My in-law's dog Hannah was acting weird yesterday and kept falling over. She's around nine years old, so without looking at her I'd assumed it had something to do with her joints, moreso her hips, since Shepherd-X's are prone to having bad hips as they age. After watching her, her front right leg was the one that would collapse. She just seemed really sluggish and lethargic, so I felt her leg and found a lump around the area where she'd had a tumor removed a few years prior. I told them they needed to take her to the vet as soon as possible.
So today I get up and go to school and hubby calls and says that Hannah is not doing very good at all, she's just lying there and won't get up or walk around. I told him to tell his parents they NEED to get her to the vet IMMEDIATELY as my parents' dog Perdy had displayed some of the same signs and passed away very quickly, and worst-case scenario if there was nothing they could do at least take her to have her euthanized because I can't think of anything more traumatic than his youngest brother coming home from school and seeing her after she'd passed away. Not to mention if she was in pain or something.
So they brought her in and turns out she has really low blood sugar, like 36. They gave her some sugar water and the vet said she needs more carbs in her diet as there may be a problem with her pancreas. She's on steroids from now until the rest of her life, and she gets to pretty much eat table scraps... well high-carb food like pasta, bread, etc. The doc also said she may have a tumor on her pancreas which could be causing these problems.
Hubby doesn't know this yet but he also estimated she only has a year or two left, and I'm not sure I want to tell him just yet, and neither do his parents. Apparently he was really freaking out today, because sure we have Charlie and Jamie, but this is Hannah, this is his childhood dog that he grew up with. She'd even survived Parvo as a pup!
So please keep her in your prayers and thoughts that she lives out the rest of her life worry and pain free
UPDATE from post #9: Bloodwork results came back and it looks as though she may have cancer... I want to say liver cancer but I can't remember what they said. I know hubby doesn't like talking about it because it upsets him so I may talk to his parents later to clarify (I just forgot) but he now knows she only has a year or two left at most, but they're going to make them her best years yet!
Update 04/07/2008 post #12
I would copy and paste but it's pretty long... two seizures today in the span of an hour.... please keep her in your prayers... I fear the worst...
UPDATE 04/08/08 post #17
The difficult decision was made to put her down this morning. Hannah, you put up a good fight against your cancer. May you RIP.
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