Crying today..... Advice needed. So sad!

Lisa1971
Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
in Chit-Chat
So yesterday my dog was diagnosed with having cancer of the lymph nodes. The vet is 99% sure she has lymphoma, but took some slides of the inside of the tumors to send away anyway. Husband and I were gone for 2 weeks in Germany and Ireland and when we got back we noticed all her lymph nodes were swollen. Now she's vomiting and not eating. She is a 12 year old German shorthaired pointer. We got her when she was 7 weeks old. Not sure yet if chemo will help her or not. We need to talk to an oncologist to see if chemo is worth it for only a few more months. My 7 year old daughter is not taking this well and woke me up 3 times last night crying.

So now I'm crying just thinking about life without our beloved doggie. We will miss her so much.

Sorry, just needed to vent.

Lisa
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Replies

  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
    So sorry about your dog :(
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    *biggest hugs* this is a tough tough decision.

    What will doggie's quality of life be like for those few extra months? If chemo on dogs is anything like chemo on humans, it could be very rough - both on your dear fur baby, as well as on your daughter.

    So sorry to hear you, your family and your puppy are hurting

    :(
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    I am so sorry. They are such a huge part of our lives for the short time they are here with us. That's the hardest part of loving a pet, letting them go when it's time.

    You say you want advice in your title. I'm not sure if you do or not, but do keep in mind that chemo won't give your girl much longer and that extending her time here with you is for your benefit, not hers. It's a hard thing to face and it's hard not to feel regrets, but she's 12 and has a really good, long life with you.
  • NKF92879
    NKF92879 Posts: 601 Member
    Losing a pet is tough, there's no denying it. I'm so sorry for you and your precious puppers. The only advice I can give is to hug and love your GSP as much as humanly possible and do what's best for her. ((hugs))
  • BobOki
    BobOki Posts: 245 Member
    I am currently going through one of my kitties with tumors (cancerous) and had just lost one to a rare cancer.
    Spend what time you have making her happy as you can, but all things do come to an end, and pets remind you often :(
  • stealthSLOTH
    stealthSLOTH Posts: 695 Member
    ((( big hugs)))
  • SyntonicGarden
    SyntonicGarden Posts: 944 Member
    Oh geeze. **hugs** Yeah, talk to the doctor, see what they say. Make the dog as comfortable as you can. **hugs**
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    Oh, I wanted to add that my sister's dog was diagnosed with lymphoma last August. The vet put her on steroids to help with the swelling. It also helps with their appetite.

    Have you tried feeding her canned food or boiling up some rice and chicken to see if that would be something she would eat?
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I'm really sorry. 12-13 is a pretty long life for that breed and I'm sure she's had a wonderful life.

    I was about your daughter's age when we had to put down our white German shepherd who my parents had when I was born and she literally saved my life three times. It was tough, but I got through it. My mom kept me home from school that day and took me to the vet when she took the dog.

    This is never easy.
  • maybeazure
    maybeazure Posts: 301 Member
    I'm sorry. That's so hard. The only advice I can give is to just try hard to enjoy being with her now and wait until you know for sure what the options are. Then in my opinion it comes down to quality of life. Ask what the side effects of the chemo would be, and if it would be possible to keep her comfortable and at home.
  • RockClimber69
    RockClimber69 Posts: 82 Member
    So sorry to hear that! It's so hard to have to make these decisions. I agree, spend as much time as you can with her, keep her happy & comfortable and know that she's had a good life. :'(
  • fromtheghetto
    fromtheghetto Posts: 21
    so sorry to hear...I have 3 dogs myself and I know how hard it can be to have one of them sick...I will be praying for you and your dog...charlie
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    I am so sorry to hear this.

    2 years ago my dog Jack was diagnosed with lymphoma. He had been sick on and off for 6 months but did not show the classic signs of cancer so it was not until the vet finally did a blood test to see because he was dumbfounded as to why jack was sick, that we finally got the diagnosis. It has spread to his organs as well.

    It was stage 4 and while Chemo was an option, the outcome was not good. I spent the rest of my time with him letting him know how much he was loved and saying my final goodbyes. 8 days later I had to let him cross the rainbow bridge because the pain was obvious and his stool had turned red from the blood. It was the hardest decision I had to ever make and quite honestly, I am still not ready to let another dog in my heart.

    Now that you have the diagnosis, the decision to do Chemo is yours but for a 12 year old dog, its hard to decide. Chemo is expensive. Maybe the time could be better spent letting him be a dog and saying goodbye but dont prolong it. Dogs can and do cry, its a sign of pain. Once you notice the pain, let him go.
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    Sorry your dog and your family are hurting.

    I am going to second what Mirey said. Look at the quality of life the dog will have for a few extra months. If it is in pain and is still going to suffer the hardest but kindest thing you could ever do is let it god.

    I know that sounds really cold but I had to put 2 of mine down a year apart and it is the hardest and most heart breaking thing to do but also the kindest.

    I wish you all the best in whatever choice you make.
  • husker_gal
    husker_gal Posts: 462 Member
    I'm so sorry =(. My mom and dad had a German Short haired pointer that got sick with the same thing. By the time they found it, she was so sick they just decided to put her to sleep. I'll keep you in my prayers as you struggle through your decision process. Dogs are not just dogs to us, they are part of our family. Mine are like my kids. My heart goes out to you. :heart:
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I am so sorry!! That's so sad. :(

    For what it's worth when our first dog had cancer -- she kept having tumors popping up and at first they were benign but then they started to become cancerous -- we took her for chemo treatments. We spent a LOT of money on the treatments and probably prolonged her life maybe an extra 4-6 months? After a while the treatments just weren't working so we decided to stop them and had to have her put down.

    It's a decision that you and your family needs to make. While we did give our dog an extra few months of life and she wasn't suffering at all during this time (her actions lead me to believe she wasn't) she probably would have been better off if we didn't go that route and just let her go.

    The treatments for the cancer didn't have the same effect as they do on humans. She wasn't sick, didn't lose any fur or anything like that.
  • leannerae40
    leannerae40 Posts: 200 Member
    Toughest decision EVER. I'm so sorry. It just sucks, it really does. I will tell you, do what's best for the dog, whatever you feel that may be. It sounds like you and your family are the best owners ever, and know that your dog is the best example of living in the now so just spend every last moment loving her as much as you always have. Make every remaining day for her as special as you can.

    I'm just so sorry. *hugs to you and your family* :cry:
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,173 Member
    Losing a pet is tough, there's no denying it. I'm so sorry for you and your precious puppers. The only advice I can give is to hug and love your GSP as much as humanly possible and do what's best for her. ((hugs))

    This...and **Big hugs** for you...I'm so sorry :(
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    I have lost dogs to cancer as well and it is very heartbreaking as they are like children to my husband and I. We have never gone the chemo route, as I believe that dogs live for the moment and that if they are very sick and do not have an good quality of life, then it is not worth it to extend their suffering. However, each case is different and if you can afford to get a few more comfortable, pain free months, that could be an option. Please remember not to mourn overmuch, as you have given her a loving home for 12 years. Many, many dogs are not so lucky to have loving families! When the time comes, whatever your decision, be proud of the good life you gave your dog and cherish all your memories with her.
  • autumnpath
    autumnpath Posts: 72 Member
    I'm so sorry....I just lost my dog in May to cancer...she was older too....I chose not to pursue chemo with her....her being so old, it would have only added to her suffering....and I chose to put her down in May....it tore my heart into a million pieces....

    Spend lots of quality time with your dog....give her anything she wants....as for chemo, only you can decide that, but it wasn't the right option for me....I knew when it was "time" to put her to sleep....we all want to hang on to our beloved pets, but bottom line is we have a responsibility to them...even if it's the heartbreaking choice to let them go....
  • rayzerwolf
    rayzerwolf Posts: 203 Member
    Sadly i suggest putting her down before she is in too much pain, do the treatment untill you fell it is time spend time with her and explain to your daughter that it is time to start letting her go. we had to take our 13 yr old blue healer in after he got bone cancer he had good days that looked like nothing was wrong other than the swelling in the leg but to see him on his bad days broke the kids hearts.
  • catneon
    catneon Posts: 911 Member
    So so sorry to hear that...I can't really give you advice if it's only in the lympnodes a round of chemo can help (there are several options) and give you a few more months (year) all depending, talk to the vet and get their opinion. It a really hard decision to make as much as we want to hold on to them sometimes we have to let go...I've been there. *Hugs*
  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
    I'm so sorry :(

    I have 2 girlfriends who just lost her dogs to lymphoma, they were both amazing... their names were Matrix and Daisy - both pittie mixes. My one girlfirend did do treatments on Matrix and it had gone away but she went into remission ( I think that's what it's called? ) and it came back more aggressively after 2 months.

    She explained to me that if you do treatments, it can prolong their life, but it will come back more aggressively everytime. It's aweful.

    Daisy, I'm not sure what happened. I feel puky thinking about it.

    I have another girlfriend that had her dog Rocky and he lived for about 2 months after he was diagnosed but he was really sick. She finally had to say goodbye because he wasn't able to control himself any longer in the apartment.

    I was told if they are not suffering, let them live as long as they can. If they are suffering, you know what to do. I just had to put my angel to rest back in March so this really hits home for me. She didn't have cancer. I didn't know what she had until the autopsy was completed. It was the most devestating thing I've ever had to do. It's hard, but it does get easier as the days go by.

    I wish you and your family ALL THE BEST and I'm SO SORRY! :frown:
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
    Sorry to hear about this. Praying that doggy's quality of life improves with treatment, should treatment become available, and that you have peace when the time comes to let him/her go.
  • Grace4DebraAnn
    Grace4DebraAnn Posts: 124 Member
    That is such a difficult situation to be in, I just had a friend who had to put her dog down due to cancer. We have a dog too, I could not fathem how difficult it will be when something like that comes up for him. We have had him since he was 4 weeks old and he is now 10. I miss him when he goes with my boys camping, the little noises that he makes and how excited he gets when we come home. Thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family and pup during this difficult time.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    I'm so sorry. It is hard when pets have to leave us. :flowerforyou:
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    So yesterday my dog was diagnosed with having cancer of the lymph nodes. The vet is 99% sure she has lymphoma, but took some slides of the inside of the tumors to send away anyway. Husband and I were gone for 2 weeks in Germany and Ireland and when we got back we noticed all her lymph nodes were swollen. Now she's vomiting and not eating. She is a 12 year old German shorthaired pointer. We got her when she was 7 weeks old. Not sure yet if chemo will help her or not. We need to talk to an oncologist to see if chemo is worth it for only a few more months. My 7 year old daughter is not taking this well and woke me up 3 times last night crying.

    So now I'm crying just thinking about life without our beloved doggie. We will miss her so much.

    Sorry, just needed to vent.

    Lisa

    Lisa, vent all you want. I am so very sorry this has happened, my heart goes out to you all.

    xxx
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    I know what you are feeling, I lost two dogs within 6 months of eachother. The first was the one we had from puppydom and he was around 5 years old when his hip bones had fused causing him to be unable to walk or go to the bathroom and prior to that he had been suffering from epilepsy which cause his whole body to flail violently and to wet himself. We put him down and wished we had done it earlier to save him some pain. Our other dog we had adopted and he was about 7 years old when he passed, he had lupus and he was degrading quickly so we let him go with great saddness.

    It's hard to make a decision that you think is right but when it comes down to it you have to remember how the dog will suffer if you are putting him through treatment to hold onto him longer while he continues to live in pain and sickness. If he will have good quality of life during treatment, as in he will barely feel sick, then I would go that way but if not it's better to not let him suffer.

    Wishing your family the best, a loss of a pet is hard!
  • autumnpath
    autumnpath Posts: 72 Member
    I am so sorry to hear this.

    2 years ago my dog Jack was diagnosed with lymphoma. He had been sick on and off for 6 months but did not show the classic signs of cancer so it was not until the vet finally did a blood test to see because he was dumbfounded as to why jack was sick, that we finally got the diagnosis. It has spread to his organs as well.

    It was stage 4 and while Chemo was an option, the outcome was not good. I spent the rest of my time with him letting him know how much he was loved and saying my final goodbyes. 8 days later I had to let him cross the rainbow bridge because the pain was obvious and his stool had turned red from the blood. It was the hardest decision I had to ever make and quite honestly, I am still not ready to let another dog in my heart.

    Now that you have the diagnosis, the decision to do Chemo is yours but for a 12 year old dog, its hard to decide. Chemo is expensive. Maybe the time could be better spent letting him be a dog and saying goodbye but dont prolong it. Dogs can and do cry, its a sign of pain. Once you notice the pain, let him go.

    This post made me cry. Almost identical experience with my dog.....
  • loril13
    loril13 Posts: 320 Member
    I am so sorry. I lost two of my catsto cancer. We opted to not give them chemo. They were elderly. The chemo would have only given them a few months. It would have made them miserable. Making them stay longer would have been selfish of us - making the suffer longer because we could not let them go.

    I know how hard it is. Much love and light and calming energies to you, your family and your precious doggie.

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