The last couple weeks have been worrisome for my dog Fitzgerald, our 12ish year old Golden Retriever. He’s had hip problems for a while now and they seemed to be bothering him a bit more. He also needs a teeth cleaning so we decided to bring him in to the vet and get a physical. We love our vet. She has always been so good with our animals and takes a lot of time with us to get the full story. She recommended what they call a “Senior Package” which included a bunch of blood tests and x-rays. Everything look good except for a calcium level which came back high. This is not good so we got it tested again, this time with a more sophisticated test. It came back high again. Basically it meant either he has cancer or a high PTH level which means the body wasn’t able to process calcium which can cause kidney failure or other terrible things. So, one more blood test that would tell us which it is.
Well, we got the test result back and he has cancer. My husband and I had discussed this possibilities together and with the vet and we decided that if this was the result we would not pursue Chemo. He is old and we didn’t know how he would do and ultimately, it would be for us. We did decide to treat with Prednisone because that will relieve inflammation and generally make him feel better. Standard procedure with a cancer diagnosis is to track down where it is in his body. It is likely a lymphoma and the ultrasound may not find it. After talking with my vet we decided not to have the ultrasounds. Really, it doesn’t matter. Knowing where it is won’t change the treatment plan. All it would tell is us approximately how much longer he will be with us. That information isn’t worth putting him through the stress of the ultrasound.
Two nights ago he fell down the stairs in the middle of the night. I heard him and got up. He didn’t seem to acutely hurt himself aside from his pride. I stayed with him to make sure he was OK. He was trembling a little so I decided to give him some pain meds that we had for his hips. He really wanted to get to the entryway where he loves to sleep. That meant one more set of stairs. I tried to sling is back legs but his from just weren’t up to the job so he slid down these too. He did something to his front paw at this point. Nothing like a break because he let me touch it but it clearly bothered him. I stayed with him until he fell asleep. By the end of the day yesterday he was doing much better and putting more weight on it. The vet said the Pred will help so we averted disaster.
Today we get the meds. I hope this helps him feel better. It won’t cure him but it will make the time we have left with him more comfortable. Sometimes it halts the progress of the tumor but I’m not holding out hope.
I found him online at www.petshelter.com. Back in 2003 we (meaning me) wanted to find company for our dog Syndey (who we lost to cancer 3 years ago) because she wanted a friend. I’ve always wanted a Golden and there he was, looking incredibly sad and disheveled at a shelter about an hour north of us. We went up that weekend, brought Syd with us, and introduced them. The seemed to get along well so we brought him home. He had been found wandering the streets, 20+ lbs underweight, dirty and hadn’t been fixed. He got that taken care of and we gave him and bath and brushing. He really is a good looking critter. Our cat Puck had to teach him a few lessons on how to treat the cat members of the household and they love him. He is now 80lbs and a big bear. He has always been a great hugger. He doesn’t know any tricks but he does know sit and laydown. He clearly lived with someone at some point. We will never know. He LOVES snow and I let him outside to wander around and eat is as much as he wanted this winter. We knew his is slowing down and I wasn’t sure he’d get to see any again.
My other dog, Katy, knows something is wrong. She has been staying close to him and when he fell down the stairs his favorite cat buddy sat close and Katy stayed up with us too. All we can do at this point is make him comfortable, spoil him with all the treats we can find, feed him potato chips and carrots which he loves and give him a lot of affection. When he goes we will have him cremated and he’ll join his sister Syd in a special place in our home. They will come with us wherever we go because I’ll never be able to leave my animals behind.
I am sorry to read this. I know how a pet becomes part of the family. My Golden got cancer and we had to put him down. We literally cried like babies outside the vets office after it was done. You can’t love without getting hurt, can you?
Oh Jen, I’m so sorry. Now you’ve got me crying at my desk like a big tool though. Only 6 cops in the store… hopefully none of them see me lol. Although you pretty much worked from home all the time anyways, maybe now is a great time to be unemployed so you can give Fitz all the love and attention he needs and deserves (and you need & deserve) in the next little while.
I’m so sorry Jen. Our pets are our babies aren’t they? I don’t know if it’s true or not, but someone once told me that according to Buddist tradition after we humans die we are met by the dogs we’ve loved and cared for and it’s a light on the ends of the dogs tail that leads us to our next lives or onto Heaven. I’ve always found comfort in believing that our pets waiting for us (perhaps at Rainbow Bridge?) and will then be reunited with us one day.
The pack here hopes that you and Fitzgerald find peace and comfort.
Thanks everyone. There is something about writing it down that makes it real. I knew you all would understand. I shared as a reminder to give your critters lots of love and appreciate them while they are a part of your lives.
I lost my dog to Lymphoma a while ago. He was only 3, and I was only with him for 1.5 years. While it made me terribly sad to lose him, I’m soooo glad he was a part of my life. I guess that’s the thing we learn from dogs: Enjoy every minute you have with them, because there is never as many of those minutes as we would like.
My sympathies to you and your fuzzy friend. I don’t mean to hijack this thread but 5 nights ago I took my 12+ year old Lab Daisy to the vet for the last time. She had one really bad hip, arthritus to the point that she could barely wag her tail and great difficulty sitting and getting up despite pain meds. Lastly in addition to numerous fatty tumors she had a baseball sized malignant tumor hanging from her belly that she ended up chewing on. My wife insisted that I be the one to take her to the vet and although we had discussed it I think she secretly hoped that I would chicken out or come back with some meds to keep Daisy going. I held my Daisy until the injection took hold and it was over. I was crying like a baby and when I got home with just the collar and leash my wife lost it. She had a really rough weekend and insisted that we go to the vet yesterday at 7:30am to try to rescue Daisy’s body before the Humane Society picked up the bodies (frozen, of course) for cremation. We brought her home (sorry if this sounds morbid) and placed her on her favorite couch and blanket. She actually looked like she was just sleeping, her body a little contorted, and my wife talked to her for hours. I dug a 5’ deep hole in the flower garden (6" of frost), picked up my son from his job in Madison, and lowered her into the hole using her blanket. We threw in some flowers and said goodbye.
I hate the word closure but this what my wife badly needed. My sons were 6 and 8 when we got her at 6 weeks old and maybe that’s why the bond was so powerful. They are both out of the house now so my wife came home to an empty house except for Daisy. Now it’s just empty. She tells me that she will never get another dog because the pain is so great. My 20 year old son asked her if we are going to get another dog. When she said no, he replied “that’s what old people are supposed to do so they won’t be lonely” Maybe he’s right. I hope that your friend goes peacefully.
No need to apologize, I’m glad you shared. We lost a dog to cancer very suddenly a couple years ago and we could barely function. We both stayed with her while she was put to sleep. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to but then I realized I wanted her to see our faces and hear us telling her we love her as she died. For me that was closure. I plan on doing the same with Fitz. I chose cremation for our first dog and will continue to do that for all of my animals because I just can’t stand the idea of moving someday and having to leave them behind.
Tell your wife I understand. It took us 6 months before we got another dog because we were so devistated. We have no plans on getting another dog after Fitz goes. Katy wouldn’t do well with another dog, she is too grouchy, so she will be an only dog for as long as we have her. She is 13 so I don’t know how much longer that will be us either.
We are all so lucky to have pets in our lives. We are better people for it.
My condolences to both JenHS and RobC. I too, also lost a dear friend last Friday morning. Her name was Belledandy. She was a 12 1/2 year old Akita that has been in our family for almost 10 years. My wife and 3 daughter’s picked her out for me for a birthday present when we first got to Puerto Rico for our overseas tour. Belle was almost 3 at the time and has grown into a significant member of our family. We counted on her to provide protection and be an intimidating figure for protection for our three daughters when we werent around and Belle never failed us and she was quite the mother figure to the girls as they grew. I remember one time, our youngest (she was about three at the time and we had only had Belle for a month or two) reached up onto the stove for something. Belle ran over to the stove, and put pulled her arm down off the stove before she could get burned.
The arthritis and dysplasia was finally too much for her to hold up too and her back hips could not longer hold her up. I have been a mess since Friday. I think today has been the first day that has seemed somewhat back to normal. The “first” times have been hardest for me…first time not walking her in the morning…first time she wasnt home to meet me when I got home from work etc. I too am going to have her cremated and will keep her ashes with me. I promised that I would care for her and I will continue to do so. I have the ashes of another dog, Keeza, who I had to put down over 11 years ago. I havent found the right place yet. Maybe I will one day, maybe they’ll just stay with me. I dont know right now. I know that my wife wants to get another dog for home protection and yes, we will have another dog. Even though its tough to let them go, the unconditional love that a dog shows their family is well worth the pain of saying goodbye. There is an old saying that goes something like “I hope to be as nice a person as my dog thinks I am”, well I just hope that I am as good an owner to my dogs and they are friends to me. I wish you both the best in the coming weeks with the issues of losing your friends, you both sound like wonderful pet friends.
