My poor old dog

I think TB went through it a few months back, losing a beloved pet.   The vet just all but diagnosed my dog with lymphoma.   His lymph nodes around his neck are swollen pretty good.   I opted out of the biopsy to confirm  because he is 10 (old for a boxer)  and I just do not want to put him through anything more.   It would not change our course of treatment anyway.   Chemotherapy is 4 to 6k and then it could not take or only prolong by months.   We opted for high dose antibiotics  just in case it is that 1% chance it is an infection and a course of steroids.   Vet said this could possibly buy him a few months, but it is uncertain.   Right now he is acting fine other than the swelling so here is to a miracle  or at least a few more good months.   We will make the choice when the time comes and his quality of life gets worse............. 

Clint, I know I am a 'stranger' to you NY folks, though I do lurk and enjoy all of the SR pics and such... but please know your pain is understood so well...  our pets aren't just animals to many of us, they are parts of our families and have permanent places in our hearts.  When they are happy, we smile at their antics, when they are hurt, we feel for them... when their time comes our biggest gift to them is comfort and peace, in whatever way it needs to be provided.  You will know when that is, but I am sorry you are going through it...
 I do hope the antibiotics work and you get more time... though I can honestly say there is never enough time.
Good wishes and prayers for you and your buddy...

Fisherlady said it so  well.
You are right I just went thru it and the pain and grieving are horrible but you will do what is right for you friend and that is all you can do.
fI wouldn't trade places with you for anything in the world.
Stay strong.

Always hard to know your about to loose a loved pet.
Think you were wise not to fall into the overly expensive treatments that they  can provide. Did that once and all it did was provide the dog with a very doubtful existence afterward and really didnt prolong the inevitable much at all..

Clint, my heart goes out to you. Been there and I haven't been able to bring myself to  get another dog for 10 years now....  We've got 2 kitties that get treated like royalty. I didn't take enough pictures, either. Hope you do and did. Don't be afraid to show some here, you know how we all feel.

Thanks guys.
It is very difficult right now as every time he walks by I contemplate his future and how much he has meant to me.   Unconditional love and companionship go a long way.   He was a rescue dog and my wife and I pretty much stole him from a guy who kept him in his basement 23 1/2 hours a day a beat him with an extension cord. They lived in the city.  The guys wife was our accomplice,   she told him he got  out  and ran away.   Has has had a very good life and was treated like a dog should, able to run in woods go for rides up to the river and occasionally eat a whole loaf of bread off the counter.   I will keep all posted as this post is a way to vocalize some feelings.     I do not have kids so you all know how he gets treated.

Clint I would like to give you both a internet hug!
Anyone that treats a dog the way you said his previous owner treated that Boxer deserves to be horse whipped,I have no tolerance for those type of people.

Clint. Thought and prayers coming your way. As everyone has said it is tough but keep in mind that your boxer has somebody in its life that has cared and continues to care. That is all a dog ever wants and you have provided it .. take care and hopes the antibiotics help

To Bad,  about your dog.  We my mom and I lost our pooch a poodle/terrier mix after 16yr 4 months.  He had cataracts, lyme disease doggy dementia, what a great dog.  He laid with my dad in his bed until my dad died of cancer a really true friend indeed.  When we went to put him down, I left the room crying, cause i could not bear to watch.
 
My motto always remember the good.  I have great memories of my dad, my dog, family, good friends.
 
 
I was blessed and I hope you will be to.  God bless you!!

Great Clint
Those Preds are a great thing- use them on occasion myself.

Clint S
Well since we have tapered dosage the swelling is back a little, but he is still his same old self and seems to be feeling well.  Even went for a run with the wife Sunday.

 I'm really glad the meds are making him comfortable!  Awesome that you are getting some extra time to enjoy him!

  Hey Clint, I don't want to go into great detail reiterating what others have said, especially Fisherlady2, but there were others as well, too many to name. In short, I believe you made the right decision. Keep him comfortable and don't hesitate to ask the vet for pain pills. That's much more than an animal, it's family and many of us understand that. Most of all, when you know it's time, let the Vet do his/her job and consider euthanasia. It's the right thing to do. I had an Aunt that loved her dog so much and everyone could see it was suffering greatly, could barely walk. I offered to take him to the Vet and she declined saying "I love him too much" when in reality she just couldn't let go. We all felt so terrible for that poor dog.

Lucky13
My daughter's 3.5 yr old Llasa started walking funny about a month ago, and she and my wife dismissed my observation as just her reaction to the snow and ice.  Last week she started having problems standing up, and as of this AM, can't get up on her hind legs.  The Vet said it is compression, like a slipped disc, and gave her some different kinds of meds to keep her down and  relax it back into place so the bone stops rubbing on the spinal chord.  But when called this AM, he says the only option is surgery at $7000, no gaurantee, mind you.  I don't have that kind of cake lying around and if I did, it would be paying a down on a new vehicle.  But if we put this pup down, I'm going to be on the shazit list with my wife and daughter for probably ever.  And it is not exactly making my day to think about either, I've gotten pretty fond of the little thing.  Oh Woe is me!
 
L13

 I don't know if you can find a holistic vet, or a chiropractic experienced vet in your area or not... but if you can I would go that route before euthanizing or surgery.  I had a husky mix who jumped off of a retaining wall as a 5 month old pup and subluxed 3 vertebrae.  My vet at the time was into holistic medicine and prescribed muscle relaxants, anti inflammatories and rest initially, then she performed chiropractic manipulation to slide the spine back into line.  She repeated the adjustments about 1x week for a month, then monthly for a couple of months, then infrequently till Sadie was about 2 years old.  Sadie would sometimes have bladder leakage when the area swelled and put pressure on the nerves to the bladder but that was about it.  A Baby Aspirin or two would help that.
 At the age of 7 Sadie hit the edge of a raised flower bed when running full speed around a corner and it tore all of the ligaments in her hind leg/knee.  One of the ligaments pulled a large chunk of bone out with it and it broke into pieces in and around the joint.  2 vets told me to have her put down.  I went to a 3rd who I was told to try and he had her in surgery the next day and rebuilt the joint and reconnected everything with a prognosis of 85% of normal usage.  She recovered to nearly 100% and it was rare to ever even notice a difference in her gait...
 Both times I found a viable but unusual option that wouldn't cause her a lot of pain or suffering and would return her to a very good quality of life... that was the deciding factor for me... if she couldn't recover to happy and active I wouldn't do it... I was blessed to find the right vet and both recoveries were great.
 Sadie lived a full and wonderful life till her heart failed at just over 15 years old.  If my vet hadn't been willing to try something different at the time she would have been put down and I would have lost the chance to enjoy the time I had with her....
   I would be looking for a second opinion...
 
Edit to add.... both times I was lucky enough that the treatments were actually very affordable.. I wouldn't be able to do 7K out of pocket for any treatments. Seems like vet care costs have skyrocketed as bad as human health care.

Well L I am truly sorry about the dog.  It is a very tough decision, but 7k is alot.  
 
An update on mine.............
I was actually coming on to post here.     His breathing  is getting bad and every breath is like a snore.   He seems to be in good spirits and will eat if I mix canned food in with the dry. He is still begging for scraps and wants to go outside off the rope to wander.  
 
He was quite bad when I got home , breathing was very raspy and his jowels were swollen,  but he met me at the door.  I am hoping the Prednisone is wearing off after 24 hours and he gets bad,  as he often will get a bit better a few hours after the nightly pills.   Last ditch I will try a pill in the AM and one in the PM and see if that is better.   That said if he is not a bit better tomorrow AM  than he is now I am calling in sick and we will go on our last ride up to the river........................
 
As I type he is standing by the stove hoping a piece of something falls on the floor.   I just want him to go out with some dignity and it is quite difficult to tell if he is suffering with this raspy breathing.    I also do not want him to  lose his breath when we are not home as that is no way for anyone to go.