Winston needs some prayers and good vibes!
 

Winston has developed a very large mass sort of behind his shoulder blade and down the side of his ribs. Its a little smaller than a canteloupe.

We went to the vet on Saturday and the vet thinks it is Cancer. :cry: Based on some of his symptoms and the exam he is pretty sure it is and not anything like a hematoma.

He has lost 15lbs in this past year. He has started to do an awful lot of panting and has a decreased appetite.

They took 5 needle aspirations :eek: to confirm what we expext. I should have the answers tomorrow.

Besides the bad news the vet was impressed with his overall condition. He said he is in really good shape for an almost 13 yr old boy! He also said whatever we have been doing to keep him in good shape to continue with it because for a large breed dog the life expectancy is about 12 yrs old.

Just hoping that the positive vibes and prayers from all of you here may help my boy and me out! :thumbs up

I am trying so hard to stay strong! :thumbs up

:grouphug: its hard to stay strong, I'm sending up prayers and nothing but good wishes for Winston and for you!!

:goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes:

:grouphug::grouphug:

Winston is a lucky dog to have you :grouphug:

Thanks guys I appreciate the good vibes! Its been pretty hard the last few days! I know you'll all think I am crazy but I have no children and wont ever and he is like my little boy??

I am a wreck at work but when I go home I try not to let it bother me because I dont want him to pick up the bad vibes!

Sending you and Winston good vibes and good thoughts. I do not think you are crazy at all...i too have no children and lost my husband to cancer a year and a half ago:cry:. Chum is my little boy as well:dog:...when they are ailing it is devastating.:grouphug::goodvibes::grouphug:

Sending Hugs, prayers and belly rubs. Please keep us up to date.

Oh Winston, I am so sorry :grouphug: :(
I know exactly how you feel. All my hubby and I have are our furkids, and they are our loves, and our life. Cancer is so hard, but depending on the type, there may be some treatment available. One of the most important things you can do for Winston, if it is cancer, is stop feeding kibble of [B][U]any[/U][/B] kind. Even the highest quality will "feed" the cancer. The way kibble is processed allows for it to break down fairly fast and causes a rush of sugar in the bloodstream, which in turn, causes the cancer cells to grow. There are a lot of good holistic herbs that will help him to fight the cancer cells as well. You want to give him the fewest possible carbs. If he doesn't have any tummy troubles, a diet with a lot of salmon and omegas would be the best. Thorin, unfortunately, cannot have it. We give him a little salmon here and there, but even an omega 3 capsule throws him into a nasty bout of colitis, which in turn has caused pancreatitis (last Sept.). If you need some links to cancer diets or forums, let me know. I got a lot of support from those places, along with Dr.'s Marsden and Stelfox :)

And of course you will both be in my thoughts and prayers. Big hugs to you and Winston :grouphug: :grouphug:
and a lot of :goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes:

:goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes::grouphug:from all of is to Winston....

I hope the vet is wrong and it's just a big lipoma. I'll have my fingers crossed and hope for that diagnosis instead.

Darn I lost my post. Anyhow, none of us here will think you are nuts. I have a real life kid and I still think of the grrrls as just more kids. My husband shakes his head because I mostly have to hand feed Shadow these days, but if that's what it takes, that's what it takes. Winston is your baby and of course you would be devastated, as are we, you and he are part of our family. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. Pawsitive vibes for Winston. Stay strong, you know you can. :grouphug:

[QUOTE=Dog Dancer;1021006] Winston is your baby and of course you would be devastated, as are we, you and he are part of our family. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. [/QUOTE]

DD, perfect response :) :thumbs up

think positive, hugs, kisses, belly rubs, prayers and good vibes all sent your way for you and Winston...from Tucker and me:grouphug:

Sending all the :goodvibes: we can spare, plus crossing all our :pawprint:s and :fingerscr for Winston! Also sending a whole lot of :grouphug:s for you! :2huggers:

Thank you everyone soo much! I appreciate the comments and we can use all the prayers and pawsitive thoughts you can send.

Rguerts thank you for letting me know that. If it is that then I will have to look at changing it. Winston is a funny dog with food changes and they dont usually go very well but we will do what we have to do! What brand did you feed in the Salmon ? Winston has been on Orijen for years now and he does great on it but I am sure it is way too high in Carbs if thats the case.

I just need to know what I am dealing with and then I can deal with it, its the unknown that drives me crazy because I want instant results! :D

Cindy

[QUOTE=Winston;1021062], its the unknown that drives me crazy because I want instant results! :D

Cindy[/QUOTE]

that's the hardest part is the unknown, and not getting the info right away :(

but if it means that they will be more throughal [SIZE="1"](no idea how to spell this word)[/SIZE] then it's better if they take their time.

:goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes:

:grouphug::grouphug:

I'm an instant results kind of gal, m'self, Winston! Waiting gives me ulcers, but once I know what I'm dealing with, the stress level tends to level out... Sometimes imagination is the worst enemy, y'know? :frustrated:

:fingerscr you'll get some answers soon. :2huggers:

[QUOTE=Winston;1021062]Thank you everyone soo much! I appreciate the comments and we can use all the prayers and pawsitive thoughts you can send.

Rguerts thank you for letting me know that. If it is that then I will have to look at changing it. Winston is a funny dog with food changes and they dont usually go very well but we will do what we have to do! What brand did you feed in the Salmon ? Winston has been on Orijen for years now and he does great on it but I am sure it is way too high in Carbs if thats the case.

I just need to know what I am dealing with and then I can deal with it, its the unknown that drives me crazy because I want instant results! :D

Cindy[/QUOTE]

Hopefully this will all be a moot point and the diagnosis is not cancer! But, if it does turn out to be, I feed the boys fresh wild pink salmon. I use The Honest Kitchen pre-mix base (dehydrated veggies, coconut, vitamins, minerals etc). It's SO easy. All you do is add water to rehydrate it then mix whatever protein source you want in it. I use cooked ground beef, wild pink salmon and liver. For the salmon it has to be wild caught. The farm raised have ethoxyquin. The best is sockeye because it has the lowest levels of mercury, but I just can't afford the sockeye. It's $12.00+ per pound :eek:
I get the wild pink salmon when it's on sale. I have been paying between .39 and .59 per 100 grams :)

Winston,I am so very sorry to read about Winston,I too am hoping and praying he does not have cancer,but if he does,I know he'll get the best of care and lots of love from you.
He is a beautiful boy and of course you would treat him as your child,although I have human children,I love my cats just as if they were my children.
I will be thinking of you and Winston and sending good vibes and heartful wishes that Winston does not have cancer:grouphug::grouphug:

Sending :pray::pray::goodvibes::goodvibes: for Winston and :grouphug: for you.

I hear yah on the instant results Winston. :thumbs up

Hoping Winston pull's through with flying colours. :grouphug:

Please keep us posted.

[ATTACH]75466[/ATTACH]

:goodvibes::goodvibes::goodvibes: sendiing a whole bunch of good vibes for winston!! :fingerscr for good results!! :grouphug:

I'm sending good vibes out for Winston :fingerscr

Still generating some :goodvibes: and winging them your way, Winston!

I'm so sorry to be reading this and I'm sending out good vibes to you and Winston :goodvibes: :goodvibes: :goodvibes:

Okay I am going crazy today! called the vets and the results are still not back! they tell me it should arrive in the next day or two?? I hate being left hanging!!!

You know the old saying no news is good news??? well I am not feeling that way today! :thumbs up

stay strong cindy

:goodvibes::goodvibes:

:grouphug:

We get that all the time, too! :yell: I wish they'd give us the [I]longest[/I] estimate for the return of test results--that way if we heard earlier it would be a plus!! But I hate having to be patient even longer than what they said in the first place. :frustrated:

Hang in there, Cindy, and keep thinking positive thoughts! :goodvibes: :grouphug:

I'm so sorry :grouphug:
Waiting is always the hardest part for me too :yell: :wall:
Hopefully, when you do hear back, it will be good news :pray: :fingerscr

I guess we would never be happy then eh hazel! if they told me 5-7 days or something like that I would have been pissed off from the beginning so I guess its better for them if we are okay for a couple of days and then get pissed off because there is a delay! :laughing:

Rguerts I am not very patient with stuff like this....plus its a new vet that I really dont know...it was our first visit with this vet. They also told me the vet only works Saturdays & Tuesdays??? I said huh? :eek: I dont want to wait til Saturday?? they said he will call me once the results are in regardless of wether it is Saturday or not??? I can only assume they must be going to call him when they arrive and he will call me?

My mind keeps going in a million directions since I took him in...

I'll check again in a couple of days.....

[QUOTE=Winston;1021227]I guess we would never be happy then eh hazel! if they told me 5-7 days or something like that I would have been pissed off from the beginning so I guess its better for them if we are okay for a couple of days and then get pissed off because there is a delay! :laughing:
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but at least you could gripe about it to take your mind off the fact that you're waiting for results. :laughing: :p

Well, with luck they'll give you a call tomorrow and you won't have to call them up and bug them again. :goodvibes: