Confused and Overwhelmed-Diagnosed Anal Sac Carcinoma (Woody has passed)

[Woodydog]

Hi All

I found this site whilst looking for information on Cushings Disease, let me tell you our story.

I have a rescue Jack Russell Terrier age approximately 7/8 years, I,ve had him 3 years now and he is my life. I live alone with Woody, about 4 months ago I noticed that he had a little accident overnight, didn't think much of it cleaned it up and moved on. This happened again and again despite being let out for wee wee,s. I then started to monitor his water intake which had went from little to a lot, so I popped him over to the vet thinking UTI, but it wasn't. The vet asked me to closely monitor him over the next few days and bring him back towards end of the week with a sample. I monitored Woody very closely and realised that he was asking to go out more often and his fluid intake had almost doubled, so I took him back to vet with sample, he put sample on a meter (can,t remember name) and told me that Woody,s urine was very diluted and that he wanted to take bloods. So full blood work was done for diabetes and his urine was sent away with the blood for analysis. The blood results were no use as the blood had clotted (the vet thought this may happen as he struggled to get the blood in first place) but his urine showed very diluted and his calcium, phosphate levels were up but no sugar or protein in the urine. So one week later Woody went back into get the bloods re done, he also was to get a thyroid T4 test and an ACTH done where they injected took blood injected him then he was retested an hour later. These results showed up nothing significant other than in the vets words it could all still point to Cushings Disease as his liver enzymes were high. So on Monday Woody dog went back to vets for the LDDS test and I,m waiting on the results (gulp) his urine was still diluted on Monday and the vet down a full Blood Count too that he can run in his own clinic all others are sent away just to check on the things that were high calcium, phosphate, liver etc and they came back normal, some were at the higher level of normal but only the liver came back higher that it should but not greatly. So I know by reading that you all like facts and figures, so I will ask my vet for the results of all his tests and post on here. I have a feeling that the LDDS test will come back normal and I will never find out whats up with my boy. His symtoms are drinking loads 3 pints per day he weights 10 kg, weeing constantly, randomly panting, and he wont jump up on sofa any more he wants to be lifted, and he has developed a wee sacking tummy. I am confused and overwhelmed by all the figures and stuff my vets talk and just want my old Woody back. :(

Oh sorry this has turned into an essay, my name is Tracy and I live in Scotland.:eek:

[Roxee's Dad]

Hi Tracy and welcome to you and Woody.

We will be looking forward to the testing results. Does Woody have a ravenous appetite? Is he losing any hair or is it getting thinner?

Many more will stop by and welcome you and help you and woody through this.

[mcdavis]

Welcome to you and Woody. There are some really nice, and incredibly knowledgeable people who will be along shortly to ask for more information.
If you have test results that you can post it will really help.

[Squirt's Mom]

Hi Tracy and welcome to you and Woody! :)

Confused and overwhelmed, huh? Oh boy, do I remember those days! But you have done much, much better than I. To put it mildly, I was a total basket case by the time I found this group, which quickly became our family. I think my first post was several thousand words long and rambled all over the freakin' place, mostly incoherently and rather insane sounding. A dear friend later told me she had an image of a woman with her finger in a light socket, hair standing on end; she kindly left out the parts about the bulging eyes and flying slobber! :D:o I was frustrated, angry, eat up with guilt, terrified and cried constantly. It was as if my world was ending and I felt so helpless to stop it. But these kind folk didn't run away from the mad woman who had fallen into their laps but took my hand and started teaching me what I needed to know to help my Sweet Bebe, Squirt. It's almost 6 years later and this is our home, our family, who saved my sanity and helped keep my baby alive through thick and thin. Squirt was 15 this past Feb. so do not lose hope. You and Woody are now family here, too, and we will be right by your side the whole way, every single step.

It sounds like your vet is off to a good start in finding out what is going on with your sweet boy. When you get them, please do post the test results - as you noticed, we do LOVE details! :) Ruling out the UTI, diabetes and thyroid issues is a very smart move as they all share signs with Cushing's and can cause false positives on the cushing's tests.

One other thing to mention to your vet while ya'll are looking is Diabetes Insipidus, or DI. DI does not involve blood sugars but is a condition in which the body does not process water correctly so blood tests cannot pick this condition up. It is typically tested via a test called a water deprivation test, which can be risky. So most vets simply start treating for DI and if the treatment works, the diagnosis can be made. DI is treated with an eye drop called Desmopressin. DI is fairly rare but we have seen several cases here.

I'm glad you found us and look forward to learning more about the both of you as time passes. Please take a look around the Helpful Resource section of the forum where you will find a wealth of information, in particular a thread of info for newcomers to Cushing's. The most important things for you to know today are these - 1) Cushing's is NOT a death sentence. Cush pups can and do live out their expected lifespans and beyond, typically passing from old age or conditions unrelated to Cushing's and 2) you and Woody are no longer alone; we will be with you every step of this journey - all you ever need to do is reach out and you will find us reaching back.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Helpful Resources for Owners of Cushing's Dogs
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=10

Sticky: Links to Cushings Websites (especially helpful for new members!)
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180

[Budsters Mom]

Hello and welcome from me too. :)
You have come to the right place! There are many K9Cushing's angels standing by to help and stay with you every step of the way. They love details, test results, any information you can get your hands on. The more the better. We will do all we can to help, but be ready for lots of questions! So again, welcome Tracy and Woody.

I was definitely confused, overwhelmed and completely exhausted when I stumbled upon this heavenly group of angels. Relax, sit back, and get comfortable. Our family welcomes and embraces you and Woody. Hugs,

[doxiesrock912]

Tracy, we all felt the same way when our dogs became ill. Cushings is a sneaky disease and the symptoms often progress for years before it's obvious that something is wrong.

There are many members here who can interpret the test results which is a good thing because not all vets are knowledgeable with Cushings.

Woody's symptoms do suggest Cushing's. Does he also seem to be hungry all of the time?

[Woodydog]

Thank you everyone I don,t feel so alone anymore, I think I scared myself reading all the information on Cushings and at one point I read it would shorten his life considerable and I guess I panicked as I,m not willing to lose him.:mad:

A bit more information now that I,ve calmed down a bit. Woody had an incident in 2011 where he was leaking urine, not much but enough for me to worry, this happened several times over 2 days so I popped him to the vet with a sample and tested for a UTI and it was negative, Woody was put on a broad stream AB and it seemed to help, so we (vet and I) thought it was an infection, later that year and early in 2012 Woody had 2 bouts of pancreatitis both times being hospitalised for several days, again we put it down to something he had eaten, but I,ve read somewhere that this could be a symptom of cushings. His appetite is shall I say ravenous, but Woody was a "street dog" so I,ve put it down to him being starved previously to coming to me, I can no longer keep a bin in the house as he raids it constantly, this is also been mentioned to the vet several times. I feel really guilty now that I didn,t push for more tests when he showed these symtoms back in 2011, does this mean I,ve made him suffer god I hope not.

Squirts Mum - That image made me laugh and I have to say I,m not to far away from that myself. No one seems to understand when they say "you look tired" "Yeah been up with the dog all night" they look at me as if I,m stupid.

The worst thing about this for me at the moment is when he has an accident like if I don,t wake up in time to let him out he will hide from me, head down as if he is waiting on getting into trouble, everytime he does this, it breaks my heart just that little bit more. As you can guess Woody didn't have the best of lives before he came to me, so I,m making sure he has a damn good life with me:)

My vet has mentioned to me about DI and feels if the cushings comes back negative then this looks like the next step, I forgot to mention earlier that when he got his LDDS test, they also took bloods to test his T3 thyroid.

Thank you for the warm welcome and as soon as I get test results you will all be the second to know

[Budsters Mom]

You are not alone in this. You have all of us now. We've all been up with our fur babies many a night, so we totally understand. We will help you and Woody anyway we can. Bless you for rescuing him from the streets. Hugs,

[Woodydog]

You are not alone in this. You have all of us now. We've all been up with our fur babies many a night, so we totally understand. We will help you and Woody anyway we can. Bless you for rescuing him from the streets. Hugs,

Thank you, your thread on Buddy was the first thread I ever read on here, and I have to admit to shedding a tear at some parts, I am so sorry he has passed, but he will happily be playing with all the other pups in Rainbow Bridge :

[Budsters Mom]

Tracy,
I am honored that you read Buddy's thread about my mighty lizard Hunter. Since there is far more than 1000 posts, that's quite a bit or reading!:eek: Yes, I had many sleepless nights and I would do it all again to have Buddy back healthy and pain free.

You and Woody are in excellent hands now. You are being loved and supported by a very special angel brigade. When you're told that you are not alone, it isn't just words. Our angels stayed with me 24/7 for several days after Buddy passed through the rainbow bridge. They would still be there now, in a flash if I needed them to be. They kept me talking when I was too numb to think straight and held me together with their love.

We truly are a family here. Feel free to tell us whatever you are feeling at the time. Yelling, screaming, ranting, crying, whatever, is allowed here. Your journey has just begun. We will be here to share it with you. That means, the joys and sorrows. Hugs,

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome Tracy and Woody. :)

It sounds like your vet has things well in hand and is on his way to ruling in and out, what could be the issue.
Leslie covered the pertinent about maybe DI if everything comes back negative. Either way, Woody can be treated and live out a good long life.
I'm so glad that you and Woody found each other. A pair made for each other. Poor little guy, feeling so awful that he had an accident. :( My golden was horrified when she had an accident in the house. It just never happened and wasn't her fault, but hard to tell that to a dog.
I'm glad you found us and you'll have a place to ask any question, have a constant support group, whatever you need.
We'll be looking forward to seeing those test numbers. :) They help so much in trying to figure out what can be going on.

Welcome again,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Woodydog]

I,m struggling tonight or this morning its 1 am in the morning in Scotland and Woody has had 2 accidents tonight, whilst I was in the bath, was only in for 20 mins or so surely that can,t be right. He had his evening walk at 10 pm then back out at 11pm for toilet break, tell me I,m not imagining this, tell me that it,ll get better, tell me whats up with him. (cry)

I will now spend the next hour or so sitting on the floor , speaking softly telling him I,ll make sure he gets better and that its not his fault that he has accidents and if I,m lucky he will come out from behind the sofa where he is at present hiding he is a sensitive wee soul but don,t tell him I said that he likes to think he,s a matcho dog ha.

If his results come back on Friday positive I know with all your help I will be able to deal with it and get Woody on the right track, but what if they are negative again and I,m left not knowing whats causing this :mad:

[doxiesrock912]

It will get better sweetie.
With proper veterinary care and patience.

We've all been where you are right now and how I despised those little accidents.
When you have a moment, and if you care to, please read through my thread "Daisy Mae had just been diagnosed with PDH".

It will give you a timeline of how we've progressed as an example.

[molly muffin]

Hi Tracy,
Oh poor Woody, I am sure he feels awful and you do too. Make sure to get copies of all the tests and the results from the vet.
If this comes back negative, then you give the DI med a shot and see if that helps. If not, then you get an ultrasound. But before any of that, we want to see the numbers.
It's okay, we're with you. Do you have any pee pads that Woody could maybe use when he can't hold it? Put him in an area when you aren't with him, like when you are in the bath, or even bring him into the bathroom with you and put a pee pad down. It might take some time, but it won't hurt to try it.
Arriving at a diagnosis is the hardest part to get through. It does get better, once you know what you are dealing with and have a plan. A plan can be a great and wonderful thing.

Hang in there.
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Trixie]

Hi Tracy,
We all know how you're feeling right now, the beginning of this is just an awful worry....but it will get better for you and for Woody!!
Poor little fellow is feeling so badly about his accidents.
Puppy pads will definitely help if Woody will use them. If you put them in the spots where he's already gone he may go along and use them.
I was feeling just like you only a few months ago. Thank goodness for everyone here on this board that helped get me through!
My dog was diagnosed is April. It's taken a few months of dose tweaking but she's much better now. Hope you get answers from the vet soon so that Woody will be on the road to feeling better.

Barbara

[Budsters Mom]

My poor little Buddy NEVER had an accident and refused to use pee pads. He would burst something before peeing anywhere in the house. I felt really bad for him and worried that he would physically injure himself trying to hold it. As his Cushings took over, his rear leg weakness made him unable to use his doggy door anymore. It was stressful for both of us. I worried because he couldn't get out while I worked and would rush home each afternoon. Buddy stressed trying to hold it. My point being, I would have preferred accidents. Yes, accidents worry some dogs. Since Woody is already having accidents, maybe you could get him to eventually use a pee pad in an emergency. It helps to mark one with his scent from a previous accident, so he knows that it's okay to pee there. None of this is ideal. We all cope the best we can. I have often done the crying and sitting up ALL night thing, to the point of exhaustion. Then going off to work in the morning with little or no sleep. It does help to talk about it. At least, it did for me.

Hopefully you'll have some answers soon.

[Woodydog]

Thanks again for all your kind words. Woody eventually came out from the sofa about 3 am and slept peacefully the rest of the night, where as me I slept rubbish, I kept watching him to make sure he didn't need out again. I,ve been this morning and bought pee pads, just have to hope that he will use them, this way he may not feel as bad when he has an accident. He did look at me strangely when I put them down and explained to him what they were for, don,t think he was listening though :p

Test result day is tomorrow and I,m feeling a bit sick about it all. I really cant believe that it takes so long to get a diagnosis, I had heard of cushings before all this but didn't realise how hard it was to diagnose until now. I have a really good vet which is half the battle I think and will listen to me rant on about Woody. Back at the beginning of all this he mentioned cushings but decided to rule everything else out, diabetes, kidneys, thyroid etc before cushings. I trust him as does Woody as we see him every month as Woody takes other medication, and needs to get it checked regularly. Thank god for pet insurance as the bill is sitting pretty high at the moment.

I,m popping to work for a few hours so will leave pads down and see if he uses it.

Tracy and Woody x

[mytil]

Hi and a belated welcome from me too.

It looks like you and Woody have settled in just fine here and have received some great advice.

We are all looking forward to those results as well.

Terry

PS -- What other types of medication is Woody taking at the moment and for what conditions?

[spdd]

Welcome to the forum. I know what you are going through as well as many others on here and it sometimes can be overwhelming.
Please don't get discouraged. I have had to literally take one day at a time and not worry about things that might present themselves later.
Your story is somewhat similar to mine as far as peeing goes and just when I thought he was stabilized last night I came home to almost a lake in the kitchen and excessive thirst again. Sometimes they throw you for a loop with behaviour but again, one day at a time
Once you get your test results, you'll know what course of action to take and you'll feel better.

[Woodydog]

Hi and a belated welcome from me too.

It looks like you and Woody have settled in just fine here and have received some great advice.

We are all looking forward to those results as well.

Terry

PS -- What other types of medication is Woody taking at the moment and for what conditions?


woody takes fortekor I tablet 5mg each morning for a grade 4.5 heart murmour. It was diagnosed at the rescue centre so he has always taken it woody also has a luxating patella on the right leg but its not bad enough yet to operate I did think that his reluctance to jump up now was related to his leg but vet checked it and there has been no change to it. He also had an accident nov 2012 where he was running around like a loony jumped for his toy and landed funny he slipped 2 discs on that occasion L4 L5 but recovered well with crate rest, again I thought this could be why he was jumping on the sofa and struggling a bit with the stairs but an x ray confirmed although he has been left with a weakness all has healed. Oh sorry I ve just waffled on and given you info that's probably irrelevant a complete guide into woody,s medical history the only thing left is he is suffering from hayfever this year this is a first for him

[spdd]

Just want to welcome you to the forum. Great knowledgeable people here, you definitely are in the right place.

oops... I see I already did... won't hurt to welcome you again.

[Simba's Mom]

Welcome Tracey and Woody, so glad you found us, we love having you join our family and Woody too..this forum is awesome, lots of info and encouragement with it, we are here for you!!! Hugs

[Trixie]

It's been much the same with me...dog sleeping peacefully but me wide awake watching the dog!! I had so many nights like this, it's hard to sleep when you feel so worried.
Great news that you have a good vet and someone you feel comfortable and confident with. That will certainly make an easier time dealing with all this.
Hope Woody will test out the puppy pads and start using them-it will make your life much easier. My dog will use them thankfully. I still leave a couple down just in case but as she's getting controlled she doesn't need to use them much anymore.
We'll all be wanting to hear what you learn at the vet tomorrow. Try not to worry too much....once you know what you're dealing with you'll be able to help Woody get better!
Barbara

[Woodydog]

Well todays result day, I feel sick, nervous, got to wait till this afternoon so popping into work to take my mind of it (like that will happen).

Bought pee pads and put them down, he did try and use them bless him, but he had dribbled on the pad and pee,d at the side of it, I did laugh as he looked pleased with himself. I think in amongst all this doom and gloom that has been happening recently I need to keep my sense of humour and Woody has always made me smile on a daily basis so I have to think that this is all just a blimp and Woody will be back to his old self soon enough (not strictly true but helps me) Back later with the results wish us luck :confused:

[Squirt's Mom]

My little male Chi is blind but peepee pad trained...when he can find them! ;) I get so tickled at him because he will find one, get his front feet on the pad but his weewee is not quite on the pad so he pees by it. But he thinks because he felt the pad with his paws that he done GOOD and stomps off across the dry pad with that tail just flying in pride! :p:D:p

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
I too have a wonderful Jack Russell named Tipper. This dog is my world. I was devastated and scared to death upon her diagnosis. She has been on Vetoryl for a year now, I am picking up her latest test results today. It will get easier, but never less worrisome. My dog has done well on treatment so far. Her symptoms were so sever that she would not have made it without the help of the Vetoryl. I am praying her tesst come back good today. I wish you the best with your baby. You will get thru this just like the rest of us. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Results are in. Woody suppressed adaquately on his LDDS test so no signs of cushings. I,ll post some more when I,ve stopped crying

[Budsters Mom]

YAY!!! I am thrilled both of you! Go Woody, Go Woody!!:):D

[Woodydog]

Ok so I,ve composed myself and had to re phone vet, as I was a bit off with them. Although Woody,s LDDS test was negative for cushings, I,m still at a lose at why he is drinking and peeing all the time. When I rung back I got the Locum vet Emma who I,ve dealt with before I explained I was still at a lose at to his symtoms and she finally agreed to refer us to an endo specialist a 2 hour drive away. She has also said she will speak with the specialist about a water deprevation test for Diabetes Inspidus and send all test results to them, although she will also ask if it can be done at home instead of the surgery due to Woody getting stressed. I have also asked for ALL Woody,s results from the last 4 months, I,m being told she needs to ask the senior vet if that,s ok to do, surely I paid for them and I have a right to see them.

I,m not sure how I feel now ( I did cry on the phone to vet) I think relieved that nothing was found, angry that I didn't think they believed anything is wrong with Woody dog, guilty oh so guilty for putting him through all that testing for nothing and sad really sad that I still have to watch my precious sweet boy drink and pee all day long.:( The vet mentioned something that I,ve never heard of which is Psychogenic Water Drinking which means its a behavioural problem anyone heard of this.

[Roxee's Dad]

I'm sorry this is so frustrating.. :( I found a little info on Psychogenic Water Drinking. Seems toward the end of the article that if this is indeed the case, water has to be allocated, But I would really want to be absolutely positive that this is the case and not something else causing the issue.


http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/psychogenic-polydipsia-in-dogs

[Trixie]

Well I'm glad for you that it isn't Cushings...but I can understand being upset and wondering what could be going on!
Once you can post all the various tests and numbers there are people here who will have some ideas and advice. I know how hard it is to see your dog drink and pee so much...it upset me so much too.
I hope you and the vet will get to the bottom of this soon.

Barbara

[molly muffin]

YAY!!! that is wonderful news.
Of course, now you are in the same boat I am in. In that my dog too fully suppressed both 4 and 8 hour on the LDDS.
So, now you have to figure out what is causing the peeing. You can pursue the DI diagnosis, give her the meds and if that takes care of it, then wala you know what the problem is and it should resolve.
Um, you know that once you come here you're family right?! :) So, whatever the issues may turn out to be, we'll just keep you if you don't mind. :)

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Woodydog]

Oh my goodness Molly Mum how do you cope with that. Does Molly still present with Cushing symtoms? I'm not convinced Woody doesn't have it as DI doesn't explain all his symtoms but if tests where negative what can I do, except accept them. It's 4 am here and Woody has been up most of night drinking peeing and looking for food.

I did think cause Woody was,nt a Cush pup then I would have to leave the forum but glad to know I can stay :)

[molly muffin]

Oh my gosh no!! Don't leave!! Cushings brought you here, but it is a family of dog lovers and caring that keeps you. :)
Molly doesn't have the excessive drinking, peeing, eating. She has a bit of a pot belly, a positive ACTH test, a could be positive ultrasound, thinning hair, high liver enzymes. Her first LDDS test in 2011 was negative and everyone since has consistently been negative. We still don't know what the root of the problem is. I give her liver support supplements from the vet and have her blood work checked about every 3 months to keep and eye on things and I watch her food and water intake to see if it is increasing at all.
I know how worrisome it is though. One accident that was very unusual, sent us off to have a urine culture done the next morning. You just do what you can do and pay attention, hoping that it will be figured out by you or vet or someone at some point.

Hang in there!
Sharlene and Molly Muffun

[spdd]

I agree... don't leave. My dog is still peeing and drinking excessively even though supposedly diagnosed with Cushings. The jury is out on that still after 3 months.

Maybe together we can figure out what is going on? I can't give advice as I'm not knowledgeable enough but I'll go to the ends of the earth to figure out what his problem is.

Hang in there and let us know how or what you are doing.

[Squirt's Mom]

I'm not sure I would allow the water deprivation test. It is rather risky. I would rather choose to start the eye drops and see if that helped. If they do, there is the diagnosis. If they don't, we keep looking. Do some research on this test and decide if you want to put your baby through this or simply start treating. ;)

[labblab]

I'm so glad that Leslie posted her note above, because I was just getting ready to write the same thing. We have had a few members on the forum with dogs who ended up being diagnosed with DI and successfully treated via the method she's suggested -- simply trying the medication to see whether or not it works. I don't believe I'd feel safe doing the water deprivation test with my own dog.

And I just want to join in the chorus of folks urging you to stay right here with us!!!! We have many different issues that we're all dealing with, on top of or instead of Cushing's. So we don't want you to stray away, OK?

Marianne

[Woodydog]

Thank you I'm not going anywhere don't get rid of me that easily. Where else can I find like minded people who know and understand what I'm going through. :p

Woods had a bad night last night up and down drinking peeing hungry so he,s quite flat today think he maybe tired I know I am ha.

Squirts mum - I did express my concerns to the vet about the deprivation test as I,d be worried that he would dehydrate and 30 mins from the vet so will hold off on that. Is there any other mess other than eye drops as I don't think woody would be happy letting me do that.

[lulusmom]

Desmopressin isn't cheap. You can get it in tablet form but it's even more expensive than the eye drops or nasal spray. I would have gladly paid the price had it worked for my dog, Jojo, but it didn't. You can read about the drug on Dr. Mark Peterson's blog here: http://endocrinevet.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-drugs-do-we-use-to-treat-diabetes.html

[Woodydog]

Thanks for the link lulusmum some interesting stuff there. I've decided that I will wait for IMS to call me to discuss things with him before I decide our next step I want what's best for woody (as we all do) 🐶

[goldengirl88]

Hoping everything continues to get better for Woody. Please stay with the forum. Post your numbers also as this forum will tell you if they agree with the vets findings as a lot of vets think they know what these numbers mean and don't. Blessings
Patti

[Trish]

Hi and welcome.. I am not much use on helping with Woody's problems... but boy his face looks like my Flynn so you must stay!! :D:D

[Woodydog]

Popping in to say hi and hope everyone had a good weekend. Woody has been ok usual drinking and peeing he was very flat yesterday and barely got out of bed, but better today. I'm in the middle of having the No you've been fed conversation while he is crying and pawing me for more food , glad I live alone or I would be carted away to funny farm having a conversation like this with him :o

Trish - he does have a look of Flynn gorgeous

[Budsters Mom]

We have all had those conversations with our fur babies. After a while you won't care if anyone overhears you or worry about what others think. We are all a little crazy here. You don't have to be, but it helps.:D

[molly muffin]

Awww, sorry Woody had a flat day. I think that just happens sometimes.
Aww, poor little guy. It's hard when they are trying their darnedest to convince you that they are starving to death after just haven't a bite to eat.
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Woodydog]

Just checking in been a hectic night. Woody has picked up a viral infection and decided to throw up most of yesterday, I watched him like a hawk but decided at 8pm that he had,t been drinking enough and whilst still being sick I took him to the emergency vet. As the emergency vet is in a different practice I had to explain his history needless to say Woody was kept on overnight put on IV Fluids and monitored, he was given an anti sickness injection. I didn't sleep a wink house so quite when he,s not here and admit to calling EV 3 times to check on him. I have picked him up this morning and he is doing well has 5 days AB s and is now fast asleep in his bed.

My vet has also just called me to check on him EV sends report to my own vet as well and she has passed all test results/history to the IMS so they should contact me later today to find out the next step.

[Trish]

Oh no, poor little boy, hopefully the fluids and meds made him feel better and you get a plan in place with the IMS. I guess a quiet day for you guys. Have you got some plain food to give him when he starts eating? Maybe some mushy rice with a wee bit chicken?

[goldengirl88]

Praying for Woody that this infection goes away. He really did not need this on top of everything else the poor boy. Blessings
Patti

[Squirt's Mom]

Oh, goodness! I'm glad Woody is home again and hope this is soon behind him. My Squirt has an intestinal infection so we have been working from the other end! :p Good thing we don't share a house or it would be a mess! :eek::p:D

You said something about being glad you lived alone because of the talking. LOL I talk out loud to myself allll the time - even when there isn't another living soul within hearing distance. My ex used to tell me if he wanted to find me, all he had to do was be still for a minute and he'd hear me talking somewhere....then after moving into our house last year, I was out in the yard working, and yes talking, when the neighbor came to the fence and looked around. She was looking to see who in the world I was talking to because she couldn't see anyone else from her porch! :p:o:D No one understands that the talking keeps me SANE so chatter away, honey! :p:p:p

[Woodydog]

Oh no, poor little boy, hopefully the fluids and meds made him feel better and you get a plan in place with the IMS. I guess a quiet day for you guys. Have you got some plain food to give him when he starts eating? Maybe some mushy rice with a wee bit chicken?

Yeah he,s just had some chicken and is looking for more, but he,s not getting it don,t want to overload his tummy :o


Oh, goodness! I'm glad Woody is home again and hope this is soon behind him. My Squirt has an intestinal infection so we have been working from the other end! :p Good thing we don't share a house or it would be a mess! :eek::p:D

You said something about being glad you lived alone because of the talking. LOL I talk out loud to myself allll the time - even when there isn't another living soul within hearing distance. My ex used to tell me if he wanted to find me, all he had to do was be still for a minute and he'd hear me talking somewhere....then after moving into our house last year, I was out in the yard working, and yes talking, when the neighbor came to the fence and looked around. She was looking to see who in the world I was talking to because she couldn't see anyone else from her porch! :p:o:D No one understands that the talking keeps me SANE so chatter away, honey! :p:p:p

Oh my this is so me, I talk all the time I talk to Woody all the time even when we,re out and about, I wouldv,e admitted to it earlier but I thought you,s would all think I was a mad women :D:D I will also admit to, when I ask Woody a question to answering it on behalf of him in a stupid doggy voice, please tell me am not alone in that :D

Woody has had a long sleep and a potter in the garden he has had a little chicken and seems a bit better, he has gone back to his bed now so I,ll let sleeping dogs lye as they say. He, s not been sick but does still have diar so hopefully meds will kick in soon

[goldengirl88]

We don't think you are crazy or mad for talking to Woody and answering in his doggie voice. Actually with this group of people you fit right in and that is quite normal for us! We wouldn't expect anything less. Hope Woody is feeling better and that you two have a good day. Blessings
Patti

[Trixie]

haha...I agree with Patti! There's no one in this group who will think anything of talking to and answering for your dog!
I hope Woody is feeling better from his bout with a virus and glad he is home from the vet! ;)
Barbara

[Budsters Mom]

Ha! Most of us do it, just some don't admit it! LOL

[Woodydog]

Good to know I,m not alone in the madness lol. Woody has been fine today, mostly slept which was fine, as I did too lol. I gave him a little was down tonight as he had managed to get poo all over his legs as it still pretty runny and I noticed that he has got small which lumps like in a cluster all over his elbow, he sleeps in a soft bed (memory foam) or on the sofa, never sleeps outdoors so not on hard surfaces, any ideas what these could be. There not bothering him just bothering me lol

[goldengirl88]

Could he have calcium deposits? Tipper has some hard bumps here and there and I think that is what they are, the vet looked at them and said nothing as usual. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Patti - I,m not sure what calcium deposits look like tried to google but cant find any pictures. I will speak with the vet next time we,re in. Although his bloods have shown up high calcium levels in two separate samples not sure if that is relevant.

[Woodydog]

Well Woody is almost over his viral infection, he is eating well, and his energy levels are starting to come back up, he has even managed an almost solid poo today (yay).

The IMS was supposed to ring me yesterday but I,ve not heard anything from them, so will give them till tomorrow then I will ring my own vet and see what is going on. I know they are really busy but I,m on pins waiting to see what the next step is for my boy. My niece looked after him tonight while I popped out for a while, I left a long list of instructions for her and when I came back home a few hours later she couldn't believe how much Woody was drinking and peeing. I think my family thought I was exaggerating his symtoms :mad:

[molly muffin]

So glad to hear that Woody is recovering from the viral infection.

I completely understand that you want to get this figured out and on the road to doing something about it.
I am not good at waiting for the call back from vets. *sigh* It drives me crazy when I can't "do" something to make things better. :)

ahhh, when you said he's drinking and peeing a river, they thought you meant a little stream. :) Welcome to your world. LOL

Doing good though! Yay for good poops
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Jan W.]

My dog also has developed pad like areas on her front elbows. They just showed up in the last year. I showed this to the vet and he also just acknowledged them. My dog also sleeps on a very nicely padded bed and on the carpet. I'm sure this has to do with age although my dogs have been involved in competition obedience and they do a lot of "sphinx" downs which probably rubs this area some and at this age and with cushings - the hair is worn off more and doesn't grow back in. My other dog is 9 and has done all this and she doesn't have these extra worn spots on her elbows yet. Jan W.

[goldengirl88]

Hoping Woody is on the road to recovery so you can figure out what else is going on and get it managed. I know it is a worry, but he will be fine once this is all figured out. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Typical wait in all day for the IMS then blinking missed his call by the time I got his message and rung back he had left for the evening. In his message he said his name was Richard he sounds about 20 years old ha. He said he has had a quick look over Woodys test and although he has agreed Woody had presented with cushings symptoms he needs to look at them more in depth so will call me on Monday so more waiting. In other news Woody,s back to normal and over his viral infection but his hunger is driving me insane today he has constantly wanted food, raiding the bin, throwing his food bowl at me and trying to open the cupboard door lol. I'm hoping that it is just because he hasn't eaten much this week but will keep an eye on it.

I,ve now started a journal of how much he drinks daily how often he pees, the colour of his urine, exercise and see if there,s any pattern

Hope everyone has a good weekend

Tracy

[goldengirl88]

Sorry to hear about Woody's hunger. I know it is really hard not to keep giving them food especially when they are begging for it. When Tipper would start way before her meal time it would make me crazy too. I had to end up getting away from her to another room, and she couldn't see me to beg any more. I think that is one of the hardest things to get thru. Thank God that stopped when her Cortisol got under control. The journal is a great thing. I put Tipper's behavior down, and the weather also, as she gets scared from storms, and I can keep track of why she is acting funny that day. Hope you get this all resolved and that Woody can start feeling better. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

I,ve started Woody,s journal and in the first 10 mins of us being awake he had drank half a pint of water, he has had 2 pints of water so far, also his hunger has continued today, so I decided to feed him little and often throughout the day to see if that would help, and it hasn,t. As I type this he is currently pawing his dish, barking and whining for food I,m doing my best to ignore him, but god its hard. I,ve tried to distract him by letting him out in garden didn,t work, playing with him worked for oh a nano second then back to the dish.

Why do they look at you like you are starving them :( I will need to speak with the vet about this.

[Harley PoMMom]

Do you think that Woody would snack on some carrots and/or frozen green beans? If so, they could help with his hunger.

[doxiesrock912]

Be careful with carrots as they have quite a bit of sugar in them. Frozen green beans are a great option.

[goldengirl88]

I don't know if this would help you, but I add some cooked lentils to Tipper's food in place of some of her nuggets every time I feed her. It seems to fill her up more from the fiber, but low on calories, and not gassy, helps maintain her weight. I buy the dried ones and cook them, it doesn't take long and I keep some in the freezer. This was told to me by a highly regarded vet. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Well finally spoke with the IMS tonight, didn,t get a chance to write much down as I was at work (on the backshift) this week. He has discussed Woody,s results and case with my own vet and the head of the department, its a teaching hospital.

His first question which I thought was a bit strange was "you will no doubt be testing Woody for cushings in the future" I asked him why would I if he was adamant Woody didn't have cushings, he said at this point he was sure he didn't have it. He asked me a lot of questions like his eating, drinking, peeing, was woody a sick dog, his tempremant, his moods, his stools, did he eat grass, his weight, his past history, and much more. I gave all the information asked for and he came up with some suggestions:
Re- test woody,s urine for any UTI (already tested twice) just incase there are any "bugs" not already detected in it.
DI - He doesn't think this is what Woody has as his urine is not diluted enough yet. He also thinks with Woody,s stress behaviour in a vet environment that doing the deprivation test would be too hard on him, which I agree.
Ultrasound - possible ultrasound of his bladder and kidneys to see if anything there. There is a local surgery to me which can do it.
Psychogenic poloydipsis - he doesn't think Woody has this as ususally dogs with this suffer from manic ocd behaviours and woody doesn't.

When I explained to him that only a few days ago I had found what looked like calcium deposits on Woody,s left elbow and today found some more on his right elbow, he began to talk about Thryoid problems. Now Woody has had this checked he had his T4 and T3 checked and all was ok, The IMS is going to look into this.

So I am no further forward in what is wrong with my boy, I have to think about all this and give him a ring on Monday with what I want to do. So question I will get the US done, but would you do that first or do the urine testing first. He did say if all of the above came out negative he would probably try and just treat Woody for DI and see if that "cures" the problems.

This is all I remember from the call, as I said had no chance to write it down.

Tracy & Woody x

[doxiesrock912]

Tracy,

ultrasounds can tell them quite a lot and may help to determine what is going on. I would do this and the urine test as well.

[goldengirl88]

This can be a really long drawn out process unfortunately. I hope that an ultra sound will help get you some answers, as I know first hand how confusing and frustrating all this can be. Take care and I hope you get some good solid answers for Woody. Blessings
Patti

[Squirt's Mom]

Just wanted to chime in and let you know that unless there is a reason for watching natural sugars in the diet, like diabetes, then carrots are a great treat. The type of sugars found in carrots and other veggies like sweet potatoes is much, much preferable to the kind of sugars found in say a piece of pizza crust or sandwich crust. In my book, everything in a carrot is preferable to commercial dog treats. So unless there is a medical reason to watch such things in the diet, carrots are just fine as a treat. ;)

[Woodydog]

Hi all

Well Woody is just the same drinking,peeing eating like no tomorrow. I know give him a carrot when I need to. His weight gain is starting to really worry me as when lying down he looks like a beached whale.

I am going to go for the ultrasound as soon as I can save the money (should be within the next two weeks). But I'm really apprehensive about this as the last time I got a US done on my old dog it was a tumour and he died 2 months later :( I know Woody is. Different dog but still can't help thinking what if.

Question for you what will they scan my vet said kidneys, bladder would I need to ask them to scan his liver and adrenals what else would I need to ask or other places for them to scan sorry I know that sounds a bit stupid but I want to be prepared. I went into panic mode with my last dog at his US and after they said tumour I heard nothing else so I need to be prepared to ask, even demand the right things for Woody

Tracy

[Roxee's Dad]

I would ask for all the vital organs. including the adrenals, Heart, spleen, liver, bladder, gall bladder.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hi all
Question for you what will they scan my vet said kidneys, bladder would I need to ask them to scan his liver and adrenals what else would I need to ask or other places for them to scan sorry I know that sounds a bit stupid but I want to be prepared. I went into panic mode with my last dog at his US and after they said tumour I heard nothing else so I need to be prepared to ask, even demand the right things for Woody

Tracy

All the internal organs, as John mentioned, should be viewed and hopefully both the right and left adrenal glands will be visualized.

One important thing I want you to know is that there are never any questions asked that we would deem stupid. Always feel free to ask any and all the questions you want, ok? ;)

Love and hugs, Lori

[molly muffin]

Absolutely, what Lori said, no stupid questions here.

I did find out something from an internal medicine specialist here last week that you might be interested in.
When dogs have Diabetes Insipidus, their urine concentrate will usually be much lower than what is seen with cushings, under 1.008. That wasn't something that I knew about before.

Definitely ask to for what John mentioned, the internal organs. Might not be any tumors, so don't go there yet in your mind. Could be anything and then again, maybe nothing will show up.

We have another dog on the forum that is also a mystery with peeing, etc, ultrasound is fine, just a bit of enlargement on the liver that is likely from a medicine it was on. It is not unknown to have a hard time figuring out what is going on with these pups of ours. :( I wish it was much easier to figure out.

Hang in there.
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
You are doing a good job with Woody. I am sorry you and he are having these issues. I know what you mean about them looking like beached whales when laying down. I think part of that look is from the muscle loss. The muscles used to hold the rib cage up and in place and now it is really low and broad. My IMS said everything just kinda lets go and goes south. It is hard to see my Tipper this way, she was so muscular and built like a little truck. I hope you are able to get answers with the ultra sound. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Hi all sorry I need to rant, I had a fallen out with my vet today :mad: I called him today to ask him to refer us for an Ultrascan as I,ve saved the money now. He doesn't think Woody needs one, after a long discussion of Woody,s symptoms and the fact that he isn't getting any better I wanted a US he wanted me to monitor woody for another 2 weeks then contact him again. I told him I wasn't going to do that as I wanted to know what was up with Woody he answered "maybe that is just Woody" I was gutted and politely hung up the phone. I,ve used this vet for 10 yrs and normally he is really good, I,ll have to wait till tomorrow till the locum vet Emma is in see if she will refer me.:( I don,t think my vet believes me.

In other news Woody is still the same, last week was really bad, he was very unsettled, drinking 3.5 pints of water and up most of the night peeing (although he is using the pee pads occasionally) ravenous hungry and can now open the fridge door so have had to put a child lock on it, he was also barking constantly for food even during the night, kept just pacing, the only way to settle him was to sit with him petting him. My neighbour mentioned to me that she hears Woody barking during the night, so I felt really bad about this, but she was fine once I explained everything but I try not to let him do it.

I,m kinda at my wits end and just feel like I keep hitting a brick wall at every turn :(

[FemaleK9]

So sorry for this long drawn out diagnosis process for you and Woody.

Did you ever get a copy of the results of the LDDS test from your vet? It seems so strange that Woody is exhibiting such Cushinoid symptoms with a "normal" LDDS. We would love to see the actual numbers.

You might want to try a Thundershirt (http://www.thundershirt.com/) for Woody at night; it might help him calm down and give you (and your neighbor) a better night's sleep.

[Woodydog]

So sorry for this long drawn out diagnosis process for you and Woody.

Did you ever get a copy of the results of the LDDS test from your vet? It seems so strange that Woody is exhibiting such Cushinoid symptoms with a "normal" LDDS. We would love to see the actual numbers.

You might want to try a Thundershirt (http://www.thundershirt.com/) for Woody at night; it might help him calm down and give you (and your neighbor) a better night's sleep.

I,ve not managed to get his test results yet, I keep asking and getting asked why I want them and that they,ll send them to me but not got them yet will ask again tomorrow. I will look into a thundershirt for Woody he does have an equafleece which I believe is similar I may try that.:)

[FemaleK9]

If I hadn't seen my own dog's results I wouldn't understand her condition half as well as I do.

If they ask again why you want to see them, I would answer with my own question, "Is there any reason why I shouldn't see them?" Their reluctance to let you see the results of the test you paid for make me wonder what it is that they don't want you to see.

While you're waiting for them to make a copy and mail it to you, perhaps they could just give you the numbers over the phone. There should be a least three numbers; pre-dex, 4 hours post-dex and 8 hours post-dex. Sometimes there is a 6 hour post-dex as well.

[Little Britches]

Goodness, I have just read through this whole thread and can't believe you are having to wait so long for some kind of diagnosis. You have every right to request a scan, you are a paying customer Tracy and they are not doing you a favour for free. Woody is your dog and its up to you to demand what you think he requires - if it turns out clear so what? You will be paying the bill and you have the say with your dog. You also have every right to get print outs of his results - all of them. You paid for those treatments/tests and they are yours. I have x rays of one of my boys, I asked for them and they e mailed them to me, they didn't ask why I wanted them because it's none of their business. Tracy, get in touch with The British Veterinary Association - phone them and tell them the problems you are having, they will often work as your advocate and contact your vet themselves, they did for me when a vet tried to stitch me up charging an excessive fee for hip scoring. The vet then did it for the £45 that it actually was, rather than the £110 he had asked me for.

It sounds like Woody desperately needs treatment, sounds like Cushings to me and quite honestly if I were you I'd be out of that veterinary practice like a bat out of hell. There must be another practice somewhere near you and remember that seeing Emma the locum probably won't bring much better results, she is just a locum and will be guided by her senior at the practice. You really need a different practice altogether.

This isn't the NHS where treatment is free (well sort of) you are a paying customer and should be treated with respect. I asked for print outs of all of Britches ACTH tests from my vet, going back two years - they haven't questioned me and the results are waiting there for me to pick up. Who does this vet of yours think he is? Stand up against him Tracy because he's treating you so disrespectfully. :mad:

http://www.bva.co.uk/contact.aspx
Or better still, the professional conduct department here:
http://www.rcvs.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/

[molly muffin]

Oh my gosh, I can't believe they are giving you the run around about the results and then refusing to refer you. :(

Definitely contact someone. They should just print up the results while you are there waiting and give them to you. I wouldn't leave next time without them.

As for an ultrasound, some don't like to do it, but they are required to do so if requested, just like they are required to provide you your test results for Woody.

I agree, there is a problem for Woody and you and it needs to be treated. Did the vet ever give the drops a try for Diabetes insipidus? Can you remind me what Woody's specific gravity on his urine is? DI is usually Very, very dilute, even more so than cushings.

I want to see what those results say too. I am sorry, but I'm not feeling very trusting of Mr. Vet at the moment. :(

I will say, there is 5% of dogs who will test negative on an LDDS and still have cushings, according to Dr. Peterson and others. It is possible. I might be in that group myself, it's only because my dog has no outward symptoms consistent with cushings that I haven't pursued that as a possibility, but it does exist.
The ultrasound might be able to tell you quite a bit. It is up to you and not the vet if you have it or not. Perhaps you have to say, just call and make the appointment, or I'll be in to pick up the consult, however they do it, and just force it.

Hang in there!!! And don't be a stranger!
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Woodydog]

I,ve had the vet on the phone about 10 mins ago. After much discussion and an apology for his flippant remark of "its just Woody" he will refer us to an IMS at the Glasgow Vet School Yay !!! He said after I hung up the phone on him he went back and looked up all Woody,s notes and the notes the locum had added and realised that something was up and that it had been going on for months and now some more symptoms had appeared. He explained he was really busy (I don't care) and that he hadn't given woodys case the attention it deserved. I,m still looking at alternate vets! He mentioned other illness it could be like DI but his urine isn't diluted enough for that I think last one was 1.008 also spoke of a disease of the thyroid gland cant remember the name, he also finally admitted that he had done all he could for Woody as all tests were negative so it was time to put him to a specialist. So now have to wait for the appointment, only thing is that they will want to probably re do the bloods, and possibly the LDDS test.:o

Oh I can also pick up his results next time I,m in. Thank you everyone for giving me the strength to stand up to my vet.

[spdd]

Good for you.. although I don't condone what the vet did originally at least he has the decency to tell you he's done all he could. Unfortunately, every vet usually wants to re-do the blood work and urine... at least they have in my case and I am now on vet # 6.

If you can get to the bottom of what is going on and get those test results... you are well on your way.

[goldengirl88]

Glad you have had enough of this vet. he didn't give Woody's case the time it deserved??? What kind of crap is that? I would not be happy and would get the referral, along with all Woody's testing and go elsewhere where they have the time to give to his case. I hope you get some resolution as it is very difficult pushing people for answers. I am proud of you that you stood up to this vet, you are a wonderful advocate for your baby. Keep on going, don't stop until you get your answers. I never quit on my girl yet, and I will help her if it kills me. All the money and heartache you have gone thru deserves better treatment than this. We are all behind you so you are not alone. Blessings
Patti

[Squirt's Mom]

Way to go, Mom! :cool::):cool:

[Woodydog]

Have had the Vet Hospital on the phone, how quick was that I didn't expect to hear for a couple of days. Woody,s appointment is on Monday 30th September at 1145 hours gulp. She will send me a letter with all the details in the next day or so. Yay could I finally be getting some where god I hope so:)

[labblab]

Can you please try to get the actual numerical results for the diagnostic LDDS as soon as possible? If those results were misinterpreted (and actually were "positive" for Cushing's), you may not need to launch into a whole lot more testing. :o

Marianne

[FemaleK9]

We're so proud of you! Your vet said one absolutely true thing - Woody has not had the medical attention he deserves. It's too bad you had to get tough with him to get to the next step, but unfortunately sometimes that's what it takes, and not everyone is willing or able to do it.

We'll be watching for those LDDS results, which we are all very interested to see, although with your vet's too-busy-to-bother attitude, I have to wonder if the test was performed correctly, so it might be a good idea to have it done again. So many tests are useless if not done correctly that I can understand the specialist's reluctance to rely on tests done by others.

[Little Britches]

Thank goodness you are at last getting somewhere Tracy, what a relief. Keeping paws and fingers crossed for you here for your specialists appointment and hoping they come up with a diagnosis at last.

Big hugs to Woody too. xx
Freda

[LtlBtyRam]

I have just read your thread. I'm sorry for all of the hassle you have gone through. I hope you get some answers soon. Welcome to the forums and as you know the folks around here are PAWSOME!
Angela

[doxiesrock912]

Good for you for standing up and insisting that they provide you with a referral to someone who will do their job!

Honestly, the fact that he admitted that Woody didn't get the attention that he deserves is criminal. You are due a refund of some sort really.

I would find another vet as well. Maybe the IMS can give you some names?

Best of luck with the upcoming appoinment!

[Woodydog]

Woodys referral letter came in this morning, he,s not to be fed after 10pm on Sunday night oh dear he won't be a happy chappie lol. The letter says he maybe kept in overnight but I called them and the told me they always say that just in case to prepare the owner so fingers crossed he won't be kept in I couldn't bare that. The appointment cost is high so beans and toast this month but as long as Woody is all right I can live with that.

[goldengirl88]

Glad you got the referral. Hoping and praying all comes out well. I know how expensive all this is. I wish for all of us these tests etc. were more affordable. It would make it easier for many to help their babies. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Today's the day we,re off to the IMS fingers crossed for some answers, back later with some answers hopefully

[Tina]

Hi Tracy,
Best of luck at your IMS appointment today. I too am hoping you get some answers for your sweet boy.

Hugs,
Tina and Jasper xo

[molly muffin]

Good luck today! :).
I hope they have the answers for you and Woody

Hugs
Sharlene and Molly muffin

[goldengirl88]

I am saying a prayer for you and Woody that he gets the treatment and attention he so deserves, and that you get the answers you deserve. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

I,m back but Woody is staying in the hospital tonight :( The IMS we saw was very very good and the consult alone took over an hour. They asked a load of questions. The IMS looked over his results that my own vet had sent through and as he has some elevated blood results, calcium, potassium, liver enzymes, phosphate she wants to do a full blood panel again, he has also to get a full urine urinalysis and urine culture, an ACTH test, a specific blood test that checks only his calcium, his urine is to be tested every hour or so for the gravity level, T3 and T4 bloods done and finally a ultrascan phew! As the US is booked in for 9 am tomorrow morning she suggested that Woody stay with them, I,m gutted but I know he,s in the best place he has his own nurse who I met her name is Julie and Woody took to her so don,t feel so bad but I did cry when they took him away. So if anyone would like to send Woody some "don,t be scared" prayers then I would appreciate it.

Now for the rant the IMS told me that reading through Woody,s results his T4 results showed something up, now I had them done weeks ago and my vet told me they were fine, but the IMS told me that with that result it warranted further investigation. To say I am disgusted with my vet doesn't come close to how I feel right now, I,m raging that I was told they were fine all negative when the IMS said it warrants further investigation. I,m so annoyed at myself for not pushing for a copy of his results then someone on here may have picked up on this. I feel like I,ve let Woody down.

[goldengirl88]

Don't beat yourself up. You did the best you could. I definitely would be ringing up that vet for a partial if not full refund of what you spent. If he is not stopped he will do this to others. He has his nerve, he should be disgusted with himself! I am glad you left Woody as hard as it, is he is in the best place to get all this done. There is so much to learn about this disease, and when you are new to it, you are at the mercy of vets that do not know what they are doing, and that is criminal. All of us beat ourselves up regularly including me. You can only do the best you can. Try to have peace knowing you finally got him somewhere through your insistence. It was you who helped him and you are doing a very good job. I am confident they will fix Woody up. Rest up while Woody is in the expert care of others, you will need to be well when he gets out. Blessings
Patti

[Squirt's Mom]

It's possible the GP vet just doesn't have enough training to recognize something was off while the IMS, with much more education and experience, could see it. I know from my own decades of trying to get a diagnosis on my thyroid disease, none of the GPs saw anything beyond the T4 results. It took a specialist to see further and know something was wrong. ;)

[Trixie]

Sounds like you're in good hands with this vet. Hoping the time goes by quickly so you can pick up Woody and bring him home. In the meanwhile sounds like you will finally get some answers. Sending positive thoughts for Woody!

Barbara

[Woodydog]

Thanks everyone I don,t know what to do with myself, the house is empty without him, but I just have to focus on him getting better. The hospital rang about 10 mins ago Woody has had all his bloods done and 3 urine samples collected results should be in later tonight or early morning. He can finally have something to eat poor boy must be starving bless him. I told his nurse that he may not eat from a different bowl so she has promised to hand feed him if needed phew. She also said that he had settled well and was a very friendly little chap and she had already received a kiss from him (little traitor lol) so I feel so much better, looks like he,s not missing me ;)

[FemaleK9]

Sending calming thoughts of reassurance to both you and Woody!

Don't blame yourself, you did your part and took Woody to the vet; you had every right to expect your vet to know what he was doing and to take the time to give Woody the attention he deserved. You did more: you went online, found this group, stood up to your vet and persevered until you got Woody to someone who will help him. You have been heroic, and you have nothing to blame yourself for!

[molly muffin]

Awww, sending you lots and lots of hugs. :) Woody is a little trooper, making friends every where he goes.
Hopefully they will get this figured out. hmm, interesting about the thyroid as it is possible thyroid can show the same symptoms as cushings.

Arggh, they have to do all the tests again :(

It's true, sometimes the GP's just don't know as much as the IMS. The responsible thing would have been to say that before it got to this point. I don't know how they can misread the test results when the ranges are usually printed right on them. At least you do have an IMS now. That is good. :)

Hang in there,
hugs!
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[LtlBtyRam]

Prayers for both you and Woody. Tracy don't feel bad. I didn't get copies of my tests for almost a year. Luckily and I really mean this, Thank God nothing serious has happened. Here's to you, the IMS, and hopefully a GP vet working together to make Woody feel better.
Angela

[doxiesrock912]

I'm glad that Woody is finally getting proper care! Don't blame yourself, it is SOLELY the vet's fault. He should've referred you when he realized that he couldn't figure things out.

[Woodydog]

Morning all had the worst night sleep ever so been up for hours willing the phone to ring lol. They,ve just rung Woody is doing great had something to eat and a restful night, thankfully. They tried to give him his US this morning but he was too wriggly and getting stressed so they decided to stop so not to stress him out too much so they will give him a light sedation and try again at noon. He is now away a walk with the vet nurse calm him down. Some blood results are back but they are "unremarkable" but she will go into in depth when I pick him up at 6pm tonight. Only 8 hours till I see him yay x

[goldengirl88]

I am glad that Buddy did well last nite. It seems he is getting the care he deserved all along. I know you will be so excited to see him, and I am glad you are going to get answers. I pray that it is just something that can easily be straightened out. Blessings
Patti

[Trixie]

I'm so glad you can pick up your boy and bring him home! Sounds like he's gotten through the worst of testing just fine. You'll both feel relieved once he's back with you.
Hoping the tests will get you to the answers and a treatment plan for Woody. Just looking at the time here...by now he's probably already home! :)

Barbara

[Woodydog]

Hi everyone we,re both finally home Woody looks like a map of the world with all his shaved bits but he,s home:D

But I,ve still no results just lots more questions, I,ll list it so it is easier to read.

T4 and T3 bloods done - both normal
ACTH test done - not indicative of cushings
Blood panel done - mild increases in cholesterol and high liver enzymes were found, his previous calcium level was found to be normal.
Urine Sample taken - analysis and culture results still pending
Abdominal ultrasound done - revealed a chunky right adrenal gland approx. 9 mm and an irregular lymph node (left medial iliac lymph node) Liver was enlarged and his prostate revealed evidence of suspected previous inflammation.
Chest Xray taken - full report pending
Urinalysis and urine bacteriology - results pending
Blood pressure - unremarkable
Aspirates of liver and lymph node taken due to what was seen on US - results pending.

Plans - The blood tests Woody has had have been largely unremarkable but unfortunately a very large lymph node was found during his scan today which is very concerning for Cancer and aspirates of this and his liver have been taken and I will contact you tomorrow with the results. His right adrenal gland is enlarged and this could be an incidental finding "incidentaloma" but given his history of increased thirst and urination then adrenal dependent cushings is still a possiblility despite the negative tests so far.

I have typed this just as it is on the report he came home with, I,m well I don,t know what I am to be honest numb I think. On speaking with the IMS she is very concerned about the size approx. 5 mm shape and colour of his lymph node and his liver. She doesn't want to pursue the cushings avenue at the moment but sort out what was seen on the US first, which I am glad off. I asked her, her honest opinion did she think the lymph node look like cancer and she said "I think there is a strong possiblilty that it is, but lets wait for the results tomorrow" her face pretty much said it all to me, she must have said about 5 times how shocked she was to see that on his US as she never for one moment expected it as all bloods etc were unremarkable.

I am going to lye in a dark room as my head is spinning with all this, I can,t get her words out of my head, I had to stop twice on the way home as I was crying that much. Woody on the other hand is asleep next to me and that is all that matters tonight.:)

[goldengirl88]

Just hold Woody and love him. I pray all this works out for you both. Blessings
Patti

[FemaleK9]

It sounds like you've found competent care for your beloved Woody at last. Try not to despair, but hold on until all the results are in. As you wait for answers, we will be waiting and worrying with you. Hugs,

[molly muffin]

Well, lets just wait and see what the results are then you talk to them about what kind of treatment plan, they would like to see Woody on, whatever the result of the tests might be.
I know I'm on the optimistic train here, but for now this is where we need to be. You have Woody, he is home with you and a happy little guy. So lets take this one day at a time.
HUGS, we are right here with you!
Sharlene and molly muffin

[spdd]

I agree with Sharlene, just wait and see what the final results are and the course to take for treatment if necessary.

Keeping you and Woody in my prayers.

[Squirt's Mom]

Sweetheart, no matter the results we will be right by your side and I have no doubt whatsoever that Woody is in the very best hands possible with his loving mom.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Woodydog]

Thank you all it's good to know there is people out there who care without this forum I would have went nuts. Woody had a very restless night and suffered some abdominal spasms which I was told could happen but as long as I sat with him and told him stories yeah I know I'm nuts he got through them and finally slept. Today he is back to normal sleeping, eating, playing and just generally being Woody. I'm staying positive about all this and will deal with the results when they come as yet I've not heard anything but as it's only 3 pm there's still time.

Again thank you all you are angels x

[goldengirl88]

We are all in this together. We are all waiting on the results with you. Never feel alone as we are always here. I am curious about the stomach spasms you say her had, please describe, and did they tell you he would have them? If so what was the reason given? I am praying for you and Woody that this all has a good outcome, and that it lessens your worry. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Patti

His spasms were about 30 seconds long he would stand, shake and hunch his back upwards like he was holding in his tummy. They told me it can happen in some dogs due to them poking about inside him to take the biopsy,s. My last JRT had IBD and did the same when it flared up so I'm quite used just holding them and calming them down till it passes. They offered my something for it when I left but I declined.

[Trixie]

Sending positive thoughts for Woody. Happy to hear he is happy and playing today!! Hope you don't think anyone here thinks you're nuts for telling Woody some stories to get him settled last night! This crowd understands completely!! You're definitely not nuts!!

Barbara

[molly muffin]

Right here with you, waiting too. Poor Woody, I'm sure it does give him cramps and some pain, having had biopsies taken. :( Glad to hear that he is doing so much better today.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[doxiesrock912]

Awww, biopsies hurt. Hoping that Woody heals quickly.

[goldengirl88]

Hoping you and Woody had a good nite resting. We are all here with you waiting for results, I pray that everything is alright. Blessings
Patti

[spdd]

Hope Woody had a better night. I'm with everyone else waiting for results.

[Woodydog]

Still waiting meh! I'm going with the no news is good news right? Woody had a restful night only up once for toilet and for the first time in months climbed in beside me for snuggles. I slept a little just want the results now so I know what I'm dealing with :)

[Trixie]

So happy to hear Woody had a good night and hopped in with you for snuggling...that's so nice!! :p
Waiting on the news is stressful! Sending positive thoughts that all will be okay!!

Barbara

[doxiesrock912]

Good signs! Snuggles and fewer potty breaks :-)

[Woodydog]

Woodys had a bad night. Very unsettled really bad diar not drinking much and just standing we,re off to the vets today I suspect the stress of the hospital has flared up his pancreatitis.

I called the hospital to see if results we,re in but can't get a hold of the IMS. I'm shattered both mentally and physically, not slept in days:(

[goldengirl88]

I know how this can get to you, I have been there many times. I am hopeful that Woody does not have the pancreatitis again. I know how hard of a time you are having and I feel for you. I am praying they get the IMS and get you some answers asap. Try and hold on a while longer, I know you are exhausted, but Woody needs you now more than ever. Blessings
Patti

[Squirt's Mom]

Let us know what your vet says! We are all with you, sweetie.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Woodydog]

Results are in its Cancer

[Squirt's Mom]

Oh,Tracy, I am so sorry to hear this and I know your heart is just crushed, honey. :( What is the vet suggesting for him? I have a friend who's baby was diagnosed with liver cancer almost 9 months ago and she has done very well until this week when she stopped eating. I'm not sure what all they are doing for Jessie but I do know she is on SAMe and Milk Thistle plus other things. I realize things are different in different countries but I hope the vet has some plan of action to help our sweet Woody have as many good days as possible for as long as possible.

We are here for you anytime, sweetie. I can hardly bear to think of how scared you are, about the grief I know has settled in your Soul. You and Woody are not alone on this Journey, either. We are right by your side all the way.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[Woodydog]

Ok here goes, I've been trying to write this for an hour but can't stop shaking.

Woody has anal sac carcinoma which looks like it has spread to the prostrate. Lots of things were talked about most of which I can't remember there is various things they can do for him which could provided he pulls thru surgery have an extra 6 or so months :eek: I'm trying to stay calm but I'm crushed so I'm taking the weekend to think things over before making any decisions. I have an appointment with an ongologist for 15th oft should I want it, he wants to do more tests on Woody like taking a scrapping of his prostrate and something else that I can't remember to see how advanced the cancer is. I love this wee guy and he doesn't deserve this.

I took him to vet and he got a injection for his temp and some metronidazole vet just thinks it's stress he came home had a drink of lecade and is now throwing a plastic bottle around the room like a normal dog not a dog with cancer this is so bloody hard looking at him so happy and up until today I thought healthish x

[goldengirl88]

I wept reading your post. How cruel and unfair this is, but there are always miracles. Nothing is etched in stone as far as survival time. If Woody has always been healthy he may defy the odds. I am so sorry for you as I know how you love him. I know what you mean by it being hard to look at them. Today is Tipper's Birthday and I have cried all day non stop. I wish I had the magic wand to turn back time for you and dear Woody. Please don't feel alone, as we are all in the same boat. All we have is today, I know that stinks, but it will have to do until someone figures out a way to change it. Having a Jack Russell is like not like having any other kind of dog, I know this from my JRT. They are so endearing, intelligent, and tenacious they are in a class by themselves. Some children aren't as smart as my Tipper. I know it is like a punch to the gut hearing Woody's results. I never expected anything like this. Tell me has Woody been neutered? I cannot remember his exact age could you tell me? He seems fit enough with no other problems except pancreatitis right? Please don't give up yet, let everyone here help and think this out together. By chance maybe someone else has dealt with this and can offer help. We will help you, we are all with you on this. I know I am wasting my time saying don't worry, so I will just say pray to God and ask for mercy for Woody, and I will do the same. Miracles do happen. God Bless you and Woody
Patti

[Budsters Mom]

I am so sorry to hear this news.:o You are wise to take a little time to process the news and think it over before proceeding. You are still in shock, so please be gentle with yourself. Thank you so much for letting us know. We are here for you and Woody and will be as long as you need or want us. Hey, we'd probably stick around even if you didn't want us.;) Big loving hugs,

[Harley PoMMom]

Oh Tracy,

I am so sorry to hear this news and am keeping you and Woody in my thoughts and prayers.

Sending huge loving hugs, Lori

[Trish]

Hi Tracy

I wanted to say I have some thoughts on this but have to dash out, but I think I remember your in Scotland so probably in bed by now so I will get a post to you before you wake up. Try get some rest and we will all work on this together for you and Woody xx

[molly muffin]

Darn it, I'm so sorry to hear that the verdict really was cancer.

Okay, so Trish might have some thoughts that would be helpful. Taking time to think things over, when you aren't feeling as pressured and overwhelmed is probably a very good idea.

What was the prognosis if you opted not to do surgery?

hugs,
Sharlene

[FemaleK9]

So sorry to hear the grim diagnosis. You and Woody have my heartfelt sympathy. You are facing some tough choices as you try do do what's best for Woody. I hope you will be able to enjoy what time you will have together, short or long, and we will be with you all the way. Hugs,

[goldengirl88]

I read up on this as much as I could today. There is still hope, I will post tomorrow some of what I found. Please hang on to that thread of hope, I will pray for you both tonite. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

I wept reading your post. How cruel and unfair this is, but there are always miracles. Nothing is etched in stone as far as survival time. If Woody has always been healthy he may defy the odds. I am so sorry for you as I know how you love him. I know what you mean by it being hard to look at them. Today is Tipper's Birthday and I have cried all day non stop. I wish I had the magic wand to turn back time for you and dear Woody. Please don't feel alone, as we are all in the same boat. All we have is today, I know that stinks, but it will have to do until someone figures out a way to change it. Having a Jack Russell is like not like having any other kind of dog, I know this from my JRT. They are so endearing, intelligent, and tenacious they are in a class by themselves. Some children aren't as smart as my Tipper. I know it is like a punch to the gut hearing Woody's results. I never expected anything like this. Tell me has Woody been neutered? I cannot remember his exact age could you tell me? He seems fit enough with no other problems except pancreatitis right? Please don't give up yet, let everyone here help and think this out together. By chance maybe someone else has dealt with this and can offer help. We will help you, we are all with you on this. I know I am wasting my time saying don't worry, so I will just say pray to God and ask for mercy for Woody, and I will do the same. Miracles do happen. God Bless you and Woody
Patti

Patti

Love and licks to Tipper on his birthday, and I pray you have many more together. Your right about the JRT Woody is very typical of the breed, stubborn, loving, feisty I could go on lol. Woody is a rescue dog is aged at approx. 5 years by the rescue but both my vet and IMS thought he was more like 8 years. As it was a rescue their policy is to neuter before rehoming so Woody was done 28 May 2010. Woody has a heart murmur and takes 5mg fortekor daily for this, has a luxating patella on his right leg, suffers the occassionaly bout of pancreatitis but this pretty much it. He came to me with the heart murmur and patella, he spent a lot of time in rescue and no one wanting him due to his medical conditions which to me were never a problem.


Hi Tracy

I wanted to say I have some thoughts on this but have to dash out, but I think I remember your in Scotland so probably in bed by now so I will get a post to you before you wake up. Try get some rest and we will all work on this together for you and Woody xx

Thanks Trish I,m not ready to do the whole research thing just yet, I will but I would appreciate any thoughts on this.

I,ve calmed down quite a bit, still feel sick but better than I was. My own vet called me at the end of his surgery tonight to check on Woody, he also told me that he had the report faxed through. to him from the Hospital and its a prostate flush they want to do as well as the scrapping. The options that I have got are listed below:

1. Go see ongologist on 15.10.13 and let them do the additional tests on Woody but he wouldn't, be kept in due to his stress
2. If I don,t decide to treat they are giving him a 2-3 month time scale depending on how fast the tumour grows.
3. If I decide to treat depending on the results from 1 then they can remove the anal sacs and glands on both sides and treat with chemo this may give him 6-12 months.
4. There worry is the surgery as its very tricky on a small dog (not impossible) but they are worried about his heart being able to stand the operation, recovery and then the chemo. Now I am fully aware that dogs with heart trouble are more at risk but I also know that anathestics are more advanced now.

So although its pretty grim its not over for him yet and there are possibilities out there its just choosing the right one for Woody, not for me.

Thanks again everyone

Tracy x

[Trixie]

Oh dear...I am so sorry to read the news of Woody's diagnosis. You have a lot to think over...but there are options that could work. I hope once you can sit with the oncologist and get more detailed information you will feel better able to decide what would be best for Woody.
Thinking of you and hoping for the best.

Barbara

[Trish]

Hi Tracy

I am back! I have had a bit of a lookaround at some of the websites detailing this condition. Just a wee word of caution when you do start to research it, just be careful what you look at. A lot of them are vet websites that are not involved in a lot of research. The website I have selected to post to you in is from the Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology. I believe this is good information from a society who are focussed on cancer surgery in our pets. They also outline the medical treatments if that is the path pet owners decide to go down.

The treatment of choice appears to be surgery to remove the tumour plus any affected lymph nodes, with radiotherapy to zap any local recurrence +/- chemo. Did they mention if the lymph node they have biopsied from Woody was affected? But surgery plus radiotherapy does appear to give the best options for longer survival. High calcium is common in these dogs as parathyroid hormones come into play and high calcium can affect the kidneys and maybe causing the excessive drinking and peeing you are seeing with Woody, you have mentioned it had been elevated on earlier posts but his latest one is OK, so that has to be good!!! The other good thing is that Woody is on Fortekor (Benzapril) which is a kidney protector as well as helping his heart murmur. What were his kidney tests? Creatinine and BUN?

They list the prognosis as fair to GOOD for this type of tumour!! So by golly we are sticking to the GOOD end of that spectrum! :D They include mean survival times and disease free intervals so only have a look at this if you feel up to it, you may want to spend the weekend loving your gorgeous little Woody and deal with all this next week before you see the oncologist. But some of the dogs can live over three years.

It is a tough road to be sure, I know exactly how you are feeling as I have been given the news that my dog has cancer twice, first in his liver when he was 10, where he went from nearly being put down to having major surgery to remove a large tumour that had spread out of his liver onto the omentum (that was two years ago!), no sign of any recurrence at followup scans so far, fingers crossed! Then adrenal cancer which was also operated on (10 months ago), doing good from that one too so far. I wanted to give you some hope telling you these stories Tracy, so once you get over the shock of the initial diagnosis we will most certainly help you look at what needs to be done.

I refuse to look at numbers, my dog Flynn is not a number and neither is Woody! The specialist veterinary surgeons these days are an impressive bunch and we will help you put a list of questions together to ask if you decide that going to see the oncologist is the way to go for you guys.

Hope you got some sleep, I am not going out tonight so might be about when you get up later on if you want to talk more xx

http://www.vsso.org/Anal_Sac_Tumors.html

[spdd]

Hi Tracy... just reading now about the news and Woody. Never give up hope, dogs are miracles in themselves.

I know exactly how you feel watching Woody play normally, meanwhile knowing they have major problems.

We are here for you every step of the way, and I'm happy to hear there are options. No matter which one you choose, I'm sure it will be the best decision.

We are all praying for the best outcome possible. Hope you can get some rest.

[Woodydog]

Oh my goddess Trish I can't believe you went to all that trouble for me and Woody and everyone else who has replied when you all have your own troubles. Today is a new day yesterday I spent it mostly crying and feeling sorry for myself but today I'm feeling stronger specially when I look at him with his little wiggly stump of a tail asking for food. He,s not aware he has cancer so I should take my lead from him. I am going to take the ongologist appointment I owe him that much it can't hurt to find out more of what is going on inside him. Trish you really are an angel x

[goldengirl88]

God Bless you for taking Woody out of the rescue and giving him the home he deserves. Tipper has a heart murmur, and also has patella problems. I am hoping that Woody will be here for a long while. There were many options I read about so there is hope. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Appointment is booked with the oncologist for the 15th October at 10 am gulp.

We,ve had a really good weekend, Woody has been really naughty :p He has been getting away with all sorts this weekend like jumping up on my mums table to look out the window which he knows he,s not allowed to do but my mum just let him, we,ve been up the woods for the first time in ages and he even tried to chase a wild rabbit which again he,s not allowed usually to do but hay he was having fun :D To see him do all this made my mind up that I was going to do my best to fix this little problem that he has. I know this is serious but I,ve tried to find the humour in it all and have named the tumour Terry I don,t like saying Cancer and to be honest it is the only way I,m going to get through this. I,m all cried out for the moment and need to be pro active in this.

I have read the link that Trish so kindly gave me and I,m taking the positive from it. So I have 8 days to come up with a list of questions I need to ask the oncologist so if anyone has any ideas please can you let me know.

[goldengirl88]

Glad to hear you are back on here. I read many things suggesting this is not the end for Woody. The things I would want to know are:
How long will this operation prolong his life?
How much of a recovery period?
Have you ever done this operation before? What was the outcome?
Is he a good candidate for this operation?
Will you know if this has spread elsewhere before undergoing this? What is the size of the tumor?
What are the chances of this being successful in removing all the cancer?
I am so sorry that you have to go thru this. I know it is without a doubt the most heartbreaking thing to find cancer in your dog. Please pray to God for mercy for Woody. Maybe Woody will have a miracle and all this will be behind you. I am praying for you both. Blessings
Patti

[Squirt's Mom]

That's a great attitude! :):cool: And, we gonna put our boxin' gloves on and whup Terry's BUTT!

[Woodydog]

Patti - he will be getting more tests on the 15th Oct a prostate flush which should tell us if it has spread to the prostrate and anywhere else.

Leslie - Thank you for changing Woody,s thread title and yes the boxing gloves are on, I can,t and won,t give up on this little man yet. I made him a promise when I took him out the rescue centre that he would never suffer again and that I would give him the best life possible and as there are still some possibilities for him then I will keep this promise to him, cause he deserves the best my little Woodydog ;)

[goldengirl88]

You go!! Get those gloves on and save this dog! I am behind you 100%. When you get fighting mad it makes things happen. I am glad you are up and ready to battle Terry. We will all help you win this battle with Terry. Woody has a wonderful advocate. Just keep up the attitude and Woody will come thru this. I am so glad to see someone else get mad like I do and get ready to whip butt on Terry. Blessings
Patti

[Trixie]

Good for Woody!! Having fun and getting away with all the naughty things he likes to do!! Don't blame you for a day of despair and tears but it sounds like there's plenty of hope now. I think both you and Woody have plenty of fight inside. Everyone here will be sending big positive energy your way!!

Barbara

[doxiesrock912]

Tracy,
Whip Terry's butt! Woody sounds like he's very strong and there are options. Maybe it hasn't spread to the prostate?

Now that you've done some research, now you're more prepared to assess what to do and if this particular surgeon is the right one.

Crossing my fingers for you and Woody!


,

[goldengirl88]

I say let Woody be a naughty as he wants, he deserves it. He is a beautiful Jack Russell. We are all behind you, you are not alone. We are with you all the way thru this, you can't get rid of us that easy! Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Evening all - We,ve had another good day, Woody has had a few walks, and has played quite a bit, and his poo is firm again :D He is eating and drinking well and as I type this is running from room to room with his toy in his mouth (its 11pm here lol). The only thing I have noticed is he gets tired often and has to have a little sleep then he,s back up and ready to take on the next walk or the next toy chasing.

I have done a little research today into the oncology department at the hospital we are going to and it seems to get a good reputation, I don't know how to do links but if you google [url]www.glasgowvetschool then go to oncology we will be seeing J Morris.

[molly muffin]

It looks like a good place and Jo Morris sure seems to have some experience, so we'll all be waiting to see what they tell you.

I'm so glad that Woody is having a blast and lots of fun! Good for him!

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Trixie]

You should feel very good with such a competent specialist. I looked at her page and if you click the grants tab on her write up she's been working on targeted gene therapy for canine cancers, amongst other things. Sounds like you are going to have the best for Woody!!
I hope the meeting goes well and that she gives you the answers you're looking for and options for treatment that will help Woody.

Barbara

[Trish]

Hi Tracy

So pleased to read your latest posts!! I am glad you were able to take the positives out of that link now that you have come out of the initial shock of the diagnosis. I was just wondering how they came up with it, you had mentioned they biopsied the liver and a lymph node, did they feel the anal mass as well?

That's great he is pooping well, I had read that their poop can go all pencil thin because of the mass so I am thinking if they look normal the tumour may not be too big? The prostate is close to the glands so I guess they are looking for local invasion.

Flynn who is Woody's doppelganger :) arrived in this forum with some of the signs of cushings but tested negative, he was eventually diagnosed with the adrenal tumour and we went through surgery. So I am sure no expert on cushings, but hopefully I am some help for those facing surgery. Most doggie parents when facing surgery ask what questions we would ask so I have came up with a fairly standard list of questions to ask the surgeon, these are based on the questions I asked my surgeon. I have tried to focus them on Woody's case, it does look bit of a daunting list when I finished!! you might already have some of them down, so just pick and choose whatever will be helpful for you guys :) Hope it helps!

Questions to ask when considering if surgery is an option for Woody
1. What type of tumour do you suspect?
2. Expected life span for my dog in a normal situation. If your dog is close to, at or past his expected lifespan for his breed is surgery going to be of any benefit?
3. Prognosis for my Woody if we do not operate
4. Are there any other health problems that could impact on a positive surgical outcome, for example: if your dog is overweight or has heart, BP, liver, kidney or lung conditions
5. I have read radiotherapy with surgery gives better outcomes, is this an option for Woody, how about chemotherapy as well? What symptoms would lead you to consider these options? Ie positive lymph nodes etc
6. Is there any sign of tumour spread – prostate? Lymph nodes, lungs? What is the impact of this on prognosis?
7. Are his kidneys at risk (I am thinking here of Woody’s excessive peeing/drinking, periodic high calcium?) is his renal function good enough for surgery, how will you manage this while he is in hospital?
8. Surgeon recommendations – would he/she do it for their own dog?
9. How many operations of this type have you done? What complications have you experienced? What were the outcomes?
10. Please explain to me how you will do the surgery, which part would likely give you the most trouble? Will you be doing the actual surgery or a resident in a teaching situation? If so, is their close supervision?
11. Are you planning on taking the lymph nodes (as recommended in the literature)
12. Will there be a specialist anaesthetist available for the surgery?
13. What are the risks associated with this surgery, including
• Bleeding
• clots
• infection
• Kidney damage
• Continence problems postop
• wound problems
• bowel problems
• anaesthetic risks
• death (sorry but you have to ask that risk too)
14. How long will the surgery take and when will you contact me so I know all is OK, when can I visit after surgery?
15. How will the postoperative period go, how long would you anticipate he would need to stay in hospital? How will we manage pain? Bowels and bladder?
16. Hopefully this will not happen, but if your dog collapses, e.g his heart stops either during his surgery or afterwards what emergency measures should be undertaken, do you want your dog to have CPR, how far are you (the owner) willing to go for your dog to be saved in such circumstances
17. If there are problems when I take him home, who do I contact? Hopefully the surgical team until all is stable.

[spdd]

Half the battle is won already with Woody being in such good spirits. That's great to hear.

It also is wonderful to know that Woody is in such good hands at the vet school.

Keep up the good work and we'll be waiting to see what they have to say.

[Squirt's Mom]

A link lesson for you -

When you are on a site you want to share with folks, simply put your cursor on the URL bar, address bar, at the top of the page (It will usually start with http or www.). Left click the mouse while the cursor is on the URL bar and it will change colors to blue. Right click the mouse and an option list will appear. Choose "copy" and that link is captured. You then go where you want to share that link, like this forum, and in the reply box right click the mouse for the option list again. Choose "paste" and the link will paste here, or where ever you want to share it. You can save links for your own use this same way but instead of pasting the link you have captured on another web site, paste it in a Word, etc. document and save to your Documents. ;)

[goldengirl88]

It would seem you got a good one with Jo Morris looking at the tons of experience. You and Woody are in my prayers and please trust that things will turn out for the better. It does my heart good to know Woody is enjoying himself and playing. We are all pulling for you both. I said a prayer for your Woody in the hospital chapel today. I went down all the cush babies and included them. I did a special one for my Tipper. I pray God is listening, as there is a huge brass bell outside the chapel in the hallway and you ring it for prayers. Let me tell you they probably heard it all over the hospital when I was done. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

It would seem you got a good one with Jo Morris looking at the tons of experience. You and Woody are in my prayers and please trust that things will turn out for the better. It does my heart good to know Woody is enjoying himself and playing. We are all pulling for you both. I said a prayer for your Woody in the hospital chapel today. I went down all the cush babies and included them. I did a special one for my Tipper. I pray God is listening, as there is a huge brass bell outside the chapel in the hallway and you ring it for prayers. Let me tell you they probably heard it all over the hospital when I was done. Blessings
Patti

Thanks Patti that was so sweet of you to include woody in your prayers.

We,ve had another good day, although woody has been a bit more tired today so maybe we just over did it a bit yesterday. He still had a couple of walks but we didn't go far.

I,m so glad you are all behind me in this, as I live in a small village in the countryside and Woody is well know in the village as he always carries a toy in his mouth when we,re out walking but today I met a few other people and told them about Terry there response was when are you putting him to sleep, sadly these are supposed to be dog lovers as well. Once I explained what I was going to do they got all "oh I couldn't put my dog through all that he would have to go" my answer to this was I,m glad I own Woody then and not you. I have beat myself up enough over this decision and I feel it is the right way to go for the moment.

Trish - again you are a star and Flynn is so much like Woody, I had thought of some of those questions but you have worded it perfectly for me so I will be taking all of them with me.

I,m really glad I found this site.

[molly muffin]

And we are really glad that you found us too.
It is never good to go through these things and feel like you are doing it on your own. Never mind just having people to bounce ideas off of when you need to.

We're here for all of that and more. You do have a support system in place, no matter what happens or what decisions you make. Remember that when it sounds like things are getting tough. You are not alone!

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Squirt's Mom]

Nah...those people aren't dog lovers, they are lovers of being dog owners - a HUGE difference. If their dogs get sick, they will simply put them down and go buy another until that one gets sick or pees on the floor too much or barks too much or grows a funky coat or any other minor thing they don't like and don't want to deal with. :rolleyes::mad: You don't give these people a second thought - they are no where near your caliber of human and don't deserve a pup like Woody. ;) You're a great mom and everyone here knows that without question. So just keep on keeping on, knowing you have a whole host of folks standing with you every step of the way.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[goldengirl88]

Try to put those ignorant people out of your head. You know Woody best and what is right for him. You are doing a wonderful job managing this. I would do the same thing if I were in your position. Like Leslie said dogs don't really have any value to people like that. Animals are disposable items to some people, they just put them down and go get new ones. I truly believe in my heart this is the best solution for Woody. You have done your research, and asked opinions for questions so we know you mean business. I am always pleased to meet another person who values the life of their dog more than anything. More animals should be so lucky to get a parent like us. I just know Woody will come thru this with flying colors. Keep your chin up, and know your family on here is right along side of you. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Evening all popping in with our daily report, Woody has been good again today so much so that I went back to work, I have to earn pennies to pay for his treatment. I do have pet insurance but I don,t think I have enough left on it to pay for it all, but I,ll find that out next week.

I only took him one longish walk today and the rest he just pottered about the garden, he even had a shouting match at a baby rabbit that had found its way into my garden so I think it may be official there is a lot of fight left in this little guy ;) he is currently tucked up in bed under his blanket as its cold tonight well it is Scotland after all:)

Hope everyone is well and all pups are on form.

Tracy x

[StarDeb55]

Tracy, I have never posted to you & Woody before, but have definitely been following Woody's story. I wanted to let you know that I have plenty of experience dealing with a diagnosis of cancer in a pup. My first cushpup, Barkley, developed lymphoma at the age of 13. After all of the testing, biopsies, consults, I chose to put him through chemotherapy when the oncologist told me that without treatment, B would be gone in 6-8 weeks. We had already wasted 2 weeks trying to pin down a diagnosis. You should have heard the grief I got from my family. All of usual, "it's just a dog" kind of comments. It was literally heartbreaking to hear this kind of thing. My family didn't understand that Barkley had been a life line for me when my dearest Mother was battling Alzheimer's. The funny thing is that my cousin goes to the same hairdresser that I do. My hairdresser tells me much later, that my cousin was in for an appointment & was just raving about me wasting all that money on that dog's chemo & related medical care. Our hairdresser told her to leave it alone, it's her decision, that she only lost her mother about 18 months ago, & she's not ready to lose that dog. GOD BLESS, my hairdresser!

Now, when it comes to your oncology consult, Trish has given you a great list of questions to ask. I need to tell you that any survival rates or statistics about the success of treatment are just the numbers they have seen in their practice. B's oncologist quoted me 6-8 months survival with the treatment that I had chosen for him. Let me tell you, Barkley blew those statistics to the moon & back. The chemo gave him 20 months with an excellent quality of life. If I had it to do over, again, I would. I will be watching for your updates, especially with the oncologist consult.

Best of luck to both you & Woody,
Debbie

[spdd]

Yay Woody !!! Tell that rabbit of and I've got one here you can come and do the same with.

Glad to hear Woody is good still.... you go Woody !!

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
I would love to see your country some day. I bet where you live in the village is beautiful. I am glad Woody continues to enjoy the outdoors. Just remember one thing that will help carry you through all this. Several vets told me Jack Russell's are the most resilient of all the breeds, so don't ever count Woody out. I told Tipper about Woody, and when we pray at nite we pray for him. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Afternoon

StarDeb55 - this is pretty much what I,ve been experiencing but my family know how much Woody means to me so they have been behind me which is good. Anyone else with that kind of opinion can go jump :)

Spdd - I,m surprised you didn't hear woody tell off this rabbit as he was pretty loud and how dare anyone or anything be in HIS garden :)

I have been to work today and left Woody in the capable care of my Niece who he adores. I only work part time so came home after 2.5 hours to find them both snuggled up on the sofa sound asleep, my niece told me he had been fine and to be honest he look really comfy lying on the sofa.

If this diagnosis has taught me anything it is to stop and smell the roses, Woody has always played, and enjoyed his walks but after time I stopped actually noticing it, life gets in the way sometimes and I don't think I really appreciated how much Woody meant to me, course I,ve always loved him, he,s my boy but this week I,ve really took time with him, playing, walking, shouting at rabbits its like I,m seeing it all again through new eyes, the housework and everything else can wait for now its Woody time :)

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
What a beautiful picture you painted with that story of Woody and your niece. It is sadly true that sometimes we forget to be grateful for things in this busy world we live in. I have also learned to appreciate and treasure every second with my Tipper. God Bless you and Woody.
Patti

[Trish]

Hi Tracy

What a lovely story, it really is so important to just "be" with them. Enjoying the simple things like walks and spending time together. So pleased you have had such a good week.

It is hard to leave them, but I think it is important to get out and think about something else for a while or else it can become to all consuming and I do not think that is healthy in some cases. I hated leaving Flynn with my parents but I had too, bills don't pay themselves do they!! :D Must have been reassuring to see him snuggled up with your niece, nice to have family members who can step up when you need them.

Put those idiot others on "ignore" you don't need that shite right now. I had the same sort of comments though, first I was right pi**ed off!! :eek::eek: Then I just felt pity for them and ignored them, probably not the most mature thing to do, but that was my strategy and it helped :D xx

[Woodydog]

Evening everyone well we,ve had another positive and well weekend. My niece has went home, she stayed the weekend, and Woody has had a ball. She has pondered to his every need walked him, played with him and cuddled him and even got up with him during the night for the toilet. I felt a bit redundant lol but it was good to see them together as like me she is a massive dog lover and woody does so love her.:D He sure did wrap her round his paw but she knew it and just let him.

I also received a Get Well card for Woody and a new ball from his old dog walker that I became good friends with, I think she cried more than I did when I told her his diagnosis, it was good to talk it all out with her as I know she understands how I feel. I,m still staying positive about all this as it seems to be getting me through it, I still do have my 10 mins of despair but I just have to look at his sweet face and its all gone.

I hope everyone had a good weekend and all pups are well :)

Tracy and Woody x

[molly muffin]

That's great Tracy. Sounds like a really good weekend. I'm so glad you have your niece and your friend who understand. Every bit of support helps along the way.

huggers,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
So glad to hear that Woody had a great weekend with two people that love him so. You niece sounds delightful, and wonderful for Woody. I am glad you have a friend to talk to during this trying time. Tipper and I are praying for you and Woody. His avatar is so cute, I wish Tipper could meet him they would have a ball together. Tipper really has no use for other breeds, she really only gets along with her own kind! I guess she knows another crazy terrier when she sees one! Tipper goes for her Ultra Sound tomorrow, and I have prayed for her for days. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Tracy:
So glad to hear that Woody had a great weekend with two people that love him so. You niece sounds delightful, and wonderful for Woody. I am glad you have a friend to talk to during this trying time. Tipper and I are praying for you and Woody. His avatar is so cute, I wish Tipper could meet him they would have a ball together. Tipper really has no use for other breeds, she really only gets along with her own kind! I guess she knows another crazy terrier when she sees one! Tipper goes for her Ultra Sound tomorrow, and I have prayed for her for days. Blessings
Patti

Yeah Patti they are crazy terrier and they are both fighters of that I,m sure :D

Tomorrow is our oncologist appointment, Woody will be getting another US and a prostrate flush, but they have assured me he will be coming home with me ;) I have all my questions written down and I am as prepared as I,ll every be. Feel a bit sick and nervous but I,m sure once we get there it will be fine. So fingers crossed I should be back tomorrow night with a full update.

[molly muffin]

We will be right there beside you in spirit through the entire appointment. So when you feel that over whelmed feeling that any serious doctors appointment can cause, we'll be the angels on your shoulders passing on our strength to you. Once you hear back what they say tomorrow, you might have even more questions, so take notes of what they say, it will be easier to go back and review it than taking it all in at once.

Hugs!
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
I think it is a sign both Jack Russells are awaiting their fate tomorrow. I am with you 100%. So I will think and pray for you and Woody while I am awaiting Tipper's fate. It will be ok for both of us I am sure God heard me begging for 2 miracles. God Bless you both and know I am with you tomorrow.
Patti

[spdd]

I'm thinking about you today and how the testing is going.

Good luck to Woody. You show em Woody just how tough you are.

[Woodydog]

I,m back from oncologist and Woody is home too :D I am still pretty confused and overwhelmed I will give you the brief outline.

I saw Emma the IMS that first saw us the other week, we went over the test results from last time and how they were unremarkable except the adrenal gland (enlarged) and the lymph node (enlarged). I asked her how she had came to the diagnosis that Woody had Anal Sac Carcinoma, she said due to the position of the lymph node which is in the groin area then this is what it was likely to be. I explained that I had been fretting all week as I heard her say Anal Sac Carcinoma to me on the telephone and she said she said it was likely to be but I didn't hear her say that, but suppose I was upset and probably wasn,t listening. I then asked did Woody have Cancer and she replied defiantely yes, but we don,t know where the primary tumour is hence the reason for the tests today. I was really confused, so she asked Joe to step into the consult to explain more.

She was very nice and friendly towards Woody and explained in laymans terms that Woody was a puzzle, as the left medial iliac lymph node defo had Cancer in it, but on the scan they couldn't see the primary tumour and therefore wanted to do another scan and a prostrate flush. I agreed to this but told them I wanted him home tonight.

Woody was away for 4 hours before I was called to collect him. The results on this scan this time showed that the lymph node hadn,t got any bigger (yay) but it had cavited and the fluid flow was different so they took another biopsy of it and also more fluid to try and see what is going on. They also did a prostrate flush, which sounded awful when described to me as there was signs of inflammation but Joe was sure there was no sign of cancer on it but results will tell us more. Joe thought that Woody may have lymphoma but wasn't convinced as usually there is more than one node affected. They also took an aspiration of a lump under Woody,s armpit that was diagnosed as a fatty lump 2 years ago just to check and it was indeed just a fatty lump. So now I have to wait until tomorrow to get the cytology reports.

Now here is the good bit I think Joe the oncologist has said that maybe Woody just has that one lymph node that is cancerous and if removed Woody should do very well and may not even need any other treatment she even used the word "cured" in the sentence. Now I,m not getting too excited until I find out all the results but whatever happens it looks like the lymph node will be removed through surgery as early as the end of the week.

I asked lots of questions and got all the answers I needed and I even wrote them all down, so thanks to the power of all you angels I was able to keep a level head and get through it all.

So gloves and still on and we,re still gonna kick Terry,s butt :D

[spdd]

Well it's great to get some good news. By tomorrow you will have all your answers. I knew Woody was a tough little guy.

You kick it Woody !!

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
I am ecstatic with the news on Woody. That is fantastic news and I am so happy for you both. I prayed for Woody today while Tipper was having her ultra sound. I bet your heart is a lot lighter now! Woody is getting a miracle thank God. I know what you have been feeling and thinking the last few days. It had to be hard waiting for this appointment. I am so glad you went and I pray they can just get rid of the lymph node and that will be all that was affected by the cancer. This has made my day much brighter.I know you said that Woody did not have Cushings and that is a blessing, but please still keep in contact so we know how Woody is doing. God Bless you both and all of the hospital staff looking after him today.
Patti

[goldengirl88]

Woody way to go. You really kicked terry's butt!!!!!!

[Woodydog]

Thanks Patti we haven,t kicked Terry,s butt just yet but we are kicking it of that I,m sure. They sure did make these terriers to last didn,t they. I have to admit to skipping out the hospital door and not like last time with a heavy heart.

Woody hasn,t been too good since we came home, he has been sick won,t eat and has really bad diar think he may have had a reaction to the anethestic and he keeps thinking he needs to pee when he actually doesn't but I was warned this could happen after the prostrate flush so looks like I,m in for a long night with him but I,m sure we,ll get through it :)

[Squirt's Mom]

awwww....sorry he's not feeling so perky right now but having one's prostrate "flushed" sounds like a good reason to feel that way! I hope he's much better tomorrow!

I like the sound of your report so far very much and pray the remainder of the news is just as encouraging!
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[molly muffin]

Gee, I don't even have a prostrate and I still think it sounds just awful. I think Woody is perfectly normal to be off after this day. :) Bet he'll be back to himself in a couple days though. I am sorry and it really isn't an off color joke, but can't keep a good Woody down.

Hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[FemaleK9]

Lol, Sharlene! Tsk, tsk!

Sorry Woody is feeling sick and violated from his procedures, but it definitely sounds like there is cause for hope, and I'm hoping you heart is a bit lighter, Tracy!

[doxiesrock912]

Woody, those uncomfortable tests will be worth it sweetie.
It sounds like things aren't nearly as bad as you feared.
Yippee!

[Trish]

That is such good news Tracy!! Awesome to read this tonight when I logged on. Sending good vibes for the cytology report tomorrow, hopefully then they might know what type it is and get in there at the end of the week and get it sorted! Yay WOODY!!! xx

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
With all the messing around down there in your boys business no wonder he was not himself last nite. I am sure he will bounce back today and have a good day. Tipper and I are praying for a good report to come back on him. I bet you slept a little better last nite knowing things weren't as dire as first thought. I did not ask God for anything last nite, but just thanked him a million times for Woody's and Tipper's results. I will continue to ask for miracles for them both tonite. God Bless you both.
Patti

[Woodydog]

Well the cytology results are in and I,m back to square one. Woody does have Anal Sac Carcinoma, its microscopic which is why no one could see it on the US or feel it on his rectal exam. It has also spread to another lymph node so now in two lymph nodes, the prostrate is clear for the moment. I,m devasted again and I really can,t do this bloody rollercoaster of emotions again I,m done.

There are still options available but the cost of them are out of my reach I don,t know what to do :confused:

On the plus side Woody is almost back to his cheeky wee self today although has been tired ;)

[spdd]

Well I'm sorry to hear this, but what are the options? If it's only in two lymph nodes can both the anal sac and nodes be removed? Would chemo or radiation be an option? Are there not chemo pills a dog can take?

I have no clue at all how any of this affects the dog. I did see a woman who herself was having radiation and her dog was having both radiation and chemo at the vets office but I didn't ask her what for. The dog was a little terror in the waiting room and you'd never know it was sick.

I hope there are some reasonable options for you. Please take care, I certainly empathize with you when you say "I'm done."

[molly muffin]

oh no, I'm very sorry to hear that two lymph nodes are affected.
Yes, we all understand that cost can be prohibitive. So, what did they tell you might be options? If you do nothing, what kind of prognosis is there? Just to live out his life?
Big Hugs Tracy, definitely have you and Woody held close to our hearts.
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Squirt's Mom]

Aw, crap, Tracy. :( I was really hoping for a better report. But don't get discouraged just yet. Check out all your options, including ways to cover the costs of surgery and treatment IF the vets agree Woody is a viable candidate with a good prognosis after surgery. Gather as much info as you can about Woody's case and make your decisions based on that info. If it just isn't feasible for whatever reason for him to have this surgery, then accept the situation as best you can and try to enjoy each and every moment with him for as long as you can.

What you cannot do, is feel guilty regardless of the decisions you make. We all can only do as much as we can do; we are all limited in some way and must work within those limitations whether financial or due to the state of our baby's health or age. You have already gone far and above what many, many people would in your shoes. ;) Woody knows he is loved and that is all he knows. He does not know he is so ill nor what his future may hold - only that his mom loves him and that is all he needs to make his world complete.

We will be by your side every step of the way, honey. You are still not alone.
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
Just got home from Tipper's ACTH and read this. I feel like a punch to the gut. I am so terribly sorry. Again as Leslie said what is the prognosis? Is there anyone that would help financially? Would your hospital consider payments, and is that an option? I am feeling so bad for you, I know the place where you are at. Please don't put blame on yourself. Maybe we can think of some solution together??? We are all here in this with you. Blessings
Patti

[doxiesrock912]

Tracy,
can they remove the lymph nodes? Or, since it's microscopic, maybe a few doses of chemo will do the trick?

Please look at Care Credit as an option. Many vets also formulate payment plans.

[Woodydog]

Thank you everyone for your kind words, I,m just emotionally exhausted tonight I can,t even cry I want to but I,m too numb.

Woody is back to normal tonight still has a touch of diar but is playing with a toy pig at the moment, he does make me laugh :rolleyes:

Emma my IMS was lovely on the phone earlier, she was very sympathetic she couldn't say sorry enough but its not her fault. She gave me 4 options for Woody

1. The Gold Scheme (preferred option) which is surgery to remove anal sacs and the affected lymph nodes then chemo or radio which ever suits him best prognosis 1.5 to 3 years.
2. The Silver Scheme - surgery to remove anal sacs and affected lymph nodes - no chemo or radio prognosis maybe a 1 to 1.5 years
3. The Bronze Scheme - Chemo only prognosis 6months to 1 year
4. Or do nothing and let him live his life as it is prognosis a few months at most.

The cost of the surgery alone for the gold/silver scheme would be £2,400 then the chemo ontop of that which I,ve no idea what it would cost and how much he would need. I can afford the surgery as I have £2,500 left on my insurance which I contacted them today and they will pay out on the surgery but there is nothing left for the chemo and I,ve already spent all my savings trying to get him diagnosed. Now I,m trying to be sensible and calm about all this as I know time is of the essence where Terry is concerned and as this is an aggressive type then I need to make a decision quite quickly. I want to do whats best for Woody and not be selfish and do it for me. I don,t know if I can put him through surgery knowing that if he had the chemo he would have a good prognosis. But putting him through the surgery alone knowing that there was a possibility that there were still some Terry cells floating around his system and that the surgery could maybe only give him a few months more if the cells were to latch on and become Terry,s.

I know I,m the only one that can make this decision but I wish someone else would do it for me, this is killing me inside :(

[labblab]

Is there a way to get an estimate for the cost of chemo? I am thinking that knowing that cost might help clarify your treatment options. Some chemo agents are very expensive; others, not so much. In fact, prednisone is sometimes used to treat some forms of canine cancer and it is a very inexpensive medication...

Marianne

[FemaleK9]

There are veterinary schools at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. They might have clinical trials that Woody would qualify for that would reduce or even eliminate some of the costs.

Just doing a quick search, I found this website that has some ideas that might help: FightCanineCancer.com (http://www.fightcaninecancer.com/funding.html). I'll keep looking to see what I can find, but I think your first step might be to contact your vet and see if they can find out about any clinical trials or programs at the veterinary schools.

[goldengirl88]

Tracy;
We have program in the US for pets that need life saving treatments and the owners cannot afford it. Can you research anything on your computer about this where you are? Do you have a Jack Russell Club there? They may be your best bet as they want to maintain the breed, and could possibly help financially. It may not be that much for the chemo. Can you call back and get a chemo estimate? Could you make payments on the chemo? The clinical trials are also an option. You got this far so I am just trying to think of anything that may help. What about the makes of the Chemo drugs, could you possibly contact them and work something out that way? Please don't give up, I am afraid you may regret it. With the surgery being paid by the insurance that is a big blessing. All I am saying is research all your options well so you know you did all you could. Whatever you decide we are with you on it 100%. We are all still here to help you, lean on us we will hold you up. God Bless You and Woody.
Patti

[Squirt's Mom]

Another option - I see folks on Facebook raising funds for their pups for all sorts of reasons and reaching their goals. There used to be a place to do this called ChipIn but that site is now defunct. There is another site that works the same way but I can't remember the name of it! :rolleyes: If you have a PayPal account, you could set up a FB page for fund raising for Woody, telling his story and what the expected costs are then use the PayPal account as the place to make donations for his care. This gives you the potential to reach a world-wide base. While some folks may not be able to give much at all, every penny counts. Even when they can't contribute, they can share so another person who can help will see your page and Woody's story. ;)

[Woodydog]

Tracy;
We have program in the US for pets that need life saving treatments and the owners cannot afford it. Can you research anything on your computer about this where you are? Do you have a Jack Russell Club there? They may be your best bet as they want to maintain the breed, and could possibly help financially. It may not be that much for the chemo. Can you call back and get a chemo estimate? Could you make payments on the chemo? The clinical trials are also an option. You got this far so I am just trying to think of anything that may help. What about the makes of the Chemo drugs, could you possibly contact them and work something out that way? Please don't give up, I am afraid you may regret it. With the surgery being paid by the insurance that is a big blessing. All I am saying is research all your options well so you know you did all you could. Whatever you decide we are with you on it 100%. We are all still here to help you, lean on us we will hold you up. God Bless You and Woody.
Patti

I have phoned the hospital to speak with Emma to see how much his chemo would be and what sort either tablet or IV. I'm still waiting on her calling back. I've also emailed the rescue Woody came from to see if the have Any ideas. I've googled everything I can think off but there doesn't seem to be any help in Scotland I looked up care credit but couldn't find if they did it in Uk I,m checking my cupboards see what I can sell on eBay. I maybe down but I'm certainly not out yet x

[Squirt's Mom]

Five alternative to the now defunct ChipIn -

http://iloverescueanimals.org/2013/02/five-free-alternatives-to-chipin-for-animal-rescue/

[Squirt's Mom]

More options to raise funds via the web -

http://www.giveforward.com/blog/chipin-closing-shop

http://imraising.com/

http://pitchinbox.com/

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
Great attitude, we will figure this out together, have faith it will work out. Glad Leslie had some ideas on sources for funding. Let us know about the chemo cost when you get it. Just take care of yourself, I know this is stressful. We will help you thru this. Blessings
Patti

[FemaleK9]

There are veterinary schools at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. They might have clinical trials that Woody would qualify for that would reduce or even eliminate some of the costs.

Just doing a quick search, I found this website that has some ideas that might help: FightCanineCancer.com (http://www.fightcaninecancer.com/funding.html). I'll keep looking to see what I can find, but I think your first step might be to contact your vet and see if they can find out about any clinical trials or programs at the veterinary schools.

Have you or your vet(s) tried contacting the veterinary schools?

[Woodydog]

Have you or your vet(s) tried contacting the veterinary schools?

Karen

Woody is a patient of the Vet School Glasgow which is a teaching hospital, so I will ask Emma about this as I do know they have a Cancer Research Unit on the campus.

[goldengirl88]

Great idea Karen, keep the ideas coming we will get a solution for Woody yet. Blessings
Patti

[spdd]

You sound like me selling on Ebay to get extra funds. Whatever you do, do NOT go on Craigslist. The filth and spam I got back was incredible, it really was. I used a throw away email address thank goodness.

This will all work out. Many hugs to Woody.

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
Just checking in on Woody today to see how he is?? Hope he is doing well and I hope you are too. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

I,m back with some news. Have spoken with Emma at the hospital and we have went through the surgery what happens, how long he will need in hospital, his aftercare, what to expect side effects etc and if Woody is a good candidate or not. And the news is Woody is booked for surgery to remove Terry on Tuesday 22nd October at 9 am gulp. He will need to go into hospital the night before so he has to be in from Monday at 7 pm and all going well should be home by Thursday Yay! He will need around 2 weeks to heal before we need to consider Chemo.

Emma went into detail about the Chemo Woody would be likely to need and suggested they use a cheaper drug, as with Woody,s sensitive tummy she doesn,t think he would tolerate the usual one (he is back on the metronizodole for his diar again) and it would be IV treatment as it gives the best results. He would need 6 doses and they would be 3 weeks apart but he would be able to come home same day. So the cost of each Chemo would be approximately £350.00 each and with a US being done at the 4th Chemo to check I reckon I would need to find around £2, 500. I have to pay for each Chemo session at the end of the session they don,t allow you to make instalments and theres not any trials going on at the moment. For now I,m focusing on his Surgery, I couldn,t not at least give the little man a chance. I feel strangely calm now that his surgery is booked still worried sick as there was a lot explained of what could go wrong but can,t focus on that for now, this weekend I,m gonna just love Woody :D

Thank you all for allowing me to moan and cry and for holding my hand and giving me the strength to go through this.

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
I don't consider it moaning and crying at all. I am so happy you decided to go forward with the surgery, I would have done the same. Would you be able to get a small loan at the bank to pay the chemo? I am so glad they explained all this to you thoroughly. I know what you mean about the calm. I would be glad and calm knowing Terry will be out of there too. I am praying for you and Woody. Blessings
Patti

[FemaleK9]

It's big decisions like these that really tear us apart, isn't it? I'm glad you have peace now that the decision is made. Just don't second guess yourself whatever happens from now on. You did your due diligence, got Woody the help he needed, got all the tests, gathered all the information possible short of a crystal ball and chose the best course you could for your sweet Woody based on that infomation. That's all we can ever do, for our dogs or our human loved ones.

[doxiesrock912]

I'm glad that you are able to do the surgery. We'll be praying for a fast recovery for Woody.

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
I am so glad for you that Woody's surgery is soon approaching. It will bring you a lot of relief to know Terry is gone. Have a great weekend with Woody, and let him run and play to his little hearts content. Blessings
Patti

[Trish]

Hi Tracy

Uh oh, sorry to hear the latest about Woody. Are they going to be aggressive with taking the lymph nodes too? I hope they can get as many as possible to clear out any microscopic traces.

Well we already knew with it being in the lymph node it was some sort of cancer, so it is good they have been able to confirm where it came from and then surgically excise it, they may well get it all anyway!! So go into this surgery as positive as can be, Woody is going to feel your vibes so make them as positive as possible!! :D He is a tough boy and I bet is going to surprise you by how quick he gets over this surgery!! Then we start planning for the next step. One day at a time Tracy! xxx

[Woodydog]

Hi everyone Trish they will be taking out the lymph node as well providing its not entwined with major blood vessels which they don,t think it is, so it will be all gone there are taking out both anal sacs just in case.

We,ve had a really good few days, Woody,s diar is almost gone and he has been on good form. Today the weather has been raining heavy and some wind but it didn,t stop Woody going up the ridge to play as all the cattle are now inside for the winter the farmers let dogs in the fields and Woody had to find the biggest mucky puddle and dive straight in when he came out I couldn,t see the colour of where his white coat started and ended he was filthy, but had the biggest grin on his face. :p

I,m still focusing on the positive as in a few days Terry will be gone and not growing inside my boy so that in itself is positive. I am scared and feel sick most of the time with nerves but we,ve came this far together I just need to keep it together a while longer. To be honest when I look at him running about covered in all sorts what,s not to smile about, he,s here, he,s alive and he,s not in any pain and that,s all I can ask for. :p

[Trish]

Oh good on ya Woody!!! Glad he found that big puddle, what a little rascal he is!! I bet he stunk too, awesome.... Flynn would have been running with him and rolling in all manner of stinkiness for good measure. They have to make you smile don't they, I wish us humans could live in the moment and have less worry, they set us such a good example of how to handle things don't they :D:D

Pleased they are going for it with the surgery, that is good news. I have a good feeling about this Tracy!! We will be with you for sure, we will be waiting for the news on his surgery with baited breath on Tuesday and willing on Woody with good wishes!! xx

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
So glad Woody is enjoying his time outdoors. That puddle sounds like something Tipper would do. You are going to make it thru this we are all behind you. I am also eagerly awaiting the exit of Terry. It is only a couple days away, and your darling boy will be free of all the nasty stuff. I am sure it will make him feel a lot better too. You are doing good, and doing a wonderful job with Woody. He is lucky to have you. I am saying a special prayer for Woody every nite. God Bless you both
patti

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
I said a special prayer for Woody last nite. I am excited that Terry will soon be history. I hope you were able to get some rest, as you will need it to care for your patient when he gets home. I am sure he will have you catering to his every whim!! He deserves it! It is going to be fine, and you will be so happy after all this is over. I only wish Tipper's tumor was in a different place and it could have been removes easily, I would feel so much better, but it can't be because she would not live thru it at her age etc. I am praying for you both to get thru this with ease. Blessings
Patti

[Woodydog]

Thanks Patti for the prayers :) We are just about to leave for the hospital as at this time of day with traffic its a 2 hour drive to get there.

Woody has been good yesterday and today, he had to have a bath after his puddle jumping the other day as he was really quite stinky lol, he hates baths so didn,t speak to me for a few hours and took himself off to the bedroom in the huff every time I went to check on him he turned his back on me, and this morning he thought it would be a great idea to dry himself off on my duvet cover (which is cream) so guess I,ll have something to do tonight when he,s not here.

I wondered if you could all keep my baby boy in your thoughts tonight for his op tomorrow morning. I,m sure he will be fine as he is in good hands but its not my hands

Tracy and Woody dog x

[Squirt's Mom]

I'm along for the ride, Tracy! The K9C angels will be fluttering around you and our sweet Woody, as well as his medical team, the whole time. Prayers, positive thoughts, and healing energies are rising for him from all around the globe.

I'm so glad he got to get stinky and play in the mud a bit, and that ya'll had some good days. Hold onto those memories and believe there will be many more puddle playing days to come in the future.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[FemaleK9]

All fingers and toes are crossed for a good outcome for Woody!

[Trish]

I most definitely have Woody in my thoughts, are you staying there close to him of coming back home? Hope he travels ok. What time is the surgery so I can concentrate my good vibes right then?!?! Maybe my time this evening as I think you are 12 hrs behind us there.

PAWS UP WOODY!!!!!!

[Woodydog]

Trish - I had to come back home :mad: He is booked in first so 0930 am is his slot, the op should take no more that 1.5 to 2 hours, so they will ring me when he is round. He won,t probably be home till Thursday night. I can go visit him tomorrow night but I don,t think I,m going to I really don,t want him stressed out thinking yay she,s here to take me away and then I bog off after an hour or so without him. The nurses have promised to text and send me up to date pics of him :D

He trotted off nicely again with the vet with his little wiggly bum, then stopped and pee,d on the door of the ward, looked back at me and trotted of inside. He was not fazed at all he really is an adaptable and trusting wee guy. So I,m home alone till Thursday but I,m sure it will go quickly and in no time at all my little cancer free boy will be home :)

[Trish]

Just checked the time zone and it is exactly 12hrs difference so 9.30 tonight I will be thinking of you guys!! C'mon little Woody, you can do it :)

Hope you get some sleep Tracy, time for the surgeon to do her thing so hope she is getting a good nights sleep too :D:D

Glad he trotted off happily, I hate saying goodbye to Flynn and have learnt for me to leave first so I do not have to watch him go as he does not like it one bit. Nice of the nurses to send you pics, that's a great service so he is most definitely in the right place!!

[molly muffin]

I'm here too Tracy! and we are All right there with Woody in our hearts.

How are you doing tonight? Sometimes just the waiting can be so nerve wrecking.
Sending you lots of hugs and positive energy.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[frijole]

Another Cush Angel checking in for duty. I plan to flutter over both you and your baby throughout the whole ordeal. Stay strong and have faith. Love and healing thoughts, Kim

[doxiesrock912]

I'm looking forward to hearing good news tomorrow!

[Tina]

Hi Tracy,
I don't think I have posted to you before, but I have been following along with Woody's story since the beginning and have been keeping you both in my thoughts. You are 6 hours ahead of me, so that means Woody's surgery should be in just a couple of hours. Thinking about you now and sending lots of love, prayers and positive thoughts for your sweet boy. We are all here with you. I will be checking in later.

Big hugs,
Tina and Jasper

[Trish]

Ohhhh it's 9.30am in Scotland.... here I am sending my very best wishes to our special boy today! Big hugs for you Tracy, you must be a bundle of nerves till you here he is through it all, so hope you hear good news soon! xx

[goldengirl88]

Tracy:
Thinking and praying for you and sweet Woody. Terry will be gone and you and Woody are going to have a marvelous life together. Gob Bless You Both, we area eagerly awaiting the results.
Patti

[Woodydog]

Thanks everyone the surgeon has just rung me and Woody is awake phew. They managed to get both lymph nodes, and took both anal sacs as well woo hoo :D :D They said that there maybe some cells left that they can,t see but for now Woody is doing well :p

WOODY 1 TERRY 0

[Squirt's Mom]

WOOHOO!!!! Let us know if you hear from them again and how our sweet boy is doing.

Take THAT, Terry! :D

[FemaleK9]

So happy Woody has made it through the surgery successfully! You must be so glad that part is now behind you!

[frijole]

Checking in - good news. Continued prayers and support sent across the pond to you and yours. Kim

[goldengirl88]

GO WOODY. GO WOODY, GO WOODY, GO WOODY, GO WOODY
I bet you are breathing a lot easier knowing that Terry has officially bought the farm. God Bless You both I am so happy to hear this news today, thank you God!!!!!
Patti

[Trixie]

So happy to hear the operation went well!! Fantastic news! Go Woody!! Sending positive thoughts across the ocean for Woody's complete recovery. So happy for you that things went so well!! He will soon be back jumping in puddles and enjoying his life!

Barbara

[Roxee's Dad]

Woo Hoo !!!!

Very good news :D

[Trish]

What fantastic news Tracy, I was so hoping to read a positive report when I woke up this morning!! YAY! Good Boy WOODY!!! x

[Woodydog]

Thank you everyone I can,t tell how relieved I am that he came through the surgery and it went well. The surgeon said she poked around his abdomen and other organs and they all look very healthy :D But the test results will tell us more. I am fully aware that we have a long journey ahead and that this might not be the end of Terry but for now Woody has won round 1 and in my book the boy did good, my little Woody is a fighter.

The night nurse called me at 7.15 pm her name I think she said Linda will be with him all night. She said he had been sick but only once (he usually does this after an anesthetic but he had been fine since. He was alert and responsive to his name but due to the meds he was very sleepy. He hadn,t eaten anything but they were not too worried about it as he had been through a lot today.

I reckon that the power of the K9C angels got me and Woody through everything today and for that I will be eternally grateful ;)

[molly muffin]

That is great news Tracy! No more Terry. Yay!!!!

Now on with recovery. This can take a bit of time and they'll probably keep him for a day or so, just to make sure it's all going well, that is normal, and you want him there until they are absolutely sure.

So glad to hear this. :)
hugs,
Sharlene and molly muffin

[doxiesrock912]

Tracy that is wonderful news!

[Woodydog]

Morning everyone guess who can come home this afternoon WOODY yay! The surgeon has been on the phone and said he.s had a good night and when she saw him this morning his wounds looked really well and he,s had two bouts of really bad diar which is normal after an all he,s been through. He hasn't eaten anything and he is barking his little head off at the other dogs so she feels he should go home as it will be less stressful for him so I will be picking him up about 4 pm.

[goldengirl88]

Yahoo woody's coming home!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Squirt's Mom]

Oh, YAY!!! :cool::):cool::):cool: Our sweet Woody is coming home! He will recover much quicker at home 'cause that's where his mom keeps her arms that hold him so lovingly.

[molly muffin]

Wonderful news!!! I am officially super impressed with the Glasgow University Vet school, center, etc.

So glad Woody is doing well recovering.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[bgdavis]

I don't post here much anymore since my Cush dog has been gone almost 5 years. However, I've been following Woody's story from the start.

Glad to hear his surgery went well and that he's coming home.

Get well soon, Woody.

Bonnie and Angel Criss Ann

[Roxee's Dad]

Yay !! and another Woot! Woot! Woody is coming home :D

[FemaleK9]

Excellent news!

[Trish]

Hurray, he will be home by now!!! I hope he settled down and ate a little dinner and his tummy is OK! I bet you rest easier tonight as well having him back with you! Looking forward to the next update :) xx