DS Forums

 
 

Brain tumour in older dog


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 03-11-2015, 18:51
Mrstimmy
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,840

Hi,
has anyone had an older dog with a suspected brain tumour? My boxer dog is nearly 12 and although she has arthritis which she copes with well now, and a couple of other niggling but controlled problems, now has a suspected brain tumour. Out of nowhere a few nights ago she had a seizure, which having never seen one was one of the worst experiences I've had, but this was then followed the next day by 3 more. She was on Valium to stop any more prescribed by a local emergency vet, but this made her spaced out tired and miserable, which would have been hangover effects from the seizures as well. Blood tests came back today as normal. Our vet has asked whether we want a referral for an mri scan or whether to start our dog on anti seizure pills that are given to epileptic dogs.
Has anyone any experience of brain tumours with an older dog? They're supposedly quite common, particularly in boxer dogs. I'm stuck what to do, I would do anything to find out what's wrong and make her better, but at the same time following an mri and diagnosis of a brain tumour would surgery or radiation therapy be right for an older dog?
Any experiences or advice would be hugely appreciated? I honestly didn't think I would have to deal with this ever. My dog is so fit and strong it's come out of the blue as one of the shittest shocks ever.
Mrstimmy is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 04-11-2015, 15:45
Absolutely
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,790
One of my dogs started having fits age 5, he is now in his 9th year. We did have the MRI scan and it showed nothing wrong with his brain. The first 3 years we did not want him to have any medication, he had fits maybe 1 a month, but then they got to every week and more, so then we have put him on pheno. And since March he did not have any fits. (so far so good).
But I think if you have got insurance I would have the MRI scan to see if its a tumour. Personally I would not give an older dog chemo and such, I would take into consideration the quality of his life. But maybe just try the fit medication for a while?
Absolutely is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2015, 10:20
funnyonion
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 44
Hi,

I'm so sorry about your boxer, I know just how you feel. Our boxer was almost 13 and had been getting old and doddery for a while. He could barely walk in a straight line, then his back legs started buckling, we started carrying him from his bed to the garden, we held him as he pooed and then we carried him to the sofa.

On 4 July this year he was in the garden with us and he had his first seizure. We took him to the emergency vets and she suspected a brain tumour, she said she could prescribe valium but he would be so out of it he'd have no quality of life. We took him home so our middle daughter could get home from Uni to say goodbye to him. He had 2 further seizures - each one more severe - and then we took him back to the vets to be put to sleep. It was one of the saddest days of our lives but we know we did the right thing. He was too old to cope with an MRI or surgery.

I know this maybe not what you want to hear, but you have to weigh up your dogs quality of life. In our case, Spike really didn't have any. We cared for him and he was pain free but it would've been unfair to let him carry on like that. Your boxer sounds like he was still very fit before the seizures, in which case you could go for the MRI if your vet thinks he could cope.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
funnyonion is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-11-2015, 19:26
Waj_100
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 3,640
My old dog started to have seizures in February 2014 after I took him to the emergency vet when he collapsed outside the house when I started his evening walk.
He had several which lasted 6 to 8 minutes each time...it was horrible to watch him and not be able to do anything.
I was told that he most likely had a brain tumour.
The vet started him on the anti seizure pills which stopped the seizures but made him wee everywhere.
He also had steroid injections.
He lasted exactly a year before his quality of life got so bad that I made the decision to let him go....he was 18 years old.

I feel for you...
Waj_100 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-11-2015, 22:17
daisy_johns
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 295
So sorry your dog is poorly.

Our 7 year old dog had 2 fits on the same day this year, I agree it was so awful to watch but our vet assured us that her brain had shut down and it was worse for us than her.

She was prescribed valium, 10mg a day for 7 days. They didn't knock her out she was fine, and thankfully she's had no more fits since.

Maybe give medication a try it might help, if not you have other options. Good luck.
daisy_johns is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 13-11-2015, 22:14
Mrstimmy
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,840
Thank you for the replies. We tried medication, which worked for about 9 days, but she had a big fit last night followed by 3 more in the early hours. Took her to the vet first thing who took her in for monitoring, but then called to say she had had a massive fit which they couldn't properly bring her out of. I got there and she wasn't herself she had gone. I cuddled her whilst she was put to sleep. I wanted to wait longer to see if she would come round, cos she was so happy yesterday and out playing. But the vet said they had tried to bring her round for a long time and if she did come round it was likely she would go straight into another fit. Worst day of my life. I should never have left her at the vet I should have stayed with her.
Mrstimmy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-11-2015, 00:44
funnyonion
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 44
I am so, so sorry for your loss. Please don't beat yourself up about leaving her with the vet, you had no idea what was going to happen and I'm sure she got the best care. I know how lost you must be feeling so please take care of yourself and remember the good times you had with your beautiful dog.
funnyonion is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14-11-2015, 14:01
Absolutely
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,790
I am very sorry to hear your sad news. You done your best for your dog. Glad you had a few good days with him before this happened. Just remember the good days.
Absolutely is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-11-2015, 07:48
mrsgrumpy49
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 6,369
So sorry to hear your news. It's normal to beat ourselves up about what we did or didn't do. Hopefully that feeling will subside as time goes on and you will remember the good times.
mrsgrumpy49 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-11-2015, 09:10
moonlily
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,526
So sorry to hear your sad news. But you did everything you could for her. Guilt is part of grief, please go easier on yourself and remember all the good times you had together.
moonlily is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-11-2015, 10:06
Mrstimmy
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,840
I wish I had waited longer with her to see if she would come round. She was so happy and loved life, it was not her time to go.
Mrstimmy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-11-2015, 20:28
moonlily
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,526
I wish I had waited longer with her to see if she would come round. She was so happy and loved life, it was not her time to go.
It is harder when a dog goes before their time, it happened with one of mine and I always felt cheated by it, I'll admit that subsequent dogs who have lived to a ripe old age have not been such a wrench as she was, still heartbreaking but not quite the same.

I hope as days go by your pain will lessen a little, feeling for you at the moment as I remember what it felt like and it was awful.
moonlily is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-11-2015, 18:43
Mrstimmy
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,840
Thanks everyone. I definitely feel cheated, and I feel my dog who was so brilliant has been cheated. She loved life and battled on through everything never making any fuss. She just loved her family and life, it's so unfair that was all taken from her so suddenly. I still can't believe she's gone. We have talked about rescuing a boxer, or getting another puppy as we got her as a puppy. As a distraction and something to focus on. I hate my life without my dog
Mrstimmy is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply



Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 22:55.