Hello-
I am so very sorry your dog is blind and is going through all of this. I would be glad to help you.
How is her overall quality of life?
Does she tolerate the syringe feeding well and seems to be hungry?
Is the radiation working (shrinking) the tumor?
Is she on any pain medications?
Thanks very much and I will wait for your reply.
Hello again-
Thanks for the additional information.
My heart goes out to you as this is obviously a terminal disease. I know it is frustrating to watch a dear friend go downhill. You have certainly done everything medically possible for her and I'm sure she is grateful to have such unconditional love. I'm sorry you didn't get more response from the radiation treatments. I do know that cancer treatments rarely provide a cure, but are more designed to extend life and hopefully improve quality.
I think your best bet would be to focus on her quality of life and try either the Piroxicam again or ask your vet for one of many, many other pain medications available. The sheer pressure you describe has to be uncomfortable, and although I am not convinced that is the only reason she won't eat on her own, it would be a very loving thing to do. Without trying to sound cruel, I don't think you should focus on the side effects of a drug if it increases her comfort overall. Side effects shouldn't really matter when there is a terminal process at work. Other pain medications you could inquire about would be tramadol, fentanyl, Rimadyl, Derramax, or a combination of any of these. Sometimes using and anti-inflammatory (Piroxicam) combined with a narcotic, is much better than either one alone.
The lack of vision may be the tumor encroaching on the optic nerves where the left and right side meet, making her vision inadequate in the "good" eye. The inability or lack of desire to eat could be a combination of pain when she lowers her head (the pressure increases), pain when she opens her mouth (also increases pressure behind the eye), or a lack of smell due to the tumor.
I am glad to hear she is on some holistic supplements. I am a believer in more natural therapies, especially when a chronic disease is present. If this holistic vet is certified in acupuncture, you may want to ask her about doing some 'pain' points on her.
You said the lab work indicated an infection. If her white blood cell count was high, this could be infection but it may also just indicate inflammation, which we know is present and pretty bad. Did she seem to improve after the Clavamox and has her blood work been rechecked since?
The reason I think focusing on quality is so important is because animals don't have the ability to project into the future like people do. We can make choices about what we are willing to endure in order to survive until a certain time or event we want to be present for. Animals live in the here and now. Every single second to them is, as far as they know, the rest of their life. That is why keeping her as comfortable as possible is so important.
I hope I haven't depressed you by focusing on her disease but I want you to know that you have been a true angel to give her so much opportunity at recovery, but she still needs you to ensure her comfort. Please let me know if you need anything else or if I didn't address your primary concern.
Veterinarian
10 years in small animal medicine, special interest in integrative medicine.
I am sorry you were billed twice...that should never happen. I will forward this to a moderator and hopefully they will get things straightened out. Thanks for your patience!