greysandmollie

Very YUCK!! Rascal had them when I first brought him home and I was a novice dog owner. It completely grossed me out!! I laugh at that now!! Especially since he lost bowel control and I got way too familar with his back end!! Hope your vet lets you pick something up...mine has in the past.

I have had both experiences. They have been equally painful experiences but in much different ways. I lost Rascal after 15 months of battling Lymphoma. It took an emotional toll on me. Of course I would do it all over again in a minute to be able to spend some more time with him. He slowly went down hill but wasn't in pain or so miserable I thought it was time. I was constantly cleaning (he was incontinent and no bowel control from FCE) and constantly cooking something for him. I reveled in the days where he seemed so happy. We would take short walks..car rides. I had tons of time to think about it and it ripped my heart out the day he couldn't get up and we went for the last trip to the vet. Bounty was having some minor issues that I could explain and we tried to treat. Then in the time span of a week it was determined that he had a mass in his bladder, an enlarged prostate and his lungs were filled with growths. He struggled more and more to breathe and we had to say goodbye within a few days of official diagnosis. I had my heart ripped out and still a month later haven't been able to get my arms wrapped around losing him. Much different pain. Sux equally as much.

Oh Lynn... You know my deepest sympathies are with you all. You and she has such a bond. As sweet Noah said....She will get to see Bounty again... It has been such a tough summer...

Aimee, I almost posted this earlier but wanted to see what you got back in the results. Rascal had an enlarged spleen as well. He was diagnosed with Lymphoma and I treated him with chemo and he had 15 more months. By no means is this typical but the chemo really wasn't too hard on him and his quality of life was good until the last month or two. He had a day of being a bit more tired after the chemo but other than that no side effects. It wasn't in his lungs initially and he never had any breathing problems really. He finally quit eating and one night couldn't get up and for him that was enough. I hope you are able to buy some time. It is an expensive route to go and not for everyone so good luck with your tough decisions. I hope you have some options. Let me know if you have any questions abolut my experience.

Aimee... Hoping for very good results!!

Oh congrats to you both!!

Absolutely know where you are coming from.....

Aimee.. Sending lots of strength...ignorance is bliss and sometime not knowing is worse than knowing...I am completely no help!

Glad to hear others are going thru this....Poor Mollie is chewing herself raw on one little patch on her leg. I am going to give her a bath this weekend. I haven't seen any ticks or fleas so hoping it is not that.

OMG...I just went thru this...I am praying for a much better outcome for you!! You might want to get chest films done to be on the safe side...

So sorry! I hope you have some good quality time together....

Keeping fingers crossed for Deuce!!

Thx everyone...today and yesterday have been incredibly difficult. I just hope the bad memories are replaced with all the good ones quickly. I do appreciate all your kind words...it does help to know how many people share and understand your pain.

I am so lost right now...I don't know what to do with myself. I need to get some sleep...I only slept a few hours last night but I am not sure if it is possible. I took some benedryl to help me get there but so far no good. I should have taken the muscle relaxant I have from my back problems.

Bounty Boon, where should I begin. He was brought to my house as a foster who was recently healed from a broken hock and listed at being 7 years old and was a BIG boy. I couldn't believe no one was interested in him because he was such a beautiful boy and after he was here for about 4 weeks I had to keep him. He was the sweetest, loving boy I had ever known. My first greyhound was always in charge even with some serious health issues and Bounty never bothered Rascal. He was confident but not arrogant. He was so active I couldn't believe he was seven. And he wasn't, he was four. He had some very impressive times in his short career at Bluff's Run. He never ceased to make me laugh and feel loved. He was a tremendous confidence booster to our friend Lynn's shy Bailey. It was the one dog he loved to run with. He loved everyone...others dogs, cats, especially people. He was actually a retriever in a greyhound body. His greatest love was his frisbee. He could get way off the ground and grab it in midair. It was magnificient to watch and my regret is that I never got a good action shot of him. He loved his little sisters and even didn't mind when Pixie joined us and insisted on snuggling with him. She was so loving with him these last few days. I can't believe you are gone so quickly my sweet, sweet boy. I will never forget your beautiful face and beautiful heart. The girls and I miss you terribly already. You were the best.

Thx everyone....I let my sweet, sweet boy go tonight.

The new drug was an injection. His stomach hasn't tolerated anything for days now. The large puking this morning in the car was just from water. The vet suspects since he has had bloody vomit that there may be more spread of the cancer or that his stomach is just that torn up. As projected by the first ER vet, his breathing is the problem. I just wanted something to help his belly for today. I don't want him to have to vomit again. He loses too a lot of electrolytes and I don't want him getting more dehydrated. And a BIG thx go out to Dosborne and Baileysmom through this...Debby sat with Bounty for me one day. I hate to leave him alone. And Lynn came over and spoiled him with attention today and brought her little miraculous carpet cleaner and got the stain out of the car. It was really bad.

Well, Bounty had me up at 3AM and breathing seemed to be a bit more labored and his cough a little more persistent. So I make the difficult decision to take him to the ER and let him go. Well I get there and can't get out of the car. He seemed so happy in the car, hanging his head out the window and the coughing wasn't happening. So I turn around to go home and then he pukes a bunch of very ugly stuff. So I turn around and go back to the ER. The ER doc is this young guy and he was so incredibly nice. We talked about quality of life and when he was ready and when I was ready. He thinks Bounty is about there but is not stressed at this point. We talked about not waiting too long and I asked what options we have left for comfort. He offered a drug that they use with chemo patients for the nausea and fluids as he was a bit dehydrated. So we left and are home now. I am going to work from home today and enjoy what we have left. This may be our last day together but I am so happy I brought him home this morning. I think he looked happier in the car with his head hanging out the window than I have seen him for a while. I guess every decision has a purpose.

I think that is all he is enjoying anymore. All he does is go out pee and wander around the yard for a while. And then we lay on the couch or on his dog bed. I think that he is just tired. I am not sure how much more I should ask of him. It has been a tough day.

Glad they were able to get it out!! for a speedy recovery!

Bounty had a pretty restful night. I did give him some Ensure this morning. He took a couple laps of it and then lost interest. I spoon fed him some more and he tolerated that for a while. Then gave me the look and kept moving his head away from me. I did give him the reglan and pepcid this morning. His poor stomach was growling like crazy. I haven't tried lunch meat yet with him. I will give it a try. Poor thing....I need to go to work tomorrow at least for half a day. All he seems to want now is attention. I think I have a couple kind souls that will help me out with him. The coughing seems to have leveled off for the time being. We will have another day together for some neck rubs and ear rubs.

OH NO.....Hope you get some answers very soon!!

Morning everyone... We had a pretty quiet night. I slept downstairs with him for a while but then he wanted his couch so I went up to my bed. He is not interested in food but I just gave him some Pepcid. He just seems very tired. And he is drinking very little also. I think he takes a few licks of water just to humor me. I thought maybe we could take a ride in the car today but honestly not sure he is going to be up for it. Unfortunately, not better news.

I think you are right. At this point it seems all he wants is me to love on him. I can't ask anything more out of him. No interest in food tonight. I have tried several different things. He is so tired and I am thinking it is the disease and possibly the Reglan. I might hold off on the Reglan now and see if he perks up at all. Right now he is just content to lay on the couch. He has had a couple visitors today and seemed to enjoy that. But I think he breathing is more labor intensive today than yesterday. The cough just really started a little over a week ago so I am not sure how long he will be comfortable.

Well I am a little discouraged about the eating issue already. He ate next to nothing last night...just a few licks of this canned organic stew I found. He vomitted it up at some point this morning and it appeared bloody. They just think his stomach is so torn up and that is what is causing the vomitting. That was after a Reglan injection before we left the hospital. I gave him reglan and pepcid this morning and he did eat a little can of some cheap dog food. But he went out shortly afterwards and had massive diarreha. With his sensitive gut stuff I am not sure how this is going to go. He was up and down a couple times last night. There is a drug that they would like to try with him to help him with the urgency he is having with the peeing. He is frantic to go out. They want to try him on Piroxicam which would not allow using Pred with him. One non steriodal and one obvious steroid. We are going to wait until Monday to talk to the oncologist about that. As the doctor said, the cancer in his bladder and possibly in his prostate are not what is going to cause him the real problems, that will be his lungs. But the only thing they can treat is the bladder and prostate.