# oral upper epitheliotropic lymphoma diagnosis



## Penny and Barneys Mum (Jan 17, 2012)

Hello again, I'm sorry I'm not a regular member here, I've been busy trying to make the most of the time we have left with our two goldens, both keep being ill and have been a constant worry for the last couple of years regards illness. I would be very grateful if anyone could offer any advice at all that might just help us out in some way. 

This time it is our rescue golden oldie Penny again, she has just been diagnosed with oral upper epitheliotropic lymphoma. Her lip turned pink and began to grow very quickly. We have the biopsy results back and we've been told it is oral upper epitheliotropic lymphoma. Pen is at least 12/5 - 13, but we don't know her exact age. When she had the biopsy last week, they also de-bulked the swelling by a small amount. It took her a couple of days to fully come round to her normal self after the anesthetics, she's never been very good with anesthetics. She had her spleen removed nearly two years ago now and has had a couple of other operations on her eye along with being spayed eleven years ago now.

Our heads are spinning, it hasn't been that long since my Husband had cancer, I'm constantly worrying about that reoccurring and now my sweet furbaby has it!

I know nobody can tell us what to do, but at this point in time we are lost to know what to do for the best. 

Our vet is going to talk to a dog cancer specialist, we've only just found the results out after our vet phoned us this evening to tell us the results. They are thinking about options we could take, mentioned so far were, operate again to get rid of more of the pink area, operate again to remove that area plus part of the jawbone, do nothing more and let her have final quality of life, the other options have yet to be found out by talking to a dog cancer specialist. 

Penny is happy and not showing any signs of illness at all, she is acting normally not loosing any weight yet and is happy. First and foremost we don't wish for her to suffer, it isn't about us, it is about her and what to do for the best. 

Our two goldens are both old, our other one Barney, has just turned 13 and he has rear end problems and both of them have a vestibular symptoms, penny has had one bad episode with that so far. They are our children, can anyone offer any advice at all please? 

Thanks in advance.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

First, let me say how sorry I am that your precious old girl has a cancer diagnosis. We wish they could stay with us forever, and I personally think it gets harder with every year that we have them to contemplate losing them. I think that you should get all the options from your vet before making any decision. Then, of course, you make the best decision out of love for Penny. Personally, I make a convenant with my dogs that they will not suffer, so that's my first consideration. If treatment means a compromised quality of life, you get to decide for Penny how she would like to spend her final months. While it is agonizing to contemplate life-altering decisions, please don't worry because you will make your decision out of love and consideration for your dog. That's the best any of us can do. She loves you, you love her and that's the sum total of all the other details. Good luck, and I hope you have much more time to make sweet memories with Penny.


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## Penny and Barneys Mum (Jan 17, 2012)

Hi and many thanks for taking the time to reply to my post. We think like you, the first and foremost thing is what is best for our fur babies. 

Quality and not quantity of life is what we want for them, whatever is best for her we will do, they have always come before us and will always do so. 

We have had Pen back at our vets this morning, the vets are going to contact a cancer specialist to get their opinion on possible treatments, the ones that would be best, given the tumor results, age, health etc. 

Pens an old lady and has joint problems and has had a number of operations during her life and we don't want to put her through anything else that is only going to possibly extend her life a bit and could make her suffer in the meantime. She's been incredibly lucky to reach her grand old age, so many fur babies don't reach anywhere near her age. 

Last week when she had her biopsies she also had a de-bulk of the mass, so she was put on Loxicom for any pain from the removal. We've seen a difference in her mobility and she's even been playing with her toys and half playing with Barney, so that was really great to see. Looking at her you wouldn't know she has cancer. She's eating well (she has the appetite of ten goldies) She has not lost any weight and is still enjoying every minute of life. 

It is thought that an operation to remove more tumor and surrounding tissue could be too much for her to manage, there might not be enough tissue to possibly re-build her jawline as well and then it might not remove enough of the cells etc. Also with it being a lymphoma it could have already spread. We really don't want her to go through a major operation like that at her age, for a possible few more months, we feel it would be unfair especially given her age already. Chemo could be out because of her health anyway, it could have spread already as well, so it is a case of waiting to hear the offered options from the specialist to check options. 

It is looking like it will be a case of management and comfort giving and keeping a very close eye on quality of life. While she is pain-free, eating and is still up for life and happy, all is good. If that changes we will do the best for her. 

Thanks for your help.


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## janababy (Jan 2, 2012)

I too and very sorry to hear about Penny's cancer. We lost our BUddy to it two years ago. He was only six. The first time it was removed, our Vet at the time said it was just a cyst. We later moved to another Vet who removed the mass again six months later. He did not like the look of it. He sent the tissue away for a biopsy. When it came back as cancer I was floored! We had the option of having part of his jaw removed to buy us some time with him. I just couldn't do it. It grew back quickly, we lost him two months later. I know that in the short two years they have some amazing drugs to treat it. I am in total agreement with you, it is the quality of life and "unfortunately" not the quantity of life, that is important. I wish you all the best for Penny.


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## Penny and Barneys Mum (Jan 17, 2012)

I'm so sorry to hear you lost your Buddy to this cancer too. It is a cruel disease and takes our babies at all ages, it feels so unfair. I read about young and baby goldies that have lost their lives to cancer and other diseases, it breaks my heart that we loose any of them. It is bad enough that Pen now has it, but at least the saving grace is she has had a long life, so very long, compared to other goldens. I know of several people locally that have had retrievers and only a couple of months ago I friend lost hers just turned 9! Pen is the oldest so far, a friend lost hers when he was 4, another at 6. They seem to be prone to all sorts of nasty diseases. Our Barn has had all sorts wrong with him during his life, seems like a huge list, Pen is not far behind. 

The jaw removal option was discussed again this morning, remove the mass which is most of the side of her mouth and part of the jawbone as well. It isn't something we wouldn't want to put our dog through either. Especially when they love their food and it can take a couple of months to get over. Some dogs do OK and get used to it, some don't. Pen struggled to come out the other side of the light anesthetic for the biopsy and de-bulk, so it isn't something will will consider at all.


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## GoldenMum (Mar 15, 2010)

I am so very sorry for you and your pups. This is very similar to my situation. My Bonnie passed 3 weeks ago from oral osteocarcoma. She was a month shy of her 13th birthday. We had her tumors debulked, she also had to have 2 affected teeth removed, and some of her jaw was scraped away as it had become mush. I chose not to have part of her jaw removed, after discussing it with my vet, I thought it was too much at her age. She lived another QUALITY 2 months, hiking and swimming every day weather permitted, even hiking and swimming on the day she passed. When she stopped eating, I knew it was time.
Her brother Clyde who is 13, and has a back end that is giving out was just diagnosed with cancer in his kidney, liver and lymph nodes. I have been told, he most likely has weeks. His pain is being managed, and when he shows pain, he will be PTS.
I know what you're going through, and I am so sorry. If I had to decide how to treat Bonnie again, I would do the same as we did. I did discuss options for Chemo that could be given at home to maybe give her more time, but she would not be able to do the things she loved as it would affect her immune system.

Feel free to PM me if you need to talk, I wish you the best. Remember, she doesn't know she is sick, so CARPE DIEM, enjoy every moment.


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## Penny and Barneys Mum (Jan 17, 2012)

I'm so sorry to hear about your Bonnie, sounds like she loved every second of her life. Clyde also, my heart goes out to you and your family, I'm sending you my thoughts and prayers. Please give Clyde a big cuddle and kisses from me. I wish I had a magic wand to cure all our fur babies and make them live as puppies forever. Your Bonnie looked very similar in looks to our Penny.

Barneys back end is starting to go as well, he is still going out for his three walks a day, but he cannot really go that far now, they've both got really old in the last 8 months or so. They've both had a bad vestibular attack, Pens was really bad, she ended up at the vets in the middle of the night. Barn can stumble about at times and wavers when he is standing still, his bottom rocks to the right and he falls over now and again. But he is totally happy and still runs around the house when you pick up his lead, barks at the window and jumps on the bed, he's like all goldens, an eternal puppy. He still pulls like heck on his lead as well, he's very strong. The same goes for Barn, as soon as he is loosing his quality of life we will not let him suffer. He was the runt of a litter of 13 pups and he has been plagued by illness throughout his life but he is the most sweetest, sensitive mummies boy. I cannot even go to the bathroom without him following me, he thinks he's missing something. 

They were both vet checked several weeks ago because we were worried about how they have aged so fast. They were checked over and we were told they were actually doing quite well for their ages, even given their problems. Pens mouth started changing colour from black to pink over a year ago now. I've pointed it out to our vets during her booster then, and on her health check recently, they didn't see any obvious problem with it. However, very quickly over the last couple of weeks it grew, I guess that is what happens.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*reply*



Penny and Barneys Mum said:


> I'm so sorry to hear about your Bonnie, sounds like she loved every second of her life. Clyde also, my heart goes out to you and your family, I'm sending you my thoughts and prayers. Please give Clyde a big cuddle and kisses from me. I wish I had a magic wand to cure all our fur babies and make them live as puppies forever. Your Bonnie looked very similar in looks to our Penny.
> 
> Barneys back end is starting to go as well, he is still going out for his three walks a day, but he cannot really go that far now, they've both got really old in the last 8 months or so. They've both had a bad vestibular attack, Pens was really bad, she ended up at the vets in the middle of the night. Barn can stumble about at times and wavers when he is standing still, his bottom rocks to the right and he falls over now and again. But he is totally happy and still runs around the house when you pick up his lead, barks at the window and jumps on the bed, he's like all goldens, an eternal puppy. He still pulls like heck on his lead as well, he's very strong. The same goes for Barn, as soon as he is loosing his quality of life we will not let him suffer. He was the runt of a litter of 13 pups and he has been plagued by illness throughout his life but he is the most sweetest, sensitive mummies boy. I cannot even go to the bathroom without him following me, he thinks he's missing something.
> 
> They were both vet checked several weeks ago because we were worried about how they have aged so fast. They were checked over and we were told they were actually doing quite well for their ages, even given their problems. Pens mouth started changing colour from black to pink over a year ago now. I've pointed it out to our vets during her booster then, and on her health check recently, they didn't see any obvious problem with it. However, very quickly over the last couple of weeks it grew, I guess that is what happens.


Praying for Penny, Barney, you and your husband.


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