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Hi Erica, Thank-you for the update on Mr. Scott and the answers to my questions. We had decided not to do the radiation because of the side effects such as losing vision in the right eye. My dog has her right side totally blocked off, and it is just starting to invade the bone. It is near the hard and soft palate and we were worried that it would effect her ability to eat. She had a nasty secondary infection which they said was almost antibiotic resistant. They are treating that now and she is sleeping much better at night. In the day she appears just like always, loving to go for walks, but she sleeps a lot. There is some blood, but right now it does not seem like a lot. At first it was just out of the right nostril, but now it is out of both sides. I am going through terrible guilt in not doing the radiation. It seems that they charge a lot in this area (Orange County, CA). The 12 treatments would be $6000 and we just spent over $3000 getting her diagnosed. Maybe that is the cost everywhere, but seems high based on what we have seen on the internet. If it was a cure, I would definitely put her through it, but the vet says 12-18 months and then it comes back. As I was writing this, I heard the tell-tale slurping sound, and had to go wipe her nose. I am then again filled with guilt and doubt about our decision. I will be anxious to hear how Mr. Scout does and will be hoping he continues to improve.
Deb- so sorry for what you are going thru, it is so very familiar. we lost our bichon Oscar 2 years ago to this awful illness. exactly the same too- sneezing, nosebleeds, then a swollen eye from the tumor getting big almost overnite. it was so hard to say goodbye to our friend of 13 years. still hurts.
Rod, I told you Hogan would send signs to you! I am well, getting ready to plant my tomatoes. Kramer, our new bichon, looks forward to that. here is a pic of last year where he is deciding which cherry or grape tomato to steal. He would eat 3 or 4 daily. and I have a dog door, so I would come home to random tomatoes in the living room!
Deb, We have gone over and over this also. Our dog got all her yearly shots and we don't use pesticides in the yard. They may use them, however, at the park. At Curves, someone told me that I was probably the fifth person who said that their dog has nasal cancer. This seemed to be surprising with how rare the oncologist told me that her cancer is- maybe it is the osteosarcoma that usually is in the other parts of the body, not the nose. I am worried about the Frontline. We ordered it on the internet and I noticed that it came from Australia. I will not be using any of these products on her now.
I know what you mean about the guilt, but we too are struggling to justify the money. If it would get her another 5 years I'm sure I would, but 12 - 18 months and then start this again, wow, I just can't see it. Of course, we still aren't sure of the diagnosis, but having gone thru it once and having the vet tell us yesterday that he is about 70% sure it is cancer I can't help but think all these things. I think either way there is guilt feelings, but I'm sure you have given your dog a wonderful life and can feel good about that. There is one thing for sure and that is that everybody on this site loves their dogs dearly and want only the best for them. Sometimes it is just hard to figure out what "the best" is!
I am not sure if you saw this post from House of Goldens but since you are in Orange County CA you really would not be too far away from them. I know of Dr. Ogilvie as he was one of my vets instructors and my vet has alot of respect for the man. I know he is very into nutrition and cancer treatment. I had considered seeing him as I could do it when I am at my dad's ( Garden Grove so also OC) but because Dash is on Neoplasene he can not have alot of antioxidents as it will cancel out the inflammation the neoplasene causes and that is a necessary part of its killing the cancer. I have had some positive results with the neoplasene so made the decision to stick with it. We had asked The poster what Dr. Olgilvie is doing in more detail but have not heard back but maybe you can call and talk to them and they can offer you somethingto at least slow it down?
Post From House of Goldens "Get a second opinion. I am so glad we didn't listen to the oncologist we talked to first. Although you are in Santa Barbara make the drive to Murrieta. One of the nation's leading oncologists runs a place called California veterinary specialists. They have more than one location, but the Murrieta one would be the closest for you. Dr. Greg Ogilvie had a very different set of ideas about what to do for our golden than the first guy did. Ogilvie knows what he is doing. Thewww.californiaveterinaryspecialists.com Go as soon as you can. The leading veterinary oncology program in the country is in Colorado. Dr. Ogilvie ran the program for 13 years."
As for knowing what caused the cancer I do not think anyone knows but I suspect my holistic vet is correct in saying stress plays a part. I had read books on preventing cancer in pets and did most of the stuff in it even the reduced vaccines and yet Dash has Nasal cancer and Jazz had a nerve sheath sarcoma, Both diagnosed last year. They had been under alot of stress for a couple years as they traveled back and forth with me from SB to OC during my moms battle with cancer and her death and I know they were also picking up my stress like two sponges. We live in such a stressfull toxic world I hate to think what it is doing to most living things.
Don't beat yourself up as you are not to blame. The why me? or Why my dog? question can really only be answered with another question " Why not me? Why not my dog?" We really do not have control over such things. I just read an article about epigenetics which involves the " switches" that turn cells on and off and how cancer might be due more to their malfunction rather then a malformation in our DNA. Some believe if that is true the damage could be from diet and toxins our Grandparents were exposed too. I find that idea very frightening as look at the toxic world kids and animals are born into today compaired to what our grandparents lived in....does that mean cancer is going to be even more common in the future generations and at even younger ages? Frightening!!!!
Having lost my mom, other family members, several friends to cancer and other pets too and working in a hospital for over 27 yrs . I have learned to live in the moment as that is all any of us really have as cancer is just one threat to us there are so many more and lives do end in the blink of any eye every minute of everyday. As weird as this may sound to some I have learned to see Cancer as a calling Card. It says Life may be coming to an end so enjoy each moment as the gift it was meant to be. I feel in a stange way blessed to get such a calling card as too many do loose loved ones and beloved pets in the blink of an eye then are haunted by the fact they never got to say goodbye. With my mom I did get to say good bye and I know what the last things I said to her and she to me were and I do feel so very blessed for that! That is how it will be with Dash too. I also never forget the fact that cancer does not really change the playing field as I know too well I could drop dead from hundreds of reasons before Dash dies but instead I am just made more aware of the fact that he may die sooner but he is still alive today and that is all that does matter.
I do what I can then accept that the rest is really out of my hands. In my opinion there really are very few cancers that can be " cured" at this point in time so when I hear someone not wanting treatment I can accept that as quality of life is really the most importnat issue and too often treatments rob that from you. Don't beat yourselves up as at this point in time we can not prevent cancer and a hosts of other illnesses. I see the only time to beat ones self up is when neglect is involved such as I do not leash my dog around traffic and he darts out in it and is injured or killed...oh boy then yes it is time to really kick myself!!
Wish I could say I have not gotten to know cancer so well but I have but there is the plus side of having learned so much about life from it too. Too many people wander through life blind to what it is really about and that is so sad. Time to go walk the dogs!
I agree that it may be the tumor pushing the eye out.. Could possibly be an infection doing that also but in most cases it is the tumor.
Dash's swelling by his eye had gotten worse again so I once again increased the frequency of his neoplasene. When I got home from work I found a rather large piece of tissue he must have sneezed out during the night on my stairs. The swelling is down a bit too so I will keep up with the neoplasene everyday for awhile. Unlike his early days on neoplasene it is not causing the congestion and his breathing noises are much less. Might be the robitussin he is also getting before a dose of neoplasene. Weird but good. I think his having his new job as Dazzle's baby sitter is helping too. He is my tough old boy that is for sure. I can see him thinking he can not possibley leave me and Jazz now to go eat Pancakes with Grandma as he needs to take care of that crazy boy Dazzle. What ever it takes! Jan
I just thought I would jump in here, and see if I can talk to people that are going threw what I am. Im Tashas mom. Shes my 10 year old Cocker Spaniel. The firt of Febuary she had a bloody nose. I had know idea what was going on. I walked into my kitchen, and it looked like someone had been murdered. I took her to the vet the same day. They kept her and did a biopsy. The following day they called with the terrible news. She has been on Baytil and Piroxicam since. It seems to me that on the day she gets Peroxicam she is more stuffed up. Yesterday her eye seemed to be bulging. But this morning it looks normal again. She eats and plays just like normal. I have read so many of these posts, and can not believe what I am seeing. I can't imagine that there are so many of us out here. Im just hoping that all of this will help others threw this terrible time. Please drop me a line. I would so much appreciate it. My Love and Payers to all.
Oscarmom,
Thank you for answering my post. I would like to write back an forth threw e-mail. Would you mind?
e-mail Ram1fish2@aol.com
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Nasel Cancer
What ever it takes! Jan
