My Dog is Sick and I'm Scared

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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I knew this was coming, and I tried to prepare myself. Bean is nine years old. She couldn’t stay healthy forever.

She always was a puker-- every once in a while, she’d vomit a foamy yellowish substance, say a few times a year. I chalked it up to a delicate stomach. However, lately, she’d been vomiting at least once a week, sometimes more. The vet ordered tests.

The first round of tests indicated a slightly raised enzyme level in her liver. The vet gave me an antibiotic and an anti-vomiting drug which did the trick. As soon as she was off them, though, she started up again. The vet drew some more blood on Friday.

Last night, I came home to a message on my machine from the vet, asking me to call her back. I knew. I knew right at that moment. Last time, she left the results on the machine. I tried calling back, but the office was already closed.

I called the office this morning. When I told the office assistant my name, she told me to “please hold.” My heart sank. If the news were of “medium grade” she would have told me, but instead she went to get the doctor.

The doctor told me flat-out that it appears there’s something wrong with Bean’s liver. The last time she was tested, her enzyme level was around 45. This time it was over four hundred. She said I needed to take her to The City for ultra-sound and liver biopsy. I asked her the worst-case scenario. She said it could be cancer or hepatitis.

What she suggested we do is put her on a liver drug and an antibiotic again, in case it is a viral infection. I also need to stop giving her her pain medication. We’ll test again in two weeks, but if she acts like she feels sick, we need to send her up to The City sooner than that.

I’m crushed. My chest feels tight, and I’m constantly on the verge of tears. She’s nine years old. I’m not putting her through chemo. I’m not going to watch her suffer.

She’s nine. I knew this was coming, but I’d hoped I’d have a few more years with her. Even if the meds fix the problem for a while, I know this is the beginning of the end. I have to be strong enough to do the right thing for her, but it’s so hard.

No words can convey how much this dog means to me, and it seeems trite to attempt it. Suffice it to say it feels as though my heart is being slowly torn in two.

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Lissa, you are spot on to say that words are not adequate, and it seems trite to even try. That goes for those of us who would like to offer you comfort, too.

I know the heart break of losing a beloved pet. Even when you rationally recognize it as the circle of life, a necessity, it is still so hard. My thoughts are with you.

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{{{{{Lissa}}}}}}

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My thoughts are with you… I can’t even stand to think about it happening to me, even though I know it will someday. He’ll be 10 in a couple of weeks.

I’m sure you’ll do right by your friend.

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Oh, Lissa! I’m so sorry. My heart goes out to you. I have been in your place with both a cat and a horse. My dogs are getting up there in age and I only pray they go quietly in their sleep.

Your sweet Bean knows you have taken care of her well these years and you will do your best by her now. Hugs!

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My thoughts are going out to you and Bean. I know it’s hard to do what’s best for a beloved pet. Just remember they know you love them, and trust you to help them, to end their pain, and help them find joy. She won’t be angry at you for helping the suffering end, she knows you care.***** Be strong, and love Bean today, tomorrow will sort itself out when it comes.

***** [SUB]I still vividly remember the grateful look a cat gave me from the vet’s exam table as the injection took hold, he hurt so much, he thanked me for the release. [/SUB]

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{{{Lissa}}}

PLEASE let us know how it goes.

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I’m crying.

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i’m so sorry lissa.

last year i lost both my dogs, one of them from cancer that had spread to her liver.

unfortunately, there is nothing anyone can say that is going to make all of this even the least bit better.

enjoy the time you have left with her, and make sure all her days are happy ones.

lastly, never underestimate the healing properties of a happy dog.

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Oh , Lissa . There is nothing I can say that has not already been said here .

I don’t blame you in the least for refusing to go the chemo route , I would not do that , either . Our babies depend on us to take care of them , and to me , this includes giving them a dignified , painless release . I went through this less than a month ago with my beloved Fancy .

You and Bean are in my thoughts and prayers . You have people that care for you here , and we will listen if you need to talk . (((hugs)))

Anna

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{{{{Lissa}}}}

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I know how hard it is to do the right thing–it really is heartbreaking.

I am so sorry, Lissa.

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Lissa, so sorry to hear Bean’s not doing well–your love for your girls comes across in your postings about Bean and Polaris.

It’s so hard as they get older and you realize you’ll have to let them go–my old girl, Shane, is creeping up on 12 and I worry that she won’t be around for much longer–she’s already on maintenance meds for her thyroid and arthritis and now is starting to lose her vision and I think her hearing as well. Or she may be losing her mind as she doesn’t behave as well as she did even a few months ago–I read an article on dog senility and I’m so afraid it will happen to Shane.

{{{Bean and Lissa}}}

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I’m so sorry. Hugs and kisses for you both.

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I am sorry to hear your dog is sick. :frowning: I can remember when I first realized that it was “the beginning of the end” for my dog as well…but the actual “end” did not come nearly as soon as I expected. I know it is scary to face something like this, but sometimes things are not as bad as they seem at first. My dog had many health woes in her final years, but actually survived a lot longer than anyone expected her to (including surviving a bout of cancer, which was successfully cured with surgery). She had a pretty good quality of life up until almost the very end, too.

Until cancer is confirmed, try to keep in mind that it’s quite possible that there is a far less dire explanation for this. It is logical for the doctor to want to rule out the most serious illnesses first…doesn’t mean she thinks it is the most likely answer. For example, my dog once had an abdominal ultrasound, because her blood sugars were out of whack and the vets feared she had a pancreatic tumor. Well, there was no pancreatic tumor thankfully…but the ultrasound findings then led the vet to become convinced that our dog had lymphoma. However, once again that turned out to be a false alarm too. My dog died a few months ago at the ripe old age of 14 from her heart simply giving out, still cancer-free.

In the unfortunate event it really is cancer, I do agree with you that chemo is usually not of much use in animals (not particularly effective in many cases, at great financial cost and emotional difficulty). On the other hand, my personal view is that it may sometimes be worth considering in consultation with a vet.
I looked into the possibility of chemo for my dog when she had her genuine bout of cancer. Since she was able to have her tumors removed completely by surgery and the pathology report indicated the tumors were not especially aggressive, we ultimately decided it wasn’t worth it in her case and that turned out to be the right choice.
Nonetheless, when I was considering it, I found out that a lot of vets seem to feel that dogs do not suffer as much from chemo’s effects as humans do…and in some cases (such as lymphoma) it can indeed buy enough time to be worth considering. Of course, I am not saying that it’s always the way to go, but something to weigh.

My best wishes to both of you!

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Thanks to all of you for your kind words. That’s the great thing about this place: we can argue vehemently, sometimes bitterly, about myriad social issues, but when one of us is hurting, we all try to comfort one another the best we can. Just know that it really is appreciated.

I went to the vet’s office this evening to pick up the medications, and talked for a while with the vet. She didn’t want to speculate, because she said that there are so many things that can go wrong with the liver. I felt like saying, “Lie to me! Tell me you’re certain it’s just an infection and she’ll be fine in a week or so.”

She said I shouldn’t give Bean her pain medication any more because it may be aggravating her liver issue. I know she’s right, but I hate to see my girl in discomfort. All I can give her now is aspirin, at least until we find out what’s going on. (I’ve decided that if I can’t ever give it to her again, for whatever reason, I’m going to donate the remainder back to the vet’s office and ask them to give it to people who either can’t or won’t pay for pain medication.)

All I can do now is wait and watch.

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We had to put my 14 year old puppy down last year, after he had some unexplained neurological issues and we realized that, even if we got through this (which would have been tough - he couldn’t walk) his quality of life wouldn’t be sufficient to keep going. But it was so hard. All of us wanted to selfishly keep him with us longer.

Best of luck and good health to Bean. Lots of us are here to empathize about sick pets, apparently.

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So sorry to hear about your dog. Some facts to help you as you face the future.

In case it is cancer -

Cancer in animals doesn’t always have a bad prognosis. Just like humans, it depends on the exact type involved.

There are board certified veterinary oncologists who make cancer their specialty. Believe me, nobody would do this if all their patients died. If cancer is diagnosed, an oncologist could give you the best idea of what you’re dealing with.

Animals tolerate chemotherapy with many, many fewer side effects than people. In general, it doesn’t seem to affect them all that much. So, don’t let the spectre of a horrendous chemo ordeal cloud your judgement. There are many good reasons not to pursue therapy - but that shouldn’t be one of them.

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I offer my emotional support while you are going through the testing phase, and my fervent hope that whatever it is will be treatable without too many side effects. Take each day as it comes, casting worries ahead of yourself is just borrowing trouble. Love on Bean, make memories, take photos. You are in my prayers.

Wendy and poms

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Good Lord, I was there last fall with my then-10-1/2-year-old Scout. Dug her grave and everything. (Sounds morbid, but I needed something to do and the decision would have had to be made that night and it was looking bad.) Thankfully she recovered and is on lifetime meds. But now all I can think is that the day is coming when I will have to go through it all over again.

Best wishes to you and Bean.