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My question is are Golden Retrievers becoming more susceptib...

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Question by Deb
Submitted on 1/4/2004
Related FAQ: rec.pets.dogs: Golden Retrievers Breed-FAQ
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My question is are Golden Retrievers becoming more susceptible to cancer?  I have had 2 of my Goldens diagnosed with cancer.  One had stomach cancer and the other was just diagnosed with lung cancer.  Is this more common in this breed?


Answer by missin' macy
Submitted on 2/26/2004
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I recently had a 3 year old golden retriever die of cancer so I decided to do some research. What I've seen shows that anywhere from 61-63% of golden retrievers will die from cancer, and the most common types are hemangiosarcoma and lymphosarcoma. We were originally shocked to see her pass at such an early age and so quickly, but it appears that cancer is more prominent in this breed than we originally thought. It's very unfortunate, they're great dogs!

 

Answer by Mike
Submitted on 3/19/2004
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Cancer is on the increase in all mammals, including goldens (people too). The factors influencing the onset of Cancer are many. Genetics, environment, and medical care are just a few.  

As the retriever breeds go, the golden has a slightly higher risk of cancer than say the Lab or Chessie.  

 

Answer by Becki
Submitted on 5/7/2004
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We just lost our Golden 5-4-04, she was only 5.
She was also diagnosed with cancer!
How fast it all happened! How much it hurts!
Her vet said he was very suprised!

SO WERE WE!!!!!!!!!
Missing my dog in Ohio :(

 

Answer by Jacqui
Submitted on 5/28/2004
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My 8 year old golden just died of cancer in the liver and my whole family is devastated
:(

 

Answer by Katie
Submitted on 5/29/2004
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My 7 year old Golden, Tanner, was just diagnosed this week, 5/28/04 with High-grade malignant lymphoma.  I am shocked and horrified since he is my companion, best friend, and the most wonderful dog.  His cancer is expected to progress very quickly with no cure.  I cannot imagine life without him and wish something could be done to stop this dreaded disease.

 

Answer by Patty
Submitted on 7/9/2004
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We just lost our nine and a half year old golden, Maggie, last night.  We never knew for sure if it was cancer, but it most likely was.  I was amazed at how quickly she went from fine to miserable.  She stopped eating her dry food one day, and eventually stopped eating even the most tempting foods.  She had sores on her body, a fever, and 2 large lumps on her back that came out of nowhere.  We originally suspected an infection, but antibiotics didn't help.  We didn't test her for cancer because we knew there was nothing we could do if it was.  When she showed us she was in terrible pain, we had to put her down.  I feel awful, and wish I could have done more for her, but I'm told that Goldens don't live for more than 10 years on average.  She was such a wonderful, loving, loyal dog.  I've had other breeds, but she was by far the best and my heart is broken.

 

Answer by Peggy
Submitted on 7/21/2004
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Our sweet beautiful golden retriever was euthanized this morning at the age of 8 years.  She was our dear dear friend and running companion. She ran 24 km on the weekend and went swimming afterward. She was chasing balls even last night, but awoke to breathing difficulties. She was diagnosed with lung cancer (metastases from some unknown primary tumor). It tempers our grief somewhat to know that she wasn't the only special golden retriever out there and that we aren't the only shocked and devastated family.

 

Answer by baylea's mom
Submitted on 9/8/2004
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Baylea, the light of our lives .. was diagnosed with oral fibrosarcoma, a very invasive cancer October 2003.  she has lived a very wonderful happy life thus far. only thin bothering her is the growing tumor on her nose.  we treat Baylea only naturally.  we chose not to have surgery to remove the tumor or to give her chemo.  she gets a raw food diet and her favorite flax seed oil and cottage cheese.  she gets a blend of vitamins and minerals and Essiac Tea for dessert. She is a very happy dog who will always be known to her dog park pals as "the miracle dog".  surf the web and find out more about taking care of your pup naturally.

 

Answer by Kelly Dee
Submitted on 9/15/2004
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I just lost my baby Nala, a 9 yr old golden retriever to cancer.  On 8-20-04 she became very ill & we rushed her to the vet.  She stayed there over the weekend and they ran numerous tests.  The vet couldn't come to a specific cause & since she was looking better (by being on antibiotics and steriods) so we took her home.  She stayed on these meds for about 2 weeks and was looking fine.  The meds were done on Fri and then on Tues 9-7-04 she collapsed.  We rushed her to the vet again and they said it looked very bad.  She had labored breathing, her gums were pale, her tongue was discolored, and she couldn't even walk.  They did surgery on Wed 9-8-04 and found a large tumor in her spleen and nodules in her liver.  There were 3 vets on staff that day and they all came to the same conclusion.  I (and my family) decided to put her to sleep.  This was the hardest thing I will ever have to do.  It is even more frustrating because one moment she was totally fine & the next moment she was just collapsing.  It just doesn't make any sense-there were no warning signs!  She was my baby, my friend, my loyal companion, my everything.  I love her dearly & I am very heart-broken and depressed over this.  She was the best dog I have and will ever have.  I know she is out of pain now and is in Heaven.  I truly believe this because she was an angel sent to me and if she is not in Heaven, then nobody deserves to go.

 

Answer by Judy
Submitted on 9/24/2004
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I had to put down my dear dear Maggie last night. She was fine then suddenly began to breath heavily and appeared in pain. I rushed her to the hospital where they diagnosed her with hemangiosarcomea. Her tumor was the size of a grapefruit plus there was another one forming. I had to do the most humane thing for her I would never want her to suffer ( which she would)I am devastated. My heart is broken. I love her so much I feel that a peice of me has been ripped out.The house is already too quiet without her. I read on other sites that hemangiosarcome is very prevalent in goldens.

 

Answer by Eva
Submitted on 9/26/2004
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Patty, my golden retriever is going through much of the same things that yours did.  Lucky is 8 years old and he stopped eating his food one day and stopped eating a lot of things that he used to gobble straight down.  he has lost a lot of weight, and right now is unable to stand.  :(  i didn't test for cancer either, but i think that's what it is.  we will probably take him to the vet today to put him to sleep so he won't be in pain anymore.  :(

 

Answer by JC & Family
Submitted on 9/28/2004
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My 3rd Treasured Male Golden in the past 25 years, passed in April at age 9.5 of perhaps lung cancer per an oncology vet specialist who said she sees this all the time..the cancer often starts elsewhere, could also be pneumonia - went fast, and started as mycosis fungoides which was not detected on his black lip by 4 top vets...look that one up online - had it been detected as a skin lymphoma it may never have metasized to the lung...now we have lost our very true love-dog - Mr CodyBoy- how great he was - as were my others.  All so very very special.

 

Answer by Nicole
Submitted on 10/5/2004
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My sweet golden retriever, D.J., only 5 years old, had to be put asleep last friday only two days after being diagnosed with carcinoma in his chest.  He didn't show any symptoms until a week before, when he began regurgitating his water.  He was diagnosed with megaespohagus on Monday, when a chest x-ray showed the tumor.  A biopsy showed that it was carcinoma, and he progressed very quickly.  It helps to know that I am not alone in this situation.

 

Answer by Andrea
Submitted on 10/14/2004
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I had to put my Golden Jake to sleep last night.  This is the most random thing I could have imagined.  He's been fine and several days ago became lethargic, didn't want to eat and his breathing seemed labored.  Last night his temperature went up to 105 and his heart rate was 200.  He was a very healthy 8 year old.  I still don't know for sure if it was cancer, but I have never seen anything this drastic happen so quickly.  Like so many others he was my best pal and companion.  My heart hurts.

 

Answer by Cody
Submitted on 10/20/2004
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My 10yr old Golden was just diagnosed with lung cancer. He stoped eating very suddenly, was coughing and getting weak. I've read about using Flaxseed oil and having very good results. I started it today. Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

Answer by Debbie
Submitted on 10/31/2004
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Five days ago, we had to euthanize our beloved 5-year-old Golden, Tucker. The final diagnosis was lymphoma, but it took the vets a week to come to that. By that time, he was having seizures and difficulty breathing and there was no way to save him. He had gone from happily playing in the yard to deathly ill in a matter of 9 days. We'd had no idea that cancer was so widespread in Goldens, and are devastated. Only after having lost him am I doing research and discovering that there are hundreds of other families out there experiencing the same thing. My heart goes out to everyone experiencing this painful loss.

 

Answer by Dinah
Submitted on 11/1/2004
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I had to put my 8 1/2 year old golden retriever to sleep Saturday, October 30th. She had lymphoma that was throughout her liver.  We had no clue, even though she had been to the vet twice in the last 3 months for shots, and because she injured her shoulder. I found her the day before Christmas Eve 8 years ago, she was a puppy about 7 months old.  We named her Angel, because she came to us at Xmas. Since then she was glued to me whenever I was at home.  We hiked 3 miles every morning, with our other dogs, took 2 more walks in the afternoon and one after dinner.  She loved to play ball, and loved just being around our family.  She was the sweetest, most affectionate dog I have ever owned and I'm sure I will never recover from the loss.  I miss her so much.

 

Answer by Travis
Submitted on 11/19/2004
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My family found out our golden had lymphoma cancer earlier today. words cannot express the grief we have over losing such a beloved, loyal, and wonderful companion. It's hard to imagine living without her...

We'll miss you, goldie.

 

Answer by Marnie
Submitted on 11/22/2004
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My best friend died last week from a tumor in his intestines.  He was 7 yrs old.  He didn't eat on Sunday and by Wednesday night, I had to put him to sleep. Our vet went into operate, but when he opened him up, the cancer wasn't isolated and couldn't be removed.  The cancer didn't even show up in his blood tests done on Tuesday.  We have a 3 yr old goldens and on Saturday got him a new golden puppy so that he wouldn't be alone.  I will always have goldens so I hope that something can be done.

 

Answer by Nikki
Submitted on 11/28/2004
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I have a golden that my mom and I rescued from Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue. And they thought he was 3 at the time, so given that age he is about 12 now. And it is so sad to see my "puppy" laying in the living room, because I am afraid he is not going to make it through the night. I hate to see him like this. But because I am so moved by his sudden depart, I was also depending on some research to keep me up with him, and to show myself that I am not alone. I am so very sorry for all of your losses. A golden is a great dog to have and like all, a sad dog to lose.

 

Answer by gonzalo
Submitted on 11/30/2004
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Hello: I´m from Mexico city, And today I take my 5 y.o. Golden Retriever to the vet.he has lost 9Kg. in 1Mo. reading some of the stories above, some of you please tell me which where your dogs symptoms, so i can start to make something about, we´re all ready making blood test.Any comments welcome & apeciated..transportesjet@aol.com thank you all

 

Answer by Sharon and Doug
Submitted on 12/8/2004
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My sweet Sugar had a bleeding stool on Halloween.  We rushed her to an emergency clinic.  She was treated with an antibiotic and we took her to our regular vet two days later.  They diagnosed her with lymphoma and gave us the name of a specialist.  On Nov 15th we got the news she had advanced lymphoma.  They put her on steroids.  On Dec 3rd her breathing changed out of the blue.  She had developed a lump in her throat seeming overnight.  We had her put down on Dec 4th.  Up until Halloween, we didn't have a clue that she was sick.  She had seen three different Vets in the span of three months because we had recently moved to Dayton and were searching for a good vet.

It was so sad.  She was the perfect dog--never a behavior problem from puppy-hood through adulthood.  She did everything including elimination on command, and never left our yard went let outdoors.  Outside of the dog hair, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect pet.  I miss her so much.  We buried her in The Pines outside of Dayton Ohio.  It is a lovely pet cemetery with a stellar reputation, but I would rather have my sweet Sugar back in my arms again.  She was about 7 1/2 when she died.  

We got Sugar from a family friend who had a litter, but in examining her records we found that her grandfather was the same on both the maternal and paternal sides and wondered if that contributed to a faulty gene-pool.  I think it is high time the breed had a gene-pool rest, but I doubt the greed of the industry will allow that to happen.

 

Answer by jessica
Submitted on 12/25/2004
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I cannot believe what I am reading.  My heart goes out to all of you Golden families.  Our Golden, Jozie was diagnosed with lymphnod cancer 2 days ago (12/22/04) she is going to have a biopsy done when we return from visiting family for the holiday.  Jozie is 2 1/2 years old.  She is just a baby!  I am trying to find out as much as I can about this cancer and so far it doesn't sound good.  I am told it is very aggressive.  I just am in shock, to say the least...and sick to my stomach.  Do not know what to expect.  Just trying to get some answers.  God Bless you all and your precious Goldens

 

Answer by Nikki
Submitted on 1/12/2005
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Our sweet wonderful golden Tylor was diagnosed with lung cancer yesterday.  He also has stopped eating his dog food.  The vet told us to just spoil him at this point give him whatever he wants.  I really do not want to make the decision as to put him down or not.  I hope he just goes more peacefully.  I did not know this was so common either.

 

Answer by amanda
Submitted on 1/13/2005
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My dog Simba has cancer..Im only 14 and he is my best friend. I sleep with him every night he follows me everywhere and wakes up anytime i wake up. Hes my heart. And now my parents told me he only has 2 or 3 months left and i cant stop crying. why do such great, loving dogs get this? Im so sad i dont think Im going to ever get over it. I just hope one day they find a cure because its causing me so much pain. Everyone in my family is devastated.

 

Answer by kel
Submitted on 1/14/2005
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we also revently lost a beloved golden to cancer. She was 7 years old with no previous health issues other than skin irritations. One vet we consulted said goldens had just surpassed boxers as the breed most likely to have cancer. We lost Milly within weeks and are now unsure if we will be able to set ourselves up for this kind of pain again. I find it ironic that the best and most lovable breed may also be the most likely to leave us prematurely. I feel this is surely a result of man's corruption of our environment and nothing intended by the God I believe in.

 

Answer by unknown
Submitted on 1/23/2005
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we just lost our golden at 9 years old.

she had that cancer on her heart, i'm not quite sure what it's called.


horrible, unexpected death.  =(

 

Answer by Chris
Submitted on 1/28/2005
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Our 7 year old Golden Retriever, Butler, has been struggling with cancer for two months now.  He had a large lump on his front leg, which was removed two months ago.  We thought that we made it through this ordeal in good shape, but today we discovered another lump forming in the same location.  We are now being directed by our Vet. to Chemotherapy options from the University of Illinois.  To all of the families of Golden Retrievers still fighting this ordeal, enjoy their presence while they are with you.  To all of the families mourning the loss of their family members, my thoughts are with you.  

 

Answer by Cheryl
Submitted on 2/7/2005
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We lost our beloved Golden, Charlie, 5-20-04, to hemangiosarcoma at age 8.  He was our first dog, what a wonderful boy he was.  He had cancer in the blood vessels in his heart sac. He went fast.  I don't think he suffered a whole lot since it's an aggressive, fast-moving cancer.  We were shocked to lose our boy at such a young age.  We love you, Charlie!!!

 

Answer by Clikon636
Submitted on 2/9/2005
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I lost my Golden at the age of 6 and like most of you, she went from what appeared to be a healthy vibrant golden to a dying critical one in the matter of four days. I've had five other friends with Goldens and only one lived beyond the age of nine. There should be more of an outcry of why these dogs are dying at such a young age like this.

 

Answer by david gierke
Submitted on 2/12/2005
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Our golden was put down this morning, after a 2 month battle with cancer, wednesday she was okay by friday could barely breathe,loss of appetite,andc didnt even want to go for walk, hardest thing ever had to do, but the most humaine. will miss he deeply!!!

 

Answer by Jere
Submitted on 2/25/2005
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I just found out this evening, that my wonderful Hannah, 6 year old Golden, has incurable lymphoma.  She started vomiting this week, and would not eat.  My vet says that she will give her steroids and tagamet...but that the cancer is too far advanced for chemotherapy.  I am devastated as she and her brother, Harley are my best friends.  This is especially difficult as I too...have cancer.  This hits on a whole other level.

Now, I worry that Harley will also get it at some point.
What a horrible shame...goldens are just so wonderful.

 

Answer by answer by Kim
Submitted on 3/18/2005
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Our six year old golden was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her shoulder blade in 01/05. I have cried every day since. She went from fine one day to limping the next.  We have chosen not to put her through amputation and chemo.  We watch her every move and take nothing for granted.  She will be spoiled even more in her last days until we feel she has crossed the line from uncomfortable to suffering.  Our family will be devastated when she goes.  Will I get another golden?  I'm not sure.  No other dog can measure up to them but my grief will cause me to carefully evaluate my next decision.

 

Answer by Rachel
Submitted on 3/25/2005
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I just received the diagnosis of cancer, lymphosarcoma, from my vet last night. Duncan is a huge, beautiful, 4 year old golden. I am just devastated. As others have said, it is somewhat soothing to know that I'm not the only one who's world has been a bit rocked by something so tremendously unfair.
But I'm now faced with making choices about treatment, and was hoping maybe others could give me some guidance. Does anything really help?

 

Answer by Scott
Submitted on 3/28/2005
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We just lost our 9 year old Golden, Bailey, to lung cancer last week.  She was playing normally just two weeks ago.  Then she stopped eating, stopped playing, and got weaker and weaker until we finally had to have her put down.  She was my baby and I miss her terribly.  I can't believe she's gone.  

 

Answer by Christopher
Submitted on 4/14/2005
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My 16 year old Golden Retriever, Brenda, has been diagnosed with liver cancer.  Our vet said the ultrasound showed metastisized cancer into the pancreas and intestine.  She had aches and pains associated with very old age, but one day, she just stopped eating her food.  After a few days, I took her in and got the news.  It's been a week and she seems to be getting weaker and withdrawing from me.  I am just torn up over knowing how little time she has left on this earth.

 

Answer by Answer by Linda
Submitted on 5/13/2005
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My golden, Samantha was diagnosed w/cancer on 5/10/05. She too was diagnosed w/lung cancer which metastasized from an unknown primary tumor. I am told she has only a week or two left, she is 8 1/2. When I notice any pain or discomfort I will have her put down. Also, in 1997, my first golden Blaze, was euthanized on account of cancer, she was 9 1/2.  I feel I'm cursed...makes it a little easier knowing I'm not the only one losing goldens to cancer.

 

Answer by Barbie
Submitted on 5/22/2005
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I lost my 8 year old lab/golden to bone cancer and was also devastated. Great support group on yahoo for canine bone cancer.

 

Answer by Goldensmom
Submitted on 5/28/2005
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My 10 year old Golden is in the vet ER now.  He suddenly developed a poor appetite one day, and by the next morning was very short of breath.  They've given him supportive help and several meds, but we're still not sure what it is.  There was some lung fluid which was removed, and there are a couple of suspicious cells.  This may be cancer.  We're having the fluid analyzed further.  How did they diagnose the lung cancer in your Golden?  My pet's chest x-ray in not normal, but they are not sure if it is a mass or just the fluid.  I sooooo hope we are not about to deal with what you all faced.  These Goldens are the best dogs; it's so sad that they don't have longer lives!

 

Answer by Bonnie
Submitted on 7/20/2005
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I stumbled across this site looking for a site on retrievers. I was shocked to learn of such high numbers of goldens with cancer. Much like 'Peggy'. Our retriever Dreyfus went strong until the end. His breathing over a week became so labored that we took him to the vet. He had a large tumor in his stomach and had metastasized to his lungs. I was told that it was not unusual...but take hope if you want another retreiver....Dreyfus was 13 Years old! We miss him a lot!

 

Answer by laurie
Submitted on 7/28/2005
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Just coming in from the vets.. had to break the news of bone cancer to my family, about our golden AYLA. My daughter is heartsick,my son's have just gotten quiet. I am writing because I am grateful to those who shared their stories... they help us know we are not alone in our sadness.

 

Answer by Linda
Submitted on 8/1/2005
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my dear puppy only 14 months old died in 2 weeks of cancer.  I am devistated. The doctors think it was leukemea.  Heart sick

My babys name was Bamboo

He was only a puppy and he went so fast, I do not know how to get through this greif. It was very sad, we just began our life togeather.  I miss him soooo much.

 

Answer by Karen
Submitted on 8/3/2005
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Our beautiful 8 year old "princess girl" golden retriever, Maggie, was just diagnosed with cancer,and she is deteriorating rapidly.  Like Patty said above, it just appeared out of nowhere.  We're totally devastated.  She swims, she boats, she goes to work with my husband every day.  We've always been a three-some and now must face that we'll only be a two-some. All of you who have answered this - you are not alone.  We're suffering terribly too.  

 

Answer by Maureen
Submitted on 8/8/2005
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We said goodbye to our 10 year old Golden, Duffy, yesterday 8/7/05.  He developed a hard mass on his right shoulder a year ago in May.  He had surgery to remove a tumor the size of a small volleyball which turned out to be malignant.  The surgeon said he might live 3 months.  After recovering from the surgery he took Deramax (anti-inflammatory) and was like a puppy again for a little over a year from the surgery. The tumor was growing back in his shoulder area.  Three weeks ago he became extremely bloated in the belly area and he stopped eating for the last two days and could hardly walk due to his hind legs were collapsing.  Putting him down yesterday was extremely painful for our entire family.  Duffy went peacefully surrounded by us and under the expert care of a wonderful vet.  When he passed he was lying on the floor with his beautiful face between his two paws as he gently closed his eyes and went to sleep.  He was free of all his pain and suffering.  Now we are trying to heal from the pain of losing the best member of our family.  Love to all whose hearts are hurting and missing these wonderful creatures.  

 

Answer by Danielle
Submitted on 8/16/2005
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I just found out lastnight that our six year old Golden has most likely a few months to live with cancer in his nasal pasage.  I am in such disbelief as we lost our last Golden at 7 and I thought there was no way this could happen again.  I am not want of those weird people that is obsessed with animals but he truly is a member of our family.  The worst part I think is that we can't know that he knows how much we love him and that we didn't want him to go through this.  My family really does not want to go through this again.

 

Answer by amy
Submitted on 8/19/2005
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I came to this website feeling so sad but also lucky.  My 13 year old Lipton has lung cancer.  She was at the vet on Monday because I was concerned how fast her tumor is growing.  The vet told me she has a heart murmur on the left side.  Today is Friday Aug 19.  The tumor has increased by at least a third.  She is looking at me as if she knows.  I lost her mother to cancer.  Why do goldens seem to have more cancer than any other dog?

 

Answer by rjrapier
Submitted on 8/22/2005
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We just lost our 10 year old Golden Retriever, Katie, 3 days ago.  As with others, she was doing great, then about 3 days prior to losing her, she started showing difficulty breathing.  When we took her in to the Vet, he determined that she had a huge amount of fluid build up around the lungs, compressing them so badly that she could hardly breathe.  We do not know with certainty that it was cancer, but, that is what all three vets we saw said was the most likely cause, given that she had not suffered any significant trauma, nor had she had any opportunity to get into something like rat poison.

We are fortunate in that she had a litter of 10 puppies 6 years ago, and we kept one of them, and we keep in touch with some of the owners of her other pups, so a part of her lives on with us.

 

Answer by Cardgirl
Submitted on 8/22/2005
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Our 10-year old Golden was just put to sleep two nights ago.  He started coughing and then had labored breathing a few days later.  We took him to the vet hospital and it took them about 15 minutes to diagnose cancer.  His lungs were filled with fluid and his heart was failing.  It hurts so bad to be in our home without him.  He was family and will be missed and in our hearts forever.

 

Answer by Julie
Submitted on 9/26/2005
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Two months ago my beloved Cecilia died of Hemangiosarcoma at the age of 10.5. Cecilia was my running partner of 10 years - she was an amazing athlete and lead a life of love and health. She hiked in her usual puppy fashion the day before she died in my arms. I still get angry that not one of the many Dr.'s we saw took her "borderline" anemia and collapsing episodes as anything remotely related to cancer. I had to push for an ultrasound became I suspected hemangio. and yes that is what she had. She outlived the statistics by almost 6 months. On the days that she was not bleeding out from a tumor or blood vessels rupture you never would have known she had cancer. As a Psychotherapist specializing in the Human-Animal Bond and Pet Loss (am I allowed to say that?) I know the role of anger, but it is so very frustrating that her symptoms were not taken seriously and 6 months went by before she was diagnosed -by that time the cancer having such a high mitotic rate had already spread from her spleen to her liver and stomach. The final time she collapsed I said that was enough..she never would have been ready to go -  that was the spirit she had, but I could not allow her body to go on like that - not knowing when the next major bleed was going to occur. And God forbid, she had one while I was away and fell down the stairs or became disoriented or went into shock or bleed so bad she could not get enough oxygen..what a horrible space for her to live in.

I just hope that other golden owners are aware of Hemangiosacoma. It is called the "silent killer" for a reason. If you own a Golden, especially an older golden, who develops borderline anemia and periods of weakness and /or collapsing, demand an ultrasound of the spleen. This is a cancer of the blood vessel's and usually forms on the spleen first. As all cancers it is ugly and so very aggressive.

I miss my girl beyond words....I do not think I will ever feel the same again.

 

Answer by Helen
Submitted on 9/30/2005
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My 5 1/2 year old was just diagnosed with lymphnoma cancer this afternoon...i do not know what i would do w/o her..i got her for my 5th grade graduation and i can still remember the day i got her...she is my best friend i love her very much!

 

Answer by Laurie K
Submitted on 10/12/2005
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Our golden Benny was 11-1/2 when he died last Sunday of lung cancer. It was also sudden and shocking. One day he was sort of slow moving, then he quit eating, then he couldn't breathe, then he died. I had no idea that cancer was even a concern, I just figured he was old and had a little arthritis. He all just happened so fast. It's as if he aged 15 years in just a matter of days.  

 

Answer by Donna
Submitted on 10/16/2005
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We lost our golden last week due to Cancer.  The vet told us she was convinced that the bump on her back was an infection so we were devestated when we had to tell her (while in surgery) to go ahead and put her down as we could not risk her wakening to the pain she had.  We know that it was the right decision, but the hardest we could make.  We loved our "Casey Girl" very much and will always have a whole in our hearts that may never be filled.

 

Answer by amy
Submitted on 11/6/2005
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Please, anyone have any info on hemangiosarcoma? I just lost 2 Newfs, in the last month to this. Suddenly. Both age 4, and not related in any way.
Devastated, and looking for answers.

 

Answer by lovemygoldygirl
Submitted on 11/10/2005
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my golden is just 4 years old and all of a sudden she developed this lump on her wrist and now I  found two lumps in her neck..I have noticed she seems to  swallow awfully hard...now i know why..i hope to God this beautiful girl doesnt have cancer....i love her so much and cant imagine my life whithout her...my heart goes out to all of you goldy owners who have lost your goldy's to this horrible disease..They are the sweetest dogs in the world and its just so sad.

 

Answer by Gary
Submitted on 11/20/2005
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We lost our best friend Nugget last week to lymphoma. He was diagnost with the disease 14 months ago. He went through injected chemo and did very well for 13 months. I know we were fortunate to have the extra time. Losing him is beyond words. We loved him so very much. Rest in peace my dear, sweet, loving companion.

 

Answer by Greg
Submitted on 12/8/2005
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I was at school today and I called my dad from school and heard that my eight year old golden retriever named CJ has some form of cancer. I cried all the way home and im devasted at the time. Im still waiting to find out how long my family and I have with him. I love him dearly

 

Answer by Cheryl
Submitted on 12/20/2005
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We lost our beloved Golden, Charlie, at age 8 yrs, 4 mos, on 5/20/04.  He had hemangiosarcoma of the heart muscle.  He went fast.  It was quite a shock.  His sire died at the same age. I think it was also hemangiosarcoma.  We have Charlie's half-nephew.  He's 7.5 years old.  I'll be nervous this next year knowing that we lost his uncle at age 8.

 

Answer by Goldie06
Submitted on 1/23/2006
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My Truman lost his battle to cancer just shy of his 7th birthday.  No words can express how much I truely loved him.  I wish my breeder had been more open to discussing lymphoma with me.  

 

Answer by rmendels
Submitted on 1/30/2006
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My neighbor's golden was put down last week at age 15 due to cancer.  The scary part is that this dog was in great health only 1 month ago.  Tumor appeared on her leg 3 weeks ago and within 2 weeks she was overcome by cancer.  My sister's golden died from cancer last year at age 10 and her neighbors across the street lost both of their goldens to cancer.  I am on a mission to feed my golden holistic, organic foods in an effort to help keep her healthy but unfortunately I've been reading that though this can help there are no guarantees.  Golden lovers like myself need to help by contributing money to research on this devastating illness.  Check out http://landofpuregold.com/cancer.htm for helpful info.

 

Answer by Scott
Submitted on 1/31/2006
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I just found out today that my 9 year old Golden Retriever, Dakota, has multiple spots revealed on X-rays today.  He went from 100 lbs to 87 within 1 1/2 months. Last year he had a knot on his back that the Vet said was a fatty pocket and we had it removed. They said it might not be cancer, but more than likely is. Other symptoms were excessive drooling and prone to infection in one eye.  It breaks my heart to pieces.  He have given him nothing but the best. The years we shared together are truly priceless.  No matter what, Golden's are the best family dog and so very loyal and true. We will keep hope and prayers that our D-dog will fight for a while with this unknown illness.  And if it gets too bad, then my nightmare will come true and I will have to put down my best friend. But one day, we will be together again in Gods kingdom without this heart tearing pain.

 

Answer by Bob
Submitted on 2/8/2006
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I have had 5 Goldens and 4 died of either cancer or autoimmune disease.  The latest was Sasha from lung cancer at 11 1/2.  Research and talking with knowledgeable breeders indicates that cancer is rampant in the breed, both from overbreeding and feeding commerical foods laced with anti-biotics, hormones and other animal elements that no human would ever eat.  We overbreed and feed them terrible food.  I switched later in her life, but it was too late.  Never again.

I am 66, love Goldens but canot bear to have my heart broken again by this tradgedy of human making. See her story at: http://maxcy.home.att.net

 

Answer by Kathi
Submitted on 2/9/2006
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My 9 yr old golden Zac was just diagnosed yesterday with cancer.  I am heartbroken and hope that a cure can be found for thos horrible disease.
My golden was my whole life and now I have to see him suffer this way.
I am very,very sad and don't know how I will ever live without him

:(

 

Answer by mamamere
Submitted on 3/3/2006
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wish somebody could help. out ginger is 12 and self mutilating herself. she has chewed herself to the point of spraying blood. the vet ruled out mange. checking for intestinal parasites. otherwise it is cancer. has anybody had a golden that multilated herself with cancer. am desparate for an answer. my 11 year old is devestated

 

Answer by Lanie
Submitted on 3/11/2006
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As I sit here typing this, my heart is breaking.  My beautiful Abby is only 5 years old and has cancer.  She is dying.
My husband is at the vet's picking up anti-nausea medication because she cannot keep any food down.

I pray that she goes peacefully in her sleep
before we have to make the dreaded decision to put her down.

Please pray for us during this very heart breaking time.

 

Answer by cousette
Submitted on 3/13/2006
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our 11 yr old started showing blood in her stools 3 weeks ago. last week, she began losing interest in food. we had a blood panel done that showed her bone marrow was replacing red blood cells furiously. her x-rays showed no tumors and little arthritis. but when blood continued into the 3rd week, we had an ultrasound done, and then a needle biopsy. i'mwaiting to hear from the lab. but the radiologist showed me the ultrasound results, showing dark spots in the lymph nodes. if it's lymph node cancer, there's no hope. it will progress quickly - 2 months or so, I was told. i cried a lot and our family pledged to maintain her quality of life and let her go when she begins to suffer. she is the sunshine in our life and we will miss her so much. she is our 'surf dog' and loves the ocean. but she won't have another summer on the beach. it's a cold march (06) now and she'll be gone before summer. how do we cope with such a loss?

 

Answer by rezzy90210@yahoo.com
Submitted on 3/15/2006
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Hi - Put my beloved Golden 'Indy' down this afternoon, just shy of his 11th year. (Damn Cancer). Still tearing up as I type. If anyone reads this, don't momentary sadness deter you from owning a Golden. He was kind to a fault, to everyone, and that taught me something. If was half as kind, I will go as peacefully as he. God Bless and keep you my very very good dog.

 

Answer by bobby
Submitted on 4/5/2006
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my 9 year old golden cheli just passed two days ago. she had tumors on her liver and her spleen. my whole family is heartbroken. RIP cheli i will love you forever.

 

Answer by JoAnn
Submitted on 4/7/2006
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My parents just lost their golden on 4-4-06 to hemangioscarcoma at age 7.  Like everyone else they had no idea until his stomach started swelling and a trip the ER.  Needless to say they took him home for one last night of love before saying good-bye.  Harley was such a loving dog and will be missed by the entire family!

 

Answer by sean
Submitted on 4/26/2006
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I just put down my second golden retriever today due to an excess of cancerous tumors. we had one removed from her foot about a month and a half ago and everything looked great, until her leg swelled up 3 times its normal size and everything went down from there. we took her back to the vet and he gave her some prednazone which had been working, but she had major indigestion for about a week, which was when her condition started to deteriorate at an amazing rate. when i awoke this morning i found her in my mothers room having problems breathing and bleeding from cancerous lumps shes been licking for the past week. she was fine last night, but i guess this morning she decided it was time to give up. she died this morning at the age of 11, and was the best dog i ever had.

 

Answer by Champ's Mom
Submitted on 5/10/2006
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Our 7 year old Golden was diagnosed with lymphoma and was put to rest 5 weeks later. We are devastated. I've been doing some research and have found that vaccinations and dog food may be to blame for the high cancer rate. Be sure to look into these dangers so you can try to save your next dog's life.

 

Answer by Peter H
Submitted on 5/13/2006
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Our Golden Hailey would have turned 8 in July. She died yesterday of cancer that like the others, spread in a matter of days. We thought she had a bladder infection because she started having problems going to the bathroom. Then we discovered two tumors in her abdomen. Before we could even decide on how to treat her she took another turn for the worse and lost bladder control and the ability to walk.
The family is devastated, she was such a great dog.

 

Answer by Amy
Submitted on 5/14/2006
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What were you feeding your dogs?  Iams perhaps.  I know everyone thinks that is a great food, but I asked my vet and he said never feed your dogs that, there have been studies showing that Iams can increase the % your dog will get cancer.  My dog died of cancer when he was 9 because of the stuff.  My other golden died also at 9 of brain cancer.  I would never feed Iams again!

 

Answer by Amanda
Submitted on 5/25/2006
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My dog Bubba is 8 and has just been diagnosed with liver cancer.  He didn't have any symptoms until about a week before diagnosed.  The vet doesn't think he will live long.  I love him so much.

 

Answer by Tichiba
Submitted on 6/3/2006
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My 6 1/2 year old Golden (Lucky) passed away last Monday (5/29/06). The vet first diagnosed an infection of the liver, but he suspected liver cancer. My heart hurts so much. He stopped eating his dry dog food and within a week stopped eating even his favorite treats. This was all so sudden.

 

Answer by Janet
Submitted on 6/19/2006
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Our 8 yr old Golden was diagnosed last week with lymphosarcoma. He is still eating but is listless and has stopped smiling. He is such a sweetheart and has never complained about anything his whole life so it is hard to know how much discomfort he is in. How do you say good-bye to the sweetest dog we have ever had?

 

Answer by linda
Submitted on 6/22/2006
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My golden is 8 yrs old and just diagnosed with cancer(tumor on hind leg).He looks 3 yrs old. He has 3 months to live and its devastating waiting for him to die.  On pain medication now and comfortable, we are just living in the dread of the last day here. I'm glad to find this site, and know he will missed as well as your own.

 

Answer by drnancie
Submitted on 6/28/2006
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Believe it or not this makes me feel a bit better. I just learned yesterday that my wonderful certified therapy dog who is only seven has cancer. it is in her lungs. don't know which type. I am heartbroken

 

Answer by Garry
Submitted on 6/29/2006
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It hurts to lose a golden. i still feel sad when i think of my old buddies. Now my older one apperars to be winding down. we have a second for back up,but you can never replace a golden. thay all have spirits which pierce
our heart. Your not alone. My heart aches for everyone of your friends who have left us for a short time.

 

Answer by Jaybo
Submitted on 7/9/2006
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We lost our beloved 5-year-old Golden Retriever to Hamingiosarcoma yesterday morning.  She developed what appears to be be a lung mets.  She had lost so much blood from an internal bleed she could not stand.  We spent almost 10K trying to extend her life with chemotherapy.  We are devasted.  She was a fantastic dog that we will miss.  Oh, we lost our 13 year old last year to gues what:  cancer.  

 

Answer by christy
Submitted on 7/10/2006
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I lost my golden, Abbie, of almost 8 yrs last week. Not sure what exactly happened, she was having seizures, then her body temp rose so high overnight. So so so upset. It's like losing the bond that linked our family. We love her so dearly...I think she had a pituirary tumor...So sad...We did everything we could to save her.

 

Answer by Cherie
Submitted on 7/17/2006
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My golden was 10 1/2 years old, happy, energetic, and full of life.  He had vomitting 2 days when I was away in NY, then he refused to get up.  Less than 2 days later he was diagnosed with the worse form of cancer, heaptic carcinoma which spread to the pacreas.  I had him put to sleep after I returned from my trip.  I am devastated, but also had heard some years ago that goldens are prone to cancer.  I am devastated, and know there is no other dog like him.

 

Answer by Lisa
Submitted on 7/26/2006
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I am so very saddened by all these stories... My golden Bella (9 1/2 years) was just diagnosed with bone cancer.

she has it in her left front shoulder. It began with a slight limp and now she can't even put that paw down.

It so very difficult to lose a dog. She is my baby puppy.. she has been with me for almost 10 years now and I am having such a hard time dealing with her imminent death!

it sucks that cancer is so common for these wonder dogs , they are so gentle,  loving and sweet it is unfair!

Lisa

 

Answer by Michelle
Submitted on 7/27/2006
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Our 2 year old golden retriever was euthanized this afternoon. He was our kids' best friend and a true member of our family. HE went everywhere with us and did everything. It turns out he had a tumor in his chest that spred really fast. We are devastated to lose his at such a young age. he will be loved and missed forever.

 

Answer by Alan
Submitted on 8/4/2006
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Just today the test results came back from a growth taken out my 3 year old golden. Result: Malignant. It saddens me that such a hearty dog (85 lbs golden!) could die in such a way. He is still alive but he hasn't got long I'm afraid.

 

Answer by Mary Adair and Grace Hensgt
Submitted on 8/4/2006
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our golden "Ruff" was not eating his food, sometimes gagging and was losing weight.  He had a bad skin infection and this was chronic so we put him Back on antibiotic's and cleaned his skin. When he didn't come to me when I called him I knew something was terribly wrong. He was diagnosed with Lung cancer and the Vet said he would live approximately 2 months, however within days he has been declining and we have decided that while he is not in pain and is still eating (not dog food but human food which he seems to enjoy,) he can no longer walk so we had decided to euthanasia him this weekend at home before he suffers from pain.  This is a very hard decision as we love him so much. I have taken off work to be with him, our other dog is very depressed.

 

Answer by Jelly's Owner
Submitted on 8/7/2006
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We lost our golden retriever from cancer 1 week ago.  She was diagnosed on a Tuesday and we had to put her to sleep 9 days later. Jelly had a problem just limping for 3 weeks. I couldn't watch her suffer. Jelly couldn't walk well because of a tumor on her spine. She was 10 1/2 but the most lively, loving friend until the very end. I wish they had a routine test for them. We miss her so much

 

Answer by Joanie and David
Submitted on 8/12/2006
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We just had out beautiful Golden Retriever, Tess, put to sleep around noon today.  She had hemangiosarcoma which was diagnosed just 5 days ago.  Two mornings ago, she went swimming and played bumpers.  She went downhill so quickly.  Yesterday she stopped eating and today wouldn't even eat a greenie.  We are both devistated.  She was our "child" and I can't stop sobbing.

 

Answer by Pete
Submitted on 8/20/2006
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Our 13 year old golden female was euthanized Saturday morning. Friday she went for a long walk as she does twice a day every day. Saturday morning she could barely walk, her gums were a little white, and she had labored breathing. We rushed her to the vets. She stopped breathing just as they were removing her from our car. She was revived, x-rayed and diagnosed with cancer in the lungs and tumors around the heart which caused bleeding in to the sack around the heart. Me and my wife can't stop crying.  

 

Answer by Andrea
Submitted on 8/27/2006
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My first puppy was a golden retriever. We became so attatched from the start. When he turned 3 years old he was diognosed with cancer. He had a few tumors at the start but within 7 months he went downhill fast. A week before he died he went blind. It killed me to see him at a such young age to go through a catastprophe. He died a month after his 4th birthday... Its really upsetting and depressing to know that such a great breed of dog has to die this way.

 

Answer by Sheenster
Submitted on 8/27/2006
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My baby's name is Dani.  I can see by everyone's postings that I am so blessed to see her to 12/13 yrs.She is a rescue. She was 3 when I got her. She had been chained to a tree since she was a pup. When I received her, her snout had no fur (biting flies), one ear had no fur (biting flies) and you could easily count all her ribs. I was told she was un-trainable (I taught her to speak in less than 1 hr) I was told she was unpredictable (she been nothing but miraculous).  She leaves everyone she meets speechless. She was "just" diagnosed with cancer on 8/22/06. The Dr. says she has 3-mos to a year depending on what we do.  We love her to death, we "owe" it to her to be sure she does NOT suffer. Her arthritis is so severe in her hind end, that "letting her go" is the only way. It's so hard. Thank you for giving me a place to tell others how much I love my baby girl-Dani.

 

Answer by max
Submitted on 8/30/2006
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My 8 year old golden retriever, "Bo," was diagnosed with cancer 2 months ago.  He had 2 surgeries to remove growths.  After the surgeries, he remained a loyal, fun-loving, sweet animal, as he always had been  Unfortunately, his tumor on the chest area came back with full force.  The tumor itched him and bled all the time.  The cancer was causing him difficulty breathing and problems with urination.  He would drink huge quantitites of water and immediately urinate.  At the end, that is all he did, it was like he must have been on fire inside.

I had him put to sleep on Monday, August 28, 2006, and it was one of the worst days of my life.  I pray he is in heaven and I will one day be able to see and love him again.

 

Answer by Connie
Submitted on 9/5/2006
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Just found out today our beloved 10 year old golden has cancer.  She just started snoring, and i felt a mass in her throat. We took her to the vet and she said there is also a mass in her stomach and suspects cancer there as well.  I have been sobbing all day.  I also have 2 in college who I have to tell which is going to be devastating news.  My husband just went to get her, I think I will sleep in her LL Bean bed with her tonight take her for a long walk and get her some french bread (her favorite).  Ugh this is too soon.  We also have a 2 year old poodle who will be devastated....so hard

 

Answer by Suzanne
Submitted on 9/11/2006
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After a TPLO (Knee surgery)in July on what we thought was our healthy 8 yr. old Golden Retriever she started vomiting.  She threw up everything for weeks.  she was in and out of the hospital.  All her blood tests came out normal.  After her 2nd exploratory stomach surgery this morning they found cancer.  we didn't let her wake up.  This is such a sad day in our family.

 

Answer by Steph
Submitted on 10/6/2006
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My 10 year old Golden Retriever was diagnosed with mast cell tumours at the age of 6.  She has had several operations to remove these small tumours as they appear. I just pray she will be with us for a while longer.

I am sure environment/breeding influences diseases - my first rescue Retriever died at 6 from a massive heart attack and my last Retriever died from lupus at 10.  So very sad to lose these friends.

 

Answer by Lee & Kim
Submitted on 10/18/2006
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Our Judy had to be put down this past Monday and it was very difficult for everyone, she was 8 1/2 years old. The vet said she had a cancerous tumor in the small intestine near the colon. The tumor ruptured and Judy went down overnight. We had been to the vet in Aug. with what we thought was a bleeding ulcer. But we were wrong. Please have an ultra sound on your golden if you suspect stomach problems, please. We adopted Judy from the Guiding Eyes for the Blind program after she failed her medical screening, we had the pleasure of raising her as a puppy. We will miss her forever.

 

Answer by abrownpe
Submitted on 10/26/2006
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Yes,

Our first golden died after 12 years with a tumor on his jaw, the second we put down yesterday after fighting Squamous carcenoma for 2 years.  He was only 10.

The house is so empty today.

 

Answer by tracy
Submitted on 10/31/2006
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We just lost our best friend Scout today Oct 31, 2006. Scout was an 11 yr old Golden Retriever on Oct 27th this year. Throughout his life he was a search and rescue dog, a therapy dog and our child. Just last Saturday he was playing with his 3-1/2 yr old Golden brother and his 9 month lasa-poo sister. Sunday night he started having breathing problems, a low energy level and was not eating. Monday we took him to the vet who thought he was maybe having heart trouble as he was having trouble feeling his pulse in his groin and sent us home with some meds. Tues morning he was worse so we took him back in for x-rays and that's when they found the mass on his kidney that had metastasized to his lungs. He died in our arms with the people who loved him most, he was our greatest friend and we will miss him dearly. Goldens are such a great breed it is too bad so many die of cancer. We thank god he didn't suffer and went in peace. Hang in there everyone, we're trying to.

 

Answer by Rue
Submitted on 11/6/2006
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We lost our beautiful golden retriever Lacey at the age of 4 from cancer.  She became ill and was gone in 2 days. We never saw it coming.  Our family was devasted. We did everything we could to save her. Blood transfusions to keep her alive to try & find out what was wrong.  An autopsy showed it to be thyroid cancer that had spread.  This was a dog that saw a vet regularly.  

 

Answer by kippersnack
Submitted on 11/22/2006
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my golden retriever"Buddy" was diagnost with cancer over three years ago and was told nothing could be done. At 10 years old now, he and I hike together, swim and are looking forward to taking out our new boat this comming spring.He is my best friend  

 

Answer by mrsschutte
Submitted on 12/1/2006
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We just lost our beautiful friend Sadee age 9 to cancer.  She was fine and happy on Wednesday was was put down on Saturday.  On Friday she developed what I thought was a lung infection.  It was cancer that had spread throughout her body.  I miss her every minute of every day.

 

Answer by Kara
Submitted on 12/3/2006
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We lost our golden retriever, Honey 2 weeks ago. She had to be euthanized because she had lung cancer. She was 13 years old. We miss her greatly. She was the best dog I have ever had.

 

Answer by Bruce
Submitted on 12/12/2006
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We have just had our 10 month old Golden put down today. Her cancer was in her lymph system and came out of the blue. My vet told me that it is alarming the cancers can travel so quick in these dogs. Lily gone but never Forgotten.

 

Answer by Andy in Eugene.
Submitted on 12/29/2006
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We just lost our dog at age 5 to a suspected hemangiosarcoma of the spleen.  It was tragic and sudden.  He died over a course of about 12hours.  This does sound more common and some of the above posts seem like those pets had a metastatic sarcoma as well.

Like all of you we too are devastated.

I am also surprised to see some young dogs listed.  We have heard of one other individual in Eugene who had a golden die of a hemangiosarcoma at age 6.


 

Answer by so sad in seattle
Submitted on 1/6/2007
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chili dog was her name and i just let her go on new years day 2007. She was the best tail wagger till the end. She was 10 and i am so lucky to have her this long,she never felt pain just acted like a puppy till she stopped. It had a tumor close to her heart and there was nothing we could do . Ten years ago I lost two more of my babys to cancer. I now consider it "The Golden 10 years" My time with them has been priceless.

 

Answer by eileen
Submitted on 1/7/2007
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We just had to put down our Golden Retriever, Cocoa, yesterday, one month before his ninth birthday.  He apparently had hemangiosarcoma.  Like the other dogs I've read about here, he was running puppy crazies and playing tug of war the night before.  We are devastated.  All four vets we dealt with spoke of the increased rate of cancer in Goldens.  I hope something can be done because I can't imagine not having another beautiful friend like this in my life. My heart goes out to all the other posters who have lost their best friends and family members.  

 

Answer by Anne
Submitted on 1/20/2007
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Our 6 year old shakey was just diagnosed with malignant lymphoma with no hope for recovery.  He has two large masses on his chest but still is so full of love. We can't imagine losing him and I just don't know what to do.  We're all so sad.

 

Answer by Kevin
Submitted on 1/23/2007
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We just learned our 8 year old golden,  Shamus, has cancer.  The doctor says we should expect him to deteriorate quickly.  The family is devastated and we'll miss him dearly when we have to put him down.  We originally thought that 12-15 years was typical for Golden's but evidently not for all.  This website has been very helpful and somewhat comforting to know other golden lovers out there share in our pain.  thanks.

 

Answer by dukers
Submitted on 2/16/2007
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Our golden was diagnosed today with stomach cancer.  We are crushed.  Not sure what to expect or what to do. Biopsy, Chemo, no chemo, prednisone??  We are still in shock.  Did anyone do the chemo route, and what to expect?  

 

Answer by Bella's Poppa in Michigan
Submitted on 3/5/2007
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Our Golden will turn three years old this coming Saturday. She was diagnosed today with lymphosarcoma. The vet offered 3-6 months left.  Our dog is a family member.  I thought she just had a infection, was expecting some antibiotics. I really wish that we had ten more years with our Bella- she is the best dog I have ever owned.
-in a fog in Michigan.  

 

Answer by Darlene
Submitted on 3/9/2007
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I just lost our Golden Retriever two weeks ago at age of 13 with lymphoma and miss her dearly. However, she was exposed to vinyl chloride in the water from a well for possibly many years and we had an autopsy done to help other animals exposed to this dreaded chemical. Still waiting results on toxicology.

 

Answer by Faith's mom
Submitted on 3/27/2007
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I have a Golden, Faith, who was just diagnosed with cancer. She was 8 or 9 when I adopted her 4 years ago, so I feel that judging the the ages of the golden's I have read about, she is pretty lucky.  Faith has been the most wonderful companion and I am so sad thinking that I will have to make the "decision" soon.  I just want her to run around and have fun again.  It is killing me.

 

Answer by Karatedad
Submitted on 3/29/2007
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We also lost our 6 1/2 yr old golden today to cancer.  He was our Sammy boy and he was the sweetest and best dog.  He rang a bell to go to the bathroom and so many other things too many to name.  It came suddenly and was diagnosed yesterday and today we had to put him down.  We are devastated and and so shocked at our great loss of our wonderful boy.  He had cancer of the spleen.

 

Answer by PT
Submitted on 4/9/2007
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Our 5 year old Golden was just diagnosed on 4/6 with Lymphosarcoma. He has a large tumor in his chest and another in his abdomin.  They kept saying he was too young to have cancer, yet all his blood tests pointed to it. They found it with an endoscopy and an ultrasound.  We were told that he could be given Chemotherapy, but that would only by him another 8-15 months and then the cancer could come back.  We just can't bear to see him suffer like this and will be putting him down soon.  He has been a complete joy to us and we are devastated by this.

 

Answer by Cal
Submitted on 4/13/2007
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My 11 year old golden retriever buddy got lung cancer I'm younger than him for I'm 10 he was there my whole life!!! My sister went to Thailand i to was away when my mom took him to the vet. My sister may never see him again for my mom is thinking about putting him down i told her it wasn't fair to my sister but she told me it was better than suffering i understood. I don't know he is going to live or not but we know that he is to old to fight it off so hes going to die pretty soon.

 

Answer by Dileep
Submitted on 4/27/2007
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Our golden boy died on 12.28.06.He was 12yrs.4Mnths.old.He walked with me till the end.Sometimes you get lucky.Few of our friends told us that golden retrievers have history of cancer.That was a surprise for me.Ours was lucky.He had a good ride and we had with him too.Goldens are always good companions.Everybody loves them.That's all.

 

Answer by Marita
Submitted on 4/30/2007
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Our 10 year old golden was just diagnosed with thyroid adenocarcinoma.  Maybe early stage.  She has lost 25 pounds, not interested in eating her dry food or going outside much. Anyone know much about this type of cancer in goldens?

 

Answer by KEVIN loves rusty and sammy
Submitted on 5/26/2007
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I have had 3 wonderful goldens that have been taken from us due to cancer.  

Our first dog was an older rescue dog named Bambi and we gave her one great year before she came down with cancer.  She was approximately 10.

Sammy and Rusty were a year apart.  Sammy was taken from us 3.5 years ago.  Rusty was on Sunday 5/20/07.  Sammy was 7 and Rusty was 10.  I miss them tremendously.  

I wish something could be done with this cancer problem.  I am biased but goldens are the best.  Even though there is this cancer problem I would never get another breed.

The home we provided these dogs was the best.  All they wanted was to be with us (their family).  They were strong until the end which makes me so proud of them.  

Even at the end Rusty was still smiling and wagging his tail.  His body gave up on him but he didnt give up on us.  When i have my bad days its the only thing that gets me through it.  

Now my boys and my girl are all together and waiting for us at the rainbow bridge.

 

Answer by Robin  DiDato
Submitted on 6/3/2007
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We just lost a very important part of our family last night our nine year old golden named Tucker. What a wonderful and loving dog. The thought that he will not be waiting for us when we walk through the door or rolling around on his favorite rug is so sad. The house is so empty and there is a stillness that was never there before. Rest in peace my sweet animal. May god cradle you in his arms until we meet again someday. We love you Tuck. Love mom, dad, brian, tyler, luca,Quincy and mischief ohhh and pa

 

Answer by Shelley
Submitted on 6/7/2007
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We lost our beautiful Nikki last week. She had been diagnosed with lymphoma May 4th. We had to put her down on June 1st. My heart is broken. She was only 7 years old. I miss her so much. She was the best dog ever!! I just can't believe I will never see that beautiful face again. It is just not fair for such wonderful dogs to get such a horrible disease. Missing Nikki in Virginia

 

Answer by Mickey
Submitted on 6/8/2007
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We've had four goldens over 23 years and two have had cancer. Tucker, who would have been 15 in September, is being put to sleep tomorrow. He was just diagnosed Monday with Lymphoma after three days of not eating, and not able to walk. He was diagnosed with osteosarcmona in the jaw when he was 9 and we had 1/2 his lower jaw removed and he was on a cancer cocktail for two years but has survived the bone cancer for almost 6 years. Now he has the lymphoma and we feel that treatment is not an option at this stage. We are so sad and dread tomorrow but know it is best for him.

 

Answer by Lorraine
Submitted on 6/14/2007
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I am writing through tears as today my sweet 6 yr old Amber had a MRI to try to figure out why she is in such pain in her back. It is looking like extensive tumour in her spinal cord and spinal bones. The vet was incredibly kind as I numbly went through the motions of trying to be in the moment. We can try to aspirate the area of the back to see if by some luck it is actually a wide spread infection from an abcess. We are out of town and tomorrow I have to go see my sweet dog who still thumped her tail for all the vetinary staff. I am in such pain. We have had so much cancer in family and friends I have lost. Amber is my comfort, a calm wise being. We have a goofy little Westie at home who is sweet and very affectionate but those of you who know Goldens know the bond is so strong, so deep. A special relationship for sure. Thank you for at the very least knowing that this is not uncommon in young Goldens. A big hug to you all who have gone through this.

 

Answer by Dan
Submitted on 6/27/2007
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I just lost my beautiful, best friend- Lacey- at 10 & 1/2 years.  Everyone who met her thought she was still a puppy, she was so energetic & athletic. She went from appearing "perfectly OK" to not being able to stand literally overnight- apparently the result of cancerous tumors in her spleen that hemorrhaged. I had to put her down- probably the most difficult thing I've ever done- but I take comfort knowing she died at home, where she felt "safe & happy," & is now resting comfortably. I'd love to have another Golden, but don't know if I can take such pain again....

 

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