HELP - My best friend has osteosarcoma

[Anne]

Racheal, I am thinking of you and praying for you at this very sad and painful time.

I fear Sophie is declining quickly now and she doesn't have much time left. She's not in pain but very tired and I think she's about had enough. I too will be making this awful decision very soon, as soon as she tells me she needs to go.

Laurie, thank you so much for your continued support. I know how difficult it must be for you and want you to know how much I appreciate you.

[Bear's mommy]

Originally Posted by ibkittykat

She has not gotten up to greet me at the door. Her tail still wags everytime I go near her tho.

I literally burst into tears when I read this. The day we let Bear go he was still wagging his little nub. I even asked the vet, "How can I make the decision to end his life when he still has the will to come to me wagging his nub?" She said because he loves you and trusts you to do the right thing for him....so we did.

My heart breaks for you knowing what tomorrow brings for you, but it will also bring a healthy new life where Gabby will be waiting for you to be together again. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Leslie

[aprillovesherdogs]

Rachael,
I hope today finds you with peace in your heart. I wish I would have checked the posts last night. My heart is breaking for you.

Bear's mommy, I know how you feel about the nub wagging. Ansel was so happy to be going for a ride the day he "left" us. I felt as though I was deceiving him. It was clearly the day it had to be done and I don't regret the decision because he was clearly going to be in great pain very soon. Matty on the other hand went from ok to miserable overnight. But, no matter what the situation, we all have been robbed of what we love and I am so hopeful that all we have lost will be the gain for other dogs and their families.
We are now ready to start looking for a baby girl rottie. I would prefer a rescue but I'm having great difficulty already finding one within 100 miles of me. Most won't allow out of state adoptions. I have a friend in OH that would probably adopt to me but she doesn't have any pups and I just hate hauling a puppy on a 7 hour car ride.

My thoughts will be especially with you today Rachael, and as always, those that are still (thankfully) with us. Rachael, take all the time you need to heal. I did Matty's memory box right away but I still after a month CANNOT bring myself to do Ansel's. If I had to look at it hanging on the wall, it would be far to real and I'm just not ready to let go of him. I realize more everyday how special he was.

april

[Ninasmom]

Hi everyone. I'm back from Australia & Nina is still with us, although she is considerably weaker. She is sleeping alot and is having trouble with her stomach again. DH spent alot of time home while I was gone (he had a virus) so he got to see her with clear eyes. I'm afraid we don't have that much time left with her.

[Anne]

Ninasmom, good to have you back but I'm sorry to hear Nina is winding down. I guess you're glad to be home. It must have been a difficult time for you to be away.

Sophie too had a very bad day - her first really bad one. She just lay on her bed all day with the mouth tumor bleeding the entire time. I was ready to call the vet to have her put to rest but decided to increase her pain relief and see how she was the next morning. Amazingly she was back to her normal playful self and has remained so since.

I did phone her oncologist and they explained that occasionally there will be a 'breakthrough day' and that was evidently what happened with Sophie. I am seeing her normal vet in a couple of days because he hasn't seen her for a while. The oncologist has been handling everything. However Sophie is just another cancer patient at the specialist centre whereas the vet has been caring for her for her entire life and he loves Sophie and she loves him.

I will keep Nina in my thoughts and please keep us updated on her.

[Bear's mommy]

Ninasmom and Anne, I am sorry to hear that your girls are not feeling so well. I think of you and your girls daily, and you will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

Leslie

[Ninasmom]

Figured I'd post an update on Nina. It appears that she has bounced back, yet again. It's almost as though she was missing both me and my son and that DH just wasn't 'doing it' for her. Within 24 hours of both of us coming back, it was like she was a different dog. Upbeat, playing, eating well, acting like she's not even sick. I'm not going to lie - it's really strange...

[Debbie Ervin]

Sophie and Nina are both in my prayers that with your love they remain in high spirits and stay here until they no longer can. They know we take care of them and they know when a vet who has treated them for years is helping them. Its amazing that when Ceasar was sick and I didn't want to stress him out anymore since he couldn't barely walk and was weak, our vet came to the house for us, and when he came in, Ceasar was laying by the sliding glass doors he loved to look out and got himself up and came over to our vet and layed down and got his bloodwork done. They are just such amazing creatures and the love can never be mesured! Stay strong girls!! Debbie

[caseygina]

Ninasmom and Anne,
Glad to hear Nina and Sophie are still hanging in there. I can't believe they are the only two of our babies who have been involved in this thread. (If I'm missing someone, I'm sorry). I think of you guys every day and hope that everything is going well.
Gina

[Anne]

Gina, it's so sad we've lost so many. Every day I think of those who have lost their dogs and hope you are all coping as well as can be expected.

Sophie saw her regular vet yesterday and he was surprised at the large size of her tumor. He did a lot of prodding and poking and Sophie didn't flinch or shy away from him. His assessment is that she's not in pain, the pain meds are working well. He said apart from the horrible tumor she appears to be in good condition. Her lymph nodes are not enlarged and chest sounds clear. Her coat is shiny and she looks healthy.

If her tumor doesn't erupt he said she may go on for another month or thereabouts. If the tumor does erupt then Sophie's time will have come. So little time left together.

We've been seeing the oncologist and haven't seen Sophie's regular vet for a while. Soph remembered the drill and bounded through the door and went straight to the scales and sat awaiting the vet nurse to come and record her weight. She was happy to see her vet again, she's very fond of him. The oncology centre is impersonal and though Sophie is well behaved for them, neither she nor I like going there.

[Debbie Ervin]

God Bless yous both. I pray you have your month together. I have tears in my eyes just remembering waiting for Ceasars tumor at his brainstem to do something to him at a minutes notice. You be strong for your baby, it is hard but we find the strength to make life simple and stressfree as possible for them, we owe them that for all the love time and time again we share.

[Malkun]

Prayers are already sent. A friend's dog had a cancer scare and she went to the health food store in desperation and it was suggested that she feed him in addtion to his food a green food in a canister, it comes in powdered form and suppose to have all the nurtrients (i forgot the name) and the herb chaparral. Sorry I can't help more. :( Keep us updated. Stay encouraged.

[Anne]

Originally Posted by Malkun

Prayers are already sent. A friend's dog had a cancer scare and she went to the health food store in desperation and it was suggested that she feed him in addtion to his food a green food in a canister, it comes in powdered form and suppose to have all the nurtrients (i forgot the name) and the herb chaparral. Sorry I can't help more. :( Keep us updated. Stay encouraged.

Thank you for your advice Malkun but unfortunately our dogs are in the last stages of osteosarcoma and there is no food supplement or anything in medicine that will make them well. All Nina and Sophie have left is a little time.

Ninasmom, how is Nina doing? I think of you both every day.

[jlaack]

Anne, I'm sorry that Sophie is not doing well. I am glad to hear she isn't in pain. Try to enjoy the time you have with her now. Take care.

[Anne]

Originally Posted by jlaack

Anne, I'm sorry that Sophie is not doing well. I am glad to hear she isn't in pain. Try to enjoy the time you have with her now. Take care.

Thanks jlaack. The sad part is that it's not pain that will be the end of Sophie. Apart from one bad day she is her usual happy self. It's the uncontrolable growth and bleeding of the mouth tumor. I will have to pts my dog who is happy in herself, because of the tumor. Her tumor is on the outside of her gum rather than invading the inside of her mouth.

I think the tumor would be uncomfortable but she allowed the vet to do a detailed examination of it without flinching so there's no evidence of pain. She allows me to clean her mouth when it's bleeding without shying away. She has an excellent appetite and is able to eat unaided. This tumor was very painful almost 8 months ago when we got the diagnosis but seems not to be now.

The Tramadol and piroxicam are working for Sophie. It also appears the drug she takes for bone strength is working well. The ostesosarcoma in the bone underneath this tumor is not painful to the touch or swollen out of shape but shows up on xray.

Radiation was suggested as a possible that might reduce the size of the tumor but my vet agrees with me that this is not really a viable option. It's a gamble that may or may not work. It would involve a GA for 5 treatments. Not only do I think this would be grossly unfair to Sophie, I'm not sure her system would be able to withstand the onslaught. Radiation also has some nasty and painful side effects so we won't go that way.