Personal Note: Brandi’s Diagnosis

Last week I mentioned my Yellow Labrador Retriever, Brandi, underwent a biopsy on her liver because of high liver enzymes that would not get corrected with diet and treatment.  I also mentioned that while undergoing the biopsy they found nodules on her spleen and removed it.  Both the liver biopsy and the spleen were sent to the lab for testing.

The results are in and it’s not good.  “The spleen showed evidence of lymphoma.  The liver was consistent with cirrhosis (end stage liver disease)” and “due to severe chronic active hepatitis.”

This is a double whammy.  The liver disease might still be treatable since the liver is such a recoverable organ.  However, the lymphoma is a cancer that travels the entire body.  It’s highly unlikely it’s isolated in the spleen.  Brandi’s “prognosis is poor.”  The doctor thinks she has about six weeks or so. 

Among other drugs, she is getting prednisone which has stimulated her appetite.  She’s eating quite a bit, except her hepatic dog food, which she detests.  She’s also drinking quite a lot, and she needs to relieve herself every couple of hours.  She’s had a few accidents in the house, and they are large puddles.  We’ve limited her to the ground floor and Rochelle has been sleeping downstairs to try to take her out when needed. 

Brandi is so happy to be at home, sitting or lying down in her favorite spots.  She’s certainly not her energetic self, and she stays by one of us every moment.  She always had a special affection for my wife, and now she never leaves her side.  Let me leave it with an understatement, we are all pretty much broken up over this.

The veterinarian’s discharge report had the following statement: “Brandi is a sweet girl and wonderful patient.”  Yeah, that’s Brandi.  Even with the people who were probing and sticking her with needles, she was sweet and wonderful.

Here’s a picture I found of Brandi when one day my wife decided to put a cap on her head.