Tia's tumor returned around September. There really wasn't much more we could do for her other than keep her comfortable. Dr. Rosen at NEVOG recommended 2 or 3 short radiation treatments to try and arrest the growth further. We did 2 treatments and it became evident that although the tumor stopped growing in one direction, it went in another instead. Tia developed a bacterial infection in her sinuses and had a constant discharge from her right nostril. It was quite bloody. We tried many different antibiotics. The only one that helped was Metronidazole. Even at the end it seemed that had stopped working as well. We had her on Prednisone to help with swelling. It was a tough choice to put her on that because last summer we discovered she had developed kidney disease; common in older dogs. The use of Prednisone was going to affect her kidneys. But we chose the lesser of two evils in order to keep her comfortable. It definitely worked. Tia was much better once we introduced the Pred. We also had her on Gabapentin for pain, which helped immensely. The Tramadol had just made her groggy and listless. Throughout the past few months Tia's appetite remained strong, but it took her a lot longer to eat and it was a very messy process. It must have been hard with that tumor in her mouth. When she drank from the water bowl it was obvious that she was having a hard time getting the water down because it almost looked like she had rinsed her mouth out. The water was always dirty and a little bloody afterwards.
Iin the end the tumor and the kidney disease won, and we lost our Tia on January 10, 2012 - a little over 2 years after she was diagnosed. She was 13 years and 7 months old.
To say that Tia was special would be a great understatement. She was my heart dog, and there she will stay. She had so much more living to do, but it was not meant to be. I will miss her terribly, but know the wonderful memories of our time together will always remain.
Rest in Peace my Sweet T.
