Sick Dog

[Old Man River]

My 4 year old golden has been vomiting her food for the past 2 days. We took her to the Vet last night and she took a blood test. We were told tonight that her ALT (liver) test showed 300 which the Vet shouldn't be above 150. On Saturday the dog will have an ultrasound (specialist coming from Mahidol).

Until then, the Vet has given us antibiotics to give to the dog twice per day. Despite a good appetite, the dog keeps throwing up anything we give her (including the medicine). Her weight is down to 26 kgs.

Does anyone know what may be wrong with her?

[stuck]

My 4 year old golden has been vomiting her food for the past 2 days. We took her to the Vet last night and she took a blood test. We were told tonight that her ALT (liver) test showed 300 which the Vet shouldn't be above 150. On Saturday the dog will have an ultrasound (specialist coming from Mahidol).

Until then, the Vet has given us antibiotics to give to the dog twice per day. Despite a good appetite, the dog keeps throwing up anything we give her (including the medicine). Her weight is down to 26 kgs.

Does anyone know what may be wrong with her?

Check for parasites.

[bina]

dont feed her regular food. liver problems cause nausea usually; many meds shouldnt be given if there is possible liver problems; there is special food for dogs that when there may be potential liver problems it is ok to give (special foods from royal canine and the like, or try neutral things like small amount of rice only, with bit of chicken flavouring ) and/or meds against nausea ; the important thing is to make sure if she is drinking; if not drinking she should be put on iv fluids at home (they can put in a shunt that u can hook her up and they can show u how fast it should run , by counting the drips per second i just cant remember the amounts) or hospitalized for further checks/follow up

what was the rest of her blood work, not that we can tell u what is wrong with her, but maybe we can help understand the blood work better... urea, glucose, cholesterol, several other things, plus hemoglobin, iron, platelets, white and red blood cells... it should all be in a blood check print out ( or results hand written based o the different sticks that are used for the checks and read by a machine.)

ultra sound is good to do, non invasive and usually most dogs will cooperate for ultrasound, doesnt hurt...

bina

israel

if she's been swimming in thai rivers/lakes, parasites...like liver flukes and things as struck mentioned., not sure what the protocol is for flukes and things as we dont have them here in israel.

[elfe]

if a dog vomits several times i go by the rule stop food for at least one day, make sure the dog drinks a lot as usual. if throws up the water too put immediately on iv to prevent dehydration. check on parasites like giardiae, intestinal worms. special antibiotic injections at the vet. if liver damage, what kind of food was given in the past? any take in of chemicals, poisons?

how is the stool? any? diarrhea, mucous?

hope the ultrasound reveals the cause, hope your dog gets better soon.

Edited July 24, 2009 by elfe

[katabeachbum]

if a dog eats, vomits and no stool, foreign objects can be stuck in the digestion system. Would often be followed by fever 3rd day cause infection around foreign object.

X ray. Found a whole corn cob once. A gready Briard swallowed it whole Cost him one meter of the digestion system removed by operation.

[Mobi]

Hi OMR, sorry to hear about your sick Golden.

I too would be very worried if mine was sick.

I'm afraid Vets in Thailand seem to be even more of a lottery than hospitals and doctors.

From what I have heard, and from my own brief experience, it is very difficult to find a good vet, and as you know, many Thais' attitudes to animals is not good, and unscrupulous vets won't hesitate to prey on unsuspecting animal owners.

I wish I could advise you what to do, but I know if it was my Cookie, then I'd put her in my car and I'd be off to Bangkok and get an immediate appointment at the Thonglor Pet Hospital, which is open 24/7 and has a very good reputation as just about the best private animal hospital in Thailand.

If you are interested, here is a link to their website, which also contains a map on how to get there.

Pet Hospital

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you good luck, and hope your dog is well again soon.

Mobi

[Old Man River]

Thanks for the responses.

The Vet has given special food which we are giving her, but tough for her to keep from throwing it up. We are giving her the medicine the Vet gave us 4 hours before we try food so that if she throws up the food, at least I know the medicine is in her.

I am fearful of dehydration myself. She goes to the Vet tomorrow for the ultrasound and at that time I will mention that we don't see her drinking as much water as normal. We are soaking the food in water. At this point, I can't make her drink water. I will make sure they address dehydration. If we need to give IV at home, fine, I just need to know how to do this.

From what we have been told, the rest of her blood test was fine, only the liver is an issue.

The dog still has some strength as she still wants to play fetch, but we don't want to tax her strength and therefore are shying away from playing with her. We still stay with her so she doesn't feel alone.

I am fearful that the desert I have been giving her may have caused this (Bok Dok Chicken desert), but the Vet themselves sell this and they say they haven't ever heard of this causing a problem. Still, it is imported from China so you never know.

Again, thanks for the advice. I may know more tomorrow after the ultrasound test and will post.

[Old Man River]

Hi OMR, sorry to hear about your sick Golden.

I too would be very worried if mine was sick.

I'm afraid Vets in Thailand seem to be even more of a lottery than hospitals and doctors.

From what I have heard, and from my own brief experience, it is very difficult to find a good vet, and as you know, many Thais' attitudes to animals is not good, and unscrupulous vets won't hesitate to prey on unsuspecting animal owners.

I wish I could advise you what to do, but I know if it was my Cookie, then I'd put her in my car and I'd be off to Bangkok and get an immediate appointment at the Thonglor Pet Hospital, which is open 24/7 and has a very good reputation as just about the best private animal hospital in Thailand.

If you are interested, here is a link to their website, which also contains a map on how to get there.

Pet Hospital

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you good luck, and hope your dog is well again soon.

Mobi

Thanks for the link Mobi. We take her to the Suan Vet Clinic which is also open 24/7, but probably is not as good as the Thonglor Pet Hospital. Tomorrow, I will discuss this all with the specialist coming from Mahidol that will do the ultrasound. We have had her in the past with Dr. Kessanee who offices exactly across from Samitivej on soi 49, but this time went with the Vet Suan clinic nearer to our house as we have had good experience with all their Vets (they are the ones bringing the specialist in for the ultrasound).

Thanks. At the end of the day, we do what we can and hope for the best.

[Nienke]

I had a while ago a Bull-terrier in boarding. For a month every seemed normal ... well, except for his brain, but that's another story ...

One evening he vomited out his food, the next morning he couldn't keep both food and water in. It would come out almost right after he drank or ate. Shock-horror! I immediately thought that it was his bed, which the owner had provided. He had already ripped a piece of it, and I thought he might have swallowed it as well.

Anyway, normal X-ray didn't show anything, another X-ray where the dog had to swallow some whitish stuff first (sure enough I forgot the name of it again). It showed a blokkage in his small intestines. Operation necessary.

It was the owner who was there when he came out of anesthesia. She called me, and told me that to her great surprise that they retrieved a knob from a drawer that she lost more than a month ago. Finally, she found out where it disappeared to!

Anyway, the dog was stitched up, and within two days was the usual naughty dog again and hungry like hel_l as he hadn't eaten for two days and was, because of the operation, on heavy diet. ]

And me? I gained a few more wrinkles and grey hair.

Wish you good luck with your dog, OMR!

Edited July 24, 2009 by Nienke

[katabeachbum]

I had a while ago a Bull-terrier in boarding. For a month every seemed normal ... well, except for his brain, but that's another story ...

One evening he vomited out his food, the next morning he couldn't keep both food and water in. It would come out almost right after he drank or ate. Shock-horror! I immediately thought that it was his bed, which the owner had provided. He had already ripped a piece of it, and I thought he might have swallowed it as well.

Anyway, normal X-ray didn't show anything, another X-ray where the dog had to swallow some whitish stuff first (sure enough I forgot the name of it again). It showed a blokkage in his small intestines. Operation necessary.

It was the owner who was there when he came out of anesthesia. She called me, and told me that to her great surprise that they retrieved a knob from a drawer that she lost more than a month ago. Finally, she found out where it disappeared to!

Anyway, the dog was stitched up, and within two days was the usual naughty dog again and hungry like hel_l as he hadn't eaten for two days and was, because of the operation, on heavy diet. ]

And me? I gained a few more wrinkles and grey hair.

Wish you good luck with your dog, OMR!

Like our korn kob Briard! The whitish stuff was contrast fluid.

OP get your lovely Golden x-rayed. Dont trust one liver-test.

[Old Man River]

dont feed her regular food. liver problems cause nausea usually; many meds shouldnt be given if there is possible liver problems; there is special food for dogs that when there may be potential liver problems it is ok to give (special foods from royal canine and the like, or try neutral things like small amount of rice only, with bit of chicken flavouring ) and/or meds against nausea ; the important thing is to make sure if she is drinking; if not drinking she should be put on iv fluids at home (they can put in a shunt that u can hook her up and they can show u how fast it should run , by counting the drips per second i just cant remember the amounts) or hospitalized for further checks/follow up

what was the rest of her blood work, not that we can tell u what is wrong with her, but maybe we can help understand the blood work better... urea, glucose, cholesterol, several other things, plus hemoglobin, iron, platelets, white and red blood cells... it should all be in a blood check print out ( or results hand written based o the different sticks that are used for the checks and read by a machine.)

ultra sound is good to do, non invasive and usually most dogs will cooperate for ultrasound, doesnt hurt...

bina

israel

if she's been swimming in thai rivers/lakes, parasites...like liver flukes and things as struck mentioned., not sure what the protocol is for flukes and things as we dont have them here in israel.

The Vet first thought parasites, but that wasn't it. Her blood test was normal except for the high ALT, hence, they are thinking something to do with the liver. She is a young dog (4 years) so they said unless it is inherited there is a good chance they can do something about it. She is taking antibiotics and kept them down this morning. Also, she kept some food down this afternoon (not much), and we are trying to get her to drink water but that isn't easy. So far this evening she has no appetite. We are going to try to get her to eat something and see.

Since tomorrow she will be back at the Vet's (for the ultrasound), we will ask about dehydration and what to do. We have filled a tub of water for her to sit in and she did for a little while and I saw her drink some water, but it wasn't much. Normally she loves water (as all goldens do).

We are giving her the antibiotics two hours before food because we are fearful if she throws the food up the medicine will come out as well.

Tomorrow we will know more. Poor dog.

Thanks.

[Old Man River]

I had a while ago a Bull-terrier in boarding. For a month every seemed normal ... well, except for his brain, but that's another story ...

One evening he vomited out his food, the next morning he couldn't keep both food and water in. It would come out almost right after he drank or ate. Shock-horror! I immediately thought that it was his bed, which the owner had provided. He had already ripped a piece of it, and I thought he might have swallowed it as well.

Anyway, normal X-ray didn't show anything, another X-ray where the dog had to swallow some whitish stuff first (sure enough I forgot the name of it again). It showed a blokkage in his small intestines. Operation necessary.

It was the owner who was there when he came out of anesthesia. She called me, and told me that to her great surprise that they retrieved a knob from a drawer that she lost more than a month ago. Finally, she found out where it disappeared to!

Anyway, the dog was stitched up, and within two days was the usual naughty dog again and hungry like hel_l as he hadn't eaten for two days and was, because of the operation, on heavy diet. ]

And me? I gained a few more wrinkles and grey hair.

Wish you good luck with your dog, OMR!

Like our korn kob Briard! The whitish stuff was contrast fluid.

OP get your lovely Golden x-rayed. Dont trust one liver-test.

Would the X Ray show something different that the ultrasound wouldn't? I will ask the Vet tomorrow. I thought they would do an X Ray, and they didn't, so I will definitely ask.

[brianinbangkok]

When my dogs get sick I take em to the local vet.

However when the local vet admits its something she can not figure out she will always tell me to take them to the Kasetsart University Small Animal Hospital at the Bangkhen campus, Bangkok Metropolitan.

http://www.ku.ac.th/kumap/Vet.html thats where most vets get their training.

[Old Man River]

When my dogs get sick I take em to the local vet.

However when the local vet admits its something she can not figure out she will always tell me to take them to the Kasetsart University Small Animal Hospital at the Bangkhen campus, Bangkok Metropolitan.

http://www.ku.ac.th/kumap/Vet.html thats where most vets get their training.

That does make sense and thanks for the link. I guess by now with this dog and our other one, we know more Vets than people doctors. However, for the real experts, I would think it would be either Chula or Kasetsart.

As a follow up, my maids just told me that our golden has been drinking loads of water this evening, hence dehydration is one less thing to worry about.

My fear is that perhaps we poisoned her as there is insecticide in the yard she has the run in. The yard is of decent size, but over time, maybe this is the cause. I guess it could be one of many things, and if we get her well we will eliminate all possibilities. Right now, I just want to get her well.

Thanks.

[bina]

we had a dog hospitalized for two weeks!!! where i used to work, the owner had no money for invasive surgery, and we didnt have an ultra sound machine (well we did, but we couldnt read most things, since it was to be used for pregnancy detecting in goats and horses, but other stuff, we werent trained to read),

anyway, this dog had us going crazy as he was acting normal apart from no poo, and in the beginning, vomiting, but no fever, blood work fine for most part... we used forced feedings in small amounts after a few days (the royal canine canned protein supplement for post op or chronic ill dogs) , ensure, iv's , antibiotics (injections since he was throwing up, u could also do injections if u ever need to do so, they are sub cutaneous so no real problem for dog or owner) ,usually of pramine, then antibiotics, then hour after pramine, he got small amount of food... to make a very long and drawn out story short: a peach pit, that eventually w e helped 'pull' out as it had gradually worked its way thru his sytem to his anus and we were able (after checking anally) to slowly ease it out... next day, happy eating dog. had to keep getting antibiotics due to possible internal 'scraping and irritation' but that was that. we filed the peach pit in a plastic bag with the dog' s clip board results for future show and tell........ oh, we had also given parafin orally, and at one time, parafin supositories...so the pit must have slithered its way thru his intestines and then relodged at the anus.

in xray nothing showed but again, we did without using barrium , just basic x ray to see (my vets werent very tech oriented, they preferred blood tests, physicals, etc since most people here wont pay for more then that any way).

actually, u might never identify what caused the problem; if it reoccurs, then more intensive detective work should be done, both at the vets, and around the house...

bina

israel

[Old Man River]

we had a dog hospitalized for two weeks!!! where i used to work, the owner had no money for invasive surgery, and we didnt have an ultra sound machine (well we did, but we couldnt read most things, since it was to be used for pregnancy detecting in goats and horses, but other stuff, we werent trained to read),

anyway, this dog had us going crazy as he was acting normal apart from no poo, and in the beginning, vomiting, but no fever, blood work fine for most part... we used forced feedings in small amounts after a few days (the royal canine canned protein supplement for post op or chronic ill dogs) , ensure, iv's , antibiotics (injections since he was throwing up, u could also do injections if u ever need to do so, they are sub cutaneous so no real problem for dog or owner) ,usually of pramine, then antibiotics, then hour after pramine, he got small amount of food... to make a very long and drawn out story short: a peach pit, that eventually w e helped 'pull' out as it had gradually worked its way thru his sytem to his anus and we were able (after checking anally) to slowly ease it out... next day, happy eating dog. had to keep getting antibiotics due to possible internal 'scraping and irritation' but that was that. we filed the peach pit in a plastic bag with the dog' s clip board results for future show and tell........ oh, we had also given parafin orally, and at one time, parafin supositories...so the pit must have slithered its way thru his intestines and then relodged at the anus.

in xray nothing showed but again, we did without using barrium , just basic x ray to see (my vets werent very tech oriented, they preferred blood tests, physicals, etc since most people here wont pay for more then that any way).

actually, u might never identify what caused the problem; if it reoccurs, then more intensive detective work should be done, both at the vets, and around the house...

bina

israel

Thanks Bina. I don't know with the ALT reading of 300 if it could be a blockage as many suggest, but I am not a VET and will find out.

I am becoming confident from all the people that seem to do it about giving her injections myself. I guess I could inject her antibiotics as well as the medicine that helps keep food down. She is drinking a good amount of water, so no need for IV's I would guess.

I will specifically have the Vet check for blockages.

I am taking notes and putting everyone's ideas on to a paper to discuss with the Vet.

Last night, after first throwing up her food (Scientific Prescription - the Vet gave us this), we gave her rice and she "woofed" it down and it didn't come back up. Also, she continues to drink a lot of water. She age rice again this morning, but we will see if it comes back up. She will have her ultrasound in a few hours so maybe we will know more then.

I will keep you updated.

Thanks

[Old Man River]

They did the ultrasound today and it looks like liver cancer that has spread to the spleen and into the lymph nodes. They will do the biopsy at Mahidol on Tuesday, but really, there is little chance she will survive.

When some thing like this happens, you read about it on the internet after the fact and then become an "expert." While I knew that goldens were susceptible to cancer, I didn't realize the chances of them getting it were so much higher than other breeds.

I begin to wonder and something for those with goldens to think about, maybe if I did ultrasound studies every three months or so it could have saved this beautiful dog's life. The ultrasound study only cost THB 500, but I just didn't know to do it and no Vet ever mentions it until there is an obvious problem.

My dog has had checkups and blood tests, but maybe not as often as we should have.

For the Vets, to help the others, what is the optimum for getting blood tests for dogs and for those with Goldens, does it make sense to have ultrasounds every few months?

[katabeachbum]

They did the ultrasound today and it looks like liver cancer that has spread to the spleen and into the lymph nodes. They will do the biopsy at Mahidol on Tuesday, but really, there is little chance she will survive.

When some thing like this happens, you read about it on the internet after the fact and then become an "expert." While I knew that goldens were susceptible to cancer, I didn't realize the chances of them getting it were so much higher than other breeds.

I begin to wonder and something for those with goldens to think about, maybe if I did ultrasound studies every three months or so it could have saved this beautiful dog's life. The ultrasound study only cost THB 500, but I just didn't know to do it and no Vet ever mentions it until there is an obvious problem.

My dog has had checkups and blood tests, but maybe not as often as we should have.

For the Vets, to help the others, what is the optimum for getting blood tests for dogs and for those with Goldens, does it make sense to have ultrasounds every few months?

I am so sorry

You just cant prevent canser by medical checkups. Its the breeders job to use healthy parents/families.

[macb]

OLD MAN RIVER:

So sorry to hear the sad News:

I am sure you cared and loved your dog to the very best of your ability like the rest of us Pet lovers would do, its a disease that strikes humans as well as we all know.

Its not about Breeders really not when it comes to this disease its an awful illness, don't blame yourself it strikes humans and animals when least expected

[Nienke]

Oh what a shocking news, OMR!! I'm so sorry for you.

Please, don't 'blame' yourself about what you should or shouldn't have done. There are no 'if I would have done this' or 'if I would have known better'; you HAVE given the best care to your dog that you could with the knowledge you have at this moment.

I've been there where you are now several times and know what it feels like.

I wish you a lot of strength.

[bina]

shame.

and if it did show up in earlier blood tests? wil u want to subject her to chemo or invasive surgery? these were all questions that i had to ask myself when my boxers (prone to cancers and spinal problems) were ill... i couldnt have afforded all the vet bills, so only did one minor surgery, and palliative care to the very end... i remind myslef that these are my dogs, not my children and i can decide how much money and pain/surgery/treatments i will subject my animals to-- everyone has his/her own limit where as for most of us, for our children there would probably be no limit ... but then again i have a farmer's personality ... i love my doggies dearly but ........

now u have to just find ways fo making her comfortable, not feeling too much nausea, u can learn no problem to give under the skin injections: hard to explain but i think i have a diagram with directions somewhere i can send u; the vet can show u... it is worth it as the body absorbs injected things better ... find things that she likes to eat (the liver disease foods are horrible tasting ost dogs hate them unfortunately and hard to explain to a dog that its for its own good)

think thru things carefully before u do the biopsy since the cancer has spread to lymph nodes; i suppose u could pm mangotogo to ask for more detailed explanations of things and options, he might be able to give u info (not advice as he 'isnt practicing in thailand' (his quotes) that will help u make educated guesses (which also have financial implications not to mention emotional ones)

its hard to care for a dog sick and in pain, but most dogs really appreciate their owners being with them, and adjusting the care routines for them... even a sick dog can play a little even if its in doors and for a short while (my male, nero, had brain tumours/spinal tumours but was able to catch a ball in his mouth even when he was paralyzed, and he still enjoyed the game- to give an example)

u did and are doing all the things u should be doing.

bina

israel

[Old Man River]

shame.

and if it did show up in earlier blood tests? wil u want to subject her to chemo or invasive surgery? these were all questions that i had to ask myself when my boxers (prone to cancers and spinal problems) were ill... i couldnt have afforded all the vet bills, so only did one minor surgery, and palliative care to the very end... i remind myslef that these are my dogs, not my children and i can decide how much money and pain/surgery/treatments i will subject my animals to-- everyone has his/her own limit where as for most of us, for our children there would probably be no limit ... but then again i have a farmer's personality ... i love my doggies dearly but ........

now u have to just find ways fo making her comfortable, not feeling too much nausea, u can learn no problem to give under the skin injections: hard to explain but i think i have a diagram with directions somewhere i can send u; the vet can show u... it is worth it as the body absorbs injected things better ... find things that she likes to eat (the liver disease foods are horrible tasting ost dogs hate them unfortunately and hard to explain to a dog that its for its own good)

think thru things carefully before u do the biopsy since the cancer has spread to lymph nodes; i suppose u could pm mangotogo to ask for more detailed explanations of things and options, he might be able to give u info (not advice as he 'isnt practicing in thailand' (his quotes) that will help u make educated guesses (which also have financial implications not to mention emotional ones)

its hard to care for a dog sick and in pain, but most dogs really appreciate their owners being with them, and adjusting the care routines for them... even a sick dog can play a little even if its in doors and for a short while (my male, nero, had brain tumours/spinal tumours but was able to catch a ball in his mouth even when he was paralyzed, and he still enjoyed the game- to give an example)

u did and are doing all the things u should be doing.

bina

israel

Thanks Bina and everyone else. On one hand, I tell myself it is a dog, not my kid or my wife and then on the other hand, our dogs are also part of our family. Not only for us, as the maids are also heartbroken.

I am questioning the biopsy now, but then I keep thinking that maybe they can do something and I don't want to cost my dog that chance. I am an optimist. I will talk to the Dr's again at Mahidol and see that they say (what her chances are). They did say what is not working in her favor is that she is a pedigree. Apparently, cancer is the leading cause of death for goldens, although they are normally older than my dog when it happens.

The high cancer factor in retrievers surprised me. We are always told about hip problems and eye problems, but cancer is the leading cause of their deaths.

I was going to ask about my giving injections, but after seeing the ultrasound, I forgot all that I was going to ask. I will PM mangotogo.

If anyone has seen the movie Marley & Me, they know we are getting ready for our Marley moments. I look into the dogs eyes and wonder if she understands. She probably does, but she still has a lot of strength. We will take her out to the yard tomorrow and see if she wants to play.

We are feeding her a milk/meal that she doesn't seem to mind as well as rice, noodles etc. as she still has a good appetite. We have pills to give her to keep her from getting nauseated, but the injection is probably much better.

I keep remembering Mark Twain's comments. He said he didn't know if there was a heaven and hel_l, but wherever the dogs go is where he wants to go. Me to.

Edited July 25, 2009 by Old Man River

[Mobi]

OMR,

So sorry to hear your tragic news.

I would be totally devastated if it happened to any of my dogs, and my heart goes out to you and your family.

When I was rushed into hospital a couple of weeks ago with Dengue, Cookie sat at the bottom of the stairs as I was carried down from my bedroom, and she wouldn't leave me alone. The paramedics and everyone had to let her have a few minutes to make of a fuss of me before I was taken to the ambulance.

As sure as anything in this world, she knew that I was very sick. When I came home from hospital she went absolutely crazy and wouldn't leave me alone. And my golden is an unusually docile animal, and usually behaves impeccably.

Dogs aren't human beings, but I truly believe they are all part of God's great purpose - and that's coming from someone who doesn't believe in God! But since I got sober I do believe in a 'higher power'.

You were blessed with this wonderful dog's love for a few years, so just try to remember the good times, and remember that he lived a meaningful life.

You should get a new puppy as soon as possible - it will help a lot.

Take care

Mobi

[macb]

Over the years in my profession I had many and lost good working Dogs well they were not seen as working dogs but a fellow officer and my partners: I had many happy and very sad times, but still have all the memories of all my dogs.

This I found on a search it is not written by me, but dedicate it to OLE MAN RIVER and his beloved dog

My Dog and His Love

He's with me 24 hours a day.

And never a word is able to say.

But he can say more with a look or two,

such as I Love You, My Whole World Is You!

As I do my chores throughout the day,

He's by my side, every step of the way.

When I stop to eat, you can bet he's there,

sitting of course, in his favorite chair.

And if some night I decide to go out.

He'll hang his head, and kinda pout.

He sits by the window, until I come home.

Sits there and waits so patiently.

Hoping to catch a glimpse of me,

can't wait till I put the key in the door.

He's barking and jumping, and barking some more.

Then as I lay me down to sleep.

He's there by my side, his vigil to keep.

And I thank the Lord, in the heaven above.

For My Best Friend, my dog, and his love!

[Old Man River]

Thanks guys.

I have been in contact with Mangotogo at Bina's suggestion and now know that when my dog stops eating that is the message that she has had enough. We are not there yet.

I googled an article from VetMed University of California at Davis and their research shows that 60% of all goldens will die of cancer. Another study I read said one in three. In any event, the probability is high. Perhaps more frequent blood tests are in order for those owning goldens.

Best regards.

[Old Man River]

Thanks guys.

I have been in contact with Mangotogo at Bina's suggestion and now know that when my dog stops eating that is the message that she has had enough. We are not there yet.

I googled an article from VetMed University of California at Davis and their research shows that 60% of all goldens will die of cancer. Another study I read said one in three. In any event, the probability is high. Perhaps more frequent blood tests are in order for those owning goldens.

Best regards.

Again, after talking with a Vet at Thong Lo Animal Hospital, I was told that while other breeds don't normally get cancer, golden retrievers have a high probability they will as they are much more susceptible to many different forms of cancer.

I will ask the Dr. mid week when we do the biopsy what should an owner of a golden retriever be doing to recognize cancer early on. Obviously, I didn't know and I suspect most owners of goldens don't either. The biggest risk is if they are 100% goldens, as my dog is.

[Nienke]

Where does the vet get THAT information from?

Since the introduction of the petfoods, vaccinations, and other chemicals put on or in our dogs and cats the cancer rate under all breeds has increased (a lot), not only goldens. But, I won't be surprised that this occurrence is higher under the popular breeds such as goldens ... and also the German shepherd is 'famous' for its susceptibility of all sorts of diseases.

[Old Man River]

Where does the vet get THAT information from?

Since the introduction of the petfoods, vaccinations, and other chemicals put on or in our dogs and cats the cancer rate under all breeds has increased (a lot), not only goldens. But, I won't be surprised that this occurrence is higher under the popular breeds such as goldens ... and also the German shepherd is 'famous' for its susceptibility of all sorts of diseases.

Not just one Vet. So far, since my dog has got ill, ALL the Vets I have talked to say the same thing. Goldens are very highly susceptible to cancer of many different types. I don't know about German Shepards, just Goldens as that is the breed my discussions have been about.

Also, I have googled it and read a lot about the high cancer rates in Goldens. Again, this comes from Vets around the world.

The bottom line is that if someone has a Golden, best to be aware of the high cancer rates.

[bina]

u can add boxers to that list also unfortunately. i suppose that because of breed popularity and over breeding, the genetic propensity for cancer was strengthened. not to mention all the food additives and probably not healthy life styles that the dogs are in (like owners) if owner smokes the dog is passive smoking, pollution , insecticides,etc...

bina

israel

[Old Man River]

u can add boxers to that list also unfortunately. i suppose that because of breed popularity and over breeding, the genetic propensity for cancer was strengthened. not to mention all the food additives and probably not healthy life styles that the dogs are in (like owners) if owner smokes the dog is passive smoking, pollution , insecticides,etc...

bina

israel

Bina, while you probably would know, I didn't have a clue when I opted for a golden pedigree that this dog would have a higher chance of cancer (I am happy we chose her anyway - she is a great dog). I knew about the potential for eye problems and the potential for hip problems, but not anything life threatening. I would guess that most that own dogs that are pure breeds don't even think about serious health problems relating to that breed.

I see on in this section on TV a number of people seeking pure bred dogs in Thailand. Any info we can give them (your and others through your expertise, me and others through experience) will add value.