Your Dog Has Cancer
Your dog has cancer. Those are the words that every dog guardian dreads hearing, and I am no exception, yet here I am. When you hear that phrase your world slows, facts become difficult to absorb, and you are unable to process anything other than the thought that you are going to lose your beloved pup. I heard these words three days ago about my precious Cookie the Wonder Pup. Cookie is an “old soul” even though she is only seven. She is always calm, centered, and loving. Our farm is named “Zen Dog Farm” in honor of her. She is such an exceptional dog – a big Catahoula Leopard Hound, who is full of kisses, tail wags and fun. I first saw her picture on a rescue site and immediately said “that’s my dog”. She felt the same way when she met me. We have been joined at the hip ever since. Unfortunately, Cookie is also very brave. She has never let on that she is in pain. She has continued to run, jump into her favorite trees trying to catch squirrels, chase her sister, and dig for frogs as usual. If only this had been found earlier….if only.
Cookie has aggressive osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in her left rear leg. She just started to limp a week ago, and I thought she had a cruciate ligament (knee) injury. An x-ray revealed an aggressive tumor that threatens to cause her leg to disintegrate from the extent of the cancer. Her prognosis is 3-6 months to live. She is scheduled to have an amputation of her leg next week, because bone cancer is known to be the worst pain that there is of all cancer pain. Some of you may think that I am crazy for putting her through this huge operation when she has so little time left. Trust me, I have agonized over this decision. But other than this horrible tumor, Cookie is doing okay right now. If we amputate the leg, the source of her pain is gone and she can live her remaining time comfortably, doing the things she loves, with the people she loves. I will know when her time has come, she will tell me clearly, and I will not let her linger a moment longer than she wants.
I am opting not to get chemotherapy or radiation therapy for Cookie. Due to the advanced stage of her disease these would not change her prognosis, and I just want her comfortable. But I will be making changes to her homemade diet and adding some supplements to her existing regime. I will also use electromagnetic therapy and far infrared light therapy to help her wound healing and slow cancer cell reproduction. I will detail more about all of this in future blog postings.
This experience is oh so familiar to me, as I have walked this cancer path three times in the past six years with other dogs in our family, all of whom are now waiting for me across the Rainbow Bridge. I’m tired of this experience. I have to tell you – I feel angry, and heartbroken – for Cookie, not for myself. Why in the hell does my beautiful rescue pup who endured such a horrible early life have to be dealt such a nasty hand? She has earned the right to a perfect life, and I have spent our 3 ½ years together trying to give her that. I can’t in my wildest imagination fathom why Cookie has to suffer, but I feel as if I must have faith that there is a higher purpose. So far, the only one that I can come up with is that Cookie wants to teach me how to better serve the dogs that I work with. She and I will work through this process together, bonded tightly as we have always been, and I will try to learn lessons along the way.
So, I have decided to blog about the process that my precious Cookie the Wonder Pup and I go through together, from beginning to end, unedited and raw, in hopes that it will help others that are going through the same process. I want to share my emotions, and all that I learn, for those of you who are walking the same path, or may have to do so in the future. Once I am on the other side of this, know that I will be here for you if you walk this path.
I will leave you today with one thought. It has been a complicated process through which we arrived at this diagnosis for Cookie until the limping gave it away. There were some red flags along the way. Five veterinarians, including allopathic, naturopathic and a specialist have been involved in her care. The most important thing that I will say to you is what I say over and over to all my clients...NO ONE knows your pup better than you do! If your intuition is telling you that something is wrong, please, I am begging you, advocate for your dog and keep insisting that the problem be investigated until you get answers. So what if you get labeled as a problem client? Do what you believe is right for your pup. It might save her life.