The tests were wrong. I can't even say it. - Page 73 - Golden Retrievers : Golden Retriever Dog Forums

PrincessDi · #**721** (**permalink**) 01-03-2013, 11:39 PM

It sounds like you're in the hands of an excellent Oncologist. Hope you're able to get answers soon. Keeping you and sweet Tesia in our thoughts and prayers.

love never dies · #**722** (**permalink**) 01-03-2013, 11:41 PM

You must be very very tired since November... I pray Tesia eat more and be healthy.
You are very strong and brave and is a very good mom.

Too bad I am not in your area, otherwise I volunteer to help you a bit. Do you have anyone you trust to help you in your area? Any family members, or close friends have spare time to take care both of you? I remembered you mentioned the dog walkers... are they possible to further assist you?

Anyway, take care - eat more both Tesia and you, yourself.

**Karen519** · #**723** (**permalink**) 01-04-2013, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Girl

Oh, man. We're back from the oncologist. It's hard to know where to start.

It turns out, she may not have soft tissue sarcoma afterall. She might have amelanotic melanoma. Or, she may have two different kinds of cancer - which would be really bad. Here's what happened:

He looked at the tumours - the chin tumour is actually having an okay day. I had cleaned it with antiseptic soap, and it is dry and less traumatized today. Not bleeding or oozing. The mammary tumour I could tell he was worried about - also the one on her leg which has grown. He said if it IS soft tissue sarcoma, it may just be too aggressive for the chemo.

But - the pathology came back on the bum tumour. IT is most definitely NOT soft tissue sarcoma. It is amelanotic melanoma. You might remember, that was one of the possible cancers identified early on - but then the further stains came back as soft tissue sarcoma. But apparently, STS and melanoma look very much alike under the microscope, and her cancer cells are very poorly differentiated, which has made it difficult from the beginning. The oncologist said the pathologist who concluded melanoma from the bum tumour is one of the best pathologists in North America (actually, he said THE best). So he is now sending her every slide and report from every other patholgist since the beginning, and having her look at them all and see if she sees melanoma in the other ones.

If it IS all melanoma, it explains why the chemo appears not to be slowing tumour growth much. It would also mean we stop the chemo which is making her so nauseous, and she starts on the melanoma vaccine therapy, which is MUCH easier on their systems. It won't cure her either, but it would slow the growth.

If there are two kinds of cancer, it's just not good at all, and I don't want to even talk about it.

He did give her an injection of Cerenia - and a few days of Cerenia pills to follow up. He said she should get her appetite back by tonight. She was hungry when we got home, but would not eat kibble. She took the A/D food. Now she is snoring on the floor by me. He also told me I could feed her tuna for the rest of her life and she wouldn't die of mercury poisoning. I may just call it a day on ever going back to kibble, and switch her to Fromm wet food. Maybe I'll try to mix them. It's funny, she REALLY loves drinking the broth - she has finished the entire carton - but she will not eat it mixed with kibble. She is officially anti-kibble.

Oh, and I'm going to get some salmon oil capsules to try to replace the Sashas Blend. I can tell she is missing it - she is much stiffer.

Thankfully, there is nothing we can change for two weeks anyway because she had chemo last week - so there is time for all these answers to come.

(If you're still reading, thanks for hanging in).

Sweet Girl: Of course, I'm still reading. Praying for Tesia and you.

Lynlegs · #**724** (**permalink**) 01-04-2013, 07:35 AM

My thoughts are with you - I hope so much the support here helps you continue coping; you are going through so much.

The others have recommended so many different food ideas, I do hope some of them tempt your lovely girl into eating.

Look after yourself too.

Hugs,
Lyn

Lucky Penny · #**725** (**permalink**) 01-04-2013, 08:52 AM

I agree, it sounds as if your oncologist is awesome! I am praying for good results back from the pathologist. I would agree with Tee. Kibble vrs. AD? AD will win! Tuna is a good thing for them to eat to. They love how stinky it is. Does she like cooked meat at all?

Sweet Girl · #**726** (**permalink**) 01-04-2013, 10:11 AM

Thank you all so much - especially for all the wonderful suggestions. My biggest dilemma right now: when she is clearly nauseous and not hungry, should I be trying to get her to eat? We got up and went outside this morning, but as soon as we came back in, she went back into my bed. She hasn't been back out yet. I keep going in to her, and I have mentioned food and asked if she is hungry - nothing. I want her to eat for the nutrition - but I don't want to force her if she feels bad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karen519

Tesia and you are in my prayers. I would give her ANYTHING her little heart desires! It might be that the kibble is just too hard, or hard for her to chew.

I wondered that. But then she eats cookies - hard ones and soft ones. She also won't eat the kibble soaked in yummy chicken broth, even once it has gotten really soft.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotel4dogs

Thanks for the update. You and Tee are never far from my mind. I hope she is a candidate for the vaccine therapy....
She may also like sardines in spring water. Our K-marts carry them. HRH Toby ate tons of them, and they're loaded with good fish oils! You can hand feed her one or two at a time if she will eat them.

I bet she'd LOVE sardines. One issue - the tuna is giving her some soft poop. I may need to change my plan. I also bought Fromm wet food - that is my next plan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheZ's

Sending thoughts and prayers for you and Tesia. If it was me I'd forget about trying to get her to eat kibble and give her whatever she seems to enjoy.

I feel exactly the same way - but I am really worried about her getting the proper nutrition. She loves the canned tuna, but a can of tuna is so low calorie, and while it gives protein, all the other vitimins and minerals aren't there. I love the A/D food for that reason - at least I know it is power packed. I'm hoping she will like the Fromm wet food, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OutWest

So sorry the oncologist had just a mixed set of answers for you. I really hope the vaccine slows this down. If you are concerned about nutrition and want her to eat the kibble, perhaps soak it in the broth, then chop it or blend it, and add it to the things she seems to find tasty like wet food or tuna. If you feel she can get enough nutrition from the various things she will eat, I say toss the kibble and give the girl the tasty stuff.

Hope you are taking care of yourself too. Continuing to send you good thoughts.

Great idea about putting it all in the blender. I hadn't thought of that. Right now, if I mix some kibble in with something like tuna, she eats the tuna from around the kibble. Kibble that she loved two weeks ago...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Millie'sMom

I am so sorry Tee is having such a tough time with her chemo. As a human who has had doxorubicin, it can cause sores in your mouth and throat, that make eating solid food very painful. If Tee has similar sores, it is no wonder she does not want to eat kibble. Other side effects of the drug are: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, unusual tiredness, increased thirst, stomach pain, and diarrhea. Unfortunately, Tee seems to have written the book on the side effects. Chicken or Beef broth sounds like a great way to keep her drinking, just make sure it is low-sodium or sodium free.

Your post about it not being sarcoma, was shocking. I am sorry there is such confusion about what is wrong with Tesia, but it sounds like the oncologist is determined to find the right course of treatment for Tee. Do you have someone who goes to these appointments with you? Sometimes it helps to have an extra set of ears at these appointments. Please take care of yourself, as well as you take care of Tee. I am sure this is very stressful for you.

I think at this point, anything Tee wants to eat she should be allowed. While it might not be the best nutritionally, anything is better than nothing. Tee does not understand why she does not feel well and is doing what her body is telling her to do. What about whole wheat pasta, or as someone else suggested McNuggets, certainly not low cal. What about orphan puppy formula, it is liquid with more nutrients than broth. I used Dogsure (Ensure for dogs) when my old girl was recovering from surgery and she loved it

Amazon.com: Pet Ag Products Dogsure 12oz: Pet Supplies

Hopefully Tesia will be feeling better soon, but it is something to keep in mind if she has more of the same chemo.

Prayers for both you and Tee.

That is interesting (and I'm sorry to hear you were on this chemo, too. I hope you are doing well). I wonder if she has some sores. I will look. Though, she is still eating crunchy cookies. I totally forgot to ask the oncologist yesterday about Nutracal or something like Dogsure. I will when I speak to them today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldensGirl

Tee is one smart girl. I wouldn't eat kibble either, knowing the wonderful alternatives that are available.

What about raw eggs? I give my dogs pasteurized ones, so there's no issue with salmonella. They simply adore them.

Then there's boiled chicken, served with a bit of cooked rice and lots of broth. When Charlie wouldn't eat other things, this was his favorite. I learned to cook a lot at once and freeze meal-sized portions. (Mind you, I won't cook often for humans and I cooked a lot more for him that I ever have for my BF and me.

) Charlie also loved scrambled eggs, especially when fed from my fingertips. And there was the always-popular vanilla ice cream - Hagen Daz, which has no harmful additives.

Your head is reeling and your heart is aching, which means it's a really good time to spoil yourself a bit and give Tee whatever her heart desires. You both will feel better for it.

Hugs and prayers,
Lucy

Sadly, she ate chicken and rice for a while when she was sick from her antibiotic back in November, but she is totally off chicken now. She ate a bit of rice mixed in with A/D food, but she is not wild about it either anymore. Rice in broth was of no interest earlier this week - but she did love drinking the broth. I guess it's sort of like a pregnant woman suffering sickness. There are certain foods she can eat, and some she might never want to eat again. I just need to find poor Tee's magic formula.

Quote:

Originally Posted by love never dies

You must be very very tired since November... I pray Tesia eat more and be healthy.
You are very strong and brave and is a very good mom.

Too bad I am not in your area, otherwise I volunteer to help you a bit. Do you have anyone you trust to help you in your area? Any family members, or close friends have spare time to take care both of you? I remembered you mentioned the dog walkers... are they possible to further assist you?

Anyway, take care - eat more both Tesia and you, yourself.

Thank you so much. I am okay. My family all live far away, but I have their long distance support. I do have a wonderful dogwalker who still comes when I am at work, and both she and her fill-in over the holidays have helped me with daytime doses of meds when they come by. I'm not doing much besides going to work, going to the vet, and hanging out here with her. I'm okay with that - she is my priority right now, and I just want to be with her.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucky Penny

I agree, it sounds as if your oncologist is awesome! I am praying for good results back from the pathologist. I would agree with Tee. Kibble vrs. AD? AD will win! Tuna is a good thing for them to eat to. They love how stinky it is. Does she like cooked meat at all?

She didn't love the boiled chicken for sure. I was wondering about trying something else. I know she loves fishy taste - but the tuna is affecting her poop a bit. Maybe some ground turkey might be good to try. Ground beef?

And yes - my oncologost, and all the vets and techs at the VEC have been amazing. I am so lucky to have them all so close by and so accessible. When we were in the waiting room yesterday, which was very crowded and busy, the surgeon's assistant came out to talk to another family, and when she saw Tee, she came over to say hello and give her some love, just because she said Tee was one of the favourites. That means a lot. They are all so wonderful.

**Karen519** · #**727** (**permalink**) 01-04-2013, 10:21 AM

I was going to suggest these chicken strips we buy in a package (they are already cooked) to give to Tee, but since she doesn't seem to go for chicken, not sure. Do you think she'd like some ham (lunch meat) -the low sodium kind.
I bet the vet could suggest some things she would like.

Sydney's Mom · #**728** (**permalink**) 01-04-2013, 10:38 AM

[QUOTE=Sweet Girl;1877289]

Thank you so much. I am okay. My family all live far away, but I have their long distance support. I do have a wonderful dogwalker who still comes when I am at work, and both she and her fill-in over the holidays have helped me with daytime doses of meds when they come by. I'm not doing much besides going to work, going to the vet, and hanging out here with her. I'm okay with that - she is my priority right now, and I just want to be with her.

I'm in the same city. If you ever need ANYTHING -- a drive to VEC with her even -- just holla. My work is literally a block from VEC.

You shouldn't have to go through this alone!

goldy1 · #**729** (**permalink**) 01-04-2013, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karen519

I was going to suggest these chicken strips we buy in a package (they are already cooked) to give to Tee, but since she doesn't seem to go for chicken, not sure. Do you think she'd like some ham (lunch meat) -the low sodium kind.
I bet the vet could suggest some things she would like.

Mother Goose liverwurst has been a favorite of my dogs and has a strong smell they seem to like.

fozziesmom · #**730** (**permalink**) 01-04-2013, 12:02 PM

It's so hard when they won't eat--been there, done that! You're doing a wonderful job with Tee--she's so lucky you're her human!

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