Last Friday, we lost our little 5 yr. old Cairn terrier, Maggie. She was very ill with diabetes, atypical cushing's, and probably more. About 6 mo. ago she was diagnosed with atypical cushing's disease and given melatonin and flaxseed lignons. She showed normal cortisol levels, but high levels of 2 other hormones, rounded belly, always hungry, history of several urinary tract and other infections, tail biting, some muscle weakness, some hair loss. Blood test for atypical cushing's disease was done a 2nd time, sent to UTN for analysis. Three weeks ago, she began going downhill very quickly: always thirsty, skin infection on her back, lost 8 pounds, face changes, increased muscle weakness/loss of balance, trouble walking, increased need to urinate, bleeding gums, swollen tongue. But, lab test from UTN came back showing some improvement in hormone levels. So, Xrays were done and blood panel. Maggie had extremely high white cell count, red cells not reproducing properly, probable internal infection, diagnosis of diabetes, and possible mass near kidneys. We were told by vet we could put her in hospital to try get control of diabetes then address other problems. No connection was made to her symptoms and diabetes earlier.... We miss her and are heartbroken that our little girl had to suffer so long. We trusted the vets and she hid how ill she was. Loving and missing our sweet and dear little Maggie.....
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Lost our little Maggie
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Re: Lost our little Maggie
Hello,
I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your dear little dog. Because I own a very, very tough little terrier, I know how tough your Maggie was and she would have been able to function in spite of what was going on in her little body. Her spirit would have kept her going even when her body was failing her.
Please take care of yourselves and know that you did the very best for her.
Jo-Ann & Lady
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Re: Lost our little Maggie
Hi
I am so sorry your lost your Maggie so young. She was a very brave dog indeed to not complain.
You guys have been through a lot and I hope that you can realize that you did everything you could for your little one.
snow
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Re: Lost our little Maggie
I am so sorry to hear that Maggie was in such distress and that you had to let her go.
From our experience with Chris' cancer and your description of all that was happening with Maggie, I honestly believe that she likely had something even more serious than Cushings or diabetes and that it was behind her very sudden decline.
They do hide so much from us. We knew Chris was not well and we looked every way we could think of to find out why. In the end, we discovered the cancer incidentally - had chest x-rays done to check for congestive heart failure and found cancer in his lungs instead. Within about two weeks, he started to bleed internally and we let him go. The lung tumors were most likely spread from cancer somewhere else. We really tried everything - ultrasounds, blood panels, GI tests.
I do not think there is anything you could have done to save Maggie at that point.
Always remember the wonderful life you gave her and that you had the courage to let her go when the time came - that's all any of us ask. She was deeply loved - that's what matters.
If you would like to post her pictures here, there is a gallery for your membership. You can upload pictures from your computer to the gallery.
I know many would love to see your sweet Maggie.
Godspeed to her and my deepest sympathies to you,
Natalie
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Re: Lost our little Maggie
Hello there
So so sorry to read Maggie's story especially in such a young dog - aww poor little thing.
Hugs to you - I know it's awful to lose your dog - it's dreadful.
Take care of yourself and I'd love to see some pictures of Maggie when you feel up to it.
Sharon
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Re: Lost our little Maggie
I'm so sorry, its so hard to make that decision. I know how much you will miss Maggie.
Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven
where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know that are happy.Dolly & Niki passed 2010, 45 lb Border Collie Mix 8 yrs as diabetic, 13yrs old. Blind N 10.5 U 2 X * Dog is God spelled backwards*If there are no dogs in Heaven then when I die I want to go where they went. Niki's food Orijen & Turkey & Gr. Beans, See you at the bridge my beloved & cherished Niki, I miss you everyday
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Re: Lost our little Maggie
Thank you for all the kind and supportive words. This is the first time I've ever participated in an online discussion and we were overwhelmed with the thoughtful comments. They are appreciated. Since posting my message, we received a follow-up call from the vet, saying that they were able to further palpate a mass that they had seen on the x-rays near her pancreas or liver. She described it as a round, hard, bumpy mass and believes that it was probably cancerous. That news made our decisions a little easier to bear also. We would never want our little Maggie to suffer or endure more than she had already and we had felt that there had to be more going on. Thank you again. Your words mattered to us....
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Re: Lost our little Maggie
We have a cairn terrier too, Oliver. I'm so sorry for your loss. It's never easy even when it's the best thing to do for our baby. My prayers are with you as you continue through these days.My little dog - a heartbeat at my feet. ~Edith Wharton
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Re: Lost our little Maggie
I to have just lost my baby. I'm so sorry for your loss. I know what you are going through. It is so hard to deal with. My Heidi was always the healthy one until 2 months ago and then it hit like a bomb going off. I'm sorry to hear that Little Maggie had to suffer. But I'm sure she knew how much you loved her and did the best you could. My prayers are with you. Now Maggie and Heidi can play together in Heaven..... Ellie
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