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  #241  
Old August 13th, 2009, 01:33 PM
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Hi, popo. Welcome to the board.

Was your dog bleeding from both nostrils or just one? Did the bleeding stop on its own? Has he been having any kind of discharge from his nose before this?

The dogs in this thread had recurring nose bleeds. If this is your dog's first, it's hard to say what might be going on. He might have bumped it on something or perhaps his nasal membranes are dry. (Sometimes running a vaporizor or bringing your dog into the bathroom when you shower can be helpful.)

Certainly if he starts to have more frequent nose bleeds, you'll want to get a little more aggressive in getting a diagnosis. If you have access to a veterinary teaching hospital, they would have specialists available, which might help in getting a quicker diagnosis. So if the bleeding begins again, you might want to ask your regular vet for a referral.

I know first-hand what you're going through Scary stuff, but try not to jump the gun. Maybe it will turn out to be a one-time thing

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  #242  
Old August 27th, 2009, 09:06 PM
lovejack lovejack is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A Golden Life View Post
Just wanted to thank evryone for these posts. It helped with Hunter when the time came last week to put him down ( I am anskygyrl's mom) Last Tuesday, he began vomiting blood and you could see was in pain. We had a 10 year old golden, Lucy, who also went through liver cancer 3 years ago. She did not have the nosebleeds, but had fluid around her heart. Our little 2 year old golden, Laci, is missing Hunter and keeps looking for him everywhere. I am afraid that maybe it was the Nutro diet that brought this on? Lucy and Hunter were not related, yet suffered almost identical disease. I want to do all I can to be sure that this does not happen to her.
Denise..
Mom to Laci and 4 people kids
Our sweet 3 yr old vizsla recently developed nose bleeds similar to the ones posted in this thread. Prior to the nose bleeds we did notice sneezing and his breathing through his nose seem to be compromised. A year ago, he was diagnosed with polymyositis. The related temporal muscle atrophy seemed to be since stabilized. Polymyositis is an autoimmune disease and has also been associated with eventual cancer. He was sustained via daily dosages of prednisone (steroid) & every other day with azathioprine (chemo). His immune system was compromised. After reading what these poor dogs went through with the treatment & suffering through the nose bleeds, we decided that we didn't want our poor baby to suffer more in the same way so we sadly & painfully said our goodbyes with him.

I notice that this post by Golden Life mention Nutro diet which is interesting to me because our dog was on this diet, too. Just wanted to make this post should it ever make a difference.
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  #243  
Old August 27th, 2009, 09:31 PM
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I'm so sorry for what you and your family have been through, lovejack It sounds like your vizsla had a rough time. And only 3 :sad: We, too, lost a 3-yr-old to an immune disease--although in Evan's case it was IBD. I know how hard it is to say goodbye when their lives should just be beginning. But he was fortunate to have had such dedicated parents.

We do have a forum here for pets that have passed, if you'd like to post a tribute to your boy.

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  #244  
Old September 8th, 2009, 10:39 PM
juniorlover juniorlover is offline
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Hello again

Lovejack,
After all we went through with Junior I am so glad we didn't treat him with anything for his cancer. I think you made the most difficult but realistic decison. Our wonderful friends will endure for us and they depend on us to give them comfort and to say good-bye when it is time.
hazelrunpack,
I miss Junior every day, he is always in my heart. And I have two, yes two, new additions to our family. Theo and Presley. Both are bassets and goofy as ever! Theo is from a shelter and Presley is from a rescue. They have certainly filled the void!
I was hoping this thread would be empty, but as I can see there are still many out there struggling with this terrible illness. To anyone who needs support and info this is the greatest place I found!
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  #245  
Old September 8th, 2009, 10:44 PM
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Two new additions, juniorlover! That's wonderful! You have to start a thread and post pics! Lots of basset lovers on board. You wouldn't want to deprive us of two new ones to admire, would you?

I always feel sad when this thread gets bumped up...your news, however, made me smile!
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  #246  
Old October 7th, 2009, 10:06 AM
juniorlover juniorlover is offline
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Our new additions

For any basset lovers out there............I miss my basset Junior but have had my time and energy drained with these two crazy guys.
Here they are Hazelrunpack!
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  #247  
Old October 7th, 2009, 10:15 AM
Chris21711 Chris21711 is offline
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Wonderful additions Juniorlover, you must be overjoyed .....I always find it so great that Bassets seem to bond so quickly without a second thought.

The other day I posted a couple of pics of Rebel and Skippy, here is the link if you would like a look

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=65964
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  #248  
Old October 7th, 2009, 01:25 PM
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They're so beautiful! And they look so bonded to each other already! Keeping you busy, eh? I can well believe it--they look pretty tired in the second pic...musta been keepin' you hoppin' all day to get to that state.

Congratulations, juniorlover!

And for sharing the pics with us!
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  #249  
Old October 8th, 2009, 12:26 PM
Jagcatfan Jagcatfan is offline
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Heartbroken

I came across this site a few weeks ago when I did a google search concerning nose bleeds in dogs. I noticed one day that my 16 year old Bichon was bleeding from one side of her nostril. I took her to the vet immediately and he told me that based on his experience that it was cancer. He said that there isn't a cure for that kind of cancer in dogs and didn't recommend any treatment for it. He did a blood test and her white cell count was over 15,000. He said that was unusual since she did not have a fever. He pur her on an antibiotic and we did another blood test in three days. It was only down to 13,500 and he switched to a stronger antiobitic and then after another test it was virtually unchanged. At that point I wasn't going to take her back every few days for another test and $125. If she was much younger I would do it in a heartbeat. Her nose bleeds stopped for a couple of weeks and then they have started back up again heavier just this week. I can tell when her nose is clogged because she starts sleeping with her mouth open. She doesn't have much of an appetite and has lost about one and a half pounds in a month. I know what I have to do but I don't know when. My daughters cocker had breast cancer and when she asked me what to do I told her that she would know when it was time to do something. But it's hard for me to face that. I had a cocker that we had to put to sleep and I thought I would die. I have been sitting here reading all of these posts and just crying because I know what is coming and there isn't anything I can do to stop it. I have had Snoozie from the day I picked her out of the litter at the breeder at three weeks old. Born on my anniversary (Snoozies Anniversary Waltz) and we picked her up at six weeks old on my daughters sixteenth birthday. She has had my heart from the moment I held her and I will miss her terribly.
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  #250  
Old October 8th, 2009, 02:14 PM
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I'm so sorry you're going through this Jagcatfan. I know how difficult it is.

Remember that Snoozie doesn't know about cancer. Dogs tend to be hopeful creatures--if they aren't feeling well, they hunker down and wait to get better. Snoozie doesn't worry about dying because she's too busy living.

So how does Snoozie seem to be feeling otherwise? Is she still happy to see you? Still playing? Seems to be comfortable? If her good moments outweigh her bad moments, then she's still busy living and it isn't time, yet.

When it finally comes down to that last decision, you'll be there for her, to help ease her way. She'll feel your love and strength to the end and it's the best gift she could ask for. Time enough to mourn afterward--till then, rejoice in each good moment.

You're in my thoughts and prayers, Jagcatfan. We're here for you. Please keep us posted.
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  #251  
Old October 10th, 2009, 12:16 PM
juniorlover juniorlover is offline
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so sorry

Dear Jagcatfan,
I read an article from a vet who seemed to put it in perspective for me. She said: think of three things your dog has always loved to do. If your beloved pet cannot do these three things anymore it may be time to say good-bye. Our Junior could no longer smell, didn't enjoy food, and didn't want to be hugged anymore. It was heart breaking, bassets live for these three things......I knew it was time. Snoozie is counting on you to be strong and take care of her the way you always have, with love.
I'll be thinking of you..........
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  #252  
Old October 10th, 2009, 06:08 PM
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I am so sorry for all your trials, all the sadness, I honestly couldnt read this whole thread. I had so much trouble reading all the sad sad stories.

I had Spot, I had her 17 years, and she dever gave a sign of illness, until the day before I took her to the vet for her final sleep. Some people ask why I didnt do more, but it was so painful for her that I just wasnt willing to allow her to hurt like that, never again. She started having seizures, and like I said no sign before of an illness, the doctors said that they though she was completely overrun with bone cancer, and would never have tested her given how amazingly healthy she was before I took her in.

I feel for you all. I will send a candle down the river on halloween night, to pay respect to the all the animals gone over the bridge, carry a message to them. (Might sound silly, but their spirits wander more on halloween

R.I.P to all of them. R.I.P to Spot.
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  #253  
Old October 12th, 2009, 12:40 PM
Jagcatfan Jagcatfan is offline
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Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for myself and my sweet Snoozie. I have noticed that Snoozie doesn't really smell very well anymore which is why she doesn't have much of an appetite. We had spaghetti for dinner Saturday night and I gave her that for dinner instead of her Science Diet ID which in the past she really liked. It was so good to see her eat every bit of it. I can feel her getting smaller and feel her boney back now. I can put something right down in front of her to eat and she just can't find it. She does still love to roll around on the floor and she loves to chase the cat away from her food bowl. She sleeps a LOT but the vet says at her age that is good for her. She has had hardly any bleeding the past couple of days but I know as before that it will come back again. I need to give her a bath and I keep thinking about the thread I read about the lady who bathed her very sick dog and said at least she'll be pretty when she passes and then her dog passed away the next day. I'm just not ready for her to leave and I hope that her will to stay is strong also. I sure do love my dog.
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  #254  
Old October 12th, 2009, 12:48 PM
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At this point, I think I'd give Snoozie whatever entices her to eat, even if it's people food. Our dogs love spaghetti when they can get it, too. Just don't give her too much--the tomatoes in the sauce can give her diarrhea. But plain fried or boiled hamburger or chunks of chicken should be okay for her if she doesn't have any food allergies.

I hope you're able to get her to eat some.

Stay strong. She's counting on you
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  #255  
Old October 13th, 2009, 10:52 PM
NikkisMom NikkisMom is offline
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I'm glad I found this forum, I am not ready to lose my pet but I also don't want to see her suffer and it helps me to understand better on what to expect when I read other's stories about their experieces, so I thank all of you for posting about your beloved pets even though I know it's hard.
My dog is 11 1/2 years old, she's part beagle and part cattle dog. Not sure what type of cattle dog, I've had her since she was 8 wks. old. She's been in fine health until this summer when she started having seizures. The vet suspected a brain tumor because he said that at her age it's rare for a dog to start developing seizures unless it's something serious. Well, we got her on medication, and that did help, but then later she started producing this bloody mucus from her right nostril only. I took her back to the vet and he said he suspected a nasal tumor and to have an MRI done, but he said that there's not much that can be done for nasal tumors. I got the MRI done with a neurologist vet and it did confirm that she did have inoperable and untreatable tumors. One in her left cerebral cortex further back in her head and one on the right side up in her nasal region. He said they were in such rare places that they couldn't even treat them with radiation. Neither vet could tell me what caused these tumors, it could be anything. It's frustrating because there's nothing I can do about it but just keep her happy. The neurologist did prescribe steroids to help alleviate the swelling around her brain tumor.
Well, tonight she had a very bad nosebleed, so bad in fact that it looked like a murder scene in our kitchen. She just kept sneezing and sneezing out blood. We rushed her to the vet and he said this is the next stage with her nasal tumor and that unfortunately nothing can be done except to apply pressure to the side of the nose with the tumor to help control the bleeding. She seems fine though, that's what so frustrating about it all. She's eating fine, even wagging her tail and sometimes even playing with our two cats. I just wish I knew what to expect next, but it has helped reading other's experiences. I guess each one is different and all we can do is continue to love them while we have them and make them as comfortable as we can.
Peace to all our animals and peace to all you loving owners out there.
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  #256  
Old October 13th, 2009, 11:32 PM
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Cold compresses might help a bit, too, NikkisMom.

I know how you feel--Priscilla was otherwise frisky and happy and normal, too, until almost the end. Makes it so hard to know when it's time.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. We're here if you need to talk. Know that you'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
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  #257  
Old October 14th, 2009, 10:01 AM
NikkisMom NikkisMom is offline
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Thank you for the kind words hazelrunpack. Nikki had another bad nosebleed this morning when we fed her breakfast. Her nose was just dripping massive amounts of blood through the one nostril into her food and we had to pull her bowl away because blood was just all over her food and all over the floor. I tried to hold a compress against her nostril but she didn't seem to like it and kept shaking her head.
I'm wondering what to do, I hate to see all this blood, it's just so upsetting. I wonder if you could please tell me what the turnaround time was between when your dog started having nosebleeds and when she passed on? I'm just trying to get an idea of how much time I may have left. I know it probably depends on each dog, but I wanted to find out from other people with their experiences.
She's on steroids to help the swelling around her brain tumor, and she started those pills last week, do you think the steroids are causing these nosebleeds? Or are the nosebleeds just par for the course with nasal tumors?
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  #258  
Old October 14th, 2009, 11:50 AM
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Every dog will be different, NikkisMom, but according to my notes, we took Priscilla to the U of MN Small Animal Clinic on 18 July 2002 for an evaluation. She had had bloody discharge (mainly during sneezes) for quite a while, but had progressed to actual nose bleeds by then. The only thing they found were inflammatory cells indicative of either a fungal infection or low-grade carcinoma and a suspicious spot on the xrays in a spot not easily biopsied. The nose bleeds got bloodier and more frequent, to the point where she would have one if we tried to take her for a walk. Toward the end, they were daily occurrences, but not all of them were gushers.

She died on 13 September 2003.

I should have been more clear about the compresses. For the next bleed, try applying the cold compress to the snout, rather than the nostrils. The cold will constrict the blood vessels in the nose and help stop the bleeding. If you know about where the tumor is located, target that area for the compress.

The steroids might be contributing to the bleeding, but they probably aren't the cause. These types of tumors are very vascular and bleeding is par for the course. If the steroids are giving her some relief from inflammation and discomfort then I wouldn't discontinue them at this point.

Priscilla was pretty vibrant right up till the end. We let her dictate day-to-day what our course of action would be. The morning of the day she died, we knew it was time--she told us. She was suddenly very lethargic, not interested in eating or life. Still loved to be loved, and would wag her tail, but was definitely not her usual self. We made that dreaded last appt for the afternoon, but true-to-form, feisty Priscilla had other ideas about that, too. She began to bleed out as we were loading her into the car for trip to the vet, so Dr Pam came out to the house instead, and eased Priscilla's passing as she lay under her favorite bush in the backyard.

I know how distressing this is, NikkisMom My heart goes out to you. It's such a hard thing to deal with. Hang in there!
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  #259  
Old October 14th, 2009, 10:10 PM
NikkisMom NikkisMom is offline
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The cold compress against the side of her nose seemed to help some. It didn't get as bloody as usual. But she's having these major nosebleeds when we take her outside and when we feed her breakfast and dinner. It's like certain things set it off. We've tried to be calm and not excite her, I read that any excitement can sometimes make the nosebleeds occur because it tends to loosen the clot. When it happens her nose just gushes blood out of the one nostril and we have to try and keep her contained in one spot, otherwise it becomes a real mess.
I'm going to just have to take it day by day. I don't want to make a rash decision on putting her down. I know realistically it will just get worse but she still likes to eat and she is still wagging her tail and those are the two main things right now that show me she's comfortable. And that's the most important thing to me right now.
Thanks for listening and thanks for the advice!
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  #260  
Old October 14th, 2009, 10:27 PM
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I'm glad the compress helped some.

Also, we found that Simple Solution, a product marketed for enzymatically cleaning up puppy potty accidents, works quite well on even dried blood on upholstery and carpet, too. A lot of pet supply shops in this part of the country carry it. It made cleanup a lot easier.

If you think of it, can you pass a hug on to Nikki from hazel? Keep one for yourself, too.
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  #261  
Old October 15th, 2009, 05:12 PM
juniorlover juniorlover is offline
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Hi Nikkismom,
When Junior had his nosebleeding my vet put him on Vitamin K. I think it did help. He didn't have as much bleeding as others on this thread. It was an easy pill for him to take. I am also a nurse and we use it alot at the hospital to treat people for bleeding disorders, it works well.
Although Junior didn't have as much bleeding he still had the horrible sneezing attacks and swelling that pushed his eye up, we didn't use any steroids but the vet did offer them. I hope this helps, good luck.
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Old October 17th, 2009, 10:56 AM
NikkisMom NikkisMom is offline
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Smile

We decided to stop giving her the steroids to see what would happen and she has stopped having those massive nosebleeds since we took her off them. (Not sure if it's because we took her off the steroids or maybe she just has a nice blood clot formed that isn't allowing the bleeding to start.)
She did have a seizure Thur. night, and that caused her nose to bleed a little but nothing like the massive bleeds she had on Tue. and Wed.
I'll ask my vet about Vitamin K too, and I plan on picking up some Simple Solution sometime this weekend as well. Thanks for the advice!!
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Old October 20th, 2009, 08:53 PM
TinkerMoma TinkerMoma is offline
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My 8 yr old mixed bred terrior was one in an unwanted litter, and my daughter adopted her. When my daughter married and left home, she became my girl. She has all symptoms of adenosquamous carcinoma. I paid little attention 8 or 9 months ago to her sneezing spells. About 3 months ago she began snorting a great deal, I felt it was allergies. 2 months ago she had her first and (and this point, only, nose bleed). Antibiotics and vitamin K is what the vet gave us and she improved, however I can tell, something is wrong. She not only still sneezes a great deal, and snorts, but I hear the labored breathing like her nasal passages are not clear, and there is now an almost contstant snort-rattle sound she makes in the back of her throat, for lack of better words. She sleeps very well at this point, and I love to watch her rest peacefully and in comfort, as I know this may change soon.

The vet has suggested another x-ray to see if anything has changed, and possibly the exploratory proceedure and biopsy. I have spent the week researching this on the internet and am certain she does have adenosquamous carcinoma, and my heart is breaking.

We cannot afford the treatment, that as I understand, would not buy her that much time, and would certainly traumatize poor Tinker. If we did have unlimited funds, I'm not sure I would want to put her through that for her last years. It changes who a dog is, I feel. They do not understand 'why' when they must undergo such unpleasant proceedures, and feel they are being punished for something. I only want her to, not have this. But if it is the reallity, I want the most comfort, happiness, and normalacy for her that she can possibly have, till it is time.

She is a sweet girl. She lives outside till we are home, them must be in the house with us, and takes every step we take with us. She hates to go to the vet, and would feel abandoned and deserted if I put her through surgery and radiation, which we cannot afford anyway.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to keep her comfortable at home without treatment, till the time to let her go comes? Of course I will have this conversation with our vet, but since I have found this site, I was compelled to ask, as so many have gone through this with their beloved dog children. Any comments will be welcome. And...this will be my therapy as we take this sad journey. Thank you in advance, to anyone who cares to respond.
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Old October 20th, 2009, 09:10 PM
TinkerMoma TinkerMoma is offline
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My work takes me away from home all week long, I leave on Monday and do not return till Friday afternoon. Tinker is always so very happy to see me, and in her excitement she sneezes and snorts in exess till I can calm her down. My husband sees to her while I am away and we talk together daily several times. He loves her too, but it is me she misses and yearns for. So my greatest fear now is something may happen while I am away, and that I must pay very close attention to her on week ends, and analyze her condition. I only want to keep her happy and comfortable for as long as possible, and because of that I will not even give her a bath now, she hates a bath. She can be a stinky tinky and I will love her just as much.

This Friday afternoon when I return home, after checking on her, I intend to have the discussion with our vet on how I feel this is best handled. I will first have that talk with Tinker, in our own way. I believe I will be able to tell what she wants me to do. I already feel I know. But last Monday, when I left for work, I was not as enlightened as I am now, after all the internet research I have done. My vet just didn't want to throw all that at me I suppose.

Last edited by TinkerMoma; October 20th, 2009 at 09:19 PM.
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  #265  
Old October 20th, 2009, 10:35 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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Hello, TinkerMoma. I'm sorry I'm welcoming you to the board under such sad circumstances.

Has your vet tried flushing the nasal passages with saline? Not sure how much he'd charge for a rhinoscopy, but sometimes grass awns or other foreign objects get lodged in the nasal lining and cause chronic inflammation and bleeding. And sometimes a saline rinse will dislodge the foreign body.

I hesitate to bring this next topic up because it's a real long shot, but our Macie was just diagnosed with a worm of the Capillaria species, which is why it's on my mind. One of the Capillaria species evidently takes up residence in the nasal passage, and can cause inflammation, sneezing, and sometimes bloody discharge. I know it's a longshot, but it's a cheap test (fecal sample) if your vet thinks it's a possibility (it's not very common around here, ) It's also a fairly cheap cure--a dose of ivermectin. Might be worth checking into if the worms are more common in your area.

If this is cancer, you'll want to ask your vet about something to keep her comfortable. The drugs available, many of them NSAIDs, can be pretty effective and reasonably priced. If she's really congested, running a hot shower while she's in the bathroom may help loosen her up some. Priscilla developed a lot of secondary infections over the months and antibiotics often gave her a little relief. Again, something that isn't necessarily too expensive. If the leather on her nose chaps from frequent discharge, you can try a little vaseline. And, for nosebleeds, cold compresses seem to help.

Other than that, all I can recommend is to love her up and cherish her. Take lots of pictures. And, most importantly, take joy from every moment you have with her. She sounds like a sweet girl.

Good luck, TinkerMoma. Please keep us posted on her progress and remember us if you have questions or need to vent...we'll be here.
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Old October 21st, 2009, 06:05 PM
TinkerMoma TinkerMoma is offline
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Thank you, Hazelrunpack, you've offered helpful feedback. I will absolutely take a fecal sample to my vet to see if she has the capillaria parasite. I will ask about the saline rinse. I believe rhineoscopy would be the next step, actually. It is over my budget, but I am compelled to do that to see if it is something other than the cancer. It's just that she seems to have each and every symptom.

I may be wrong about this, but seems to me that if it were a foreign object, and her sneezing began over 6 mos ago, that after that long time there would be a discharge oozing from nostrils. Also seems like there may be a foul odor from the foreign body's presence for this long. But I will ask my vet about that, since I could be (and hope I am) wrong. I would love it if we could just flush something out!

She has no 'discharge', at this time, nor in the past. She had that nose bleed 2 mos ago, but has been sneezing more than normal for at oleast 6 mos. Snorting also, & now I hear the snortley noise when she breaths, unless she is very calm. Now sometimes when she sneezes, and is inside, I can see there is a whitish snot (I guess) that has splattered the dark wood floor in our home, but it is not a large amount and is not always the case when she sneezes. But nothing dripping or running from her nose.

I will be checking these options. I'm almost afraid to be optomistic and hopeful, yet, I am a bit now.

Thank you so very much for your suggestions and advice!

Last edited by TinkerMoma; October 21st, 2009 at 07:18 PM. Reason: adding a PS
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  #267  
Old October 21st, 2009, 07:20 PM
TinkerMoma TinkerMoma is offline
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PS....also, seems like if foreign matter were stuck up her nose, she would be pawing at her nose, and she's not. Again, I could be wrong. Just a thought.
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  #268  
Old October 21st, 2009, 08:07 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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It never hurts to try the flush--it's a fairly cheap (certainly as compared to cancer treatment) and easy thing to try. Often the only sign of something stuck in the nasal passages is sneezing--sort of like getting an irritating pollen in a human nose. So she wouldn't necessarily paw at it. Something quite small can cause a great deal of inflammation over time. But it is probably a long shot. I've known one dog that's had a successful nose flush, but that was just one out of many that I've heard of since :sad:

And the Capillaria is just a thought--I really don't know too much about the nasal variety. Macie has the lung worm variety.

Still, exploring the possibilities you can afford, and having one pan out, could save you much heartache

So very cautious optimism is the name of the game. I don't want to set you up for a big disappointment

Please let us know what the vet advises and how Tinker is doing

I saw your album pics. Tinker is a doll!!!
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  #269  
Old October 22nd, 2009, 06:38 PM
NikkisMom NikkisMom is offline
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Well, things were going well for Nikki up until tonight. We thought it was the steroids making her nose bleed, so she's been off them for a week now. Tonight she had another massive bleed out, basically just sneezing out tons of blood. Then she had a seizure. Poor girl, I hate to see this happening to her. After her seizure it takes her awhile to regain her senses but she finally came around and even felt fine enough to gobble down a snack. It's just stressful to see her go through these situations.
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  #270  
Old October 22nd, 2009, 10:48 PM
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hazelrunpack hazelrunpack is offline
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How is Nikki doing this evening, NikkisMom? Good for her, feeling well enough to do some snacking.

Thinking of both of you
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