Cody’s cancer is back

My experience was pretty sad. My foster-fail had not been seen in a while because of vet staffing shortages. I had wanted to bring her in because her abdomen had gotten what appeared to be a lot of insect bites. I thought she had laid down in an ants nest. The tech/phone contact person did not think that was an emergency and they could not fit her in, and she even tried to forbid me from contacting another vet. I ended up treating her at home with a couple different products. .... Anyway, months later she had the seizure type episodes I wrote about before. It turned out she was having hypoglycemic episodes. Her blood chemistry tests showed there was something wrong with her liver or possibly gall bladder. My vets had me go to the emergency room of the vet school 20 miles away. There they discovered she had a very large growth on the right side of her liver, a very bad place that made it in effect inoperable.

Up until the hypoglycemic episodes, I had not seen anything wrong with her. She was very active and playful. The only change was that she had a very great appetite. Too great! She was on thyroid supplement and I thought maybe that needed to be decreased. But the test showed the thyroid level was fine. So it was the tumor on her liver that affected her blood sugar level and made her extra hungry. It had progressed very quickly, so that was a shock to me.

But perhaps it was a blessing to her. I was mad about being turned away about the insect bites, but I don't know if her tumor would have been evident if the vets had seen her at the time. I did not see her struggling until just a few days before we had to let her go. I have had dogs that struggled with other diseases for years, and currently have an 18 year old Chi/mix with failing kidneys who won't eat.

It sounds like your vet should have talked to you more about whether there are other options. If your vet thinks the only thing to do is to spoil and cherish Cody for the time that's left, I wish they would say so. Maybe call or make an appointment for at least a phone consultation about what other options there may be. Whether the chemotherapy is worth the side effects, whether there is pain that can be treated with medication, if, as I suggested, radiation is a possibility. (I think the pet has to be anesthetized to be still enough for radiation, so that may be out.) And even if those are options, spoiling and cherishing is always good medicine. {{{{{}}}}}

I'm sorry to ramble on so long, but I want you to know you are not alone in the distress you are going through now. Please let us hear from you at any time so we can send you our love and cyberhugs to you and your dear Cody. {{{{}}}}

It sounds like you're at a very difficult place with tough decisions to make. I can't make a decision for you, but I have a 15+ year old who is in early stage kidney failure, and this is my approach both with her and with my first Maltese who I said goodbye to at 15 because of acute kidney failure. They have lived long, happy lives full of love and joy. They have brought us innumerable hours of joy, peace and love. And now it's our time to do the most loving, kindest things for them. Their bodies are getting tired, but they still have a little bit of love and life left to give. As long as they are comfortable, eating, drinking, playing, and snuggling, they have more time. When the bad days outnumber the good, or even when the bad hours of each day outnumber the good, it's time to say goodbye. If the vet tells you surgery is not an option and it is a fast growing tumor, you will need to weigh the side effects of any other treatment like drugs or radiation against the quality of life and the amount of additional time that treatment will likely provide.

Good luck and know that we are all sending love and hugs!

Thankyou everyone for all your insight and sharing with me. I really appreciate it so much more than you could ever know. It’s so hard. Cody appetite too definitely has increased as well as his thirst. The increased eating started about a month ago. And his thirst has been before that and lately his urine is bright yellow and that’s still with me administering sub q fluids every other day. I have been online reading reading and seeing if holistic medicine can help. I already gave him on bark and whiskers detox but I believe holistic has other herbs. Like cq10 I went on ask aerial and liver info to purchase came up which I sent to my vet to review. I also found dissolve mass drops. I am wondering about that too. I made a few phone calls and it seems they don’t want to do surgery on elderly dogs. I wish there was laser surgery less invasive for my cody. I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences and suggestions and love to me and cody. It’s just that I love this cody so much more than anyone I know. The bond is so immense I have to brace myself and all I do is cry. I have had Cody since he was weeks old and he shows me his love so much I wish and prayed it would never come back. But it did. Thankyou all for letting me share with you as I am also sorry for everyone else who is going through their hardship too with their babies. It’s so hard. My heart really aches. When Cody sleeps he does his baby barks and I know he’s probably dreaming of me. I always whisper I love you in his ear and Cody responds by talking back and gives me little woofs then one big one. He’s just the sweetest little baby. Thanks again to you all it’s so nice to have a Maltese family that understands. Love Dee and Cody.

Dee, I am so, so sorry to hear this news! Our little guy has fought so well---he must be tired! I know what you mean about surgery as the surgeon refused to do any more surgeries on Lisi after her 2nd cancer surgery. She has been living on love for a long, long time & doing pretty well w/that. There comes a time when we just have to say "no more" and that depends on you. I refused to put Lisi down & she has beat all the odds but if the day came when I knew it was "hopeless" & she was suffering I know what I would do. I know anyone who really wants the best (& who doesn't) would do what they know in their heart to be right for their pup.. With Kitzi it is a bit less sure---but both eat well & are generally happy. Kitzi hit a crisis recently where I simply prayed & asked God to not let him suffer & to take him if he was unable to sleep. That very night he slept deeply & has done much better since then. Outside of what I call "a miracle" there is no human explanation for why he is better. The time will come when I have to make the "hard decision" but for now we are holding steady. I will pray God gives you wisdom for our little Cody. Give him a gentle kiss from his SM buddies. Much love!

Thankyou Sandi, Cody for now is barking playing bossy when hungry showing no signs at all. Although I am so frustrated at the radiologist. Back in Nov I did an ultrasound and it came back irregular. I pressed my vet to ask the radiologist if that’s cancer regrowth and was told cancer doesn’t look like that.. well she was wrong. My gut feeling then was right it was the cancer creeping silently back. I even asked my vet in March to get an ultrasound and she said no not needed Cody had no regrowth. Well…. Now this ultrasound showed 7centimeter tumor… and 2 more small ones. I put him back on Palladia . I feel if I did a sooner ultrasound at least the tumor won’t be that big.. I feel so bad and sad.. now I worry anyday that this tumor can rupture. And when or if that happens I won’t know because it happens so quick based on my reading and talking with doctors. It’s just sad. I just don’t trust anyone anymore… for this fact alone.. I am so sorry for Cody as I totally let him down. You know me so diligent with him on everything I do! I just wish I had it sooner. Please say prayers for my little guy he is the sweetest little boy ever. Ok Sandi going to go now I am hysterical crying. Thanks for all your love and support it means so much to both of us. Kisses to your babies too.

Thankyou for all your kind words. It’s just so hard. I know I always say it but I love him so much and so deep.. I have made phone calls to holistic vet trying to do what I can in All of me. I am currently waiting for an email from him for his recommendations i know he going to prescribe statis breaker - suppose to destroy the tumors naturally. Not sure what else he’s giving me. Heard that from the vet’s technician. The doctor said whatever he prescribes should not interfere with the Palladia pill. Cody’s birthday is July 16th he will be 16. Cody is so strong when he is up he’s very persistent barks plays follows me looks for kitty food all his little strides. I never ever would have imagined the cancer came back. It’s so silent and scary. Thanks so much everyone gave him all your hugs from you and more. Cody’s all wet… from my tears . Love you all for being here and Cody in our sad times.

Hi Everyone, this holistic veterinarian was very nice. He’s in Tennessee . He prescribed lots of stuff for Cody which I bought it All of course. Things for his immunity and blood flow and treats for vitamins and food for blood. Other drops too and that statis breaker for the tumor and nodules with other holistic powders. I will give everything slowly so I don’t upset his tummy. Please say lots of prayers it’s so awful when you don’t know when his last day from this horrible disease. He’s spunky playing earlier but thirsty too. I spoke to two other doctors and they all won’t do surgery they say he’s too old. My heart is bleeding , and I just don’t know what I will do without him. Cody really is my baby. We are so attached to eachother it’s beyond how much how I can say I love him. Ok bye for now. Thanks to all your love and prayers Dee and Cody

Hi I am sorry I haven’t written it’s been so hard. I have just started the holistic meds two days ago. Status breaker, whole body supplement concentrated max and b vitamins treats. He’s had no effects from that. But before I started the holistic meds Cody’s having for the past few days his liver is failing not to do his job for keeping his glucose stable. Yesterday it fell to 36., this morning I woke in a panic as I tested him and the glucose machine indicated low with no number which freaked me out. I gave honey and that helped enormously and fed him and in the after his sugar level was 110. Poor guy getting pricked to test his sugar I feel awful but he’s so good. Too good. I love him so much it hurts. Really hurts.. I usually know when his sugar drops he shivers but he didn’t do that this morning and I thought things were ok. Wrong.. never assume.. I been off his low-fat food and now giving him wd food my vet said it’s good for him to try to stable the sugar since it has carbs and it won’t harm his liver. I did a search if giving Palladia is okay even though his liver is not working right from this tumor. And it said it was okay and beneficial. I worry about everything I give him. The holistic meds believe it or not I read a study and everything I am doing is right it listed all the stuff he should be getting and he’s getting it all I just added fish oil too to his regimen. I worry that I will wake up one day and he will be gone . My vet said I will be having a lot of ups and downs to say the least. His gums turned white this morning and as soon after the honey and eating he was himself again and wondering around. Please say lots of prayers for him . I am trying my best to not miss his drop in sugar and going to wake up in the middle of the night and feed him - it’s the night when I can’t catch it. Noticed like 3 or 4 hours he needs to get fed. Thankyou for thinking of me. I also think the holistic stuff does help they do say you need certain things while fighting cancer. My little Cody my love of my life. Thank you again and I will try to write sooner but my brain has been on overload. Please forgive me. Love Dee and Cody