[sabran]

My 11 year female Jack Russell was diagnosed this past January with a nasal tumor in her left nostril. We opted not to have the radiation treatment due to the expensive, the average life span only being a year,....and the closest hospital being three-four hours away.

My vet suggested a medication used for arthritis called deramaxx. He says in some study's it has shown to slow the progression of the tumor and in other signs of shrinking it. Has anybody had this prescribed to their dog?

We don't know if it's done either. What it has done is give her a better quality of life. About an hour or two after she takes her pill she's back to her busybody self....and is eating me out of house and home.

In March she started with nose bleeds where she sneezes clots. She seems to get it about every two weeks. During her last nose bleed there was blood coming out of her right (good) nostril. Lately, she also sounds like she has a lot of post nasal drip and some blockage in the right nostril. She has no deformity to her face.

Of course my fear is the end is near....even though I've felt this way about a hundred times since she's been diagnosed. I dread having to make "THE" decision. I want her to go when she's good and ready to go.

My question to those who've been through this...was there any telltale signs to your dogs final days?