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Posted 2/5/2010 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
i know this is not directly related to fms, but some of you have been so kind to comment about Mr. Murphy's health today ... so I thought I would explain a bit.  It's bad enough that we are in a blizzard and I hurt everywhere ... but this is surely going to put my FMS right over the edge!!!!!!!!!

I did call the vet, she thinks he is anemic, but not due to heartworms.  thinks it may be something called hemangiosarcoma.  it's apparently common in big dog breeds (he's a st bernard) and happens quickly ... they go from 'fine' to 'gone' in 6-8 weeks if that is what it is.  if it is, there is nothing to do but keep him warm and comfortable.  we are in the middle of a horrendous blizzard ... it is too dangerous to drive him to the vet's office.  she suggested that we keep him calm and warm, snuggle him and love him up, and give him some dog vitamins with iron and "B12". 

she said she would come in to the office any time over the weekend if he gets any worse and we think we can drive.

she offered to let me bring him and fill out an application for something called 'care credit', which would give us 3 months to pay the bill with no interest.  but she agreed that no matter how much we love this dog and want him safe and healthy, the roads are too dangerous and it's not worth risking the lives of people to get him back there to their office right now. 

he's been laying on a chair all day, looking at me with sad eyes.  He's panting, his gums are white, he's grumpy,  he has been growling at the other dogs, and he keeps making this barfy cough sound.  He's fainted twice in a few days ... it's like he gets all stiff and just falls over then gets right back up.  The first time, I honestly thought he just fell on the ice, but the second time it was more obvious.  She said that was likely 'syncopy' ... not enough oxygen in his body and when he exerts too much energy he passes out for a moment .. then O2 levels go back up and he's back on his feet. 

i love him .... and i am hating this d#$n snow more than EVER today.  But we're trying to have a positive attitude and just be cheerful and calm around him. 

Posted 2/5/2010 7:36 PM (GMT 0)

Oh my! I'm so sorry to read this and to hear this. I apparently missed your other post. My very first dog, a golden retriever named Chivas Regal, had hemangiosarcoma. He was 12 when we had to let him go. He went from being perfectly fine one day to not being able to get off the floor the next day. His was on his spleen and the vet did emergency surgery on a Sunday, the day he couldn't get up. Sadly, the tumor had ruptured, so the cancer spread all over. He did, however, live another five months and they were really good quality months, until the very end.

See if you can rub some drops of water on his gums or get him to chew on an ice cube so he doesn't dehydrate.

Will your vet call in a prescription for pain meds? I had one of my dogs on Tramadol and she did very well on it (not for the hemangiosarcoma).

Are there any vets in your area that will come out to your house? I realize you are in a blizzard which is making it next to impossible for anyone to go anywhere. I think if it was me, I would just want to make sure my pup wasn't in any pain.

I will pray for you and send prayers your way for your dog. I'm sure this is a very painful time for you.

Miriam

Posted 2/5/2010 8:05 PM (GMT 0)

I'm so sorry about your dog.  I think that 'pets' seem to be one of the most popular topic we fibromites discuss on this forum.  They mean so much to us...understand our pain and limitations more than most people.  I have been dog sitting for my sons chocolate lab and he had a seizure yesterday.  I didn't know what to do!  It's so hard to watch them suffer when they can't tell us what they want, of if they are in pain.   And... I know what you mean about the weather.  It was blizzarding here when the dog was seizing and I kept thinking I couldn't get him to a vet if I wanted to!

Give him a soft hug for me.

huggies

Donna

Posted 2/5/2010 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
Do-over, I'm sooo sorry  your dog is sick.  I'll be praying that your vet's hunch is wrong and it is something that can be taken care of easily. 

 

My cousin has a bulldog that has a heart condition and will faint.  She is only three years old and they discovered the problem before her first birthday.  They told her that the dog would only be around for about a year.  Well, it's over two years and Chloe is doing just great!  It's amazing what love can do.

 

Sherrine

Posted 2/5/2010 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
thanks everyone. Murphy is laying on the floor in the only carpeted room in our house ... we've all been sitting with him and petting him. He seems cold to me, and sleepy. My husband says that we live in an old farm house and the floor is cold ... but I'm not entirely convinced. The other 2 dogs are not cold.

Another of our dogs, an 8 year old lab/pit mix is laying with Murphy too ... they are all snuggled up together.

We gave him the vitamins that they suggested, and he liked them (they taste like beef!) She said that he wouldn't likely be in pain, just sleepy and lethargic. (I asked her about if he was likely to be hurting, she didn't think so.) She said when they are this anemic, they just fade away sometimes without medical care.

I feel like such a bad dog mom.

I'm hoping that it's NOT hemangiosarcoma. I'm hoping that he'll rest well and perk up and be ok til we can get him to the animal hospital. the fact that we dont' even have enough money to make our MORTGAGE payment this month means that we don't have anything extra for a big vet bill either. :(

Laying on the floor with a sick dog is not doing much for my FMS, but the look on his face and knowing that I'm right here with him makes it worth whatever pain is coming later. He's part of our FAMILY. He's certainly taken care of me (and the kids!) ever since we adopted him! The week we rescued him, my daughter was really sick and he never left her side.

Thanks for the kind words and good wishes .... I really do appreciate it!
Posted 2/5/2010 9:16 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so sorry about your dog. It is hard to watch our fur babies suffer. Sending prayers.

Hugs, Robin

Posted 2/5/2010 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
Do-over,

I am so sorry to hear about your dog.  I lost one of mine in November and am still sad about it.  They become part of the family.  And we feel so helpless  when these things happen.  I hope and pray that he will get better.  You become so close, you are there to comfort him right now and that means a lot. 

This is hard for me, because I know how you feel.  And it makes me cry.  I just hope that he will be okay.  Know that I am thinking about you.

Gentle hugs, Karen

Posted 2/6/2010 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
I am so sorry to hear about Murphy and I do hope the vet is wrong!
Posted 2/6/2010 1:12 AM (GMT 0)
Sending you soft cyber (((hugs))).

Austen
Posted 2/6/2010 1:27 AM (GMT 0)
thanks! I do have to say that I love our vet though! She is so wonderful ... just called a little while ago to see how we were doing. And she told me that she thinks I AM a great dog mom .... but that I'm also a great PEOPLE mom, and that she knows that my childrens' safety is the only reason I don't have Murphy at the clinic. (God only knows how much snow we already have .. and it's still coming!!!!)

He is resting by the fire place ... still not very spunky .. but did seem interested in eating supper. It worries me that he keeps growling at my other dog though .. he never does that .... and she's a 17 year old cocker spaniel mix ... SHE is the one we always worry about .. because she is so darn ancient ...
Posted 2/6/2010 4:54 AM (GMT 0)
Do-Over,

I think when dogs don't feel well, they do growl; it's their way of communicating "leave me be"...doesn't mean he/she is going to hurt your other dog. Your other dog will understand to stay away (hopefully )...
I'm sure you are a good dog mom...you wouldn't be on hear telling your story if you weren't. What a horrible situation, with the blizzard and all. It has to be so stressful for you. I hope you can try to relax. You know what stress does to all of us, and I am keeping your baby in my thoughts and prayers...
Miriam
Posted 2/6/2010 12:50 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so sorry that you and Murphy have to deal with this. I hope that the vet is wrong and you both have many wonderful years yet together.
Posted 2/6/2010 10:44 PM (GMT 0)
The vitamins and rest seem to be helping a little. He got up and walked outside for a bit to pee ... then came right back in ... but didn't pass out! And he stole a hardboiled egg off the counter ... so I reckon he's feeling a little more like his old ornery self. He's still got white gums, and his ears are low ... but no passing out and no growling at the other dog for a while. We're gonna consider that PROGRESS!
Posted 2/10/2010 10:38 AM (GMT 0)
Just wanted to let everyone know that Murphy is doing a little better. He actually got up and tried to dance with me yesterday! (Yes, our dog dances. when we turn on the music, he pounds his enormous front feet on the ground and walks forward and backward with us. hilarious!)

his gums are still pale, but he's not panting or growling anymore, and his appetite is back. we've given him lots of the vitamins that the vet recommended, and some home made liver powder dog treats that he LOVES. (eww .. they stink in the oven though!)

I have only been out of the house once since THursday, and that was yetserday morning .. to take 2/3 of my kids to the dr because we've been sick all weekend too. The little one started complaining of ear aches and got a fever ... and the oldest is allergic to ALL antibiotics, so when it sounds like there is an infection in the house we need to know. By the time we got to the dr, it had started to snow AGAIN ... so we hustled home. The vet is 35 minutes in the opposite direction from the pediatrician .. so we didn't get to take him to the vet AGAIN .. and it has been snowing solid for the last 15 hours .... so not sure if we'll get there today, but I did CALL the vet yesterday to check in and she said it was good that he was improving. Said it's not likely that he would even still be around if it had been the hemangiosarcoma thing and he hadn't had immediate surgery. So .. I have no idea what's causing the anemia, and I don't have a lot of money to investigate, but at least he's more comfortable now and seems to be feeling better.

On the other hand, my ancient 16 year old Cocker mix is getting really confused. REALLY. This morning she asked to go out at 4, and then wandered down the driveway (which is flanked by 6 foot tall snow mounds from the plow) and got LOST in the driveway. I had to go out and get her. And after all that, she had forgotten to pee out there .. and did as soon as she got in the HOUSE. Like I said before, she is the one we are usually worried about .. and I have a feeling her days are numbered. We love her dearly .. I have had her since my son was 10 months old. My kids don't have any memory of life without Becky. She has been a wonderful, happy, sweet dog for a long time, and doesn't appear to be in any pain at all, but she is definitely reminding me of a person with advanced Alzheimer's ... she'll go into a room and stnad there like she's thinking "WHY did I come in here again"? She will be eating, and wonder off before she's finished it all. She doesn't hear well, and has cataracts, but can still see. She stares at the wall sometimes ... or scratches on a door but then doesn't want to go out. Poor sweet Becky.

Anyway, all the dogs seem happy, they played in the snow a little, and they are loving laying by the fire with us every day. I wish I could post pics on here .. I got some great ones of 3 dogs and a cat laying in one armchair together looking at the snow falling out the window.
Posted 2/10/2010 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know how but I missed this Do-over. I'm so glad he is improving and hope the weather clears so you can take him to the vet.

 

It is so painful to watch one of your family members suffer, even if they do have four legs. Been there done that about a year and a half ago and I still miss our Brandy even though we have two pups, there will never be another Brandy.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 2/10/2010 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so glad Murphy is improving!

 

Sherrine

Posted 2/10/2010 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
Do Over
such great news! I'm certain you are so relieved for Murphy! I'll keep sending warm thoughts and prayers your way.
Becky, poor soul. Believe me, I understand doggie dementia. There really is such a thing. I have had two of my dogs have it; one my Bichon Herbie. What you described are the classic signs of dementia in dogs, except Herbie would wander off in the house and then bark and bark until I'd go get him. He truly was lost, and I'd bring him back to my office and we'd start all over again. Cassidy, who was almost 17, a mutt, had cataracts and dementia and again, the same signs. There is a medication for doggie dementia, but it is expensive. I decided against it, but my vet recommended melatonin, anywhere from 3 to 6 mg at night, to help with the anxiety caused by the confusion. I gave it to my mutt Cass, and it really did help calm her. She eventually went on Tramadol because of her painful arthritis so I stopped the melatonin. You might want to talk to your vet about it and consider something for sweet Becky. It's so hard watching them age. I wish you well
Miriam
Posted 2/10/2010 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
wow .. that's amazing. dog dementia. i was kidding about alzheimers, but it does kind of make sense. today she stood in the corner for the longest time, just looking at the walls. somedays she walks into a room and gets that look like "WHY did I come in here again?".

She is a sweet old lady ... very gentle, gorgeous, classy, and was always obedient. She has started having some potty accidents in the house though, and that freaks her out. She always looks "sorry". People who aren't DOG FOLKS don't get that .. but dog lovers know what I mean.

Anyway, we all had a good day today. We made paper snowflakes out of coffee filters, watched some tv together, cleaned the house a little, and laid in bed reading books together for a long time. Becky was there in the middle of all of it ... my oldest son Adam loves her so much .. she is kind of 'his dog'. He carries her around, and lifts her onto his bed every night. So sweet.
Posted 2/10/2010 11:28 PM (GMT 0)
Do-Over,

I am glad that you had a good day. I have a dog that is almost 14 and she has cateracts and doesn't hear well. That must be why her snoring doesn't wake her up. lol... She really does snore loud. She is a sweetheart too. She is a funny looking dog. She looks like an australian cattledog, but she is brindle like a pitt bull. She has a crooked white spot on her chest and white toes except for one front foot, she has a white sock. And her ears are black. Her name is Chance. I rescued her from a neglectful situation when she was about a year old. I have had her for a long time.

I am glad that your babies are doing better. Please do keep us posted on how Murphy is doing. I am glad that he is getting better.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 2/10/2010 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
You know it really isn't any different if it is a human aging or a beloved dog. Brandy lost all control of her bladder the last few days and she always would look so embarrassed even if she threw up in the house so losing all control of her bladder had to be so embarrassing to her, it would be me.

 

I wish these two little ones would get to that stage. They do good with an occasional accident. I knew going in that shih tzus are harder to potty train. Krissy doesn't seem to be able to hold the poo as well as she should.

 

I so hope Murphy continues to improve.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 2/11/2010 3:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Do-Over,

Seriously, do a Google on doggie dementia and you will see there is some very serious information on it. My mom has Alzheimer's. She was diagnosed over 7 years ago, lived with me for a year, and I've done so much reading on it that I had "that feeling", I just had a hunch, when my Bichon began to be confused. He also had cataracts and began to have hearing problems too, so it's hard to tell the difference, but when I took him in to the vet and she asked me some specific questions, she said it was dementia. Then my Cassidy got it too. Like people, something is going get ya...one way or the other, we all leave this earth.
be well
Miriam
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