Sorry for starting a new thread on this but want to shout from the rooftops.Took Luke to the Veterinary Hospital today and they are convinced that the tumour is from his left kidney so is having it removed tomorrow. I know we are not out of the woods and potentially there may be more tumours in there that are not shown on the scan but at this stage we have a chance whereas on the 17 and 18 December we were told that we would lose Luke before the New Year. Can't believe it, I am so happy but at the same time know that even if successful then we still may have a reduced lifespan but at least we now have a chance and who knows!!!! Mike and I just burst into tears. Thanks you to everyone for your good thoughts and may be all your good thoughts have been listened to and that help has been given to him. Thank you all so so much.

I am so pleased that the Vet Hosp were more acurate on a diagnosis.  Our thoughts are with you tomorrow.  Please keep us all updated through tomorrow x

I'm over the moon for you all and of course Luke . Here's hoping this is the good news you've been praying for .
He has been in my thoughts everyday , and will continue to be until we know he is fine .
xx

Hoping this is one miracle that will happen. I can only begin to imagine the rollercoaster you've been on and pray for a successful outcome. Luke will be in my thoughts tomorrow. x

16 paws crossed and sending positive vibes for tomorrow :)

I'm cheering here over a dog I haven't met.  :-)  Whatever chance there is, you have no choice but to take it.  He is still here and that is a biggie in itself.

I will be thinking of you and Luke tomorrow.  Good Luck.  :-)

That's fantastic news Alison. I so hope it is contained within the kidney. A bid kiss for Luke and we will be thinking about him tomorrow.

Jean, he is the most gorgeous of boys. I am usually a bitch person, but Luke is such a gentle soul he could have come home with me anytime.

What fantastic news for you and Luke. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Yay xxx

That is positive news and hope that they can continue to give you and Luke some hope x

Wow that's brilliant news! Will be thinking of you all tomorrow. Looking forward to hearing that the op was successful and he's looking towards a brighter future.

How fantastic !...will be wishing him well tomorrw

That is such great news, I am thrilled to bits for you :)

Although I've never met you or Luke I've thought about you every day!  Your story has really touched me, and I have been hoping and praying you would have some positive news about Luke.  Your update today is amazing news, I'm so happy for you that there is a way forward and some hope for Luke.  I'm a fellow Goldie owner and can only imagine your heartache.  I will be thinking of you all tomorrow, please keep us updated.

Having just lost my terrier I am so very pleased by this update. I will keep everything crossed for your boy tomorrow

So please that you have news that gives you an opportunity to move forward, it is good that they feel they can remove the primary tumour and I hope the news continues to be positive and he will soon be back to something like his old self although I know the treatment following the operation may not be very comfortable for his.

Hugs to you and hope all goes well today.

Thinking of you this morning - we're all wishing Luke well x

Keeping everything crossed for a good outcome

Thank you for all the good wishes. He went off like a Lamb with the Vet nurse this morning and it is now a waiting game for the  call which more than anything we hope has some good news. One thing the Vet said yesterday which in my stupor I forgot until later was that he hadn't seen any signs of metastisis. However he was trying to tell me in French and I said I understood the word he was using but couldn't remember what the word meant in English but I knew it was a good sign. Reading the definition last night it is a good sign, however, daren't get our hopes up too much.
JeanSW, like Jenny says, he is a gentle soul. Yesterday when we went into the Vet Hospital there was a Belgian Shepherd that set his sights on Luke and obviously wanted Luke between his teeth, Luke started his play bowing to try to make the dog like him, typical! doesn't seem to think any dog would want to hurt him. Will update when I can.

Like so many others on this forum, I dont know you or your dogs personally but have been following your heartbreaking story. I so hope you get good news today and can start to look forward. My own dog is at the vets today for an abscess on his foot and Ive been waiting nervously for the call to say all is well so I cant imagine how you have been feeling with your dog so ill. All the very best for you and your dog.

Thank you colliechaos, hope you have your good news soon and that your boy is well.

Just checking in to see how the little man is doing, that sounds really promising. It must be a nightmare trying to understand veterinary terminolgy in a French, it can be bad enough in our native language. I would imagine it all adds to the stress.

Checking in for news and it seems the report yesterday was better than you thought, do so hope to days is also hopeful and gives you cause to feel relieved.

We have telephoned the Vets to get an update (couldn't wait any longer). It is all out, it was difficult but it is all gone, a tumour and/or abcess!!!!. Luke is well and recovering. Can't believe it. We have been to hell and back with our emotions all over the place. When we got up this morning and Luke was asleep next to the bed I said to Mike, this is the first morning when I haven't looked to see if Luke is breathing and knowing that I would be relieved if he had taken the decision to fall asleep for ever and I would know that he wouldn't be able to feel any pain (the Vet has given him Previcox and said that he would be in pain). I am so angry at the Vets but at this moment I am so so happy that Luke is okay. If it is cancer, then looking on the internet he may have an average of 16 months which to be honest I am still happy about as we have still got him now and 16 months in a dogs life is better that the 2 days to 2 weeks that we had been given. Yet again thank you all for his good wishes and good thoughts, I can't believe we have got our boys' life back, it is truly the miracle I have been asking for. Will update as we know more.

Oh what wonderful news!! So pleased your lad has come through his op. You must be sooo angry with your vet for the wrong diagnosis though.

Angry doesn't even go near to what I feel, but at the moment we are just enjoying the best news ever so I am putting my anger on the back burner.

> Angry doesn't even go near to what I feel,

I'll bet!! I would want his head on a stick and his entrails fed to the pigs!! lol'

There will be time enough to deal with the vet, I should imagine all you want now is your lovely lad back home for lots of hugs and cuddles as he recovers.

I'm so happy for you and Luke, it's not every day that miracles happen.

So glad they managed to remove the tumour/abscess? Is it being sent for histiology to see whether it's malignant or benign? He'll be in some discomfort after the surgery, but you'll be so relieved that he should be on the mend now. :-)

I presume they will send it for histiology. I have just had a phone call from the surgeon to say that Luke is well and confirming that it was the kidney. What on earth did that other Vet see? he had Luke opened up, did he not notice that only one kidney was visible?. He told us that the tumour was attached to the intestine and that if they attempted to remove it then Luke would lose half of his intestine! He also said that the tumour was wrapped around his Aorta and his Aorta was being constricted, how did the Vets today manage to remove it without Luke bleeding to death? This has been the worst 16 days of our lives. If it is an abcess, what would have happened if it had burst, doesn't bear thinking about, mind you he seemed to be determined that Luke would be dead by now.
Having read up a bit today I know that Luke will not be a happy bunny for a while but I am sure they will ensure that he is as comfortable as possible. At least I am able to have faith in this Vet! Change of Vets is called for and yes also a head on a stick.

Oh my, it's unbelievable isn't it. When you read stories like this it makes you so grateful if you have a vet you can trust. You have been in the awful position of having to put your trust in a new vet. I am so pleased for you all and of course the gorgeous boy himself. Knowing you I am sure heads will roll as soon as your focus can come off making sure Luke is back at home and on his road to recovery. Take care and will still be thinking of you.

Alison I've just seen your update and can't believe it and can't tell you how delighted I am for you. You have so many people praying for you and it looks like you've got the miracle everyone hoped for.
Love, hugs and continued good thoughts for Luke.
Tracy

I hope that Luke makes a good recovery after all he has been through poor boy.

I know how you are feeling at this time after you and others helped me cope with one of my girls in 2009 ( Molly)
Thinking of you all.

Excellent news - hope he has a good night and is soon back home where he belongs.  Hope you can sleep easier too. 

Fingers crossed for Luke, hope all goes well. xxx

>I know that Luke will not be a happy bunny for a while

Back in the summer of 2006, my heart girl had her spleen removed, along with the attached tumour.  She was incapacitated for many months, and I thought she would never come out the other side.

I truly want this to give you hope, as my heart girl eventually regained her strength.  Sadly, I collected Myfanwy's ashes today, but, like your boy, she came through a huge obstacle and remained to love me for a long, long time.

Jean

I'm so pleased to read that Luke came through the operation and is on the road to recovery. I bet you can't wait to get him home. x

Vets have telephoned. They say Luke is wonderful (their words) and that when he comes home he will be on simple medication. We think this may mean just pain killers and antibiotics. I know that they haven't got the results of the biopsy yet but we are hopeful that by simple medication they may believe at this stage that chemo is not necessary (fingers crossed). However, before Luke went in yesterday I had done a complete history of what the other Vet had told us including that he had said that he believed that La Rochelle would not be able to carry out surgery on Luke, I google translated it to french and handed it in to the Vet at the hospital just so he knows what we have been dealing with. Today we have also had a phone call from the local Vet saying that La Rochelle have spoken to him and that he never thought about the kidney!! and that he hopes that they will see us again!!. Mike said if it is only an abcess then if it had burst Luke would be dead now and he did agree. Think this is his apology and although it isn't really acceptable at least he had the guts to telephone and let us know he had made a mistake. Do wonder whether La Rochelle had given him a bollocking. As I say the anger hasn't fully set in yet (very unusual for me) but I am still on such a high about Luke and can't waste energy on anger at this moment. Thanks for all the good wishes.

That's great to hear. Do you have any idea when Luke will be home?

No sooner than Monday at this stage

So pleased to hear he has come through the op and is recovering well.

Dogs recover much beter than humans from surgery, my Mums 8 month old dachsie had major surgery for a liver shunt and 3 days post op  we went to fetch her and was told she was obviously fed up with all the extra pampering as she had growled at one of  the vet nurses which indicates they are ready for home, she came out on her lead and we headed for the door, I bent down to pick her up to carry her down the 3 steps to the car park and she was down them before I managed to grab her and heading for the car before we changed our minds, picked herr up before opening the car door in case she tried to jump in, she bouncedd back well and will be 10yrs old in May.

Hope to hear he is home with you soon

Delighted that the news is still very hopeful, now if you are going to be without him this weekend then try and get some R&R yourself so you are in the best state to help him through the recovery period and not exhausted.

Don't know if I can, adrenaline is coursing through my veins LOL

Good stiff drink is needed, you need some rest as you may have a few weeks dancing attendance on you boy ahead of you.

Good stiff drink is needed, you need some rest as you may have a few weeks dancing attendance on you boy ahead of you.

Ops - looks like you had better make that two stiff drinks!

Well I'll definitely sleep well with two drinks in me.

Fantastic news for you, I've been thinking of you and Luke since I read the news but have been offline most of Christmas, could read the news but not reply to it!  I was especially thinking of you on New Years Eve as I gave my Golden girls a hug and a wish for a happy new year.  I have a very special Golden girl, one who I very nearly lost this time last year, so I really can understand the feelings you have at the moment.  So pleased for you all!

Jan

Reports from the Veterinary Hospital is that Luke is doing really well, has eaten and has toileted. Don't know if he is coming home today yet but if not today then we think tomorrow.
All sorts have come back to us now that we aren't in such a daze. The local Vet told us on the day that Luke would be in pain (not surprised from an infected kidney) and that he would become aggressive with pain. He gave him Previcox to take, but we have been thinking. As he told us that Luke could be dead within 2 days, 1 week or possibly 2 weeks, if we had been a young family with young children who knows that we may have taken the decision to have him euthanized on that day for the sake of the safety of the children. Doesn't bear thinking about.

Any further update please.

Hi Nova
Thanks for asking, he came home today, he is really well. He has lost quite a lot of weight but we should be able to put that back on soon. We haven't got the results back from the biopsy but we can but hope. I have been reading up on the possibility of cancer and they say that even though there isn't signs of metatisation it can occur months down the line. But the way I see it we could then go for chemo and try to delay the inevitable. However at this stage he has had his life saved and that will do for me for now. He has eaten, in fact he is very hungry but as he had a loose stomach we are giving him small meals at regular hours. He was really happy to see us. He has never been away from us like this and he has been at the Vets for 4 and a half days so he must have wondered if we were ever coming back. He is not even on pain killers as they say that they have sorted his pain out while he has been with them. Very surprised that the bill was so low (around the £900 mark), expected a much higher bill. Just so delighted to have him home and to know that at this stage he is safe from the tumour/abcess bursting and him dying on us. A very good friend of ours from where we lived in the UK says that everyone on the park is asking about him and she is thinking of putting up a board with daily updates to save having to repeat herself, people have been so nice!