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  #421  
Old September 25th, 2011, 10:23 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Welcome to the board, Malibu'sMom. I'm so sorry to hear about Malibu

As for next steps, well, you do what you can. If it were us, I think we'd likely bring him in for some tests to rule out fungal infection and to talk to a specialist. Just talking to a specialist will give you a better idea about options and prognosis and perhaps make your decision easier. Make sure to get a schedule of fees first so you know upfront what everything will cost, and ask what the test is for and how it will impact possible treatment. If they suggest a treatment, make sure to ask how much time they think Malibu will get in return.

But most of all, don't second-guess yourself on whatever you decide. Make the decision and put it behind you, then focus on helping Malibu to live the rest of his life. Chances are, if it's cancer, even extreme treatment won't get you much time. In that case, you switch your goal to quality, not quantity, and act accordingly.

The beautiful thing is that Malibu won't know if he's dying. He'll just be living life to the fullest for as long as he can. And he'll be doing it under your loving care--and that's going to mean the world to him.

I know how difficult a time you're going through. We're here if you want to vent or need a sounding board. Stay strong and cherish every moment with your boy. And keep us posted, k?
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  #422  
Old February 24th, 2012, 11:30 PM
kevinhyatt kevinhyatt is offline
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Keeping a positive outlook..

Hey everybody, and my condolences to those here who have lost their loved ones..

I'm here because my best friend Buddy recently had a really bad nose bleed (I think).

I woke up yesterday morning to a knock at the door, somebody I was going to do some drywall repairs for that I had completely forgotten about..

During my frantic search for my house keys I noticed a red substance that had run down the side of my bed. My first thoughts were my other dog "Girl" and the fact that she is not fixed.

Since I was half asleep at the moment and in no condition to be dealing with an unknown red stain on my bed, I decided to put it off until I got back from Home Depot.

When I returned I confirmed that it was indeed blood, I checked both of my dogs for any wounds or bloodiness and found nothing. I also checked my female dog to see if she was in heat, and as far as I could tell she wasn't.

The amount of blood was probably about a half ounce and still red after being out for about 3 hours. It also seemed to be mixed with some other slimy substance. After cleaning up the mess with some oxyclean I couldn't think of anything else to do.

I kept my female dog outside or in her kennel just in case she was in heat.. The next morning I woke up and found more blood. This time it was much more diluted than before and not nearly as much. I was pretty sure that the first blood stain was right where my Buddy was sleeping the night before and he was making a lot of nasal noises that night so I checked him over again. I still couldn't find any wounds, so I checked his nose with some toilet paper and sure enough, there was a small amount of blood on the tissue.

Buddy has a history of seizure-like "dizzy fits" so I became very worried and searched the internet to find this post. Of course after reading just one or two pages I started to become even more worried and teared up..

I decided it was VERY important to take him to the vet, but like many people here, I don't have a whole lot of money available. I called my roommate's dad who owns his daughter's house where I'm staying and was having me do some drywall patching and he was very generous to offer me $100 payment in advance.

I had already set up an appointment with the vet at 5pm (this was today) in hopes that I would be able to come up with the money, so I showed up there at the vets office at 4:30 cash-in-hand.

I explained to the vet that I've had Buddy for at least 3 years now and that he's had these dizzy fits since the first week I got him, probably before that. The fits usually happen 2-3 times in one week and then they stop for several months at a time, often they occur after he eats something that he was not supposed to eat, especially pizza crusts. When he's having his fits, he has trouble standing, walks crooked, and at their peak he can't stand up, like he's having vertigo and his eyes move with his body, sometimes they move back and forth (like somebody who has just been spun around a few times). They usually last under 5 minutes, never more than 10. When the fits subside he seems perfectly healthy and happy. I also told him that he was having these inverted sneezing attacks 3-5 times a day for about a week and they stopped about 4 days ago.

The vet gave him a thorough look-over, checked his heart rate and and breathing, he checked Buddy's temperature and got a good look inside his ears and nose.

He seemed perfectly healthy during the visit and wasn't bleeding at all, so I sat down and asked some questions and gave him my opinion. I told him that I thought it was highly unlikely Buddy's dizzy fits could be caused by a tumor, since most dogs with cancer don't live (almost) perfectly healthy lives for over 3 years and he agreed with me on that point.

He said he had never heard of dogs having vertigo due to dietary issues but said he would do some research for me. He said that the cause could be a lot of things; allergies, sinus or respiratory infection or cancer, liver issues etc..

I'm going to take him in to do blood tests as soon as I can come up with another $160 or $240. The $160 will cover all of the blood tests except for protein and platelet tests, and another $80 to test for the remaining possible blood issues. Also they're going to waive the $45 office visit for the next time we come in.

Until I can afford to to have the tests done, I'm going to keep a positive outlook. I hope and pray that it's something that can be treated for a reasonable amount of money. If he does indeed have the death sentence known as cancer, I will cherish his remaining days.. probably cry for a few days, and hold on to all of the good memories for the rest of my life.

No matter what happens, I will be thankful for all of the good times and comfort that Buddy has given me. Unfortunately, we all have to say goodbye to our pets sooner or later, I knew and accepted that fact since the day I rescued him from his previous owner in northern Idaho.

I was spending some time up in Priest River Idaho, visiting my uncle and my dad. Their friends/roomates had adopted Buddy (previously known as Gopher) from the no-kill animal shelter in Sandpoint ID. He nipped at the owner's wife after getting smacked for urinating in the house, so the owner kept him tied up next to a dog house out back. Buddy, being the affectionate dog that he is, spent most of his waking hours yipping and crying for attention.

The owner made plans to take Buddy and his rifle out into the pasture and be done with him.. I was getting ready to leave town and head to Las Vegas NV to visit my mom for the holidays when I heard what he had decided to do.. So I told the previous owner that I would take the dog with me and give him a good home.

Since then Buddy and I have traveled all over the western states. Nevada, California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Texas... Buddy has been there with me through all of the good times and the bad. Almost 100,000 miles of road, hundreds of friends, family, total strangers, at least 50 towns and cities, several campsite parties, bars, rivers, lakes, forests, and mountains have all been gifted by our presence. We've probably peed on fence posts, fire hydrants, trees and bushes in all of the states we've passed through . Without Buddy, I would have been all alone in my adventures and my feet would have been cold many nights without him there to warm them...

It's sad to admit, but when the day finally comes when I have to say goodbye to him forever, it will be the saddest day of my life. I don't think there is anything worse that could ever happen in my life.. If I were to die and go to hell, my worst punishment would be to relive his final day for eternity...

So today, I'm asking you to pray to your god(s) or deity(s) of preference, wish Buddy luck, or cast every protection spell in your book for his health and happiness.. my happiness..

Thank you,

Kevin Hyatt
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  #423  
Old February 25th, 2012, 11:20 AM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Kevin, honestly, given the places he's been, I would consider treating Buddy for tick-borne disease. The tests don't pick up all of them, so you can spend big bucks on the tests and still get a false negative. So often our vets just start treatment with doxycycline if our dogs are symptomatic even if the tests are negative.

The reason I suggest this is that the TBDs can become chronic and they can do really funky things with blood counts--like reduce the platelet levels enough to cause bleeding. I know for sure this happens with anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis and I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't happen for some of the other TBDs that I'm not familiar with. TBDs can also cause neurological symptoms like those Buddy sometimes experiences. So it might be worth a talk with your vet about a course of doxycycline. It's not a terribly expensive drug, and if you can get a prescription from your vet you might be able to get it even cheaper online. Just make sure you work with a reputable online pharmacy (your vet may even have a suggestion).

I wish you all the best for Buddy. I know how stressful these symptoms can be and I hope you get some answers soon Keep us posted on how he's doing, k?
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  #424  
Old February 25th, 2012, 05:40 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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I absolutely agree with hazelrunpack. Even if you can't afford tick tests, a blood test to check blood counts, and try some doxycycline.
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  #425  
Old February 27th, 2012, 05:23 PM
Rosemary15 Rosemary15 is offline
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Hi I just read your story about your dog and the nose bleeds. I am so sorry for your loss. I found your story because I googled "dogs with nose bleeds" and found your story. My 15 year old Cocker spaniel/shelty mix has had the same symptoms as yours. We've done the blood work and everything came back fine. The next suggestion is the rhinoscope, however my husband and I are very hesitant as she is old and what if it doesn't work also it is very expensive. I am curious to know if your dog would sneeze a lot? Our sneezes so hard she hits her head on the floor and just yesterday she sneezed out a massive piece of something, it literally looked like the inside of her nose.
Any help is greatly appreciated. She is a big part of our family and we do lover her dearly.
Sincerely

Lisa
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  #426  
Old February 27th, 2012, 06:29 PM
Rosemary15 Rosemary15 is offline
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My Best Friend

Hello all! I just joined this site and have read many posts about your doggies and their nose bleeds. These stories have all been very helpful to me as I think I've been in denial.
My 15 year cocker spaniel/shelty mix Rosemary has been sneezing blood for a few months now. It took us some time to figure out where the blood was coming from as we also have a toddler who makes messes. But when I realized Rose was sneezing blood and is now constantly bleeding through one nostril, I immediately took her to the dr. They did blood work and put her on some medications. She has finished her medication and just yesterday she sneezed a huge piece of what I believe to be the inside of her nose. I dropped that off to her Dr. in hopes he can tell us exactly what it was.
Her blood work all came back fine and has now left us perplexed. A Rhinoscope was suggested as the next step, however with her age I don't believe surgery would even be an option for us. I did think maybe she had allergies and her nose was dry causing her to bleed....but reality has set in and I do believe it is a tumor.
Is there any other way to find out if its a tumor without doing the expensive ($1000) rhinoscope?
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Please keep Rose in your prayers as we've had to also put our 20 year old Shi Tzu to rest a few years ago and it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life. Not sure if I can do that again.
Lisa
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  #427  
Old February 27th, 2012, 07:35 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Hi, Rosemary15. Welcome to the site, though I wish you'd found us under better circumstances...

Our Priscilla would also have sneezing fits. Occasionally she would sneeze out a blood clot, but then the bleeding would begin again. Did Rosemary have increased bleeding after she sneezed out the piece that you brought to the vet?

I hope the vet can find something out from the tissue you brought in. The rhinoscopy can be expensive (as you're finding out) and often is inconclusive as to whether there's a mass there. The rhinoscope can only go in so far so it can't detect tumors that are way back in the nasal passages. If what Rosemary sneezed out was a piece of tumor, or part of an abscess, the vet may be able to determine what the problem is without having to use a rhinoscope. Did he send it in to a path lab?

We had a rhinoscopy done on Priscilla and they did a flush at the same time. Occasionally, especially in dogs that use their noses a lot, something like a grass awn or some other irritant will get lodged up in the passages somewhere and cause bleeding. A flush will sometimes dislodge such material. Since we didn't know what Priscilla's problem was at the time, we were hoping it was something lodged in her nose. The rhinoscopy was inconclusive and the flush was unsuccessful. Unfortunately, in the end, it turned out she did have a tumor, although other than the vague x-ray suggestion of a mass well back in 'snout' of the skull we never really did know where it was.

With Priscilla, once we had convinced our hearts that she had a tumor, we concentrated on keeping her happy and comfortable. Surgery was not an option for her, either, since she was also 15 and we weren't even sure where the tumor was.

My heart aches for you, because I know how you feel watching your girl and worrying. Wish I had better advice for you. Just know, that whatever you decide to do or not to do, it will be the right choice. This is a hard situation to be in, with no perfect answers, but if you make your decisions with Rosemary's best interest in mind and love for her in your heart, you can't go wrong. Please keep us updated.
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  #428  
Old February 27th, 2012, 10:17 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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You know, my dog had some strange nasal issues. The vet swabbed the inside of the nostril and only found lots of Staph bacteria, but we think that was secondary.

We only did the flush, and it helped him a lot for quite awhile. We combined that with antibiotics and an anti-fungal as a follow up. It made a big difference for quite some time.

I'm wondering if something like a flush, which isn't as expensive, and easier to take for a senior dog, might bring some relief?
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  #429  
Old March 14th, 2012, 10:38 PM
twagner twagner is offline
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Nose bleed

Hi there,
I have a 7 year old lab, border collie, pit bull cross and we just recently spent over $4000 on replacing his ACL. As a result we had to change his food and start giving him glucosamine powder. Now whenever we take him for a walk he gets a nose bleed, but it doesn't bleed any other time. He does get excited when we take him as the last couple of months he has be home bound due to surgery, not to mention he also put on a few pounds as well...but he is not overweight. We really do not have anymore money to spend as we can barely make ends meet ourselves. I love my dog but I'm feeling very torn on what I can do. If anyone has any suggestions that would be greatly appreciated!!
Animal Lover!!!
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  #430  
Old May 27th, 2012, 08:01 PM
bubbybusters bubbybusters is offline
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Nasal Tumor Story and Medication question

Hello everyone! I ended up on this thread googling to see if there was anything I could do to get my lil Baxter's nose to stop bleeding and after reading all of you posts, I have found that my lil best friend in the whole world is experiencing the same symptoms. I guess this is not a big surprise as I was told last week that he most likely has a cancerous tumor in his nose but was hoping in every way possible that the vet was wrong as we have opted to not do any tests. He is a 14 1/2 year old corgi (Baxter) and one of the spunkiest older doggies you have ever seen! I really thought he was going to live to be at least 25 as he has not slowed down a bit until about a month ago when all of this started. I am so terribly upset and sad but knowing that many other folks out there have gone through this horrible cancer is giving some strength to face it. I am putting him on Piroxicam and Misoprostol as the vet said these would help some of the symptoms and to slow the progression down. I am wondering if anyone has tried these drugs with their pup and how it went if so! Here is our story in case it helps anyone else...

Lil Baxy was the ball craziest hungriest happiest little 14 1/2 yr old dog you have ever seen...he would throw his ball for himself and chase it around the house if I didn't take him to the park for at least 20 min everyday. That was up until about a month ago when he started having reverse sneezing fits. I Called the doctor who said it was a normal thing dogs do and not to worry. They fits started to get worse and worse until one day he had the biggest sneeze ever and blood was everywhere. We then took him to the vet and had some bloodwork done which came back normal. THe vet seemed to think it was just allergies and the dryness in Colorado was getting to him. I was quite relieved until I moved to California and about a week ago while trying to go to sleep one night with him as my little spoon as always, I heard the worst congestion sounds coming from his lungs and throat when he was trying to breath. He was extremely uncomfortable as was I and I took him to the vet the next day. Strangely enough sitting in the waiting room at the vet, his little nose started dripping blood and the vet was able to tell it was only coming from one nostril and I was given the terrible news that it was most likely a nasal tumor. She explained that we could do chemo and some expensive tests to find out 100% what it was but said this would most likely just cause pain for him only to find out what we know anyway...and living on a student loan budget these tests were sadly not really an option for me anyway. The weirdest thing is..after we found out, he has gotten worse and worse each day...his nose has not stopped bleeding with clumps shooting out when he sneezes. It's almost like he heard the diagnosis! We are putting him on the drugs I listed above next week and I am praying that this gives him a little more time and will make him feel better. Nights seem to be the worst with the breathing and we are just taking it one day at a time. I can't imagine coming home to an empty house and will be devastated when I have to make the decision to do something. I have been doing my best to stay happy while he is still with me and make the best out of the time we have left...and telling myself to be sad when it's time to be sad which is helping a little but its so hard seeing the blood everywhere. It is comforting to know that he has lived a great life and in some of the most beautiful places in this country...Charleston, SC, Boulder, CO, Vail, CO, Jackson Hole, WY, Mendocino, CA, and now SOuth Lake Tahoe, CA just to name a few...he has swam in oceans coast to coast, hung out at the grand canyon, and romped through the redwood forrest in California. I know that I have given him a great little life but it just doesn't seem fair! So, thats our story and thank you to anyone who reads this! It has given me some relief in writing it and I hope it helps someone else as all of your stories have helped me!

Moral of story...If your dog starts doing something unusual and you suspect their is something that is just not right about it have it checked out...do not just take one vets advise...go to 10 if you have to. I would have just liked to have known earlier because it doesn't seem that we have much time now... and always live in the moment and try your best to live each day as though it is your last...no one is promised tomorrow! I guess I am learning something through this very sad experience! Thank you all and again and please let me know if anyone has tried the drugs that I mentioned for their pets with this problem!

Lauren
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  #431  
Old May 28th, 2012, 04:00 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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Are you sure that things like tick diseases have been ruled out?

Ehrlichias, Anaplamsosis, Babesia, etc?
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  #432  
Old May 28th, 2012, 08:25 PM
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Lauren, I am so saddened by the news about your sweet boy. As you said near the end of your story; take each day and make it the best you can, love him like you always have and give him lots of hugs and kisses.
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  #433  
Old May 29th, 2012, 09:32 AM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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So sorry to hear you're going through this, Lauren.

The really sad thing about nasal cancer is that it progresses quickly and the treatments aren't very effective. So even if you'd known earlier, the outcome would be the same, only you'd have had that much more time to worry and be sad. Baxter would much prefer you to be upbeat and happy.

As MaxaLisa suggests, I'd for sure have a complete blood panel run to check for the telltale skewing of the results that comes with tick-borne disease. Anaplasmosis, in particular, lowers platelets and can cause abnormal bleeding. Treatment is cheap, too--doxycycline. We order ours online with a vet prescription and it's only pennies per pill. So it's worth checking out if you can afford the blood workup.

Other than that, I can only say hang in there and focus on making Baxter's days the happiest they can be.

Pass on some hugs and kisses from me, pls! And if you need to talk, we're here.
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  #434  
Old June 22nd, 2012, 10:36 AM
jakesmomm jakesmomm is offline
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This site has been more helpful then the 100 other ones I have looked at regarding nosebleeds in dogs. It's very helpful to know how others are working through this and their choices.

My lab, Jake, is about 13/14 years old. We adopted him and gave him his forever home 9 years ago. Three weeks ago he got a nosebleed that lasted 8 hours off and on. Like others have stated, it looked like a crime scene in our home. We took Jake to the vet who ran all the typical blood work, checked for bruising and checked his gums. All his blood work came back fine. A week later, another nosebleed, this one lasting 6 hours off and on. Last night, another one. (always the same nostril) This time we kept him confined to the kitchen. Even though we thought we were being calm with each bleed, I think us moving around him and trying to clean up the blood was upseting him more. Keeping him confined to one area and walking away (although very very hard to do!) seemed to end the nose bleed in under an hour. Not sure if we were just lucky with this bleed or if this is the right way to handle it....just thought I would post for others to see.

Now we know the nose bleeds arn't going to go away by themselves, hubby and I are discussing our next plan of action. Do we go to the vet for more x-rays and testing that may or may not find anything, do we go the specilist and put Jake under additional stress to find out he may or may not have a cancerous tumor or do we just continue to love and spoil him?

I would like to add, we have probably had Jake into the vet at least once a month for one thing or another over the last eight months...an open soar (hot spot), to diarreah, to difficutly breathing (where we did xrays and they came back fine.) He had a hard lump on his back not long ago and we did a needle biopsy that came back fine. Jake is also having more accidents in the house and his stool is very runny. He has also gone from 105 to 84 without changing his diet in the last year. I feel like I'm connecting the dots to something I don't want to know about...

Thoughts and prayers for my dog Jake and for all that have been or are going through this.

Thanks, Jakesmomm
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  #435  
Old June 22nd, 2012, 11:34 AM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jakesmomm View Post
This site has been more helpful then the 100 other ones I have looked at regarding nosebleeds in dogs. It's very helpful to know how others are working through this and their choices.

My lab, Jake, is about 13/14 years old. We adopted him and gave him his forever home 9 years ago. Three weeks ago he got a nosebleed that lasted 8 hours off and on. Like others have stated, it looked like a crime scene in our home. We took Jake to the vet who ran all the typical blood work, checked for bruising and checked his gums. All his blood work came back fine. A week later, another nosebleed, this one lasting 6 hours off and on. Last night, another one. (always the same nostril) This time we kept him confined to the kitchen. Even though we thought we were being calm with each bleed, I think us moving around him and trying to clean up the blood was upseting him more. Keeping him confined to one area and walking away (although very very hard to do!) seemed to end the nose bleed in under an hour. Not sure if we were just lucky with this bleed or if this is the right way to handle it....just thought I would post for others to see.

Now we know the nose bleeds arn't going to go away by themselves, hubby and I are discussing our next plan of action. Do we go to the vet for more x-rays and testing that may or may not find anything, do we go the specilist and put Jake under additional stress to find out he may or may not have a cancerous tumor or do we just continue to love and spoil him?

I would like to add, we have probably had Jake into the vet at least once a month for one thing or another over the last eight months...an open soar (hot spot), to diarreah, to difficutly breathing (where we did xrays and they came back fine.) He had a hard lump on his back not long ago and we did a needle biopsy that came back fine. Jake is also having more accidents in the house and his stool is very runny. He has also gone from 105 to 84 without changing his diet in the last year. I feel like I'm connecting the dots to something I don't want to know about...

Thoughts and prayers for my dog Jake and for all that have been or are going through this.

Thanks, Jakesmomm
Poor Jake, if he is having diarrhea with this horrible heat you need to made sure he drink enough water . How does his fur look, does it look very dull and dry? My dog fur was like this when I got him and he needed an IV . Can you mix some white rice or canned pumpkin with his dog food to try and slow down the diarrhea ?
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  #436  
Old June 22nd, 2012, 11:52 AM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Sorry you're having to go through yet another ailment for Jake, Jakesmomm It's really tough to watch them grow old.

Have you had some tick panels run? Some of the tick-borne diseases can lower the platelet level and cause abnormal bleeding. The tests might be worth a shot and they shouldn't be that expensive.

A scope and flush isn't too invasive and might be helpful. There's always the possibility that there's something stuck up in the nasal passages that can be dislodged. A scope might also locate a mass But at least then you'd have a definitive answer.

One thing that we always take into consideration before we run tests--will the results change the treatment being used? With our Priscilla, we treated for discomfort and secondary infection; we ised cool compresses across the snout to help stop the bleeding--but we never did the biopsy because there was really no treatment if it was cancer. The vet could see a vague mass in an inoperable place on a regular x-ray--but since it was inoperable and they told us up front that treatment options were poor, we never spent the money on the CT or an invasive biopsy to confirm that she had cancer. We decided instead to keep her happy and comfortable until her time came. So basically, our decision not to pursue more invasive and traumatic therapies meant that Priscilla's treatments would remain the same regardless of test results--so we skipped the tests.

I know what a difficult time this is for you and I wish you, your husband and Jake all the best.
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Old June 23rd, 2012, 02:14 AM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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I agree about the checking for a tick disease. In fact, I would consider running an aggressive course of doxycycline even if they are negative, if you can't find anything else.

I would also ask for a copy of any of the bloodwork, and look yourself to see if some of the values are at the high or low portions of the normal range, or even out of normal. I have had dogs with abnormal bloodwork that the vet has said was fine before.

When my boy had some nasal issues, we did do a flush, and it helped him for a couple of years. We were hoping that she would find something to culture, but there was nothing. However, it helped him a lot.

I agree with HRP, when deciding what tests to run, it is important to take into account what you will do with the information. With nasal issues, there are a lot of things that might be done (including CT scan), which we never did. My boy didn't have nosebleeds, but we did suspect a fungal infection, and being a breed susceptible to fungal infections, we treated for that, and he did get better.
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Old June 24th, 2012, 06:32 PM
jakesmomm jakesmomm is offline
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Thanks for all the replies. After the first bleed Jake seemed to lose intrest in his food. Unheard of for my lab. So I started making his food to include plenty of rice. Not a lot of change in the stool, but he is definatly interested in his food again. (wish I would have been making his food long before this.)

Right after the first bleed, the vet did blood work, to include looking for tick diseases which all came back fine. He also mentioned that it would be highly unlikly we would see any fungal issues in the area that we live in. Tomorrow I am going to call the vet to schedule time to do the flush. I would have to go to the specialist for a scope. So, we will do one test at time. Thanks again, I will let you know how it goes.
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Old June 24th, 2012, 08:24 PM
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Keeping my fingers crossed and saying a prayer for Jake!
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Old June 25th, 2012, 02:47 PM
jakesmomm jakesmomm is offline
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OK. This morning I woke up to another nose bleed and decided I need to know what is going on and want to go to the specialist. I told them (specialist) I want to do a rhinoscopy and was told that this would require an overnight stay. Not what I was expecting. I'm not concerned re: price, I am concerned about Jake's anxiety...should I be asking for a scope? Is that different then rhinosopy? Also, can most vets tell on a visual if it is cancer?
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  #441  
Old June 25th, 2012, 04:59 PM
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pbpatti pbpatti is offline
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I am always saddened when I see this thread come up because I know there is another furbaby possibly suffering.

I want ALL fur-moms and fur-dads to know that I am sending loving prayers for all furkids with these symptoms.

Jakesmom, take it one day at a time and love your boy as we all would love our pet that is having difficulties.
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  #442  
Old June 25th, 2012, 06:19 PM
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The rhinoscopy is what you need--"rhino" comes from the Greek for nose, I believe, so it's a scope of the nasal passages. Not sure why it would take an overnight stay, but they may want to monitor him since they'll have to sedate them. I wouldn't leave him overnight, though, unless they have staff there 24/7.

To help with the anxiety issues, send an unlaundered shirt you've recently worn--your scent will make him less anxious. Also, once they do the procedure, he'll likely be pretty loopy for a while and won't remember most of the day, anyway, so he may not get as anxious as you fear he will.

They might be able to guess if a mass is cancerous on a visual exam, but they should also do a biopsy of anything they find during the scope. That way there's no guessing about it.

Still praying and sending for Jake!!
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"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference."

"It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!"

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  #443  
Old June 29th, 2012, 12:37 AM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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Maybe this was mentioned earlier in the thread, but I just learned that a severe heartworm infestation can cause nosebleeds. Also, the antigen test can be negative if there are male heartworms? Things I know little about...
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  #444  
Old December 27th, 2012, 01:29 PM
kevinhyatt kevinhyatt is offline
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I was really hoping to be able to come back here with good news.. That's just not the way it worked out.

It was nasal cancer.. When the vet finally gave me the grim prognosis, I was handed a pamphlet on my way out the door. It was a pamphlet for a crematorium. There was nothing I could do.. He died about a week later, June 3rd 2012.
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  #445  
Old December 27th, 2012, 06:42 PM
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I'm so sorry to hear the news, Kevin. Buddy was obviously loved. He couldn't have been in better hands than yours.

Buddy
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  #446  
Old December 29th, 2012, 01:48 PM
MaxaLisa MaxaLisa is offline
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I am so very sorry

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  #447  
Old January 24th, 2013, 01:59 PM
Connor & Katie Connor & Katie is offline
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nose bleeding

This thread is absolutely breaking my heart. First of all, I'm so sorry to all of you who have lost your dogs, I can't imagine how much it hurts and I hope I don't have to find out for a long time.

Similar to a few others here, I searched dog nose bleeds and ended up here. Katie is a 10 yr old chocolate lab, she started getting really minor nose bleeds in Nov. we assumed it was the cold dry air, she's always licked her nose a lot and she gets dry cracked skin sometimes.

Then last week she got a pretty major nose bleed, 1 nostril only, mostly a trickle with more every time she sneezed (she's always sneezed a lot). It had mostly stopped by morning when my husband took her to the vet. All tests came back normal, she's eating, she's playing, she doesn't seem to be in any pain at all. But her nose has bled (still just the 1 nostril) every day since then, sometimes a lot, sometimes a little, but at least some every day for over a week now.

Our vet recommended a CT scan, and we're going in for the consultation and I assume the scan tomorrow.

Reading this thread has pretty much scared the ____ out of me. Has anyone actually had these symptoms and had it be a fungal infection or a tooth infection? I'm really hoping for just an infection or something like that and NOT the big C word

Thanks,
Heather
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  #448  
Old January 24th, 2013, 10:11 PM
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I've heard of infection sometimes being the cause, Heather, often from a grass awn or other type of seed that got inhaled and stuck. It's not that uncommon in hunting dogs cuz they're always using their noses. That's why vets usually recommend the rhinoscopy and flush. Although most of the people in this thread weren't that fortunate, I'll say a prayer that Katie falls in the lucky category!

Good luck tomorrow! I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted!
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  #449  
Old January 24th, 2013, 10:45 PM
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SuperWanda SuperWanda is offline
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Hi Heather,

I'm sorry to hear what you are going through with your dog but it sounds like you are taking all the right steps to finding out why her nose is bleeding.

we have a 12 year old that was just diagnosed with nasal cancer this past October but bleeding was not something we noticed and while I know it can be a symptom of cancer, it can also be a symptom of so many other things so I hope the CT scan helps you figure out what is going on.

We don't have a CT scanner here in Winnipeg for dogs so we had an endoscope done where they put a camera in her mouth and looked back into the sinus cavity. They also took a biopsy from the roof of her mouth into the mass and that is how we got our diagnosis.

I hope you find out it is something minor. Try not to worry, I know it is hard but if it makes you feel any better, although our dog has nasal cancer, it is a very rare cancer for dogs to get.

Did your blood testing include tick disease? Some tick diseases can cause nose bleeds as well. (We also experienced this with our dog a few years ago).

I hope you get good news tomorrow.
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  #450  
Old January 25th, 2013, 08:47 AM
Connor & Katie Connor & Katie is offline
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Thanks guys! Katie was tested for tick borne diseases (all negative) and her blood clotting was tested too (suggested much earlier in this post). My husband just told me that today is just a "consultation" and we won't actually get the CT scan done today. I don't know why they have to drag these things out so long! But it looks like her nose didn't bleed at all yesterday, so that's good at least! I really appreciate all the happy thoughts and prayers!!
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