@imbj - Thanks for posting this... any treatments for this in dogs is great and great that there is ongoing research ongoing for all cancer in dogs and humans too!
Gyspy.
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Took Gypsy in yesterday, and so far the diagnosis is: SHE'S OLD {she's 14}.
Initial exam is that she looks very good, but does have weakening in her joints, which seems to be pretty uniform. He didn't do bloodwork yesterday though we discussed it.
He gave her Rimadyl for pain and since we have to go back in two weeks to do blood work to check how that's doing, we agreed that it'd be okay to wait and just do the blood draw one time. {She is very fearful with strangers, esp. since her eyesight and hearing are going, and trips to the vet always freak her out}
He doesn't anticipate anything showing up there…but one never knows.
He said to continue the Glucosimine Condroiton {1,000 mg/day} and up her fish oil intake significantly -- I wasn't giving
her near enough to be very beneficial. I was giving her 2,000 mg a day, now she's getting 7,200.I told them it's very hard to watch her slowly go down hill, and he said it is always very difficult but the animals
are great reminders of how things are - our time is temporary. sigh. I wish Gypsy's wasn't.
Anyone ever hear of a 60 yr old Golden Retriever mix? I'm hoping to have the first!:D
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I totally understand… It was very hard with Maggii watching her go down hill and now OJ (same age as Maggii)... and the other two not far behind.... All we can do is make them comfortable....
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What a sweet face!
Pat
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Aww she is so beautiful. My family dog is getting old, losing his sight, etc. & it is very hard to watch. Hang in there.
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What a beautiful lady you have there. She looks alot like the Golden my parents have now. He is about 12 now. It's tough to see them get old. You just enjoy every day you have with them even more.
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Thanks all.
She really has been the most remarkable dog, and I don't mean in the "trained to do all sorts of cool things" way. In fact, for the first 3 yrs we weren't sure she was ever going to stop eating kids' toys, digging huge holes, escaping the fence, eating food off the table….. she was SUCH a pain as far at that kind of stuff went.
She was a rescue that was thrust into a home full of noisy kids and mayhem, and from day one has adored every child, accepted any love-abuse {if you have kids, you know what I mean}, and has never even growled. She has had up to 30 kids in the back yard running, screaming, playing, fighting, swinging wooden swords, throwing balls, swinging bats.. you name it... she's been tripped over, stepped on, accidentally bonked...again, you name it... and she has never growled, barked, or even looked askance at a child. She plops her self in the middle of the mayhem and refuses to move.
We'd had her for one week and my then-6 yr old son would wrestle with her, flipping her over on her head, and that tail never stopped wagging and she'd jump up for more.
Now, she is 14, and there are still babies and toddlers coming to visit. They all love Gypsy, who endures the "doggy-ear" and love-abuse from them beautifully. The most I get is a look that says, "Oh Mom. Here we go again."
{I do re-direct the little ones to give the old girl a break, but am so appreciative of the fact that she is so incredibly tolerant.}yeah, when this one goes, it's gonna kill us all, and maybe even a few of our friends' kids.
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What a special, special girl she is. She's loved you all for so long you can't remember what you did before she loved you. And you've loved her just as much back. Neither of you can ask for much more than that. Scratch her head for me a few times.
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What a sweet girl and very patient! She's got a good life and is loved and well cared for….I think you all lucked out. Enjoy each day with her.
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I love your Golden, she has the kindest face. I hope she lives her life out to the fullest, and in your hearts forever.
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Oh no, oh no, oh no.
Gypsy keeps having episodes where she cannot move her back legs and has to drag herself a few feet, rest, drag, rest. Often when she is walking upright, her back legs collapse. It's happening more and more and the episodes are lasting longer.
Dh wanted to "talk about it" tonight, but we're on our way out soon to a dinner w/his co-workers and I wasn't about to go with red eyes and a runny nose.
I am so incredibly NOT ready for this.
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Oh no, oh no, oh no.
Gypsy keeps having episodes where she cannot move her back legs and has to drag herself a few feet, rest, drag, rest. Often when she is walking upright, her back legs collapse. It's happening more and more and the episodes are lasting longer.
Dh wanted to "talk about it" tonight, but we're on our way out soon to a dinner w/his co-workers and I wasn't about to go with red eyes and a runny nose.
I am so incredibly NOT ready for this.
We never are… I was not when we talked about letting Maggii go... but in the end, you will know in your heart of hearts that the time is right... we did... but it was not easy....
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((hugs)) Hang in there.
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Thought you could appreciate this - a friend of mine lost her golden
retriever to cancer last year, and friend sent her this written in a card:"I have sent you on a journey to a land free of pain, not because I did not
love you, but because I loved you too much to force you to stay"Hugs, hugs, hugs,…this is the hardest gift we give to our beloved pets.
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Oh no, oh no, oh no.
Gypsy keeps having episodes where she cannot move her back legs and has to drag herself a few feet, rest, drag, rest. Often when she is walking upright, her back legs collapse. It's happening more and more and the episodes are lasting longer.
Dh wanted to "talk about it" tonight, but we're on our way out soon to a dinner w/his co-workers and I wasn't about to go with red eyes and a runny nose.
I am so incredibly NOT ready for this.
Oh no…..I am so sorry....my thoughts are with you....
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Think about her quality of life, and what you would want your loved ones to do for you to keep you comfortable if you were in her shoes, er, paws. If you keep HER the focus, you will do the right thing at the right time. It is so very hard when they have been a huge part of your life for 14 years, and suddenly they are very, very old. Listen to her with your heart.
(((((HUGS)))))
Anne in Tampa
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Think about her quality of life, and what you would want your loved ones to do for you to keep you comfortable if you were in her shoes, er, paws. If you keep HER the focus, you will do the right thing at the right time. It is so very hard when they have been a huge part of your life for 14 years, and suddenly they are very, very old. Listen to her with your heart.
(((((HUGS)))))
Anne in Tampa
Amen to that.. that is what we had to do with Maggii… and I know in my heart that it was the right thing to let her go... It is never easy... but she will tell you when enough if enough... just watch her eyes... as they say, they are the window to the world...
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Anne and Pat: beautifully put.
