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Sebastian - Lung mets expectancy / symptoms
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Member Since:
8 November 2017
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12 January 2018 - 8:28 am
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So as mentioned in another post, Sebastian came back with lung mets at his 60 day check up. He seems to be doing well, eating great and very active in the morning while the pawrents are at work (we keep eyes on him through our Arlos placed around the house). We've used quality of life calculators and he's doing well - at this point, we want to hold on to him for awhile longer, but we also want him to go out on a bunch of high notes. Finding that perfect time is now the challenge.

The vet gave us metacam and some cough tabs, and we have SanSheDan coming in the mail today. So we are hopeful that he won't have any coughing issues - my questions are as follows:

Are most of the symptoms of lung metastates relatively silent and painless or are there other noticeable signs? I know dogs can be good at hiding pain, but I want to have an idea of spotting it without him telling us. 

We will be monitoring his eating habits, and I'm sure that will be a good tell for when he's in some discomfort. But are there other things we can look out for? 

As I mentioned, we know his time with us is short and we are going to enjoy every moment with him, but our end game is to send him to the Rainbow Bridge on a good note. 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. 

Here is this morning... still has energy! (Mojo comes inside and gets Sebastian)

This is them yesterday... it's almost as if they both know and are just enjoying each other's company as long as they can. 

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16 January 2018 - 3:54 pm
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I don't know a thing about the mets, but I am thinking of you, you beautiful doodle.

Your videos are priceless!

Germany
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17 January 2018 - 4:32 am
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Thank you for pushing this topic jesh!

Lung mets experts?? Jerry? Sally? 

I also, additionally, recommend talking to your vet about this exact topic. Usually they have had plenty of experience with this and are able to give you an outlook at what to generally expect. 

Tina 

Guardian of Manni the Wonderdog. -Or was it the other way around?
Osteo and amputation in Dec 2015. Second, inoperable, primary osteosarcoma found in June 2017.
The end of our adventures came Dec 10, 2017. 2 years to the day.

Manni's blog -dogblog-

On The Road


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24 September 2009
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17 January 2018 - 10:21 am
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Are most of the symptoms of lung metastates relatively silent and painless or are there other noticeable signs? I know dogs can be good at hiding pain, but I want to have an idea of spotting it without him telling us. 

We will be monitoring his eating habits, and I'm sure that will be a good tell for when he's in some discomfort. But are there other things we can look out for? 

Some of the signs we noticed in Jerry included heavier, labored breathing, decreasing stamina and appetite and eventually a cough that grew from one incident a day to multiple times a day. It was always worse at night. 

All dogs are different. We've seen most go through these symptoms but a few did not, so keep that in mind. I hope this helps (((hugs)))

Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet

Virginia







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17 January 2018 - 2:55 pm
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Thanks for bumping this up Tina.

I think I outlined my experience with  Happy Hannah on another of Sebastian's post....then again....maybe not.

As Jerry said, all dogs are different.  There are soooo many variables...llocation in the lung(s) ...size...number etc.As far as how any outward signs manifest.

Generally, it's not a painful progression.  It didn't appear to be with Happy Hannah.  She never had a cough, or so rare, I didn't pay any attention.   She never stopped wagging her tail.  She never missed a meal.  She never gave me "a look".

I didn't use not eating, not tail wagging as "signs" because  I k ew she would continue those two things right up to transition....and she did!

Her stamina became less and less and she exhausted easily more and more.  For her, even that wasn't too big of a deal as she liked lounging around a lot anyway.   Like Jerry though, it got to where she would just hop a little bit, then need to sit down.  She would go down her ramp, potty and then sit and "rest" before she came back up her ramp and went to her bed for tummy rubs.  It only took a little bit of exertion to exhaust her.   In her case, I didn't take that as a "sign", but just as an "indicator"  to be aware to continue to monitor her quality.

Happy Hannah did have a change in her breathing pattern...never raspy....just more shallow and sometimes more rapid paced.  Not always.

As Tina mentioned with Manni issues,  this is a progression that you know cannot get better.   Once the scales starting tipping out of Happy Hannah's favor, I realized she didn't need to hang around any longer for more loving, more spoiling, more treats....she'd gotten a lifetime kf that every moment she was with me.

The "sign" in Happy Hannah's case was when I realized she wasn't sleeping at night.  I slept right next to her and when I woukd wake up so often in the night just to hug her, hold her close, etc, I  realized she was already wide awake.  Sometimes she was sitting up.  I monitored this for a couple of nights and realized she just could not find a comfortable laying down position.  She appeared to be "resting", but never really soundly sleeping.

To me, while it wasn't a "pain", it was increasingly "uncomfortable" to not be able to get her breath when she tried to rest, and probably a little scary.

Surrounding you with peace and clarity

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!

Happy Hannah had a glorious additional bonus time of over one yr & two months after amp for osteo! She made me laugh everyday! Joined April's Angels after send off meal of steak, ice cream, M&Ms & deer poop!

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