Please help

[Kheald]

I am new to the forum and looking for some help. I have a beautiful baby girl named Ava. She is a 7 yr old blue neo. I took her to the vet a month ago because she was limping and left thinking she had a sprain. She was taking rimadyl
and starting feeling better then while I was out of town she got worse. When I got home she would not put any weight on her leg so I took her back to the vet. This time we did X-rays and they told me it didn't look good. They showed me the films and said it looked like osteoscaoma. They told me it was a very aggressive cancer and I should go see a specialist to get confirmation. I took her to the specialist a few days later and they did a biopsy. Today I called for the results and it was confirmed it is osteoscaoma. They gave me my options but I am so confused. I have no idea what I should do. All the options I was given not one seems to have much of a positive. The X-rays do not show any spread of the cancer beyond her rear leg.
If anyone has gone through this can you please help me.

 

[Max's mom]

I had a yellow lab with what we suspected was osteosarcoma (not sure if that is the same) on her front paw. She was old. I refused biopsy or amputation which was the vet's recommendation. She lived her days out eating what she wanted, basking in the sun on the deck, snuggled in her favorite blankie, laying by the fire and free roam of the yard at will (not like she was running away!). Lots of pain meds if needed (more than recommended, but really what difference does it make at 13ish) and snips of good cuts of fresh beef and table food when the hubby wasn't looking. I know it spread from her foot to the leg and probably abdomen and lungs but I wasn't taking off the leg of a 13 year old dog and no treatment would help. She lived two years beyond that suspected diagnosis. I'm sorry that your pup is going through this and I know your heart must just ache. Consider quality of life vs quantity of life as you make your decisions about treatment.
And, a great big "screw you" to all cancer! People and pup kinds.

 

[DennasMom]

My sister's husky went through this. She was also older (can't remember the age ~12 years old, I think).
Given the option of expensive chemo with a 6 month life expectancy, or pain pills and 2 months... she opted for pills.

That silly dog was so happy to be pain free, that she kept going - like a new puppy - for over a year and a half.

I also heard amputation is a short term fix... at least it was for the husky...
I'd get the dog off all sugar and grains and on a raw diet, if you can... it can't hurt, and may help the body fight off the cancer.

So sorry you have to go through this.
Cancer is evil stuff.

 

[DennasMom]

PS - Please post some pictures of your pup.
We love pictures!!

 

[musicdeb]

I'm so sorry to hear of the diagnosis for your pup. I do not know if I would put my pup through chemo and/or possible amputation at 7 years old. That's a lot of stress on the body for the pup. I agree with Max's mom, let her last days be peaceful and joyful eating whatever she wants and just plain ole loving her.

 

[Dreadz]

I know you can't always believe everything you read online but this one seems to be cropping up more and more. Lemon and baking soda are reported to be many times more effective than conventional drugs and whilst I have seen no proof to back up these claims it may warrant some research in your predicament. Best of luck whichever option you pursue
Lemon and Baking soda Miraculous combination - Healthy Holistic LivingHealthy Holistic Living

 

[Kheald]

My number one goal is to have her happy and feeling the best she can. I am so overwhelmed with all the info I have been given. I want to do the best thing for her I just don't know what that is. She is happy and feeling pretty good now. The vet told me if I do nothing and manage pain she would have 3-6 mos, if I amputate her leg followed by chemo she could have another year. These are hard decisions to make and I'm trying to gather all the info I can to make the right one for her. I love my girl and want only the best for her!!

 

[musicdeb]

Be confident in yourself that you will make the right decision for your girl and yourself.

 

[Kheald]

Thank you everyone for the support. I'm willing to do anything to keep her happy. Here are some pics of my baby girl. She is 130 pounds and thinks she should be allowed to be a lap dog. Lol.

 

[musicdeb]

Ava is beautiful! Love her face! The 3rd pic with the praying-like hands is priceless!

 

[Bailey's Mom]

I'm for quality over quantity, let her live whole and pain free with meds. The dog will suffer from all the medical procedures and it will torture you to see her questioning why.

As for the lemon and baking soda: some doctors contend that you can stop cancer dead in it's tracks, kill it off, reverse it's progress by changing the PH balance of your body. Baking Soda swiftly changes PH which kills the cancer, BUT protracted use, due to aluminum may contribute to Alzheimers type symptoms. I'd try it. Not sure how to give to a dog, they won't like the taste, but I know you can buy empty gel caps at health food stores so perhaps you can try it that way (make your own pill.). Additionally, there are so many anti-angiogenisus foods like turmeric, blueberries, etc., which selectively cut off the blood supply to tumors which then dwindle down and die. Dr.Li, I think, did a small lecture on Ted Talks. He has been on Dr. Oz and he now runs an Institute for the study of such foods and their effects. Sorry for any misspellings, doing this from memory.

Good Luck. Blessings upon you for loving your girl so much.

 

[Boxergirl]

Ava is beautiful. It's clear how much you love her. I'm so sorry you've gotten this diagnosis. I have no personal experience with this, so I have no advice. I just wanted to send you strength and hope that you will be at peace with whatever decision you make.

 

[Penelope's Mom]

No matter what you decide to do, make her days happy ones. Spoil her rotten and make the time you have left count. It will be good for both of you. She's a beautiful girl who is obviously very much loved and cherished.

Good luck to you both.

 

[NYDDB]

She is a beautiful girl, and my heart breaks for you, being in this tough position.

Gather as much info as you can, then trust your gut instincts.

All the best to you...

 

[RockstarDDB]

I am new to the forum and looking for some help. I have a beautiful baby girl named Ava. She is a 7 yr old blue neo. I took her to the vet a month ago because she was limping and left thinking she had a sprain. She was taking rimadyl
and starting feeling better then while I was out of town she got worse. When I got home she would not put any weight on her leg so I took her back to the vet. This time we did X-rays and they told me it didn't look good. They showed me the films and said it looked like osteoscaoma. They told me it was a very aggressive cancer and I should go see a specialist to get confirmation. I took her to the specialist a few days later and they did a biopsy. Today I called for the results and it was confirmed it is osteoscaoma. They gave me my options but I am so confused. I have no idea what I should do. All the options I was given not one seems to have much of a positive. The X-rays do not show any spread of the cancer beyond her rear leg.
If anyone has gone through this can you please help me.

First off i am very Sorry, it's crushing to hear that diagnosis. i know first hand as my first DDB was diagnosed in april of 2013 with it. unfortunately none of the scenarios were good for us. Ours were remove the leg on a 8 1/2 year old male with bad hips . try cancer treatments that would only give him another 6 months possibly if it did not kill him.

We opted to treat the pain and love him for as long as we could. The specialist suggestion was the worst one which was putting him down. We new the time had come when he would wine all night and pant . he quit eating and just wanted to lie down and do his best to sleep which never lasted long due to pain even medicated. We did it at home in the comfort of his bed and said our good byes. unfortunately large heavy breeds do not do good with Bone cancer . they are in pain and the bone breaks quickly from time symptoms show. I wish i had better news and some experience that was hope full but in my case it was a matter of six weeks from time of diagnosis.

 

[Kheald]

Thank you everyone for all the support. We went to the vet today to remove her staples from the biopsy and all went well. She didn't even know they were taking them out. I know I need to make a decision sooner rather then later I just don't like the options given. I have been looking for a holistic vet thinking maybe they could offer me something better but no luck finding one close to me yet.

 

[LizB]

Just to add my story, about two weeks ago we put down our 8-yr-old Dane mix who had the diagnosis of "aggressive" invasive rectal carcinoma a year and a half ago. He was incontinent, suffering from cauda equina (spread of the cancer caused a pinched nerve near his tail, making him weak in the hind end and unable to know when he had to move his bowels) but he had a happy 18 months, with medication for pain when he needed it, lots of pampering and treats, getting spoiled rotten. My vet suggested removal of his colon and chemo at the time of the biopsy results, and I just could not put a dog through that - they don't understand what is going on, and days in surgery, at the vet's office with all the chemicals being injected and the stressed energy of the hospital is not anything I wanted to put an animal through.

We made him comfortable and he lived a heck of a lot longer than we expected. We knew it was time to go when he could no longer get up, and was obviously in so much pain, and the morning the vet came he was peeing blood. He was happy, with his head in our laps and basking in a sunbeam, being petted and whispered to, and we feel that we did the best for him. I don't regret the decision one bit, and I think easing them through their last days/weeks/months is the best medicine. Dogs just want to be with their pack/family and as long as they can do that, they can deal with the rest.

It is very difficult, and this is the third time in as many years for us, but unfortunately these days it seems like dogs don't die of natural causes much anymore, but become ill and we have to intervene when they are suffering. I know you're brokenhearted, and there's no solution for that, no matter which way you go. Whatever you decide, trust yourself and don't second-guess your decision. Best of luck to you!

 

[Kheald]

LizB I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you got to spend good quality time with him.

I am scared to do nothing and scared to do anything. I don't want to have regrets. I almost wish I didn't know.

 

[LizB]

...... I almost wish I didn't know.

I am with you on that!! With one of our bullmastiffs we had a biopsy of a mass in her "armpit," or just at the top of her front leg, and it came back hemangioma, benign, but it was obviously, now in hindsight, a sarcoma, because one day she was fine and the next morning she was coughing up blood and was gone in an hour. The vet said it had ruptured through her pulmonary artery or got into her lung or something like that - quite sudden. I'm almost glad I didn't know what was going on, because I would have been wringing my hands over her for a year or so, which does the dog no good.

Always keep in mind that your anxiety, pity, worry and concern for the dog makes your energy very strange to the dog, and they don't understand why you're acting differently. Enjoying your pup and trying to see them as the dog they've always been is important, though very hard. Do the things they'e always loved, and the activities that make them wag their tail. Unfortunately, we've had a lot of practice at this, and we've learned a lot. I'm not saying medical treatment is wrong, I'm just saying that if you choose to go that route you'll need to act like your normal self while the dog is undergoing treatment, as much as you can. The "you poor baby!" stuff is good and rational for humans, but dog's don't understand it.

On Sirius' last day we were able to get him excited enough to walk out to the back of our property where there is a brush pile with a wild bunny warren that he LOVED to hunt with my husband. He taught my husband to stand on one end and Sirius would get on the other end as Rick flushed bunnies for him, and he'd chase them. He was able to hunt that brush pile one last time before he was worn completely out, but it meant a lot to us to give him that last little pleasure of his. (by the way, he was way too slow to actually catch a bunny but he loved to try anyway!)

 

[NYDDB]

I am with you on that!! With one of our bullmastiffs we had a biopsy of a mass in her "armpit," or just at the top of her front leg, and it came back hemangioma, benign, but it was obviously, now in hindsight, a sarcoma, because one day she was fine and the next morning she was coughing up blood and was gone in an hour. The vet said it had ruptured through her pulmonary artery or got into her lung or something like that - quite sudden. I'm almost glad I didn't know what was going on, because I would have been wringing my hands over her for a year or so, which does the dog no good.

Always keep in mind that your anxiety, pity, worry and concern for the dog makes your energy very strange to the dog, and they don't understand why you're acting differently. Enjoying your pup and trying to see them as the dog they've always been is important, though very hard. Do the things they'e always loved, and the activities that make them wag their tail. Unfortunately, we've had a lot of practice at this, and we've learned a lot. I'm not saying medical treatment is wrong, I'm just saying that if you choose to go that route you'll need to act like your normal self while the dog is undergoing treatment, as much as you can. The "you poor baby!" stuff is good and rational for humans, but dog's don't understand it.

On Sirius' last day we were able to get him excited enough to walk out to the back of our property where there is a brush pile with a wild bunny warren that he LOVED to hunt with my husband. He taught my husband to stand on one end and Sirius would get on the other end as Rick flushed bunnies for him, and he'd chase them. He was able to hunt that brush pile one last time before he was worn completely out, but it meant a lot to us to give him that last little pleasure of his. (by the way, he was way too slow to actually catch a bunny but he loved to try anyway!)

Great post, LizB.

Insightful, and wise...especially the section I bolded. Most people don't understand this- or even if they do, it's so difficult to put it into practice...at least for me.