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I have braced myself for this day for so long

31K views 333 replies 49 participants last post by  cgriffin 
#1 ·
I have braced myself for this day for so long as Tia is now 12.
The vet thinks Tia has cancer:(

She developed a lump on her side (muscle) which has increased significantly over the past month or so. We thought that it was just another fatty tumor. However apparently it is full of blood and it is growing. The vet thinks that it could be hemangiosarcoma.

The thought of her suffering is unbearable. I have no idea what to expect. I am wondering if it is safe to let her jump out of the car?

She has a history of partial seizures, panting and feeling hot to the touch. We are wondering how this all fits together. She does sometimes talk out of the blue. Other than this she is not miserable or lethargic. She loves to go on walks and her sparkly personality still shines through.

Can anyone offer any insight of what we might expect?
What do you wish someone told you when you first found out?

We have just put an order in for some Yunnan Biayoa and tumeric/curcumin.
 
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#90 ·
Is it possible she stepped on something and hurt her paw, or got up too quickly and strained a joint or muscle? People do that too (like me now and then). Have you had any X-rays done? Andy hurt his paw a couple weeks ago. He was limping like crazy. Took a couple weeks to get all better. Luckily, no breaks, but the X-rays did show arthritis in his paw bones.

BTW, the Tramadol Andy takes is an opiate. Pretty good pain relief, but it does leave him more laid back .. until he knows we're going somewhere for fun, then he's a ball of energy. He's about 11-12 years old now. Growing old can suck.
 
#91 ·
I just clipped her paws and so there does not seem to be a problem there. Tramadol increased her anxiety levels. After a bit of research it seems that these medications increase our chances of having seizures. With Tia's history of seizures which increase it the heat it would be a huge risk. This must be why our vet didn't suggest it previously. I'll keep looking though:) I do appreciate you wanting the best for her:)
 
#92 ·
Doug

I just sent a long Private Message (Quick Links or top right of the page by your user name). Hope there's something useful there :)
 
#94 ·
Would Deramaxx be an option? It is very good for arthritis in dogs, though somewhat expensive. Here is a link to info on side effects: Common Deramaxx Side Effects - VetInfo. While seizures can show up as part of an allergic reaction, that's a risk with almost any medication. Charlie took this one for a while and I never saw any sign that it triggered seizures, but it helped him a lot with arthritic pain.
 
#95 · (Edited)
I just looked up Deramaxx and Metacam, both NSAIDS and none recommended when using steroids.
Between seizures and steroid use, the type of pain meds you can use, are pretty slim. :(

There is a medication called "Gabapentin". It is also a anti-seizure medication, but also pain medication. I cannot find anything online about how it interacts with Prednisone, though.

A warning given was however, not to be used in dogs with kidney problems.

This might be worth checking into with your vet and getting more info about it. My sister was using Gabpentin for her old GSD when he had bad arthritis and started to have seizures.
 
#102 ·
This is true, Penny was on Deramaxx, but was takien off of it now that she is on Predisone. They can not be taking together. There has to be something out there though.

I believe the pain medicine that she uses when needed is tramadol.
 
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#96 ·
Thanks Pred has a risk of seizure activity as well... sigh.

When I asked the vet about Gabpentin she said that she has only used it on cats. There does not seem to be a whole lot of solid info out there.

The potential lack of coordination associated with the Deramaxx is a concern for me as we have already been dealing with this for over a year now.

I'll ask our vet again.

We went for a decent walk today along the pretty creek with shady trees and green lawns with lots of ducks which pleased the fur kids and also lots of parrots which pleased me:p

Tia seems to be a lot better now. I guess it is all apart of the mental torture once a terminal diagnosis has been given. I know that things can change so quickly so I am hypersensitive to any small change.

Thanks again for all of your continued support and positive energy!!
 
#97 · (Edited)
This may sound strange, but all of us have a terminal diagnosis! It's part of life. And I understand the extra layer of anxiety that comes with a particular diagnosis and prognosis.

Here is a site that has useful information about newer medications to treat canine epilepsy: Newer options for medically managing refractory canine epilepsy - Veterinary Medicine. There is good info on gabapentin, including pointers to studies about effectiveness.
Perhaps this will help your veterinarian?

You are doing a great job with Tia. I hope you are also taking good care of yourself, since we hope that she will need your loving support for a long time.
 
#98 · (Edited)
Hmm interesting. Thanks GG!! The 8 hour dosage would be a lot to handle as it would require a dosage while we are at work. Since this would also be a seizure preventative this would be tricky. She cannot handle the normal dosage of Pheno let alone two anti seizure drugs at once which would be needed to cover our working hours.

When I feel concerned I sit with her and her beaming smile tells me that she is more than ok and then she walks away as if to say that's enough you can carry on with the things you need to do. :) It is a bit hard to be down when she is so happy and content. As you say she lives in the here and now not in the future.
 
#101 ·
Oh, if Tia is not on prednisone or any other corticosteroid, then Rimadyl or any other of the NSAIDS would still be an option if she gets very painful, as long as her kidney and liver function is still good. Of course, this is something to talk to your vet about, with NSAIDS also comes increased risk of GI bleeding.
 
#103 · (Edited)
Thanks guys!! Tia's history of seizures and stumbling complicates things. If the new pain killer does cause a seizure it takes 2 weeks for her to recover which for us is a significant risk. I have had this chat with our vet before. She suggested Tramadol as it had the least risk of problems. It caused stressful anxiety in Tia and we saw no improvement which was very difficult to witness. Hubby and I have looked at all of the suggestions and we are going to try some new natural options first since she can still function quite well but we want to see her at her optimal level... in the meantime I'll keep researching and investigating.
 
#107 ·
Sending hugs and prayers to sweet Tia.
 
#111 ·
Unfortunately it has not been a good night . Over the past week Tia has been stumbling, walking slowly on outings, battling a bout of diarrhea, has been off her food, we have been seeing an increase in seizure activity and last night she become depressed, listless and cool with shallow breaths (which is most unlike her). I have since learned that they are all signs of an internal bleed. I seriously thought that we were going to lose her there and then.

After a terrible nights sleep for me this morning she is acting as if none of this ever happened. I was greeted with a high panting head lift and a swishing tail. I have never been so happy to see her feel so hot.

I have read that these dogs can rally but I cannot work out how long they can keep this up for. Does anyone have any idea??

It will be extremely hot here today so who knows what today will bring.

Thanks again for your touching and generous well wishes.
 
#113 ·
Doug, just make sure to keep a close eye on her gums. With Fozzie, they turned a pale grey, and then he was gone.. If they aren't pink like they are supposed to be, get her to the vet. I'm so glad Tia is feeling better this morning, and extremely jealous that it is summer there. We are contending with temps in the 20s in the morning.
 
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#114 ·
Sorry that Tia had a bad night. We know exactly what you must be going through, before we lost Daisy she was able to come home for about 12 days and it was so hard watching her decline. It sounds like Tia is fighting hard and glad to hear that she was a little brighter this morning.

All I can say is just try and take it a day at a time. Goldens really are fighters! We are thinking of you and your beautiful little girl.
 
#115 ·
Oh, I am sorry to hear that Tia did not feel well. I hope she has a much better night ahead.
Like fozzies mom said, keep an eye on her gum color, white or grey gums warrant a speedy trip to the Emergency vet.
You can check gum color by pushing on the gums and count how fast before the gums turn a pink color again, if it is more than 2 seconds, it is something to worry about.

Keeping Tia in my thoughts and hoping for the best for your girl and you!
 
#116 ·
Thanks guys:) To our relief Tia is still bright and very much alert this afternoon:)
However she is still staggering(which could be heat/seizure/cancer related) and has diarrhea:(

I got the impression that there is not much a vet can do once she starts to bleed out given her age with her cancer. My research tell me that even if a vet could help it is only a very short and invasive temporary measure. As hard as it is given her age drifting off when it is her time at home may be the kindest way to go since it is not a painful cancer. ...Not that we are at all in any way shape or form ready for that so after we suspected a bleed we gave her the Yunnan paiyao insurance pill which is probably why she is still with us. We checked her gums which were pale pink. We did not wait for them to turn white before we took action.

Tia is a real trooper and is not letting this stop her from what she wants to do. Tia has a larger than life character and is not afraid to tell people what she wants or how she feels:) She is not going to give in that easily:)

Thanks again for your support and I hope that you are also having a bright day with your pups.
 
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