OT - my big old dog has cancer
 

*SIGH* It's official. My dog, ****, has t cell lymphoma, the aggressive kind.

You wouldn't know it by looking at her, that her time here now has an expiration date.

I came home from the vet and fed her bacon. Shoot, she can even get up on the couch now. Never mind that she weighs 70 pounds. When you are dying, you get to do whatever the heck you want...short of being destructive.

It reminds me to live in the moment. To savor right now, not wallow and obsess about things I didn't do or get to have my own way. Acceptance of what is, and what control I do have over it all (bacon I can control, cancer I cannot)

Thanks, SR friends, for helping me change my perspectives over the last year. Now all the lessons learned are going to be tested as I prepare to lose my long time companion.

Now - go hug your animals and tell them you love them! ; )

Peace,
~T

awww, sweetie, I'm so sorry. My Elvis kitty has FIV and leukemia. I know there is going to come a time that he can't go on, and I've promised I won't make him suffer just because I can't bear losing him.

Our furbabies have our hearts. They're not "pets", they're family.

Sending you and ((****)) mega hugs and prayers,

Amy

Oh, I'm so sorry. I have no words. :cries3:

I'm sorry too TG :hug: to you and ****

D

I am so sorry...
 

...it's been a tough month for my friends with Dogs, and it's almost always the big C that got them. I'm glad you are spoiling her-- that's what we did with my buddie's dog that always mountain-biked with us-- spoiled him rotten. When he passed we rode him to the top of a mountain and interred his ashes in a cairn off the trail a ways. It's nice to know he's up there. We spent a lot of time in the woods together.

Take care,

C-

I'm sorry T-I know this breaks your heart.
I also know that **** is a loved girl, and will be kept safe and comfortable as you and she walk this part of her journey together.
thinking of you, and sending hugs, and some nice chin scritches to ****:)
hugs
chicory

I'm so sorry to hear this. My cat is now 16 years old and knowing one day she just won't be here with me anymore is heartbreaking. Bring out the bacon and spoil her. A faithful companion who has loved us unconditionally surely deserves whatever we can give them.

I am so very sorry. Our pets are our family and I know **** will always be in your heart. I am hugging my 2 Bostons now. You will be in our thoughts.

Bacon! bacon, bacon, bacon, I love Bacon!

I am sorry about the diagnosis tuffgirl.

My miniature dachshund has heard all my truths. I hope I can find someone (a veterinarian) who will take a payment plan. She is ill with bad teeth, which lead to other problems.

She comes bouncing up to me when I come back from some long dangerous trip (like to the garbage dumpster outside) and greets me like a good ole friend.

Beth

She is just now moving the covers around just so, to hide and not be too tight.
:grouphug:

Hugs coming to you and **** from Link and I, TG.

I've been down that road with my dear, departed beagle Buttons. She had osteo sarcoma and like ****, was a big girl (beagle-wise), which the vet told me helped to prolong her life. We had pet insurance which covered about 90% of these costs - not that it mattered, the money would have come from somewhere.

Took her to a veterinary teaching hospital, they treated all of us so kindly and with so much compassion, having to break the news that there was nothing that could be done. We did the same thing, made her quality of life the best we could, no boundaries when it came to food or anything else.

We kept her comfortable, gave her extra hugs until the end. It was hard on us, but peaceful in retrospect. Taught me (pre-Al-Anon) about letting go, about control, but mostly taught me about living in the moment and how fleeting time is.

Buttons brought Link into my life-it was when I took some dog food to the ASPCA that had been hers and I was introduced to Link, who adopted me on the spot. I kept the name Link for that very reason, as he was the "link" between Buttons and I. Her loss brought Link and I together (she is our guardian angel) and the rest, as they say, is history, as Link has been my sanity during some pretty insane times.

Cherish your time with your animals. Hug them, love them, give them an extra piece of bacon or whatever........

My heart goes out to you, Tuffgirl. :hug: :hug:

Having lost my little wire-haired terrier to cancer a couple of years ago, I understand living in the moment. Give that sweetie some bacon for me too! :)

So sorry to hear :( My cat, Lewis, has a severe heart condition and though we have done everything we can for him to fight his disease (hypertrophic cardiomypathy) and slow it down - (the cat even sees a board certified cardiologist and takes a million medications per day), I know his days are numbered... but until then, he is living a great life. Everyone here knows I have been a mess since moving out of house with AH, so I'm trying to use Lewis as my inspiration to not be too upset as I know it stresses him out and isn't good for his poor little heart....

Hugs to you and ****. Losing a beloved pet is one of the worst things in the world. This was a good reminder / reality check to me that things could be worse than the past week I've had moving on from AH - I would way rather be adjusting to this crappy apartment and new life without AH than losing one of my furrballs - no question.

:grouphug: for you and ****. It's so hard when one of our furry family members is sick. Thinking of you, and I'll sneak Sasuke some of my toast and bacon tomorrow.

I am so sorry,

It is hard to watch our loved ones get sick, I don't care how many legs they have.

I will have to find it again, it was "A dogs prayer" on facebook, by the time I finished reading it I was bawling like a hungry baby, it was just so beautiful.

Big hugs to you and your puppy!

Tuffgirl I know this has to be hard for you. I lost my dog (Butch) a couple of years ago and I still think about him. Butch was a good dog and loved me no matter what. I feel for you. Make the best of the time you have left with you dog. I will never have another dog I can not take the pain of them passing. I know my dog Butch is at the rainbow bridge just waiting for me to be with him. Hope this helps. Love and Respect. Logo

TG,

I know there is nothing I can say to make you fell better so here are some ((((hugs)))) and a virtual shoulder to cry on. PM me if you want.

BTW, you are so right about this being a good time to put your program to work.

Your sad friend,

tuffgirl, I am so sorry about your dog. My own old guy has cancer too. But I take consolation in the fact that he still has a good appetite, he still loves his walks every day. Yep, let her up on the couch, feed her bacon if she wants it. We do whatever we can to make their remaining time as good as it can be. Take lots of photos and enjoy every minute you can with her. **** is a lucky dog to have you as her caretaker. And I' know you feel lucky to have her in your life. You're right, it's a good reminder to live in the moment. But that doesn't make it any less difficult. Sending you support and big hugs to you and ****.

Sorry to hear that, TG, it's awful when our fur-babies have to go. They really do work their way into our hearts. The good news is that **** has you to look after her. HP new that you would be the right person for ****.

Some day, when it's my turn to be the old dog, I hope I have somebody like you in my life to take care of me. I can't imagine a more compassionate person.

Mike :)

Ahhh thanks everyone! I am doing ok with it so far. I knew something wasn't right with her for several months now...just couldn't bring myself to go in and "know" for certain - still working on that denial thing! ; )

The amazing thing is she doesn't even know. And probably won't until its time to put her down - when she starts showing symptoms of not feeling good anymore. I too promised her I would not let her suffer.

She has had a great life, half of it spent with my sister and half with me. She's been to the top of mountains, on back country camping trips, RV'ing to the beaches of Homer, Alaska (where she was fascinated with the waves... she would run around trying to catch the tide!) Once a week she gets to go to the office with me and hang with the other office dogs. We walk everyday - even if its just a short, cold, jog around the neighborhood.

She's got some great dog stories to tell - like the time she tangled with a porcupine at our cabin up north and how my RAH patiently pulled each quill out of her face (took HOURS, there were hundreds) or the time she fell through the ice on the river and with quick action, we fished her out before she went under, or the time she met a moose for the first time on the driveway. It's those memories of adventure I love the most. She was a rescue Pitbull with her own neuroses who just blossomed when given the chance. And what a great dog she has been!

Letting go will be hard, but I know when the time comes, its the right thing to do. And she'll go in style, just like she lived.

Cy - thanks for the idea about the ashes. I was thinking of the trails where we spend the most amount of time...and building a little cairn is an awesome idea! That way, when we walk out there with the other dogs, I can visit her too...say hello as I go by.

I will get another dog. I recognize this is part of being a pet owner, and accept the consequences therein. So many animals out there who need good homes, and they enrich my life so much that I couldn't imagine not having my pack around. When the time is right, I'll go visit the shelter, just like my sister and I did when we got ****, and give another dog a great life, even if its just for a little while.

Thanks for letting me ramble!