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Just a thought, and I maybe way off here but have you considered any environmental issues, anything close to your home or where he's walked etc that could be affecting him. Like I say I'm just trying to think of anything that he could be reacting to that wouldn't necessarily show up on any vet's tests. Sending lots more positive thoughts and prayers to your precious boy x
 
Discussion starter · #22 ·
I'm so sorry to see this thread. What a year for Kaizer. I wish I had more to add. I think you're showing a lot of foresight and love for Kaizer by gathering ideas for a bucket list. One thing I'd do if I knew I only had months left would be to try to spend more dedicated time with just the one dog. Ella and Atlas get along well, but Ella loves nothing more than having me all to herself...
I’d love to do something with just Kaizer.
 
Discussion starter · #23 ·
Just a thought, and I maybe way off here but have you considered any environmental issues, anything close to your home or where he's walked etc that could be affecting him. Like I say I'm just trying to think of anything that he could be reacting to that wouldn't necessarily show up on any vet's tests. Sending lots more positive thoughts and prayers to your precious boy x
He has pretty severe environmental allergies that definitely take a lot out of him, but his issues thus far go beyond that. We’ve also lived in the same area his whole life, he’s a pretty well-traveled dog, and he’s never had any issues beyond those environmental allergies. We’re pretty sure he’s got some kind of auto-immune disease because multiple organ systems are affected but we’re not sure and it’s hard to diagnose.

Currently his symptoms are:

- generalized lymph node enlargement for no apparent reason (he was initially dx with lymphoma, but further testing disagreed). he’s also never had lymph node enlargement

- enlarged spleen with a nodule (that may have been the source of his potential bleed)

- drinking a lot of water/peeing frequently for no apparent reason (bloodwork is fine, he’s not on steroids)

- protein in his urine consistently. no idea, kidney function is fine

- possible neurologic issues (inability to express bladder, circling of unknown origin/reason). Brain/spine MRI came back perfect

- coat changes. Balding and thinning all over, also texture changes (coarse/rough). Thyroid came back fine.

- behavior changes. PICA (cat litter, carpets, dog beds, paper, anything he can put in his mouth) and random episodes of dog reactivity.

- hind-end weakness and stiffness. His joints crack when he gets up, he struggles getting up and sometimes has trouble getting into my car. but he’s not painful-acting (he’ll run and play when he has the energy) and his rehab vet can’t find anything wrong with him. I started him on gabapentin today to see if that’ll help

- weird on-and-off breathing issue, but cardio checked him out and his heart is fine except for mild mitral valve insufficiency.

- lethargy, diarrhea, nausea. generally uncontrolled by meds or food changes. diarrhea doesn’t happen consistently either

- dysbiosis/ileus. his gut doesn’t move without meds. basically food takes forever to work its way through his gut. it’s why his stomach fills with air and he bloats (but hasnt torsion-ed, i think we’re pretty lucky)

- skin/ears. Besides infection from his allergies, his skin pigment is also starting to change all over his body (vs just where the infection is). The types of ear infections he’s getting are changing too - just yeast to yeast + bacteria. Again, pretty sure he has some auto-immune disease “underneath” the environmental allergies but there’s really no way to know.
 
Those are really good ideas, thanks!! He’s been on a strict prescription food diet since March so I’ve decided to open his diet back up (he doesn’t have food allergies). He’s happy to eat anything, but I think he’ll love the variety. Trying to find a happy balance between letting him eat all the things and making sure I don’t overwhelm his GI tract too quickly.

He loves the outdoors and any body of water, so I’d love to take him to the beach and then local parks. He’s been stiff this week and has basically slept the whole week, so I don’t want to push him too much. Another risk vs reward thing I have to figure out!

Kaizer with his whipped cream today!
View attachment 885651
😀
 
Discussion starter · #25 ·
Kaizer got to play some agility today after 6 months! Agility was never his favorite thing to do, but I do miss having an activity that was just the two of us. We didn’t do a full course and I had a little bit of trouble getting his attention initially (two words: goose poop!), but we successfully did 4 jumps and a tunnel with an audience watching ❤

I have friends who enjoy photography as a hobby, and some of them have offered to take pictures of my best boy for me. Here’s one of both dogs a friend took for me today (I almost died putting them in position cause Kaizer wanted to swim SO badly). They were looking at me

Water Dog Dog breed Carnivore Body of water
 
Discussion starter · #26 ·
I love the pictures where he looks strong and healthy. We went home after this mini-photoshoot and I let the dogs out in the yard to potty. At some point while we were out there, his hind end just went out from under him. He took a couple minutes but eventually got himself back up. You can’t even see his bald chest or bald thighs!!
Dog Plant Dog breed Water Carnivore
 
Oh my goodness, this is heartbreaking. Honey's favorite things include having our kids visit and going a ride for an ice cream or going to her favorite stores (Tractor Supply and Aubuchon Hardware) to visit friends, old and new, and get a treat!

I know you'll make every day special for Kaiser and make the painful decision when the time comes. I can't even find the words to express how sad it makes me to read about him, he's so young! It's awful not having a diagnosis, if only they could talk to us. 😥 Keeping you in my thoughts.

Honey's 11 now and it seems like she gives us a scare every summer. Last year she was extremely ill from what we believe was contact with nightshade. This year her symptoms were lethargy, loss on interest in food, drinking a lot of water/peeing frequently for no apparent reason (kidney function is fine), looked bloated at times, coat thinning and falling out by the handful, noticeable muscle loss and increased hind-end weakness and stiffness (she has arthritis and is on Vetprofen), weird on-and-off breathing issue but no issues found, infected ears and UTI.
Her high white count was very alarming with 3 possible diagnosis, unknown tick borne disease, Cushings Disease or Leukemia...we were lucky and she's on antibotics for 28 days for a tick borne disease and added supplement to increase her muscle mass.
 
Gorgeous photos, though your second post about his legs giving out made me tear up, especially then looking at his strong photos. I wish so much that you knew what was happening with him, but at least you are giving him joy and love. He definitely deserves all that.
 
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Discussion starter · #30 ·
This year her symptoms were lethargy, loss on interest in food, drinking a lot of water/peeing frequently for no apparent reason (kidney function is fine), looked bloated at times, coat thinning and falling out by the handful, noticeable muscle loss and increased hind-end weakness and stiffness (she has arthritis and is on Vetprofen), weird on-and-off breathing issue but no issues found, infected ears and UTI.
Her high white count was very alarming with 3 possible diagnosis, unknown tick borne disease, Cushings Disease or Leukemia...we were lucky and she's on antibotics for 28 days for a tick borne disease and added supplement to increase her muscle mass.
Sounds like a lot of the same symptoms Kaizer is having, except he’s only 6. The only thing Honey has that Kaizer doesn’t is the UTIs and the high wbc count. His bloodwork is always perfect, somehow his internal organs are working fine (which makes this whole palliative care thing even harder).

He also has the lymph node and spleen issue, weight loss, skin issue, and potential neurologic issue (the one that can’t be neurologic in nature cause the rest of his neuro exam is fine and the MRI was fine).
 
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Discussion starter · #31 ·
Gorgeous photos, though your second post about his legs giving out made me tear up, especially then looking at his strong photos. I wish so much that you knew what was happening with him, but at least you are giving him joy and love. He definitely deserves all that.
It’s just not fair :(. I suspect he may have some kind of arthritis going on, but he has no obvious pain and no swelling, so I’m not sure. We have a vet appt tomorrow so I’ll find out
 
I love the photos by the water and of him eating ice cream! His list of symptoms are soo long. I can't believe they haven't been able to figure out what is going on with him! I've just been at a loss for words following along your two threads. It breaks my heart that he is now on palliative care. We got our first dogs around the same time together. And I know I am not ready to say goodbye. But, I also know it's important to do right by them, and not hang on too long. Give him a tight squeeze from us!
 
Sounds like a lot of the same symptoms Kaizer is having, except he’s only 6. The only thing Honey has that Kaizer doesn’t is the UTIs and the high wbc count. His bloodwork is always perfect, somehow his internal organs are working fine (which makes this whole palliative care thing even harder).

He also has the lymph node and spleen issue, weight loss, skin issue, and potential neurologic issue (the one that can’t be neurologic in nature cause the rest of his neuro exam is fine and the MRI was fine).
I saw the similarities, I think we we were very lucky. More bloodwork will be done in Dec or sooner if needed. Again, my heart goes out to you!
 
Discussion starter · #34 ·
I love the photos by the water and of him eating ice cream! His list of symptoms are soo long. I can't believe they haven't been able to figure out what is going on with him! I've just been at a loss for words following along your two threads. It breaks my heart that he is now on palliative care. We got our first dogs around the same time together. And I know I am not ready to say goodbye. But, I also know it's important to do right by them, and not hang on too long. Give him a tight squeeze from us!
Best guess is that it’s some kind of auto-immune disease, but which one and the prognosis is not something anyone knows. I’m crossing my fingers that the IMS gives me things to try.

I’m not ready to say goodbye either, but I also don’t want him to suffer. I think he’s OK right now, so hopefully he continues on like this. I increased his gabapentin (end goal is 300mg twice a day, he gets 300mg a day split between meals, and he spent the day sleeping, but had enough energy to have his usual post-bath zoomies
 
Those are lovely photos, i so sorry about everything you are going through with him ): hits me very hard because Lily is 6 as well.

Would he enjoy going out on a boat and off for a swim? That might be a fun activity you can do with him? Or dog kayaking!
 
I am so very sorry for your situation. I lost Ozzie 2 months ago to lymphoma and he was only 8 years old. He went very quickly, only one month after his diagnosis and most of those days were consumed with tests and seeing doctors. Every day during that month we took a walk to one of our special places, but I had no idea I would lose him so quickly. In a horrible way, you are lucky to have time to prepare yourself and to surround him with love and attention before the end. I would do anything that will help you when it is over, though I will tell you that after two months without him I still cry for him almost every day. I have read everything I can get my hands on about how to deal with the death of a beloved dog, and it is all true and nothing helps. We are getting a golden puppy in 4 weeks and I am scared to death that I won’t be able to love him like I loved Ozzie, but everyone says starting over helps. I wish you all the best and the strength to get through this. I will add that Ozzie’s “good” ending helped me. He was with my husband and me, his head in my lap, my arms around him, and he died peacefully. I think the more you love them the harder it is to lose them.
 
Hi all!! For those who have not followed along with Kaizer’s thread in the Health section of the forum, he’s been having a pretty crappy year health-wise. The symptoms keep piling up, we’ve seen literally every specialist this year (except for ophthalmology), done all the tests, and we have absolutely no idea what’s going on with him. We have 2 final appointments: tomorrow for a follow-up with his neurologist, and then October 1 for a consult with an Internal Medicine Specialist at UPenn (hoping that UPenn’s network can maybe find something we have not yet tested for). My vet and I have agreed that, depending on what those appointments reveal, we have no further avenues to pursue as far as a diagnosis. So we are putting him on palliative care until his QOL decreases too much and I have to make the decision for him.

It breaks my heart and I am wholly unprepared for this, but I absolutely do not want him to suffer (moreso than he already has, anyway). My vet said she wouldn’t even blame me if I chose not to do these last two appointments, but I’d feel incredibly guilty if I didn’t try everything I could possibly do. I don’t expect much to come out of either these appointments (though i always hope!), which is why I’m asking this now. Especially since it looks like I have some time with him now.

So I’m looking for “bucket list” ideas! Anything I can do with him, give to him, etc. while we still have time. If you know you only have a finite time left with your dog (like months vs years), what would you do?

I’ll take any ideas!

Pic of my sweet boy during his “neurologic episode” yesterday ❤ View attachment 885610
Hi all!! For those who have not followed along with Kaizer’s thread in the Health section of the forum, he’s been having a pretty crappy year health-wise. The symptoms keep piling up, we’ve seen literally every specialist this year (except for ophthalmology), done all the tests, and we have absolutely no idea what’s going on with him. We have 2 final appointments: tomorrow for a follow-up with his neurologist, and then October 1 for a consult with an Internal Medicine Specialist at UPenn (hoping that UPenn’s network can maybe find something we have not yet tested for). My vet and I have agreed that, depending on what those appointments reveal, we have no further avenues to pursue as far as a diagnosis. So we are putting him on palliative care until his QOL decreases too much and I have to make the decision for him.

It breaks my heart and I am wholly unprepared for this, but I absolutely do not want him to suffer (moreso than he already has, anyway). My vet said she wouldn’t even blame me if I chose not to do these last two appointments, but I’d feel incredibly guilty if I didn’t try everything I could possibly do. I don’t expect much to come out of either these appointments (though i always hope!), which is why I’m asking this now. Especially since it looks like I have some time with him now.

So I’m looking for “bucket list” ideas! Anything I can do with him, give to him, etc. while we still have time. If you know you only have a finite time left with your dog (like months vs years), what would you do?

I’ll take any ideas!

Pic of my sweet boy during his “neurologic episode” yesterday ❤ View attachment 885610
Oh my goodness, what a sweetheart. He reminds me so much of my Zeus, I am in tears reading all of these posts. Zeus is my very first dog and I cannot imagine going through this end stage, he will be 7 in Dec. I lost a beloved kitty last summer, she was an indoor kitty and on her last day I took her outside to hear the birds and our fountain, I knew she could not run away. After that, she passed away when I brought her back in. I felt good about that. I think the advice to take Kaiser to favorite places is a good one. My inclination would be to take Zeus to the beach and water that he loves so much when that time comes. I cannot imagine it... wishing you much love and peace, you've done everything you could for your baby and he knows it.
 
This breaks my heart to read. I just lost my sweet Golden, Nanuk, in April due to hemangiosarcoma. I was very fortunate and had 10 months with him after his diagnosis. So we, fortunately, had some time to check off a few items on his bucket list. Here are a few things we did: spent a day at the beach, went kayaking, spent a week in the mountains and went on several hikes, spent a weekend on the water with family (Nanuk loved spending time with his pack that didn't live in our home), went for special walks in new places around town, weekly special dinners of steak or lamb chops, home cooked meals on a regular basis, and picnics at his favorite spot. He had done some of these things before, so they were repeats. But, I tried to do them more frequently and make sure that he had a special trips or experiences on a more frequent basis. Again, I'm so sorry to hear about Kaizer. I hope and pray that you are able to figure out what's going on and that your sweet pup is able to recover.
 
Thanks for the gorgeous pictures, and I am so sad you are going through this. The hind end weakness and balding makes me ask if he has been evaluated for Cushing’s disease. You vet has probably looked at everything, but in case not you may want to ask. The downside to Cushing’s in a dog is that there is not a good treatment as far as I know. In horses the condition is more manageable. Best of luck giving him a great final few months!
 
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