Oh Griselda, I am so sorry.  That is very scary.  And Max looks like a love.  I hope everything turns out okay.  I'll keep you & Max in my thoughts.

Chris, yes Max is a love. We do hope for the best as we anxiously await the rest results. Than you for your kind words.

Griselda- I'm sure this is a scary time for you! But, no matter what the outcome, celebrate the wonderful things you and Max have shared! They really do get into your heart, don't they?

Thank you Elaine. Yes they do get into our hearts. I had other dogs before Max, but they were outside dogs. It's not the same. Max has become one of the family. 

Hi Griselda,  I know how you feel.  Just went through this two days ago.  Mine turned out okay.  I just wish they could live as long as we do.  Stay strong, you will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Audrey, I'm glad your dog is OK. I'm also hoping for that OK result. This was totally unexpected, since Max is not even 9 years old yet and he seems to be in great shape. I am not prepared at all for not having him around. I hope this is nothing bad and just something that can be removed and he'll be back to normal. Thank you, your thoughts and prayers are truly appreciated. 

I hope that Max is o.k.  I hope that in just turns out to be a fatty tumor or something else benign.

Thank you Gayle,we are hoping for that too.

What a great picture of Max. Who couldn't love that face? I will hold positive thoughts for you, Max and your family. Just like ourselves, when our dogs get elderly, it is difficult to adjust to changes.

Hi Griselda, Max is beautiful!  Let us know what you find out...I am hoping for a great outcome for him!

Bonnie, yes, Max has such a sweet face! And it is a true reflection of his personality. He is a sweetheart. Thank you for thinking of us. 

 Peggy,  he is very handsome, isn't he? I'll keep you updated. I believe we will have some results next week. Thank you,

Griselda, I know how you feel.  My dog had a lump removed a year ago, that we thought was a non-issue, turned out to be cancer.  Now, I worry all the time that it will come back.  Good luck, I hope all is well with Max.  He is adorable!

Roberta, this is a first to me. I hope Max's results come back negative. We'll just have to wait. Thank you for sending good wishes our way.

I know how you feel.  I hope all turns out ok with Max.  My little Shihtzu was diagnosed with having a kidney stone.  She is three.  We need to schedule surgery.  I am worried about her.  I know how you feel about Max.  I hope all turns out ok.

Tina, I hope your little Shiatsu gets well soon. They are adorable dogs, we almost got one. Thank you for your  comments. We are still waiting for the results. 

Griselda, I am just seeing this blog. Oh my heart is so heavy for you. The waiting must be awful.

I pray that all will be well the test will be negative and you will have many more happy years together with your precious Max..

Hugs, Ginger 

Hello Ginger, thank you for caring about Max. 

Today we got the results, but they came as not conclusive. The lab is recommending a biopsy. Tomorrow I'm going to talk to the vet and see what we do. But I guess we will go ahead and do  a biopsy and wait again. I'll post any news. Thank you all for caring and for sending so many good thoughts and wishes our way. Max is thanking you all too!

Griselda, I'm hopeful that since the results came back as inconclusive Max will be just fine.  These are not animals to me, they are my other family members.  Your Max looks like a sweetheart and I hope that he will be just fine!

Griselda, Well That seems like good news for now. You know Bella has a sweet spot for Max. We will keep praying!

Positive Thoughts! 

Hello Griselda, Max is a very handsome dog.  I was a veterinary technician for 8 years, so I understand your concerns and the love you feel for your friend.  Hopefully the results will come back with good news for you.  I'll say a prayer for you and Max.

Carole, I feel the same way. My dogs are part of the family, and are treated as such. Thanks for your comments.

Kelly, thank you!

Amy, he is, isn't he? thank you.

Ginger,  yes, kind of. Today I talked to the vet and he was explaining the options. Basically do a biopsy or operate and see what's there. But then suddenly he had to leave because there was an emergency. So I'm a bit confused. I was going to ask him how they do the biopsy. Because if it is not that invasive I guess I'll prefer to do that first and see the results. But I didn't get to ask the question. I guess that I'll have to call again tomorrow or drop by to talk to the vet again. So let's see what happens. 

A big thank you to all of you. It makes me feel better to be able to share these feelings with you and have your support.

Griselda, I am a litttle confused by reading the blog again. You say the vet took a sample to send to the lab. Isn't taking a smaple a biopsy? That's what I thought???

Praying,

Ginger 

Ginger, what the vet did was to take a sample with a syringe and needle, just as if he was taking blood for a test. I believe the sample for a biopsy is taken by surgically extracting a larger amount of tissue. It seems the sample he took was minute and doesn't allow the lab to arrive to any conclusive results. This is what I understand based on the conversation I had with the vet. But since the conversation was truncated because of the emergency the vet had to attend to I couldn't ask more questions. 

I made an appointment to take Max to the vet for tomorrow afternoon. So I'll keep you updated. 

Griselda, I will be thinking & praying for you and Max. If they take a biopsy tomorrow, how long till the results come back?

Thank you Ginger. I don't know how long it will take for the results to come back. My appointment tomorrow is basically for the vet to see Max again, since it's been a week since he discovered the swelling, and also to ask many questions. I don't know if he'll do the biopsy tomorrow. It depends on how invasive the procedure is. If he needs to be under anesthesia it will have to be another day, because we are going in the afternoon. I'll let you know what happens. Thank you again for praying for us.

Hi Griselda- Waiting is so hard, and I love Max, even though I don't know him.  We had a dog several years ago that had a lump in her neck- she had also seemed weak.  The vet sent a biopsy ( same as Max, like drawing blood, but it was the fluid and cells from the lump.)  In our case, it was lymphoma.  Now, you may think I am crazy, my husband sure did, but the vet said that this cancer may respond really well to chemo.   Well, my boys were young, we had to give it a try.  I asked if she would hurl and lose her hair like people do (I used to be an RN), and he said no.  Well, she did really well on chemo for about 9 months, and then her time came.   Fast forward a few hears- now we have a large, sweet Rottweiler.  Well, I felt a lump on his neck and panicked, but it was biopsied, and it was fine.  So the lesson is it may not be anything bad.

Good luck with Max- I hope all will be well with him.  and they are more than pets, they are indeed family, but us pet people already know that!! 

Carol, thank you for sharing your story. I'm glad to hear that your sweet dog is going to be OK. 

I hope Max doesn't have anything bad but I'm worried. He is still young. He is going to be 9 in May, and he looks even younger. He has beautiful fur and such a sweet face. His eyes are so expressive that he basically "talks" to you. We understand each other so well. He is always a calming presence. Max has such a great personality that everyone who meets him falls in love with him. My daughters have a few friends who were afraid of dogs. Well, after meeting Max they were "cured" of their fears. Max is a great companion, a sweet friend, and definitely one of the family. 

Max looks like a great pooch.  Gus will not cure anyone of their fear of dogs.  He was young, too, when he started all his medical issues.  He is only five, now, and has been having seizures for a couple of years, and that is pretty much when we noticed the lump in his neck.  He also seems to have "issues" with his back legs, or hips, glucosamine helps some what.  And let's not discuss his digestive system.  His kibble repeats on him!  We have tried so many different kinds of food, and it doesn't matter.  He has gas, and indigestion!  His gas is so bad even HE has to leave the room!

And yet we love our dogs! 

Carol, it's a shame that Gus has so many health problems at such a young age. But as you say, we learn to leave with them and their problems too. Max is also on Glucosamine. It has helped me a great deal, so I started him on it  a few months ago when he started to show some signs of arthritis. 

Today I took Max to the vet. He took a couple of x-rays and then we discussed the whole situation. Max is having surgery this coming Monday. The doctor will see if he can remove the whole lump and then send a sample to the lab for a biopsy. If he can't remove it he'll take a sample of the tissue and send it to the lab. We'll have to wait and see what happens. At least the x-rays didn't show any other lumps, which is always a good sign. We are hoping for the best. So I'll keep you posted. 

Oh my, surgery!  Good luck!  All of Gus's stuff just make us laugh!  I mean, this guy is on more meds than most senior citizens!!  It is like the medicine rounds at a hospital- AM and PM meds.  But he gives us so much joy- but you know what that is like!

Carol, thank you.

Max had surgery today. The vet was able to remove the tumor completely. But he told me that he didn't like the way it looked. He told me to be prepared for bad news when the results from the biopsy come next week. I don't know, but I'm feeling positive, even after what the vet told me. Let's see what happens. 

Poor Max is in his crate now, resting. They had to shave all his neck down to the shoulder on his right side, where the incision is. He also got part of his legs shaved for the IV, etc. I can tell he is happy to be at home. He ate a bit about an hour ago and I gave him his medicines. He still has a bandage on one of the legs. I'll remove it later tonight when I take him out again before he goes to sleep for the night. I was petting him behind the ears (he loves that) and he rested his head on my hand. He is a sweetheart. 

 Griselda- I was thinking about you and Max this morning when I took gus our for a (very short) walk after brushing him.  I am glad he is recovering from his surgery. and well, all we can do is hope for the best!  I am sure he is glad to be home and with you.

Gus definitely has a wire loose in his brain.  He had another seizure this morning, heaven only knows what sets them off!!  I was trying to prep the kids that he may not be the most long lived dog....

I hope Max makes a full recovery and lives a long time.  My kitty had a neck/facial lump removed at age 16 (a lump vets ignored for YEARS despite my pleading to have it removed!) it was malignant.  The vet wanted me to send my kitty away for radiation treatments and I declined.  She lived a happy healthy life and made it to age 20+. 

How is Max doing now? Has the vet been able to diagnose anything yet?

Carol, thank you for thinking of us. Max is doing fine. He is still a little shaky when he walks. But I'm not letting him walk a lot, only to go potty. Tomorrow I'll let him walk around the kitchen, if he wants to. The vet told me not to let him run or walk too much for a week. So he needs to go outside on a leash. It's kind of a problem because the incision is on his neck. So I had to be creative and used one of my daughter's belts and put it around Max's chest, kind of loose, and then attach a leash to the belt knuckle. It works. And yes, Max is definitely glad to be home, I can tell. 

I'm sorry about Gus having another seizure. Do dogs have epilepsy? I know that for humans there are medicines now that prevent seizures from happening or that at least reduce their intensity. I hope he gets better.

Jennifer, thank you for your kind thoughts. Your story is very encouraging. I hope I can tell a happy story like that in the future about Max. As I said above, I do feel positive about this. I believe that since the vet was able to remove the tumor completely there are good chances that it may not come back or spread. I also hope for a negative result from the biopsy, that would be the best.

Gayle, Max had surgery today and he is doing fine. I posted the details above. Thank you for asking.

G- Yes, dogs can have epilepsy, and he is already on pretty hefty doses of phenobarbital and a second medication that we get from a compounding pharmacy.  WE just increased the doses, so not much more we can do.  He is kind of out of it after the seizure, but tonight he has been his usual goofy, annoying self!  He can go weeks with out any seizures, than have several over a few days.  WE aren't doing any MRI's of his head or anything, we just deal with it.  At least our pool is gated, as there is no way i could pull120 pounds of wet dog fur out of the pool!!

Jennifer- 20 years od for a cat!  WOW!  I didn't know they lived that long!  That must have been all 9 lives.  How lucky for the both of you to have such love and luck!

I'm sure that everything will be okay.  Max is very lucky to have such a wonderful life with you and your family.  I will keep my fingers crossed that the biopsy results come back with good news, and keep you and Max in my thoughts and prayers. 

Carol, 120 pounds! And I thought Max was big! Max weights 91 pounds now. He reached 100 lb at one point, but in the last couple of years he has maintained a weight of around 90 pounds. 

Amy, thank you. Your thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated. I do believe Max is going to be ok. It's a kind of wait and see situation. But we enjoy his company every single day. 

Max is doing fine. He continues to rest and he doesn't seem to be in pain. He is taking his medications, an antibiotic and pain medication, and he ate all his 2 cups of food in the morning. I'll give him 1 more cup in the evening, and I suspect he will eat it. The day he doesn't want to eat I will really worry. He also had some cheese (his favorite treat!) with his medicines. 

Griselda, Glad to hear that Max is home and doing better.   I know when Sparky gets surgery (three times now), she is out of it for days because of the anesthesia. She won't eat or drink!   Once that wears off, she is wild and ready to play again.  It is tough to keep her down!   I see that you use cheese for his meds, that is one of Sparky's favorite treats too and a great way to hide that pill!  Take care of Max and take care of you!  There is nothing worse than when your baby is sick!

My little angel went to doggy heaven June 16 2007. She had a mass that turned out to be cancer in April of 2006. She was a standard poodle, on the small side weighing 37 lbs when healthy. She got me through alot of bad times. The vet was not sure she could survive having her toe removed at her old age and asked if I wanted to put her to sleep or try the operation as she probably would die anyway. I had to give her the chance and opted for the surgery. That day I got a glimpse of what it would be like to lose her. She made it through and had one good year after that before she got sick again. She was down to 20 lbs when we finally had to say goodbye. I will tell you if I had it to do over again, I would go for the surgery. It gave me one more good year with her that was appreciated more than any other year. It was an honor to sacrifice those last few months of taking care of the girl who was always there for me.

Roberta, thank you for your caring comments. What kind of surgeries did Sparky have? Three surgeries seem too many. But then again, Max just had two surgeries within a two week period! So she likes cheese too...I guess all dogs do. Charlie, our one year old poodle/schnauzer mix also loves cheese. Max is very intelligent. He always finds a way to find the medicine hidden within any treats, even cheese. So I end up opening his mouth and placing the pills as far as I can in there, and then closing his mouth very fast, holding it close and waiting for him to swallow while at the same time placing the treat (cheese or whatever) very close to his nostrils. This way I entice him to swallow fast so he can eat the treat. It is all kind of a production thing. Some times I believe he thinks "who is she trying to trick?" because he is so intelligent and quick. But he is a sweetheart, and sometimes I think he just swallows the medicines to let me have my way, just to make me happy. We have such an special connection that I've found it difficult to concentrate on other things these days. I'm trying to go back to normal but somehow end up thinking about Max. We do have a very strong bond. You said it well "there's nothing worst than when your baby is sick!"

Cindy,  I'm sorry to hear that your baby poodle is no longer with you. What you say is so true. One more year with them or with any loved one would be worth it. Do you have another picture to share with us? It's hard to actually see her in such a small picture. If you have another one please share with us. Do you have any other pets? I was talking to a woman I know who just lost her dog a few months ago, and she is ready to adopt another one. She has been looking but it seems her husband doesn't want another dog. It's kind of a difficult situation. I don't see myself not having a dog in my life, but I know that sometimes life gets complicated and things don't necessarily go the way we want to. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I'm sure your girl remains very much alive in your heart. 

Griselda- How is Max today??

People who  don't have pets just don't undestand us dog people, do they?  I was talking to a friend today who was telling me about trying to give her dog meds- didn't matter how she gave it to him, the dog would eat the food around the pill, and spit out the pill!  The worse pet I had to give pills to was a cat- near got clawed to death!

Gus will eat anything, so we just throw most of his meds in his food, and he eats it all up! With his phenobarbital, for his seizures, I want to be sure he gets it all, so we put in on some bread with peanut butter, ball it up, and down it goes!!  Now anytime some one in the house opens the bread drawer, he sticks his nose in thinking he is getting something!

Griselda, I am glad to hear Max is on the mend.  We have our Hutch on meds right now too.  I always say, they would do it for us.  Keep us posted.

Audrey

Carol, Max is doing fine. The incision is looking good. But the part of his skin they shaved is looking kind of red. The vet said it's normal that he develops a bit of an irritation. Max doesn't show any signs of discomfort, though, so lets see if it starts to go away. Today he finished his medicine for pain and he seems to be fine. He is still taking antibiotics, and getting some cheese with it to help the medicine go down. ;-) 

It sounds like Gus is a big bundle of sweetness. I would love to see a picture of him, would you share one with us?

Audrey, what's the problem with Hutch? They do give us love and company and ask for little in return. And as I remind my daughters often, they don't talk back! ;-) Thank you for your comments.

hi Griselda- Gald Max is feeling better!  Hopefully you will feel okay about going back to work!  Regarding where they shaved him, it isn't surprising it looks a bit red, he isn't used to shaving!  Plus the likely don't use the best razors.  As long as it isn't raw or angry looking, or looking like it is getting infected, I wouldn't worry too much.

You can see a photo of Gus on my home page!  How lame is that!  www.CarolLee4Homes.com.  I am having my web site worked on, and I was thinking of asking the web person if they could do something like click on the photo of Gus, and it links to the L.I.F.E. animal rescue in Agoura Hills.  Gus was a rescue, so it would be like paying in forward, or back, whichever way it would be!

Lots of good thoughts are coming to Max from the Hough household. I lost my little Mrs. Moo in July of 07 and the worst part was waiting to find out what was wrong. Max looks very good in his pictures and I am sure he will do just great. Big Hug from us.

Carol and Kym, thank you for sending good thoughts our way.

I just talked to the vet this morning and the results are in. I'm very sad because the results are not encouraging at all. The vet told me it shows Max has lymphoma and spindle cells, which he tried to explain to me and I ended up more confused than in the beginning. The vet says that basically, the only option would be to put Max under a chemotherapy treatment. I don't know. I can't even think right now. We have an appointment to see the vet for suture removal this coming Wednesday. So I guess we'll discuss it then. I was talking with my daughters and crying and I don't know what to think. Max looks so well, he is even walking better today because he was walking kind of funny after the surgery. I'm thinking that I have to do lots of research now during the weekend about this type of cancer and chemotherapy for dogs. I don't want to just extend Max's life if it is going to come with the price of him suffering bad secondary effects from the chemotherapy. Right now I don't know what to do. If any one of you can share any experiences with chemotherapy please do. I really appreciate the support I'm getting from all of you. Thank you.

I'm so sorry that it's bad news, Griselda.  I have no experience with chemotherapy & dogs myself so I can't help you.  I know this is very hard & I hope someone has advice for you.  Take care & give Max a lot of hugs.

Chris

Griselda, I am so sorry about Max.  but let me tell you about our other dog, Moonbeam.  Moonbeam was diagnosed with Lymhoma in October of 2004, or thereabouts.  When my vet started talking about chemo, I thought I would die, thinking of the expense, and the dog throwing up and losing her fur, like people do.  Or lyining on a reclining chair with an IV drip.  (Remember, I used to be an RN.)  I asked if she would hurl and lose her hair like people, and he said no, dogs tolerate chemo pretty well.

Well, my vet makes house calls, which made it easier, as Moons wasn't moving so great.  He would pick her up and stand on our bathroom scale, and then subtract his weight, to get her weight, as the meds dosage are prescribed on a mg. per Kg scale.  Bottom line, she tolerated the chemo really well, and got significantly better for many months.  Actaully, she got better after the first two doses!!  The chemo was given IV push, which means he would start a little IV, but just  give the meds directly from the syringe, not hanging an IV bag.  She did really well for several months.  She ended up with monthly maintenace doses, and a few other meds.  Come the following July, it was time to let her go, as she was getting sick again, and looked to be suffering.  But she had a good 9 months or so.

Talk to your vet about Max's treatment options, and what he feels may happen, but for us, as my kids were only 12 and 14 at the time, I really am glad we did it.

Griselda, I am so sorry. I KNOW exactly what you are going through. It is so hard. I gave my girl a 2nd chance and it worked for a while as I wrote before, but each case and dog are different. I know you will make the best choice for Max. He looks like a real sweetie.

Kim, I'm sorry I didn't ask you about Mrs. Moo. I was really upset. Please tell us about her.

Chris, thank you for sending loving thoughts to us.

Carol, what you tell me is a little encouraging. I've been doing research during a few minutes here and there during the day, but haven't found much. One of the books I have says that chemo can have very bad side effects, but it does not go into details. But what I've found on the internet seem to agree with what you are saying. I want to be as prepared as possible for Wednesday, when I'm taking Max to the vet. So I can make an informed decision.

Cindy, I hope I make the best decision. Yes, Max is a real sweetie. This is my first time going through this. I had another dog before but he run away and we never found him. He was a very good dog but he was outside all day and night. I cared about him but it was a totally different experience. My children were very young and my dog was just my dog. Max is much more than that, he is family. He sleeps in our room at night. He follows me everywhere. If I'm working in my office he is seating next to me or at the door. If I'm watching a movie he is seating next to me. Since we got him, almost 9 years ago, he's been my constant companion. We understand each other extremely well. Sometimes it seems that Max almost talks to me. We do have a special relationship. 

Just now I went to pick-up a copy of the results. For what I read it seems that Max's case is quite rare, because of the comments they make. The diagnosis is this:
1) lymphosarcoma, prescapular lymph node 2) spindle cell tumor, consistent with nerve sheath origin, prescapular lymph node.

There's a comment that felt like a bucket of cold water splashed on my face. It says: different chemotherapeutic protocols may provide quality life for up to one year or more. However, long term prognosis is poor. 

Not what I wanted to hear.  

This has been a good place to get things out of my chest. Thank you all for your support.

Griselda

I had that same relationship with Negra for 15 years. I was married at the time. My divorce hit me hard (not my idea). She was 8 years old at the time. She was my sole reason for getting through those rough years. She literally was all I had. Our bond became deeper than any human bond I ever had. It hurts when you can't do anything for the little ones that do everything for you. If you think there is a chance Max could pull through and you can have even a few months with him without him suffering too much, I would go for it. Those few last months that God spared her was an unbelievable blessing. She also had cancer, but she 14 when I found out. They are little survivors!  Not only did she make it through the operation at her ripe old age she lived another year and 4 months. Max & you will be in my thoughts :)  I know the process of weighing the odds, the suffering etc. It is so hard. Listen to Max, he will tell you. ( I know that sounds corny, but you will see what I mean.)

Cindy, thank you very much for sharing your experiences with Negra and for your kind thoughts. 

I took Max to the vet today to remove the sutures. Everything looks good. We discussed the possibility of chemotherapy, and I'm going to have a talk with the family to decide what we do. The secondary effects of the chemo seem to be a bit less that what humans go through, but they are still pretty bad. But right now there are no indications of any other tumors, so that is always good news. Thank you all for your support. 

Oh brother Griselda, I just read this blog and my heart goes out to you.  Max is wonderful, I can tell from the photos.  I have 4 and they are my life...they should not have to leave so soon.  Hold on, watch his eyes, he will let you know how he is, just listen.  My aussie is failing and I am facing some decisions although I am still in denial...   I pray for more time for Max...I will look for updates...good luck and my heart goes out to you

Patrice, thank you. It seems you are also going through some rough times. It is hard. But then again, when you have love ones around you, you are always vulnerable to have heartaches like this. It's the price we pay for having love in our lives. I prefer it to the option of having an empty life. So there. Here is another picture of my baby Max. He'll always be my baby.

Griselda,  I am so sorry that you got bad news about Max.  That is such a difficult decision for you!  I told you Sparky had 3 surgeries in the past 14 months.  The first was Jan 2007 to remove a lump from her hind leg.  The vet didn't think it was cancer but when he removed it and had it tested, it was cancer.  He never suggested any treatment.  He felt he got it all out.  Ever since that surgery, she has had problems with infected anal glands.  The second surgery was March 2007 to scrape out the anal glands.  That didn't work and she kept getting infections.  So, the third surgery was this past Feb. to remove the one anal gland that kept getting infected.  That was the worst of the three but she has recovered and is back to her wild self.  Now, I see another lump but the vet seems to think it is a reaction from the anesthesia and will go away.  We are good friends with our vet and I trust him but I worry all the time that the cancer is back.  Sparky will be 9 this summer.  If you haven't seen my blog on her, check it out.  She dives underwater and we have that on video.  Again, good luck with Max.  I will be thinking of both of you!

OMG, the things we do for our four legged babies.  Griselda, been thinking about Max,hope he is okay.  LIke I said before, our moonbeam tolerated chemo pretty well

Gus seems to be having a hard time- don't know if it is his hips, or what.  He falls and slips a lot more now on our wood floors.  We took out the carpets for the kids allergies- I am not putting them back for the dog!  the vet said we could sedate him and do x-rays, or a scan as needed, to diagnose the problem, but as we likely wouldn't do anything, we won't bother.

and Roberta, I am a nurse, but even so, an infected anal gland sounds pretty disgursting!  A friend of mine's dog has anal cancer, and is tolerating chemo pretty well!!

Roberta, it sounds you and Sparky have had a very rough time. I've seen her pictures and the underwater video. She is adorable and an incredible swimmer. You may not remember but I commented on your blog. I do hope she gets better. They are so full of life at this age. Sparky is going to be 9 just like Max, he will be 9 on the first day of May. Thank you so much for sending good thoughts our way. I do hope Sparky does well. 

Carol, I'm sorry Gus is having a hard time. I hope he gets better. Thank you for your thoughts.

Griselda, I have been away form the Rain for a while. My heart goes out to you with this awful news. What a heavy burden you have. Your Max sounds so much like our Bella in disposition and temperment. I can so relate to the talking and being just like a family member...She's our baby.

I would just be devastated at such news. My first dog Dessie, a shepherd, huskie, lab, was also almost identical in nature to Bella. She lived 15 1/2 years and was never sick except at the end she could barely walk and we had to put her to sleep. It was one of the worst days of my life.  We have had Bella for 2 years now, since she was 5, she will be 7 in August, so we already missed out on so many years. I pray every night for her to live a long life. I get all choked up when I even think of losing her at any age.

Griselda, I can't stop crying over Max. I will continue to pray and send you all the hugs in my heart my friend.

HUGS,

Ginger 

Sorry about Max" We lost our Tess a Springer to the same form  of cancer" We were able with the aid of our Vet Doctor Goza get steroids which reduced the smelling and brought her happines before we made the personal choice to have her placed to sleep, March 12/2007

Griselda- I had a dog and a cat who developed cancer. I opted for surgery for both of them (chemotherapy was not common at the time) and though it bought them some extra time, I lost them both eventually. I did get some comfort in knowing that I tried to help them. And I have heard from people that even after a tragic diagnosis, some dogs just hang in there and beat the odds. I really hope Max is one of those dogs!

My first Dobie, Rommel, came down with lymphoma when he was 10. By the time I felt the lump, he was already into stage 3. He was my soulmate, so I opted for the chemo. Dobies are prone to cardio myopathy, so they couldn't do the preferred chemo treatment as the preferred treatment can send them into cardio.

He would be a little under the weather for the first 24 hrs after the chemo. He also had to take steroids - which caused him to eat & drink a lot. And he had to take leukemia meds since it is a by-product of the lymphoma.

At first he got along OK except for the first 24 hrs. Eventually, he began to have blood in his urine - I believe from the steroids. Then he would occasionally lose some control of his urine. That embarassed him. After 6 months he came out of remission and the DR said we would have to increase the dose. By then, I could tell there were too many bad days and not enough good days.

One evening we were sitting on the patio and he looked up at me with a "special" look, and I knew it was time. He was so special - we had a bond I've not had with any other dog. That was 11 years ago and I'm trying to write this through tears.

I also had a rescue female who was 4 years younger than Rommel. 5 months after I said goodbye to Rommie, she developed lymphoma also. I decided to not put her through the chemo, but I wasn't as attached to her as I was to Rommel.

Looking back, I don't know whether I would have Rommel go through the chemo. I think perhaps I did it more for ME than for HIM. I just couldn't bare to part with him. So I'm not sure I made the right decision.

If chemo would offer a cure then I would do it again. If it merely prolongs the inevitable, then I'm not sure I would do it to another friend.

It's a very, very tough decision - and it hurts so-o-o bad when we lose them. My 3rd Dobie died at age 7 with cardio. A piece of my heart was torn out with each of them. That's why I switched breeds to little Murph. I couldn't take it anymore.

My heart goes out to you.

I am really very sorrry about Max. I'd like to make a suggestion that you may find strange.  I belong to a Poodle support group, and yes, it is mostly about Poodles, but, there are many extremely knowledegable and friendly people there that know so much and they are very willing to help.  There are some vets on there s well as long time breeders that know a lot about pet health.  Go there, you will have to register but it's free nd easy, post about your situation.  You can even say that I referred you.  You will get a lot of good input.  And yes, there re a few flakes like there are in any other group, but, just dismiss those.  You will know who knows what they are talking about.  The address is www.poodle.org Email me if you need more and good luck.  If anyone has as=nswers, somebody there will!

Griselda,I just read about Max!  I am so sorry you are going through this.  I will pray for you, Max and your family.  This is the hardest part about loving them so much.  I will check back to see your updates.

Griselda, I don't post in this group as much as I should. My love of animals is tremendous and I am so sorry to hear about your troubles with Max. My husband and I went through this recently with our dog Buddy and it was not good. You don't know anything yet for sure though so keep a stiff upper lip.

 Just hold Max and tell him just how much you love him. He knows. Dogs are much more intuitive than most humans. I believe they also know that they will live on. As beautiful an energy as they carry in their soul it is not without continuation. Love crosses all boundaries. God Bless you and yours. Later in the rain~Deb

Hello Griselda....It, a sad day when we realise our best friends life will be shortened, they do not live long enough, never mind going sooner..Your dog is your best friend, they never talk back, they are always glad to see you and they do not hold a grudge. They totally rely on you, do what you can for your friend, extend his life if you can, if he could talk I'm sure he would thank you.

You,ll know when it time for him to go, but for now spend as much time as you can with your best friend.

I haven't read the above comments.  Lumps in dogs are reason for concern.  Lumps, in general, are horrible (on a human, or dog).  But lumps are often just icky deposits.  Not my personal experience, of course.  Or, my babie- oops, dogs.  Awaiting results is so hard- good luck, and let's hope it's the icky deposit kind, which are prevalent.  Not in me, or my dogs.

Griselda, Sorry I didn't remember that you commented on my blog about Sparky.  I just went back and looked at your comment.   I look at this blog everyday to see how you and Max are doing.  I feel so bad that you have to go through this.  I know how hard it is.  Good luck.

Griselda = Stay strong and be a faithful companion for your devoted Max. He will never "show" you his pain , you will have to listen with your heart to his needs. "Lady&