Jack-Sparrows-girl Posted January 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 i am pleased to say that Rosco has found his appetite today and has eaten a normal sized meal, i am really chuffed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby1Nic Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 Well done Rosco I'm so sorry to read of your news We lost our old lady to Leukemia. She was a Lab/GR and was approx 12/13 when we lost her. (Can't be sure of exact age - we were told she was 9/10 when we got her). Anyway, she started showing signs of generally being 'out of sorts'. Not wanting to go for walks, off her food etc - you know when your dog is being off colour don't you ? The Vet initially thought it may be her teeth as they were a bit bad so we had the bad ones taken out and thought maybe that was it. It wasn't. Things didn't improve and so Vet carried out further tests and the Leukemia diagnosis came back She was given tablets (I can't recall what they were now) but they really did perk her up no end - to the point where we were thinking surely the Vet has got it wrong.....if only What we found was that the time between injections and medication became shorter and shorter as Amber's reliance upon them become more and more necessary. We had her for an extra 6 months. We did discuss chemo nad the like with our Vet but decided against it as Ambs was older. Bless her I really really do hope that your Vet can help you both, very very best of luck for Friday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack-Sparrows-girl Posted January 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 Thankyou hun, That was much like our Rosco, he was very lathargic, not eating really didn't have the energy that he normally had on his walkies, he then lost approx 8kg in 3-4 days which is when i got him into the vets right away, the vet thought it was a chest infection or something similar that hadn't come out yet, put him on anti-b's for the weekend and had to go back on the monday where Rosco was a lot worse, he had lost 6 months worth of weight gain (which was a lot as he was rescued in a very bad way and was being slowly built up to a nice weight) anyway - they took his bloods on monday and we went back in on thursday expecting to be told he has an infection of some sort - but unfortunately we were told the bad news. I have already discussed chemo with the vet and the vet said it would not cure Rosco and he hasn't the weight and strength behind him to get through the treatment, it would merely prolong his agony, so we went for another course of treatment, the injection has done him wonders and he has 6 tablets to take twice a day and they are working really well - which is a great sign that he has reacted so well to them, hopefully our boy will be with us for a year or more but i will wait to hear how we get on friday before i get my hopes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack-Sparrows-girl Posted January 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 at the moment Rosco isn't suffering, he is unaware that he is poorly so life will remain positive and happy for him, it's hard to think he is so ill when he doesn't look ill anyway. The moment he starts to suffer with it will be the time to walk him to the bridge, but i can't think about that right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houndzrus Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 So sorry at your sad news, Rosco looks a lovely lad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack-Sparrows-girl Posted February 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Rosco's leukemia is secondary to a major heart condition - his aorta is not functioning properly and because he is now almost fully grown it is taking it's toll, this is not good for a dog of only 16 months old, the vet has taken him off the steroids and now has to concentrate on his heart, he is on 2 lots of tablets, vetedin and digoxin, and in back in on friday at 10 am. ithe vet said "i'm sorry but this is not a good prognosis" so i asked how long? she said that she couldn't give me an answer to that because he will either respond to the treatment or not respond but the heart condition along with the leukemia is not a good combination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houndzrus Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 So sorry the outcome was so bad. Life is so cruel sometimes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 I'm so sorry to hear this At least by being with you Rosco will have the best chances and the best possible quality of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith gsd Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 I too am afraid I have had experience of the dreaded leukemia with one of our dogs. She like yours, was a giant breed, a lovely Landseer Newfoundland. She refused her food a few weeks after she had her booster vaxs. So I took her the same day to the vet, and I said "It's leukimia isn't it"? He said "Lets's not jump to conclusions in a stern voice" Anyway after the first rather inconclusive blood test and a course of human vitamin and mineral tablets, the second test showed the bloods were not normal. She had either aplastic aneamia, or myeloid leukemia. There was only one way to tell, and that was to take some bone marrow from her pelvis. I asked the vet what he would do in our situation (thankfully she was already 9 years old - though Newfies do live longer lives than that), and he said he wouldn't put his dog through it, because it would be like having the pain of a broken hip for at least two weeks or more. So we decided to keep her comfy and follow her usual routine. Her walking was getting slower and her walks shorter. My Mum died on the 24th October and we really should have let her go on the same day. But the vet gave her some steroids to find out I suppose, if this really was her time to leave us or not, and perhaps he was trying to ease our grief at that time. However, we decided that she should suffer no longer, she didn't want any food and wanted us to leave her alone, so we took her first thing the next day. I held her head until she felt at peace and more comfortable. I read somewhere about black and white dogs reacting to multiple vaccinations, and how it can sometimes cause an autoimmune response, so I am always "twitchy" about taking mine for their injections. I am so sorry that you have further problems to compound the problems already. It is not easy to lose ANY dog, but when it is such a big one it is so hard, there seems a bigger empty space somehow. But now enjoy his company, make sure he is happy to carry on, and take each day as it comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby1Nic Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Ah damn it I am so sorry really Treasure every moment as I'm sure you have. Poor Rosco, best wishes to you all from us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel n Hardy Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 I was going to say a holistic/homeopathic vet too, there does seem to be certain foods and suppliments which boost the immune system and have seemed to help dogs with cancers The holistic approach can't hurt and may well improve things too good luck and big big to Rosco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack-Sparrows-girl Posted February 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 The vet has said today that Rosco's heart is still not beatin right and he has "weeks or months rather than years" left, he has now got added health problems including his liver and has anemia too. he is on a pasta, rice and chicken diet. He will spend the remaining days/weeks being loved and cuddled so much he will know that he can not get a better life than he has with us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalie34 Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 what a gorgeous young chap sorry to hear of the sad news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greys mum Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 I'm so sorry that the news wasn't better. Enjoy the time you have left and take loads of pics of your gorgeous boy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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