Judith Anne, I know you and I have had our differences on the RF, but I nursed my dog, 14 years old also, while he had cancer, up to his death in October, 2007, so I have some notion of what you’re going through. I couldn’t put him down, he loved me so and I him. He was happy and comfortable, I made sure of that, and it wasn’t the cancer that ultimately caused his death.
There are things you can do to slow the growth of tumors that aren’t that expensive. The tumor probably isn’t a glioma, it’s coming on too slowly for that, imho. Anti-inflammatories will probably help. There are numerous possibilities. I used Metacam at a higher, “off label” dosage under the supervision of a sympathetic vet. Metacam is an NSAID, (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), and can work wonders for pain and inflammation.
Caution is in order, though. Some small percentage of dogs do not react well to Metacam, there is a risk and the first day it’s used needs to be set aside for observation of the dog. If anything untoward appears to be happening, especially blood in the urine or stool, treatment needs to be ceased immediately and get to the vet right away. You’ll need to be watchful for this for the duration of treatment. Do take the warnings on the label seriously, they’re dead serious, and under no circumstances should you use any other NSAID or aspirin in combination, it’s fatal. But, it did help my boy, helped keep him happy and comfortable.
An holistic vet familiar with herbal treatments and accupuncture (don’t laugh, it was very helpful for mobility with mine, and cheap, $25 per treatment) would be a good thing to seek out. Herbal anti-inflammatories can be used in conjunction with NSAIDs whereas no other NSAID or even aspirin can be used together. You’d be surprised what is beneficial, and you’d be surprised how advanced the Chinese have been with this for a very long time.
A gradual change in diet (with an older dog, very gradual) can be another godsend. I chose Innova Evo, canned. He loved it, his coat came in so shiny, his eyes bright. That was just my choice, there are many others out there, or you can even cook your own, but get the grain out of the diet, only leaving brown rice if grain needs to be included. The thought is that high protien is the way to go, with carbs “feeding” the growth.
Good luck with seeing your baby through on God’s time, I know the bittersweet ordeal myself. It just didn’t seem to be my decision to make, and I couldn’t violate the trust he had in me. He passed away at the only home he ever knew with his head in my lap.
I still miss him, always will. If you’d care to FReepmail me, I can share some links and such.
I don’t care about our differences at a time like this.
FYI, I’ve been giving her raw beef cut up in tiny pieces or fresh raw hamburger three times a day, she LOVES it, plus her treats. She likes to drag a ham hock around her crate until it is nearly gone, and she has one now, buried under the pillows where the mastiff can smell it, but not see it. I cut her raw meat into tiny pieces because she almost choked on a larger piece one time.
Outside, she stands and trembles until her business is done; won’t walk anywhere in the grass due to being blind I guess. In her crate, she’ll move around because it’s familiar territory, and she doesn’t tremble then except during a seizure.
Reg, I’m praying she goes in her sleep before my family comes in a couple of weeks. I’ll post it on this thread if she does.
The two dogs have actually saved my life, twice. My husband died of cancer here at home in 2007, the dogs grieved with me, but still needed to be fed, walked, let in and out, petted, groomed, etc. They literally kept me going while I was crazed with grief. Then, after my heart attack, I stayed with my son and his family for a while, and he brought the dogs into their home; I had to walk them, clean up after them, groom them, feed them, etc. My son said if anything happened to me, he’d give them away to a good home. I was horrified, and determined to recover. No one could appreciate them the way I do!
Thanks for telling me how you managed things with a beloved dog. What a bond they weave into our lives...little strings attached to our hearts...