Bourbon's Eye is Swelling Again

I'm so very sorry to hear this. Please look after yourself, we will all keep praying for Bourbon. I only wish there is more I could do to help you.

Take care
Gio

Oh Pepper, I am so sorry to hear that news, I hope and pray something will turn around Bourbon's condition for the good. I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers. My heart goes out to you and Bourbon.

Oh, Pepper, I am so sorry about the diagnosis. I don't suppose it is any consolation, but at least you know what you are dealing with.

I know this is not a road you want to travel with Bourbon, and whatever decisions you make for his treatment are going to be difficult ones with no easy answers. Remember, we are here to listen to whatever you feel like sharing. Many of us have been where you are at. It helped to share my concerns, my fears, my feelings during such such a troubling situation. So stay with us and we will stay with you.

I wish we could see a picture of your *baby boy*, Bourbon.

How do you post pictures?

I picked up the biopsy report to take with me. It says "this tumor is expected to be locally invasive with a low chance of metastasis. Osteosarcomas of the head tend to metastasize less than appendicular osteosarcomas." I guess that's some consolation. However, what is odd is that when they went in for the biopsy, the vet said there was nothing to remove, no nodules. What does that mean, does anyone know?

Does anyone have the website for Irish Setters of America I think it's called? I understand this is a disease there are susceptible to and I heard that they have done alot of research on it. I would like to delve into that if I can.

[ August 06, 2001: Message edited by: pepper ]

Hi Pepper, I believe the address of the Irish Setter Club of America is http://www.irishsetterclub.org/
Have you opened a Webshot album? It is free and easy and then you can transfer your photos here. I think the address is http://www.webshots.com
Hope all goes well.
Jackie

Thanks Jackie
http://community.webshots.com/album/18830750XkiXWCpKXx

Here is the beautiful Bourbon


http://wsphotofews.excite.com/030/4Q/il/hE/bL61005.jpg

[ August 06, 2001: Message edited by: tatsxxx11 ]

[ August 08, 2001: Message edited by: tatsxxx11 ]

Bourbon is such a beauty - looks so sweet and loving!

Bourbon is beautiful, he looks so calm, sweet and loving. I'm so sorry he has to go through all of this. Please give him a hug from me. I think once a dog gets on here we all feel they belong to all of us, we worry about them, love them and care of course what happens to them.

Hi Pepper,

I just read thru this whole story and I think I'm caught up. I just wanted to tell you that you and Beautiful, Beautiful Bourbon have been added to my prayers. I am so sorry that your baby has to go through this. I hope he is doing well. He sounds like a strong trooper. Good thoughts all around Pepper.

Please give him a huge hug and kiss from me my 3 girls.

Pepper, Bourbon is so handsome!!! Give this a good fight! The results give some hope. With all the prayers here, maybe it can be fixed. It hurts so bad when our babies are sick. We will be praying for Bourbon and you, too!

Sue, Killian and Shiloh

Pepper, Bourbon is SO beautiful. I wish I could give his sweet face lots of get well kisses. I'm so, so sad and sorry that the news was not as good as we had hoped. The good part is that the biopsy is encouraging; and you are giving him the best chance for a full recovery, taking him to Purdue U. As for why there was "nothing to be removed" at the time of the biopsy...there perhaps was not enough tumorous tissue there to even be seen. It may in the very early stage and detected only on a cellular level. I will be waiting very anxiously as you travel to Purdue. With their help, and all the love and prayers of the many, many people who love and care for Bourbon, we just have to believe that Bourbon will recover. All my love to you and please, please give Bourbon a big hug and kiss. Love, Sandra Cody and Star

Pepper I am so sorry! We will all continue the prayers, and send more of them your way. My heart goes out to you. Kisses to you, Bourbon. You are so handsome! What a sweet face, and such loving eyes. Good luck to you.

[ August 07, 2001: Message edited by: Daisy's Mom ]

FYI: Irish Wolfhounds are also prone to osteosarcoma. I know you were looking for Irish Setter owners, so maybe Irish Wolfhound owners would also have some insight or advice. I think the webite for the Irish Wolfhound Club of America is http://www.iwclubofamerica.org/

[ August 07, 2001: Message edited by: 3-greys-and-a-mutt ]

Oh, Pepper, I'm so sorry. I just caught up today on Bourbon. You guys are in my prayers. I hope you get good news at Purdue. By the way, Bourbon, you are simply gorgeous.

How is Bourbon doing today? Please know you are constantly in our hearts and prayers. Love and kisses to you beautiful Bourbon, you are truly precious. Love,Sandra, Cody and Star

Prayers and thoughts for you and
Bourbon.
You are both close to our hearts.
Sending many wishes and hugs to you both.

I think about and pray for Bourbon every day. Thanks for posting his picture.

Well, just got back from Purdue. They found a 5 centimeter mass in his abdomen (spleen). Took an ultra sound (portable equipment?), he was not originally scheduled for an ultrasound so the fancy stuff with radiologist was not available, there was something there with holes in it. Vet said when it looked like that, there was a 50% chance it was benign and a 50% chance it was malignant. They wanted to operate on it today. I said no, I do not make split second decisions. I will wait to talk to my own vet and go from there. They believe they can remove the mass by his eye but they are not 100% sure what that is either. Purdue felt the lab report was incomplete and wanted to do another biopsy which I did not agree to. Why put Bourbon through more? Yesterday, light bulb went off, and they asked the lab up here to send them the slide which they used to come up with their results. If that lab says it's osteosarcoma, then I guess I'll have to believe it. If they do remove the mass and the surrounding bone and tissue, they may have to remove the eye as well. This just sounds like way too much for me. They let me take Bourbon to the motel Wednesday night rather than leaving him at Purdue and he was so good. He's never been in a motel and was the perfect dog. He is so happy and eats so well and acts like nothing is wrong. I hate to take this boy and subject him to all this surgery with no guarantees. Even if there were guarantees, I don't really feel comfortable doing it.

I spoke with my vet this morning and I am going to investigate holistic medicine. He is all for it and has put me in touch with a holistic vet. I also found a woman (through Debbie Martin) whose dog Sander had osteosarcoma in the roof of his mouth. The vets gave him 1-2 months. Surgery, chemo and radiation were not an option per her vet so she found a woman in Oregon who is very familiar with holistic for dogs with cancer. She put her on a treatment regimen and it has been 2-1/2 years. What a success story! I'm going to go that route too with both my vet and the holistic vet on board. I feel it will be the best for Bourbon who turns 13 in October. It won't be invasive and hopefully will give him the time he was supposed to have. We are also going to continue with the antibiotics since some infection is still present and also with 1 pred every other day to act as a chemo agent. I will also continue with the antihistamines twice a day. I feel comfortable with this decision and I hope for once I am putting what's best for Bourbon ahead of what's best for me which is trying to keep Bourbon with me forever, at whatever cost to him.

Pepper,

I'm so sorry to hear about Bourbon's problems. What you said at the end of your post is so true, sometime we chose what's best for us and we do no opt what's the best for our beloved pet. We found out that my first cat had cancer when she was 13, she had surgery but died two months after that. We now wish we did not put her through that, a lot of pain for such a short extra time. We were to scared of letting her go. I think that quality time is more important.

I think that the holistic medicine route is a good one, I'm a great believer in alternative medicine as well and I know that there can be good results. And as you said, it's not based on invasive procedures and is painless.

I'm thinking of you both, give a big hug to Bourbon and remember we are here if you need to talk.

Take care
Gio

Pepper, I can only speak for myself, but I think you are making a very intelligent decision. I consider Bourbon's age to be a real factor here. Even if he did not have this particular problem, he is getting to an age where one has to accept that he is not going to be with us forever. The quality of his life is as important as the length of it. He has been through one surgery and it was worth it to find a chance for a solution. From all the information you have given us here, my gut feeling is that you are going in the right direction.

Pepper, my heart goes out to you and Bourbon. I know what you are going through. Sometimes the "possible (?) cure" can kill the dog. I know because that is how it is with Killian. If the dog feels well now and he is 13 years old, why make him suffer through surgery which might kill him. Even the results of the surgery are iffy. My fear for you is the fact that he has a mass in the eye area and also in the spleen. Science can sometimes go too far. Quality of life is more important than quantity of life. You want Bourbon feeling good for as long as you have him. I whole-heartedly agree. That's what I want for my dog, too. It's another story when they are not feeling well and at a much younger age. Hopefully the meds and holistic approach will help Bourbon to continue to feel good. I would do as you are doing given Bourbon's age. Believe me, my heart is with you!!! Good luck and keep us posted.

Sue

[ August 10, 2001: Message edited by: Sudilar ]

Pepper, I know this is such a difficult decision for you to make. I believe what the others have said, Quality of life at this time is most important and that he enjoys doing the things he loves most. It would be hard for me to put my dogs through all that surgery if they were at his age, that's for sure. I believe if I was in your shoes, I would go for the Holistic Approach and continue him on his medications. I believe you are doing what you feel is best for Bourbon and we will all continue to pray and have positive thoughts for him, I wish I could give him a hug right this minute, maybe you could do it for me.
Jackie

Pepper I agree with everyone else; you are making the right decision. I am so sorry for you; I know this can't be easy. We are all praying for sweet Bourbon. Kisses to him! Please keep us updated.

Pepper, how is Bourbon doing? He's in our prayers (you, too).

Pepper. Like everyone else, I do believe you are doing the right, and best thing for him. What a difficult decision I'm sure. We all hope and pray that the course you have decided to persue will bring him some relief and improve his quality of life. You are a wonderful, devoted mom. And Bourbon is the most beautiful and bravest dog. I pray for you both every day. Please give him a big, big hug from me. Love, Sandra

I began the holistic medication Monday afternoon. He is very good at taking it, there is quite a bit. I am also weaning him off dog food to a natural diet. I am supposed to think of him as a diabetic and feed him accordingly. Any ideas would be appreciated - no sugar. I have a call in to my vet with a few questions. I thought his swelling looked bad yesterday, but I put some bacitracin on it and it looks a little improved today. You know, you're afraid to say it looks better, but I think it does. He's still acting great. I sure hope this works.

I'm praying that it does! Good luck!

Pepper..
So good to hear that Bourbon is in good spirits.Sorry i can't advise anything about
his diet, but Buddy & I want You to know
that YOU BOTH are in our hearts and always
remembered in my prayers.

Totally, totally agree with your decision against surgery. My heart tore a little when I read your decision as I am so proud of you for putting your, may I say very gorgeous, dog before yourself. At thirteen years of age he has had too good a life to let selfish hope and need get in the way but I'm not sure how many of us (well, me, really) would of been so compassionate. All my love to you and your family (human and animal) and I am proud to "know" you. Keep us up to date when you can and when you want to.

Pepper and Bourbon, Daisy and I are still thinking about and praying for the two of you. Carrie, you said it all perfectly. Pepper you are such a sweet, caring person, putting wonderful Bourbon's needs before your own. I can only hope that if/when I ever have to make a decision like this, I can do what is best for Daisy like you are doing for Bourbon. He really does appreciate it, and I bet he loves you all the more for it. I hope his treatment is working!

Thank you for the compliments. I think the only way I was able to come to this decision is because I've been there before and I went the opposite way. My beloved Pepper was diagnosed with cancer; he passed away about 6 months before I got Bourbon. Back then, they didn't have chemo and radition for dogs, but I opted for surgery, I think 5 surgeries. I always wondered if I had done the right thing. Well, I have another chance to make the "right" decision. I spoke with the vet again yesterday; he and another vet conferred and he felt that the spleen should be removed before it ruptured. I went back and forth again but then I thought I've committed to holistic and I believe I should stay with that decision. After all, if it is osteosarcoma (tests back from Purdue find no evidence, but previous slide test that other lab made their decision from has still not come back from Purdue), from what I've researched, he'll need his spleen to help fight the cancer, which is what the holistic meds are doing too. They will not "cure" the cancer, just make it a chronic disease which, hopefully, Bourbon and I can live with.

Pepper, you are going through a terrible crisis right now, and probably doubting whether you are making the right decision for Bourbon. Which ever way you go is a risk, you have tried the other way, who knows maybe the holistic will give him more time to have quality in his life. I still think I would go the way you are going at least it wouldn't be invasive and I have heard good things about it. No matter what the Vets say, it is your decision in the long run to make, you are the one who loves him so much.
Jackie

Pepper, Thinking of you and Bourbon and praying for you. It is very wonderful of you to be able to put your dogs needs first. We usually like to do what makes us feel right or good.

Is the spleen terribly close to rupturing? Or do they think that in the future it might happen?

My prayers are with you. I understand what you are going through and only you can make the best decision for your furbaby. Good luck.

Pepper, my prayers and thougths are with you. I think of sweet Bourbon often. Kisses to him!

They told me there is a possibility the spleen may rupture, but the mass is only 2 centimeters at this time. He continues to feel good as far as I can tell. The holistic medicine is supposed to cut off blood supply to the masses so if it does it's job, I'm hoping the spleen will be OK. I have an appointment at the vet on Monday to aspirate the blood and pus from above his eye. I'll have to put a scarf around his head so he doesn't feel self-conscious out in public.

I'm going to be on vacation next week (my birthday's Sunday) so I will not be able to post. Please keep Bourbon in your thoughts and prayers.

Happy Birthday!
Have a nice vacation and don't worry we will keep those prayers coming for dear Bourbon.

Happy birthday Sunday!!!! :) :)
Try to have a great vacation and please keep us posted as soon as you get back. We will be praying.
Glad to hear that Bourbon is feeling well. I also agree with your decision. I pray that it works and gives you more quality time with your beloved furbaby.
Have a great vacation!!!!

Wishing you a happy birthday and a safe
vacation. We will all be hoping the best and thinking of both Bourbon and you.