Rock'n Robin
Disney Queen
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2000
- Messages
- 7,810
I posted last week that we thought my 5 year old golden retriever, Ranger, had kennel cough. He went on antibiotics Thursday. He still wasn't eating well Friday night, so I had made arrangements with my parents to take care of him until tonight as we were going camping 1/2 hour away.
I called yesterday morning and they said he wasn't eating well yet, just a little bit, so they took him back to my vet. She did XRays and a barium thing (which released a little gas). She found something in his throat on the XRay and thought it may have been a toy or something. However, next time I called they had determined it is a mass in his throat.
According to my dad it is about 1/2 inch and there is only about the diameter of a straw in his throat for him to get food, water, etc. I'm amazed he didn't throw up until Tuesday!
This is major surgery folks, and my vet doesn't do it. My parents told the vet that cost is an issue (they know we are in the midst of a bankruptcy filing) and she suggested we take him down to Columbus to the Ohio State vet school, as that would be a big savings over the specialist we would otherwise have to get. Dad immediately agreed (he paid for half of him back in 99 and says he is "half his dog"). He wants to take him come heck or high water, and I can probably go down for one day, but not if it takes two days since school just started and our principal is really cracking down on staff absences. The vet is going to call Tuesday morning and see how soon we can get him in. In the meantime we have to give him canned food mixed with water, and what he doesn't eat we have to put down his throat with a syringe. Since he's gotten more food he has really perked up.
I came back tonight to get him, and I plan on taking him back to the campsite for the night--we rented a popup camper. Dad doesn't want him to go, but I say heck, if the dog might have days left (if the mass is widespread cancer we will have to put him down) let him spend them with his kids. Only the oldest has any idea how serious this is.
We have had such rough luck with dogs--Ranger is our 4th dog, and the oldest one only lived to be 7--our last one, a lab mix, was only 3 1/2 when we had to put him down because he developed epilepsy and when he came out of his seizures didn't know anyone and snapped at anything in his way (including me). He is absolutely the best dog I've ever had and I can't believe he has this at age 5!
Wish us luck, prayers and PD this week.
Robin M.
I called yesterday morning and they said he wasn't eating well yet, just a little bit, so they took him back to my vet. She did XRays and a barium thing (which released a little gas). She found something in his throat on the XRay and thought it may have been a toy or something. However, next time I called they had determined it is a mass in his throat.
According to my dad it is about 1/2 inch and there is only about the diameter of a straw in his throat for him to get food, water, etc. I'm amazed he didn't throw up until Tuesday! This is major surgery folks, and my vet doesn't do it. My parents told the vet that cost is an issue (they know we are in the midst of a bankruptcy filing) and she suggested we take him down to Columbus to the Ohio State vet school, as that would be a big savings over the specialist we would otherwise have to get. Dad immediately agreed (he paid for half of him back in 99 and says he is "half his dog"). He wants to take him come heck or high water, and I can probably go down for one day, but not if it takes two days since school just started and our principal is really cracking down on staff absences. The vet is going to call Tuesday morning and see how soon we can get him in. In the meantime we have to give him canned food mixed with water, and what he doesn't eat we have to put down his throat with a syringe. Since he's gotten more food he has really perked up.
I came back tonight to get him, and I plan on taking him back to the campsite for the night--we rented a popup camper. Dad doesn't want him to go, but I say heck, if the dog might have days left (if the mass is widespread cancer we will have to put him down) let him spend them with his kids. Only the oldest has any idea how serious this is.
We have had such rough luck with dogs--Ranger is our 4th dog, and the oldest one only lived to be 7--our last one, a lab mix, was only 3 1/2 when we had to put him down because he developed epilepsy and when he came out of his seizures didn't know anyone and snapped at anything in his way (including me). He is absolutely the best dog I've ever had and I can't believe he has this at age 5!
Wish us luck, prayers and PD this week.
Robin M.
