My Dog Billy Had Brain Tumor

by Bev Nicholson

Billy was a real mutt but we loved him. Just before Christmas I came home from work and Billy was sitting there. He did not acknowledge me which was very unusual. I looked at him - his eyes were literally rolling in his head and his head was tilted. I phoned the vet (Billy was 15 at this point). He said he would see him straight away. The vet said he had suffered a stroke and gave him steroids. He said he would see him after the course of steroids was over. We went back Billy seemed fine.

Then on the 4th January 2010 at 6.30 a.m., I heard Billy yelping at the bottom of the stairs and his feet banging on the living room door. I knew he was having a seizure attack. I jumped out of bed, I knew there was nothing I could do but comfort him. My 3 children also sat with him. It lasted 7 minutes - that was the longest 7 minutes of my life. Then he proceeded to try and run around the kitchen all the time, making this awful screeching noise. This went on for a further 2 hours. He was in no state to be taken anywhere. I phoned my vet who said bring him as soon as possible which we did. The vet decided to keep him there in case he had more fits and also to do some tests.

The tests came back fine. His kidneys were showing signs of deterioration but the vet said at his age that was normal. Then he got worse. I took him to the vets. I explained about him sleeping all the time, how he never rolled over for his tummy to be rubbed, how sometimes he physically can't move, and he had started falling over to the left hand side, and many other symptoms.

The vet said it sounded like pressure on his brain. A tumor. What do we do now? He said at Billy's age it would be to traumatic to send him away for a scan. If Billy was younger he would suggest it. He said just look after him you will know what to do when it is time.

Billy got worse. He lost control of his bladder, he was going blind walking into things. Then he started pacing and whining for hours.

On March 1st 2010, he went back to the vets with my daughter and I. He went to sleep with us telling him how much we loved him, what a good boy he was, what a special boy he was.

BILLY I MISS YOU SO MUCH X