My daughter's Shih-Tzu Bailey went quietly to the Rainbow Bridge last Saturday. While we were in Florida, my daughter had called saying he seemed tired/was losing weight. She took Bailey to our vet where they did blood work, and then DD called and said his red blood count was way low and the white blood count was way high. Uh-oh. Basically, my Vet gave her some appetite improving pills; and said if she wanted to know more, she'd have to take Bailey to a specialist. So they never said the word "leukemia".... but i can't picture my vet not doing everything in her power to help a pet if possible. Clearly, Bailey's problem was beyond her scope of treatment.By the time we got back from FL, Bailey had gained some weight (DD was making him steak for dinner every day....plus he got regular dog food and healthy treats) but his gums/tongue were very pale and a simple walk between DD's bedroom-to-the-outside often resulted in Bailey needing a rest break, lest he pass out and have a seizure. DD and I talked about further testing and questioning *if* he had the stamina to undergo any kind of treatment (he was 12 years old - not exactly ancient for a Shih-Tzu; but still elderly) and finally decided the kindest thing was euthanasia.So I'm just curious, if anyone else has lost a pet to leukemia, if that sounds like the symptoms?

That is classic presentation for leukemia. The differential on the elevated WBC tends to lead us to a more definitive diagnosis. Bone marrow aspirate examination is usually recommended to confirm diagnosis. The basic rule outs are overwhelming infection or leukemia and the blood tests normally point us in the correct direction.Going to a specialist is recommended as the access and administration of chemo agents are usually beyond many practices. I've had many patients over the years, most owners elect euthanasia when they get to "that point." But, I've had several get into remission with chemo and have a year plus of quality time.

Have had several cats get it over the years. Knew a dog that had it and went through chemo - poor thing couldn't hold down her food and died about 6 months later having gone through chemo the entire time. The owner said she felt so bad about doing the chemo because the dog never felt good due to the chemo so the "extra time" never really mattered for the dog.Some dogs can go into remission with chemo, but chemo doesn't guarantee that the dog will go into remission. Those who regret the decision of chemo the most are those who chose it because they "couldn't bear to lose their pet" and would do anything to keep it alive. They realized afterwards that their decision was based on their own selfish reasons and not on what was right for the animal.Don't second guess your decision. You based it on the dog's needs not your own comfort. And that makes it the right decision - regardless of which way you take.

Thank you, Dr Doug and Toedtoes. It makes me feel a little better, because at one point, with Bailey standing and wagging his tail at her (and putting on a pound of weight or so), my daughter had remarked that "maybe he's getting better?" and I had replied "He's lying to you - he's always going to lie to you because he loves you". Even after he came out of a seizure, he'd wag his tail at us, like everything was great. But I could even tell by MY dogs' reaction to him, that he was desperately sick - they normally roughhoused with him; but when we got home - they treated him like he was made of glass. I think they knew he was dying, so haven't been too distraught about his being gone.

Sometimes that tail wag is just pure happiness that the pain is gone.I had an akita who got tortion. I took him to the emergency vet and we agreed to put him down. She went to get a sedative so we could say goodbye first. As she walked out, he gave the most heartwrending cry of pain. She immediately brought the injection. As it took hold, he slowly laid down and his tail was wagging the entire time. Any doubts I ever had about putting an animal down died with him.

Deb and Ed M wrote:Thank you, Dr Doug and Toedtoes. It makes me feel a little better, because at one point, with Bailey standing and wagging his tail at her (and putting on a pound of weight or so), my daughter had remarked that "maybe he's getting better?" and I had replied "He's lying to you - he's always going to lie to you because he loves you". Even after he came out of a seizure, he'd wag his tail at us, like everything was great. But I could even tell by MY dogs' reaction to him, that he was desperately sick - they normally roughhoused with him; but when we got home - they treated him like he was made of glass. I think they knew he was dying, so haven't been too distraught about his being gone.I had two Collies with cancer in fact I chronicled it in a thread from beginning to the end on the forum a few years ago. The part where you said your other dogs treated him like glass was also the case with Strider and my other Collies. Every week I would drive Strider to chemotherapy at K-State about a hour and half away. Strider would lay his head on my arm In the car on the way up and back. After chemo we would go to Vista-Burger and get him a hamburger. This is extremely difficult to type and has brought back a flood of memories. Needed to add along with elevated white blood cells his calcium levels were through the roof.Toadtoes the reason I elected to try chemo was I thought we caught it early enough there was a chance of total remission but I was wrong. Strider lived a additional 8 month's and when his quality of life diminished I elected to have him euthanized. Very difficult thing to do but it was time. In that 8 month's we had some good times and some difficult times. Unless there is some change in the protocol for treatment I don't know if I would go that route again. As God is my witness Strider said goodbye with his eyes, it's time.

Dog leukemia? | Good Sam Community

18 Replies

toedtoes
Explorer III
May 01, 2018
colliehauler wrote:

Toadtoes the reason I elected to try chemo was I thought we caught it early enough there was a chance of total remission but I was wrong. Strider lived a additional 8 month's and when his quality of life diminished I elected to have him euthanized. Very difficult thing to do but it was time. In that 8 month's we had some good times and some difficult times.

Unless there is some change in the protocol for treatment I don't know if I would go that route again.

As God is my witness Strider said goodbye with his eyes, it's time.

Sounds like you were putting Stryder's needs first. That's what I mean about not second guessing your decision - as long as the animal's welfare is the deciding factor, then you did right. Regardless of the outcome.

If we all had crystal balls to know the "perfect" choice...
NCC-1701
Explorer
May 01, 2018
toedtoes wrote:
Those who regret the decision of chemo the most are those who chose it because they "couldn't bear to lose their pet" and would do anything to keep it alive. They realized afterwards that their decision was based on their own selfish reasons and not on what was right for the animal.

I think this says it all. We all love our pets and want to keep them with us, but we have to ask ourselves if that pet will still have a quality life.

My daughter is a practice manager at a Veterinary Hospital. The main owner truly loves all animals and will go to any extreme to save one and for her own pets clearly has virtually everything at her disposal to attempt to do so. She had an elderly dog with Leukemia and did everything, including chemo (which they do at their hospital). My daughter said she felt sorry for the dog having to keep on living in the agony it was in for many months.

We have had one dog with cancer and another with a degenerative spinal disease. My wife and I set criteria, based on info the vet gave us on how the disease would progress, on when we thought the quality of life for the animals would be impacted to a degree that there would not be quality left. Hard as it was, when that time came, we had them put down. As hard as it was on us, it was the right thing to do...for them.
SAR_Tracker
Explorer
Apr 30, 2018
colliehauler wrote:
As God is my witness Strider said goodbye with his eyes, it's time.

They always do, don't they.
colliehauler
Explorer III
Apr 30, 2018
Deb and Ed M wrote:
Thank you, Dr Doug and Toedtoes. It makes me feel a little better, because at one point, with Bailey standing and wagging his tail at her (and putting on a pound of weight or so), my daughter had remarked that "maybe he's getting better?" and I had replied "He's lying to you - he's always going to lie to you because he loves you". Even after he came out of a seizure, he'd wag his tail at us, like everything was great. But I could even tell by MY dogs' reaction to him, that he was desperately sick - they normally roughhoused with him; but when we got home - they treated him like he was made of glass. I think they knew he was dying, so haven't been too distraught about his being gone.
I had two Collies with cancer in fact I chronicled it in a thread from beginning to the end on the forum a few years ago.

The part where you said your other dogs treated him like glass was also the case with Strider and my other Collies. Every week I would drive Strider to chemotherapy at K-State about a hour and half away. Strider would lay his head on my arm In the car on the way up and back. After chemo we would go to Vista-Burger and get him a hamburger. This is extremely difficult to type and has brought back a flood of memories. Needed to add along with elevated white blood cells his calcium levels were through the roof.

Toadtoes the reason I elected to try chemo was I thought we caught it early enough there was a chance of total remission but I was wrong. Strider lived a additional 8 month's and when his quality of life diminished I elected to have him euthanized. Very difficult thing to do but it was time. In that 8 month's we had some good times and some difficult times.

Unless there is some change in the protocol for treatment I don't know if I would go that route again.

As God is my witness Strider said goodbye with his eyes, it's time.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Apr 30, 2018
Sometimes that tail wag is just pure happiness that the pain is gone.

I had an akita who got tortion. I took him to the emergency vet and we agreed to put him down. She went to get a sedative so we could say goodbye first. As she walked out, he gave the most heartwrending cry of pain. She immediately brought the injection. As it took hold, he slowly laid down and his tail was wagging the entire time. Any doubts I ever had about putting an animal down died with him.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Apr 30, 2018
Thank you, Dr Doug and Toedtoes. It makes me feel a little better, because at one point, with Bailey standing and wagging his tail at her (and putting on a pound of weight or so), my daughter had remarked that "maybe he's getting better?" and I had replied "He's lying to you - he's always going to lie to you because he loves you". Even after he came out of a seizure, he'd wag his tail at us, like everything was great. But I could even tell by MY dogs' reaction to him, that he was desperately sick - they normally roughhoused with him; but when we got home - they treated him like he was made of glass. I think they knew he was dying, so haven't been too distraught about his being gone.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Apr 30, 2018
Have had several cats get it over the years. Knew a dog that had it and went through chemo - poor thing couldn't hold down her food and died about 6 months later having gone through chemo the entire time. The owner said she felt so bad about doing the chemo because the dog never felt good due to the chemo so the "extra time" never really mattered for the dog.

Some dogs can go into remission with chemo, but chemo doesn't guarantee that the dog will go into remission. Those who regret the decision of chemo the most are those who chose it because they "couldn't bear to lose their pet" and would do anything to keep it alive. They realized afterwards that their decision was based on their own selfish reasons and not on what was right for the animal.

Don't second guess your decision. You based it on the dog's needs not your own comfort. And that makes it the right decision - regardless of which way you take.
dturm
Moderator
Apr 30, 2018
That is classic presentation for leukemia. The differential on the elevated WBC tends to lead us to a more definitive diagnosis. Bone marrow aspirate examination is usually recommended to confirm diagnosis.

The basic rule outs are overwhelming infection or leukemia and the blood tests normally point us in the correct direction.

Going to a specialist is recommended as the access and administration of chemo agents are usually beyond many practices.

I've had many patients over the years, most owners elect euthanasia when they get to "that point." But, I've had several get into remission with chemo and have a year plus of quality time.

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Dog leukemia?

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