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About a week ago, we noticed vitrious fluid seeping from her right eye and a fleshy growth in her right nostril. We took her to the vet's that evening... our vet noticed immediately some deformation around her eye area, took a sample of the mass protruding from her nose and sent it out for biopsy. There was turbonite bone found in the mass but other than that the results were inconclusive. A few days later we woke to find a huge mass of blood... it was basicly bloody tissue that she "blew" out her nose. Each day we can see more deformation in her eye area. My vet said "maybe 6 months". With the way it is progressing so rapidly I think it will be sooner.
I'm now beginning to wonder how I will know "for sure" when the time has come to let her go... and if I will be strong enough to do it. Just thinking about saying my final good-bye to my best girl, breaks my heart in a million pieces.
i just wanted to post this for all of you who walk around trying to protect your not-easily-washable things from the dripping stuff we live with daily. Here is Tillie with one of her many washable sheets. doesn't she look carefree, especially for a 10 year old with nasal cancer?
she continues to emit strange and powerful sounds from her nose. Robitussin DM did not seem to help. we tried benadryl to not much effect either. Last night, without any meds, she (and therefore, we) slept well. As we've all said, every day is a different day here.
btw, the scar on her nose from her nasal surgery of 2 1/2 years ago. she's been through a lot but she is still here and happy. Hope the same is true for most of you.
Thanks for your response. I was inquiring about the Neo not the Radiation. I am also looking into the Rad as an option. Ginger is 12. She is in great health with the exception of her recent nasal CA diagnosis. She has some reverse sneezing and regular frequently sneezing. Her energy and appetite is great. We brought her to the vet for the reverse sneezing and with a minor clear nasal drip with an extremely small amt of nasal discharge and the vet put her on a course of antibotics. I was in contact last week with a holistic vet in NY and recommended a change in diet which we have started, vitamins, flax oil, fish oils..we started that as well. She is prescribing hompathic and neo (orally) which I should receive in the mail today. Ginger has no nasal bleeding at this time. I went to a Rad. Oncologist yesterday that recommended 15 TX. Any comments or insights would be greatly appreciated. I want to make sure that I am doing the right thing. I love my dog!
Sorry to hear about Ginger. Dash does not get oral neoplasene and even if it had been offered I don't think I would have given it as alot of dogs on it seem to have alot of stomach issues and stop eating . He gets his in a nasal drop that the holistic vet we see mixes up. Belive me it can be a battle to get it down his nose but I think it is working pretty well as he has sneezed out alot of chunks of tissue . I sort of do it on my own time schedule based on how he is doing and what I am seeing. It seems if he gets at least 3 doses about 4 days apart he will after good exercise have a sneezing fit that the end results are some tissue. A day or two before his nose does get itchy and he starts rubbing it on everything in sight and he gets more of a rattle in there when he breathes so I know something is trying to come out. Of course when that happens you do get some bleeding so neoplasene is rather messey. Once on neoplasene they also tend to sound like they are stuffed up 24/7 alot of that I believe is the swelling the neo causes in the cancer cells. It causes inflammation that results in swelling and swelling in a little space such as the nasal cavity is going to cause obstruction so you will hear alot of strange noises.
Our doctor says no fish oil or flax or antioxidants while on the neo as they fight inflammation and you want inflammation as that is how it works. she is Ok with the piroxicam ( though DR. Fox is not). It helps with any pain and does not seem to be enough to interfere with the neo so do ask you vet before continuing all the antioxidants.
Dash did have palliative radiation which is something to consider as it is 5 days so less side effects and his was done using IMRT so really next to no side effects except mild dry eye and his black hair is now pretty white where he got it. My goal was comfort and yes he got that as for almost 6 months he did well. Then we got a huge infection and decided to start the neo. He is also on Metronomic therapy which is piroxicam every day and low dose cytoxan every other day, He tolerates them great and both are pills I give at home. They are antiangiogenic meaning they stop the tumor from developing new blood supplies so it starves.
Only you know which treatment or combo is right for you and Ginger. Maybe you would like your holistic vet to speak to our holistic vet about using the neo as nose drops? Her # is in the post someplace or if you want I can DM it to you. Just let me know. Sorry that yet another owner and dog has had to join us here, too bad we are not a thread about having fun with your dog.Sending positive thoughts and prayers your way, Jan
Tallmomma, I am not seeing Tillies photo, but I will try tonight from work as sometimes some photos don't show up on certain computers but do on others.
Dash is having a quiter period right now, he makes more strange noises when he first wakes up but nights have not been too bad. He really quites down after a nice long walk or a run at the park with his friends. People not use to being around him laugh at his noises so it is a good thing he likes to make people laugh! Take care and give Tillie a big hug for me. Jan
Well, lo and behold, I finally increased Scout up to the 20 mg of prednisone so I could prove to myself that it wasn't doing anything and guess what? The bloody discharge stopped. He is still kind of sneezy and a tiny bit drippy, though. I was convinced that he needed to be back on antibiotics, but now I'm not sure. I'm going in to see our local vet on Monday, so I'll ask his impression and call down to Angell next week. I hate keeping him on the prednisone, but I'm also not seeing any ill effects from it. For those of you with bleeding/sneezing/snuffling it may be something to ask about as it does decrease inflammation. If I keep him on it, I hope to decrease the dosage soon and see if it maintains the no discharge.
JulieO, Scout had definitive radiation, and I'm happy to fill you in if you are interested. I don't want to bore the rest of the readers with what they've already read...
We are now 1-year post-diagnosis and hoping for more!
Julie O: tillie also had radiation. twice. once for 20 sessions following surgery in october of 2006 (yes, almost 2 1/2 years ago!) and then again this past june when the cancer came back, 5 sessions of IMRT, the same as dash had with the same doctor, coincidentally. i have been very pleased with the results, particularly the IMRT which, as jan has written, is almost free of side effects. tillie's first radiation yielded some disturbing eye infections but they did heal within a few months.
Jan: Our friends also find Tillie's noises entertaining. sometimes i can't believe the noise is coming from her and wonder if some old man with a cold has just walked into the house! it's kind of a mixed blessing, though, isn't it?
I hate keeping him on the prednisone, but I'm also not seeing any ill effects from it. For those of you with bleeding/sneezing/snuffling it may be something to ask about as it does decrease inflammation.
That's what we had my friend's beagle on. She never had another nose bleed after she started the prednisone, and she lived another 18 months from diagnosis. She eventually died of liver cancer....
Wow, Tallmomma, I'm so impressed--and hopeful! Where and how significant was the tumor at diagnosis? How did you know the cancer was back?
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tillie and something to catch her boogers
Ginger
