Should I do an MRI or not.....

D

dawns2shelties

Forums Sage
Some of you have read about some of Chandler's health issues. Let me start by saying Chandler is 9yrs 4 mos. He had had Pancreatitis since age 3, this past March he started turning away from his regular food. I would switch foods and he would only eat them for a few days and than I would have to try something else. He was hospitalized at one point due dehydration. He was not happy in the hospital and pulled his IV out and chewed his cone of somehow. After that I would take him in for fluids daily for about 10 days. He started eating again until he had the Spinal Stroke in May and has not eaten well since than. I have tried every premium dog food on the market including raw and every meat from the grocery store. We have done blood work,ulrasound,echo cardiogram and nothing shows up with his blood,organs including his heart or GI. Talking to my vet and the neurologist he saw for the Spinal stroke they are advising me to get an MRI now to see if it is something in his brain. My funds are deleted at this point. Gypsy also had surgery in Feb. and we have been treating her for a skin condition for 2 months now. My concern is they are looking for a Tumor and at this point in his life I don't think he could make it through Chemo and talking to my sister who has had 3 of her 5 dogs have cancer 1 of them had it 3 times she said she wouldn't put another dog through Chemo unless they were young and there was a really good chance of recovery. It's really tough on them, she knows. My dilemma is I want to do everything possible for Chandler, He is my heart, but where do we stop. If he had a tumor would he survive through surgery? If everything that started in end of Feb. or beginning of March was due to a Tumor would it be too large now? If I had to and felt it would benefit him I would scrounge up the money somewhere to have the MRI done.
I just don't know if it would do any good though and honestly I hate putting him through any additional stress if it's not helpful to him.
I am reaching out to all of you for suggestions, similar situations you may be going through or have gone through. Anything that may help me with this very tough decision.:confused2:

Thanks,
Dawn, Chandler and his backup singer (barker) Gypsy
 
I am so sorry to hear of Chandler's health problems.

As to what to do....if you do not have the funds, you don't have them. Chandler's been through a lot of health problems and you have nurtured him to 9+ years of age but it sounds like multiple system health failures right now...

I know exactly how difficult it is to make the decision to send your precious fur-child to the rainbow bridge. Several years back we made the difficult decision with our cat Rocky; and now we are looking day by day at Indy's quality of life.

And that is the ultimate deciding point: the quality of life. Money aside; if the treatments they COULD provide would not give a reasonable chance of good quality of life it is not worth the suffering of your pet (and you) to take that path.
 
Thanks for your support Janet. It's tough making these decisions for our babies. I think of you and your family everyday. I know you're having it tough with Indy and with Angus still missing and the loss of your puppy Willow from a careless owner. I appreciate you taking the time to offer your advice. It means so much.

Dawn,Chandler and Gypsy keeping you in our prayers.
 
Last edited:
The question you need to ask yourself is: will the result of the diagnostic change the current treatment plan. Is other words, if it is a tumor will you do anything to attempt to treat it such as surgery or chemo or will you just provide palative support to maintain quality of life? Other treatments for other possiblities? If the answer is no, I will not do anything different just care of quality of life, it is not worth doing the diagnostic. If the answer is yes,go with the diagnostic. What will you do if the diagnostic is negative? Would you do more diagnostics or let it be. I believe these questions need to be thought though especially with the more invasive the diagnostics

Now some people, want a piece of mind that goes with having answers so that when the time comes to make the decision to let them go they know exactly what they are up against but they are not going to do any heroic treatments and thats OK too.

Yes or no. Both options are acceptable. Each family has their own situation and as long as we do our best we can to provide for our pets needs and provide quality of life there is nothing feel guilty about. I lost my Lab to Liver disease. I didn't not do any diagnostics to further define the type of liver failure she had such as biopsy. I treated her for general liver disease for 4 yrs. Sure maybe I could have designed a better treatment plan with a firm diagnosis, again maybe not. But I was OK with the decision and that was what was important.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Dr Shelli. I appreciate your input. I really don't think I would want to do surgery or Chemo if it was brain cancer. I would prefer to give him meds or supplements to maintain his quality of life. I don;t think Chandler would be able to handle it mentally or physically. Just his separation anxiety alone would concern me with surgery. I think it's tougher for the body to heal when stressed and his anxiety is severe. Your right I have to be comfortable with my decision. I just don't want to have any regrets. I think I will go see my vet on Monday and talk everything over with him again and have him do some blood tests again to see if his electrolytes are low so we keep him hydrated properly and see what meds if any will make him feel better than he does now.

Thanks Again
Dawn
 
So sorry Chandler is not feeling well, it is really difficult to make choices... I feel you did quite a lot of testing and if they all negative... it sounds like a shot in the dark, we eliminated most of everything else, we run out of options and who knows what is going on....not a good reason to do MRI in my opinion... if your vet suspects def tumor, that is something different and medical options for dogs are much better than those for humans....
sometimes there is such thing as failure to thrive, having pancreatitis for many years might have speed up body aging process....
 
So very sorry you and your family are going through this with Chandler :no:. Everyone has said it perfectly so I will just echo what they have already said.

Just know you are a VERY good mommy to Chandler and did everything you possibly could have to ensure quality of life..:sadsmile:

((((hugs))))
 
Dawn - I know exactly how you are feeling. :sadsmile:

The advice you have been given is spot on. But what I hear is that you are weighting three very distinct factors. Knowledge, comfort, expense. And trying to find a way to piece them all together.

What Shelli said was right, if you were to go forward with the diagnostics, what result would that information bring for you and Chandler? Would you put him through anything and everything suggested? Would you get concrete information with just one test? Would you or could you financially go down that road .... because one test leads to another, and another. And most knowledge leads us to act, to respond ... and what is the emotional cost in addition to the financial cost?

We all love our dogs. No one could dispute that. We also love them enough to know them. Sometimes we need to step outside ourselves and try to think and feel like our dogs. They each have their individual personalities, their own quirks. What would Chandler want? We, as humans, often cling to things and ideal that other thinking and feeling animals would allow to pass without much note or thought. Who would treatment really help, Chandler or you? I will be the first to say that I held on to a cat once, for 3 years longer than I should, thinking I was doing right by her. When in the end, I realized not only did I more than likely prolong her suffering but I prolonged mine too. In the end, her quality of life had been diminished for the price of my piece of mind and broken heart. It is something to consider. I am not saying it is his time, but if it was … are you at a place where you could accept it?

And what could you and your family (other pets included) handle? What can you afford in time, energy, love ... these resources are the most valuable and we often forget that when faced with a price tag.

It would be nice if we all had an unlimited amount of funds to care for our dogs. But remember, half of the children in our country don't have health insurance ... and even more adults. I have had friends joke with me that my dogs have gotten better medical care than my daughter (which is not true - her dad and I work hard to provide her with double coverage) but I think you see the point. Some would say I spent too much on my dog ...

And maybe I do. But I am at the same crossroads as you. A slightly different situation, my girl being 10 months and just out of the gate. And I have spent a great deal (of all the expenses listed above). But I am choosing to wait on further diagnostic tests. We had a good week ... and right now I am not sure what the $1800 bucks to "maybe" get some more information would really do or change in our lives.

Trust that you know and love Chandler. Think for him and with him and as a family and I know that you will come to the best decision. Thinking of you and sending prayers.
 
Justicemom said:
The question you need to ask yourself is: will the result of the diagnostic change the current treatment plan.
Click to expand...

I agree. Although its not quite the same, I decided against going interstate to get more tests done on Deska for his degenerative joint disease to work out the strange shape in his elbows (and the underlying cause). I dont have the money, it would have stressed Deska out no end and it was unlikely to change the treatment. Even if I had the money I dont think it was worth putting Deska through the stress - he had been through so many tests and was so stressed already.

An MRI would also require more sedation and time in hospital and it doesnt sound like Chandler could cope atm. I know sometimes we feel we must do everything, but sometimes that isn't the best thing to do. I get the feeling that even if you had the money you would still be in the same dilemna - if Chandler could talk what do you think he would ask you to do?
 
SheltieChe,Susan,Jenny and Caro, I want to thank you all for your valuable input. You all have shown such compassion in helping me make this very tough decision for Chandler. I have thought long and hard about how to move forward with Chandler's care all weekend and while doing so have watched his behavior also. Chandler always has been a mamas boy and keeps a close eye on me but normally in the house he'll go nap in the corner he likes,or he'll go nap on the bathroom floor where it's nice and cool on his belly,Occasionally during the day he's behind me on the couch and early morning joins me on the bed until I wake up but all weekend long he has been up on the couch with me and sleeping with me all night in bed. I think that's him saying Mom I don't feel so good and I just want to be as close to you as possible so I feel safe and loved. In doing so I know the best place for him is here with me not on some table going through more tests or being cut open to explore his brain. He's been through enough this year so after I call the vet tomorrow and take Chandler in to do some blood work I have chosen just to take all and any steps to make him as comfortable as possible
with him here at home right here beside his Mommy and sister Gypsy. Who knows how much time he has left on this earth but whatever time it is he will be well taken care of and loved just as he has been since I brought him home 9yrs and 2 mos. ago.

Thanks again to all of you for your kind words. We'll keep you up to date.
Dawn,Chandler, and Gypsy
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top