Some very sad news.

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Thistle

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My oldest dog is a beautiful black Lab called Hera, she is 11 and a half years old and looks a good few years younger.

A while ago she looked a bit wonky with a head tilt, which the vet has seen a few things and put it down to nerve damage from wasp stings having eaten a very waspy apple.

2 weeks ago her ear was yucky so we went to the vet who had a look, cleaned it out and put her on ear drops.

It didn't improve so last Fri she went in for a GA and a good look round and deep clean, she also had her teeth cleaned and 1 removed. Vet found what she thought was a polyp and rang me whilst she was under to see if I wanted her to operate (fairly major ear resection 2-3 months recovery) I declined and asked for referral to vet hospital for in depth imaging before putting her through some fairly invasive surgery (dog is insured)

Yesterday she went to hospital, had a CT scan of head and chest. Last night I received the news I didn't want to hear.

She has a huge mass of her parotid (salivary) gland which has spread via a thread into her chest and nothing can be done.

I'm collecting her today for a few weeks of love and cuddles until she tells me it's all a bit much.

I'm pretty cross that my vet didn't see this at all, it's easy to feel the mass behind her ear and I pointed it out.

However it doesn't change anything, I'm so pleased that I didn't elect for surgery, it would have been pointless and painful.

The dog has a mast cell tumour removed age 5 and another totally unrelated one removed age 9 so I guess she has been a lucky girl so far. I'm just sad her luck has finally run out.
 
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Such sad news, at least she's had a wonderful life with you xx
 
Oh no I'm so sorry to hear that. It's heartbreaking when there's nothing you can do. You did the best thing for her and i'm sure you'll give her the best last few weeks of her life x
 
Why don't dogs have longer life spans, I am so sorry for you.

A dear friend has just had exactly the same situation with a GR, the dog was 14 and had lived his life with another GR who was 15, they had never been apart in all of those years. The older dog was struggling a little and the decision was made for them both to go side by side. It was a very dark day for my friend and I worried about him, but just a few days after he announced he could not stand the silence in the house and will be having a pair of GR puppies very soon.
 
Sorry to hear this, I lost one of my dogs 4 weeks ago to cancer, he was about 14-15 and had a good life, we knew when the time was right and the vet came out to put him to sleep at home.The other 2 dogs still look round for him, he was a small dog (JRT) but has left a big hole.
It's awful when they go and having to make that phone call to the vet is the hardest thing to do but it is the last kindness we can show them isn't it.
Thoughts are with you, Oz
 
What a terrible shame, I hope you enjoy the time you have left together. Thank goodness you found out her correct diagnosis and she didn't have to go through the trauma of major surgery. Take care.
 
Oh, such heartbreaking news. Beautiful Hera is such a lucky dog to have such a wonderful, caring owner. I'm so terribly sad for you xxxx
 
Bittersweet times ahead. Luckily I have 3 other beautiful fun dogs to keep me going. However as anyone who knows me will tell you, Hera is MY dog, she worships the ground I walk on. Hopefully one of the young gundogs (or possibly both?) will step up to fill her footsteps. Lily staffie has chosen daughter as 'her' person.
 
I'm so sorry, Thistle. This is the awful part of owning these gorgeous creatures. It breaks my heart, it really does. Why can't they live longer?
 
She doesn't know that she is ill, the vet made me promise not to tell her.

We have decided to try to make every day she has left worth living for her, be it a special treat, a short potter down the track to snuffle around in a ditch etc etc

When she no longer appreciates this then it's time to say goodbye.

She is on a daily dose of Loxicom now so is no longer troubled by her slight arthritis and any tumour pain is improved.

Trigger factors are loss of balance, circling or falling (it's pressing on her brain), inability to swallow, vomiting, difficulty breathing (it's grown in her throat), shortness of breath, extreme exercise intolerance (it's grown in her chest). Any or all of these will mean it's time to say goodbye.

I'm finding it stressful as I'm away for 2 nights next week and 4 nights the week after. Any doubt and she'll go sooner rather than later.

The only difference is that I have to separate her from the young dogs as they are bothering her but that's pretty easy to do by crating the young ones at night and using the corridor as a separate dog room in addition to the utility. They are all ok together as long as there is someone to referee. In the evening they all settle in front of the fire or next to the sofas.
 
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