Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - newly diagnosed

Hi there. First timer. My dog (10 yr old female Border collie X) became seriously ill late Sunday night, to the vet first thing Monday morning, blood tests done at vet clinic revealed probable AIHA. Blood sent to lab, results today - negative on the Cooms test. My normal vet is away, so the fill in called and told me, rather harshly to enjoy her now. Even by the time we arrived at the vet Monday morning, she had vastly improved. I almost felt silly like I was making too big a deal about something. That morning she was given a complete physical and my reg vet didn't feel, hear, etc anything to make him worry. The only thing was her pale gums, they were PALE. Her blood tests ONLY revealed low RBC and platelets, and high WBC. Her organ functions all came back normal. Since then she seems rather back to her normal self, her gums are getting pinker everyday. I do not completely understand what a negative result on the Coombs test means. She is taking 16, 5mg tablets of prednisone a day; is that considered a high dose? The fill in vet is a rather negative man, and I went from finally feeling better today, to a crash and burn an hour ago. I just want to hear some positive words. I just can't see that she has this massive tumor somewhere, she's a slight girl, 40 lbs soaking wet. Nothing the vet did during the exam made her wince. I know it is early, and there really could be something bigger causing this, which is the last and now ONLY thing I can think about. But some dogs just get AIHA, it doesn't have to mean some bigger, scarier, life changing issue is at hand, not very single time, does it? I got her when I was 21, she has been through more than I could care to remember with me, she's my girl, my never have another like her. She has never had a health problem (I know she is 10), she is still so active; no one believes me when I tell them how old she is. I just can't see that something so major has been potentially going on with her, without me noticing. She is so sensitive. I guess I just really want to talk to someone who is/has experienced this. Of course the vets are textbook, and I suppose being Mr. worst case just means that anything less will be good news. I am just going a little crazy right now. Cheers, Jessi

jessi Southern interior

Jessi, I am so sorry to hear about your girl. And I am especially sorry to hear about the difficulty you have had with your vet. Is there any chance you can make an appointment with a vet specialist near you? I would be very hesitant to have a revisit with this vet you are using now if you can make other arrangements. The Coombs test is an imperfect test, it does not always accurately reflect the situation. Don't worry about this too much. You refer to tumors, but don't mention how you know this. Did this vet say something about tumors as a cause? Did he say why he felt this was the case or was he just guessing? There are a number of things that can cause this kind of sudden anemia that are not related to AIHA or the immune system malfunctioning. It is very important to quickly look at these other cause to rule them out. And of course the best person to do this is a vet that has recent and expansive experience with this kind of clinical diagnostics. Some vets may not have much experience with this condition and can feel that it is very serious and not very treatable. Those of us here on this list know better than to believe that. Please stay here with us for help and support. There is great hope. my best patrice

Patrice NYS

My regular vet, "Dr. Good", who is not the man I referred to in the previous email ("Dr. Worst Case", gave her a more thorough physical exam than she has ever had. Nothing was tender, nothing felt odd, nothing sounded funny, and her organ functions all came back normal, normal, normal. Dr.v Worst Case kept saying things like, the blood has to be going somewhere, like to a tumor. He has really scared me. We are persuing the next steps which will be ultrasound. Nothing is confirmed at this point other than AIHA. I feel that Dr. worst case does not know what he is talking about. When I was leaving the clinic on Monday with her, Dr. worst case was out front and he said to me, "don't think that she will take her last pills on Monday, and you won't come back until the following Thursday to get more. She won't make it if you do that." Well, of course not you ass, this is my girl! I'll be in on Friday, jackass. Dr. good, knows I get this, I am an intelligent person. He gave me props for seeing the signs and getting her in ASAP. But she is just such a little girl, there is no way she has some massive tumor inside her, there's no room. And all her organ functions came back normal. I would assume some of them wouldn't be doing so well. Dr. good even felt her spleen to see if it was enlarged, nothing to report. As muchg as I want to think she is going to be fine, I am trying to prepare for things not going well. I don't understand why she improved so much between the initial signs, and arrival at the vet first thing Monday, on her own, without any drugs. By yesterday (day 2) she was her normal self, just about, and her gums are pink again today (day 3). I have read other threads and I read about gums being pale for days/weeks and the pred taking 7 days to work. That hasn't been the case with her, the change was almost instant. I don't think, as Dr worst case implies, that if she stopped the pred right this second, she would drop. I know the pred is not a fix all, it seems it is more of a stall tactic during the initial what the F is going with my dog. Dr good tells me very serious, Dr worst case tells me enjoy these next few days with her. I am just absolutely reeling right now!

jessi BC

Jessi, It is hard to know what is going on with your girl. The fact that she recovered so quick makes me think it is not AIHA. Maybe some poison? Onions? But then who knows. One thing I can tell for sure is that I don't think you are very comfortable with either of the two vets. In my opinion there has to be at least a feeling of trust and respect on both sides. I think you should find an other vet. There is a specialist clinic in Burnaby that apparently is very good. Unfortunately it is also extremely expensive. I decided not to go that route, because it would have also involved a long stressful trip for me and my dog. (We are on Northern Vancouver Island) I found an excellent local clinic with 3 vets that went the extra mile. They had treated AIHA but obviously not very often because it is not very common. They consulted (on their own time) with specialists and Dr. Dodds in California. When do you have your next appointment? Is your girl taking the medication and how much? I sure hope you will have some answers soon, Best wishes, Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

Jesse, I am sorry that you are in the position you are in. I lost my Macy about a month and a half ago to this disease. There are those on this site that know the science of this disease inside and out. I can more provide a more emotional standpoint (although I learned more about the science of this disease in a month that I should have ever had to). Without sounding like "mr. worst case", this is a very, very serious disease. Many dogs make it and many dogs do not. The dogs who make it usually do so because of great care and some luck and many who don't make it were otherwise completely healthy (my Macy was 4). My best advice is to educate yourself, contact an expert: Dr. Dodds at hemopet.org is one, and try not to let the different vets give you false hope or influence negative thoughts. Your girl needs you right now. She needs you to be her voice. Pay attention to her signs but most of all, read, read, read. Read many of the archives on this site. I will keep you in my prayers tonight. -Darren

Darren Long Beach

well, i definitely have a quickly growing list of questions for my vet. i do have complete faith in my regular vet, but my number one question is have you dealt with this disorder before. unfortunately in his absence i am stuck with what seems like a less compassionate fill in. i am really nervous to have him deal with her at all. toqua is currently on 80mg of pred a day, today will be day 4. i am definitely going to be contatcing dr dodds for info. my gut is telling me, based on the research i have done, and the info i have received here, that something else is going on with her. onions, garlic, poison. the first three questions i was asked. no chance. i am very aware of the list of toxic foods for dogs. i even know what every single one of my house plants could do to my animals. i did ask dr worst case if he felt she could have been poisoned, and he told me that we would be seeing bleeding out from somewhere, gums, stool, etc., if that was the case. when i told him, my boyfriend told him also, that she was responding well to the medication, he told that she is on a high dose and that is what is making her seem normal, and to enjoy her how she is now! i know this disorder is very serious. i have a cat, no need for poison. i also have a 1 yr old flat coated retriever. he is fine. if either of my dogs would get into something it would be him, not toqua. she is a very cautious dog, and my pup is fine. in the 10 yrs i have had toqua she has always been there with her wet nose, to cheer me up when i am sad, to lay with me when i am sick, to enjoy the good times which have been plenty. now it is my turn to be there for her. i am not letting her go without a fight. she is my never have another like her, she is my girl. this is the rainiest of the days; i can't think of a better reason to dip into my rainy day fund. i will be her voice, and do what ever is needed to ensure we get to the bottom of this. i know many dogs with this do not make it, despite best attempts to quill this. i also know that many dogs do live that have been diagnosed with this. it's like they say hope for the best but prepare for the worst. i am not ready to be without her. the fact that all this is happening still has my head spinning. your info and kind words are a big help to me at this time. i thank you all. i'll keep you posted. cheers

jessi BC Canada

Jessi, I am so very sorry to hear of your Toqua illness. It sounds like you could use a second opinon from a veterinary internal medicine specialist who is very knowledgable about AIHA/IMHA. If you have not read my Web site on Canine AIHA/IMHA, you might want to do so when you can. The URL is: http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/ Be sure to follow the links on the first page to many other sites on AIHA/IMHA that will be very helpful to you and do read the SUCCESS STORIES pages, they wil show you what has worked for other dogs in terms of treatment options as well as give you a lot of hope. Be assured you and your most beloved Toqua are in my thoughts and prayers during these most very diffcult days.

Joanne MN

Joanne, Thank you so much. The more I read and the more I talk to people, the more this just isn't adding up for me. I have just contacted Dr. Dodd's at the suggestion of others, and am awaiting a response. I will surely check out your website, thanks again.

Jessi BC

Jessi, I sorry to hear of Toquas diagnosis, you are in good hands with Dr Dodds. You didn't say what her original pvc was and what it is now. My Wylie girl was diagnosed at 10 almost 2 years ago. She responded very quickly to treatment both times, She had a relapse last year. Take care Laurie

Laurie CA

Well, we just had this happen on Monday. Her RBC was 21.9, and her platelets were 137 I beleive (written down at home), which I understand is low, but dogs have had much lower counts and made it through. My vet is away until Monday, we have an appt booked then to see him. I do not trust her in the care of "Dr. Worst Case". Isn't that awful to say about a vet? He just sends out a bad vibe. Did you know that every single time I have been in his clinic, he has been putting a dog down?! Whereas my vet will go 10 extra miles to satisfy the silliest concerns I have ever had with any of my animals. I am going with a lot of info on Monday, and I know he will do what it takes to get to the bottom of this. So, we won't get another blood test until Monday. I know all of you are saying don't wait that long, but I just got a response from Dr. Dodds: Dear Jess: So sorry about the saga you’re having with Toqua. It doesn’t sound typical of AIHA either. Had she been vaccinated or received any kind of therapy or new preventive for heartworm, fleas and ticks within the past 30 days ? I think that her rapid response to the steroids meant that it has helped her with a potential back problem from a degenerative disc or slipped disk [intervertebral disc disease], which Dr. Stover could confirm with x-rays when you see him next. She also could have a small tumor on her spleen or a partial splenic torsion to explain the pale gums. Best wishes, Jean

Jessi BC

Jessie, so sorry to hear what you have to deal with....both with your dog Toqua and with the Dr. Worse Case! I know how you feel. I left my original vet for the same reasons and if I would have stayed with them Tessy wouldn't be here with me right now! You just increased your chances of success by adding Dr. Dodds to the cause! You could always have them send blood down to them (Hemopet) for Dr. Dodds to analyze. There's quite a few of us on here who do this and in my own opinion it was some of the best money I've spent!!! Hasn't the vet at least looked at the blood under a microscope? You'd think they'd be looking for several things right away. Like the presence of spherocytes and the amount of reticulocytes circulating. You'd also think they'd want to do ultrasounds and xrays sooner rather than later. Again, it's important to have someone who's actually good at doing ultrasounds to do these. An inexperienced doctor could very easily miss something important. I hope you find the answers you need. I'm happy she's responding so quick also! My thoughts and prayers are with you both. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

I am definitely going to be telling my vet, Dr. Good, about Dr. Dodds and Hemopet. It honestly would not surprise me to find out that he has been doing research while he is away; he may have found them also. What kind of cost would I be looking at to get some blood sent down there? My vet did go over her initial blood test that he did himself before it was sent to the lab. I am pretty sleep deprived at this point, and can't remember the details. I know he did mention smearing blood on a lside and looking at it. Just cannot recall what he said about it. All I know is that while I did understand the severity of AIHA, he didn't give me any reason to fear losing her in the next few days. Dr. Worst Case has been doing that!! Believe me I will be making sure that Dr. Good is competent; he hasn't given me any reason to doubt him yet. And, I will be looking for a referral to another clinic if he feels this is too much for him.

Jessi

Jessi, here's a link to the prices for Dr. Dodds testing. I usually get the profile 7200 because it includes everything you'll need! It cost $105 US. Get this one if you can. I'm on the East side of Canada (Nova SCotia) and it usually costs just over $200 to send it down....that includes my vet costs also. Not overly sure how much it will cost you in BC but if Brigitte sees this she'll be able to tell you a more accurate price cause she has sent blood down several times. Another thing you should do is ask for and INSIST on getting copies of ALL blood work done. Sometimes they aren't exactly thrilled to do this but with persistence they usually cave in. Pretty well all of us here get copies of all the tests done. It helps to research and answer questions more easily.

Johnny

Jessi, we only sent Kahlu's blood once. It was for a Thyroid5 and full CBC/Cem panel. With blood collection and courier it came to $226.00 Canadian. The financial part was all done by the local vet. So you have to make sure they know that you are informed about the cost or they can charge you what ever they want. I lucked out in that department. I just went over all the old bills and saw again, that they did not charge me for repeat visits and for all the lab tests that were done in Vancouver they took of 50% as a repeat test. They still made money on me, without gouging me. So check the hemopet website for prices. It really is not that much and like Johnny said well worth it. The courier was about $20. Unfortunately it took about a week to get there (before Christmas?) Once it got there I had Dr. Dodds report in about 12 hours. If you do the Thyroid test as well, don't be alarmed, they need a lot of blood and might take it from the jugular vein. If Toqua really has AIHA, which is not sure, right? Dr. Dodds is still a good resource. My vet loved to talk to her, because she learned so much. Knowledge that might benefit an other dog one day. Try to look after yourself too Jessi! If you are run down and exhausted, you are not able to help Toqua. Try and relax, have a break, do something for yourself. Try and stay positive. Visualize Toqua a healthy happy dog. Give her gentle massages and tell her that you do everything in YOUR power, and she has to do her part and get healthy. Best wishes, thinking of you, Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

Jessi, thanks for sharing Dr Dodds response. Because of Toquas age you should have an ultrasound done, Dr Dodds mentions possible small splenic tumor. This is what Wylie had, non-cancerous but my vet said it could have been bleeding out,so we had her spleen removed, but she also had a tick disease, and I don't remember if we had given heartworm, etc around her first diagnosis, she had a relapse a week after givning heartgard Plus. Laurie

Laurie CA

Toqua is maintaining her current health. Still scares me to go to sleep at night. I tell her constantly that she is a good dog, good girl and I love her, just incase. Dr. Dodds defnitely helped settle me down. I was able to eat yesterday, and had a good night of much needed sleep. I know what needs to be done; I have pages of questions and comments to go over with my vet. I am just worried to have her put under for tests because of what is going on with her right now. Definitely more blood work on Monday, then talk about xrays, and ultrasound to check out her discs and spleen. I had a feeling that this could be the calm before the storm. She knows I am helping her. Trying to give her pills, no matter how small, has always been a terrible time; now having to give her 16 at a time I was quite worried. That dog will hold a pill in her mouth for 10 minutes, and then spit it out when you aren't looking. But she has been taking the pills, no problems. It's like she knows she needs to take them. Toqua got vaccinated in July, and wormed, etc. At that time my vet actually told me that because of her age, she only needs to be vaccinated every three years, now.

Jessi BC

What tests are you planning to do that will require putting her under? I definetely WOULD NOT recommend this. Too many risks and concerns associated it it!

Johnny

For the xrays and ultrasound. My vet had told me at the last appt that she would need to sedate her to have xrays done - keep her still. But, that was before we knew/had any ideas she was as sick as she is. I think that because of what she is going through it WOULD be a huge mistake to put her under. In fact, I won't allow it. She's usually pretty good with the vet, she stays very still for him. And, if I am there with her I can hold her, too.

Jessi BC

Jessi, I don't think there is a reason to sedate Toqua for an Xray. We had a few done and the vet never even considered it. Stay with her and stand your ground! Good luck and best wishes, Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

Hi Jessi I have a border collie as well, great dogs! Its hard for me to read this forum these days having lost Riley only a few weeks ago (maltese shihtzu), but I want to wish you all the best with Toqua, you are in the right place, these guys are fantastic. Keep lots of records, so you can stay on top of things and see where the improvements are. Below 50 is the "danger" number for platelet levels. Riley had the works i.e. Evans Syndrome i.e. thrombocytopenia and anaemia. Best wishes to you both. Silka

Silka Melbourne Australia

I not willing to have her put under, not now. I am just really worried that whatever we find out is happening with her is going to require so type of surgery, and having to put her out scares me to death. It is really hard having a very active dog, and watching them go through this. Today has started to get a bit rough, for me. The fact that this is happening, and that it hit so fast, is still so surreal. It's taking everything I have to stay positive. Seems like every one walking dogs today is walking a well aged old dog. I was so looking forward to enjoying Toqua for many more years, and I am so scared that I will not get to. That Toqua last Saturday is the last time I will ever see her like her real self. No matter what we find out is wrong with her I know it is something serious, and I don't know if she will be strong enough.

Jessi BC

Jessi, Please don't drive yourself crazy. Take a deep breath! I know this is easier said then done, but believe me I have been there. When I said that I would not put Toqua under anesthetics, I meant for the reason of an x-ray. If there is an other reason they would have to do that, lets say an unavoidable operation, like in the case of Wylie, that is an other story. They have amazing anesthetics these days and an older dog can easily deal with that. But wait and cross that bridge when you get there. Realistically, you still don't know what is wrong with Toqua. So first this has to be established. You say that she is on a lot of pills. Would you mind letting us know what they are and the dosage? Maybe we can figure out something from that. There is really nothing you can do over the weekend without a definite diagnosis, so try and relax for Toqua's sake. She will pick up on your worries and that is not good for her no matter what is wrong with her. Take it one day at a time. Thinking of you and Toqua, best wishes, Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

She picks up my worries before I realize I'm doing it most of the time. Took her for a short little stroll. Seems to have more energy today, I can see a little more of her spunk. 80mg of pred, once a day. The vet (not my regular vet) implied that without them she wouldn't be standing, so I assume this to be high. Her thirst has increased, but her appetite and energy level have stayed normal. So, maybe it isn't that high.

Jessi BC

Jessi, 80 mg is certainly a high dose of prednisone. Make sure she gets it with food and hopefully you were also given a stomach protectant (sucralfate). The increased thirst is a side effect of the pred. Ferocious appetite is one as well. Go to Joanne's website and check for the prednisone side effects: http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/treatment.htm Don't push the exercise at this point. It is probably a good thing for Toqua to rest. You try and get some rest too! Best wishes, Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

I think it's almost as important to take care of yourself as an owner as it is to care for the dog. We gotta remember that dogs are extremely intelligent and can pick up on the tiniest of things and moods. If they pick up on you being worried or stressed then that could affect them negatively. What can you do about that? Sit back and relax, breath and let us do some of the worrying for you. Extra snuggling always helped for me!!! LOL When you get the time tell us EVERYTHING you can. Pred dose/weight/time of day the meds are given. ETC. Literally tell us the whole story....everything....even the smaller details.....if you want. Like I was saying, most of us here are usually thrilled to be able to help so by all means don't hold back on the questions either. Thoughts and prayers for Toquas. Johnny & Tessy ps...consider switching the pred to twice daily.

Johnny

Jessi: I just wanted to give you some encouragement and let you know that old dogs can and do pull through. Our GSD/Cocker Spaniel mix Sheba was diagnosed in April 2008 at the age of 11. Today she is meds free and doing well. She's definitely slowed down some but that is mostly due to age (13 now) and rear leg issues. Her PCV is good (45ish) and she is due for her quarterly blood work next week. At her worst her PCV was 17 and she required a blood transfusion. You wouldn't know it now by looking at her that she has this disease and it's in remission. So hang in there and feel free to come pick our brains, vent, ask for advice and/or our support. We will keep you and Toqua in our thoughts and prayers. Rita, Mike and Sheba

Rita IA

Pred, 80mg. The vet told me all at once, not throughout the day. I give it to her in the mornings. She is taking them fine. She is not deteriorating. She can jump up on the bed; something I usually frown upon, but under the circumstances she's been allowed to lie up there if she wants. Her back end seems stiff, she's ok, but she isn't "ok", you know? Drinking a lot, and the panting started last night. Food intake hasn't increased that much, yet, but I did catch her trying to get into the milk bones last night! Despite having a full bowl of food! Monster! :) Big pees constantly, and pooping ok. No accidents in the house, not constipated, but seems like there is a little trouble there. But stools are fine, and normal size for her. Could be because I was sticking the pills in small cubes of cheese, so switched to hiding them in meat today. Gums are pinkish, not quite as pink as my pups. Checking them all the time. Seeing a bit of the sparkle back in her eyes. She cleaned the puppy last night; she hasn't done that since she got sick. She loves to lick his ears!! So, guess the pred is doing what it does. So, when I go to the vet on Monday. Dropping her off at noon for blood tests, and then have an appt @ 4:30 to chat. Here is what I am going in with: I want xrays, and ultrasound without sedation. I want sucralfate, or something similar for her stomach while taking these pills. Taking the emails from Dr. Dodds with me, and the request to send blood down to her - got the form. Also, going in with a lot of info from you all. Anything major I am missing? What is PVC? Is that the same as her red blood cell count? Lets hope they haven't gotten lower. I just want it to be Monday already, this waiting is killing me.

jessi BC

PCV is the packed cell volume. This is spun on a machine and is the most accurate way to tell the percent of red blood circulating. An HCT (hematocrit) is what you get as part of the CBC (complete blood count) and also includes RBC (red blood count), plt (platelets), HGB (hemoglobin), WBC (white blood cells) etc. Do a search on "complete blood count for dogs" and you'll get all kinds of hits and explanations. If you want to go the extra step to help Toqua you could start her on Milk Thistle. This is a herb that will help to protect the liver. Very important while on these drugs...especially prednisone. Pred is absorbed by the liver where it's transformed into prednisolone. Just a thought for you. Also you could ask them to use prilocek (omeprazole) instead of sucralfate. More people like this instead of the sucralfate because of how it works. Have they done a chem profile yet? Could ask for one of them also if they haven't. Continued thoughts and prayers. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

The dog food I feed her has milk thistle in it. My dogs are both on Arcana hypoallergetic; Finley has a sensitive stomach, so I switched them both. Only food Toqua has readily eaten dry, usually I would have to mix in a little scoop of wet food, or yogurt, not with this. I also have Fin on yogurt, plain, skim milk, probiotic, for his gas. Peel the paint off the walls at his worst. The gas is a flat coat thing. But the food and yogurt has made a huge change for him. Should I make a point of giving some yogurt to Toqua? Since this all started I have stopped giving it to her. Vet did not tell me stop. Health food store to pick up the milk thistle? How much does she get? I'll add chem profile to the list. What will it tell me?

jessi BC

Jessi, check out this page which gives you info about a CBC http://tinyurl.com/yddnxe3

Joanne MN

This page will explain a chem profile http://tinyurl.com/d2jpsv

Joanne MN

well, we are off to vet tomorrow, got my trusty file ready to go. Thank you so much to everyone who provided me with much needed info, and kind words. Toqua had a really good day today, she seems to be keeping her strength up. Just we hope we will find some definite answers tomorrow. I'll let you all know. cheers

jessi BC

Good luck, I will be crossing my fingers (and toes!)

Brigitte BC Canada

Hey Jessi! Good luck to you and Toqua at the vet! It is wonderful that you have a list of questions and concerns. It really helps because it is incredibly hard to remember everything you want to ask. I just wanted to add...you may want to ask the vet for 20mg pills. That way you will only have to give 4 pills instead of the 16 you are giving now. Perhaps your vet only had the 5mg pills but they do come in 20mg strength. I would still hang onto the 5mg ones though for when Toqua's pred is able to be reduced. I would also ask if it would be ok to break up the dose, say 40mg in the morning and 40 in the evening. From my personal experience, plus the experience of many others on this forum, it makes a big difference....seems to be easier on the system. Some of the side effects that you will see, if you havent already, are panting, extreme hunger, lots of peeing, drinking lots of water, muscle loss, etc. These side effects can be quite disturbing but it is necessary to get this disease under control. And rest assured, these side effects will go away when the pred is able to be slowly reduced. Please keep us posted. You and Toqua can do this!! Its a long hard road but certainly one that can be beat. Please take care of yourself. These disease can be very hard on us humans both emotionally and physically. I was so sleep deprived....couldnt eat, etc. I was simply drained. Know you have a tremendous support system here. This forum helped me keep my sanity. The great people here also gave me strength to keep on fighting for my boy, even when the vets did not think it was a battle that we could win. We ended up with a terrific internal med doctor that saw the fight and will to live in my boy and did everything in her power to help him. My Jacob lived for 6 yrs with this disease. He passed at 13 and was still in complete remission of the AIHA. Other than the inital crisis, Jacob lived a terrific life and no could believe he had such a life threatening disease. Best wishes to you and Toqua!

Teresa va

Tersea, Thank you for the additional thoughts, I have jotted them down. I am all to happy to have the tiny 5mg pills because Toqua is an awful pill taker. She will hold the tiniest of pills in her mouth for 10 minutes, or longer, and then as soon as you turn your back spit it out. SO, despite the fact that she has to take 16 of these, she has been taking them very well. Any larger and I don't think this would be the case. But, a good thought, thanks. It is her 10th Bday today!! So, a milestone has been reached. Woke up to a dusitng of snow, her favourite. She was so excited to see it. :) Perfect. Toqua has always been a fighter, and she continues to do well. I am not going to give up without a fight, and she won't either. I know my vet will do whatever he can to save her. Whatever I tell him I do or don't want done!! I have absolute faith in him. Again thank you all!

Jessi BC

Happy 10th Toqua, May your Mom's birthday wishes be answered. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek calif

Well, back from part 1 of 2 appt's today. Dr. Stover quickly went over the lab results with me . He asked me if Dr. Worst case had gone over them with me, and I told him no. I told him the extent of our convo, he shook his head and apologized. Damn, Dr. Worst case for taking the extra 5 minutes to tell me what was going on with her. So, AIHA is definitely ruled out. She has something else going on, tumor or lesion were the words used. Will find out more this afternoon. Looks like referral to another clinic for xrays and ultrasound. Possibly a marrow biopsy, if those don't yield results. Told me in a whisper that rather than do xrays himself, and then another charge for the ultrasound at the referral clinic, to just do it all there and save some money. He's great that way with helping keep the costs down. So, should have more to report tonight, and hopefully a road trip to Kamloops tomorrow. As much as all these other potential causes scare me, there is a small sigh of relief on it not being AIHA. Despite that I will stay on, and continue to look for you all for support during these darkest of days. cheers to you all!

Jessi BC

So, we made it home from the vet. AIHA is not the cause of the anemia. That much has been confirmed. So, we await the ultrasound; there is a mass in her abdomen, on the right side, just below the rib cage. A small mass. But, still, a mass. The referral has been sent, hopefully they can get us in, will get us in ASAP. The vet we are going to see is an internal med vet. Unfortunately she is going to want to sedate Toqua so she can do a biopsy. That has me really worried. I asked my vet if he felt that was a good idea, because every one I have spoken with says don't sedate her. But, I guess if they need to do a biopsy then they have to. I don't want to say no to that if it will help us save her. Tomorrow we start reducing the pred. Should I be concerned that he wants to reduce it by half? She was taking 80mg a day for the past 7 days, and now he wants her down to 40mg. Is that too much too fast? She hasn't been on it that long. I'm just not sure if that may be too fast. Just took her out for a little Bday walk across the field. Went and sat on our rock down at the river. The fire fighters were having their weekly practice on the concession building, and she was really intrigued by them. Glad to see that sparkle in her eye. Just as we were crossing the road back to the house a meteor (or something bright in the sky) came shooting down into the hills behind the house. Someone is looking over us. Of course, I made a wish. :) Let you know what we find.

Jessi BC

Jessi, well, at least you know what it is not. This does not mean you are not welcome here anymore by the way! I would not be surprised if somebody would have some answers for you about the 50% reduction of the pred. I don't, sorry. For an AIHA dog this would not be a good thing, but I am suspecting for Toqua it could do more harm than good at this high dose. I am pretty sure that it is safe to sedate Toqua for the biopsy. I am also pretty sure they would not do it if it were not necessary. Of course you are concerned, but that really does not change anything. Be strong for your girl, she really needs you now. I am so glad you had a nice evening stroll with her! I am sure she enjoyed that very much. These are the things that really count for her, the moment, being with you, checking out the good looking firefighters and the stars.:) I will be thinking of you and Toqua, best wishes, Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

Jessi, Please don't be scared of anethesia. I will tell you Wylies experience so that may help. Wylie is a cattle dog/shephard mix diagnosed 2 years ago at age 10. She was mildly sedated and an ultrasound was done. A small mass was found on her spleen. My vet felt it was more dangerous doing a biopsy because of a possible bleed with the needle. He wanted to just remove her spleen because he said even if it was not cancerous, the tumor can still bleed out and be a possible cause of AIHA. So I went ahead and had her spleen removed. OMG you would have never had known she had surgery. Whatever anethesia they used she was up and moving around by mid afternoon. I picked her up the next day and you would have never known she had surgery. She had sutures 12 inches long in her belly. I had to tie her up to keep her quiet and not run around. She has been doing fantastic since. She did have a relapse, but we think it was caused by Heartgard Plus for heartworms. Take care Laurie

Laurie CA

Hi Jessi, I just wanted to add my experience with anesthesia with an older pooch. My 100lb Aussie/German Sheph mix was diagnosed with a condition called laryngeal paralysis at the age of 13 and a half. I was terrified to have him put under due to his age but with his condition we had no option. It was that or euthanasia. With LP, they cannot breathe and go can into respiratory distress with the slightest exertion, warm temps, etc. He came thru surgery with flying colors. Please dont let age be a factor. The truth is anesthesia is risky at ANY age in canines and humans alike. I will be honest, I would not of put my boy through surgery if it would not have given him better quality of life due to his age. But I researched the condition and realized they were tons of successes. So, I guess what I am trying to say is, it is clear that you love Toqua dearly and would do anything in your power to help her. Follow your heart....you know your girl better than anyone. Just because they found a mass, does not mean the only diagnosis is going to be terminal, such as cancer. Unfortunately though, it seems the only way to confirm what the mass is--is by biopsy. I truly understand what you are going through and its tough. You will make the right decision because it will be based on your love for your girl. :) Wishing you and Toqua the best. Please keep us posted as time permits. Teresa

Teresa va

Teresa and Laurie, You guys will never know how much your experiences are helping me. It is definitely comforting to hear the successes your dogs have had. I got the call from the internal med vet, and we go in at 1:40 today. They are going to do more blood work, an ultrasound and xrays. I voiced my concerns about her having to be sedated, and she understood. She has to be anesthetitized (that's a hard one!) due to the position she will have to lay in - right on her back. Hard to get an awake dog to lay like that for an extended period. So, she assured me that the drugs they use these days are great. She will be closely monitored, and the wake up shot immediately administered should something happen. They will do the blood work first, and make sure that she is doing ok, before they put her under. So, it's going to be a long afternoon, but getting some answers is what we both need. Dr. Worst case was at it again yesterday when we were at our appt. I was waiting to pay and he was sitting in the waiting room. He asked me how Toqua was doing, seemed to be sympathetic. But, don't get fooled! I told him what was going on, and he asked if her could feel Toqua's belly; he could feel something, too. Then he started, when Dr. Stover told him we were going for an ultrasound. He says, well, the ultrasound isn't going to tell you what we don't already know - there is something in there. Don't waste your money. What needs to be done is go inside her, see what it is. If we can remove it we do, if not she doesn't wake up! Dr. Stover and I are standing there kinda shell shocked. Then he starts challenging Dr. Stover's decisions!! Dr. Stover promptly told him that an ultrasound could in fact tell more than what they know. He is my vet! What Does Dr. worst case think we were discussing for the half hour we were in his office?! The drapes?! Of course he discussed options, costs, etc with me, and made the decision to send her for an ultrasound based on what I want!! And you can't tell me that in 2010 an ultrasound will confirm nothing more than, yup, there's something in there!! So, that is part of my being so frantic. I had a dream last night that a bolt of lightening came out of a clear sky and hit a pole so close to me I could feel the static on my neck! It woke me, and even awake I could feel the tingling on my neck. Well, looked it up and it means good fortune. So, between that and the meteor (a good omen) we saw last night, I think we have some people watching over us. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts. It is a real comfort. Keep your fingers (and doggy toes) crossed for us. I will update later.

Jessi BC

Jessi, Good on you for thinking positive! I think I know what kind of anesthetic they will use on Toqua. When you mentioned the wake up shot, that joggled my memory. It happened twice to one of my dogs, that they needed minor surgery on a paw and they got this type of drug injected. Right after they got the "wake up shot". It was so weird. They seemed to be out, but not completely. When everything was done and they were woken up, they were up in a very short time, shook themselves and came home within a short time. I was with them through the whole procedure. Why don't you ask if that is possible, since the ultrasound is not an invasive procedure. They might think you would be in the way, but give it a try anyway. If you need to know in more detail how this anesthetic works, don't be shy and ask. Most vets and vet technicians are happy to explain. it sounds that Toqua is in very good hands. We will be thinking of you, Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

Holy Cow, Jessie, that is just awful, I think its Karen here who has had a similar experience with her vet, just blows me away by some of the vets. I forgot to respond about the pred reduction, there is a calulation the vets use So I think the worse would be 30%. But since Toqua has only been on it a week? may be the 50% may be okay, Its usually when they are on large doses long term, with a sudden big cecrease. Please Ask Dr dodds about this. We had to wean Wylie off a fast reduction of the pred over a 2 week period before she had her spleen removed, she was only on 30 mg at 50# the vet wanted her totally off the pred for surgery so it would not cause complications Good luck Laurie

Laurie CA

Laurie, I came back on before leaving because I wanted to ask you how soon after they discovered the mass Wylie had surgery. You beat me to it. :) How long was Wylie on the pred prior to this?

Jessi BC

I've had ultrasounds done in the past and each time did not require anesthetics. They had this padded bed type thing that you layed the dog in on its back and there really was no way for them to move....just a tiny bit maybe. Hopefully this is nothing serious...maybe just a fatty deposit or abscess. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you and am sending some "nothing serious" vibes for Toqua as well. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

We are home. Toqua had blood work, xrays of chest and abdomen, and ultrasound. Blood: did a PVC, her rbc's are up to 35% from 25% last Monday. Chest xrays looked great. Now for the kick in the gut. She has an 8cm mass on her right kidney. She did not want to take a biopsy because they needed to measure her clotting. She said doing it would be unnecessary because either way they have to go in. I could seed, which I took to mean like bumping a flower covered in pollen - poof. She is doing up a quote for me for both the biopsy, and then doing surgery. The mass could be a "peel off" kind of thing, done. Or it could be harder to remove. She said there was nothing to indicate it wasn't just one mass. But the possibility of a kidney removal is there. I didn't even think they would do that. But, I guess people live with one all the time. I just wonder if this were the case if she would do ok. And, then there is the chance I could get a phone call half way through, saying it is bad, and she won't be woken up. But, the vet said she would close her up if that were the case and let me bring her home and deal with it. She is tentatively scheduled for surgery on Friday. The clinic was so busy when I went to pick her up, the Dr. was in another surgery, so they told me they would email the quote and get her to call me. They asked me how long it would take me to get home, and I told them by 5pm. It is now 6pm. I assume that means I WON'T be seeing anything or getting a phone call now. The stress of having to wait, again, is killing me. So, now I am faced with knowing that I may only have 2 days left her!! I tell you that is a million timed worse than something unexpected happening. I don't what to do. On a good note my vet called just before I was leaving and apologized for Dr. Worst case's little outburst yesterday. He said that they graduated 29 years apart and have completely different schools of thought. He knows how far I am willing to go, both financially and Toqua's well being, and will do everything he can to help. Made me feel much better, until now. Please say a prayer for us tonight.

Jessi BC

I will say a prayer for you and your pup. Try not to be too upset and scared. I know this is easier said than done. I've been there. At least you know what is going on, that is a positive thing. Be strong. Here is to a quick surgery and a speedy healthy recovery. I'll be thinking of you both.

Mardi Northern Calif

Sorry for the previous breakdown there. We had just gotten home, and things always hit me hardest at home. I have never dealt well with change. I am happy to say I have since seen the lighter side. My man, who bless his heart took the day off work to go to Kamloops with me, talked me out of the gloom. Such a sensible guy. My mom, bother and best friend did the same. Toqua is not going anywhere. Not right now. The Kamloops vet actually called me around 7pm. Still at the clinic, in the process of giving a cat a transfusion, and took a moment to call me. I'd call that dedication. :) I had a list ready for her. They don't know if the growth is touching or adhered to the kidney, they need to go in. We are optimistic that it is only touching. It could be something near, but not related to her kidney. So, it may be a simple removal. And, there is no reason to think Toqua won't do fine with only one kidney if it comes to that, although serious. Her xrays and ultrasound do not show any signs that there is any kind of spread. Her kidney function is not alarming. She also made note of the initial reason for taking her to the vet. The "neurological" issue they thought was behind her right hind leg. Interesting that this growth is near/on the RIGHT kidney. Kidneys being where they are could mean it was putting pressure on a nerve, etc. Even though this is only day one of the pred reducing (50%) I have seen a huge change (positive) in Toqua. She is becoming herself again. She has the bounce back in her step. But, she's still very upset with her bald belly - just like a puppy, ahhhh. She is so sensitive.

Jessi BC

Jessi, You must be exhausted! What a day.... I am so glad to hear you have lots of support from your family, friends and your man. That is so important in a situation like this. I am also very happy that you are in good hands with this vet in Kamloops. I am sure they do all they can and what is best for Toqua. Keep thinking positive! I am sure Toqua has a few more good years in her. This operation will go just fine for her and she will recover quickly with all of your loving care. Thinking of you, Brigitte

Brigitte BC Canada

Jessi, no need to apologize, we have all been there. Glad to here you have found a knowledgable compassioniate vet. Regarding surgery, just make sure Toqua is off all supplements if she is on any. Doign my research before Wylies I found many can cause complications. 2 of which Wylie was on vitamin E and glucosomine which can cause internal bleeding. Take a deep breath now and everything should go fine Laurie

Laurie CA

Hey Jessi, Please do not apologize for the "breakdowns". We have all been there at one point or another and that is what we are all here for. So, let it out.....especially if it makes you feel better. I am so sorry to hear of Toqua's diagnosis. Absolutely they can live with one kidney. And I have heard of that "quick" shot you are speaking of, just cannot think of the name. They have come a long way with anesthesia and procedures....quite amazing actually. My mom had a procedure done not too long ago where she was actually awake during the procedure but doesnt remember being awake or any part of the surgery. I would be afraid of what I would do or say. Lol! Just wanted to let you know, I am thinking of you and your Sweet Toqua. I will be so incredibly happy for you two when this is all behind you. I think you will be truly amazed at how fast she will bounce back. Our canines are so incredibly tough. Best wishes and prayers, Teresa

Teresa va

Jessi, Wow! you have really been caught up in a whirl wind haven't you? I do believe all the signs you are getting bode well for Toqua's recovery. I don't think the % reduction is that critical for non AIHA cases. My dog Caleb was on Pred for a bit for his allergies and they did a 50% reduction after a week of the initial dosage and tapered from there with no problems. Is Dr. Worst the older or the younger of your Vets? I am hoping older so he can take his marvelous bedside manner into retirement soon. Try not to project what might happen or how long you will have your dear Toqua. Take it just one day at a time or one hour if needed. You can lose yourself in worst case scenarios that might not happen and it will just make you exhausted and depressed possibly for no reason. Think positive and believe that soon you will be through all this. Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers. Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Jessi, so sorry to hear they found the mass on the kidney. Rant and do whatever your heart desires. Like the others were saying we've all had to let it all out at some point. I'm so happy to hear that YOU are happy and comfortable with the GOOD vet! It's got to be a relief to have a vet like this who actually cares. I'm lighting a candle for Toqua tonight. My thoughts and prayers are with you both in hopes that everything goes well for Toqua. Also sending her some get better vibes. Paws and fingers crossed. (am I missing anything?) lol Take care, Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Again, thanks guys. My vet is the younger, Dr. Worst case is older. With a 29 year difference in their years of graduation I know that is the case. Completely different schools of thought. My vet was very glad to hear that her RBC is just about back up to normal. He has been in constant contact with both me and the surgeon, and "is available to talk or answer questions anytime I need to". So, that makes me feel good. They are going to have a blood donor dog ready and waiting for Toqua, just in case, on Friday. She is so strong still. I keep telling her to be strong, and keep fighting. She isn't ready to leave us yet. Her eyes tell me that. And I am trying really hard to stay positive, to send vibes to that growth to just be sitting beside her kidney, and not growing out of it. But, they did tell me to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. I know they have to tell us that, I asked her last night if she could give me any thoughts on how she felt things were going to go, she couldn't say. I know that is because if she got my hopes up, and then Toqua doesn't do well, I would be screaming ang yelling. So far, everything has been working out, so I have no reason to think this next step won't fair well also. Still very scared about Friday. Poor Toqua is still sulking about the shaved belly. It is pretty funny, I have to admit. She just looks at me like, why did you let them do that to me? The Queen of sulk.

Jessi BC

About the shaved belly, on this board most people refer to it as their "Moon belly" maybe if you told Toqua what a special name it has she would forgive you. Ha-ha!

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

Jessi, I will be keeping Toqua in my prayers, keeping all my fingers crossed for her and I hope everything goes well. Take Care Jess, Keiko and Hushi

Jess BC

Moon belly. Thanks for the chuckle. I am surprised at how well I have been doing. No tears since we got home from Kamloops. Toqua is doing great, too. I just don't feel that this isn't going to work out for us. She is just doing too well right now. She is too strong to not pull through this. If you didn't know what was going on with her you would never know she wasn't 100% healthy. I was telling a neighbour, a dog lover to the core, about Toqua and was surprised I didn't break down, even when she did. I had to console her! So, we are enjoying every moment with her, keeping the routine the same. I was going to spend this week with her, but figured it would be worse for her if I just sat at home and fretted. Then, thinking positively, I realized that I need to save my sick days for next week when I will be at home nursing her back to health!

Jessi BC

Jessie, I still remember clearly the morning of Wylies surgery, I saw the vet and was in tears trying to convince myself it was the right thing to do and it was the longest day of my life. Make sure you monitor her incision closely and don't hesitate to take her back in if it changes colors and you see any unusual symptoms. Wylies area turned bright red a day or two later, I panicked and rushed her in thinking she had internal bleeding, It was just red bruising, but again anything that does ot look normal to you do not hesitate to get her back in. I don't know if Patrice mentioned her Chance had a 7 pound growth on his spleen that was removed and came through just fine. Sounds like Toqua is in very good health to get through this and will come out a trooper just fine. Laurie and Wylie

Laurie CA

Friday is going to be along day for me, that I know. At least I am swamped at work, and have more than enough to keep my mind occupied! When I got Toqua spayed I took her to the SPCA hospital in Vancouver. The price was drastically reduced from any other vet. What I didn't know at the time was that it is so cheap because they have student vets performing the procedures. That's fine, I have no problem with that. Well, the day after I had it done I went to Florida for 2 weeks, and left her with my folks. It must have been the first procedure for whoever spayed her. The incision/stitch job looked like a badly wrapped roast, there was way to much flesh tied up. I called my folks a few days into my trip to check on her. Well, they had taken her to the vet because the area around the incision was rock hard! She went on antibiotics and was no worse for the wear, but man. Stopped going to the SPCA hospital for anything more than vaccinations. I did talk to the vet about spleen/partial liver/kidney removal. Kidney removal is the most serious she told me. More serious than spleen removal, but still doable. But, like I said earlier we are not focusing on that, we are focusing on the growth just resting beside the kidney. I really pay attention to my "gut feeling", and right now it is not giving me a bad feeling about this. Just have to put her in the hands of the experts, and hope that those up above are watching over her tomorrow.

Jessi BC

Jessie, just want you to know that Toqua has LOTS of people pulling for her! You're an amazing person to be handling this the way you are with such positiveness and calm. I'll be saying some extra prayers for her tonight and will be thinking of her all day tomorrow. Sending some good surgery vibes for Toqua. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Hi Jessi Please know that I will be keeping Toqua in my prayers. Let us know how the surgery went. Cheryl & Ginger

Cheryl & Ginger Pinevile Pa

Starting to get a little nervous. Not upset, just nervous - it's the night before. I'll let you know how things go!! She does have A LOT of people (and dogs) pulling for her. Thanks to you all for keeping us in your thoughts!!

Jessi BC

Sending out some thoughts, prayers and good vibes for Toqua today. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Holding you and Toqua in my thoughts today.

Jennifer

Hoping to hear good news about Toqua,thoughts are with you. Kathleen and Nollaig

Kathleen North Ayrshire

Dropped her off at 8:30 this morning. They were not sure when she was going in. Still haven't heard anything, but no news is good news. Stomach is in knots.

Jessi BC

I am thinking of you snd hope things went well.

Sue Cambs UK

Man, just catching up on the news after a few days away. Jessi, I just want to say my prayers are with you and Toqua, and that it is best outcome possible. Best wishes, Silka

Silka Melbourne Australia

I got a frightening call at 4. They had just gone in and were just moving things around to look, and Toqua started to bleed very badly. They asked if I wanted them to stop, or keep going. The growth had to come out, or she would not be around for very long. I told them to keep going. They told me to stay beside my phone, that it didn't look good. MAJOR MELTDOWN! But I still didn't have a bad feeling in my gut, I felt she was still here. Finally, at 7pm (*&@!^) Dr. Davies called. What an awful three hours! She made it!! The bleeding stopped, and she was able to remove all of the growth, the kidney was unharmed. She was still on O2, and they are going to keep her heavily doped up over night, but she was looking good. May even get to bring her home tomorrow night. Of course, there is still the night for her to get through. She's always been a fighter, I hope she doesn't stop now. Dr. Davies says the tumor looks like hamengiosarcomas, which is not good. Cancer involving the blood vessels. Without chemo, 1-2 months, with 5-7 months. So, the hurdles just keep coming. Results of biopsy in a week. She said it was a good thing they didn't biopsy the tumor on Tuesday, Toqua probably would have bled to death. The important thing is to get her home, and enjoy her while I have her. One more night to get through. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!! I'll keep you posted.

Jessi BC

Jessi What a fright you must have got and it must have been the longest 3 hours of your life- dreading that phone ringing-I know that feeling when Nollaig was in hospital with septicaemia.But I'm so glad Toqua made it, what a girl! Glad the kidney was saved and I will hope and pray that the biopsy does not show what is suspected Jessi,but even if it does,don't give up on her as I'm sure you wont,she could surprise the vets. Hope you get her home tomorrow. Kathleen and Nollaig

Kathleen North Ayrshire

WOW,Jessie you've got to be full of mixed emotions at this point. I'm so happy she made it through the surgery without having to remove a kidney! :) That would have drove me bonkers waiting for the phone call! Like Kathleen, I'll be praying for the biopsy to come back showing nothing serious. ~~~I had to look up hamengiosarcomas...I remember hearing this term before but couldn't remember what it was. Found this interesting link during my search. The interesting part about this linkis the studies currently being undertaken at the bottom of hte page. Might be worthwhile checking out. Here's the link... http://www.caninecancerawareness.org/html/CanineCancerHemangiosarcoma.html I'll be keeping Toqua in my thoughts and prayers for a FULL recovery. Johnny & Tessy

Johnny

Jessi, so glad to hear Toqua came thru okay and praying its not cancer I hope you dont mind but I think we need some some humor today after this, I almost had a whole mouthful of coffe on my screen thismorning http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/cops-woman-crashes-car-shaving-privates/story?id=10065885&page=1

Laurie CA

Longest three hours of my life. We were pretty sure by about 5:30 that if things were going real bad we have heard. So, no news is good news. Called this morning, and when I said I was calling for an update on Toqua, the girl asked me, "oh, is she here at the clinic?" Well, she better be! So, another tech came on. She said she had come in over night to check on Toqua; she was still drugged to the world, and she was honestly worried about coming back this morning. When she did, she was amazed to see my girlie so alert! She had just been sitting in the kennel with her, and fed her some Ceasars wet food. Toqua ate the whole thing! Barring no negative changes today she can come home with us this afternoon. She said that with everything Toqua went through in the last day it is a "miracle" (her word) that she made it. As my brother said, she's scrappy, she'll pull through. What a fighter. The surgeon only said it looks like hemangiosarcomas, have to wait for results, of course. I did some googling last night, too. Sounds pretty bad, but at this point I know what I am willing to do, and I know the advancements that are out there for sick dogs these days. Al be it if chemo will keep her here longer I have to think of what is best for her. I don't want to prolong her time here if she is just going to be a drugged up lump on the floor. I want her to be Toqua. That is how I need to remember her. But, we are not that far yet. Need to get her home and get her recovered from the surgery. Poor Finley just can't figure out where his mama Toqua is. He dragged her bed out of the bedroom last night and curled up with it. Such a sweet puppy.

Jessi BC

Jessi, Wow! I think I would have needed medical attention waiting for that second call. I am keeping the candles burning hoping her tumor just "looks" like something bad and that they are wrong. Toqua has come through quite a bit in a short time so hopefully it will all be o.k. You might want to start a new thread this one is getting pretty long. Hope by the time you read this your dear girl is home in your loving arms, Penny

Penny Lytle Creek Calif

This thread was discussed between 04/03/2010 and 14/03/2010

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