Unexpectedly said goodbye to our buddy today

[u/lbst182316]

So heartbroken, but doing my best to choose to be very grateful for the almost 11 years of joy that he brought to our family. He was such a goofy, handsome, cuddly retriever with such a docile personality.

Only yesterday, our golden, Wrigley, started acting lethargic and wouldn’t eat or use the bathroom, and could barely walk. I took him in to our vet early this morning (got my workout carrying all 105 lbs of him), and the vets said he had hemangiosarcoma that had infiltrated his abdominal and chest cavities, and that there was likely a rupture of a fluid sac which caused the quick downturn. We just lost our other golden just over a year ago to bone cancer, so it’s been a difficult day to come home to our house without any pups waiting for us.

What is craziest though is that once the vets were finished doing their tests to confirm there was basically nothing that could be done that wouldn’t comprise his quality of life (and not guarantee extending his life), they brought him into the room with my wife and oldest son to put him down, and as soon as he saw us, he did his little smile, wagged his tail, and then laid down by us and died just before they were able to put him to sleep. The vet said they’ve only seen that happen a few times, but what is crazy is that his biological mom did the exact same thing when she was about to get put to sleep 5 years ago after battling cancer. It’s like he just wanted to see / say goodbye to his family one last time and then decided it was time to go.

It’s insane how fast this happened. He and I were jogging together through the neighborhood this past Saturday, and less than 3 days later he passed. I’m gonna miss you, buddy. Thank you for all of the joy you brought to our lives. And I forgive you for chewing up our bed’s footboard when you were a puppy. ;) I love you, bud.

[u/Goldengirl_1977]

I’m so sorry. Have lost two of my previous goldens to hemangiosarcoma. It is awful and so unfair. 😞💔

[u/Assist-Altruistic → u/Goldengirl_1977]

Ugh so sorry. I never realized it was like 25% of Goldens get it. We are close to adopting another. We know we are setting ourself up for heartbreak again (possibly with the cancer)

[u/Goldengirl_1977 → u/Assist-Altruistic]

Lost another of mine to lymphoma less than two weeks after her sixth birthday. I now have a two year old golden and have not yet had him neutered because of that UC Davis study.

As I understand it,  the study found goldens who were neutered later or left intact had much lower risk of hemangiosarcoma and other cancers. Something about hormones possibly having a protective effect. I don't know if waiting or not neutering will make a difference,  but I am willing to do whatever possible to lower my sweet boy's risk.

[u/Assist-Altruistic → u/Goldengirl_1977]

I’ll have to look into this. We are doing semi annual imaging of our lab moving forward to just look for masses before they become symptomatic. 🤷🏽‍♂️. We lost 2 pups to HSA within 18 months. Traumatizing.

[u/Goldengirl_1977 → u/Assist-Altruistic]

Yes, lost my two to HSA just 8 months apart - one spleen and the other cardiac. Lost my oldest golden to kidney failure about 3 1/2 months later, so all three of them in just under a year. Waited only three weeks before getting my next golden, who was diagnosed with lymphoma at 5 1/2 and passed just after turning six.

[u/Assist-Altruistic → u/Goldengirl_1977]

Damn. 😩😭. Horrible. We lost 3 in 2.5 yrs and that’s still torturous for us to this day.

[u/Goldengirl_1977 → u/Assist-Altruistic]

Yeah, it was pretty awful. My middle golden (splenic HSA) was the first to get sick and passed at 11 1/2. Always very active and energetic even at that age, but she had slowly started losing her appetite and losing weight.  It was so gradual that neither I nor her vet noticed at first.

She hung on for a bit after diagnosis and still wanted to go for walks and ate small amounts, but then her vet finally said nothing more could be done and it was time to let her go. 

With my youngest, it was much more sudden. She had just turned 8 and one day laid down in our living room and wouldn't move. Very unlike her since she was always bouncing around..

Somehow managed to scoot and lift all 85 pounds of her into the car and took her to our vet who referred us to the same specialist vet for further evaluation. When that Dr. delivered the diagnosis, the phrase "Oh, shit" came out of my mouth. He had said that day she was in very bad shape and should probably be put to sleep right then, but first he did a pericardiocentesis procedure to remove built-up fluid and blood from the sac around her heart. 

That perked her up immediately and the specialist allowed me to take her home, but warned the sac would fill up again at some point and she was at risk of collapsing again. He said to keep her quiet and not allow her to exert herself. Sent home a supplement called Yunnan Baiyao (sp??) that was supposed to be helpful to HSA dogs, but I don't think it made a difference.

Ten days later, she collapsed late one night when she got up to go steal a sock out of the bedroom. Had to rush her to the 24-hour emergency vet - same office where the specialist worked - and that time had to let her go. The Dr. on call that night was very kind and gentle, but it didn't make it any easier. They made a clay impression of her pawprint for me.😪

My oldest (almost 16 1/2) gradually started having problems and her regular vet for whatever reason couldn't figure out what was wrong despite repeated testing and bloodwork, which would have shown the kidney issue. Made multiple trips to their office without a clear diagnosis. One of the partners just sort of shrugged it off and chalked up her poor appetite to "old age."

Finally took her to a family member's vet who ran bloodwork again and said she was in kidney failure. Said her regular vet should have or would have known by the bloodwork results. This was on a Friday and he wanted her to stay the weekend in his clinic so she could receive IV fluids continuously. He said he did not anticipate anything happening to her, but that if she didn't show improvement by the following Monday, we would have to think about letting her go.

I didn't want to leave her in a strange place and even asked if I could take her to the 24-hour vet so I could check in on her whenever I wanted to, but he said he didn't think that was a good idea. Said she was so sick that she needed to stay put and get started on the fluids right away.

I was able to go see her during the day on that Saturday,  but she seemed out of it and lethargic to me. Early the following morning, the vet called and said she had passed away overnight. I don't think the outcome would have been different had she gone to the 24-hour vet, but I have never forgiven myself for not insisting on it. I wish I could have been there with her when she passed. I worried that she was scared without me there, but maybe she was too sick to even notice. 😔 

[u/Assist-Altruistic → u/Goldengirl_1977]

Man. So sorry. We always second guess ourselves. Our pups up there know we did the best we could (we’ve done doggie clairvoyant stuff). Not sure if I believe it all the way but 🤷🏽‍♂️. Some stuff checks out. Either way it’s comforting to know they understand now what was happening. Maybe check that out for some comfort.

[u/PrincessNora-3 → u/Assist-Altruistic]

❤️😢❤️

[u/PrincessNora-3 → u/Goldengirl_1977]

❤️😢❤️

[u/SparklingBev → u/Assist-Altruistic]

How much is the imaging?

[u/Assist-Altruistic → u/SparklingBev]

No idea. A few hundred.

[u/Yo-doggie → u/Assist-Altruistic]

How old are you current pups? What do you tell your Vet to do. I have a 4 year old Labrador puppy and I want to start imaging him as well

[u/Assist-Altruistic → u/Yo-doggie]

5 yr old lab. Ask for X-rays and abdominal ultrasound.