Cancer...
I can't believe it guys. After seeing my Grandpa pass away 4 years ago, and my Grandma pass away last fall, both from cancer, I thought I'd seen the last of it for a good long while.
Unfortunately, I'm not that lucky.
Our dog, a 3 1/2 year old Rottie named Sarah, was just diagnosed with Lymphatic Cancer today. Outlook is not good, we're looking at less than 6 months. How quickly things can change on you. Last week we're out playing football, and right now she's sleeping on the floor - where she's been pretty much for 3 days now. She actually pooped in our office last night... never, ever done that before.
I just can't believe it. I feel like the life has been sucked out of me.
It's a pretty aggressive cancer, and is already really advanced. Our vet told me that there is chemotherapy and radiation treatments that people are doing for their dogs. Very new, very expensive, and very poor success rates. We would be looking at $1500 to $2000 for treatment, which would include weekly one hour IV sessions, trips to Calgary for radiation (3 hour trip)... thing is that it's advanced to the point where it probably isn't going to do any good. I can't see putting her through treatments that will make her sick and tired, making her last weeks/months really difficult.
I mean it'd be a different thing completely if they said "it's $1500, and it will work". Whole different story when it's "it's $1500, will make her very sick, and really, it won't make any difference".
What a terrible, helpless feeling. This shouldn't be happening to a seemingly healthy dog that isn't even 4 years old yet...
Sorry guys, probably not the place to be laying this, but I don't have anyone else to talk about it with right now. Goddamn cancer.
[ 04-24-2002: Message edited by: murbot ]</p>
Unfortunately, I'm not that lucky.
Our dog, a 3 1/2 year old Rottie named Sarah, was just diagnosed with Lymphatic Cancer today. Outlook is not good, we're looking at less than 6 months. How quickly things can change on you. Last week we're out playing football, and right now she's sleeping on the floor - where she's been pretty much for 3 days now. She actually pooped in our office last night... never, ever done that before.
I just can't believe it. I feel like the life has been sucked out of me.
It's a pretty aggressive cancer, and is already really advanced. Our vet told me that there is chemotherapy and radiation treatments that people are doing for their dogs. Very new, very expensive, and very poor success rates. We would be looking at $1500 to $2000 for treatment, which would include weekly one hour IV sessions, trips to Calgary for radiation (3 hour trip)... thing is that it's advanced to the point where it probably isn't going to do any good. I can't see putting her through treatments that will make her sick and tired, making her last weeks/months really difficult.
I mean it'd be a different thing completely if they said "it's $1500, and it will work". Whole different story when it's "it's $1500, will make her very sick, and really, it won't make any difference".
What a terrible, helpless feeling. This shouldn't be happening to a seemingly healthy dog that isn't even 4 years old yet...
Sorry guys, probably not the place to be laying this, but I don't have anyone else to talk about it with right now. Goddamn cancer.
[ 04-24-2002: Message edited by: murbot ]</p>
Comments
peace,
matt
[ 04-23-2002: Message edited by: Poor taylor ]</p>
<strong>I cannot tell you how sorry I am for you. I know what you are going through. A great friend of mine had basically the same thing happen to her cat. She made the decision to go ahead with the chemo, which was invasive, long term and ultimately unsuccessful. The worst part for her was the fact that her cat just couldn't understand what was happening to her. This is probably going to be one of the hardest choices that you are ever going to have to make, but I think that considering all of the suffering that your dog will be enduring, maybe it's best to let her go.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I a m sorry for you too, even it's an animal it's always bad. like tmp said it will be better to let the dog go, and to practice euthanasia if the pain is too hard for the dog.That's harsh, but it is the best thing to do.
I remember to have try to save a little kitten, during three days i have feed him night and day, but he was born by cesaris in a infected uterus, so he become infected, the animals doc said that he will no support antibiotics , and that there was nothing to do. The kitten cat was suffering terribely and suffocating, so i decide to practice euthanasia, i 'll make it with ether, but it was terrible, i remember i have cry like a baby, it was the most difficult thing i have ever done, and it was just a small animal. I better give the job to the specialist the next time rather than practicing my self. I did not regret what i have done, because it was only a question of hours, but it was a terrible and painfull decision.
The loss of a creature that you love his always hard even if it is only an animal.
Good luck.
It's your decision, of course, but think about its life. Sarah gets to leave the pain behind, and you only have one day of pain from putting her to sleep as opposed to the long drawn-out process of watching her suffer day-in and day-out.
Best of luck.
These are still just animals, sorry. They get the better of us, I know, but they can be replaced. That's the one thing I really hate about dogs: just when you're getting to know them, it's time to put them down. <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> Cats last a little longer, and they usually run off to die when it's time.
If you have young children, there's a hard lesson in this you might (probably) want to shield them from. Tell them the dog ran away, or it got sick and died at the vets. They don't need to think about euthenasia. You can get them another dog.
That really sucks.
<strong>awww, come on guys, suck it up, you're gonna make me misty eyed.
These are still just animals, sorry. </strong><hr></blockquote>
and so are you <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
Really sorry to hear about that Murbot. I hope everything works out as best as it can.
I would reccomend going to
<a href="http://www.amcny.org/asp/homepage/default.asp"; target="_blank">http://www.amcny.org/asp/homepage/default.asp</a>;
and either calling them or getting in one of their discussion groups. I have gone to that hospital for years with all my pets and they are great.
I guess it'll just be a wait-and-see kind of thing from here on out. Just hoping the good days outnumber the bad days for the most part.
Of course when we start getting all bad days, we'll do something about it. I watched my in-laws hang onto a very sick 15 year old poodle for 2 years longer than they should have. I'm not about to let her suffer more than she has to.
She grabbed a big piece of cheese out of my 1 year old's hand at the dinner table tonight, so she's back to her old self again for now.
We've put her on Prednisone for now - hoping that will at least slow things down a little. Time will tell.
Thanks for the virtual shoulder, guys.
[ 04-23-2002: Message edited by: murbot ]</p>
[quote] and so are you <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> <hr></blockquote>
What, dogs can't be replaced?
I think it's an awful waste of talent, time, and resources to use medical resources on animals. Hospitals in Ontario routinely send patients to Buffalo for different imaging tests. Those same hospitals rent idle machines to vets (during off hours) for the same kinds of tests on people's pets. Meanwhile, people who could have serious health troubles wait those few extra days or are forced to cross the border. Why, most of it comes down to health care politics, but a uncomfortable portion of it lands squarely at the feet of this somewhat misguided attitude that animals should be treated like people.
I'm not saying you're one of those people, but this PETA driven attitude has gotten out of hand. You might call your dog a member of the family, in a sense it might be, but in any measure that really counts, it isn't. Your children, your finances, your neighbors, all come first.
Check the toronto dailies for examples of both hospital equipment being used for veterinary purposes, and patients being sent to NY state hospitals to circumvent waiting lists here at home.
It still sucks to loose your dog, though.
[ 04-24-2002: Message edited by: Matsu ]</p>
One thing though: When I first read your post, I thought you were referring to a 3 1/2 year old daughter, and I got very, very sad.
You're right, not even four years old isn't fair at all. My dog is only a little over a year and I can't help but worry about losing him early.
I'm sure she's had a good life.
If it makes you feel any better, I was just given a good book called "Dog's never lie about love". ISBN# 0-609-60057-5. Some good insights into the emotional world of dogs. Perhaps it's not the best time to read it, but perhaps it is. Maybe Matsu should read it....
Anyhow, like has been said before she won't know what's going on. If possible, when the time comes, have the vet come out to the house and give her the shot. She'll fall asleep in a familiar environment surrounded by her pack.
"The dog is the only being that loves you more than you love yourself"
- Fritz von Unruh
That said, I have to agree somewhat with Matsu and only because I learned the hard way.
So my dog of 12+ years, Rusty, was getting old. Cyst on his tail, going deaf etc...just old. It was getting time to put him down but I was totally against it (being the selfish 17 yr old that I was). Well, apparently my parents had decided that it was time and didn't tell me.
At the time, I worked up the block in a gas station, pumping gas, doing minor jobs and other such things. It was a Saturday morning and I was out pumping gas for a customer when I see my dad's car drive by. "Oh hi dad" I wave until I notice that Rusty's in the back seat! I actually ran towards the car but it was too late. Now I'm at work so I can't just break down and start crying plus, if you've ever been around mechanics you know that I wouldn't have lasted a week more if I did. So my boss comes out and says "Hey wasn't that your dad?" and I say "Yeah, and my dog was in the back, I think he's going to get put to sleep."
At which point my boss let's out the biggest cackle and runs to tell the other mechanics. I'm in for it now! This is gonna be a rough 4 hours. "So did you feed him this morning? 'Cause if you did you wasted a perfectly good can of dog food!" Unfortunately, there was also a loudspeaker out at the island where I pumped gas, so everytime I went out to the pumps, one of the mechanics would get on the speaker and wimper like a dog.
Later that day, my dad drove back past the gas station, of course, sans dog and the guys couldn't stop laughing. My dad waved at me but I was so mad, I just gave him the finger. To this day I still don't think he saw me
In retrospect, it's a damn funny story. I tell it whenever I get the chance.
Now, I loved that dog more than anything but that day, I learned a valuable lesson: it's just an animal and life goes on. You mourn, you adjust to life without him/her and you move on. Maybe you get another dog, maybe not. They're there for us and the most we can do is help them enjoy the time they're here. Make sure she doesn't suffer.
<strong>No, here's the lesson you should've gotten from that. Mechanics are dipshits.</strong><hr></blockquote>
rofl...yeah, that makes more sense <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
<strong>No, here's the lesson you should've gotten from that. Mechanics are dipshits.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Actually you are both right. Thos mechanincs were the most immature bunch of people I have heard of in a long time.
However, if it comes down to my kid needing medical attention or my pet, the dog will die. Humanely. End of story.
I guess what I'm trying to say is don't let the death of a pet get you too depressed. Pets can be (and very often are) replaced. People can't.
Kaboom: The only "valuable lesson" that you should have gotten out of your gas station experience is that those mechanics are sociopaths. :eek:
Neuter your animals on sight!
<strong>
Neuter your animals on sight!
I'll agree with you on that. He77, I'd say spay and neuter half the people I hear about.
Though when Ruby rips up the couch, sometimes I'd like to "dispose" of her
But then she looks at me with those Beagle eyes and I melt....
awwwwwwwwww
[ 04-24-2002: Message edited by: kaboom ]</p>
<strong>
In retrospect, it's a damn funny story. I tell it whenever I get the chance.</strong><hr></blockquote>
The crack about the dog food was amusing. The rest of it was just them being real pricks.
Anyway, sorry about your dog, murbot. Prednisone is awfully powerful stuff. My mom used to take it. (She had Lupus.) It used give her a strong appetite and made her feel like Superman. I had a viral infection in my eye once and the opthamalogist put me on the prednisone too. I hated it for that brief time I was on it. I felt so hyper. I don't know how my mom took that stuff for as long as she did.
As long as your dog isn't in pain, enjoy her. But when the pain starts to really kick in, don't hesitate to put her down. Again, I'm sorry you have to go through this.