xJazerx
Super Boxer
This is a very hard post to write, but I am looking for, maybe some further insight? We lost our boy last week, not even a month after his 6th birthday. We are utterly heart broken.
This is going to be a long read, so please bear with me, I want to be thorough. He went from perfectly healthy to 3 weeks later, he was gone.
We believe it was a brain tumor/brain cancer. After much research, I decided that pursuing the MRI and treatment of cancer would not be a road we would take. For those that haven't had to go down this road (and I pray that most of you do not).. brain cancer has a very grim prognosis. It costs 10-25k on average, and you may only get just a little bit more time, months even. Not only are the finances incredible, but it can be real hard on the dog (surgery & radiation are invasive). We opted not to go this route, but to do what we could for him in terms of making him comfortable, helping him, and praying it was something less severe that he could recover from.
It all started just a few weeks prior to his passing. He began acting just a lil lazier than normal. He would still joyously go for walks, run around outside, but we noticed he seemed just a bit more tired than normal. I wouldn't say depressed, but kind of like he was moping around inside a lil more. It was minimal. JUST enough that we could notice it. I also noticed on a few occasions rather than turning around he would just backup. This seemed slightly abnormal. He was still eating both his meals per day though was less "ravenous" about eating.. This went on for 2 or so weeks. He also seemed less interested in doing commands he has excitedly done/known his whole life.
On Sunday, 2 weeks ago, he had his first "episode".. he got up from looking out the window and stumbled almost completely falling over. I began to panic... he was able to walk but was very stiff/careful and would stumble quite a bit. I decided to bring him to the emergency vet. By the time we got there I couldn't get him out of the car. He was having a hard time even sitting upright in the back of my car. They wheeled him in on the gurney. At that point once they got him on the floor he was laying down stiff legged and unable to get up. Trying to right himself, but unable to. Very disoriented. The vet even called what he was trying to do a few times "alligator rolling". They did blood work on him (all normal) and they kept him overnight, and stabilized him with fluids/steroids. I picked him up Monday morning and he was wobbly but walking again. I had done a ton of research that night and was really hopeful he just had a case of Idiopathic Vestibular Diseases (he had text book symptoms). Everything was happening to his right (his stumbling/nyastagmus/tilt, etc).
Over the next few days he needed less and less assistance (with me holding his harness to help him walk). His nystagmus became more and more sporadic, etc. His appetite came back and on Wed I was even able to take him for a short walk down the street. He was on prednisone (the dose where you slowly wean down over two weeks or so). I began to get a lil concerned when on Thursday/Friday he stopped progressing. He just sorta stayed the same, so I scheduled with his regular vet to see him on Saturday morning. It was a good thing because he began to go downhill Friday as the day progressed. Symptoms started coming back, more stumbling, more circling if left walking without assistance,etc. When his vet saw him he said to give him another week to finish out his steroid treatment and if not improving by then we should see a neurologist, if not for the MRI, than at least another opinion on any other options, etc. Over the next few days he slowly got worse. He needed help walking (holding his harness), he would often be laying there with his eyes/head sort of going in small semi circles, like hes watching the world spin. He was often panting more and his tongue would always hang out the right side. He was still eating with assistance though he was not as coordinated with moving the food in his mouth. The last 2 days he could only eat hand fed boiled chicken breast, and it was hard getting him to even drink the broth. You could see it in his eyes, he seemed distant. He was himself, but he wasn't. It was harder to get his attention, for him to actually look/focus on you. Wed morning after I fed him while he was in his comfy/safe pillow corner I made him by the couch.. he started breathing labored. His heart was racing and his gums were pale. My hubs rushed him to the vet, but there was nothing they could do.
I feel like the only possibility is a brain tumor, I think it sounds like a Glioma. This happened so fast. Basically a week of vestibular symptoms. I had been heartily praying that all it was, was idiopathic vestibular syndrome (benign and resolves on its own (with supportive care) over a period of days to weeks)... but unfortunately, it wasnt. Has anyone experienced anything like this? I didn't feel it was necessary to spend thousands on an MRI to still be in the same position of not moving forward to treating a tumor, and if nothing was there, just sitting and waiting to see if he improved anyways.
Thanks for reading. I am still in shock that my baby is actually gone :(
This is going to be a long read, so please bear with me, I want to be thorough. He went from perfectly healthy to 3 weeks later, he was gone.
We believe it was a brain tumor/brain cancer. After much research, I decided that pursuing the MRI and treatment of cancer would not be a road we would take. For those that haven't had to go down this road (and I pray that most of you do not).. brain cancer has a very grim prognosis. It costs 10-25k on average, and you may only get just a little bit more time, months even. Not only are the finances incredible, but it can be real hard on the dog (surgery & radiation are invasive). We opted not to go this route, but to do what we could for him in terms of making him comfortable, helping him, and praying it was something less severe that he could recover from.
It all started just a few weeks prior to his passing. He began acting just a lil lazier than normal. He would still joyously go for walks, run around outside, but we noticed he seemed just a bit more tired than normal. I wouldn't say depressed, but kind of like he was moping around inside a lil more. It was minimal. JUST enough that we could notice it. I also noticed on a few occasions rather than turning around he would just backup. This seemed slightly abnormal. He was still eating both his meals per day though was less "ravenous" about eating.. This went on for 2 or so weeks. He also seemed less interested in doing commands he has excitedly done/known his whole life.
On Sunday, 2 weeks ago, he had his first "episode".. he got up from looking out the window and stumbled almost completely falling over. I began to panic... he was able to walk but was very stiff/careful and would stumble quite a bit. I decided to bring him to the emergency vet. By the time we got there I couldn't get him out of the car. He was having a hard time even sitting upright in the back of my car. They wheeled him in on the gurney. At that point once they got him on the floor he was laying down stiff legged and unable to get up. Trying to right himself, but unable to. Very disoriented. The vet even called what he was trying to do a few times "alligator rolling". They did blood work on him (all normal) and they kept him overnight, and stabilized him with fluids/steroids. I picked him up Monday morning and he was wobbly but walking again. I had done a ton of research that night and was really hopeful he just had a case of Idiopathic Vestibular Diseases (he had text book symptoms). Everything was happening to his right (his stumbling/nyastagmus/tilt, etc).
Over the next few days he needed less and less assistance (with me holding his harness to help him walk). His nystagmus became more and more sporadic, etc. His appetite came back and on Wed I was even able to take him for a short walk down the street. He was on prednisone (the dose where you slowly wean down over two weeks or so). I began to get a lil concerned when on Thursday/Friday he stopped progressing. He just sorta stayed the same, so I scheduled with his regular vet to see him on Saturday morning. It was a good thing because he began to go downhill Friday as the day progressed. Symptoms started coming back, more stumbling, more circling if left walking without assistance,etc. When his vet saw him he said to give him another week to finish out his steroid treatment and if not improving by then we should see a neurologist, if not for the MRI, than at least another opinion on any other options, etc. Over the next few days he slowly got worse. He needed help walking (holding his harness), he would often be laying there with his eyes/head sort of going in small semi circles, like hes watching the world spin. He was often panting more and his tongue would always hang out the right side. He was still eating with assistance though he was not as coordinated with moving the food in his mouth. The last 2 days he could only eat hand fed boiled chicken breast, and it was hard getting him to even drink the broth. You could see it in his eyes, he seemed distant. He was himself, but he wasn't. It was harder to get his attention, for him to actually look/focus on you. Wed morning after I fed him while he was in his comfy/safe pillow corner I made him by the couch.. he started breathing labored. His heart was racing and his gums were pale. My hubs rushed him to the vet, but there was nothing they could do.
I feel like the only possibility is a brain tumor, I think it sounds like a Glioma. This happened so fast. Basically a week of vestibular symptoms. I had been heartily praying that all it was, was idiopathic vestibular syndrome (benign and resolves on its own (with supportive care) over a period of days to weeks)... but unfortunately, it wasnt. Has anyone experienced anything like this? I didn't feel it was necessary to spend thousands on an MRI to still be in the same position of not moving forward to treating a tumor, and if nothing was there, just sitting and waiting to see if he improved anyways.
Thanks for reading. I am still in shock that my baby is actually gone :(
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he was a very handsome blog and so young. I don't have any experience with brain tumors but my girl Caney was recently diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma and like you we have chosen not to go the route of surgery and chemo. She well be 10 years old tomorrow and I don't feel it is worth it to put her through that kind of stress. We are trying a raw diet andnaturopathic treatment in hopes that it will give her a little more time with us but our main focus is for her to be happy and comfortable.
hugs to all.