vicky2200

Have you ever noticed if Bob has hit his nose on something when he sneezes? Dakota hits his nose on things (tables, the floor, the other dogs) when he sneezes and that has given him bloody noses. We still haven't figured out WHY he sneezes so much. It could be an allergy. How are Bob's teeth? I read that bad teeth can cause sneezing. I know Dakota has terrible teeth and that may be the cause of his problems.

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Dogs
Dakota: GSD/Lab 8 years old
Ditto: GSD 4 years old
Daisy: Alaskan Husky 3 years old
Weegee:Toy Poodle 1 year old

Birds
Bandit: Parakeet 11 years old
Chico and Bella: Cockatiels

peppersb

Vicky: Unfortunately the bleeding started before the sneezing, so I don't think that hitting his head is the problem. Now there's practically no bleeding but plenty of extreme sneezing. So this thread should be changed to "Bob is sneezing" instead of "Bob's bloody nose." Teeth are definitely a possiblity. I also read that they can sometimes be the culprit. My regular vet thought that one of Bob's teeth was fractured. So it would be GREAT if that turned out to be the problem. I'm just hoping and praying that it is not cancer and that this new doctor is as smart as I think he is. I love this boy.

Chagall's Mom: Drat, drat, drat. Wish this problem would go away. Hoping for a lucky Thursday! Thanks for your concern.

AngelsMommy

Still sending positive thoughts and energy to both Bob and you! I know it is stressful to deal with an elder poodle with unknown issues going on.

Hope for the teeth being the problem and that can be dealt with.

Blessings to you both.

PaddleAddict

So nobody has yet looked up his nose, huh? So odd to me, although I am not a vet of course. But I just saw that vilolent sneezing so many times while working at the vet clinic and it was usually a foreign body (foxtail, grass seed, etc.). The vets I worked with would always put the dog under general anesthesia and use a scope to look inside the nose. Maybe that is what your next vet will do?

Chagall's mom

peppersb: I hope this is a good news day. Any further word on what may be causing Bob's sneezing? Oh please tell us it's something simple and easy to rectify. That would be a great holiday season gift for all. Fingers crossed and hopes high!

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Just be nice.
Cabryn Chagall, CGC

kukukachoo

I'm hoping for a positive update soon as well! Keep us posted!

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peppersb

Well I got good news and bad news. But mostly it seems bad. My heart is very heavy.

First I should say that we had a bad night last night. Bob woke up several times through out the night sneezing. The blood has returned. So the sleepy boy would sneeze with all his might, spewing blood with every sneeze. He was sleeping on my bed which I have covered with old sheets, so fortunately the blood landed on the old sheets. He is normally a very sound sleeper and I hate to see him waking up sneezing his head off.

We saw the specialist vet this afternoon and he seemed very competent and I've heard good things about this vet hospital from a number of people. Doctor did a physical exam, and reviewed lab results and detailed info that my vet and I had sent. He held cotton up to each nostril with Bob's mouth closed and determined that not much air was coming out of the left nostril. So the left side is blocked with almost all breathing being done on the right side. There is no facial deformity and apparently no pressure on the eyes. (These would be signs of later stage nasal cancer.)

The bad news is that the doctor said that nasal cancer is the most likely explanation of the symptoms. The good news is that it is not the only explanation, so there is still the possiblity that MAYBE it is not cancer. I pushed the doctor on how likely it is that it is cancer. He said he thought probability of cancer is about 60 to 80%. Other possiblities are fungal infection, bacterial infection, foreign object (I think that's all, but I might be forgetting something.) He did not think the sneezing was related to tooth problems.

The plan now is to do a CT scan. We have an appointment for Tuesday. I drop Bob off in the early morning. Dr will call me when Bob is still under anesthesia to tell me what they find. Depending on what they find, he may recommend a scope, a biopsy or something else. He said they like to do the CT scan before any scoping because scope can move things around.

If it is nasal cancer, the average is about 3 months from diagnosis to death (or euthanaia). So that's depressing. And I just hate the thought of watching him decline and going through the agony of deciding how terrible to let things get before euthanizing. I guess lots of dog owners do that, but it sounds pretty terrible.

Anyway. That's the story.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of my boy Bob. I just felt like posting them so that you can see what a fine boy he is.

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PaddleAddict

Oh darn, I'm sorry you got the "maybe it's cancer" talk. I hope and pray it is not and that Tuesday will discover something less serious than cancer. Just last week my friend took her old dog in for a tooth abscess and the vet told her it was 80% likely oral cancer, but it actually turned out to just be an infected tooth. Maybe Bob just has an infection or like the vet said foreign body... I will keep him in my thoughts.

Chagall's mom

peppersb: First, thank you for finding the strength and heart to share this news. It sounds like Bob is in excellent hands. And it sounds scary as can be. I'm truly sorry. I know you braced yourself for tough news, and the jury is still out, but it's heartbreaking all the same, the very thought of your beloved Bob being unwell, or in any way suffering. I always lament not having a magic wand to make things right. Darn it, someone must have one! I do marvel at your composure, and applaud your devotion. And I will continue to hope Bob is on the lucky side of those all too scary statistics you heard bandied about today. I am sorry this day did not go better, but as you said, good news-bad news; let's still hold out for the good. I will continue to think of you and Bob and hope for things to go smoothy on Tuesday. Had I not already eaten dinner, I would not be able to, given the lump in my throat. Poodles should be well and go on FOREVER! Take care of yourself. Lots of people in your corner now.

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Just be nice.
Cabryn Chagall, CGC

kukukachoo

I agree with everything chagalls mom said so well. I'll be thinking of you guys.

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