Canesisters 2024 journal

canesisters

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 29, 2012
Messages
1,485
Reaction score
6,625
Points
433
Location
South Eastern VA
I lost Birdie today.

She was Fine last Tues.
Wed evening she had a slight limp when I let her out of the kennel. Not an unusual thing for her. I treated a broken nail & forgot about it.
Thurs AM she didn't want her breakfast at first & was still sore.... but ate when I put it in the kennel with her. That evening she was listless, just laying at the kennel gate. I let her out & her shoulder was swollen & drooping, her leg was swollen & her paw was knuckling over and there was some edema around her elbow & arm pit.
We went to the vet Fri AM.
No temp. No break. No dislocation. Pitting edema spreading along her side. Left with antibiotics, pred & a diuretic. Fri PM she was still refusing food & vomited the pills.
Sat ... still couldn't get any food in her & couldn't get her to keep the pills down. She even vomited water if I let her have unrestricted access.
Sun the edema was spreading, she would gag if I even offered her food (warm chicken & rice). I gave up trying to give her meds & focused on trying to get her to keep water down. She could keep down about a cup of water/ pedialyte with a handful of ice cubes at a time.
Monday she was needing help getting up, navigating the steps to the yard & back. Still no food, no meds. Keeping down a crushed pepto tablet w/honey & water. Getting limited water & ice hourly.

I had an appt for Wed to recheck the leg... but couldn't wait another day. I got permission to take off this morning.
The edema covered her whole left side. She could barely use her front leg & was having trouble with her rear legs. Her breathing was labored. Her urine was brown & somehow was far exceeding what she was taking in.
He advised that with her history (the tumor back in Feb), being a senior boxer, the way this went from nonexistent to life threatening in less than a week..... that we could hospitalize her (with her fear of confinement & being alone) & run tests for days.... but in his opinion that would only give me a name for what he felt would end up being an aggressively spreading growth of some sort in her chest/abdomen.

The whole house is heartbroken.
20240213_191855.jpg
 

SageHill

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 27, 2022
Messages
4,280
Reaction score
16,076
Points
553
Location
Southern CA
OMG. I am so sorry. My heart breaks for you. You gave Birdie a wonderful home and life. She gave you love and hope.
From the sounds of it, and how fast it could have easily been hemangiosarcoma. Fast spreading “edemas” that are actually blood “tumors”. I have friends who have lost dogs from that. Symptoms all sound the same. There is nothing that can be done to stop it - no cure and no slowing it and maintain quality of life.
Hugs my friend.
 

farmerjan

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
11,421
Reaction score
44,900
Points
758
Location
Shenandoah Valley Virginia
:hugs:hugs:hugsand love to you. She had a good place with you, and you gave her the best you could and was there for her, so she could go peacefully. Cry a little, and be thankful for what you had. It will be sad and empty for a time... but you will remember her with smiles down the road.
I am sorry for your hurting.
 

Baymule

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
35,597
Reaction score
109,866
Points
893
Location
East Texas
I’m crying. I’m so sad for you and Birdie. You gave a senior dog a loving home and who knows what could have happened to her if you hadn’t offered your heart and home to her? She had her quirks but you hung in there and didn’t give up. You worked through it and most of all, you loved her. She loved you too. I’m so sorry. 💔💔💔
 

canesisters

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 29, 2012
Messages
1,485
Reaction score
6,625
Points
433
Location
South Eastern VA
OMG. I am so sorry. My heart breaks for you. You gave Birdie a wonderful home and life. She gave you love and hope.
From the sounds of it, and how fast it could have easily been hemangiosarcoma. Fast spreading “edemas” that are actually blood “tumors”. I have friends who have lost dogs from that. Symptoms all sound the same. There is nothing that can be done to stop it - no cure and no slowing it and maintain quality of life.
Hugs my friend.
Thank you
I googled it and I believe that may be what it was. Even down to the 'first symptoms' sometimes being increased thirst.
We were watching her & had a plan for regular blood work since she was drinking quite a bit & her last panel showed slightly high glucose.... We were thinking possibly heading towards diabetes.....
 

Ridgetop

Herd Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
7,343
Reaction score
25,603
Points
743
Location
Shadow Hills, CA
So so sorry to hear about Birdie. She was there for you when you needed her to get you through the unpleasantness at your last job. Yu were there for her when she needed someone to love her and give her a home. Both of yu brought love to each other. So sorry about her passing. :hugs
 
Top