carronstar

I am so very sorry. Godspeed, Harry.

I am so very sorry. Godspeed, Chase.

I am so very sorry. I am glad she had a glorious year with you! Fly fast and free, Charley.

I am so very sorry. Fly fast and free, Gidget.

I am so very sorry. Godspeed, Mohican.

I am so very sorry. Godspeed, Penske.

I am so very sorry. Godspeed, Blue.

What a wonderful update!

Fingers crossed for no lump return and many more years of love.

Sending lots of good thoughts for a "simple" solution/dx for your girl.

No advice, just lots of hugs and prayers.

I am so very sorry. Fly fast and free, Anna.

Adding my good wishes and prayers. You are certainly very prepared.

Wonderful news!

Oh, no. My heart is breaking for you. I am so very sorry. Godspeed, Spartacus.

Birthday love and prayers and light for you Desi.

Wonderful news. I have been lurking and watching this. I went through splenic removal with my Aquitaine almost 3 years ago. Totally successful removal of tumor and spleen. She, too, had PLN after. I am ever thankful for the overnight e-vet who wanted to learn more about using the ultrasound because he discovered the tumor at 6 am so that at 8 am he could tell the internist that the problem had been found. They walked me through the possibilities of what the tumor could be -- fatty/cancer/blood clot -- and informed me that what I really wanted it to be was a blood clot. It was. All was benign. Keeping Spartacus in my prayers.

I think everyone else has covered most things. I would just add, prices for care are definitely different based on geographic location. I have been lambasted on here multiple times for what I spent on care for Aquitaine. I agree completely that it was extremely expensive but I live in Manhattan. EVERYTHING is very expensive. I took her to a Cornell vet one year at Grapehounds, they ran every test in the book, we were there for 5-6 hours and it cost me less than $500. By those numbers, nope, not expensive at all!

Having just gone through this, my heart hurts for you. Cancer stinks. Pain stinks. This is just too unfair. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Too many greyhound osteo angels lately. I am so very sorry. Fly fast and free, Chellie.

I am so very sorry. Godspeed, Brucie.

Many, many good thoughts and prayers.

I know that we can't give/sell prescription meds to each other but with Aquitaine's loss I have a bottle and almost a full bottle of Azodyl that I am happy to send to another CRF/PLN dog. My friends who quickly cleaned out my apartment took the Denamarin which was new or I would send that as well. I have ice packs and can send the Azodyl chilled as required (with the US). Just let me know. You can PM me. My vet will pick up the two new bottles of Hydrazaline and donate them to the Animal Medical Center.

It is almost impossible to write this, and admit that my Aquitaine is gone from this world. It was too fast. Anything would have been too fast, and my promise to her had always been that I would not allow her to ever be in any pain. We fought the CRF for two years. To the amazement of her doctors, and with the help of many wonderful people here on GT who shared their wisdom with us, we had basically stopped any progression. The sad truth was, with the exception of the “new” osteo, she was a happy, healthy dog. That made it both so very much harder, and yet, easier, to let her go. She was happy, she was barking and eating and loving everyone. But she was limping, not putting weight on her foot, and we all know the pain of this monster. They told me I might have a few more months. Months where she would be completely drugged, and in the words of the very kind vet who spent the whole day with us, even at the highest dose, there would still be a breakthrough pain that would be a dull, throbbing, constant pain. I couldn’t do it to her. No matter that I wanted every possible minute with her, I just couldn’t do it. Her companion, Kelly, who has walked her for 8 years came to us, in tears herself (she lost her pit to this and knows how horrible it is), bearing chicken nuggets that we fed her while we cried and she was thrilled to get the big treat. It was as peaceful and beautiful as possible. It was still so very wrong. My girl came to me on December 30, 2006. Ten days after Morgaine died from a status seizure. A seizure the emergency vet said my vet mis-diagnosed, that was caused because either Kelly or I had let her pick up poison in the park and eat it. I must admit that when I called my own vet, the “C” word was used but he assured me that she was a good doctor, even if everyone hated her and she failed her clinicials. She couldn’t save my girl. In fairness, I was pretty sure that would be the case. It was her cruelty that rankled. The amazing people at GPA-CNHC pulled together and chose a grey for me, and found drivers to bring her to a parking lot in Danbury, CT. I picked up Morgaine in a similar parking lot. Apparently, Danbury is the half-way point between Concord, New Hampshire and NYC. An amazing newlywed couple (thank you Jen), with their own grey, on an unpleasant winter day, right before New Year’s Eve. Aquitaine’s adoptable picture was hilarious. She was orange. Tony the Tiger orange. But looking at the dogs online, I just knew that she would be the girl they sent to me. I had known that Morgaine would be my girl 3 years earlier. The letter from her foster family warned me that she was dominant. Not a problem. I was raised in a dominant, matriarchal Irish-Catholic Boston family. Dominant barely fazed me. It turns out that it was far more a case of extreme enthusiasm. She was a nitter. If she loved you, she would stop, in the middle of chewing a bone, playing with a toy, whatever, reach over and nibble on your arm and go right back to what she was doing. She was also a very enthusiastic hugger. She would get all riled up on her couch, that lower back end pumping away, wrap her paws around you and just hug and bump. It was like being on a date with a 13 year old boy. I know that I was supposed to correct her. That never happened. Mostly because I thought it was hilarious and I was just laughing too hard. She never did it with anyone else so it was clear that it was not an area of concern. I knew right from the moment that she got in the car, that she was perfect. My friend Warren had driven me up to get her. As the responsible psychologist that he is, and in addition to another psychiatrist friend, he had asked if I was sure about what I was doing. As they knew, I DO NOT DO WELL AT ALL when I lose an animal. From guppy to greyhound. The pain is extreme, the wailing loud. I made it clear to him that while I understood repeating situations where you know the outcome will be bad/wrong may well be the definition of insanity, every bad day is outweighed in the hundreds by the good days, and by the love that they bring. Even the bad days are made better because of the loving bond. He cleared me as at least mostly sane, and we met my girl in the parking lot. First impression, absolutely gorgeous, much smaller than Morgaine – the 90 lb galoot of a girl – and very sweet. We got in the car, she curled right up in “dog in a ball” and watched Warren drive. I laid my head in her paws and talked to her, and promised that she would be cared for and adored, that lovely food and toys were in her future, that she had a gorgeous blond doctor who traveled on roller blades right to her own apartment, and that anything she ever needed would be hers. That she would never be hurt, or alone. And I cried. A lot. Morgaine had only just begun to blossom and feel at home with me at not quite 3 years. She had been a wonderful therapy dog and had been accepted just that week to do home visits for the ill and elderly. A promotion, if you will, from nursing home visits. And then, suddenly, she was gone. Aquitaine just let me lay my head in her paws and talk. Aquitaine was really one in a million. We all feel that way. We are all right. She was my one in a million. I think I will let the words of a man who used to mean the world to me, who, although our personal relationship failed, was always trusted with my girls. One of the first times that he walked her he left a priceless note. It said “She is one of the all-time GREAT dogs.” I have held on to this note, I will be framing this. He could not possibly have been more right. She really was one of the all time great dogs.

Please add Aquitaine.