Disclaimer:
Information presented in the “Living With…” sections of the SCARF website represent the personal viewpoint of the individual who made the journal entry and do not represent the opinions, positions, or viewpoints of SCARF or the veterinary community. [see complete disclaimer at bottom of page]
Bambi was born August, 1, 1999 and came into our lives in a whirlwind, she went out of our lives the same way on February 18, 2011.
Over Christmas weekend 2010, it was noticed that Bambi was holding her right rear leg up and that when it was down, it was trembling. Monday, December 27, 2010, she went to the Vet thinking that she had pulled a muscle playing in the backyard with the boys. When they read the X-rays both by the Vet and a Radiologist, they both agreed that there was a tumor on the bone at her knee.
The diagnosis was devastating. It was Osteosarcoma, Bone Cancer. A life without Bambi could not be imagined. Like everyone, despite the fact that everyone knows it is not true, she was expected to live forever. It was about a week between the time the X-rays were taken and the time the diagnosis was received so it was now the first week of January 2011. When the Vet provided the diagnosis she also explained the severe pain that is usually present with Bone Cancer and suggested that Bambi should be on pain medication to control that pain as much as possible. The pain medication was started immediately but there was not much improvement in the trembling or use of her leg. The Vet’s recommendation at that point for treatment was to consider amputation and Chemo-therapy.
First they wanted lung X-rays because Osteosarcoma is an aggressive cancer and spreads to the lungs rather quickly. If it had metastasized then everyone would need to talk some more about treatment. By the time the lung X-ray results were in, it was now into the third week of January. The lung X-rays showed a mass in her right lung. It was decided to consult someone else so an appointment was made and Bambi went to see another Vet. His diagnosis was the same, and although it was expected that it would be the same diagnosis, it was no easier to take. The owners had discussed the options available to them. Both are strong believers in quality of life and will not let their dogs suffer if at all possible. This was quickly turning in to a lose-lose situation and as they talked with the Vet, they ruled out amputation and opted to continue pain control. He was very nice and when asked what decision he would make if it were his dog, he said that he would make the same decision. Everyone agreed that with pain medication she should be able to be comfortable for at least a couple of months or possibly even longer. They explained to the Vet that they had not noticed that the pain medication was helping much and so he made some adjustments in that and she went home with her owners to see how she did.
After a while some of the shock wore off, they began to watch her and realistically evaluate her. Her energy was gone, her tail was down, she was still holding her leg up and trembling when it was down, she could not jump up on the bed, and she would rather sit or lay down than stand. She still carried her toys around with her, but rather than offering them to play she would lie down and use them as a pillow for her head. Watching her was heart breaking and she began to look up as if asking “what is happening to me?”. They knew that an unbiased decision had to be made without emotional influence. They needed to decide what was best for Bambi. They had her with them for only one week after seeing the second Vet. They made that last trip to the Vet with her on February 18, 2011, and held her as the Vet administered the medication and she went to sleep with her head resting on her favorite toy. The hurt of losing this special girl will never go away.
Disclaimer:
Information presented in the “Living With…” sections of the SCARF website represent the personal viewpoint of the individual who made the journal entry and do not represent the opinions, positions, or viewpoints of SCARF or the veterinary community. There may be discussions of drugs, devices, additives, foods, vitamins, herbs or biologicals that have not been approved by the FDA/CVM for the particular use being discussed. SCARF assumes no liability for the accuracy or outcomes of any suggestions, advice or other information provided by the “Living With…” postings on the SCARF website. All treatment decisions should only be made after discussion with your pet’s veterinary health professional, and no changes in your pet’s treatments or diet should be made based on any information found on the SCARF website.