Ann
Moderator
Very sorry to hear this news, Jason. 
Case of kennel cough, maybe?
- Thread starter Jason_C
- Start date
I don't know how much you can tell from the scan, but there's definitely an issue of collapsing trachea, too. And she said that where the trachea connects to the lungs, it looks like there's a lot of mass there that's blocking the entryway.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NhSBh66MUVABHHcv5
The Prednisone and Doxy MIGHT help, of course, and if so then they'll refer me to an oncologist. But then I have to make the tough choice of whether to do surgery and chemo for a 13 year old dog, or if that's just torturing her for no reason :-/
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NhSBh66MUVABHHcv5
The Prednisone and Doxy MIGHT help, of course, and if so then they'll refer me to an oncologist. But then I have to make the tough choice of whether to do surgery and chemo for a 13 year old dog, or if that's just torturing her for no reason :-/
Sharon7
Moderator
Oh man, not what I expected to hear; and you either. I am very sorry you are facing this dilemma. My advice is don't make any big decisions till you've talked to the oncologist. The specialist should be able to guide you with solid information and advice. I don't know how invasive or difficult such a surgery would be but one thing to keep in mind is most dogs tolerate chemo very well, they don't have the awful side effects people do, generally.
Katy has a tremendous advocate in you, you know her best and will make the right decisions for you both.
Katy has a tremendous advocate in you, you know her best and will make the right decisions for you both.
My dad passed last year with COVID. That was extremely hard, because he was in perfect health before that! He had all of these dreams and goals, and then his health went from perfect to life support inside of a few weeks. At the end, he was in complete denial; he truly thought he was going to get better. He was NOT ready to go!! Which made it so incredibly hard on all of us.
That's exactly how Katy is. She was just playing fetch with me last week! Running, barking, playing, having a great time! Tonight, she REALLY wanted to play, but started coughing almost immediately.
That's by far the hardest part. If she was lethargic and "checked out" then it wouldn't be so hard to brace myself. But when she's obviously wanting to run and play, but can't?
Even worse... if I'd known that was our last time we'd get to play... ya know?
That's exactly how Katy is. She was just playing fetch with me last week! Running, barking, playing, having a great time! Tonight, she REALLY wanted to play, but started coughing almost immediately.
That's by far the hardest part. If she was lethargic and "checked out" then it wouldn't be so hard to brace myself. But when she's obviously wanting to run and play, but can't?
Even worse... if I'd known that was our last time we'd get to play... ya know?
Sharon7
Moderator
I DO know. Prednisone has made Faith feel GREAT for now. No more arthritis pain, she's running, playing, wrestling with Meadow and just having a blast. Which makes it SO HARD to fathom that she has limited time left. It's just a whipsaw of emotion. I just try my best to make every day a good one for her and make more great memories. I know you provide Katy with a wonderful, thoughtful life. Just keep on doing it, then no regrets.
I'm very sorry about your dad. Covid is still killing folks. It's just not on most people's radar any more.
I'm very sorry about your dad. Covid is still killing folks. It's just not on most people's radar any more.