 or $5,000, we would be doing chemo for us - not for Max. Our dog hates going to the vet - he’s a nervous little terrier. The “cure” would have been so much worse than the disease. He is 13 years old, had a great life with us - we rescued him from a pound. We are treasuring each day we have with him. I joined another dog cancer forum. They all say your dog will tell you when he’s had enough. I look for that every day and will honor my dog’s request when he tells us it’s time. Enjoy your dog and spoil the hell out of them.
Linda
Ron // Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at
Always, always have lumps biopsied. Remember that lipomas (lumps of fatty tissue) are EXTREMELY common in dogs, especially dogs over 7 or 8 years of age. Our Chesakpeake retriever, Sally, is 11 and has at least 30 lumps on her, ranging in size from 1/4″ to the size of a tennis ball. But they’re lipomas - NOT malignant. Don’t let your vet say, “oh, there’s a lump, looks like he has cancer…” NO!
Ron
Jeanine // Saturday, April 12, 2008 at
Makena has been having diarrhea for the past few days. I called the vet today and she said that the cancer has more than likely moved to her intestines and, if it has, she won’t get better. Has anyone else had this same experience?
Jeanine
Linda // Sunday, April 13, 2008 at
Give Makena some plain boiled rice. We also add some boiled ground meat to this mix. Also have read that pumpkin can ease either diarrhea or constipation. We have always had luck with the rice. Although we haven’t experienced diarrhea when Max was diagnosed, I did notice he does poop a lot more and his stool is very light in color. Don’t know if this has anything to do with the lymphoma and it really doesn’t matter I guess. We just try to deal with things as they come along. Did your vet just give that opinion without suggesting a solution? Yeah, you’re not curing anything but why not make the dog comfortable……….
wvbocere // Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at
Hi Debbie. I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to reply. I have been overwhelmed lately and haven’t been on here. I wouldn’t stop the Pred., just keep giving it and enjoy her. She will be more comfortable with the medication, but I don’t think that it will drag things out if that is your concern. I am glad you found us!
Jeanine, How s Makena feeling now? Did the boiled rice help at all? Bill also had some diarrhea, but a blander diet seemed to help.
Linda // Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at
Our dog Max left us today after his 7+ week fight with lymphoma. He went downhill very quickly today and “told” us it was his time. The vet came to our home to help him cross to the Rainbow Bridge. Right now, I see him everywhere and just can’t believe he’s gone. I know we did the right thing by Max. The fight went out of his eyes today. He could not get up by himself, we had to carry him out to pee and poop. I feel we left him with some dignity. His fight is over and I pray for all of you who post here. It is crappy and horrible - this cancer thing. God bless all.
Linda
Mercedes // Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at
Hi Linda! You are in my thoughts and prayers!
I feel so bad because I haven’t been over here lately and gotten to know others in the same situation. Just know that you all are in my thoughts and prayers~please! I so believe in the Rainbow Bridge and I am glad others do too!
Linda~Max is there waiting for you!
*waving to Eve~you have really done a great thing here: creating a place for others to gather and discuss their journeys!*
Mere
p.s. For those not sure if it is really lymphoma~I definitely agree with Ron: ALWAYS have a lymph node biopsied. We made the mistake of taking our Doc’s word for it…then I changed Doc’s and he ACTUALLY biopsied a lymph node: it isn’t lymphoma. It is Erlichiosis (in the chronic stage-a tick disease). Patch might be doing so much better if he had been diagnosed correctly the first time and had not been on prednisone for 2 months. He still isn’t doing well though.
wvbocere // Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at
Oh Linda! I am so sorry to hear about Max!
You’ll be in my thoughts.
Linda // Thursday, April 24, 2008 at
My thanks to all who have responded. I know I will see him again. I have been told dogs don’t have souls so they can’t go to heaven. Bulls**t. I know too many people who don’t have a soul. Why would god have saved all those animals on the ark and then not found a place in heaven for them. Max had more love in him than many humans I know.
sam // Thursday, April 24, 2008 at
hi, i have just found out yesterday that my beautiful girl of 12 years has grade 3 mast cell cancer. my heart goes to you and yours and hope that our babies feel no pain yet lots of love. good luck to you all x x
wvbocere // Thursday, April 24, 2008 at
Hi, Sam. I am really very sorry to hear about your dog. What is her name and what kind of dog is she?
I am glad that you found us here. I can’t tell you how much everyone here helped me when I lost Bill.
Take care-
Linda // Friday, April 25, 2008 at
Hi Sam,
Sorry to hear about your beloved. It is a roller coaster ride and not fun at all. Have you decided to do any chemo or just deal with it in a palliative manner?
Linda
Sue // Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at
My baby Kodie (cocker spaniel) has cancer (lymphona) - he is only 4 years and we were told he had 3 months to live — he has labored breathing one day and the next very active. His nose is dry and cracked which I believe is dehydration. The Vet say to keep him as comfortable as possible. He is on medicine and vitamins for comfort. He is more tired and I can see that the end is near but when do I make that call? I feel that he is suffering and it’s all because I am having a hard time letting go. Through out all this - he is still active at times, happy, tail wagging all the time, and wants attention which he gets all the time. I just love him so much and want to do the right thing. When is enough …… enough?
Kodie is going in his 2nd month of being diagnosed with cancer.
wvbocere // Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at
Hi Sue.
I am very sorry to hear about Kodie. He is so young! We had another young dog that passed away recently - Bruno. As everyone here can also tell you, you just know when it is time. You get to the point where you realize that Kodie is no longer Kodie, and you just know. Even so, it is never easy.
I am so sorry. Let me know if you need anything at all.
Linda // Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at
Hello Sue,
Our Max got about 7.5 weeks after diagnosis. We had Max on prednisone for comfort only. I was so worried on knowing the day we needed to make the dreaded call. The day we decided it was time, Max left our room to go downstairs to sleep. He NEVER did this. I heard him leave our room. I crept down the steps to see where he was. He was in our family room. When I got up 3 hours later, he was still in the same position. I knew, without a doubt, this was the day. The life had gone out of his eyes. He could not get up and we needed to carry him outside to pee and poop. We called the vet to come that day. Up to this point, even the day before, Max was pretty good. As the disease progressed, he snored a lot and, at the end, was slow going up the stairs but other than than he was still pretty frisky. You will know. When your dog can no longer be a “dog”, it might be the time. We didn’t want to keep Max alive one minute longer when we saw he was “done”. My husband said we needed to absorb and end his pain, no matter how much pain we were going to endure. It was the right thing to do. I am on a dog cancer web site through Delphia Forums and have found a lot of comfort from the folks who have gone through what you are going through. A dog so young as yours………….not fair, not fair at all.
I know what you are going through. Please email if you need to talk or just vent.
Linda
Love Me Award « Mercedes’ World // Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at
[...] brought so many dog lovers together-due to their dogs having lymphoma. Two of her support posts are here and here. She has a great support system over there…and we have lost 6 dogs since I have met [...]
Sabrina // Sunday, June 29, 2008 at
Its been a long time since anyone has posted, but I thought I’d go ahead and share my story. My mom’s dog is a cocker spaniel that is only about 5 years old. She was a rescue dog from the parkinglot of a Walmart. About a month ago we boarded her at our vet and found out that she had lymphoma and it had enlarged her lymph nodes to the size of golfballs in her neck. We opted out of chemo feeling that it was only going to pro long her life for a short amount of time before it all came back again. My mom also felt as though she would have just been prolonging Sassy’s life for her own sake.
She is on pred right now and is deteriorating rapidly. It is so hard to watch a once healthy dog look so different. I want to thank all of you who have posted here, because knowing that others have gone through this and have advice to give is comforting.
wvbocere // Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at
Sabrina, I’m sorry about the delay. I just returned from a weekend away.
I am also terribly sorry to hear about your mom’s dog. Five is so young! It seems like this cancer doesn’t discriminate-we have had dogs as young as two succumb to it in our group.
I am glad that you found us. Please let us know how the dog is doing. What is his name?
Take care, and give him lots of extra hugs!!
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