We have set up a GoFundMe for Dino's veterinary expenses, and we're a little over halfway to our goal! We are still accepting donations, so please consider helping us out.
Hi everyone,
I am not even sure where to start. Dino's health is very quickly going down hill.
Last week he was doing great, despite the progression of the cancer. We went on a few runs last week and we had a little party for the Big Guy on Saturday with friends (human and canine) and he had a lovely time. But starting Sunday, things have just kind of spiraled.
Dino has had a small cough for a few weeks now, and Sunday afternoon he coughed the hardest yet and he ended up coughing up some blood. I called the emergency line at the hospital where Dino has been recieving his chemotherapy, and they said they would pass a message along to his oncology team, and told us to monitor Dino and if it continued or he was struggling to breathe, to take him to our local ER. Fortunately Dino had a quiet rest of the day with no more blood, and just rested.
Monday Dino was still very tired and I spoke with his oncologist, Dr Gauthier. She suggested that perhaps there was too much excitement at the party and one of the lung tumours was displaced, and that's why he coughed up blood. She said with rest it should heal up, but to let her know if there was more blood or congestion. The rest of Monday was uneventful and Dino continued to rest.
Tuesday was very scary. Dino was very weak, and after our normal morning potty and breakfast, I tried to get him to come upstairs with me so I could get to work, but he didn't want to leave the couch. When I tempted him with a treat he came to the stairs, but his back end fell down when he tried to up the stairs. I immediately took him back to the couch and we have not tried the stairs again. Throughout Tuesday Dino continued to struggle - he was weak and coughing. We started using the sling that we got for his amputation again to help support him again. It was a very hard day. Ben tried massaging him to help Dino relax and to try to identify where the weak point was. Ben speculated that Dino's back and hips were sore. We moved the spare bed back in to our first floor living room and will be sleeping down here again.
Wednesday morning I spoke to both Dr Gauthier and our local vet, Dr. Bonnie, at Sears Animal Hospital. Dr Gauthier said based on Dino's symptoms and type of cancer, she suspected it has spread to his spine and hips. She said she looked at his latest X-rays from his last chemo appointment, but the spine was not visible in them, so she couldn't say for sure. She said that if this is what is happening, Dino doesn't have very long. With bone cancer in his spine, we won't be able to manage his pain with medication properly as it progresses, and he won't be able to walk. This was pretty devastating to hear.
We scheduled an appointment at our local vet for around lunch time Wednesday. Dino seemed to enjoy the car ride in. When we went in, Dr Bonnie carefully felt along Dino's spine and found two areas that were causing him significant pain. She said she shared Dr. Gauthier's suspicions, and gave us the worst news: that she believed Dino only has another week or so before we have to say goodbye.
To make Dino more comfortable, we have started him back up on a painkiller called gabapentin, and also an anti-inflammatory medicine called Metacam. His first Metacam dose was an injection at the clinic, so it was pretty fast acting.
Wednesday night Dino was pretty tired. A lot of tears were shed and we just let Dino rest.
Thursday Dino was feeling a bit better, but not 100%. The painkillers and anti-inflammatory helped a lot, because he is able to stand up without help again. When we went out for a morning potty he even did a full sniff-inspection of the perimeter of the yard. The Metacam caused a bit of diarrhea, but I was just happy he had a bowel movement. When Ben got home from work Dino was so excited and even ran up to him, which really surprised Ben because he hadn't seen Dino up since the previous night when he was still struggling a bit. Dino was all tail wags and very excited. It was nice to see our boy happy. Unfortunately later in the evening, Dino coughed up more blood.
Unfortunately I messed myself up Thursday - I fell down the stairs. Can't catch a break. Nothing is broken, but I have a bruise the size of a dinner plate and I am so sore all over.
This morning Dino also had a good start - another perimeter sweep of the yard and a good, normal poop. He is still eating and drinking with great enthusiasm. We are currently on the couch and his breathing is a bit heavy, but he is doing okay. I can see that he's not the excited, bright-eyed boy he was earlier this summer, even through amputation and chemo. He is tired and he is sore. That makes me very sad, but I tell him every day how proud I am of him for all he has accomplished.
This post ended up being longer than I anticipated. I guess I had some stuff to work through. Thanks for reading, and thanks for being there for us. We are going to make the most of Dino's final days, keeping him comfortable, enriched, and full of whatever human food he wants to try.
-Megan, Ben, & Dino
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