Aa
hemangiosarcoma of the spleen
We euthanized our 7 year old GSD this week who collapsed a few days prior. He was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma of the spleen and had it removed in emergency surgery in August 2007. I took him through chemo and he survived 6 months following the surgery. On his last day, he was rebounding following a traumatic night a few days earlier vomiting and collapsing. He couldn't get up the next day but was more responsive the following. Although fatigued, he could walk the day after that and even began playing with his toys. So he was recovering. But he still had a nasty cough, no appetite outside a handful of food each day, and fatigue/anemia.
I read the natural end was not painful-a collapse, shock and death. But what I saw Saturday night was terrifying for us both. He was so sick and scared so I made the decision to "help". I now I have huge regrets and need some answers or any information to deal with my devastation.
How long does a dog having hemangiosarcoma typically have from the initial collapse to the final? I understand the inevitable outcome of the diagnosis but loved him more than anything. I'm tortured by my decision. I did it for him but can't seem to find an answer. Is there pain and suffering in a natural death in this case? What is typical? Are there other regrets either way? I know these are questions that should have been asked earlier but the entire experience has missed my expectations every step of the way.
I thought I had more time. Thank you for any help you can offer.
I read the natural end was not painful-a collapse, shock and death. But what I saw Saturday night was terrifying for us both. He was so sick and scared so I made the decision to "help". I now I have huge regrets and need some answers or any information to deal with my devastation.
How long does a dog having hemangiosarcoma typically have from the initial collapse to the final? I understand the inevitable outcome of the diagnosis but loved him more than anything. I'm tortured by my decision. I did it for him but can't seem to find an answer. Is there pain and suffering in a natural death in this case? What is typical? Are there other regrets either way? I know these are questions that should have been asked earlier but the entire experience has missed my expectations every step of the way.
I thought I had more time. Thank you for any help you can offer.
I am so sorry for your loss. At the end of April 2016 we had to euthanize out beloved 10 year old GSD Hannah. The pain of loss is horrible. She was diagnosed in Sept 2015 with Hemangiasarcoma and had a spleenectomy; followed by chemo. . Until then we had no knowledge of the disease. We enjoyed her for about 8 months. A few days before we said goodbye she was doing well then became very weak and could not walk. I feel guilty for putting her down . In a way it helps to know others have grappled with this horrible disease.
1 Comments
My baby of 11 years, Ahmirror, was diagnosed with spleen cancer and only 3 weeks to live. I have been devastated every since. It"s been about 5 weeks now and I"be been watching her lose weight her balance and her appetite off and on. I can hardly take this. I've also wrestled with when is time to let go. This is the worst I"be ever felt. Although she's still here, it's hard to see her struggle.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I think you have to go into the peace and silence with her keyshea....and listen. Listen with your Heart.
The body is not everything.
Yes we always miss them here in life. My girl passed over four an a half years ago and I shall miss her constant physical presence and company until the day I also pass.
But her Soul has shown me she still loves me very much and is certainly not 'dead'!
So let her go from that broken body when you feel in your Heart that she wants to leave the pain behind.
This cancer is horrible. Blessings to you and your dear girl.
The body is not everything.
Yes we always miss them here in life. My girl passed over four an a half years ago and I shall miss her constant physical presence and company until the day I also pass.
But her Soul has shown me she still loves me very much and is certainly not 'dead'!
So let her go from that broken body when you feel in your Heart that she wants to leave the pain behind.
This cancer is horrible. Blessings to you and your dear girl.
2 Comments
Keyshea, what Ginger has said makes so much sense. It is very easy for us to just convince ourselves that we will wait for a sign that will tell when it's time for them to go. What we have to remember is that animals don't see things the same way that humans do. Humans know that death is inevitable and when they are terminally ill they know that death is imminent. They endeavor to hang on as long as they can to spare their loved ones the grief of losing them even though their bodies may be wracked with pain and sickness. They don't want to go any more than their loved ones want them to go.
Animals do not see things this way. They don't see it as "I don't want to die because I don't want my human to be sad", all they know is that they feel awful, they don't have any energy and they don't know why. In truth, it is actually quite stressful for an animal to be very ill because their instinct tells them that to be ill is to be prey for larger animals. This is why very sick animals often go off by themselves and seem as though they are trying to hide. They are trying to stay out of sight of other animals who would see them as sick or injured and try to hunt them.
You need to weigh everything out. Does your dog have any quality of life still? Does she still get excited at mealtime or if you give her a treat? Does she still enjoy going outside with you or doing things she always enjoyed doing? If you cannot honestly answer yes to these questions then it may be time for you to make the decision to release her from the sick body that is holding her spirit captive and let her be free of her suffering. My condolences to you that you are faced with this heartbreaking decision.
Ghilly
Animals do not see things this way. They don't see it as "I don't want to die because I don't want my human to be sad", all they know is that they feel awful, they don't have any energy and they don't know why. In truth, it is actually quite stressful for an animal to be very ill because their instinct tells them that to be ill is to be prey for larger animals. This is why very sick animals often go off by themselves and seem as though they are trying to hide. They are trying to stay out of sight of other animals who would see them as sick or injured and try to hunt them.
You need to weigh everything out. Does your dog have any quality of life still? Does she still get excited at mealtime or if you give her a treat? Does she still enjoy going outside with you or doing things she always enjoyed doing? If you cannot honestly answer yes to these questions then it may be time for you to make the decision to release her from the sick body that is holding her spirit captive and let her be free of her suffering. My condolences to you that you are faced with this heartbreaking decision.
Ghilly
This is the worst cancer ever!! My Bear is going through it now.
My 12 1/2 year old shepherd mix was just diagnosed with hemangisarcoma. He was completely fine two days ago, ran on his walk, super feisty. I let him out at 830 at night, he was fine, and when went I went to let him out for his finally bathroom break of the evening at 1000 he was weak, lethargic, panting, did not want to move. He had also thrown up. I rushed him to the hospital thinking he had ingested something. We found out that he had fluid around the heart that night, and the next morning they did an ultrasound and found his spleen a lumpy mess, and concerns with the top of his kindneys. The cardiologist, drained the fluid from around his heart to give him relief, and also found the disease had spread to the right side of his heart.
It was so sudden. I was schocked by it all, and by all accounts he was, I thought healthy fo his age. He had been slowing down, sleeping more and he groaned sometimes when he would lay down, but we thought it was age related. I think on it now and it was likely signs of the disease, but there was no way we could have known.
He is home now, feeling better, surgery was never an option because the tumor on his heart, which of course cannot be resolved; I would not have opted for surgery anyway, even if only the spleen were involved, he is too old and the disease to grave. I will not put him through chemo, because he is terminally ill no matter what. What I am struggling with now, is when, when do we decide to let him go peacefully. Now? In a few days, a week? At what point is he suffering? Is he already? He is eating, drinking, went for a walk, he seems tired but himself. My husband is out of the country on business and won't be back for about 2weeks, is it wrong to hold off until he gets home, so he can say goodbye to our beloved family member.
I am prepared to let him go, but is it the right moment? I know if he decides not to eat, or walk, or get up on his own and move around I will make that decision to let him reach the halls of Vallhalla :), but we are not at that point, but I still ask is it right to let him live on at this point, now that we know. It is a struggle when you are making decisions about family in this way.
It was so sudden. I was schocked by it all, and by all accounts he was, I thought healthy fo his age. He had been slowing down, sleeping more and he groaned sometimes when he would lay down, but we thought it was age related. I think on it now and it was likely signs of the disease, but there was no way we could have known.
He is home now, feeling better, surgery was never an option because the tumor on his heart, which of course cannot be resolved; I would not have opted for surgery anyway, even if only the spleen were involved, he is too old and the disease to grave. I will not put him through chemo, because he is terminally ill no matter what. What I am struggling with now, is when, when do we decide to let him go peacefully. Now? In a few days, a week? At what point is he suffering? Is he already? He is eating, drinking, went for a walk, he seems tired but himself. My husband is out of the country on business and won't be back for about 2weeks, is it wrong to hold off until he gets home, so he can say goodbye to our beloved family member.
I am prepared to let him go, but is it the right moment? I know if he decides not to eat, or walk, or get up on his own and move around I will make that decision to let him reach the halls of Vallhalla :), but we are not at that point, but I still ask is it right to let him live on at this point, now that we know. It is a struggle when you are making decisions about family in this way.
1 Comments
I am so sorry you (and he) are going through this. My own dog had Hemangiosarcoma, spleen, liver, and subcutaneous. She had been diagnosed ( the lumps under her skin alerted me -and an Ultrasound was performed which showed she had tumours on liver and spleen) But she seemed quite well and still enjoying life. Then she had an internal bleed. Our vet told me thay can sometimes have these, and recover and regain quality of life in the meantime. However I was to keep a close eye on her.
She did recover and still got some good things out of life, but unfortunately a week later, had another bleed, and this one was worse. I could tell that, and knew it was time to have her put to sleep, as the bleed was a very bad one indeed and had started to agfect her breathing during that last night. It was quite clear-cut at the end.
Our night-duty vet released her from this Earth.
In our case the decision was easy. She had quality of life -although reduced from her 'usual' during that last 2 weeks. But she was still happy to be around....eating well, sleeping well, enjoying scaled-down walks, and content.
The only blip in that was the 48 hours during her first internal bleed -which was hard on her but I could tell she wanted to carry on, and when she recovered, she lived a happy week after that. I knew that was OK with her.
I think the issue has to be 'quality of life'. But keep a very careful watch on a Hemangiosarcoma patient. Things can change, suddenly and dramatically -at any time. At any moment, they may need you to be very brave, very strong and very loving for them, and be able to make that final decision at a minute's notice.
I am sorry to mention this under your circumstances....but you have posted on a VERY old thread, with 63 replies! Sometimes, threads like this do not get the attention you need.
It would be more helpful to you to make a brand new thread. You may get far more response.
My heart goes out to you because I do know what you and your dear dog are going through, having been through similar myself with my girl.
She did recover and still got some good things out of life, but unfortunately a week later, had another bleed, and this one was worse. I could tell that, and knew it was time to have her put to sleep, as the bleed was a very bad one indeed and had started to agfect her breathing during that last night. It was quite clear-cut at the end.
Our night-duty vet released her from this Earth.
In our case the decision was easy. She had quality of life -although reduced from her 'usual' during that last 2 weeks. But she was still happy to be around....eating well, sleeping well, enjoying scaled-down walks, and content.
The only blip in that was the 48 hours during her first internal bleed -which was hard on her but I could tell she wanted to carry on, and when she recovered, she lived a happy week after that. I knew that was OK with her.
I think the issue has to be 'quality of life'. But keep a very careful watch on a Hemangiosarcoma patient. Things can change, suddenly and dramatically -at any time. At any moment, they may need you to be very brave, very strong and very loving for them, and be able to make that final decision at a minute's notice.
I am sorry to mention this under your circumstances....but you have posted on a VERY old thread, with 63 replies! Sometimes, threads like this do not get the attention you need.
It would be more helpful to you to make a brand new thread. You may get far more response.
My heart goes out to you because I do know what you and your dear dog are going through, having been through similar myself with my girl.
COMMUNITY LEADER
luvastray, I am so very sorry. I can just feel how much you love them all. It is so sad when they get sick and pass away. And seeing them struggle like that in their final moments is heartbreaking. I know.
I waited all night per the vet's advice, when my girl was bleeding to death from Hemangosarcoma. She had survived one bleed, and I was advised to wait as she might survive that one -and report back if things got worse. I sat with her until dawn, and things got worse. So I had her put to sleep, but she was less than an hour from death by the time that happened.
It seems there is never a 'perfect passing'. And we are afraid that they have suffered at all, because we love them.
And yes, my sweet Misty wet herself too, as I drove her body home afterwards. Bless her lovely Soul. I loved everything about her -even that.
Passing stool or peeing is very common at their passing, or just after. It is no degradation to them.
Your dogs who still live will miss their buddies. That is natural. Animals have deep feelings and grieve too. Give them lots of love and affection even through your tears.
I waited all night per the vet's advice, when my girl was bleeding to death from Hemangosarcoma. She had survived one bleed, and I was advised to wait as she might survive that one -and report back if things got worse. I sat with her until dawn, and things got worse. So I had her put to sleep, but she was less than an hour from death by the time that happened.
It seems there is never a 'perfect passing'. And we are afraid that they have suffered at all, because we love them.
And yes, my sweet Misty wet herself too, as I drove her body home afterwards. Bless her lovely Soul. I loved everything about her -even that.
Passing stool or peeing is very common at their passing, or just after. It is no degradation to them.
Your dogs who still live will miss their buddies. That is natural. Animals have deep feelings and grieve too. Give them lots of love and affection even through your tears.
Thank you for sharing your story and I am so sorry for your loss. These rescue dogs are so special. It has been 2 weeks and we had to pick up his remains. This bought all the pain back up again. I needed to speak to the vet again because I feel so guilt ridden and the pangs of pain just keep coming. I think the degree of pain is proportionate to the amount of love we had for him. She assured me that we did the right thing and there was no way of knowing. We are not God. At that point in time, Sammie was suffering and we didn't want him to suffer. And the surgery might have killed him because of the state he was in. So what is the right thing to do? Keep him alive because I can't bare to let go? Or let him die painlessly and with dignity?
I understand the pain you are in. You did the best you could with Matilda and you loved her. That is all we can do.
I understand the pain you are in. You did the best you could with Matilda and you loved her. That is all we can do.
I had my beloved Matlda (14 year old AmStaff rescue) euthanized on August 8 in the morning. The night before, she threw up her supper and threw up three more times. She could barely walk. By early, early morning, she could not walk at all and was barely responsive. Her gums were extremely pale and her sides seemed to be swelled a bit. I was terrified. I live alone and had seven dogs. She was about 66 pounds or more, so I had to get her on to a sheet and drag her into the garage and struggle getting her into my back seat. She had been playing with a year old rescue during the day before I took her into the vet! He did an ultra sound and drew fluid from her abdomen. There was blood in the fluid and the ultra sound showed a ruptured tumor that had cancerous nodes. I was shocked! He said it probably didn't bother her until it finally ruptured. I had her euthanized because I did not want her to suffer any more than she had during the previous night. She was the light of my life. On July 12th, not even a month earlier, my sweet Joey had a heart attack at home! He had been severely abused when I picked him up from a SC shelter on 10/31/2008. He was a Pit Bull. He had a heavy heartworm infestation and another parasite called Babesia.Gibsoni when I pulled him back then...along with severe rickets and wounds on his legs where the muscle was exposed. He weighed only 23 pounds and was being held as evidence in a cruelty case.
His death was traumatic. All of a sudden, he sort of weaved and finally collapsed. Some poop came out of him and also quite a bit of urine. He took about six gasping breaths which grew farther and farther apart and then he died. This was at 6:15 PM on a Sunday. I had to put him on a sheet too because he weighed about 60 pounds. Worse yet, I had to try to put him inside plastic garbage container bags because I couldn't get him into the vet until they opened at 7:00 AM Monday morning.
I am so grief stricken and so overwhelmed by their deaths. I would much rather have had Joey euthanized than see what happened to him in his last few moments alive. It was truly heartbreaking and awful. I have not spoken to anyone since the morning of Matilda's death. I think my friends are all a little disgusted with me for shutting myself off from everyone. I still have 5 here to take care of, but one of them, Stella, is very, very depressed herself because she was so very close to Matilda and knows Matilda and Joey are missing, especially Matilda.
I feel for you because I know what agony you're going through. I don't know if I have any tears left at this point. I miss them both so much. We never have them long enough. But, I'm glad that neither one of them suffered the way my Dad suffered with liver/colon cancer.....or the way my Mom completely deteriorated with Alzheimer's.
Thank God we can, at least, spare them from that kind of long term misery.
I am so very, very sorry for your loss.
luvastray
His death was traumatic. All of a sudden, he sort of weaved and finally collapsed. Some poop came out of him and also quite a bit of urine. He took about six gasping breaths which grew farther and farther apart and then he died. This was at 6:15 PM on a Sunday. I had to put him on a sheet too because he weighed about 60 pounds. Worse yet, I had to try to put him inside plastic garbage container bags because I couldn't get him into the vet until they opened at 7:00 AM Monday morning.
I am so grief stricken and so overwhelmed by their deaths. I would much rather have had Joey euthanized than see what happened to him in his last few moments alive. It was truly heartbreaking and awful. I have not spoken to anyone since the morning of Matilda's death. I think my friends are all a little disgusted with me for shutting myself off from everyone. I still have 5 here to take care of, but one of them, Stella, is very, very depressed herself because she was so very close to Matilda and knows Matilda and Joey are missing, especially Matilda.
I feel for you because I know what agony you're going through. I don't know if I have any tears left at this point. I miss them both so much. We never have them long enough. But, I'm glad that neither one of them suffered the way my Dad suffered with liver/colon cancer.....or the way my Mom completely deteriorated with Alzheimer's.
Thank God we can, at least, spare them from that kind of long term misery.
I am so very, very sorry for your loss.
luvastray
I had my beloved Matlda (14 year old AmStaff rescue) euthanized on August 8 in the morning. The night before, she threw up her supper and threw up three more times. She could barely walk. By early, early morning, she could not walk at all and was barely responsive. Her gums were extremely pale and her sides seemed to be swelled a bit. I was terrified. I live alone and had seven dogs. She was about 66 pounds or more, so I had to get her on to a sheet and drag her into the garage and struggle getting her into my back seat. She had been playing with a year old rescue during the day before I took her into the vet! He did an ultra sound and drew fluid from her abdomen. There was blood in the fluid and the ultra sound showed a ruptured tumor that had cancerous nodes. I was shocked! He said it probably didn't bother her until it finally ruptured. I had her euthanized because I did not want her to suffer any more than she had during the previous night. She was the light of my life. On July 12th, not even a month earlier, my sweet Joey had a heart attack at home! He had been severely abused when I picked him up from a SC shelter on 10/31/2008. He was a Pit Bull. He had a heavy heartworm infestation and another parasite called Babesia.Gibsoni when I pulled him back then...along with severe rickets and wounds on his legs where the muscle was exposed. He weighed only 23 pounds and was being held as evidence in a cruelty case.
His death was traumatic. All of a sudden, he sort of weaved and finally collapsed. Some poop came out of him and also quite a bit of urine. He took about six gasping breaths which grew farther and farther apart and then he died. This was at 6:15 PM on a Sunday. I had to put him on a sheet too because he weighed about 60 pounds. Worse yet, I had to try to put him inside plastic garbage container bags because I couldn't get him into the vet until they opened at 7:00 AM Monday morning.
I am so grief stricken and so overwhelmed by their deaths. I would much rather have had Joey euthanized than see what happened to him in his last few moments alive. It was truly heartbreaking and awful. I have not spoken to anyone since the morning of Matilda's death. I think my friends are all a little disgusted with me for shutting myself off from everyone. I still have 5 here to take care of, but one of them, Stella, is very, very depressed herself because she was so very close to Matilda and knows Matilda and Joey are missing, especially Matilda.
I feel for you because I know what agony you're going through. I don't know if I have any tears left at this point. I miss them both so much. We never have them long enough. But, I'm glad that neither one of them suffered the way my Dad suffered with liver/colon cancer.....or the way my Mom completely deteriorated with Alzheimer's.
Thank God we can, at least, spare them from that kind of long term misery.
I am so very, very sorry for your loss.
luvastray
His death was traumatic. All of a sudden, he sort of weaved and finally collapsed. Some poop came out of him and also quite a bit of urine. He took about six gasping breaths which grew farther and farther apart and then he died. This was at 6:15 PM on a Sunday. I had to put him on a sheet too because he weighed about 60 pounds. Worse yet, I had to try to put him inside plastic garbage container bags because I couldn't get him into the vet until they opened at 7:00 AM Monday morning.
I am so grief stricken and so overwhelmed by their deaths. I would much rather have had Joey euthanized than see what happened to him in his last few moments alive. It was truly heartbreaking and awful. I have not spoken to anyone since the morning of Matilda's death. I think my friends are all a little disgusted with me for shutting myself off from everyone. I still have 5 here to take care of, but one of them, Stella, is very, very depressed herself because she was so very close to Matilda and knows Matilda and Joey are missing, especially Matilda.
I feel for you because I know what agony you're going through. I don't know if I have any tears left at this point. I miss them both so much. We never have them long enough. But, I'm glad that neither one of them suffered the way my Dad suffered with liver/colon cancer.....or the way my Mom completely deteriorated with Alzheimer's.
Thank God we can, at least, spare them from that kind of long term misery.
I am so very, very sorry for your loss.
luvastray
I had my beloved Matlda (14 year old AmStaff rescue) euthanized on August 8 in the morning. The night before, she threw up her supper and threw up three more times. She could barely walk. By early, early morning, she could not walk at all and was barely responsive. Her gums were extremely pale and her sides seemed to be swelled a bit. I was terrified. I live alone and had seven dogs. She was about 66 pounds or more, so I had to get her on to a sheet and drag her into the garage and struggle getting her into my back seat. She had been playing with a year old rescue during the day before I took her into the vet! He did an ultra sound and drew fluid from her abdomen. There was blood in the fluid and the ultra sound showed a ruptured tumor that had cancerous nodes. I was shocked! He said it probably didn't bother her until it finally ruptured. I had her euthanized because I did not want her to suffer any more than she had during the previous night. She was the light of my life. On July 12th, not even a month earlier, my sweet Joey had a heart attack at home! He had been severely abused when I picked him up from a SC shelter on 10/31/2008. He was a Pit Bull. He had a heavy heartworm infestation and another parasite called Babesia.Gibsoni when I pulled him back then...along with severe rickets and wounds on his legs where the muscle was exposed. He weighed only 23 pounds and was being held as evidence in a cruelty case.
His death was traumatic. All of a sudden, he sort of weaved and finally collapsed. Some poop came out of him and also quite a bit of urine. He took about six gasping breaths which grew farther and farther apart and then he died. This was at 6:15 PM on a Sunday. I had to put him on a sheet too because he weighed about 60 pounds. Worse yet, I had to try to put him inside plastic garbage container bags because I couldn't get him into the vet until they opened at 7:00 AM Monday morning.
I am so grief stricken and so overwhelmed by their deaths. I would much rather have had Joey euthanized than see what happened to him in his last few moments alive. It was truly heartbreaking and awful. I have not spoken to anyone since the morning of Matilda's death. I think my friends are all a little disgusted with me for shutting myself off from everyone. I still have 5 here to take care of, but one of them, Stella, is very, very depressed herself because she was so very close to Matilda and knows Matilda and Joey are missing, especially Matilda.
I feel for you because I know what agony you're going through. I don't know if I have any tears left at this point. I miss them both so much. We never have them long enough. But, I'm glad that neither one of them suffered the way my Dad suffered with liver/colon cancer.....or the way my Mom completely deteriorated with Alzheimer's.
Thank God we can, at least, spare them from that kind of long term misery.
I am so very, very sorry for your loss.
luvastray
His death was traumatic. All of a sudden, he sort of weaved and finally collapsed. Some poop came out of him and also quite a bit of urine. He took about six gasping breaths which grew farther and farther apart and then he died. This was at 6:15 PM on a Sunday. I had to put him on a sheet too because he weighed about 60 pounds. Worse yet, I had to try to put him inside plastic garbage container bags because I couldn't get him into the vet until they opened at 7:00 AM Monday morning.
I am so grief stricken and so overwhelmed by their deaths. I would much rather have had Joey euthanized than see what happened to him in his last few moments alive. It was truly heartbreaking and awful. I have not spoken to anyone since the morning of Matilda's death. I think my friends are all a little disgusted with me for shutting myself off from everyone. I still have 5 here to take care of, but one of them, Stella, is very, very depressed herself because she was so very close to Matilda and knows Matilda and Joey are missing, especially Matilda.
I feel for you because I know what agony you're going through. I don't know if I have any tears left at this point. I miss them both so much. We never have them long enough. But, I'm glad that neither one of them suffered the way my Dad suffered with liver/colon cancer.....or the way my Mom completely deteriorated with Alzheimer's.
Thank God we can, at least, spare them from that kind of long term misery.
I am so very, very sorry for your loss.
luvastray
I had my beloved Matlda (14 year old AmStaff rescue) euthanized on August 8 in the morning. The night before, she threw up her supper and threw up three more times. She could barely walk. By early, early morning, she could not walk at all and was barely responsive. Her gums were extremely pale and her sides seemed to be swelled a bit. I was terrified. I live alone and had seven dogs. She was about 66 pounds or more, so I had to get her on to a sheet and drag her into the garage and struggle getting her into my back seat. She had been playing with a year old rescue during the day before I took her into the vet! He did an ultra sound and drew fluid from her abdomen. There was blood in the fluid and the ultra sound showed a ruptured tumor that had cancerous nodes. I was shocked! He said it probably didn't bother her until it finally ruptured. I had her euthanized because I did not want her to suffer any more than she had during the previous night. She was the light of my life. On July 12th, not even a month earlier, my sweet Joey had a heart attack at home! He had been severely abused when I picked him up from a SC shelter on 10/31/2008. He was a Pit Bull. He had a heavy heartworm infestation and another parasite called Babesia.Gibsoni when I pulled him back then...along with severe rickets and wounds on his legs where the muscle was exposed. He weighed only 23 pounds and was being held as evidence in a cruelty case.
His death was traumatic. All of a sudden, he sort of weaved and finally collapsed. Some poop came out of him and also quite a bit of urine. He took about six gasping breaths which grew farther and farther apart and then he died. This was at 6:15 PM on a Sunday. I had to put him on a sheet too because he weighed about 60 pounds. Worse yet, I had to try to put him inside plastic garbage container bags because I couldn't get him into the vet until they opened at 7:00 AM Monday morning.
I am so grief stricken and so overwhelmed by their deaths. I would much rather have had Joey euthanized than see what happened to him in his last few moments alive. It was truly heartbreaking and awful. I have not spoken to anyone since the morning of Matilda's death. I think my friends are all a little disgusted with me for shutting myself off from everyone. I still have 5 here to take care of, but one of them, Stella, is very, very depressed herself because she was so very close to Matilda and knows Matilda and Joey are missing, especially Matilda.
I feel for you because I know what agony you're going through. I don't know if I have any tears left at this point. I miss them both so much. We never have them long enough. But, I'm glad that neither one of them suffered the way my Dad suffered with liver/colon cancer.....or the way my Mom completely deteriorated with Alzheimer's.
Thank God we can, at least, spare them from that kind of long term misery.
I am so very, very sorry for your loss.
luvastray
His death was traumatic. All of a sudden, he sort of weaved and finally collapsed. Some poop came out of him and also quite a bit of urine. He took about six gasping breaths which grew farther and farther apart and then he died. This was at 6:15 PM on a Sunday. I had to put him on a sheet too because he weighed about 60 pounds. Worse yet, I had to try to put him inside plastic garbage container bags because I couldn't get him into the vet until they opened at 7:00 AM Monday morning.
I am so grief stricken and so overwhelmed by their deaths. I would much rather have had Joey euthanized than see what happened to him in his last few moments alive. It was truly heartbreaking and awful. I have not spoken to anyone since the morning of Matilda's death. I think my friends are all a little disgusted with me for shutting myself off from everyone. I still have 5 here to take care of, but one of them, Stella, is very, very depressed herself because she was so very close to Matilda and knows Matilda and Joey are missing, especially Matilda.
I feel for you because I know what agony you're going through. I don't know if I have any tears left at this point. I miss them both so much. We never have them long enough. But, I'm glad that neither one of them suffered the way my Dad suffered with liver/colon cancer.....or the way my Mom completely deteriorated with Alzheimer's.
Thank God we can, at least, spare them from that kind of long term misery.
I am so very, very sorry for your loss.
luvastray
This past Sunday, my husband and I made a decision to euthanize our Sammie. He was a rescue around the age of 10/12 yrs. old. The morning was great and nothing was wrong. Later in the afternoon, when we were driving home, Sammie went limp and his tongue was pale. He was gasping for air several times. We rushed him to animal emergency. They told us that he was critical and that he had a tumor on his spleen that erupted and he was bleeding internally. Along with that, he had developed pneumonia. I was in total shock. I had just taken him for a check up and he came out with a clean bill of health. I addressed his vision problems and ended up taking him to an specialist (ophthalmologist) to treat his eyes. Also, Sunday afternoon, I had dropped off a stool sample to make sure his stool was ok. The results to that were negative.
There was mention of surgery but the chances of Sammie's survival were very slim especially since he was on life support. They also told us that 50% of the time these tumors are cancerous and the most he would live was maybe 3 to 6 months. I did not want to put my 15 pound baby through such pain and odds.
We are heavily grieving now. The one thing that I keep going over in my head is that I wished I would have told the doctor that he seemed uncomfortable a lot of the time. He would roll from side to side when he slept. I just attributed that to age. I feel that maybe if I mentioned that, our vet would have ordered an xray or examined him further. I was observing Sammie constantly. His vision was impaired, so I addressed that, His stool was sometimes dark, and I addressed that.
I feel awful. Maybe this is part of grieving, but I still feel somewhat responsible.
The one thing that I got out of this is to request xrays for my dog just as a precautionary step. There is no way of knowing until it is too late. I loved him so much and miss him terribly.
There was mention of surgery but the chances of Sammie's survival were very slim especially since he was on life support. They also told us that 50% of the time these tumors are cancerous and the most he would live was maybe 3 to 6 months. I did not want to put my 15 pound baby through such pain and odds.
We are heavily grieving now. The one thing that I keep going over in my head is that I wished I would have told the doctor that he seemed uncomfortable a lot of the time. He would roll from side to side when he slept. I just attributed that to age. I feel that maybe if I mentioned that, our vet would have ordered an xray or examined him further. I was observing Sammie constantly. His vision was impaired, so I addressed that, His stool was sometimes dark, and I addressed that.
I feel awful. Maybe this is part of grieving, but I still feel somewhat responsible.
The one thing that I got out of this is to request xrays for my dog just as a precautionary step. There is no way of knowing until it is too late. I loved him so much and miss him terribly.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I am so very sorry for your loss of your beloved dog, and for the pain and grieving you are going through right now.
I think you did the right thing. He passed over into spirit or to the "Rainbow Bridge" gently and didn't have to endure any more pain. He had been through enough. Yes they are stoical. They endure anything and keep on loving life and us. But you set him free from all that.
He still loves you, and I hope you may sense his loving Soul one day. All my kindest thoughts to you at this sad time.
I think you did the right thing. He passed over into spirit or to the "Rainbow Bridge" gently and didn't have to endure any more pain. He had been through enough. Yes they are stoical. They endure anything and keep on loving life and us. But you set him free from all that.
He still loves you, and I hope you may sense his loving Soul one day. All my kindest thoughts to you at this sad time.
You did the right thing MissMyDiego. I just lost my dog of almost 13 years. 5 years ago he was diagnosed with severe osteo arthritis and eventually the left rear leg was frozen and he was on tramadol , nsaids and many other meds and finally gabapentin was added for several years. He never showed me pain but when I took him to a new Holistic/COnventional vet to see if he qualified for stem cell therapy/replacement she said this dog is being treated with all these meds for arthritis and although he has some arthritis he has a real bone issue (suspected bone cancer)and said he appeared healthy otherwise but if I had his leg amputated he should be ok. I wrestled with this decision at his age and went to two other vets for second opinions and they said put him down as he is in horrid pain? I went back to the holistic/conventional vet and agreed to amputation and prepared for day of surgery and she did xrays and ultrasound and in few minutes came out to talk and I could tell it was bad., No surgery, he has cancer in his spleen and already in his liver and he is in horrible pain for this as well as that leg and needs to go now. (also the knee bones in that rear leg had dissolved or looked like on the xrays bone had been shredded) so bone cancer suspected there) I had option of taking him home one or two days and she said risking him hemmorrhaging to death which would be very painful so while already heavily sedated for surgery I made that horrible decision and now I cannot get over having to do that. He was my life and I just wanted to go when he went. It has been over a month now and I cannot cope with it. Should I have brought him home for the one or two days and if I had I do not think I could have taken him back to be euthanized. I am a wreck. I had him cremated and my ashes will be mixed with his upon my death. To think he was in pain with his leg for 5 years and never showed me his pain is almost unbelievable but they said he was a very stoic dog and loved me beyond compare. He was till eating all his food and drinking and hopping around on three legs but I could tell he was very weak so how long the cancer had been there no one knows.
My 13 year old dog was doing fine until about 3 weeks ago. I originally brought him in for an ear infection and he was given antibiotics. 2 days later he was very lethargic . When he did get up his back legs were weak. I thought maybe the medication. I brought him back in and the vet thought he may have arthritis. I also mentioned that we had noticed over the past few months his abdomine seemed swollen. Our vet looked him over but didn't seem concerned . He didn't seem to be in pain. So we went home with arthritis meds which seemed to help for a few days. Then wham again weak legs that were just getting worse. Took him in again and the bloodwork showed he was extremely anemic.. Took an X-ray which showed a mass but we couldn't see if it was the spleen or liver. ( this was on a Saturday) Scheduled sn X-ray for a couple days later . The very next day my dog just got weaker, could barely walk, and after a few Hours was showing signs of being in pain. We took him to an emergency vet clinic and right away the. VEt knew immediately he was bleeding internally from a tumor on his spleen. she was prepared to operate until she ran some tests and realized my dog was in kidney failure. Before we found out about the kidney failure we agonized over the desicion to operate. I asked millions of questions and I definetly did not want my baby to suffer any longer. Truth was she had no idea until she got in there what was going on or if anything had spread. So I prayed... And I asked God to please give me the answers ... If my dog was going to die or suffer any more after this surgery then please give a sign to not go through with it. As the vet was preparing to operate she decided to run some more tests and that is when she seen he was in the late stages of kidney failure. .. I thanked Jesus for answering my prayers ... To not go through with the surgery. If he was going suffer any more...But now I had to deal with knowing my beloved dog of 13 years was not coming home with me...it was so hard because every time I left the room he cried out for me not to leave . He just kept looking at me scared... It broke my heart... To let him go... But I couldn't let him suffer any longer. It's been 5 days and I'm a comlete mess but I know I made the right decision especially now that I have done a lot of research and seeing these posts have brought me some comfort. I just cant believe how fast it all happened . Full of life one day and next thing we know all of this happened. I think what upsets me the most is I knew something wasn't right with his enlarged abdomine and for the past year he was constantly coughing and gagging on and off ( again no vets had any explanation for that) and lung xrays were clear ... Even the day he passed his lungs were clear. I keep telling myself if I had only known earlier maybe he would still be alive today... I do take some comfort in knowing I did everything I could have by taking him to the vet every time I knew something wasn't right. But most of all I know he had a great life and he sure made me and my family extremely happy all these years....'R.I.P Diego .... We miss you!
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi, 4lablady, I understand what you are going through with your sweet girl. My own girl passed from Hemangiosarcoma nearly 3 years ago now.
It sounds like you are giving her the best 'hospice care' right now, and that's about all yo can do. You and her have done very well. My Misty only lived about 2 weeks from diagnosis. But when I looked back I could see there were vague signs 2 months before that. She had unexplained lethargy on a couple of occasions which got better within a day! And after some surgery she wouldn't stop bleeding, and that was touch-and-go at the time.
No-one knew then she had Hemangiosarcoma.
There is little else that you can do but make what remains of your girl's life as happy and filled with fun and love as you can.
The spells of weakness are mainly caused by tumours leaking blood. Mini internal bleeds somewhere. This causes some level of anemia. So good lean red meat and liver will help.
As blood leaks (usually in the peritoneal cavity) are naturally re-absorbed into the body, there is always more urine output. For the condition, that's to be expected.
Tramadol wasn't recommended by my vet by the time Misty reached that stage. It interferes with blood clotting apparently. Paracetamol was recommended instead, as it's one of the pain killing medications which doesn't affect clotting. But ask your vet about this first.
NB....the Paracetamol tablets are large, hard, and have straight edges. It was hard at the point to get Misty to 'wolf' down any food or treats offered to her. My usual method for concealing tablets in something tasty (which was swallowed immediately) didn't work, as she started chewing her food and eating more carefully -though she was still enjoying food.
This made giving her the Paracertamol difficult. I could not obtain a liquid form which was safe for dogs. I checked "Calpol" (for children) as it was recommended by one of the vets at my clinic. But it contained many additives I didn't wish to give to my dog!
Ask the vet if there is any veterinary option.
I hope you have some precious days/weeks left. So long as she has some decent quality of life and any pain is taken care of, she is hanging in, and probably isn't ready to leave yet.
But watch her carefully for any sudden changes. And I wouldn't go out and leave her alone for very long at a time.
My kindest thoughts to you -and her.
It sounds like you are giving her the best 'hospice care' right now, and that's about all yo can do. You and her have done very well. My Misty only lived about 2 weeks from diagnosis. But when I looked back I could see there were vague signs 2 months before that. She had unexplained lethargy on a couple of occasions which got better within a day! And after some surgery she wouldn't stop bleeding, and that was touch-and-go at the time.
No-one knew then she had Hemangiosarcoma.
There is little else that you can do but make what remains of your girl's life as happy and filled with fun and love as you can.
The spells of weakness are mainly caused by tumours leaking blood. Mini internal bleeds somewhere. This causes some level of anemia. So good lean red meat and liver will help.
As blood leaks (usually in the peritoneal cavity) are naturally re-absorbed into the body, there is always more urine output. For the condition, that's to be expected.
Tramadol wasn't recommended by my vet by the time Misty reached that stage. It interferes with blood clotting apparently. Paracetamol was recommended instead, as it's one of the pain killing medications which doesn't affect clotting. But ask your vet about this first.
NB....the Paracetamol tablets are large, hard, and have straight edges. It was hard at the point to get Misty to 'wolf' down any food or treats offered to her. My usual method for concealing tablets in something tasty (which was swallowed immediately) didn't work, as she started chewing her food and eating more carefully -though she was still enjoying food.
This made giving her the Paracertamol difficult. I could not obtain a liquid form which was safe for dogs. I checked "Calpol" (for children) as it was recommended by one of the vets at my clinic. But it contained many additives I didn't wish to give to my dog!
Ask the vet if there is any veterinary option.
I hope you have some precious days/weeks left. So long as she has some decent quality of life and any pain is taken care of, she is hanging in, and probably isn't ready to leave yet.
But watch her carefully for any sudden changes. And I wouldn't go out and leave her alone for very long at a time.
My kindest thoughts to you -and her.
I am beginning to feel there may be pain in this condition at least in the last few weeks. My 12 year old yellow lab Penny showed fatigue symptoms at Christmas 2014 that I thought might be pyometra. Jan 2, 2015 I brought her to the vet and physical exam with X-ray showed mass on her spleen. Splenectomy and spay surgery a week later and diagnosis hemangiosarcoma. She did well after surgery.
February she was still playing in the snow and fetching. March appointment showed her red blood count down a little and on I started her on Rimydyl for all of March. She showed some wobbly problems walking but still able to go up steps and got happy chasing the bumper a few times a day. Later in March when it seemed she had some stomach pain and noisy breathing in mid-April I stopped the Rimydyl thinking stomach upset. Blood work in early April showed slightly lower red blood count and high platelets. She showed fatigue and lethargy in late April always good appetite but now reluctant to get up and follow me around the kitchen when food was being prepared. I fed her lots of liver and eggs, hamburger and even bacon with a scoop of her regular ProPlan hard kibble.
It is now mid May almost 6 months from diagnosis. Her May blood work showed even lower red blood cells and high platelets. The vet believes the disease process is taking over and wearing her down. We started on Prednisone last week and she perked up for a few days . Now 10 days into it she is very tired and noisy "purring" sounds when she sleeps and breathes if relaxed but panting when she is up and moving or excited. She does not want to walk much more than 20 or 30 feet and has to be encouraged to stand up. She still keeps up with doing her "business" outside--frequent peeing 5-6 times a day and A LOT. Good bowel movements. Yet I feel like she is having distress or pain, I just can't tell where she is hurting. I am going to call to see if I can start her on Tramdol to help. She has a few lumps --ankle area, front of her chest, and upper rib.
I had to made the decision to let her mother go 7 years ago with the same diagnosis. She never had the surgery but lasted about 5 or 6 months. I didn't sense she was in pain but just slept all the time. About a month before I let her go she had one great retrieve a fun shoot and I never again saw her have energy and happiness. She had about two more weeks but didn't move much from her bed.
I expect I have only few weeks or less with my yellow girl. Praying she will go easy....
February she was still playing in the snow and fetching. March appointment showed her red blood count down a little and on I started her on Rimydyl for all of March. She showed some wobbly problems walking but still able to go up steps and got happy chasing the bumper a few times a day. Later in March when it seemed she had some stomach pain and noisy breathing in mid-April I stopped the Rimydyl thinking stomach upset. Blood work in early April showed slightly lower red blood count and high platelets. She showed fatigue and lethargy in late April always good appetite but now reluctant to get up and follow me around the kitchen when food was being prepared. I fed her lots of liver and eggs, hamburger and even bacon with a scoop of her regular ProPlan hard kibble.
It is now mid May almost 6 months from diagnosis. Her May blood work showed even lower red blood cells and high platelets. The vet believes the disease process is taking over and wearing her down. We started on Prednisone last week and she perked up for a few days . Now 10 days into it she is very tired and noisy "purring" sounds when she sleeps and breathes if relaxed but panting when she is up and moving or excited. She does not want to walk much more than 20 or 30 feet and has to be encouraged to stand up. She still keeps up with doing her "business" outside--frequent peeing 5-6 times a day and A LOT. Good bowel movements. Yet I feel like she is having distress or pain, I just can't tell where she is hurting. I am going to call to see if I can start her on Tramdol to help. She has a few lumps --ankle area, front of her chest, and upper rib.
I had to made the decision to let her mother go 7 years ago with the same diagnosis. She never had the surgery but lasted about 5 or 6 months. I didn't sense she was in pain but just slept all the time. About a month before I let her go she had one great retrieve a fun shoot and I never again saw her have energy and happiness. She had about two more weeks but didn't move much from her bed.
I expect I have only few weeks or less with my yellow girl. Praying she will go easy....
Dear Hilde,
Your sister was diagnosed with this horrible disease today. Molly has a right atria tumor and a tumor on her liver. Pathology tests came back inconclusive, however Vet was fairly certain due to the locations of the tumors, the diagnosis is Hemangiosarcoma. Molly is having the same symptoms, some tiredness, very thirsty, and diarrhea. She has difficulty getting up and walking. I hate to lose Molly too. Everyday I wonder how long I have with her. She is getting lots of yummy chicken, liver, and treats.
I miss you Hilde. You were gone way too soon. Love you forever, Mom
Your sister was diagnosed with this horrible disease today. Molly has a right atria tumor and a tumor on her liver. Pathology tests came back inconclusive, however Vet was fairly certain due to the locations of the tumors, the diagnosis is Hemangiosarcoma. Molly is having the same symptoms, some tiredness, very thirsty, and diarrhea. She has difficulty getting up and walking. I hate to lose Molly too. Everyday I wonder how long I have with her. She is getting lots of yummy chicken, liver, and treats.
I miss you Hilde. You were gone way too soon. Love you forever, Mom
COMMUNITY LEADER
I am so sorry about Rocky. You gave him all your love. This is a cruel disease, and my heart goes out to you.
COMMUNITY LEADER
No you didn't betray your good boy.
Hemangiosarcoma is a cruel cancer, as no-one (often including the dog) has any idea it is there until it is way too late usually. Until there are internal bleeds, or sometimes subcutaneous lumps, the dog will show no symptoms.
My girl had that, and when I look back, she must have had it developing for weeks, probably months before it was discovered. Probably all through that spring, as she passed in June (2012) But there was no way to tell. She was healthy, energetic, athletic, ate well, slept well, had fun -no signs of pain. The vet was monitoring her blood work for another reason (which was improving tremendously) -and all her blood work was excellent -so he said. They saw no signs in her blood. And they only feel bad with it when an internal bleed happens.
My vet also told me that it is genetic, and not caused by anything environmental, although exposure to arsenic and Vinyl Chloride (in industry....production of plastics in factories) can cause it. But in most peoples' lives their dog is never exposed to those things in large enough amounts to cause Hemangiosarcoma, and is always a genetic thing.
You did nothing wrong at all. You loved him and did your best for him, and he knew it.
Hemangiosarcoma is a cruel cancer, as no-one (often including the dog) has any idea it is there until it is way too late usually. Until there are internal bleeds, or sometimes subcutaneous lumps, the dog will show no symptoms.
My girl had that, and when I look back, she must have had it developing for weeks, probably months before it was discovered. Probably all through that spring, as she passed in June (2012) But there was no way to tell. She was healthy, energetic, athletic, ate well, slept well, had fun -no signs of pain. The vet was monitoring her blood work for another reason (which was improving tremendously) -and all her blood work was excellent -so he said. They saw no signs in her blood. And they only feel bad with it when an internal bleed happens.
My vet also told me that it is genetic, and not caused by anything environmental, although exposure to arsenic and Vinyl Chloride (in industry....production of plastics in factories) can cause it. But in most peoples' lives their dog is never exposed to those things in large enough amounts to cause Hemangiosarcoma, and is always a genetic thing.
You did nothing wrong at all. You loved him and did your best for him, and he knew it.
I am so sorry to hear about Cody-Jack. Certainly no betrayal in your actions. This particular cancer is extremely difficult to catch early on, and even then, the long-term prognosis is not particularly good. My dear Rocky received full check-ups every 6-months and the cancer went undetected. In just two months, it became a tumor the size of a small grapefruit on his spleen, ultimately spreading at the microscopic level when it ruptured. That said, I wish Rocky would have enjoyed Chick-fil-A as his last meal. Thank you for being an outstanding pet owner.
I am DEVASTATED!!! I just found out 4 days ago that my dear Cody Jack had suspected Hemangiosarcoma!!! :-( He had a nurf football sized TIGHT mass under his skin. And when they got ready to needle aspirate it...it started bleeding. They thought it would be puss or swollen tissue. So we had his blood clotting factor diagnosed and found it normal. Then after xrays and an ultrasound.....TWO liver tumors and the blood mass tumor extended from the tight area on his right side into his abdomen!!! I was in SHOCK! We NEVER knew! He was 9 years old, and always laid back and stoic. He had hypothyroidism and hip dysplasia, so he was always kind of "chill". But he'd run after a squirrel like nobody's business. His appetite decreased over the last two weeks, but otherwise...he was in GREAT spirits.
We laid our beloved Sheltie, Cody-Jack to rest yesterday. Internal Med Specialist said with the amount of blood in his abdomen and the tumor...surgery would be too risky and with poor prognosis. I was the most painful thing I have ever had to do. My heart is broken! I love, Love, LOVE that pretty boy!!!! I took him to Chick-fil-A for a grilled patty as his last meal!! He had NO idea!!!! I feel like I BETRAYED him!!! :-(
We laid our beloved Sheltie, Cody-Jack to rest yesterday. Internal Med Specialist said with the amount of blood in his abdomen and the tumor...surgery would be too risky and with poor prognosis. I was the most painful thing I have ever had to do. My heart is broken! I love, Love, LOVE that pretty boy!!!! I took him to Chick-fil-A for a grilled patty as his last meal!! He had NO idea!!!! I feel like I BETRAYED him!!! :-(
I am DEVASTATED!!! I just found out 4 days ago that my dear Cody Jack had suspected Hemangiosarcoma!!! :-( He had a nurf football sized TIGHT mass under his skin. And when they got ready to needle aspirate it...it started bleeding. They thought it would be puss or swollen tissue. So we had his blood clotting factor diagnosed and found it normal. Then after xrays and an ultrasound.....TWO liver tumors and the blood mass tumor extended from the tight area on his right side into his abdomen!!! I was in SHOCK! We NEVER knew! He was 9 years old, and always laid back and stoic. He had hypothyroidism and hip dysplasia, so he was always kind of "chill". But he'd run after a squirrel like nobody's business. His appetite decreased over the last two weeks, but otherwise...he was in GREAT spirits.
We laid our beloved Sheltie, Cody-Jack to rest yesterday. Internal Med Specialist said with the amount of blood in his abdomen and the tumor...surgery would be too risky and with poor prognosis. I was the most painful thing I have ever had to do. My heart is broken! I love, Love, LOVE that pretty boy!!!! I took him to Chick-fil-A for a grilled patty as his last meal!! He had NO idea!!!! I feel like I BETRAYED him!!! :-(
We laid our beloved Sheltie, Cody-Jack to rest yesterday. Internal Med Specialist said with the amount of blood in his abdomen and the tumor...surgery would be too risky and with poor prognosis. I was the most painful thing I have ever had to do. My heart is broken! I love, Love, LOVE that pretty boy!!!! I took him to Chick-fil-A for a grilled patty as his last meal!! He had NO idea!!!! I feel like I BETRAYED him!!! :-(
I am so sorry for you and Lamar. You are faced with such a tough situation. I was in a similar situation and I chose to put my dog down. He may or may not have been a little closer to death than your lamar. He had been off his specially home cooked food (for this disease) for weeks, and very lethargic. The end was obviously near although prednisone had recently given him a boost. I didn't have the benefit of the medicine you are giving Lamar. I had never heard of it until after Sunny passed and My vet never mentioned it. Maybe others who have used it can give your more insight into the course of this disease with the benefit of the med you are using. The only sure thing is that Lamar will pass away from this disease. If you have great faith in your petsitter to be around all day for him and be loving and make good decisions, than go on your trip. If your sitter doesn't know Lamar well and you can't count on her to be with Lamar and be watchful, then I would probably not go on my trip or put him down before leaving. If you put him down you will know that both he and you have missed severe wasting away and possible suffering - definitely heartache. If you're going to bury him in your yard you have logistics to work out. You will probably feel guilty no matter what you do unless you don't go on your trip and then you might feel resentful. Can you postpone your trip and still go later? Good luck with your decision......It really is tough. In my situation, I knew that Sunny wouldn't last more than a couple weeks at the very most, and they weren't going to be good weeks. In the end, I think I probably did the right thing, but it was hard and I did feel guilty........
My 14-year-old Anatolian shepherd mix Lamar had been weak in his hind legs for a while, and then his hind legs gave out a couple of times. I thought it was just the arthritis, but when his gums were pale and he literally couldn't walk I knew it was something more. I took him to the vet and an x-ray showed his spleen enormously enlarged and bleeding into his abdomen. The vet said either hemangiosarcoma or hemangioma, no way of knowing which. The vet assured me he wasn't in pain, and said that it was totally appropriate to take him home and let him pass away on his own, which would probably happen in the next few weeks. She recommended Chinese patent formula Yunnan Baiyao to control bleeding and ease pain.
This was July 9. I got the Yunnan Baiyao the next day and the results were almost immediate. Lamar could get up and go for a good length walk, was perky and wagging and barking like he always has. In the past week and a half, he's been up and down, often wants to go for walks, and yesterday we went to a beautiful swimming hole in the forest that's always been one of our favorites. He was definitely weak, and I'm not sure how comfortable he is. It's just so hard to know.
My fiance and I are going on a long-planned trip to see his family in Europe in 5 days now, and I still haven't decided what to do. If I were staying I would almost certainly let him pass on his own, and that is what the vet recommends. But I don't want him to suffer, and I don't want my wonderful petsitter to have to witness his death or make the call to have him euthed. On the other hand, he's done so well with the Yunnan Baiyao, I wonder if he is likely to make it another 3 weeks until I get back.
It is so hard. I want him to pass when he chooses and not to be the agent of that, but also want to be there for him.
I think there's just no way of knowing. You have to just make a decision you can live with, and know that your dog knows you love him or her no matter what. An ex-boyfriend said one really useful thing in the time we were together; You can't know whether a decision is the right one or not. You can only make a decision, and then make it the right one. I think of that often.
This was July 9. I got the Yunnan Baiyao the next day and the results were almost immediate. Lamar could get up and go for a good length walk, was perky and wagging and barking like he always has. In the past week and a half, he's been up and down, often wants to go for walks, and yesterday we went to a beautiful swimming hole in the forest that's always been one of our favorites. He was definitely weak, and I'm not sure how comfortable he is. It's just so hard to know.
My fiance and I are going on a long-planned trip to see his family in Europe in 5 days now, and I still haven't decided what to do. If I were staying I would almost certainly let him pass on his own, and that is what the vet recommends. But I don't want him to suffer, and I don't want my wonderful petsitter to have to witness his death or make the call to have him euthed. On the other hand, he's done so well with the Yunnan Baiyao, I wonder if he is likely to make it another 3 weeks until I get back.
It is so hard. I want him to pass when he chooses and not to be the agent of that, but also want to be there for him.
I think there's just no way of knowing. You have to just make a decision you can live with, and know that your dog knows you love him or her no matter what. An ex-boyfriend said one really useful thing in the time we were together; You can't know whether a decision is the right one or not. You can only make a decision, and then make it the right one. I think of that often.
I started a blog to cope with the process of fighting this cancer. Information and solid support is sparse out there, so I wanted to put something out I thought might help. Please check it out: http://annagrundel.tumblr.com/ Our dog Bucky is in his third round of chemo (I was debating whether to do it, and now I'm glad we have no matter the outcome). I've learned a lot from surgeons, oncologists and holistic vets, especially important is the info on diet and supplements I've included. Nicksbuddy gave me some real encouragement. My thoughts are with you all.
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