Early Saturday morning, like about 0130, the wife get up to hit the bathroom and notices that our sleeping sheltie, Hope, has been bleeding from her nose, 3 quarter size spots on the carpet. We clean her up and go back to sleep. Hope then climbed up on our bed later in the night and was asleep with her head hanging off of the foot of the bed as she often does, and when the wife checks on her again at about 0430, she finds a puddle about the size of a coffee can lid on the floor. Off we go to the animal emergency room, her bleeding from her right nostrel either in drops, or big gurts if she sneezes. The ER vet rules out high blood pressure, tells us she thinks Hope may have a tumor which is eating into a blood vessel and well, just to go home and make her comfortable, and gave us several syringes of epineferin to put in her nostrel when it gets too bad, which she said the bleeding would eventually do, and she would succomb to anemia.

We are getting close to home and by then, my regular vet is open, so I give her a call and end up bringing her down there. She thinks it is most likely the same thing, but could also be a bad tooth, causing an issue in her sinus, which COULD cause this bleeding also. I think she is just trying to give us hope (Hope?) for a little longer, which in a way, is kind of her I suppose. She also gave us an antibiodic and a steroid to give her, and her bleeding stopped late Saturday night, and has not bled since, including surviving a couple sneezes.

We dropped her off at the vet this morning so they could do a digital x-ray to see if it is a tooth or a tumor. Turns out that because of a long surgery, they could not look at her today, and now I have to wait until Wednesday. They will pull the tooth if it is bad, but if a tumor, they think there is nothing to be done, both because of the location and her advanced age (15). I know 15 is a darn good run, but it will be hard to hear bad news from the vet just the same. The wife is torn all to heck, I am trying to be tough, but it is so hard...

I think many of us know how you feel, they just become part of you and it is a rough trip.
I couldn't even talk when my Lady's time ran out.
Hoping for the best.

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Doesn't hasta call me Johnson

Hang in there & remember that if its her time that you did have fifteen years together. It IS hard to let go, I lost my best buddy several years ago & I don't think a day goes by that I don't miss him in some way. Sending prayers for you & Hope.

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Lounge Lizard Extraordinaire

I wish there was something I could do to help but there isn't. Just be advised a whole lot of us have been where you are. If it is bad news, just do the best you can for your friend and whatever that is - it is the right thing. Don't second guess your decision and actions and don't blame yourself. I will pray for you all that Hope has nothing more than a tooth problem. Hang in there.

I've had to put many many pets and workin' critters down. The days leading up to that have been the worst days of my life, bar none.

I don't envy you the worry and doubts you are going through.

Just remember if the news is bad that the greatest gift of love you can offer is to keep your pooch from suffering longer than she should.

I've had 4 Shelties and I know how attached you can become to them.. Wonderful mutts.

I've had a lot of dogs over the last 50 years and they were all good dogs, but the BEST dog by a country mile is our current Sheltie. Smartest dog I have ever seen, even when he was young you could leave a sandwich on the edge of the coffee table and walk away, and he wouldn't touch it. We didn't have to teach him that he just knew. He has never once pottied in the house and once we were out of town and a person forgot to come let him out and he went over 30 hours without a rest room break. He had thyroid problems once and was losing hair and getting tired quickly but that is about the only problem he has ever had. I hope your dog gets well soon.

My thoughts are with you during this difficult time. I have been where you are now. I believe in the Rainbow Bridge.

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Carpriver.

I'm holding a good thought for you and for Hope -- Shelties are such sweet and appealing dogs. Please let us know what you hear from the vet.

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David Wilson

Here's wishing, Hope, well......

For my first birthday I got a puppy, Ricky, who looked at lot like, Hope.

Ricky passed on when I was 17, which was my first, but not
my last, go round with losing a long term friend.

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Ogy

My dad had several Shelties, wouldn't have anything else, because he said "they were smarter than he was."
Good luck with Hope, we wish her well.

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Dick

Lost my Dobie 10 yrs ago tomorrow morning. Still hurts. Hope your pup gets better.

Hamlin,

For me, it's hard to find the right words to extend to you and your wife at this time. Many of us here on this forum have experienced what you are going through. It's not easy.....There's no getting around it, we know it hurts.

May the Good Lord help you and the Mrs. find the strength, to give your faithful companion all the love and compassion, not only now, but surely in the future...


Thank you for letting us know the condition of your loved one.

Sincerely,

WuzzFuzz

Our Sheltie, that my wife had rescued after being hit
by a car, had a long run, too. We let him out easy at the end.
He's probably standing on a snowdrift in dog Heaven, enjoying
the cold and wind, like he did here.
Sure hope it's a tooth....
TACC1

Hamlin. It's not easy losing a loved one even a dog. When my wife passed in 2008 I was left with her 2 Maltese Terriers. They are 13 & 11 now & cost a lot but company to me. Just gave the vet $340 bucks for pulling 9 teeth on the youngest one & did the same for the older 2 years ago.But as I type they both are at my feet so it's worth it. Keep the faith.

Best wishes. My preference for dogs and cats over humans is pretty strong.

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NHI, 10-8.

I adopted a Rottie from the pound when she was around 2 yrs. old. 8 yrs. later I had to put her down. Sad.
That was 10 yrs ago & I still miss her.
Dogs are better than most people.

I sure agree with you there! She sleeps beside me as I type this, blissfully ignorant of what is going on inside her, only that perhaps she notices that her nose is a little stuffed up...



She is such a good dog...

Thank you all for your kind words of support!!
OMC

My thoughts are with you and her. It is a very real pain, and very hard to bear. Hope for the best.

I feel your pain and wish your dog well

I've got 2 little Chihuahua mix dogs. They're both 5 yrs old, one long hair, one short hair both females about 9 lbs ea. My little buddies. On Dec 3rd last year the long hair little girl had a seizure. She's had 3 to date with the meds I got from the vet after the 1st seizure started being administered after the second. It looks like she has epilepsy. The meds are phenobarbital that will probably eventually kill her. I'm hoping shes still alive till long after I'm gone. Really pisses me off. My poor little dog.

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SOS USA

I'm sorry for your dogs plight. I am impressed with your dog's age, you must be doing something right. Dogs don't live as long today as when I was young. Our dogs were not fed dog food, they just got table scraps and slept outside or in a barn in the winter. Today, I cook for my dogs. This bleeding from the nose is very bad. Years ago one of my dogs had blood spraying out a nostril, not dripping. It turned out to be an impacted tooth had caused an infection in the nasal passage. My local vet was unable to fix this and I had to take the dog to Penna Univ Veterinary Hospital in Phila. It cost me over $3000 but they had the expertise to save him. Your vets may not be able to handle this (just a thought). Best of luck with this.

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Dennis
He's got a gun!

You have a Beautiful dog there. Here's hopeing it's not something that can't be treated.

I've said it before and I'll say it again..... "I have never trusted anyone who doesn't like dogs."


Art

Sheltie the best. Maggie, a rescue about 2 years ago was 11 on 2/2/13 and is sitting behind me on a blanket. I had to put my almost 16 year old (Rosanna Rosanna Dana number two) down 1/3/12. I do love Shelties, and yes I believe all of mine have been smarter than me.

If my health gets back to normal (at 81 yoa, who knows?) I will adopt another senior.

I'll say a prayer for you and your wife, and Hope tonight. Maggie can help me.

Best, George

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the world is round everywhere

Prayers your way, here's hoping for Hope.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

It's been several years now but when I think about our wonderful Heidi, I still get upset. We were helpless to do anything near the end and we had to let her go. She was a family pet but in reality she was MY dog. I picked her out and trained her and we became so close. I guess it's best to not dwell on the bad but be happy with the good memories that you have.

I sure hope everything goes well for her and its something thats treatable for her. Sheltie's are smart, had one when I was growing up then got one for my daughter around age 6, very smart, lost her early she ended up with some sort of red/white blood cell problem. Best 9 years I had with a dog. Took here out one sunny day off and played like we always did, came back in house and about an hour later her laying in her favorite spot in living room noticed she wasn't breathing anymore. Very hard day, it was Thanksgiving Day 02' Thought I would never own a dog again and low and behold about 1 and a half years ago went to the local dump and came home with truck empty but picked up two adorable black lab puppies someone had dumped.

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US Army (Ret) 83'-05'

A beautiful dog, beautiful memories for your wife and you. We all will shed tears with you.

I've been blessed with 3 great dogs, 2 were labs. The labs are buried on a farm across the state. Every time I drive by there I look to see if they are sitting there waiting. I suspect when it's my turn to walk into the light they will be the first to greet me.

Holy cow!!! I don't believe this, but the vet called and by the digital x-ray and by checking her sinus cavities they could not find where the tooth was bad nor was there evidence of a tumor either! Now, they did explain that an x-ray doesn't always show everything, but that in the nose, they would expect to see bone loss at a tumor's location, and there was none, so I guess this is a really good sign.

Geeze, before this, I had two vets tell me it MUST be a tumor, and that there was nearly nothing that could be done. Man, I was so convinced that she was a goner, I was starting to look around the yard to find a place for her.

Maybe it was all of your kind thoughts...

That is wonderful news !!!! Such a beautiful dog. I firmly believe in the power of prayer and positive thoughts and perhaps all the positive energy that was being sent your way helped Hope. I am so very happy for you.

Hooray for Hope!! That is great news but I would attribute it to something greater than kind thoughts from us. Maybe it was just a damaged blood vessel somewhere and it will repair itself and she can keep going a while longer.

I love that breed of dog. I've know several of them and they are all very sweet and very good with kids. I feel your sorrow and pray for your acceptance and for your courage. God bless.

Great news for Hope, happy to hear no tumor and no bad tooth. Maybe it is like M29 said a blood vessel or something like that.

I had a Boa Constrictor named Hope, it was short for Hope She Don't Bite You.

Thoughts & prayers that Hope recovers completely. Give her a scritch on the ear for me.

Fantastic news!! So glad that you can finally exhale.

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Lounge Lizard Extraordinaire

I am late on this but just one comment---don't beat yourownself up too much-----No man is tuff enough.
Blessings

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TEXAS, by GOD

YeeHaw!!! That's wonderful news. I can tell you for a fact, it's hard to lose a Sheltie. I've lost 4 over the years and it's just plain tough.

Yipppeeee!!!

Maggie and I will keep you all in our prayers.

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the world is round everywhere

Great news Hamlin! I hope Hope is with you for awhile longer!

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

I'm late to this thread, but I am so glad you got GOOD news, rather than bad.

It is SO HARD losing a pet that you've had for many years; I have 3 of them buried in my back yard.

I hope that your beautiful dog has lots of quality time left with you.

Great news, I wish Hope the best.

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US Army (Ret) 83'-05'

There's an old saying in journalism: "Nothing beats a good dog story."

This is a good dog story, and I'm happy for you, your wife, and Hope.

Keep us posted on how things are going with your pup.

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

Great News!! Best news I've heard today.
TACC1

Wife noticed Hope had a new lump on the side of her nose, just where it meets her right eye socket. It's hard as a rock. And a boney lump on her back leg. Just back from the vet, she's screwed. They are both (both vets, that is) convinced it's cancer, rapidly growing and in the case of the lump on her nose, inoperable anyhow, especially at 15 years old, so we put her on Prednisone and will just do what we can to prolong a quality life for her. Don't know how long that will be.

We put one of our dogs, Scooter, on Prednisone after she was diagnosed with an inoperable and malignant tumor in April of 2011. She did pretty well, but was, of course, always hungry and we couldn't deny her anything so she gained weight.

The drug helped her, controlling the seizures and, though the docs thought she'd be gone in a few weeks, she lasted several months past their predictions and never knew she was sick till the last day.

I think Scooter was much more advanced in her cancer than yours is, so I am hopeful you'll have a lot more time to build more memories with your beautiful dog.

Bob

I am really sorry to hear that. I know what this is like and all I can say is I hope things go as well as can be expected for you and your friend. Do the best you can for her.

So sorry to hear of Hope's condition. You all are in my thoughts and prayers tonight.
Bil

Sorry to hear of this, im in a way, going through a similar situation with my Cat.