Devestated

Bullet seems to be declining slowly. He does not want to eat much and he has been vomiting what he does eat and drink. I know the anti biotics may aggrevate his stomach, but he needs to eat if he is going to defeat this. He was up all night panting as he could not get comfy. His mama and I are still hoping for the best although instinct is telling us different. He is very clingy and does not want to leave our side. This week is crucial as there needs to be some improvement to let us know the problem is not greater than just liver damage. Hopefully not liver cancer. Thank you all for taking the time to read and pray. Although we know they are not with us forever, the thought of losing our cuddly bear is overwhelming and will be hard to go through. He was our first GSD and he was is our angel.

Bullet is not eating much at all. We've tried several things including cooked meat and he won't touch it. We took him out to the yard, he went out but he got hot quickly. I took some good pictures of him with us and his brother and sister (GSD's). I let him walk around a bit so he could relieve himself. We're talking about the probable outcome and the preparations needed. But we want to give him a bit more time for improvment. We know that he will let us know when he is ready. We are trying to be strong around him so that he does not pick up any negative energy, but it is hard. We've been through this before, but it never gets easier. These guys have a way of taking a piece of your heart with them. I am a cop and I found myself crying all night while at work, but I knew his mama was at home to care for him. I might take the week off so that he is not alone at all. I feel an overwhelming need to be here for him.

We did X Rays last week when he first went in. The X Rays did not show anything signifigant or conclusive except that his liver looked inlarged. Ultra sound is an option that I want to explore this week. But the vet wanted to try meds first in hopes that it was a simple liver infection and that he might respond to the meds. However complete liver failure was also mentioned due to him taking Temeral for his skin allergies and Tramadol for his bad hips.
Liver cancer would be the worst case scenario. I just tried taking him out to play catch with his tennis ball, that is his favorite thing in the world. We have it down pretty good where I can lob it to him from as far as 50 feet and he will catch it. But he did not want to even do that. I'm looking to take the week off so that I can have him looked at some more. Thank you all for your kinds words, thughts and prayers.

I am so sorry to hear about Bullet.
I lost my 12.5 yo suddenly to liver problems this February. He stopped eating suddenly and I took him to the vet the next day. x-rays showed nothing, his liver values were off the chart (they were fine 6 months earlier when we started him on deramaxx for arthritis). He had fever and was put on antibiotics. The vet said the best case scenario was a liver infection that would have required weeks of IV antibiotics treatment in the ER, with an uncertain outcome. The worst case scenario was cancer. My suspicion is that it was liver damage from the deramaxx, I forgot to ask for regular bloodwork and the vet did not suggest it. I was told that the only way to get a definite diagnosis for treatment was a liver biopsy (ultrasound is not enough and few places do good enough quality ultrasound for diagnostic purposes). My old guy was terrified at the vet, I literally had to drag and carry him. On the third day of the vet visit he would not get up or lift his head when I got home from work and I decided to let him go. I did not want him to die alone and scared in a hospital hooked on IVs. he did not eat for three days though he did drink some. Up to that day he was very healthy, arthritis was the only health problem he had that required treatment.
Looking at him and knowing him, I just did not think he would make it when he would not lift his head for me.
I sent him to the Bridge and still miss him terribly. He was my heart-dog and he traveled with me everywhere in the car. My car and house are empty without him.
I wish you better luck with Bullet. You are in my prayers.

Thank you all again for the kind words and prayers. We have been spending every second with Bullet. He is not eating at all and he does not want to get up or anything. His breathing is labored and he has given me a look in his eye that I have never seen before from him. He is telling me that he is not comfortable or happy and that he is ready to go. Wife and I discussed it this morning and I already called the Vet. He will be coming out this afternoon and we will say our good bye's to our first GSD. Our boy, the tears will not stop, but I won't cry in front of him because I don't want him to think that he did anything to make us upset. I don't want to put him through unnecessary pain with shots, biopsies that may not help him only to come home or wake up with him gone. I owe it to him to let him go with the dignity and honor that he lived his life with. With his mama and papa there with him to guide him along. This is so hard and I hope I am making the right call.