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  #151  
Old January 4th, 2009, 11:49 AM
louisetara louisetara is offline
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hi, thank you for replying, the thing is that i have read on the internet that most dogs with cancer in the nose have lots of heavy nose bleeds, were as tara has only had one mild nose bleed, and then maybe a tiny bit of mixed blood and mucas every other day, her face is swollen under her eye and on her nose and her eyes are really weeping, i am just hoping for someone to say it is aspergillosis which i have read about on the internet which i think has very similar smptoms, but the vet obviously thinks otherwise, and its getting too late as she is due to go to sleep forever at 11.10 in the morning, i cant stand the pain i am feeling now and i have yet the worst to come, i dont think she is in pain, although she is restless and sleeps with her head up, and since the vet did the xray and swabbed her nose she now has mucas and blood in both nostrils and making strange sounds when breathing, she is taking medrone tablets,
please pray for a miracle for my baby girl,xx
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  #152  
Old January 4th, 2009, 12:13 PM
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Originally Posted by louisetara View Post
hi, thank you for replying, the thing is that i have read on the internet that most dogs with cancer in the nose have lots of heavy nose bleeds, were as tara has only had one mild nose bleed, and then maybe a tiny bit of mixed blood and mucas every other day, her face is swollen under her eye and on her nose and her eyes are really weeping, i am just hoping for someone to say it is aspergillosis which i have read about on the internet which i think has very similar smptoms, but the vet obviously thinks otherwise, and its getting too late as she is due to go to sleep forever at 11.10 in the morning, i cant stand the pain i am feeling now and i have yet the worst to come, i dont think she is in pain, although she is restless and sleeps with her head up, and since the vet did the xray and swabbed her nose she now has mucas and blood in both nostrils and making strange sounds when breathing, she is taking medrone tablets,
please pray for a miracle for my baby girl,xx
If you aren't certain about the euthanasia, louise, talk with the vet about it. It's your decision--and if you aren't sure about it, you'll fret about it later. However, if your vet found identifiable cancer cells, which look much different than fungal-infected cells, it's pretty definitely cancer.

Are there any specialists close to you that could follow up on the aspergillosis angle? If there are, a referral from your vet will get you in quicker or perhaps your vet can fax the lab results on the cells he saw to a specialist. Veterinary teaching hospitals are a great resource.

Good luck, Louise. This is so difficult for you, I know
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  #153  
Old January 12th, 2009, 10:27 PM
Buzz Lightyear Buzz Lightyear is offline
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Unhappy My Boy - Buzz

I'm the very proud owner and buddy with a yellow lab named Buzz.

He's 12 and up until about a year ago, nothing had slowed him down. Old age started to creep in; hearing problems, arthritis, a bit more anxiety. However, he still had that spirit and goofy love that a lab has.

I got him as a private rescue. The local animal control officer is a friend who found him for me when I bought my first house. He needed a new home, because he was too much for the previous owner.

Anyway.. about a month or two ago he developed what we thought were allergies. Sneezing, occasional stuffiness. Etc. I had brought him to the vet for a check up and oddly enough the kennel vaccine (nasal vaccine) so we could go to the dog park (he had gotten kennel cough there over the summer).

Doctor and I talked about giving him Claritan, which we did.

It helped for a while. He would still have bouts of congestion and sneezing. When he has a really bad sneeze, he would hit his snout off the ground really hard! Well, he started getting nose bleeds around christmas time and I assumed it was from his sneezes. His hearing also got really bad, but I figured he was just getting older.

Then last week, I noticed a lump on the side of his nose about 3/4 of the way down his snout towards his head. Around the same time, he was really having a hard time breathing through his nose at times (just awful sounding heaving and wheezing). I figured bad allergies and gave him nasal saline drops (it seemed to help).

When I noticed the lump (about an inch long and protrudes about 1/4 inch) I knew it was something else and searched for nasal cancer.

Today, we went to the vet. She advises that it could be an infection, but because the lump is so very distinct, it was more than likely cancer.

Knowing ahead of time didn't help, even though I wasn't sure.

Tomorrow we go for an xray series while he's under sedation. They will more than likely biopsy it as well. No food after midnight (which for a lab is just torture), so we both snacked on some yummies and just hung around like the buddies we are!

Reading these posts have helped me better prepare for tomorrow and the months (weeks??) to come.

As a young dog, he was SO wild and crazy (in the good way), goofy and what my dutch great grandmother would call "mukksus (probably not how it's spelled if it is a real word, but she explained it meant goofy, dumb and lovable)". So full of life!

I wont watch him be in pain and suffer. No way. As much as it pains me, I will do the right thing for him and help him on his journey onward.

I'll be with him until the end, as loyal to him as he was to me. No wait, I could never match his loyalty, dogs are truly an amazing breed.

======

Okay.. had to get that and a good cry out.

Does anyone have experience with Proxicam? I think that's how it's spelled?

Thanks and thanks for giving me a forum to put these words down.


.
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  #154  
Old January 12th, 2009, 11:01 PM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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I want to send my prayers to Buzz (and you) tomorrow. I know how difficult having a seriously ill pet can be.

I noticed you were asking about a drug you called "Proxicam". Please check the spelling; I have experience with piroxicam. PLEASE research this drug well and know any and all side effects this medicine can cause. Be prepared. PLEASE.

The reason I stress this is that my beloved little Scottish Terrier was prescribed piroxicam to treat suspected Transitional Cell Carcinoma for bladder cancer--she had a precancerous growth removed and the bladder wall remained thickened. My little dog was in fragile health when she began this treatment. It is important to know that. She was being treated for bacterial hepatitis at the same time. Her liver could not process the medication and it sent her into kidney failure. Piroxicam is an NSAID and one side effect is stomach ulcers. I called her internal medicine vet when she began vomiting and not eating. The vet began treating her for stomach ulcers. By the time we realized she was in kidney failure, she had so much damage there was little that could be done to help her. She spent the majority of her last few weeks in ICU being hydrated, only to come home a few days and back to ICU. We lost our little girl. In order to make our decision to let her go, the specialty vet did a final ultrasound. The piroxicam did work--her bladder wall was normal. Unfortunately her kidneys were gone, her liver was failing and she was bleeding in the GI tract. Remember, my dog was in bad health when she began her treatment. She lost her spleen the year prior and had many severe infections (including the hepatitis). It is probable that her kidneys were already damaged, but not severe enough to be seen on bloodwork (it takes 70-75% failure to show up on the blood panel).

I don't want to scare you away from this medication. It is used successfully to treat some cancers. But please know the risks involved. Please, have your dog's blood drawn very frequently to test the kidney function. It took less than 3 weeks for this medication to poison my dog. She fought bravely for about 6 weeks afterward, but could not recover. Just please, be careful....

Tipper--in my heart
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  #155  
Old January 12th, 2009, 11:15 PM
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I'm so sorry to hear about Buzz. You sound like a wonderful advocate for him.

And he sounds like a wonderful buddy!

Good luck tomorrow, Buzz Lightyear. You'll both be in my prayers tonight. Give Buzz a big hug for me!
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  #156  
Old January 13th, 2009, 02:57 PM
Buzz Lightyear Buzz Lightyear is offline
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It's a Tumor.

Just got the call from the vet. It's cancer.

The next step would be a rhino and biopsy, but they can't do it there. The vet did take a look and is certain it's a tumor, his white count is fine (so it's not an infection).

I'm meeting with the vet after 5pm to talk about Buzz and what's going on. See if I can get a timeline and some other advice on timing and such.

Sad, my little girl is already asking where he is and his human mom is devastated.

My initial thoughts are to take him home; get him groomed and handsome; spoil him with all his favorite treats and just make him as comfortable and happy as possible.

When it's time, help him to the next part and be there with him when he goes.

In between the tears my wife and I were talking about what to do with him after he passes. I said I wanted to take some of his ashes to his favorite places; dog park, the lake; our yard.

She said, don't forget this neighbor's front yard, this other neighbor's back yard, the entire route to the lake (where we would find him if he ran off as a youngster), and especially by the neighbor's garbage cans!

Funny how some of the times he made me the angriest now make me smile....then cry.
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  #157  
Old January 13th, 2009, 03:29 PM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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Buzz Lightyear, I am so sorry you didn't get good news.

I can tell that you love him so very much. I wish my little Tipper had been well enough to have been groomed so she could cross as the beautiful girl she was. I think it is a good idea to have him looking his best if he is feeling well enough.

It is good that you can plan and prepare for what is to come. It will still hit you in the gut like someone punched you, but if you can plan and prepare, you can be in control. We were able to plan where we wanted to bury Tipper, get her an appropriate "casket" and have her special toys and blanket with her. I found comfort in this.

It will be hard for your family. Make sure your daughter understands as much as she is able. I don't know her age, but she will grieve and may not understand. One thing that really helped me was to write a letter to my little girl. I buried her with this. I just had to let her know how much she meant to me. If your daughter is really young, she might want to draw a picture. Make sure she understands that Buzz will always be in your hearts.

I'll keep your family and sweet Buzz in my thoughts and prayers. Remember, the most important thing is quality in life--not quantity. I hope your consult later today can give some encouragement.
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  #158  
Old January 13th, 2009, 10:37 PM
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Oh, I'm so sorry to hear the news about Buzz. :sad:

Your plan is a good one--love him, pamper him, do the things he loves to do. Try to stay positive for him--there will be time to grieve later. Help him live now and help him cross when the time comes.

I love your description of his favorite places... It brought a smile to my face...something I don't get often enough in this thread.

You keep us posted on how things are going, okay? If you need to vent, to rant, to talk or a just shoulder to cry on, we're here.

Your family and Buzz are in my thoughts and prayers.

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  #159  
Old January 26th, 2009, 08:53 PM
BaileyJo BaileyJo is offline
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How to stop the nosebleeds?

Hello All, I have been a silent partner in this will all of you for a few weeks. Our 11 y.o. lab Bailey has all the signs that explained in this post, nosebleeds, lump on her nose, hard breathing and all the enthusiasm & energy of a 3 y.o. Ya gotta love labs.

We have been to our vet 3 times and nothing has been found on the nose/lump issue. A blood test has been done, as has an xray, nose scope and specimen of the fluid in the lump and besides high blood pressure, the tests have been inconclusive.

Baily was put on Prednisone & Enalapril, one is for the high blood pressure, I don't remember which. My vet is more concerned with kidney disease because of the high blood pressure than the nosebleeds. Well in the last few days, the nosebleeds have gotten worse, but I feel my vet has no idea how to stop them. Is there any idea how to stop them? I read in the last few pages that a cool compress on the head may help, but we have noticed that the nosebleeds get worse when we let her out, and it's pretty cold here in Mid Mich, so were not too sure that will work.

Has anyone had any luck keeping the nosebleeds from happening?

Thx all, and I feel for everyone of you and your pets...
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  #160  
Old January 26th, 2009, 09:36 PM
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Welcome to the board, BaileyJo. Sorry to hear about Bailey

The cool compresses might still help Bailey. The reason the bleeding is worse when she goes outside is probably due to the low humidity. A humidifier may help in the house, as well.

for you and your girl!
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  #161  
Old January 26th, 2009, 10:12 PM
BaileyJo BaileyJo is offline
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Nose bleeds

Thx for the reply. I'll give the cool compresses and a humidifier a try. I hope they help, we hate seeing her that way...
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  #162  
Old January 26th, 2009, 10:47 PM
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Running hot water in the shower for a few minutes a few times a day and simmering a pan of water on the stove can add some humidity if you don't have a humidifier.
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  #163  
Old January 29th, 2009, 02:01 PM
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JDFlea JDFlea is offline
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New Edition

Hello to all,
hope you will allow me to share my story as well. I've been following for awhile, and needed to share with people who'd understand. It has been so easy to relate to so many of the posts here that I won't get into all the names of those with the closest experiences...but just know that my thoughts are with you all.

Shrek (for Big Loveable Ogre) the Great Dane is my pride and joy, my world, and my shadow. He's barely 5 years old and in December he started to have nosebleeds out of his right nostril. I was convinced it was because our house was so dry (I got static off the wall once!) and my nose was a bit sore, so I went out and got a humidifyer (Which helped). I also thought the cold temperatures we've had could have irritated things. We had a few bleeds in succession and used a cold compress to help stop them. We took Shrek to the vet and he said it was unlikely the weather and dryness were to blame and he hadn't seen a case of that yet, but if they did not return not to worry. He hoped it might be the first case, but said it was usually caused by fungus or tumors. The nose bleeds stopped for a few weeks.

Well, they returned. :sad: One or two a day for a few days, not as bad. One even started and stopped while on a walk. He seemed happy and not to notice the bloody marks he left while sniffing at the snow. (I thought somebody is going to think something terrible happened here!) Luckily we managed to get him a rush appointment with the vet on Christmas Eve. He was great and said he was still hopeful that it was may be a foreign object or fungus. And he referred us to a clinic that had specialists who had the proper endoscopy equipment and a CT scanner.

About a week ago we got the bad news, Shrek has a very hard tumor that has grown accross the right side and is making it's way over to the left, we were referred to a cancer specialist whom we saw yesterday. We were still , but the options were grim. His cancer is such a 'primitive' cell that they couldn't discern what type of cancer it was! -Not a good sign and points to aggressive progression. It has characteristics of two cancers Adenocarcinoma and Osteocarcinoma.

Sat Jan 24th the change came - the pink strings of mucous started and they were so frequent, I'd wake up to clean his nose. He'd had the biopsy, so irritation and some bleeding were no surprise. Sometimes the mucous is fairly clear with a slight yellowish tinge to it. It's becoming less frequent now, but over the last week, he's progressively been more snuffly, and over the last two days occasionally mouth breathes. He never did more than the occasional sneeze. His breathing is starting sometimes to sound grumbly. But he is still able to rest once he finds the right position and likes to lie on the bed with his head propped on me or a pillow. He still wants to go out/eat/drink/go for walks.

Just like some of you I was told the closest place that had the proper type of radiation therapy (couldn't be cobalt, it had to be more targeted as it was so close to his eyes/brain) was in the and we're in . I was told he would need to be there for a month, and it would likely burn his mouth and nose (like a sunburn but worse) and that although that would heal many dogs stop eating and need a feeding tube. If we were going to go for this, a another type of test would need to be done to see if the type of cancer could be pinpointed as one type of cancer needs surgery first and the other is the opposite. The surgery would be major. And he would need followed-up with chemo. And, even with all this the cancer would almost certainly return.

The next option was Metacam (an NSAID) in conjunction with chemo. This would be palliative so no surgery would be done. Although the chemo is a lesser dosage than with people, and would likely not affect his quality of life, they told me that as a large breed, Shrek would be at increased risk of heart trouble and his heart would need to be checked at intervals and given an ultrasound on occasion. Figured this would just prolong his discomfort and possibly add a heart complication.

The final option would be just Metacam alone to provide some pain relief/anti-inflamatory and possibly slow the growth of the tumor. This is the one I chose. It is so easy to second guess yourself, you always hope that your dog could be the one that would not have the cancer return, but I am trying to be realistic and not put him through a whole lot of suffering for a few extra months. Quality of life over quantity.

On a happier note, right now he is sound asleep on my bed with his head propped up on my pillow! Sometimes he likes to use me as the pillow. Needless to say he is being spoiled rotten! And last night enjoyed some homemade minced pork pie.

I'm sorry this is so long! But EVERY single one of the posts here has helped me, and I needed to share Shrek's story incase someone can use any of the info. that anybody has to go through this, but at least there is somewhere we can go where people understand.

Last edited by JDFlea; January 29th, 2009 at 02:45 PM.
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  #164  
Old January 29th, 2009, 03:45 PM
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Shrek sounds like a wonderful boy. Don't second-guess yourself--it's apparent in your post how much you love him. If you make your decisions in love, you can't go wrong. Go with your heart.

I'm so sorry you and Shrek are having to deal with this You'll both be in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us updated!

And if you need to talk, we'll be here.
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  #165  
Old January 29th, 2009, 05:06 PM
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JDFlea JDFlea is offline
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Red face Thank you!

Thank you Hazelrunpack your posts are so positive and such a source of comfort.

Shrek certainly has no shortage of love that's for sure!

Will keep you posted.
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  #166  
Old January 30th, 2009, 12:28 AM
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What a gorgeous, huggable boy he is! I wish I could be there to help you spoil him rotten.
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  #167  
Old January 30th, 2009, 05:49 PM
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Smile

Shrek says thank you Hazelrunpack!

You should SEE the treats he's going to get after dinner! I'll give him one and a hug from you.

I actually do have a small update for you. I think the Metacam is working for him, last night he actually played with a tennis ball! And today he was perkier, more animated, and more himself. His breathing still sounds pretty bad sometimes, but it's nice to see him looking less !

Hope all is well with your lovely pups! Will check in soon.
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Old January 30th, 2009, 09:27 PM
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I'm glad the Metacam is helping! for lots more good play days!

And you can give him hugs from me any day of the week
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  #169  
Old January 30th, 2009, 09:36 PM
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JDFlea, I just wanted to say that Shrek is a very handsome and impressive fellow. I can feel your love for him in your posts. It takes so much strength to share your story and pain. I know that your bravery will help others.

I hope the medicine works for Shrek for a very long time. You are so right, it is all about quality. Love him everyday. He is a special guy.
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  #170  
Old February 1st, 2009, 01:52 PM
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Red face

Thank you ScottieDog,



It can be hard to make the jump and post, and I hope that anyone in the wings who is contemplating sharing their story does. I'm glad I did, people like you ScottieDog and Hazelrunpack help you to know that you're not alone. It's also so nice to see so many people who their furkids so much, and who are willing to share their advice and experiences with others.

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  #171  
Old February 1st, 2009, 01:55 PM
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JDFlea JDFlea is offline
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Wondering about Bailey

BaileyJo how is Bailey holding up?
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  #172  
Old February 19th, 2009, 10:39 PM
Buzz Lightyear Buzz Lightyear is offline
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Buzz's Time had come.

Last night I took my boy for his final visit at the vets.

I was away on business for three days and my wife had been telling me he was getting worse, but was keeping from me how much worse.

Anyway, got home real late on Tuesday night and his tumor had grown to four times the size it was on sunday. He was struggling, seemed lethargic and he had been losing weight.

It was time.

My beautiful and amazing wife made a wonderful blanket for Buzz. Ironing on pictures of all of us and him, and stitching on "we love you buzz" in nice raised letters.

We got to the vet who had a special room set aside for us... We cuddled and held him on that blanket as he was finally at peace.

It's hard.. so hard.

But as he slowly went to sleep I thought of all the wonderful times and joy we shared and whispered to him about how much we all loved him...

When he was gone, he was so beautiful. Finally at peace. Just the beautiful yellow lab with the yellow eyes that I love.

It was the hardest "right" thing i've ever done in my life.

Thanks everyone for you kind words.

Buzz we all love you.
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  #173  
Old February 19th, 2009, 11:00 PM
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Buzz was a very lucky boy to have been part of your family Buzz Lightyear I'm so sorry for your loss. You made him a part of your life and he'll always live in your hearts.

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Buzz
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  #174  
Old February 20th, 2009, 12:38 AM
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JDFlea JDFlea is offline
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Unhappy Sorry to hear about Buzz

So sorry about Buzz, he is beautiful. What a wonderful gesture the blanket that your wife made was. I'm sure though it may have seemed short, that his life was full of fun and love. You and your family obviously cared for him very much, and I'm sure that he knew that.
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  #175  
Old March 10th, 2009, 12:58 PM
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so sad today

I just found out my old pal Junior has a nasal tumor. After reading all of your
sad accounts of this same affliction I have nearly used a full box of kleenex. Junior's nose started bleeding on March 6, just dripping and he was sneezing alot with some blood splattering. It went away after 24 hours and today he started again, same symptoms, I took him to my Vet and he thought it was probably a tumor. I am not going to put Junior through a scope and biopsy as I have read all of your stories. Also Junior just had a full dental and labs just 2 weeks ago, he has no other symptoms. I am afraid to go anywhere and leave him alone for fear he will be in distress and die alone. He is a nearly 14 year old Bassett. We couldn't ask for a more loyal or loveable friend. I am already missing him and haven't had to make the decision yet!
Junior has been through so much, he had vestibular syndrome in Sept. 07, and hasn't been able to take walks or use stairs for two years since he developed degerative disc and hip disease. We have ramps all around our house to accomodate him and carry his funny shaped body of 50 pounds as needed too! I'll stay posted to see if anyone has advise for me.
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  #176  
Old March 10th, 2009, 01:54 PM
juniorlover juniorlover is offline
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forgot to ask

My Vet put Junior on Vitamin K to help stop the bleeding. Has anyone heard or tried this? He already takes Rimadyl for arthritis, and I don't think it would be safe to put him on another anti-inflammatory? thanks
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  #177  
Old March 10th, 2009, 02:34 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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I'm sorry you and Junior are going through this, juniorlover.

I hadn't thought of Vitamin K supplements to help this sort of bleeding. Please let us know how it works.

Occasionally a dog will get a grass awn stuck in their nasal passage that works into the tissue and causes bleeding. Sometimes the awn can be flushed out during a rhinoscopy. If there's a possibility that this might be Junior's problem, you might want to discuss the possibility with your vet.

Most of the NSAIDs, like Rimadyl, can affect bleeding, so if he's tolerating the Rimadyl well, I wouldn't change it. Also, I think Rimadyl has about a week wash-out time before it might be safe to put him on another type of NSAID without risking gastric upset/bleeding.

Cool compresses might help stem the bleeding a bit. Also, if your air is very dry, a humidifier might soothe Junior's nasal passages.

Best wishes, juniorlover. Let us know how it goes, and remember to appreciate every precious moment you share with Junior!
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  #178  
Old March 11th, 2009, 08:23 PM
juniorlover juniorlover is offline
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Thanks for the suggestions hazelrunpack. Junior is doing better today. A few drops of blood and some sneezing but no acute bleeding. He is taking the vitamin k, maybe it is helping. I talked to the vet about the rhinoscopy and have decided to wait a few more days to see how things go. I'll be in touch.......
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  #179  
Old March 11th, 2009, 09:24 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Glad to hear he's improved a bit

Give Junior a hug and a kiss from hazel, pls
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"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference."

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  #180  
Old March 12th, 2009, 11:41 PM
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JDFlea JDFlea is offline
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Hello Juniorlover,

Glad Junior is doing better!

I hope that it is a foreign body or something like a fungus that is treatable (Shrek's vet was hoping it was fungus and not a tumor). I haven't used vitamin K, but I hope it helps. The rhinoscopy can be quite costly and isn't pleasant, and I can understand why you wouldn't want to put Junior through it especially since he is an older boy already dealing with other ailments; but I know in Shrek's case it gave me closure to know for sure that we weren't dealing with something like a fungus or foreign body.

Hazelrunpack, you might be able to comment on this, or Juniorlover you could ask your vet...if a CT scan or x-ray be able to give any kind of helpful result without the rhinoscopy? Or would they be an added stress, cost, and not much use? (I know they're not as effective or conclusive as when they are used in conjunction with the rhinoscopy...but it was just a thought to perhaps get you more information incase you decided you didn't want to do the rhinoscopy.)

Like Hazelrunpack said, the humidifier can help, and when the bleeds start I don't know what I'd do without my cold compress!

I don't know if my post helped , but Junior sounds like a lovely and special boy. And we'll be thinking of you both.

---------------------
p.s. Hazelrunpack, Shrek is still going! I'll write an update soon.

Last edited by JDFlea; March 12th, 2009 at 11:48 PM.
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