archbarb
Member
This has been the hardest note and the saddest weekend I believe I've ever had. We found out Friday that our 5 year old American Staffordshire Terrier "Snowman" has a canine splenic mass. Xrays showed the liver and spleen were about twice there normal size.
For the past year or so he weighed approx 92-95 lbs. and we've noticed he had been losing weight. We took him to the vet three weeks ago and he weighed 79 lbs. The vet gave a visual exam and checked for usual signs around the stomach and intestant area for any lumps and checked his heart beat and found nothing unusual, except that his gums were not a good pink color. Take him back home and watch him, and if you notice any changes bring him back and do a full workup.
We brought him back home and for the past few weeks he struggled to do anything. He has always slept on the foot of our bed but he didn't have the energy to do that any longer. His appetite has seemed normal but he continued to lose weight. We went back to the vet Friday, April 27th, three weeks from the first visit to have a full workup. His weight had dropped again from 79 lbs. to 69 lbs. From there the exam went down hill. We had xrays, blood work, which were all out or range and ultra sounds which exposed his liver and spleen swelling. In other words his liver and spleen were robbing his body of energy. I asked the vet if he's in pain, and he said no just very very tired.
We can go to Jacksonville, FL. and have a biospy, surgery, transfusions and possibly Chemo and hope for the best. The outcome of that procedure is a 50/50 chance. The vet told us the steps, biosopy to see if its cancerous, surgery to remove the spleen, and transfusions to replace the blood he's lost from the ruptured spleen and lastly he could bleed to death on the operating table.
We decided to take him back to the comfort of his home, which we have tried to make this weekend his best. We have discussed everything with our children and we really don't want to have him go through all of the above procedures and pain, and still not be sure of the outcome.
We as a family have decided to have him put to sleep Monday, cremate him and bring his ashes home with us. Its been very sad this weekend to just watch him lay there, laboring to breathe, where before he was the most active dog we've ever had!!!!!
I do hope we have made the right choice, will we ever know? Barb and I have shed many tears this weekend. I pray that when tomorrow come's I as a man have made the right choice to put my best friend to rest!!!!!
Archie
For the past year or so he weighed approx 92-95 lbs. and we've noticed he had been losing weight. We took him to the vet three weeks ago and he weighed 79 lbs. The vet gave a visual exam and checked for usual signs around the stomach and intestant area for any lumps and checked his heart beat and found nothing unusual, except that his gums were not a good pink color. Take him back home and watch him, and if you notice any changes bring him back and do a full workup.
We brought him back home and for the past few weeks he struggled to do anything. He has always slept on the foot of our bed but he didn't have the energy to do that any longer. His appetite has seemed normal but he continued to lose weight. We went back to the vet Friday, April 27th, three weeks from the first visit to have a full workup. His weight had dropped again from 79 lbs. to 69 lbs. From there the exam went down hill. We had xrays, blood work, which were all out or range and ultra sounds which exposed his liver and spleen swelling. In other words his liver and spleen were robbing his body of energy. I asked the vet if he's in pain, and he said no just very very tired.
We can go to Jacksonville, FL. and have a biospy, surgery, transfusions and possibly Chemo and hope for the best. The outcome of that procedure is a 50/50 chance. The vet told us the steps, biosopy to see if its cancerous, surgery to remove the spleen, and transfusions to replace the blood he's lost from the ruptured spleen and lastly he could bleed to death on the operating table.
We decided to take him back to the comfort of his home, which we have tried to make this weekend his best. We have discussed everything with our children and we really don't want to have him go through all of the above procedures and pain, and still not be sure of the outcome.
We as a family have decided to have him put to sleep Monday, cremate him and bring his ashes home with us. Its been very sad this weekend to just watch him lay there, laboring to breathe, where before he was the most active dog we've ever had!!!!!
I do hope we have made the right choice, will we ever know? Barb and I have shed many tears this weekend. I pray that when tomorrow come's I as a man have made the right choice to put my best friend to rest!!!!!
Archie