# Looking for advice..



## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Champs Mom*

Champs Mom

I think that some cancers and lymphomas are just FAST MOVING, or not as easy to detect! I lost my Smooch within 2 wks. and she had been healthy, too-she was 11.5 years old. What I regret is that when she became ill the last time the vet wanted to do an xray of her stomach and abdomen and a blood test and I was trying to save money. I lost my job 2 1/2 years ago. In the meantime, the vet treated her hoping it was an infection. As it all turned out, if we had done the xrays and blood tests in the beginning, the vet would have known it was lymphoma or hemangiosarcoma and Ken and I would have sent Smooch to the Rainbow Bridge then.

What did they say it could be?
Is he eating, drinking?


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## Champs Mom (Mar 27, 2012)

He is eating his rice and chicken - small amounts a few times a day. He does drink his water. Thanks to the pain med he is moving around well even going up and down the stairs to go out and to sleep near the bedrooms. The vet has said either they can work with us on the diagnostic tests and go from there or keep him on the pain med for his hips/legs and just see how he does. I guess my thinking is that too spend that kind of money on the tests when all that's going to do is pinpoint the problem, not fix it and with his age and the liklihood that it can even be fixed seems crazy. I am leaning toward just seeing how it goes - he seems happy and is moving around well - the only thing they have mentioned is the possibility of lymphoma or cancer.


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## janababy (Jan 2, 2012)

I am so sorry that he is not well. I can only tell you from experience. We had a German Shepherd how was not eating they did blood work and xrays. They read the xrays and said that he would probably get better with time. I held out so much hope for him, he was my "heart" dog. I use to feed him this food paste the vet gave us. They said to suppliment water wth gatorade because it would help with his electrolytes. He wasn't getting better. A dear neighbour said we are going to see her vet. I had to literally begs for our dogs medical records and xrays. The vet had me come into the roo while she read his xrays. There was a "cloud" around his ribs. I asked what she saw. She answered, it was what she didn't see. His organs were shrouded by what I found out was to be cancer. The last vet did not even mention anything like that to me. I wondered how they could have missed that. I felt so guilty that I had let him endure a week of pain like that. I know it is an expense but it might be worth a second opinion. To this day I still think about how I would have handled it. Sorry for such a long response. I wish him all the best.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I’m so sorry. Cancer in dogs develops in relation to how long they live. They develop so quickly as puppy and live such short lives. So cancer just moves so much faster and goldens are so stoic. They can be horribly sick and not show at all. I hope he improves. Personally I wouldn’t do the additional blood work. I’d get some good pain killers for him tramadol and gabapentin and you’ll see improvement for a while. Then they will decline again. I’m really sorry I’m not trying to be a jerk, I’ve just been there so many times now, I know what to look for and what to expect. I hope I’m wrong. Enjoy him while you can.


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