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[Mike Boufford]

It has been 2 months almost to the day, and it's taken me this long to sum up the guts to add to this thread.  I am the handler/hunter who was extremely priveleged to be Jake's hunting partner.  That was one hell of a dog I lost, and words cannot express the sorrow which we've felt around our house since 11-December 2008.  Needless to say this has been tough.

Skyraker and I hunted together for a week up at Lake of the Woods from roughly 11-October through the following Friday.  Jake showed no outward symptoms of the disease until our Thanksgiving.  In fact, I ran him in two 550 bird release European hunts the weekend before our Thanksgiving.  In retrospect, he did demonstrate an oddity in that he laid down between rotations of the shooters, which was unusual but being that he was a highly experienced retriever, I figured that he was just being laid back.  Nothing in his retrieves suggested that he was worn down from the Blasto. 

Thanksgiving Day, Jake coughed once while picking up my sister in law's shoe, and didn't cough again until the next day when it became worse.  We took Jake in that Saturday and was given the initial diagnosis of kennel cough.  The oddity was the 103 fever, which didn't add up.  We were told the usual bring him back in Tuesday or Wednesday if he doesn't get better.  Monday, I tell my wife to take him in Tuesday because his fever is still high.  They do a complete chest x-ray with results coming back late Wednesday.  The radiology report states a neoplastic mass covering the area between his 3rd and 8th rib.  This is huge and I know perfectly well what a neoplastic mass is.  The vet gives me little information other than to tell me to get a CT scan, which ho hum would cost up to $2,000.  It's amazing how flippantly some vets can spend their client's money.

I ask her to give me references, which I get the next day, but this is for the CT scan.  She tells me a good 3 times that she doesn't know what the problem is, and it might not be cancer -- maybe.  I ask her if there is someone who can do a guided fine needle aspirate of the area, and she tells me that she will get back with me.  It's Friday and I've heard nothing from her.  I call the office and talk to her partner, who gives me the same "we don't know what it is" line her partner gave me.  I ask for alternatives and get an idea that it could be a fungal infection.  I ask her for a good reference and I have the appointment for the following morning.  It's now been 9 days.

That Saturday, we drive through a nasty snow storm to the vet where they perform the aspirate.  The vet tells me that if this is cancer, it's very advanced.  No kidding.  I was told that the aspirate results would be back Monday or Tuesday.  Monday 8-December, I get a call from the vet who confirms Blasto.  We set up the initial meds, and get Jake on 400 mg of Itraconazole that evening.  By Wednesday, his fever is gone but he's emaciated and won't eat.  Thursday morning, he's worse and can barely walk.  At 12:30 that afternoon, I get a call from son who tells me to come home because Jake is dead and my wife is frantic. 

All in all, a very healthy dog died in two weeks.   

[Jen]

   That is extremely sad, and so sorry for the loss.
It's very frustrating to hit a brick wall like that: apathy and no sense of urgency on the part of the provider while essential time is lost, money wasted, and we ultimately lose our best friends.

  We lost Bud and Charlie just as quickly: lethargy, a few coughs, and gone in less than a week, both of them.  Unlike Dirtbike, they did not develop lesions, fever, or any other symptoms - we didn't know what to think.  Charlie was so quick we thought he'd had a stroke. 
   It wasn't until Dirtbike was diagnosed that we were able to look back and put together the symptoms of all 4 dogs that had died in those months.  One owner was a doctor, and he's still kicking himself for not thinking of it, in spite of the thousands he spent trying to get a diagnosis for his Curly.

   Thanks for posting.  More than ever, we need to stress the importance of early diagnosis, a high index of suspicion, and most of all: Continuing Education, esp. for vets. 
   It's not rare, and it's not going away.  Spring is coming, ice melting, stuff starts growing, and the case load will unfortunately increase over the next few months.  We can all be here to help.

Thanks-
jen

[Wilson3]

I am soooo sorry for you and your family and dear sweet jake!!!
i do want to thank you for sharing with all of us
i so see just how lucky wilosn was
he had gottne his puntch woun in july healed up nd favored thatleg off and on he would be off it a day or 2 then right back to normal nothing else then end of nov off it for a week
it took a month to really find out what was wrong with him
this disease is so furstrating  no 2 are alike really

in away i can see why the vets do have a hard time knowing what it is is looks like so many other things and when they are getting only 1 dog a yr in the office with it wilson was the first case in YRS at his clinic but at the ER vet then just diganosed a dog with it go figure
i so wish this disease would disappear but it looks like it will not

thank again for your courage and sharing jake with us!!!
kristin (wilson3)

[gunner]

Thank you for sharing Jake's story. 

I know that as you wrote that, you relived it all over again.  I am so sorry.

Your story does bring to the forefront yet again, that for so many of us, our vets only consider the dog's condition for the few minutes that they are actually in front of them.  Once you are out of their sight, all considerations are out the door with you.  I think it is important for pet owners to hunt around whether your dog is sick or not, to find a vet that is not so tied up in their ego or own personal dramas or golf scores to be a GREAT vet.  Especially for blasto dogs.  We cannot endure mediocrity in vetrinary medicine.  We must search and find great vets.  The fighting this disease is hard enough without having to fight, prod and plead with a vet who really doesn't have your pets best interest at heart, their bottom line maybe but not at their heart.

I am sure it won't be long before another great hunting dog finds you, not that Jake can EVER be replaced, but a house without some fur running around in it just is not a home.  Take some time and research in your area about finding a GREAT vet before you get another dog.  Ask everyone you meet if they have pets and if they would recommend their vet, then interview that vet.  That is how I found my new vet who is FABULOUS!
Thank you again for sharing your story,
Joyce