Friday, October 8, 2010

My 13 yr old black lab has lung cancer and is retianing water

My 13 yr old black lab has lung cancer and is retianing water?
He was doing well on lasix and had perked up, but the last three days he's been pretty listless, he wont eat his own food but will eat table food if hand fed. My vet says it might be time for him to be put down. My problem is if I can still get him to eat and he still lifts his head and wags his tail when i call him and he is not incontinent Should I wait to put him down? I want to wait but do not want him to suffer.
Dogs - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
if you know your dog, you should be able to make a general judgment call, I have had a black lab for about the same amount of time, his throat is slowly closing up, it all depends on their qualitiy of life, he seems perfectly content with his fatty tumors and just coughing, just try to get a general idea, if they cant walk and cant get up the stairs by themselves, well maybe it is time to let go, but it also might be time to just go ask a vet for some pain medicine for your pup
2 :
I believe that you mean RETAINING? It's time to let the poor dog go in peace.
3 :
He is suffering. It would be a loving gift to have him euthanized. I know it is hard but sometimes it is the best thing we can do for them. So sorry. He has been with you a long time. Let him go in peace.
4 :
It's up to you. You know your dog best and only you can make that decision. However, if his condition has gotten so bad that it is causing him to be that lethargic then I assure you he is certainly very uncomfortable if not actually in pain. You don't want to wait until your dog can't even lift his head. And most dogs will wag their tails for their loved ones even if they themselves are in a lot of pain. And incontinence shouldn't even enter into the equation...incontinence is inconvenient for the human caretaker, but generally not painful for a dog. A dog can be in excruciating pain and not be incontinent.
5 :
My last Lab lasted 13 1/2 years and at that time I put her down. I have had many dogs in my 64 years and I have put all of them down at the time I determined that their life was not their life anymore. When a dog cannot be a dog anymore then it is time. A dog will do anything for you and can not make the call; you must toughen your spirit and give back some of that love by letting go. Our Government should do the same for us but that will probably not happen in my lifetime. When the dog you love cannot do the things that make him or her a dog; such as walk, play, go out to relieve themselves; or eat on their own them it is time. Of course it hurts but you cannot know how much pain they are suffering without complaint just for you and so you have to play God for a bit just because you can.

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Monday, October 4, 2010

Lung Cancer how long without treatment

Lung Cancer how long without treatment?
My sister in law was diagnosed with Stage 4 terminal lung cancer. Inoperable. It has spread to her liver, throat, and parts of her brain I was told. She is 55 and in very poor health. How long does she have? She has decided no treatment for herself.
Cancer - 4 Answers
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1 :
Based on the latest statistics, 50% of people with stage 4 lung cancer die in 8 months. Females tend to live a little longer than males but all the other variables also have an impact on this. Considering her decision regarding treatment and where it has spread, I would suspect less than 4 months.
2 :
I'm so sorry to hear about your family member. Lung cancer is a horrible disease. If she has decided no treatment, I'd imagine the doctors told her that her cancer is so far along and spread that treatment wouldn't be beneficial. Only the doctors would know how long she has, but with what you've described, I would guess not too long.
3 :
She will survive longer with no chemo than with chemo. Here are some resources for naturally healing cancer: http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/
4 :
My brother developed terrible back pain and thought it was work related. Went to the doctor and to make a long story short, he found out he had cancer in his lungs, liver, brain, and spine. He lived 6 weeks.

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Friday, October 1, 2010

If a person has lung cancer, does surgery on the lung speed up missed cancer cells

If a person has lung cancer, does surgery on the lung speed up missed cancer cells?
I have heard that once surgery is performed, if the doctor misses any cancer, it will really speed up.
Cancer - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IF YOU GET ANY INFO ON THIS QUESTION PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH THAT INFO. JOHNMIRIANI@SBCGLOBAL.NET
2 :
The stress of surgery can impact the immune system, and that may cause any remaining cancer cells to grow unchecked. Lung cancer is a bad disease. Many times, it's too late to cure by the time it's found. Kids, don't smoke.
3 :
The oxygen, from opening a person up, speeds the cancer growth up.
4 :
I'm a nurse. Not really in fact it destroy any unseen and/or missed cancer cells. Just so you know, everyone of us has cancer cells in our body. It's when they are disturbed and get out of control that they become fatal. There are so many new techniques that work, a lot better than the past. I know this is a hard time for you and your family, be strong things will get better and their is always hope. I'll pray for you, I'm a Christian. It will be OK.
5 :
No, this is not true. It is possible the surgeon can miss some microscopic cancer cells, but having the surgery will not make it grow any faster.
6 :
When I had lung surgery (non-smoker) from testes metastis cancer, they removed good tissue as well. The easiest way to describe this is to put a nickle on top of a quarter. The nickle is the cancer, the amount of tissue removed is the quarter. It is possible to still spread, so usually the procedure is slow.

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