Sick Dog

[Connemmara]

Well my wee dog has been not himself for about 2 weeks now - I do have an appointment for vet on Monday - have watched him this past two days and have realised he is a bit swelled ie fat but thought it was not getting out every day as I have been unwell myself. Anyway he has become withdrawn and quiet - my brother took him out for an hour and half this morn and he came back choking for a drink but I watched him and he could not drink the water and just stuck his paws into water to cool down - also realised the yard was not covered in his
p ss - usually the yard is like a river. Cant wait to get to vets - anybody know would it be either his kidneys or bladder. Thanks - he is eating his food but completely different wee personality.

[Connemmara]

Hi Josaphine - well Harvey got a biopsy done on his neck yesterday but prove me if I am wrong - I left him in 9.00 am and they told me to pick him up 4.30 - but when I got there vet said Oh by the way the lumps reduced very well over the weekend but we went on with the biopsies. Should he have done so when they were reduced. Anyway Harvey is very much a house dog - I bought him a new ball and when I go out into yard is willing to play with the ball but retreats back into kennel. He is 60% right. I took him for a walk today which he was happy about - I put soft hankies round his wee scar and he was fine. Do you think the vet should have gone with the biopsies when they had reduced. Thanks to you Josaphine and to any reply. bye

[woofgang]

Yes Conne I do, sometimes fluid can gather around a "nasty" lump or the lump itself will hold fluid, especially if he had stopped peeing.

[Connemmara]

Awww - thanks for your reply Woofgang - it is just my friend (after it is all over) said to me she had no faith in the vets I went to - but on Friday I panicked and I was truly glad of anybody taking me at 5.00 pm.

[woofgang]

how is he in himself?is he drinking and peeing again?

[Connemmara]

he is drinking and peeing bless him but still retreating outside. Anyway it is nearly quarter to on1 have got him into his beautiful bed in bedroom - bless him it will take 2-3 days to get better. I hope!!!!!

[josaphine32]

hi, even though the lumps in your wee man are reduced, I would think the antiinflamatry pain relief would have helped with the swelling, I think the vets were right to go ahead with the biopsy, as they obviously think there is something underlying in his condition, I had biopsies on the lymph nodes on one of my pets, the results came back as benign fatty tissue, hoping you get the same type of news for you and Harvey,x

[Connemmara]

Hi all, just letting you know that Harvey is doing fabulous back to his own wee personality. The only thing I am disappointed in vet after care - they never contacted to see how he is etc. anyway I had to chase up the fact when he is to get his stitches out - oh they said 7-10 days - another traumatic day for him. I have asked numerous times what about the biopsies - oh after two weeks they haven't got the results back. Anyway the most important is getting these stitches out and my wee Harv is back. Thanks to all were interested.

[friedgreentomato]

Conne which vets do you use? As you know I live in and around Belfast and my vets was fab - are you anywhere near the Lisburn road?

[Connemmara]

I used stockman's lane but will use Braemar on the Lisburn Road - please God - there is no next time.

[Connemmara]

friedgreentomatoes - sorry if I put you off in giving me advice re vets - where would you recommend yourself. Thanks

[friedgreentomato]

Hi conne sorry just seen your reponse - Braemar was the one I was going to reccommend - Shane is a doll and so good with the animals and very reasonable as far as vets go.

Good luck at the vets xx

[Connemmara]

Well just in from vets and I am so confused - vet said Harvey has carcinoma in the thyroid - so I asked him what's next - he said about 5 different things.

1. Go in and take the lump out
2. Give him steroids
3. Keep giving him painkiller
4. Or leave him alone since he is bright and happy.
5. Give him a scan/x ray to see if it is anywhere else.

My God I can't make a decision on that. In the meantime he is saying to me "Oh I will ring the laboratory again" - don't ask me why - surely this should have all been done - the laboratory did ring and just echoed the above.

I always said to myself I never could put him going backwards and forwards to vets as it is too traumatic for him. Rung a friend who said their wee dog died in February this year but were running to vets from October 2012 and in the end had to get the dog put down.

What do you guys think. I do know it will be my decision but would be helpful to know your opinion. Thanks

[mrs.chappie]

Oh Conne, so difficult to advise. What a dilemma for you. I do hope the wee dog has a good outcome, whatever you decide. x

[Connemmara]

Hi all - I did notice none of you replied to my posting - I guess you would not know what to advise. Anyway with the painkillers - he is back to his personality big time - but I have made a decision at the present since he is happy and bouncy I am going to leave him alone - I couldn't put him through getting lump removed etc then chemo then radiation perhaps for a few months more - I would rather him end his day with happiness. Another sad time for myself my brother is extremely ill and don't know how long he has got so have got many issues myself. I hope I feel strong to cope with all of this - my brother is in hospital for 2 weeks and not making progress with breathing and has been ill for about 2 years now so now I have other things to think about - I am trying to function normally so letting you a bit of an update. Thanks for your concern.

[tonyav]

Good luck Conn, hope things improve with your brother and your little dog.

[friedgreentomato]

Conne, pretty much as you would with a human you can get a second opinion, why not phone up Braemar and ask for one?

Braemar is very good and has never ripped me off, infact they are very good at explaining fully what is the matter with our furry friends.

For your own piece of mind with everything else you are dealing with I think you have taken the correct course of action

[wolf63]

Conne - I think that you might have confused us by tagging the update onto the old thread.

I am glad that Harvey seems a little better and as long as he is enjoying life that is all we can ask. I know what it's like - I make myself ill worrying about my cat Frankie (he is asthmatic) but he is racing around and annoying his sister.

I am sorry to hear about your brother. My mum died of emphysema in 1996. She had been ill for many years. Look after yourself.

Susan, Frankie and Princess Merlin x

[Connemmara]

thanks tony and fgt - my friend will be going to Braemar some time this week with her wee cat and she is going to ask re Harvey.

[jakep]

If he was my dog I would leave him be while he is symptom free and happy. Then you have to deal with each new problem as it presents. I agree that I would not put a dog through chemo or radiotherapy.
My best wishes to you at what is a truly difficult time with those you love x

[boxtops]

Conne, it's such a hard call. I must admit that (although it didn't involve surgery) we had a dilemma when Rover was taken ill with kidney disease. The vey was insistent that Rover could only eat a kidney diet, which he loathed, and he cried. We made the decision that we would instead feed him good quality senior food - I'd rather have a happy cat with a shorter life on the wrong diet, than a longer and miserable one on food he hated.