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Kramer....(posting for Jean)

61K views 778 replies 144 participants last post by  Kayos and Havoc 
#1 ·
Not sure where to post this. I know where I am refusing to post this. Jean will likely not be online this evening. I am posting this with her permission, and I know this family's show of support fo JeanPakistan will help her through this.
Kramer has acted a little lame the past few days, which Jean chalked up to the cold, ice, snow, hard to get around in/on. Gave him Metacam, seemed ok.
Today he was full of malarky at 7, enjoying Mariele chasing him around. (Only dog to get away with that it her- the dog with a screw loose and "drain bamage." LOL) By 9-ish, he was stumbling. Went to vet. "His" vet on vacation, saw other vet. Anemic, and something else. Got a shot of something, I forget what Jean said. Had abdominal ultrasound late afternoon. (Done at another vet entirely.)

It kills me to write this. Kramer has a liver tumor. Due to location it is inoperable. It is one of 3 things- spawn of the liver tumor he already beat, or hemangiosarcoma, or another type altogether.
She did go back to the other vet, and talked. She had a list of questions, but forgot to bring them in. Vet knows/understands that alot has been thrown at Jean, and is calling her tomorrow to talk more. It could be a day, a month, who knows.
Jean is re-grouping, and will post tomorrow after she speaks with the vet.
Basic plan is, manage any symptoms, and maximize his quality while maintaining his dignity, and position as supreme ruler of JeanPakistan. All plans will be centered around making his time count. Spaghetti and pizza, trips to the cemetary.
 
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#29 ·
Jean and Kramer, you are in my thoughts.
 
#30 ·
Taking a deep breath! Deep sigh. No tears yet, after all, this is Mircle guy Kramer!


That is rough my big strong handsome guy!

Just know you have the best in your corner. Hang in there.

You are both in my thoughts and prayers.
 
#32 ·
I keep looking here for updates.


Kramer is Jean's first and he beat death in a big way a while back. He is the kind of dog who seems to be invincible because he's got that super strong personality. He's a super dog like my Cleo is a super kitty. Cleo is on my arm as a I type and Chama is one bed over snoring away. Their lives are so short and so precarious and precious and we love them so much.
 
#36 ·
The Irrepressible, Imperial, Indestructible, Indomitable King Kramer has his Bavarian cheering section praying for him. Grimmi's paws are crossed for The Chancellor of Chow-Mixes. <span style="color: #CC0000">May this turn out to be just another manageable, live-with-it thing for The King</span>, beloved ruler of Jean's Packistan. Jean, sending hugs :))and prayers your way. Nothing ever beats The King, unless he wants it to. He is strong-- and so many prayers are coming his way!
 
#37 ·
Thanks for the information but I'm not assuming anything until we know exactly what is going on. There are a lot of possibilities and I'm hoping for the best. Luv ya Kramer!!
 
#38 ·
Thanks so much to all of you. Thanks, Melinda for posting.

We were gone for 8 hours yesterday! He's still a little tired today-so am I actually. We started at the regular vet office for bloodwork and x-rays. Then he miraculously got an ultrasound appointment (where Angie went last week), and before we left he got fluids and http://www.oxyglobin.com/ there, and then they shaved his belly so he wouldn't have to have that done at the other vet office. Because we all knew that their tech wouldn't lay on the floor and shave him while he was standing. King Kramer has many subjects.


On the way there, I decided to test food with him again-he had refused it and water after his 9 am "unplugging." I almost lost a finger at McDonald's but it was so good to see him eat.

The ultrasound was not as traumatic as the last one he had, til the end when she was double checking everything. He'd had enough and started snapping, just hoping he could connect with someone or something. But he did well overall. He even ate their crappy treats after he was so hungry.

The Dr. explained that there was a tumor, and if you think of your liver as a hand, where you can take any finger off and still have your hand, his tumor is where your hand meets your wrist-so you couldn't take your wrist off and leave your hand. It's significant in size, unknown as to malignancy-I believe-I have to ask about that, because I am willing to get some transfer factors and stuff for him, but if it's benign and it's just the size of it that is putting him at risk, they won't do much, I guess (????).

She then explained that this morning, some of it bled out-there was evidence of that on the U/S and that would be like us going to give blood and they take 3 pints instead of 1 and forget to give us cookies and juice. That is the kind of thing I saw at 9am, and that had I not been home, I may have noticed when I got home that he was a little logey but he would have been better as the body reabsorbed the blood. So he's kind of transfusing himself, unfortunately if the tumor is malignant, he's also reseeding that cancer.

You guys probably know this! I am just typing it out so I can make sense of it. I had those Charlie Brown teacher talking to me moments a lot yesterday. I haven't called the vet yet today.

I also had him Reiki'd yesterday (distance Reiki) while we were at the vet office, before the fluids and oxyglobin, and I swear I saw an improvement, even before I knew she had done it. He got up to greet one of the receptionists who came in to see him, and looked more alert. Weird stuff.

Anyway, the really crappy kind of news is that the estimate in terms of time is very short, from basically any minute from here on out to at the longest, a month.

But Kramer will do what Kramer wants to do when he wants to do it, as much as possible. When he is no longer able to do that, I will step in, but I am hoping that this will be on his terms as much as he has tried to control everything for the 15 years he's been with me.
I am really hoping he can healthily make a birthday celebration in mid-January, but whatever works for him, works for me. That's our agreement.

Until then, I am going to try to feed him a healthy diet that he will enjoy (I think it's supposed to be veggies and meats-no rice or potatoes???), will see if I can get those supplements http://www.dogcancer.net/diet.html that do have that IP6 (and LisaT-I am SO sorry about your dad
), and let Kramer be Kramer. We're going to keep our routines too-he'll go Friday for his Adequan...I am glad though, in a weird way, to know.

We both got up to potty at 4
and were surprised to see:
What in the world?!?!? SO glad it wasn't like this yesterday as we traveled through 3 counties!


Coat of diamonds:


Then this morning-more! For crying out loud!


I took this on Saturday-or Sunday-one of those days! And was thinking how I got a picture of him in good health:


So thank you all, each, again for all your good thoughts and kindness. I will keep you posted.
 
#40 ·
Big hugs to King Kramer and Jean.

Niko had the same thing. The vet said hours, maybe a few days. Not to go far from home on walks. Well, we got almost 4 happy months. I fed him a high protein, low carb diet. He had weekly B12 shots, fluids, Baytril, and steriods. He was the talk of the vet's office. The miracle dog.
 
#41 ·
Thank you Sandy. I don't mean to sound like one of those MTV Sweet 16 kids who gets the Mercedes but wants the BMW. I know I've had him a good long time, and almost a whole year after the bloat miracle. But I look at him and think, other than the ticking time bomb, he's pretty darned healthy-more like 11 than almost 16! And that is why cancer sucks in animals and people.


Joanne-I forgot-I started him on the predisilone this morning. He's on Tylan powder-I wonder if that is "enough" of an antibiotic or if he needs something else. I'll ask about the B12 and they did say if I wanted to do fluids, that we could-did you do sub-cutaneous ones?
 
#43 ·
Big hugs to you both! I love the picture of the diamonds. Poor guy though - snow with a shaved tummy! brr!


I know you are not that 16 year old ungrateful kid and it's wonderful that you've had him for such a long and happy life, but I also totally understand that the longer we have them, the more they intertwine themselves with us and our hearts and the more we wish they would live forever. It sounds like you and Kramer are taking good care of each other now, as always, and we wish you guys the very very best.
 
#45 ·
Ohh Jean


King Kramer will reign in your house, your heart and all of ours forever through your sharing him with all of us...no matter how long his physical body keeps going. I can't imagine how hard this is on you.....
 
#46 ·
Originally Posted By: JeanKBBMMMAANJoanne-I forgot-I started him on the predisilone this morning. He's on Tylan powder-I wonder if that is "enough" of an antibiotic or if he needs something else. I'll ask about the B12 and they did say if I wanted to do fluids, that we could-did you do sub-cutaneous ones?
Yes - sub-cutaneous fluids. Kramer is starting from a much better place than Niko. By the time they figured out what was wrong - he really looked like crap.
 
#47 ·
This is the same as Basu. He bounced back but only for a couple of days.
He enjoyed eating scrambled eggs with sweet potatoes. And my neighbor's sister's golden had this and stayed with her another 4 months! So hopefully Kramer will be like that. He had bad days but he also had really good days where he was running around like a puppy!

Enjoy the snow Kramer!
 
#48 ·
Thank you SO much for taking time to give us an update.

Tell us all you want, I do not know any of this....I know it can sometimes help to come here and get it all out. (I am SURE you know that).

I LOVE the pictures. He just looks so handsome. Trying to do the heavy sighs and hold back the tears and be as strong as he is being.

I just feel like he is going to hang with this for a while. He just looks to good and strong.

I just ache for you and what you are going through Jean. Your first born? That is to sad.
Take care of yourself. I am about ready to flee my responseabilities here and fly to NY and give you both a big hug!

Thinking and praying, because that is all I can do.

With much love, Kelly
 
#49 ·
oh i love "coat of diamonds"!!! yes, no matter how long we have them it's never long enough.

ps...lens info coming soon kno this is so much more important to you...
 
#50 ·
Sending hugs out to you Jean, and many prayers for King Kramer. Kramer does Liberace! LOVE the diamonds pic. My heart goes out to you, Jean. This hurts. I do love that he dined at McD's and loved his burger (or fries? Far be it from me to assume to know what His Royal Hunkness dines on!). I just know that you will have the best support from your vet on this, Jean, in guiding any choices you may be making. I so wish that I could help. Can clotting agents help in a case like this, or does nobody do that with dogs? (I am one of those nuts who thinks "Why NOT have kidney transplants for cats?" etc.) Prayers and good vibes coming your way for you and Mr. Diamonds.
 
#51 ·
Hey Jean,

Sorry to hear about Kramer. Just enjoy the time you have left with him He has had a long life, I wish I had that much time with all my kids! Spoil him rotten and do all you can in the way of "support". I hope you have many happy times still ahead of you!
 
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