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My heart goes out to you. I remember the final day with my own dog and how unprepared I was and how helpless it all felt. It's just such a shock. It sounds like Devon was happy to the end -- as dogs tend to be. They know how to live in the moment and enjoy the simple things. Even in passing, they teach us such lessons.
My sympathy on the loss of your dog. I recently joined this forum when I thought my 5 1/2 year old lab, Sadie, had nasal cancer, the same thing our lab, Tubby, before her had. Fortunately the lab tests on Sadie showed no cancer. I still worry they are wrong, but the bleeding has let up so I'm hopeful.
Anyway, I know with our first lab I hoped that somehow we would know when the right time was to say goodbye to her; that day did come and I have always been comfortable with our decision to have her put to sleep. It sounds to me like you had the same thing with Devon. You can be comfortable that you did all you could until that time came to say goodbye and while this is a very tough time for you, you can be comfortable with all you have done.
In our case, it wasn't long before we were at the humane society picking out Sadie. Although we missed Tubby alot (still do), we figured there must be another dog out there needing a home and while she didn't replace Tubby, she certainly helped fill that terrible hole in our lives.
May God be with you in the days ahead.
Deb
I started writing you several times but just couldn't push the post reply button. Let me also offer you my sympathies on the passing of devon. Some of us who start to post here don't get too much time. Every day I look where Hogan used to lie and can't believe he is gone..It's only been 6 weeks since he left me.
Can anyone tell me how to gwt some Triherba black Tonic? I went to the website and the Order Page is not working. My vet only give my dog three months to live and she suggest rinsing his nose with warm saline solution. I can not see the harm of adding a few drops of triherba.Thank you, Marlene
Is Triherba black Tonic a black root product? If so you might want to ask a holistic vet about putting it down the nose. Blackroot salves and such tend to burn and that could be very painful. The slaves can actually burn a tumor off but there is alot of pain involved too, so pain meds are used with it when people use it on their dogs. I would not attempt using black root without a vet backing me as you also get infections in the wounds they leave.
I use neoplasene which is not blackroot but is made from a component of black root:However it does not burn. Instead it causes inflammation in the cancer cells and causes them to die so tumors fall off . It too should only be used when you have a vet that is willing to help . I know the holistic vet I see mixes it with something but I am not sure what that is as she has me using it as a nasal drop.( not easy to get down most dogs noses). These products can do harm so should not be used if you do not know what you are doing as the nasal passages are very sensitive and have a large blood supply so tend to bleed and infections are common and can be deadly. I started using the neoplasene in Oct and have alove hate relationship with it .
You should also check into following a cancer diet which is high fat high protein as they are starting to see that alot of cancers respond to diet and cutting out the carbs starves the cancer.While the proteins are necessary for healing. Alot of folks here are using the budwig diet that uses flax oil and cottage cheese.
Last when a vet or doctor says you have 3 months to live take that as what it is and that is just an average meaning some die within days and some live for years. Every living being is an individual so responds to things in an individual way and what helps one may harm another. But for sure check out about using that product down the nose as it should be about quality of life for your dog and if you put something that burns the nasal passges down the nose you will jeopardize that. Best of luck to you. Jan
Well, the inevitable happened today. Scout had a reverse sneezing fit partnered, for the first time since his radiation over a year ago, with a big, ugly bloody nose. This was what keyed us in to his nasal cancer, and I'm afraid the beast is rearing his ugly head once again. I'm trying not to see this as "the end of the world," but I'm still sad. I've got a call in to the oncologist to see if we should start him on anything besides the antibiotic I had called in for discharge the other day. Rats.
It is time I share this past week with all of you as it will show the true roller coaster ride this cancer is taking us on.
Last week Dash got a nasal infection from the smoke from the big wildfire that had us evacuated from our home for a few days. By Friday this is what he looked like, the swelling was over the eye and he could only open the eye a small slit. He was acting very down not wanting to go on walks or eat much. If I touched the swelling dark black blood and yellow pus like snot poured out both nostrils. It was not looking good and I was feeling the fire may have done him in . Called the vet and went to pick up antibiotics. He sort of looked like a bull terrier the swelling was that bad I should have taken a side veiw of it!
By Sunday Dash was looking alot better and was eating. The swelling had improved big time but his eye was pretty red and had alot of pus like goop in it so I began flushing it with Real Willards water. He was acting perkier and did about 1/2 of his normal walk with Jazz and Dazzle and I. Monday the same so I felt Yippie we have beat this and was going to post about it and how it is important to give things time even when things look their darkest. ( Dash never appeared to be in pain but he did not feel well)
Well Monday I was too exhausted to post so decided to wait until Tuesday. Tuesday we found our selves back on the down part of the roller coaster again and it seemed to be a very fast ride down. Dash looked horrible, while the swelling was still better and his eye open and not as red or weepy he did not want to eat and even getting him to walk out the door to go potty was difficult. He looked somewhat gaspy with his breathing and the stuff oozed out his nose. He was drinking but that was about the only positive . He did get his antibiotics but nothing else as his piroxicam can not be given with out food. He was not vomiting and his poop was normal but he looked like he was on deaths door. I went to bed last night thinking I may find him dead in the morning and wondering if I should have had him put down yesterday.
Well that roller coaster is on the upside as Dash strolled into my room this Am looking pretty chipper, ate his breakfast with gusto and did fine walking outside and on a small walk. This after noon he is still eating and alot more active. Nose still oozing at times and the original swelling on his muzzle is still there but as you can see from the 2nd photo his pretty brown eye is open and looks good. So here we are zooming back up on that roller coaster.
I have learned to not make any rash decisions as this is such a day to day thing especially when an infection is involved. Hopefully we can now balance out and stay on the upside for awhile. Dash is my tough old man.
I do hope that Scout is doing better I know that awful feeling Of " oh crap the cancer might be back. " Hopefully it is just an infection. My prayers continue for all of you that are battling this battle with nasal cancer.
I want to thank everyone for your kind, compassionate replies to my devastating news.
I did read them days earlier, but was only able to read in a state of frozen shock, yet tears just kept sliding down. I went to work today, my second day back, and it went a bit better than yesterday.
One thing I didn't mention, in my last post, was my wonderful vet offered to take a sample from the roof of his mouth to save us a full autopsy. Devon hated Saskatoon, and he told me he didn't want to go back or have any other surgeries (back in March). I will be sure to let this group know what horrible thing it was that took him from me.
hugs and tears,
Susan
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Devon's mom checking in
