Hello everyone,

I have read your forums so many times before,and now finally decided to join,realising how much it can help just sharing a story with someone that has gone through a smiliar situations with their beloved companions.

My lovely old boy, 10 year old golden retriever Don, has been my inspiration through last 3 months more then anyone I ever met. His courage and strenght never stoped to amaze me. But seems like my golden boy is starting to have enough now.

Well his life started tough - 2nd day after he arrived in our home,as a 2.5month old pup he has ended up at vets with a sevear gastritis. Ever since then until he was some 4 years old he had lots of gastrointestinal problems,couldnt even count many injections he had,me or my mum running outside with him in the middle of the night cause he never even thought of doing anything in the house, trying for years to find a food that would suit him, but then suddenly when he passed 4 problems setteled down, apperated very rarely and we learned to keep it under control. Phew...

But soon after another problem seemed to come up,some strange lump appeared on his front leg elbow,vets did xray and said they have no clue what that is,and that we should just check it from time to time. It all seemed fine with it,but as he got older he strated to limp on that leg slightly - we took him to xray,and it showed it is arthrosis,and that probably will need some fiziotherapy in future cause it looked quite bad. Only a year after somewhere before Christmas 2009. he suddenly started to limp a lot on the other,right,front leg. After few days I took him to the vets and while waiting for xray results,remember my mum and me praying: "Please God,just that it isnt arthrosis there too"..... I so wish it was now. Will never forget that radiologists face when he was climbing up stairs with his xray results and asking me to come in other room. With tears in his eyes he said that even though it will need biopsy to confirm,it is probably that Don has an osteosarcom,and his leg will probably needed to be amputated. I was completely devastated,not even in my dreams I thought that could be a diagnose. My mum cried all the way home and I was just compeletly paralised. This just couldnt be happening to my Don.

As soon as I came home,have started looking on internet about that illness and the texts like - its the worse thing that can happen to your dog,and smilar - were not at all encouraging but still found some important information about limb sparing tehnic. One of my biggest concernes was if he is going to be able to walk on 3 legs,specialy with that other front leg being in not to good shape to start with. Went back to my local vet and said I would rather think of doing a limp sparing operation,cause he was  good candidate for it,the cancer was just in the middle of radius bone. They were not very happy about it - mind you,I am from Croatia,many vets stilll do things very conservatary here,and in their opinion only amputation is the choice. I sticked to limp sparing and so it was done.

Operation took 4 hours,he lost lots of blood,but he woke up very fast,and in the evening I took him home. First night was most awful,he was crying all the time,wanted attention non stop,and tryed to get up so had to look after him all the time. To my big supprise the very next day he was able to get up alone and walk a bit,of course leg was casted. He got better every day and after 2 weeks they decided they should try remove that cast.  Wound healed nicely,and it all looked well....but,I noticed something is starting to look bad with his eye,it got very brown,and like it had some blood in the middle. So I took him to vets in the evening,and when I stepped in ambulance I looked at him and saw his operated leg is compelty twisted. They have immediatly casted it back,and did xray - other bone in same leg,ulna,the smaller one has broken. And it seemed like nothing can be done anymore,just to cast the leg,and hope it maybe might heal,cause there were no signs of tumor on that bone. He got eye drops as well,was told he has some bleeding in front eye chamber nad that it should be monitored. It wasnt getting any better and I went to other vet for second oppionion and after he made some simple test said that he has a big glaucom and that probably doesnt even see anymore on that eye. Just some more bad news I wanted to hear.

After that my doubt in the local vet was getting bigger every day - they have messed up his eyes...hmm,how could the other bone break just like that,he wasnt jumping anywhere or even running... and the thing that got over the top was when I asked about chemotherapy they said that he doesnt need one cause the primary tumor is removed. Hmm well,yes,but you dont do a chemotherapy for the primary tumor but because of the metastasis,as far as I know    So I then definatly decided to seek other opinion on veterinarian institute,and they said they could go with chemo of course but still want to do lung and leg xray. Lungs looked ok,but the xray of the operated leg was horror - not only the ulna was broken but the metal rod as well. (??) They were competly stunned when they saw that on xray and asked me who the hell did this operation. It was apperantly done all wrong - he has put him a too light metal rod for his weight,on competly wrong side and without anything to support it,usually done with part of his rib. I was just stunned and so angry on the vet that did this to him, who apperantly agreed to do the operation he doesnt know anything about. 

As there was not any point in the rod in his leg anymore,only bring him pain,vet on institute said he is willing to do operation again,to try make it right.  Had no choice but go with it,so my boy was going throught another seriouse operation only a month after a first one,because of some incompetent idiot.

So few days after whole team gathered to try do what they can....but,phone rining after an hour didnt sound like a good news. And it wasnt. Surgent said that bone is so damaged now that they cant do anything to save it,and that I need to decide very quickly if I want them to do the amputation or come say goodbye while he is still under narcosis. Couldnt even think of doing that so said,do the amputation. Time before another call seemed like ages even though it took not more then 1.5h - was informed that operation was succesful and that he went through it great ,and woke up very fast and that I can come get him in couple of hours. Couldnt wait to get there and take him home. I was afraid how will it be to see him without leg but he was in such a good mood that I didnt even pay to much attention to it.

First couple of days was really sad to watch him trying to get up,falling down,trying to use phantom leg,but very soon,not more then a week he started to get up and walk by himself. We went to vets every few days to check on wound and it healed perfectly. His blood results after the operation were fantastic and vet even suggested we dont do chemo,but get him on immune therapy,and that he could go on like this even a year. Reading about those 3-4 month prognossis,I was very happy.

He was really recovering great,was happy and cheeful,ate normaly,and it was really great to watch him after all that he has been through to have such will for life. Well,but one day,he just couldnt stand on right back leg. Xray was done,and it showed that part of his hock join is like eaten up..its missing. It was not a sign of eventual metastasis,but probably a result of sever arthrosis. Well,whatever it is,it cant be fixed and can just try cope with it. Vet made him a light cast to put it on when going out,and it somehow even worked ok...."only" thing was that he wasnt able to get up alone anymore. I got him that specialy ruffwear harness I saw on this page,and it helped him walk better,while I was holding him up. It all brought me very down,but he was still his old self,cheerful boy,wanted to play still,was eating and sleeping normaly and didnt show any signs of depression. He knew someone is always there to help him.

And so it was until a week ago....he started to drink lots of water and would pee a lot too,even at home sometimes what he never did before. Was eating normaly though,but as it continued I took him to vets and they did blood and urine test,which were great. So it was expected to go away by itself. But it didnt - I reduced him water to some normal daily dose for him,and keept drinking under control,but suddenly he started to refuse his food,eat lots of grass outside,and vomiting yellow bile. They thought its gastritis because of all the meds he has been taking -  specificly rimadyl!  Soon after i read many articals of bad sideaffects of rimadyl if taken through a long period of time. And Don was taking those every day since his first operation,due to arthrosis in other legs.  So they have treated him now with tablets to reduce acid and vomiting,but it isnt getting much better - its 3. day now. He lost about 5 kilos for sure,is all down,doesnt want to eat,I am hand feedling him with a rolay canins recovery  many meals a day,and still he vomits once a day,and sometimes during night. It just isnt him at all anymore. Can hardly stand on his legs how weak he got.   

It hurts me so much seeing him like that,and even started to think about final decision....but whats worse I didnt even get a diagnose. They THINK its gastritis. Havent even made him an xray or anything,just giving meds and infusion. So have decided to take him tomorrow to some more tests to see whats going on. After all that struggle cant let him go cause of some gastritis. If it something seriouse I want to know - lungs,liver,whatever just want a clear diagnose.

Well,its all bringing me down a lot these last few days,cant function normaly,it all just changed so rapidly. Just a week ago I was playing with him on carpet and he was waving his tail - as a vet would say when he came to take his blood,that if he wouldnt see that he is missing a leg he would think its a perfectly healthy dog.

I am sorry for maybe going in to much detalis,just thought could share my story with you at this difficult time. I havent met many people around where I live that have had such experiance with their dogs and its always a bit comforting when can share your experiance with others who have gone through similar with their beloved pets.

        All the best to you all,

                 Daniela, Dons Mum