Kathysong

When I first heard my Lab Po had cancer I cried. Then I got over it and went on a campaign to see what I could do to manage his disease and ensure his well-being. After all, dogs can sense when we are stressed! I have done all that I can do and have decided to relish each day we have together. His disease has helped me to appreciate the value of the present moment. That's a gift all dogs provide to their owners...they have no sense of tomorrow and simply live each day with gusto. When my Po loses that sense of joy in living I will know it's time to let him go. That's when I'll let myself cry again.

Benpaws

Dear Kathy,
I am sorry to hear that your best friend Po has cancer. You put it so well, that our dogs live in the moment and they DO FEEL our stress.
Our 6 year old schnauzer Benny has a recurrence of Stage 2 Mast Cell Tumour ( first removed in November 2007 and returned in July 2008.) I too cried and then searched and searched for answers and help and found out everything I could about MCT. He is eating a great diet, loves steamed broccoli and a few supplements to boost his immune system.So far he is energetic and happy even though the tumour is growing.
I pray for you to have strength in the days ahead and just love Po with everything you have in you.
God Bless you.

This story was sent to me when we lost our last schnauzer Willie in 2001 and it is so true:

You may have read this before, but it is worth reading again...


The Journey

When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey. A journey that will bring you more
love and devotion than you have ever known, yet will also test your strength and courage. If
you allow, the journey will teach you many things,about life, about yourself, and most of all,
about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without
leaving its mark. Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures --
jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a
good scratch behind the ears. If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly
experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will
be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of
valuable information.

Your pace may be slower, except when heading home to the food dish, but you will become a
better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field. Too many times we hike on
automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss
the details; the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag,
the hawk feather caught on a twig.

Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape,
we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog
knows that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each
cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own, each
day a gift from God.

Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find
yourself watching: summer insects collecting on a screen; how bizarre they are; how many kinds
there are or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to
observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does
not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting
life's most important details slip by.

You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand:
spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must
have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet
enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber
balls till your eyes cross and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie with a cat
in hot pursuit, all in the name of love.

Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more
lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain
that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the
crinkly sound. You will learn the true measure of love. The steadfast, undying kind that
says,''It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are
together''

Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will
not find it often among the human race. And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's
eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed
human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or
maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering,
and so chose to love me anyway.

If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better
person, but the person your pet always knew you to be. The one they were proud to call beloved
friend.

I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the
pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal companion
will follow a trail you cannot yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and love to
let them go. A pet's time on earth is far too short, especially for those that love them. We
borrow them, really, just for a while, and during these brief years they are generous enough
to give us all their love every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing
left. The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in
the sun. The young pup of boundless energy now wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle gone to
gray.

Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our
hearts they would be broken. But give them we must for it is all they ask in return. When

the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and
let them run on ahead, young and whole once more. ''God speed, good friend,'' we say, until
our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again.

And bless their souls for sharing their lives with us...and adding so much to our very
existence.


Author Unknown.

Titans

Kathy,

Sorry to hear about your dog. I do agree we need to relish every moment we have with our beloved pets. It, too, has taught me to relish every moment, and as a friend said, " to live for the moment." My dog is a Shiloh Shepherd (Just like German Shepherd, except larger 110 lbs). He was diagnosed 10/27/2008 with a peripheral nerve sheath tumor deep in under his right front brachial plexis (shoulder blade area). They gave me 2 alternatives:
#1. Complete amputation including shoulder area, as close to spine as possible & then radiation, but they said it would probably not get all cancer.
#2. Take him home, give him Prednisone to reduce swelling, spoil him, and cherish your time together.

Of course, the first option was not really an option, at all. I, too, took it very hard, cried a lot off & on for about a week, then got myself together & am now trying to make him as comfortable as possible. He is almost lame in R/front leg, but is now using the leg a little bit, as I believe swelling went down. I have also put him on a supplement called NuVet Plus (NuVet Labs™ Home) or #1-818-865-2600. Still too early to tell if it is going to help, although I believe it may have helped reduce the swelling. It contains many minerals & supplements, including shark cartilage which is supposed to reduce/curtail the blood flow to tumors.

I have somewhat been able to deal with the inevitable by realizing God gives us His pets for relatively short periods of time (Shilo will be 9 yrs on 12/8) and asks us to be caretakers of His pets. We do not own our pets; God owns them & has loaned them to us. We should thank Him for all the precious moments we have had with them.

I wish I could help more, but just know there are others out here who do care.

Steve

Kathysong

Steve:
Thanks for your thoughts. One of my favorite sayings is: God gives us love; something (or someone) to love, God lends us. So true of all living things.

I respect the decision you made for your shepherd and hope the supplements and medication will keep him comfortable. The surgery would have been so painful and why put an older dog through such an ordeal? Still, it is pretty overwhelming to realize we have the power to decide how to manage our pet's disease and when to call it quits. I know that there's so many new developments in veterinary medicine but at the same time want to keep things in perspective, both financially and with respect to an animal's right to die naturally and yes, with dignity.

Thank you for the suggestion about NuVet. I've been looking for something with shark cartilage in it.

Benpaws: The story you shared is lovely. I haven't seen it before but it is so true. My husband and I have already agreed that we must always have a dog (or two) in our lives. So much love...

With prayers for you and your animals...thanks for your thoughts.

Frostie

First, I'm so sorry for each of you and what you are going through. I've been there, too. Sera lost her battle August 7th.

When we found out about the cancer and tried chemo, our lives changed. Everything centered around Sera. My family came from out of state for a visit. I bought a great stroller and took Sera everywhere with us. She was no problem at all. But, my family didn't understand and were upset. I don't think they'll be back, and I don't much care. We didn't ask for cancer. We just had to deal with it.

She was seldom left home alone. When she was, it would be out of necessity for a couple hours at most. I cooked for her and slept on the floor with her. When she would suffer seizures and couldn't walk, I carried her. I supported her when she needed to take care of "mother nature". We were like one.

Even with this, I have regrets....But, I know that we lived each day together to the fullest. If it was a sick day, Sera was made comfortable and was never alone. She felt comforting presence at all times. If she was stronger and up to it, we went places. She loved the arboretum and enjoyed smelling roses. When she was able, we'd take small walks. When she couldn't walk, she rode in the stroller or was carried. We would sometimes just sit and listen to music and knit. Sometimes we'd watch tv together. Sometimes, we'd read. But, we didn't waste a moment, even in sleep.

She decided when it was time to go to Rainbow Bridge. It was hard for me, but it was the right time.

My best advice to anyone here is to make the most of each and every day. Try to find humor and joy in small things. Don't take anything for granted. And Pray.

I wish the best to everyone and pray that you have a good day today.

Valerie (and Sera)

Benpaws

Dear Valerie,
This is a lovely post and I know you did everything for Sera that you possibly could.
Don't worry about relatives' comments or those of other people who never knew the bonding, unconditional love and loyalty of a dog. There is nothing quite like it on earth. I preferred all my dogs to most of my relatives.
You found joy and cherished each moment with your beautiful dog and let her go with dignity when the time to cross Rainbow Bridge came.
God Bless You. I hope you are finding some kind of peace. It takes a long time, if ever to not feel the pain.
I have lost two shcnauzers and now our 3rd one Benny has Mast Cell Tumour and is only 6.
We take this journey together in this Forum and Ted has given us a safe place to come and share our pain and our joy and find comfort in one another.
My thoughts are with you and everyone who is on this journey with me.

Sincerely,
Joanne ( Benpaws)

Raymond

Hi Valerie,

I appreciate the details you provided about dealing with Sera. I shared what you wrote with my family. They are having a tough time figuring out how far, how long does one go on with the struggle.

I'm all for capturing the moment. I've never snuggled my nose in by dear Larry... but he doesn't seem to mind- lol.

squirrel605

I learned that too. When I found out my dog had cancer, I tried not to show how sad I was. They can sense. I kept her doing her normal activities. She continued to walk around where I live. She did stop eating and drinking liquids. She hung on for a month after her diagnosis.

Linder47

"When my Po loses that sense of joy in living I will know it's time to let him go. That's when I'll let myself cry again"

That sentence broke my heart, I too have been trying to hide my tears and emotions from my lab as they are so sensitive and in-tune to their owners.

Linder

Dehorner

Thanks for the story. That's what I try to do everyday with my girls but when I lose focus and Macie and Stanley are being difficult, I'll think back to the story.