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So sorry for your loss DC77!!! I can perfectly understand what you say about your dogs beeing your world... as that's what Luna is to me.
I'm a single (my family and friends are far away) and I share my appartment and life only with her... and she's young as well... she's 8 but as she's a medium/smal "mixed-race" dog her life expectancy was supposed to be 14/16... my world too is like.. disappearing... and I don't know how I'll survive to her future loss... I do hope she'll live more than this 6/9 months they told me but, above all, with as much quality of life as possible... quality, for me, matters even more than quantity.... but as Dash and Joycez said I'm already grieving... as it's not normal, I guess.
I'm thinking of you a lot, try to be strong (which I know is SOOOO difficult ad I myself can't be strong now) as your girl would have liked you to be strong and go on with your life.
We are always here... come if it helps....
update: luna's side-effects appeared also on the tumor's side (right) but less than on the opposite side. Now it seems they're healing and from tomorrow I can start decreasing the dose of deltacortene (prednisone) she's taking. I HOPE she will be better and, at least, there will be a period where she can be happy and ok again...
Joycez: I can't find your friendship request... probably I didn't understand it was you and I didn't accept... could you add me again? I'm looking forward to accept it!
I was trying to post a picture of my little and sweet luna and I .... from the period of the Radiation treatment... so she didn't have any side effect.... but I can't do it!
DC77..... I'll send prayers and positive thoughs your way...
Erica: please if you read us....give us news... I'm thinking of you guys a lot these days.
Yes prednisone can make dogs pant more it can also make them drink more water and pee alot more. It can make them gain wieght as some people and dogs on it retain water and I know the young asthmatic girls pitch a fit when the doctors want to put them on it because of the weight gain, people on it tend to gain weight and develop a round moon face if they are on it long term.
While sometimes a necessary drug it is not a harmless or easy drug to be on.
Have had a few busy days and reading your messages, I am sending alot of hope to all, DZ77, Luna and everypup on the forum. The Prednisone made Rocky pant and drink, pee more, too. I think Rocky was on a high dose and he retained water. I miss him so much, this has been a hard week and reality is starting to sink in that he is really with the angels. Joyce, your pictures are beautiful, every one. My heart breaks for such a young dog as Sheldon and Luna. I didn't see the friend request on FB. I posted one picture of Rocky here earlier.
thanks Jan and Darbi for asking my question about prednisone....hopefully that is (and was) the reason of her panting.
Lat evening Luna was doing great and behaving like a puppy (is this the holistic treatment/the new food? no idea... what matters is the result ... today she's fine... even if she is still panting a bit more than normal.... but much less than in last couple of days.
I hope you guys are great.
darbi: how do you post pictures here? I can't understand how it works....
Hello Everyone,
I hope all is well and everyone here is finding some (even a little bit) of happiness in their days. Yes Luna prendisone definitely makes pups pant, drink and pee. Sheldon did all of the above but like Jan said a necessary drug isnt always a easy drug to be on because despite those side effects that was when Sheldon has absolutely NO symptoms. Ugh I miss him so much. I get these glimmers of where I feel good but then his death pops into my mind and i am reduced to nothing. i dont know if ill ever be able to let go of that pain. It sucks, for lack of better words.
Thanks Darbi, Sheldon was such a good looking dog. When I used to walk him at least 3 times people pulled over and complimented him and a few people asked if I was willing to stud him out. (he was neutered). Rocky was so handsome too! I bet they wouldve been best buds What is your name on facebook?
I can imagine that people did pull over to ask about Sheldon, he is truly a picture. It is so sad, and makes me very angry at this disease. I don't know how to tell Alessia to post the picture as it was just luck that I posted mine, maybe you could tell her, Joyce. I am Darbi Rash on Facebook - are you and Alessia friends on FB, too? We have been looking at the SPCA listings, they say the a black lab is the last to be chosen for adoption, they call them black pearls. I have my son and his bulldog, Sarge here, he is a sweetheart with bullie eye problems and things, so glad they moved home. I miss the walks with Rocky, even at the end, we went to UT to sit or walk a little, look at the lake - I could tell you every flower and bush around the lake there after many years of walking. We would watch each spring the baby geese and ducks hatch. There used to be a group that walked each Sunday years ago. As my husband and I are a little older, it hurts to think that we may not have another opportunity to love a dog like Rocky. He said he didn't know if he could go through this again in 12 or so years, I don't know. Anyhow, this is a wonderful forum, there is a feeling of peace to come here. And there are days of joy. Will you be looking for another friend, Joyce? I know that Jan has her Dazzle, they are such a comfort. The important thing is no matter what you do in life, there is risk and chance, and it is what we do at that time, that we don't falter and just give up. This forum has been a group who do not give up, and give in. That is the good part of being here.
luna is doing ALMOST ok... I don' t know if it's the holistic treatment, chance or... anything else... but she seems to be ok (even if she looks like a panda bear as around her eyes her skin is black).
For jan: but after the RT... did Dash keep on sneezing and reverse sneezing? I'm asking as in Luna's case... sneezes and reverse sneezes are less frequent but still happening (only the snots and bloody discharge seem to be gone for now)... and I don't know if this means that RT didn't work for her or it's normal.
I tried to ask to vets from the oncological center but, as usual, their answer is a "not answering"... something like "it depends... let's wait another week before saying etc".
I hate those horrible "money robbers" disguised as vets at the radiation center... I'd like to tell them all the horrible things I DO think about them... but I CAN'T as I still need their advice and opinon...and be in touch with them.
The oncologist I used to email... stopped replying... I guess this is a polite and clever way to say "don't bother me anymore.... you paid your 2000 euros and now.. I don't care about your questions anymore"
I hope you all are doing great... here (luna and I)... we're trying to do our best to enjoy our time together....
Hello Everyone,
Its great to have found Alessia and Darbi on facebook! Jan are you on there too? I hope all is well with everyone. In response to a couple posts: Darbi, I hope that I one day can get a new friend but right now my living situation and my heart will not allow for it. That is why I am going to start volunteering at local animal shelters, to give back to the animal population and hopefully slowly open up my heart to a new pup right now it is too soon. Ive said it before and i say it again that never in a million years did I think that Sheldon would be gone today. I thought He would be around for so much longer..thats where the anger comes out...
As for Alessia, I am glad to hear that Luna is doing okay, it must give you some comfort. As for the vets not responding to your questions and concerns if I were you I would demand answers. You deserve to understand and know whats going on with your baby. It is their job to inform you of everything. Dont give up! Keep calling until they call you back! I feel frustration for you!
Lastly I want to say that my boyfriends dog, Emma has been sick. She just had a physical and the vet was little concerned with her red blood cell count ( The range is 30-50 and shes a 32) and has lost some weight ( a couple pounds) Over the weekend I noticed her gums are extremely white, she is lethargic and hasnt been drinking much water. Currently she is at the vet getting a full work up done ( blood work, x-rays etc). Everyone please pray for her. This is extremely hard for me as I am trying to support my boyfriend and be there for him and her but it just reminds me of Sheldon being sick. It is so hard to see an animal suffer...Hopefully its nothing serious as the reading we have done online ( and i know you shouldnt soley rely on the info you find online but that is how I found this forum..) says her symptoms could be linked to dehydration or anemia. We'll see....
love Joyce ( Sheldy too)
Dash did continue to have sneezes after the IMRT but they were alot less frequent and usually only occurred when he first woke up and again in the evening. They were normal sneezes as the reverse sneezing did go away. He had his IMRT in May then in July we had a big wild fire ( the first of 3 that he had to suffer through after the IMRT) That caused him to sneezed non stop and he also got his first bad infection so had alot of yellow snot. I gave him Benadryl that helped reduce the sneezing.
Keep in mind that if the radiation is working and the cancer cells are dieing they are producing toxins that the body must get rid of and one way to do that is via mucus and the way to get rid of the mucus is a sneeze. So seeing some sneezing and or mucus can mean good things.
I think Darbi mentioned that I have Dazzle, well I also have Jazz who I had 2 years before Dash. She at 14 is a cancer survivor herself having had a huge nerve sheath sarcoma removed from her chest Oct 2008. I myself am the type that goes crazy not having a dog in the house.Even if I board them and get home too late to pick them up so have to spend 1 night without them here I go crazy. Thus I tend to get another dog before I loose one.
I had a 14 yr old with lymphoma and heart disease so I got Jazz. The old dog died a few months later. I had Jazz for 2 yrs then I got Dash.Then a few years later I added Phoenix who eventually went to live with my parents and still lives with my dad. In Oct 2008 knowing Dash may not last another year I started looking at a breed I was interested in, the Silken Windhound . In Feb when Dash developed the outward swelling I started talking to a breeder that still had a pup I met in Oct but she had decided to keep her so put me in touch with Dazzle's Breeder. I have always gotten a rescued dog or puppy so working with a breeder was new to me but this breed seldom shows up in rescue as it is rather rare.Jazz also has issues with other dogs so I had to make sure I was getting a submissive male and this breed fit the bill there. After all there can only be one queen per house and that is Jazz.
People told me not to get the new dog ( he was 8 months old) as it would stress Dash too much but I do know Dash and bringing Dazzle in when I did gave Dash something to focus on as he took it upon himself to babysit and teach Dazzle things. Instant Buddies. Took Jazz awhile and she still would say that Dazzle is annoying but she does also enjoy him and will play with him. I am glad that Dash had his 6 months with Dazzle as Dazzle seems to have picked up alot of Dash's little quirks and that only makes me smile when I see them in him . As much as I loved Dash and the fact he was my buddy I will admitt that when Jazz dies it will be alot harder on me, she is a once in a life time dog and she seems to read my mind. She is the only one I have had since she was a little puppy so I have always told her she in mine and the others are adopted! Besides she is the Queen. I am dreading that day though knowing she will be with Dash again as he was her best buddy will give me peace. But yup I can't live without a Dog around. My sister on the other hand took years to get a new dog after her 16 yr old collie died.She felt she was betraying him. My sister could not talk about her dog without crying for years so she was so shocked when a month after Dash died and I was up in Oregon visiting that I could talk about him and laugh at the memories. So we are all different and have to do what feels is right for us.
Just for the record there are memories that will make me cry but most make me laugh as Dash was such a funny crazy loving boy that how could those memories not make me laugh? Grief is a weird thing as I have noticed that I can be doing great then out of the blue a memory of my mom, my neice or Dash will strike that will have me in tears but they can be days or months apart.
Joyce I do hope that Emma is doing better, that they find out what is wrong and that it is not too serious. I can tell you having Dash with cancer then finding out Jazz had cancer was by far the worst day of my life, I think I hit rock bottom the day they told me about Jazz.. I know my vet knew that and he tried his best to get all of the tumor out of Jazz and despite that being difficult with nerve sheath sarcomas he did manage to get clean margins and so far she has been fine it will be 2 yrs in Oct! Let us know about Emma and until then I will be sending positive thoughts and prayers her way. Jan
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. As much as I loved Dash and the fact he was my buddy I will admitt that when Jazz dies it will be alot harder on me, she is a once in a life time dog and she seems to read my mind. She is the only one I have had since she was a little puppy so I have always told her she in mine and the others are adopted! Besides she is the Queen. I am dreading that day though knowing she will be with Dash again as he was her best buddy will give me peace. But yup I can't live without a Dog around. My sister on the other hand took years to get a new dog after her 16 yr old collie died.She felt she was betraying him. My sister could not talk about her dog without crying for years so she was so shocked when a month after Dash died and I was up in Oregon visiting that I could talk about him and laugh at the memories. So we are all different and have to do what feels is right for us. 
