MP_the4pack

Happy birthday to roooo Happy birthday to ROOOooooo Happy Birthday dear Anna Happy Birthday to roooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Sung in 5 part harmony by the Heavenly Gemtones: Onyx, Pearl, Diamond, Topaz and Crystal.

I'm so sorry for your loss. If he had been slowing down the past few months I bet it was cancer. Hemangio probably. I've lost two to that horrid disease. One just last week. I'm so very sorry.

I'm sorry to hear that. I thought he was doing better.

Let us know what the vet says!

I just lost my Crystal to that last week. Inoperable. I lost her 5 days after diagnosis. I'm so sorry for Govey's diagnosis. I also lost my first girl to hemangio of the spleen. She seemed fine in the morning and was gone that night. I never knew what hit me.

I wish I had knowledge, but I don't. I am so very sorry for your loss.

Sigh. It sucks when they leave. She was beautiful.

Bile acid test Of course if I read your post to the very last line I would simply have done this:

What about a doggie pool out back? I have two large ones for my 3 girls (you can see them in CRYSTAL's Remembrance thread). They go in all the time. I do end up with a wet dog in the house, but that's a minor inconvenience. Also, what about another AC unit? The ones that you can roll around from room to room are getting cheaper and cheaper. I now have two (one's a dehumidifier too). I found that really helped my old lady and my girl with heart disease (different from the heart disease of your boy.)

If you have a protein losing enteropathy, have a liver function test done. Not the standard liver enzyme which you get with a chem panel. Liver function is by request only. All the doctors were focusing on my girls intestines when all along it was her liver.

Penn Vet Hosts Free Lecture, “Understanding Cancer and Cancer Treatments in Dogs and Cats" On Saturday, May 19 the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) will host a free, open-to- the-public lecture called “Understanding Cancer and Cancer Treatments in Dogs and Cats” at Penn Vet in Philadelphia, PA. Beginning at 10:00 AM, Dr. Erika Krick, assistant professor of oncology, will talk about common cancers of dogs and cats and will describe symptoms, methods of diagnosis and treatment options. Dr. Nicola Mason, assistant professor of medicine and pathobiology, will talk about current clinical trials at Penn Vet that are studying new treatments available for the canine cancers lymphoma and osteosarcoma. Who: Penn Vet, dog and cat owners, interested members of the public. What: Free lecture titled “Understanding Cancer and Cancer Treatments in Dogs and Cats,” featuring Dr. Erika Krick and Dr. Nicola Mason of Penn Vet’s Ryan Hospital. Where: School of Veterinary When: Lecture beginning at 10:00 AM, Saturday, May 19, 2012 and ending at 11:30 AM. To register: Registration is required as seating is limited. This lecture is appropriate for all ages, but participants are asked to not bring their pets. To register, contact Michelle Brooks at mibrooks@vet.upenn.edu or 215.898.1480.

Oh Jason, I'm so very sorry. Toby was a wonderful boy and great companion to you. You've had such a rough year, I was hoping he would rebound and give you more time.

How do you describe the life of a beautiful girl after knowing her only 18 days? I do know she had a lot of races. She had two litters of pups, 7 in each.(registered) She had a home that loved her but the husband died and the wife went to assisted living. She had another home that didn't love her and kicked her out when she was 10. A fellow GTer was swooning over a handsome boy at the Rescued Racers site and when I took a peek, I saw Crystal. She was being called Falcon at the time. It took years for me to finally break down and adopt an older broodie. I just can't face it when I lose them. But, she needed a home. She was an 11 yr old double bounced broodie. I spoke with the adoption group and after some questions I filled out the application. It was only afterwards that I looked her up on the database and found she was Topaz's niece. (my first white black girl who I lost at age 5). That sealed it. We found a great transporter (Dog Runner Pet Transport) since we didn't want her to fly. She arrived in the Garden State (NJ) on April 21. It was love at first sight. I got her home and introduced her to the rest of the family, and the beautiful back yard. She discovered the pools instantly. (she's on the right) Mingled with the Bwat (who's 52 lbs, to Crystal's 70) She knew she was home. Just days after being introduced to her new home she was packed up lock, stock and barrel with the rest of the pack and off to GIG. This is one of the few rare pix of have of all four of them.(thanks Tricia) She did the fun run. I didn't get to hear her speed because she beat me to the other end. (Thanks Steve for the great shots) She had that 'little old lady gallop' I brought home an exhausted but very happy girl Sunday. On Thursday, when I got home from work all the girls went outside to run around. And Crystal was right there in the middle of the pack. This was a first. While she wanted to play with them, she was a little reserved until she would get to know her new sisters better. And Thursday seemed to be the day. Then she found a stuffie and tossed it a couple of times. We went in for dinner. It was after dinner I noticed she was uncomfortable and her belly was bloating, so I rushed her to my local vets. After an xray they said it wasn't bloat, just probably gas. At bedtime she wasn't better. I called and they said to give her tramadol and if she didn't feel better in an hour to take her to the ER. At 1 AM, she wasn't better and I shot off to VSEC in PA. By 5 AM, the news was that she most probably had cancer. Hemangio. But they couldn't confirm until the ultrasound doctor came in at 7 AM. I went home without her. I got a call at 10 AM and they said she had a HUGE mass. It was attached to the body wall and not operable. All I could do was take her home and make her comfortable. If she didn't have another bleed, she could be with me for some time. She did look better when I picked her up. Sunday I had a friend over. She took these last two pix of Crystal. Crystal was feeling very good on Sunday and I had hopes of having her a little while longer. But she had stormaphobia and stressed all day Tuesday when we had rain (no thunder). By Wednesday I knew her time had come. Her personality was just starting to blossom. And it looked like she had a WONDERFUL personality. Here she is sassing the photographer on Sunday. Crystal, I only had you for 18 days. But you stole my heart as if it were 18 yrs. I will never forget you. You were loved. You were home. And I was your forever Momma.

I'd get an ultrasound.

Thanks for adding Crystal, Ducky. I haven't been able to write her memorial in Remembrance yet.

She's gone.

Jason, I'm so sorry to hear this. I'll keep Toby in my prayers.

Last night, she ate only half her dinner and I'm giving her just canned now. This morning she turned her nose up at Fresh Pet Select. She couldn't get enough of this when she arrived. But she did drink a bottle of Ensure.

She looks terrific. Hopefully it will be all healed soon and she'll be back to her normal self.

Monday morning I don't like how she looked this morning. Her tummy's larger, and now her left front leg is swollen. She didn't even lift her head when I came into the room this morning. She did eat her breakfast. But she's getting picky again. I tried to give her 1/2 Imodium this morning because her poo is runny. I put it in the same stuff she had for breakfast but one good sniff and she turned it down. I gave her PB kong (as I do the others) when I went to leave for work this morning. All she wanted to do was lean on me. Talk about breaking my heart at having to go to work. Maybe I can work from home a couple days this week.

yes, that Luna. The collision with my little Opal caused her problems. The only saving grace was that Opal weighed about the same as Luna did and not more. I don't think Luna would be here if the accident happened with an 80 boy. And I got to witness the miracle as Luna walked for the first time over xmas. Today, she ran and played in the big yard. The only evidence of the accident is a slight limp.

Oh Susan, I'm so sorry to hear about Kitty. It's hard to imagine such an empty house now.

Crystal has so much personality. Kelly came over with Luna to visit (Luna is the little girl that Opal T boned and paralyzed last Dec but became a Christmas miracle when she got up to walk while I babysat her at my house). Anyway, Kelly took a pix of Crystal and she came running up to her barking. I quess she feels she's above the paparazzi taking photographs of her. She did this at GIG too. That "flashy thing" started her barking and she didn't shut up til we got back to the room. (I'm sure it's her stormaphobia.) But because she actually doesn't look upset, it seems quite comical. She enjoyed an afternoon in the sunshine chomping on a rawhide. And has just finished her dinner of kibble and sardines. She's currently on her bed, looking at me. She seems content.

Sunday morning. I was a little apprehensive this morning. Crystal had gotten into the habit of whining at the crack of dawn for her breakfast. She didn't today. When I did get up, I found her on her bed, looking at me. I could just hear her say "So where's my breakfast, already?" She paced a little bit this morning. I can't tell if it's discomfort or she already knows that there are things to do and places to go. So, we did our usually walk in the Sourland Mts. While she is not fond of the ramp, I am making her use it to get in and out of the SUV. (weekends is for getting into the car and traveling to our walking places). The last thing I want her to do is jump in and out of my very high SUV. She was very ready for our walk this morning taking the lead. She did however run out of steam, so the walk was shortened. I thought she'd be too tired to do anything else but lay down and sleep when we got home but she started her pacing again. I don't know if she was uncomfortable or anticipating that it was egg-day today. She's only had one before, how would she know? I'm thinking she is still uncomfortable. It was time for the cheese treat and she turned her nose up at it. But when I put down the eggs, she inhaled them, the donut and left over GIG cookies. Her FAVORITES are the banana chips covered with bacon that we got there. She can't get enough of them. (anyone know where I can buy more?) I then went outside and worked in the garden and she came out and laid near me on the cool soil. So I know she wants to be with me. I think she realizes I'm her forever Mom. So she has improved over Thursday night. But she's not back to where she was Thursday morning. I hope she will feel good enough to at least enjoy a few more laps around the yard. Fasave - your inbox is full, I want to PM you.

8 PM I went out for the afternoon. Long afternoon (movie and dinner). I wasn't sure what I would be coming home to. WOuld she be gone? Would she be in distress? I was pleased to see what I found. She was up, alert and ready for dinner. Her appetite is bordereing of voracious again. Her legs aren't shaky telling me she didn't pace the entire time I was gone. When the others were tearing around the yard like idiots, she actually trotted a little bit after them. I have to admit, several time during dinner I got a pang thinking about her wondering what I was going to get when I got home. This is going to be one helluva roller coaster ride. But she seems very good today. I hope to have her a little bit longer before she has another bleed.