Update on Lucky....
Okay...Lucky is a fighter and there is no way we are going to let him try and fight this on his own...he needs our help. So this morning my husband and I both took him back to the vet. I wrapped him in a soft blanket and carried him while my husband drove. The vet said she was afraid of this. She knew how bad he was yesterday. I expressed my worries that his kidneys have shut down because he hasn't urinated in a very long time. She advised that we do some blood work to see exactly what is going on in his body and if his kidneys are still functioning.
The blood tests showed that his kidneys and liver are still functioning which is good. But the tests also showed elevated levels of protein and immunity stuff and yet the white blood count is still at a normal level. If it was an infection, then the white blood count would be elevated. It wasn't. But the high levels of protein and the immunity stuff indicates to her that it is probably a cancer that the body is trying to fight. Which brings us back to his enlarged lymph nodes that we suspected two months ago, but the lab tests showed negative to cancer. I questioned her about his lymph nodes. She said that his back leg lymph nodes are very enlarged again and she discovered his nodes in his neck are enlarged.
When they tested his lymph nodes 2 months ago, the inserted a needle into the node and withdrew some cells to send it to a lab and have tested. This is the less expensive and easier way to do it, but unfortunately it is not a real reliable way. Sometimes only 'normal cells' get withdrawn and sent in, and the cancer cells don't get withdrawn with the needle. The only sure way to test is to surgically remove the lymph node and send it in for testing, and that is way too expensive to do.
The vet feels he has lymphoma at this point. According to what I read 2 months ago, if lymphoma goes untreated the dog will die within 2 months. If it really was cancer two months ago and we haven't done treatment, then it makes sense that he is going downhill now 2 months later.
Right now we are doing what may be a temporary fix. She put another 'water pack' under his skin to keep him hydrated. She gave him another dose of antibiotic, PLUS she gave him a shot of a type of cortozone. She said that the cortozone will make him feel a lot better for a few days. Maybe only through the weekend. I will start his meds tomorrow, and if he is still better by Tuesday then we can start him on "Prednizone (sp?)", which is a treatment for lymphoma. I don't know how expensive that is. Some dogs will do good on it and can get the cancer to go into remission for a little while. Sometimes it doesn't work.
Right now he seems a little better. I got him to eat a little bland food and a little water. He is very unsteady on his feet and just wants to lay down. Earlier, he was breathing very labored and his heart was pounding and he was panting. I think that may have been from the shots. He is more calmed down now.
So all we can do is watch him and hope he gets better. We are still hoping that maybe it still ISN'T lymphoma and that it is an infection that will heal. But we already did the antibiotic thing 2 months ago....and the white blood count doesn't indicate a normal infection.
We are hoping for a miracle....
The blood tests showed that his kidneys and liver are still functioning which is good. But the tests also showed elevated levels of protein and immunity stuff and yet the white blood count is still at a normal level. If it was an infection, then the white blood count would be elevated. It wasn't. But the high levels of protein and the immunity stuff indicates to her that it is probably a cancer that the body is trying to fight. Which brings us back to his enlarged lymph nodes that we suspected two months ago, but the lab tests showed negative to cancer. I questioned her about his lymph nodes. She said that his back leg lymph nodes are very enlarged again and she discovered his nodes in his neck are enlarged.
When they tested his lymph nodes 2 months ago, the inserted a needle into the node and withdrew some cells to send it to a lab and have tested. This is the less expensive and easier way to do it, but unfortunately it is not a real reliable way. Sometimes only 'normal cells' get withdrawn and sent in, and the cancer cells don't get withdrawn with the needle. The only sure way to test is to surgically remove the lymph node and send it in for testing, and that is way too expensive to do.
The vet feels he has lymphoma at this point. According to what I read 2 months ago, if lymphoma goes untreated the dog will die within 2 months. If it really was cancer two months ago and we haven't done treatment, then it makes sense that he is going downhill now 2 months later.
Right now we are doing what may be a temporary fix. She put another 'water pack' under his skin to keep him hydrated. She gave him another dose of antibiotic, PLUS she gave him a shot of a type of cortozone. She said that the cortozone will make him feel a lot better for a few days. Maybe only through the weekend. I will start his meds tomorrow, and if he is still better by Tuesday then we can start him on "Prednizone (sp?)", which is a treatment for lymphoma. I don't know how expensive that is. Some dogs will do good on it and can get the cancer to go into remission for a little while. Sometimes it doesn't work.
Right now he seems a little better. I got him to eat a little bland food and a little water. He is very unsteady on his feet and just wants to lay down. Earlier, he was breathing very labored and his heart was pounding and he was panting. I think that may have been from the shots. He is more calmed down now.
So all we can do is watch him and hope he gets better. We are still hoping that maybe it still ISN'T lymphoma and that it is an infection that will heal. But we already did the antibiotic thing 2 months ago....and the white blood count doesn't indicate a normal infection.
We are hoping for a miracle....
posted by Diane @ 5:48 PM
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