She has CANCER!

Here is where we can discuss canine cancers and treatment options to create a support system for those dealing with the disease.

Postby bahamian1 » April 27th, 2009, 9:28 pm

Thanks evryone!

She did get a chest x ray but he said it look like tissue. But he did not do a culture test foe the infection. I will suggest this to him so that I can know if it is gram possitive or negative.

Then I will have a better idea what anti biotic to use.

I also realize that the paw wound and the lump in her chest may not be related. But I truly feel lime they are.

About getting a second opinion: it is almost pointless.
The reason is because there are only two vets on my island and one of them is an alchoholic. When my female Sauda (the female that died earlier this year) got sick my regular vet was off the island. So at about 9 am I took her in to the other vet and he stunk of alchohol. That is so unprofessional and I just can not see myself going back to him.

Any way, thats it for now and thanks again.
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Postby bahamian1 » April 30th, 2009, 12:20 am

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi guys ,
The lump started oozing more today and has now spread to some parts of her lower jaw (it is soft, and fluid filled).

Today when the the vet saw this he said that the abcess has to be surgically removed along with any surrounding tissue. He said that the biopsy showed that it is an abcess. He also said that the entire leg would have to be removed.

He then said that he does not know if she can make it through a surgery like that because how emmaciated she was. She did not eat the previous day and she was dehydrated.
He then said that it would be best for me to let her go! After pondering this for a second, I told him ok and that I would bring her on Friday to "let her go"!

Befor I left I asked him about trying a broad spectrum antibiotic. I mean, If all of this was due to a bad infection then this should work. He then said that this may work but because the abcess has not been removed, the antibiotic MAY not be as effective

On my way home I was crying but then I thaught to my self, "What the smurf, this vet is giving half ass effort and you are smart enough to at least try some thing"!

Here me out on this. I am not a vet and have never claimed to be one. However, I do have a biology degree and know a lil some thing. Usually I do not take my dogs to the vet unless I have to and that has worked very good for me for the last 15 yrs or so.

About three yeras ago one of my females ate some fish and got fish poisoned. Her condition was so bad that she was litterally lifeless. When the vet saw her she was vommiting, urinating, and stooling at the same time. He then said these exact words to me, "There is nothing we can do for her, she is not going to make it".
I then took my dog home, did my research and went to work. For a week my kitchen was like a make shift hospital. But she made it and is alive and kicking rite now as I write this.
(For those of you that don't know; fish poison is about 10x worse for a dog than it is for a human).

My point is that there must be some thing that I can try. I am thinking a combination of antibiotics like baytril/clavomax or eurethromycin etc. I am thinking 250mg 2-3x a day given with 100ml of ringers each time. I do not know eactly what yet but I'll be hitting the books hard tonight researching!

I know that this is a bit much but I feel like if I do not try some thing then I am failing Zora. Now, If I was to do something like this and after about a week there is no improvement then I know it is time to let her go.
But I just find it hard to do so now with out giving it more effort.

I am sorry for writting so much but I am having a very difficult time with this!

Thank you and good night.
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Postby CinderDee » April 30th, 2009, 12:53 am

I'm so sorry to read this and wish I knew enough to give you some advice. I wonder if there's some type of online vet service you can use to help you with the antibiotics? Is she eating anything?

I'm keeping you both in my thoughts. I really hope she pulls through this. :hug3:
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Postby Jenn » April 30th, 2009, 10:29 am

Ditto to what Dee said :hug3:

I wish I could help more, but kudos to you for not giving up and trying to help her.
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Postby pitbullmamaliz » April 30th, 2009, 11:18 am

I really wish there were more vets in your area. That just doesn't sound right. :(

Whatever you choose to do, good luck and keep us updated!
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Postby TinaMartin » April 30th, 2009, 11:26 am

I'm sorry that you dont have more vet options. Hopefully you will be able to do something for her.
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Postby bahamian1 » April 30th, 2009, 3:48 pm

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok guys, here is what I did for Zora.

After my research I came up with two antibiotics to use together. They are metronidazole (flagyl) and augmentin.

This morning I gave her 1000mg of flagyl and 300mg of augmentin will 1000ml of lactated ringers.

Tomorrow she will get 500 mg of flagyl and 300mg of augmentin. I will (hopefully) continue this for a week.

I drained the abcess and a god awful alot of fluid came out of it. And man, the scent was disgusting. I then flushed it out with a 50/50 mixture of water and peroxide. The abcess went down a whole lot after this.

I also cleaned her paw, and wrapped it with fresh bandages.

All of these processes will be continued for a minimum of 1 week. If there is no improvement or she gets worse or is suffering; then I WOULD LET HER GO!

But if there is progress, I WILL SAVE MY GIRL!

Thanks everyone for all your support and help.
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Postby airwalk » April 30th, 2009, 4:18 pm

Keep us posted...and good luck!
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Postby Marinepits » April 30th, 2009, 4:22 pm

Best of luck!
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Postby CinderDee » April 30th, 2009, 5:16 pm

Keep us posted. Good luck!
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Postby hugapitbull » April 30th, 2009, 5:30 pm

I hope you are successful.

If she still isn't eating, you could try some baby food. It worked for me once when Trouble wouldn't eat.
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Postby madremissy » April 30th, 2009, 8:46 pm

I hope she shows some improvement for you. Get better soon Zora.
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Postby pitbullmamaliz » May 6th, 2009, 9:29 pm

How's Miss Zora doing???
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Postby CinderDee » May 6th, 2009, 9:31 pm

pitbullmamaliz wrote:How's Miss Zora doing???


I'd love to hear how she is too.
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Postby plebayo » May 11th, 2009, 8:26 pm

Okay I'm a little confused.

So the foot issue is not cancer... but the doctor recommended amputation?

The lump on her chest/neck was an abscess. What you are doing from what I can tell sounds good for the abscess portion, it sounds like something we would do in the clinic I work at except we place a drain, but you are keeping it open and allowing it to drain so same difference.

As far as the foot is concerned has the doctor tried doing a needle biopsy/aspirate? It's confusing that you have to send your results out and he can't just look under the microscope but it's a different country so I don't know what your vets do there.

Anyway I hope Zora is recovering! I think it's great you aren't giving up on her!
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Postby bahamian1 » May 13th, 2009, 11:36 pm

Hi everyone,
I've been meaning to give an update on Zora but it has been so hectic I did not have the time. The day when I statrted Zora's tratment was the same day my wife got sick with flu like symptoms. With the H1N1 scare going on I had to make sure she was ok. Thank God my wife did not have H1N1 and she is doing better now!

Anyway back to Zora. I started her tratment of Flagly and Augmentin on April 30th, 2009. The fist day she got 1000 mg of Flagyl and 300mg of augmentin intravenously with 1000ml of ringers.

The following day she got 500 mg of flagyl and 500 mg of augmentin iv with 1000 ml of ringers.

On the 3rd day she got 500 mg of flagyl and 500 mg of augmentin subcutanously with out ringers. I continued this routine for about 5 days. During this first week I also gave her 3 ml of b12.

On the second week, which was May 7th, 2009; I was giving her the flagyl orally but she was/is still getting the augmentin subcutaneously. I will continue this method until her treatment is over (along with B12 shots).

The infection that was on Zora's paw has almost completely healed up. She has lost the two outter digits but she still has the pad underneath. The blood circulation has returned and she can walk on it (with light pressure) now.

The area where the abcess was is still opened and draining a bit but it is getting smaller every day and the skin is slowly growing back.

She is now moving around with spirit and the other day she actually got up to chase the neighbors lawn mower ( she hates lawn mowers).
Her grand daughter that is also in the yard; today she challeged her. When I saw this I knew that my baby was getting better for certain. Her bark is sill not powerfull the way it used to be but I know that will be back soon.
I can really tell that she is feeling/ doing better by her eyes. Man, the eyes DO NOT LIE!

I started taking her on the beach this week ( she loves the beach) and will do so a few times per week. The reason I am doing this is because of the healing properties of the salt water.

I give Zora (maybe) another 2-3 weeks and she should be fully healed.

I will try to post pictures of how her paw and chest looked before the treatment.

And then I will take some to show what they are looking like now.

Zora is my second dog (along with the one I mentioned in another post with fish poison) that I saved after the vet had given up on them. There have also been other things that I have done to/for my dogs over the years without the help of a vet. But now I think I have a talent that my creator gave me. I am now STROGLY considering going to veterinary school.

I apologize again for writing so much but I am really excited about Zora's improvement and my ability to make her better.

Again, thank you everyone for everything!
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Postby CinderDee » May 13th, 2009, 11:42 pm

I'm SO excited for you & Zora & impressed with your tenacity!!! :confetti:

I can't wait to see pics!
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Postby bahamian1 » May 13th, 2009, 11:44 pm

Plebayo,
The doctor said to amputate the leg because he "Claimed " that the infection was too bad to treat. He also said that there was "no" atibiotic that could be effective against the abcess.

That was such bs because flagy penetrate into deep antirobe infections like an abcess. And once they penetrate, the clavomax can get in and do its job.

He did not aspirate and look in a microscope for a diagnosis. He could have atleast done this to see if the dam thing was gram positive or negative.

The results had to be sent to a lab in the USA because we do nort have one here on my island that can properly diagnose certain things.
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Postby bahamian1 » May 13th, 2009, 11:54 pm

Hi,
I am trying to post pics of what her paw and abcess looked like before the treament but it is saying the file is too big. I do not understand why it is saying that when they are the same size of the pictures I posted.
Can some one help me with this please!?

If they can not be posted you can see them at pitbullnetwork.com or pitbullcommunity.com.
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Postby Jenn » May 13th, 2009, 11:55 pm

Try uploading them as an attachment at the bottom
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