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  #61  
Old May 5th, 2008, 07:38 PM
sabran sabran is offline
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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?

Last edited by sabran; May 5th, 2008 at 07:43 PM.
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  #62  
Old May 5th, 2008, 08:12 PM
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Hi, sabran. I'm so sorry you're going through this.

I don't know about the others, but with Priscilla, the nosebleeds just got very frequent and very severe. One day we were going to take her for a walk and the nosebleed started before she got all the way down the drive. That was very close to the end. The sneezing/bleeding episodes became much more frequent as well.

It's a hard decision to make and it's hard to tell for sure when it's 'that' time. If the Deramaxx is helping and her good times outweigh the bad, maybe it's not time yet.

Good luck, sabran. Hugs to your girl and for yourself. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers and we're here if you need to talk.
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  #63  
Old May 6th, 2008, 06:07 AM
sabran sabran is offline
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Thanks Hazel.

It's been a frustrating journey. In Oct 2007, she was originally missed diagnosed by a novice vet....our vets son...with an enlarged heart and put her on lasix.

Around Thanksgiving she started with unilateral brownish discharge. Our vet told us she had a sinus infection. Once a dog has sinus problems, like humans, they usually have it for life.

Now, we're thinking she has heart disease and sinusitis. Every time she's had breathing problems, my first reaction is heart disease.

Right after Christmas we had her back in the vet...another sinus infection. Looking back at the vets reaction and concern, I believe he had feeling it was something more than just a sinus problem.

Two weeks after that, we had her in an ER after hours. That vet kept insisting she couldn't hear a heart murmur. Because the symptoms were similar to when she was diagnosed with heart disease, I requested to have another chest xray done. The vet said she didn't see her heart as being enlarged..certain breeds have bigger hearts than other. She highly recommended we see their internist who does both echos and scopes.

By looking at the xray, the internist confirmed she didn't have heart disease. But he did tell us she mostly likely had a nasal tumor. He said mostly every case he's seen with a dog over the age of 10 with unilateral discharge had a nasal tumor. Unfortunately, he was right.
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  #64  
Old May 6th, 2008, 09:07 PM
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Sounds like you've all been the through the ringer.

Has the internist ever treated it successfully? Had they found it earlier--when it was first misdiagnosed as a heart problem--would it have changed the prognosis? I've yet to hear of a case that was treated successfully, which is just heartbreaking. :sad:

Best wishes for you and your girl, sabran. TLC and extra cuddling...if she'll allow it, anyway. Those Jacks are something else--such feisty characters! You just gotta love 'em!
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  #65  
Old May 8th, 2008, 02:22 PM
sabran sabran is offline
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I don't really think anybody has found a cure for nasal tumors. Radiation seems to have prolong their life a little bit longer.

At the time of her diagnosis, if radiation therapy was in my area, where she could be in the comfort of her own home, I'd probably would have gone through with it. It's at least a two week process. Living in a hotel would have just been added stress on her.

Since then, the more I think about it..is it really worth it? The average life expectency after radiation therapy is a year. Would it really have been worth putting her through all that..just to have it come back at a later date??

What baffles me is how some literature online states nasal tumors only consist of 1-2% of cancers in dogs, and yet there's boards and blogs all over the internet about owners who's dog have had a nasal tumor. I think in the next few years, with modern technology, we're going to see this number go up.

I've had dogs all my life and she's my only Jack. Boy, is she obstinance. She makes me laugh...she has an attitude like she's to busy to die. Even with her being sick, she's slowed up tiny a bit, but she has not stopped. I've given up trying to get her to relax. I figure if she dies running in the yard...then she'll die happy puppy.
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  #66  
Old May 8th, 2008, 02:38 PM
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That's how Priscilla was, too--only bigger, cuz she was a springer spaniel. She loved to call the shots. I think, on retrospect, that had we gotten her to the vet earlier to have her pts she wouldn't have appreciated it--she wanted to go on her own terms. And as traumatic as it was for us at the time, I finally came to grips with the fact that it was probably exactly how she wanted to go--out under her favorite bushes in the back yard.

She never really slowed down, either--sometimes not even when she had a nosebleed. On her last walk, the bleeding started halfway down the drive and if I hadn't noticed it, she would have just kept on trucking. In Priscilla's case, at least, it never seemed like a particularly painful cancer to have. that this holds true for your little girl, too.

If you think about the millions of dogs that are out there, and that such a large percentage of dogs do die of cancer, even 1 - 2 % of total cancer deaths being due to nasal cancers would involve a huge number of dogs. :sad: I still know far more dogs that died of other types of cancer than have died of nasal cancers But I have to admit that since joining this board, the incidence rate of nasal cancer has dismayed me....
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  #67  
Old May 10th, 2008, 09:20 AM
sabran sabran is offline
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I think the percentage of dogs who die from cancer is more than we realize. Unless they get sick when they're younger, we just assume a dog gets to a certain age and it will die. Do we really know what an old dog died from?

As the internist told us, the reason we don't have a radiation in our area is because they need a CT scanner. The reason we don't have a CT scanner, is they have to prove to the State there's a significant amount of case for it to be used.

What animal healthcare comes down to is the almighty dollar. Unless people have the resources, and are willing, to spend money on testing of their animal, how else can they prove it?
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  #68  
Old May 20th, 2008, 01:54 PM
nrweiss nrweiss is offline
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Unhappy Dog nose bleed

My 13 year old Greyhound Molly started to have nosebleeds out of her left nostril a few months ago. The vet did blood work and then a teeth cleaning. Nothing was to remarkable. They also did an x-ray which the radiologist said looked a little suspicious. Two days later a lump appeared on the top of the left side of her nose. Took her back to the vet, they were able to asperate a little blood and fluid with a needle. I am waiting for that pathology. I don't have a good feeling. SHe is also sneezing alot. All these posts sound way to familiar. It is heartbreaking for everyone who goes through this.
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  #69  
Old May 20th, 2008, 05:38 PM
missy322 missy322 is offline
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nose bleeds/running

I would like to srat by saying to all of you who have lost your family members.
I have read all these stories and have been brought to tears like many of you. My 9 year old husky, Missy, started with nose bleeds back in March. It was not bad nose bleeds, it was more of a runny nose but it was blood. We brought her to the vet and the tech said "be happy its not a shepard, they are likely to have nose cancer" and then proceeded to to tell me that it was probably cancer. I was heartbroken and at a loss of what to do. She had already been taking Benadryl due to the first visit to the vet but it was not helping. The vet gave me options of trying an antibiotic, xray w/biopsy or a catscan which was out because we couldnt afford it. I went home and talked to my husband about our options and we decided to go with the xray so we scheduled it for 2 days later. Well in that 2 days she got better, no more bleeding and the sneezing had slowed down and she was playing like a puppy again. So I brought her for teh xray but the vet said since she was doing better why put her through the sedation if she is getting better so he gave me an antibiotic. Well between then and now she has had some bleeding from the nose but it has never been bad. She is still very playful and eating well but has had some "runny noses" sometimes with blood sometimes no blood. In the past 2 weeks though we noticed a small lump on her upper nose, when I got home today I noticed it was bigger just from yesterday.
In so many ways it sounds so similar to cancer but I dont know, we are at a loss. We are selling our house, I am expecting our first baby and money is tight. I feel SOOOO guilty but cant afford to spend so much $$ and find out there is nothing that can be done. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
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  #70  
Old May 20th, 2008, 08:19 PM
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missy322,
I completely understand your situation. After all was said and done with our Yukon, we were a hurting unit in the wallet, which, will take a long time to pay off.
First thing I would ask is what type of X-ray are they doing? The traditional x-rays showed nothing on our boy, it was the 3D x-ray that gave us results. It's just my opinion, but with the nose I wouldn't bother with traditional x-ray. There's just so much it has to go through.
Second, you could try for a medical type credit card or checked if the vet will do a payment plan.
Yes, it could be cancer. But, it might not be, and could very well be something treatable. I always like to think there's always hope.
Hindsight would tell us to get pet insurance, to ease the financial burden just a little bit, but you can't even imagine something so horrible even happening. Only you can make the final decision, and no matter what it won't be easy.
I hope for the best.
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  #71  
Old May 21st, 2008, 12:55 PM
nrweiss nrweiss is offline
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Unhappy My greyhound

Heard from the vet yesterday and he got the pathology back from the fluid they got from the lump on Molly's nose. He said there were abnormal cells. So cancer it is. I am not putting an almost 14 yr. old dog through radiation. He said we could do a CT scan and a biopsy to see if it is the invasive form or the non-invasive kind. But the end result is she's going to die from it. Like most of you, I really don't have the money to spend right now on such an elderly dog. She is at the moment eating and happy. All I can do is keep her comfortable until the end.
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  #72  
Old May 21st, 2008, 05:11 PM
missy322 missy322 is offline
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Missy

So sorry to hear that nrweiss

I decided today to call the vet again and see what they thought, so I brought her in and they took bloodwork and said they will get teh results of that and see if she can have the xrays. She would not hold still at all so they could not try to get any fluid as it was to close to her eye. So I guess we wait and see. :sad:
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  #73  
Old May 21st, 2008, 08:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nrweiss View Post
Heard from the vet yesterday and he got the pathology back from the fluid they got from the lump on Molly's nose. He said there were abnormal cells. So cancer it is. I am not putting an almost 14 yr. old dog through radiation. He said we could do a CT scan and a biopsy to see if it is the invasive form or the non-invasive kind. But the end result is she's going to die from it. Like most of you, I really don't have the money to spend right now on such an elderly dog. She is at the moment eating and happy. All I can do is keep her comfortable until the end.
I'm so sorry, nrweiss. Cherish every moment and be happy when you're with her...she'll pick up your vibes and you don't want to waste any time being sad while she's still with you. Special s to Molly from hazel and the Pack. Please keep us posted on how she's doing.

missy, good luck with the test results!
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  #74  
Old May 25th, 2008, 09:34 AM
TakenAway2Soon TakenAway2Soon is offline
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To honor Einstein (also known as Barfy)

A Tribute to My Dog

6 May, 2008


He was just a raggedy old yellow and white dog. Not a pure breed and certainly nothing special to look at but I loved him with all my heart. I guess technically you could say he was Paul's dog but he and I developed a strong, unbreakable bond from the many hours we spent together at home. He would watch me intently as I went about my house or yard work all the while seeming to understand anything that I said to him whether it be an off-the-wall comment about the changing Texas weather or to remind him that the Spurs were coming on that night and that he and I would be having our usual date together in the maroon chair to watch the game. His whole life was lived within a 60 x 50 foot backyard and inside an 1100 square foot house. Nothing gave him more pleasure than to lay quietly at my feet wherever I happened to be within his small little kingdom. He usually didn't have to look very hard to find me but if he didn't see me he would go sit by the front door or on the top step closest to the back door waiting for me to come back home to love him. Time meant nothing to him. He would have waited hours or even days. His eyes would light up while his pointed little ears would twitch at even the slightest sound that it might be me coming home to see him.


He didn't know any dog tricks, wouldn't chase a ball, and probably would have whole-heartedly greeted a burglar-in-the-act with a wagging tail. Any other animal or human was immediately his friend; he unabashedly liked everyone but he saved his everlasting love and adoration for Paul and me. He suffered through dog costumes for Halloween, would have ate a rock if I had hand-fed it to him, and patiently tolerated having his dog treats stolen out from under his nose by his cunning and wily younger "sister." He even liked eating cherry tomatoes because he saw me eat them. He was that kind of dog.


In mid-December of his 15th year, he developed a cancerous tumor on the side of his sweet face. It grew at an alarming rate; he was given 2 weeks to live. The 2 weeks came and went. Then a month. Two months. Three months went by. His left eye became almost completely swollen shut because of the massive growth and he was near deaf, but as long as he had the other eye to watch or follow behind me, he was happy. He lost weight and eating became difficult because of the tumor that had now grown inside his mouth. Everyday could have been his last day... but it wasn't. As long as he thought he was needed and wanted, he wanted to be here. His pace became slower and more laborious, his breathing became more shallow, and his bones almost seemed like they were going to poke through his skin at times... but his tail continued to wag. He kept his one good eye on the prize. And that prize was the honor of being able to sit quietly at my feet or lean against me as we watched TV. There was no greater privilege that I could give him.


For five months and through it all, that brave little dog hung on until his frail body just said "enough." Last night we had to let him go. It was time. I wish I could say that I was the brave one; that there wasn't 100 times today that I didn't second-guess that decision. But I can't. No single decision that I've ever had to make has been as emotionally draining or as agonizing.

Suddenly this little house seems a lot bigger without him. And much too quiet. He was my constant companion, my closest listener, and my adored friend. Throughout his life and up until the very end, I took care of him as best that I could but if the truth be known, he took better care of me.


I'll miss him terribly.
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  #75  
Old May 25th, 2008, 09:43 AM
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What a beautiful tribute, TA2S. Einstein was well-loved and loved you back, that much is absolutely certain... And that much love for so long builds a special kind of bond that can never be broken.

I'm so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. May your happy memories make you smile again soon...

Einstein (aka Barfy)
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  #76  
Old May 26th, 2008, 12:48 PM
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Thank-you, hazelrunpack, for your gentle thoughts and kind words. I wrote that tribute so that others could know what an amazing little animal he was and how very much he will be missed. Even now, almost 3 weeks later, there is a huge, empty hole in my life.

In spite of a battery of x-rays, boodtests, and tissue samples, we weren't getting a definite diagnosis as to what was wrong. One night in total frustration and desperation, I found this site after doing a search with some of Barfy's symptoms as the key words. It was so upsetting to read some of the posts (because most of his symptoms matched those described) but yet at the same time it was comforting to know that there were others who could really understand what our little family was going through. ALL the posts were very touching but KiChien's & puppypwr's posts in particular brought tears to my eyes. Thank-you also to YOU, hazelrunpack, for the advice given in one of your posts (#27) about when to know when the time is right to let your baby go. We didn't want to take away even one less day, hour, or minute from our beloved pet than we had to, and it was YOUR advice that we followed to know when it was time. Thank-you.

To the other dog lovers whose baby may have symptoms like those described in some of these posts: There is HOPE in that our sweet dog appeared to have no pain (until the very last day) and he was with us quite a bit longer than what was originally predicted.


He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

-Unknown
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  #77  
Old May 28th, 2008, 02:18 PM
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Scared...

Hello Everyone,

I am new this forum and unfortunately have also come upon it by researching my pups nosebleeds. All the symptoms sound the same:

Pepper is a 14 year old dane/lab dame - so yes a large breed on the senior side of life.
First there were intense nosebleeds only from her right side
The vet was unable to find anything abnormal in her blood or urine.
We got some antibiotics and antiinflammatory steroid and they seemed to help. Once we stopped the treatment a little bit of blood started coming back out of her right nostril but nothing like before. Then the past two nights she could barely breathe and this morning there was still a little bit of blood again on her right side but big gobs of thick yellow discharge out out her left side.

I am not sure if that is a good sign or a bad sign. I haven't read anywhere here that your pups also had a yellow discharge. Could this possibly mean that it is an infection afterall? Our vet is putting her back on the antibiotics for now as we are waiting to hear back from the veterinary school in st. Hyacinthe which seems to be the only place that has a 3d xray scanner to set up an appointment.

Thank you very much in advance for your input! My hearts go out to all of you and your 4 legged loved ones!
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Old May 28th, 2008, 05:10 PM
missy322 missy322 is offline
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Hi Pepperpup,
Missy also had some yellow, almost greenish discharge from her nose. My vet also put her back on antibiotics. They dont know what is going on yet but she goes Friday for an x-ray so I will let you know when I get the results.
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Old May 28th, 2008, 09:22 PM
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that the problem is "just" an infection for both your dogs! That certainly would be a less scary diagnosis!

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Old May 29th, 2008, 12:02 AM
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Hi Pepperpup and missy322 -

My dog had problems with a stuffy nose similar to those that both of you described. It seemed almost like a really bad cold with lots of mucous. After awhile he started breathing out of his mouth. His stuffy nose though was in conjunction with almost constant sneezing. Are either of your dogs sneezing almost nonstop too?

I'm saying a prayer for each of your dogs! Hopefully it IS just an infection or even some kind of treatable allergy. Please let me know...
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Old May 29th, 2008, 07:34 AM
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She does sneeze once in a while - but not all the time. Usually after I wipe her nose
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Old May 31st, 2008, 09:51 AM
missy322 missy322 is offline
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Update of Missy

I just wanted to give an update in Missy, she had her x-rays yesterday. Didnt go so well :sad:. They took fluid from the bump on her nose, from the outside and they went up her nose and took some, and they said it definately looks "suspicious". They sent them out to a specialist "because they deal with this every day so they will have a better idea". The vet said it looks like cancer and the only options we have would be to try a steroid like prednisone or radiation. Radiation is out of the question so she said we have probably 1-3 months.

As for the sneezing, Missy was sneezing a lot for a while before the antibiotics. Sometimes there were like 20 sneezes in one, it would just shake her whole body. But that has gone away, she sneezes still but nothing like before.
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Old May 31st, 2008, 12:48 PM
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I'm sorry to hear that the cells looked "suspicious", missy.

that you get better news from the specialist!

How does Missy seem to be feeling? Other than the discharge and sometimes sneezing, does she seem to be feeling pretty chipper?
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Old June 3rd, 2008, 04:53 PM
missy322 missy322 is offline
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Missy

Thanks Hazelrunpack!
Honestly since the meds wore off shes been back to herself, she hasnt even had a runny nose in a while. She is eating but not a lot, but she is still very playful and drinking and acting like nothing is wrong which is great!
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  #85  
Old June 3rd, 2008, 09:19 PM
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That's great news, missy322! When they're enjoying themselves, all's right with the world. I'm still hoping you'll get good news from the specialist
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Old June 7th, 2008, 04:09 PM
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Unhappy Any Suggestions?

Dear friends, I have been reading many of your posts and am saddened. My girl Libby has actually been lucky. She is 14 and about six months ago started having nose bleeds. I too went through the myriad of home remedies - humidifiers - nose sprays - ....

I decided she had a polyp and took her to a Kansas City Specialist for surgery. The doctor was very kind but assured me my dog had no polyp - She stated that the chances of her having cancer were close to 100 percent - and any option we took would be difficult and expensive. She suggested I take my dog home and enjoy the time we had. (we also changed arthritis medication to Piroxicam - (Feldene in human form))

And that is what I have been doing.

Now, I need ideas. Libby can no longer breathe that well through her nose. That makes pretty much every part of her doggy life difficult. She no longer drinks water - so, I give her crushed ice in my hands - She LOVES this! I also give her little cut up sandwiches where I have saturated the bread with water and this works too. (she also LOVES cucumbers - and I slather them with water) What I CAN'T devise is some way for her to rest where her mouth is open. She will NOT let me put anything into her mouth to prop it open so she can breathe - and try as I may - I can't get her to sleep on her side.

I took her to the regular vet yesterday to be put to sleep and you would have thought we were going to Disneyland the way she carried on - so, the vet sent us home.

If I could get past this sleeping thing - Maybe she could just live on chipped ice and soggy sandwiches.... I don't know. I do know - just like you - this ordeal has taken it's toll on me. I am exhausted and I have cried buckets. When I took her to the vet yesterday - I just handed the receptionist a typed out note. At the top read "I will be crying - it's ok - just talk a little louder"

I am new to this site - is there a special location for pet adaptations?

Libby's pal, Mary with the frostbitten fingers
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  #87  
Old June 7th, 2008, 07:19 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Ah, Mary Sounds like you have a real trooper on your hands! (More power to ya, Libby!! )

Unfortunately, I have absolutely no suggestions for how to get her to sleep on her side or with her mouth open. It might help if you could describe how she sleeps now? With her head between her paws or on your pillow? Does she have trouble settling, or does she settle, then get restless when she finds she can't breathe? Does she sleep on your bed, or on her own? Will she use a round dog bed?

Perhaps some other members will have some ideas.

It does sound like Libby cherishes life and loves her mommy. Hard on you but good on her! (Priscilla was like that, too.)

Hang in there, Mary. You're giving Libby the best gift in the world--your love.
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  #88  
Old June 10th, 2008, 12:23 PM
Libby Girl Libby Girl is offline
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What a MESS

Ok, Libby (the 14 year old Border Collie) had not had one of these Blow-Out nose bleeds I had been reading about. She had only had slight blood stains on her bedding (oh, by the way - she is no longer able to get into bed with me - she used to sleep on the floor on her bed beside me - Now, I sleep on the floor down beside her! - she sleeps on her stomach with her head between her paws - and that is how she has slept for about the last two years - thank you for asking)

Now, Monday morning before work - I am ready for work - I let Libby outside and when she comes back in she sneezes, Then, it starts - She is sneezing blood out of her nose all over - I herd her into her room and while sneezing (rapid fire sneezing) - she manages to eat her (bloody) ice chips - UCK! (I changed them twice but it was of no use - her nose is right there dripping into her ice) I am covered with blood - but, I go on and feed her breakfast - she is eating and carrying on while she is experiencing this nose bleed - I decide to put her back outside - while I clean up some.

Now, here's the gross part - she is standing at the door - sneezing - but, hitting the door with her paw ("I want in") - and I'm cleaning and motioning to her with my finger - (one minute) (she is deaf - so I have to use sign language - did I mention she was smart?)

Anyway - I go to let her in - and next to the door is this GROSS piece of tissue - healthy looking - kind of like a piece of chicken fat - about the size of a heaped over teaspoon. Next to it is a blood clot the size of a dime - and yes, her nose is still bleeding and she is still sneezing.

I put her on her clean bedding - clean up - and go to work.

When I came home - she seemed to be breathing a little better. I'm not optimistic - her lungs sound heavier, but, I am proud of her for blowing that thing out of her nose - I could have never done it and I have larger nostrils!

(I have that thing saved in my refrigerator - properly marked - and I took a photo!)

OH, she has also figured out - if she puts her nose on the window sill - she can drop her jaw open - it only works for a moment or two - but it still helps.
(I have also put a chair into her room that has a structural rail about three inches off the ground - in hopes she will use that the same way)

Thank you to all that have read - and best luck to you and your dogs. We can only do for them what we know. And we can all know more if we share.

Thank you.
Mare
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Old June 10th, 2008, 12:53 PM
TakenAway2Soon TakenAway2Soon is offline
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Re: Missy

Mary -

Are you going to take the tissue sample to your vet for a definite diagnosis? My heart is just breaking for you and Missy. I know so well (too well) what you and your 14-year-old companion are going through. It's the feeling of helplessness that's the worst.

Please keep us informed. I hope that sneezing out that blood clot will help her to breathe a little easier. Saying prayers for her and you...
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Old June 10th, 2008, 11:16 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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that she breathes a bit easier now! I hope you do bring in that tissue for analysis--you might get a better idea of what you're dealing with.

and for you and Libby!
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