12 year anniversary

[dartel]

12 years ago today I brought my boy home. He's made it to our adoption anniversary as I hoped he would, but his cancer's getting really large and he's had some things that have made me concerned. A few times when I come home from work he's not been up and excited like he normally does, just keeps laying there till I get his leash. He's thrown up 3 times. Eating is becoming harder and harder, about 3 weeks ago I had to stop even trying softened dry food, and last week he started shying away from chunk canned foods, I'm basically down to just nothing but ground canned food. It's making his right eye water. The lymph is actually larger than the growth in his mouth, which is wrapping around under his jaw now too. Not sure how much longer he'll go.


June 20, 2011


June 20, 2023

 

[K9GuyinTX]

Dartel, I am so sorry to hear that you two are going through this. I hope you two are able to find some peace and comfort. 12 years is an amazing run.

 

[dartel]

I think it's time you say goodbye.

I don't know if we're there just yet. I can understand not waiting too long to where he's suffering, but I'd also hate to walk into the vet with a happy excited dog "please kill him".

The not getting up when I get home isn't the norm yet, only been 3 or 4 times in the past month. Vomit the same, 3 times in a month. He's still glad to go outside, excited by squirrels and neighbors/dogs. Gets up happy to eat at meal times, just the food's harder to eat and he's rarely eating the whole bowl in a single go.



I've only had to say goodbye to my 3 cats, and they were all last legs only humane thing. The first I came ho.e to him laying in vomit panting for breath. $1000 of xrays and draining his lungs revealed heart failure, tried to stablize him but 2 days later his lungs were full again. Second she stopped eating and drinking and just didn't want to move, determined she had acute kidney failure. Last something happened in his spine, lukely a viral infection, that paralyzed his rear end.

 

[Goattobeloved]

The bad part of dog company indeed. I assume there is no effective treatement.

Enjoy him as much as possible, but be ready forvthe moment. It is not so much how long can he hold here with you, but being able to judge form outside when suffering will be more than it should. Be sure to think fairly with as much of a cold mind as you can gather.

In any case, 12 years is a good dog life and a lot of good times for both. No matter how you feel, keep giving those to him!!

{{*Hug*}}
even if you bite me for it

Edit:
Damn! Was that a cute pup or what??

 

[Pittance]

This is making me cry.. I'm so sorry.

 

[egoldstein]

I'm sorry you're dealing with that @dartel , always the hardest part of being a caretaker. 12 years isn't bad, especially fighting cancer. It's so much more difficult trying to manage hostpice care than when things just sort themselves out; all the second guessing, guilt, and blame. Try to stay positive and when the bad days get to you, remember that many of us have been here too and to reach out to a friend as the worst part of losing a partner is suffering in silence.

 

[Caniform]

He is such a handsome boy, @dartel. I am sorry about his illness and what that means for you both.

I experienced this when my dog was diagnosed with an incurable condition. We tried different medicines to slow down the process and to reduce the pain. He still enjoyed life despite his illness, but slowly the happy moments became fewer and the hardships more. One day he couldn't stomach food that he had loved before, some time later he didn't take any ...

I hope your boy has some more enjoyable moments that you can experience together. And congrats to your anniversary! I've read the dozenth is also called silk anniversary in the US. Which matches the look of his fur.

 

[Kristy]

I am so sorry...so very sorry...