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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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#118 ·
Oh I am so sad that Tia was not feeling well. :( I am happy to read she is feeling better though! It is always an up and down roller coaster. I hope that she is able to stay feeling better and to cool off. Thinking good thoughts for Tia.
 
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#121 · (Edited)
Thanks for asking Christa. :)

Tia is not doing very well:(
She continues to go down hill with hind leg weakness yet her eyes are so bright and alert. This is more than just arthritis. Her uncomfortable heat intolerance makes things 100x worse. She is a strong willed girl so this is very confusing for her:(

We fed her fillet steak and roast chicken yesterday which she loved. Her tummy is grumbling today so it may have been a mistake:(

I am very thankful that she can still get up and go about her business but I wonder how much longer that will last. Her eyes tell me that she refuses to give up and that she has no intention of going anywhere.

Over the past 6 weeks we have fallen in love all over again which I did not think was possible. I constantly check on her and she looks to me for comfort which intensifies our tight bond.

I hope things are a lot better at your end and that you have noticed some improvements or at least some extra sparkles in your pups eyes. :)
 
#122 ·
Thanks for the update, Doug.
Tia sounds like a fighter! She knows that you are not giving up on her either, what a fantastic bond!

My pups are fine. Toby is doing really well with the magnetic collar, he has not been limping. I have not put the collar on Thunder as much, but he is doing good. Right now, everybody is curled up and sleeping. It is warm here for December, about 19 degrees Celsius or 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

I hope your vet can come up with something to help Tia with her arthritic pain and weakness.
Please give her an extra hug from me and I am keeping your sweet girl in my thoughts.
 
#124 ·
Yes we tried acupuncture but didn't see any improvement.

The laser therapy looks amazing. I doubt that it is available here:( Tia is only expected to live for another month if that so it may not work out for us:(

We believe her leg weakness has more to do with a loss of blood from the tumor rather than the usual arthritis which we have been dealing with for the past 5 years.

Thanks for your kind thoughts:)
 
#125 ·
Just catching up on this thread. My heart aches for Tia and her family. May you all hold on to the love and may Tia transition peacefully. It is all we can hope for when dealing with our heart dogs being so ill. God Bless Tia and her family during this time.
 
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#128 · (Edited)
THANKS guys!!

Just to clarify for anyone reading this in the future who has a pup with hermangiosarcoma and craves info like we do from our understanding Tia ihas experienced a couple of ruptures of her tumour this causes overall extreme weakness especially in her back legs. It is very intense when this happens as she can become weak and can fall and needs to lie down flat. During this time her eyes are bright and aware. We try to give her lots of water along with her YB insurance pill. Her gums do go pale but Tia's gums are usually pale anyway. After a few hours (when some of the blood is reabsorbed) she is able to get up. By the next day she is her usual sunny self and is fully mobile. Most dogs with this kind of cancer do not get a second chance however apparently episodic bleeds can happen but will eventually get worse. Our vet has confirmed that there is nothing we can do when this happens only to watch, wait and prepare ourselves.

Over the last week and a half she has gradually become slow on walks even though she has a bright smile on her face so we take her to cafes for valuable mental stimulation as a compromise. Last month we bought a dog ramp so she could get into and out of the car without any bumps. However Christa was right to warn us about the car as we believe this caused her last bleed. Tia loves car rides and visits all over the city as we take our goldens with us where ever we can but now this cannot happen anymore:(

Our vet has also gently suggested that we need to start thinking about the option of putting her to sleep as we cannot predict her final moments due to the possibility of seizures. However, there is also a possibility that she could go peacefully on her own. At this stage Tia continues to give us plenty of tail wags and smiles despite the couple of times where she has crashed and recovered. She has is larger than life character and lets us know that she wants to get back to normal. It is difficult to let her go when her eyes are beaming with life.

Tia is usually very keen to see what we bring out of the kitchen but today she has passed her breakfast so once more we shall watch and wait and reassess the situation moment by moment.

Thanks again for your kind thoughts:)
 
#129 ·
Aw, Doug. You're such a good dad, and she's such a good girl.

Our hearts and prayers go out to you and Tia during this incredibly tough time.
 
#130 · (Edited)
It has got to be so hard when she looks at you, still full of life, but her body does not cooperate. I am so sorry. I guess I did not realize her condition is that dire.
I do hope that when her time comes, she will die peacefully in her sleep, at home, loved. She is a special girl.
Cherish every moment you have left, I am sure she appreciates everything you are doing for her and she is lucky to have you .

Sending more hugs Tia's way.
 
#131 ·
So sorry that you are going through all this with your precious girl Tia. It really is just so horrible watching your best friend decline :(

It sounds like she still has fight left in her though. Daisy was the same for us, she refused to give up almost until the very end. Believe me, when she has had enough though she will let you know. Sending you lots of prayers at this difficult time. We know what you're going through and how difficult it is.
 
#137 ·
I am so sad to read what you and Tia are going through. This has to be hard on all of you. My postive thoughts are being sent your way. Hoping today is a good day for her.
 
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#142 ·
Thank you, you are very kind people!! May your kindness be returned to you 100 fold!

We have had a few unusually cool days which we have loved but it is starting to warm up again today:(

Tia has been off her food at times which sparks a panic attack in me as it could be a sign another bleed is looming. Yet other times she wolfs down her food and even has extra helpings. We have been dealing with diarrhea for the past week but this seems to have improved over the last couple of days after some chicken and pumpkin delights. :)

Tia's eyes are still bright but I wonder if this is a bit of anxiety about not knowing what is going on:( or it could be from sheer boredom as we can no longer go on the decent walks and go for car rides like her usual routine. She continues to have hind leg weakness and is slow to get up she but still surprises me sometimes and climbs our stairs. Yesterday she fell up the 4 carpeted stairs so now these will be blocked off which she will hate. We sleep downstairs in the lounge room but I still have to shower upstairs.

The threat of another bleed can happen at anytime this is a major concern as a severe bleed out is not a bad way to go but a slow bleed out could cause some distressing moments ie seizures or breathing difficulties in the final hours. I worry about being by myself when this happens and not being able to get help when she needs it the most. There are no sedatives suitable for Tia given her seizure history and her anxiety issues with pain killers:( This brings up the question of letting her go before such a potentially distressing event happens. But how can we when she is very much interested in family activities, wants to go on walks, can take herself outside, has bright brown eyes and loves her chicken?
 
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