OT: Beginning a long goodbye to my old friend (UPDATE - Still going strong 2.5 years later)

[wbcincy]

If you've read my posts over the years, you probably recognize them from the avatar of my dog, Duke. I bought Duke the summer after law school, deciding I'd rather raise a puppy than study for the bar. Unemployed and waiting for bar results, I was able to spend every day of those 4 months training him and watching him grow. He was always so eager to please, listened without hesitation, and lived to "work."

7.5 years later, a routine vet appointment revealed he had rapidly gained 15 lbs and an xray of his abdomen showed a significant growth. We prepared ourselves for the worst, but the tumor appeared to only be attached to the spleen and hadn't spread. We had it removed last week and sent for a biopsy, with the vet feeling optimistic it wasn't cancer. I've been out of town all week at a convention, so my wife waited until I was done with that tonight to let me know she'd learned tuesday morning it was the worst case. Duke has hemangiosarcoma, and has been given 3-6 months to live. While I appreciate that we'll have time to say goodbye, every minute will be equally cherished and painful. So, I'm now sitting in some stupid hotel in St. Louis crying like a child and wondering if I'll sleep before my flight in 6 hours, typing this as some hopeful form of catharsis.

If anyone would like to see more of Duke and the life he's had, you can check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/duke.and.liberty.the.sheps/ . My wife loves our dogs, photography and the outdoors, so she created that account to combine those interests a couple years back. With almost 27,000 followers, Duke is a bit of an internet celeb as pets go. But mostly he was just my friend, and I'm heartbroken.

 

[Norm Petersin]

Sad news. Sounds like Duke is a real family member and a big part of your lives.

 

[EPC FAN]

Sad news. Sounds like Duke is a real family member and a big part of your lives.

I went through it with my Pug Cosmo, back in June. Enjoy Duke, but don't allow him to suffer. They are family members, so do the right thing for Duke.

 

[84Lion]

My deepest sympathy to you and best wishes to Duke for a full recovery from the surgery. He looks like a great dog, and sounds like the best friend you could have.

We had a similar situation with one of our guinea pigs, Wilma, the cage-mate to Frederika (or Fred as we call her, Fred's my avatar) about 6 months ago, when she suddenly stopped eating. Guinea pigs eat all the time, so if they stop eating you know it's bad. She had the same issue, a cancerous growth on the spleen, so the vet performed a spleenectomy. The growth was biopsied and determined cancerous. The vet said that the only other instance she was able to find of this was a guinea pig that lived about a year and a half after the surgery. The growth was about the size of a golf ball - if you know how small guinea pigs are, this thing was huge. Wilma's been doing fine so far (cross fingers, knock wood) after a dicey recovery from the surgery. I told my daughter (her pets really although those little pigs have Daddy wrapped around their little paws...) to give Wilma as much love as she possibly can in the time Wilma's got left. I had heard about a vitamin C and antibiotic therapy for cancers and so we are giving Wilma a vitamin C supplement every day, and weigh both her and Fred regularly to determine any sudden weight gain/loss. Unfortunately what it really comes down to is hoping for the best health for her while preparing for the inevitable. She is almost 5 years old, which is getting up there in guinea pig years.

 

[Roar Lions Roar]

I'm sorry to hear this. God Bless Your dog, Duke.

 

[demlion]

Very sad, cincy.

 

[CF LION]

So sorry cincy. I checked out the link. Duke and Liberty are both gorgeous dogs. As EPC mentioned, do the right thing should he start to suffer.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

I also went to the LINK, some great pics there.

FONZIE’S BARKING FOR DUKE !

 

[rudedude]

We share our home with 3 Jack Russell's so I feel for you. There is something truly special about having a loyal dog in your life. So sorry you are facing this now.

 

[RU31trap]

I went through the same thing with two German Short-hair pointers and one Doberman Pinscher. Literally the worst feeling on earth when they say goodbye. All I can say is to try and remember all the wonderful years you and Duke have spent together. It sounds like you are a terrific pet owner and I'm sure Duke feels very lucky to have you as an owner. Good luck with everything.

 

[CF LION]

We share our home with 3 Jack Russell's so I feel for you. There is something truly special about having a loyal dog in your life. So sorry you are facing this now.

I think you mean 3 Jack Russell's share their home with you.

 

[RochLion]

So sorry to hear of the prognosis. What beautiful animals and pictures. My wife and I skirted through the pictures more in awe bye one pic after the other. We have an 7 yr Australian Shepherd mix ... he would never stand at kitchen counter with a wisk in his mouth!

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

If you've read my posts over the years, you probably recognize them from the avatar of my dog, Duke. I bought Duke the summer after law school, deciding I'd rather raise a puppy than study for the bar. Unemployed and waiting for bar results, I was able to spend every day of those 4 months training him and watching him grow. He was always so eager to please, listened without hesitation, and lived to "work."

7.5 years later, a routine vet appointment revealed he had rapidly gained 15 lbs and an xray of his abdomen showed a significant growth. We prepared ourselves for the worst, but the tumor appeared to only be attached to the spleen and hadn't spread. We had it removed last week and sent for a biopsy, with the vet feeling optimistic it wasn't cancer. I've been out of town all week at a convention, so my wife waited until I was done with that tonight to let me know she'd learned tuesday morning it was the worst case. Duke has hemangiosarcoma, and has been given 3-6 months to live. While I appreciate that we'll have time to say goodbye, every minute will be equally cherished and painful. So, I'm now sitting in some stupid hotel in St. Louis crying like a child and wondering if I'll sleep before my flight in 6 hours, typing this as some hopeful form of catharsis.

If anyone would like to see more of Duke and the life he's had, you can check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/duke.and.liberty.the.sheps/ . My wife loves our dogs, photography and the outdoors, so she created that account to combine those interests a couple years back. With almost 27,000 followers, Duke is a bit of an internet celeb as pets go. But mostly he was just my friend, and I'm heartbroken.

I feel your pain. We lost out German Shepherd earlier this year due to a tumor on his spleen. He died in the car on the way to the vet hospital. I believe it is common for German Shepherds to develop tumors on their spleens.

 

[john4psu]

So sorry to hear the news wb. The memories you have will last you forever.

 

[PSU Mike]

So sorry to hear, cincy. It’s a special bond for sure. Try to think of the days he’s here as a rising count of blessings, not a countdown.

 

[sluggo72]

So sorry to hear. Duke had the best life though. We had to put ours down several years ago, my wife and I both cried until we got another! And what a joy he has been!

 

[BTMurphy]

I always thought ‘what a beautiful dog’ in your sig pic... I’ve always had a special place in my heart for shepherds as our first pet as a child was a retired police dog- Sarge.
My thoughts are with you... cherish indeed. Love the photos

 

[AWS1022]

I also went through this just a couple of years ago, and I still miss my Sheltie all the time. She was given 3 months to live, so we decided to cherish the time we had left with her and she lived 23 months....we were very fortunate to have that extra time with her. Enjoy whatever time you have left with Duke and be there with him at the end. He deserves that. Hang in there Cincy.

 

[LurkerLazarus]

Dude, my man, I feel for you. I lost a dog not long ago to hemangiosarcoma, as well. I know full well how you are feeling, and my heart goes out to you. It's a terrible thing when they leave us, but as I've told my kids, it's part of the bargain of having a wonderful friend for as long as we do.

 

[masterbaker65]

Last nite our family had to put our little buddy asleep. It’s a heartbreaking experience. Life sure won’t be the same without him...

 

[AldenT]

If you've read my posts over the years, you probably recognize them from the avatar of my dog, Duke. I bought Duke the summer after law school, deciding I'd rather raise a puppy than study for the bar. Unemployed and waiting for bar results, I was able to spend every day of those 4 months training him and watching him grow. He was always so eager to please, listened without hesitation, and lived to "work."

7.5 years later, a routine vet appointment revealed he had rapidly gained 15 lbs and an xray of his abdomen showed a significant growth. We prepared ourselves for the worst, but the tumor appeared to only be attached to the spleen and hadn't spread. We had it removed last week and sent for a biopsy, with the vet feeling optimistic it wasn't cancer. I've been out of town all week at a convention, so my wife waited until I was done with that tonight to let me know she'd learned tuesday morning it was the worst case. Duke has hemangiosarcoma, and has been given 3-6 months to live. While I appreciate that we'll have time to say goodbye, every minute will be equally cherished and painful. So, I'm now sitting in some stupid hotel in St. Louis crying like a child and wondering if I'll sleep before my flight in 6 hours, typing this as some hopeful form of catharsis.

If anyone would like to see more of Duke and the life he's had, you can check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/duke.and.liberty.the.sheps/ . My wife loves our dogs, photography and the outdoors, so she created that account to combine those interests a couple years back. With almost 27,000 followers, Duke is a bit of an internet celeb as pets go. But mostly he was just my friend, and I'm heartbroken.

Can think of few things harder. I promise you it gets easier, day-to-day; time doesn’t heal but it helps immensely.

It’s going to be ok. Different but ok. All the best.

 

[nittany dave]

If you've read my posts over the years, you probably recognize them from the avatar of my dog, Duke. I bought Duke the summer after law school, deciding I'd rather raise a puppy than study for the bar. Unemployed and waiting for bar results, I was able to spend every day of those 4 months training him and watching him grow. He was always so eager to please, listened without hesitation, and lived to "work."

7.5 years later, a routine vet appointment revealed he had rapidly gained 15 lbs and an xray of his abdomen showed a significant growth. We prepared ourselves for the worst, but the tumor appeared to only be attached to the spleen and hadn't spread. We had it removed last week and sent for a biopsy, with the vet feeling optimistic it wasn't cancer. I've been out of town all week at a convention, so my wife waited until I was done with that tonight to let me know she'd learned tuesday morning it was the worst case. Duke has hemangiosarcoma, and has been given 3-6 months to live. While I appreciate that we'll have time to say goodbye, every minute will be equally cherished and painful. So, I'm now sitting in some stupid hotel in St. Louis crying like a child and wondering if I'll sleep before my flight in 6 hours, typing this as some hopeful form of catharsis.

If anyone would like to see more of Duke and the life he's had, you can check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/duke.and.liberty.the.sheps/ . My wife loves our dogs, photography and the outdoors, so she created that account to combine those interests a couple years back. With almost 27,000 followers, Duke is a bit of an internet celeb as pets go. But mostly he was just my friend, and I'm heartbroken.

My condolences. We just had to put our 12 year old Beagle Max to sleep on November 3, as he had lung cancer , so I can definitely relate. When I posted this on this message board, I received many kind replies. I miss Max every day. Take care. I feel for you

 

[pointingdogsrule]

So sorry. As a "dog lover" & a DVM ...... I have been in that situation many times (on both sides of the fence). Neither is an easy situation. Just yesterday I was called to a home. The dog was a good friend and yep... I cried.

They say "grown men don't cry"....... well, the person who made that statement never had a great dog.

When "DUKE" gets to the other side.... tell him to look up "BROWNDOG"..... they'll be great friends.
(Browndog is in my avatar)

 

[TiredOldLion]

It is hard when you lose a pet/friend. We have had cats and dogs and other critters over fourty years and each has a place in our hearts. Memories will be pleasant but only time and another pet to share your life really fills up the hole.
Cherish your time left with your friend and I know you know this but your wife/partner has to be hurting too. Together you guys can plan the Bucket trip for Duke, and may your squeeze out all the fun, happiness, and love from from your friend and companion before he leaves. GBU.

 

[JoeLion]

I had a very similar experience with Bruno (avatar) about 18 months ago. I still miss my buddy. My thoughts are with you.

 

[wbcincy]

I went through it with my Pug Cosmo, back in June. Enjoy Duke, but don't allow him to suffer. They are family members, so do the right thing for Duke.

We won't, we're not doing chemo for the same reason. I don't want his last months to be pain or suffering, so as soon as we notice him becoming lethargic or losing his appetite, we'll help him. I feel bad we made him go through this surgery and recovery only for it not to matter.

 

[Nitt1300]

Very sorry to see this. Dogs ask for very little, but give all they have.

 

[Big 0]

We went through this recently with our 8 year old Shar Pei, who had been the healthiest dog we had until this point ( we had 4 dogs together at one time). She started losing weight so we took her to the vet, and the vet assured us nothing was wrong. As a physician, I was very skeptical because I know when things just are not right. After losing 20% body weight, we took her back and again was told there was nothing wrong because her blood work was fine.

Shortly after this she started having chronic loose stools/diarrhea so we asked the vet for a referral and were sent to a hematology oncology vet who had gone to school and trained around the the same time I did. She didn’t have to rely on tests like all newly trained doctors and vets do, such as our regular vet. Her knowledge, experience and intuition told her right away it could be one of two things most likely. One was a benign, chronic process (inflammatory bowel disease) and the other was a malignancy (bowel lymphoma). This could be diagnosed through a surgical biopsy or we could try a therapeutic trial for inflammatory bowel disease to see if there was a positive response. If not, then we would know it was a malignant process.

I went the old school way and chose the therapeutic trial, which the vet said would have been her choice as well, but most people choose to do surgery because they “want to know right now.” This is how most people/patients are nowadays because Dr. Google told them so.

The dog responded well the first couple of weeks as she started gaining weight and the diarrhea abated. However, this was likely the masking effect of the steroids given as part of her treatment, and soon she became more symptomatic once we started tapering the steroid doses. We knew then that was the end because she had a pretty much untreatable disease (could do chemotherapy but the success rate even for remission is very low). We had to put her down a couple of days after Christmas making for a very depressing holiday season last year. However, as I write this, I have our new 6 month old puppy in my lap (recovering from umbilical hernia surgery) which helps ease the pain of the loss of our treasured pet last year at this time. I have great empathy for your situation as I have been through the same psychological pain as you this time last year.

 

[BBrown]

If you've read my posts over the years, you probably recognize them from the avatar of my dog, Duke. I bought Duke the summer after law school, deciding I'd rather raise a puppy than study for the bar. Unemployed and waiting for bar results, I was able to spend every day of those 4 months training him and watching him grow. He was always so eager to please, listened without hesitation, and lived to "work."

7.5 years later, a routine vet appointment revealed he had rapidly gained 15 lbs and an xray of his abdomen showed a significant growth. We prepared ourselves for the worst, but the tumor appeared to only be attached to the spleen and hadn't spread. We had it removed last week and sent for a biopsy, with the vet feeling optimistic it wasn't cancer. I've been out of town all week at a convention, so my wife waited until I was done with that tonight to let me know she'd learned tuesday morning it was the worst case. Duke has hemangiosarcoma, and has been given 3-6 months to live. While I appreciate that we'll have time to say goodbye, every minute will be equally cherished and painful. So, I'm now sitting in some stupid hotel in St. Louis crying like a child and wondering if I'll sleep before my flight in 6 hours, typing this as some hopeful form of catharsis.

If anyone would like to see more of Duke and the life he's had, you can check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/duke.and.liberty.the.sheps/ . My wife loves our dogs, photography and the outdoors, so she created that account to combine those interests a couple years back. With almost 27,000 followers, Duke is a bit of an internet celeb as pets go. But mostly he was just my friend, and I'm heartbroken.

Geez, cincy, I'm so sorry. They are absolutely gorgeous dogs.
Hell I'm tearing up just writing this.

 

[mjh218]

Sorry to hear this. The loss of a dog is brutal. Dogs provide such pure love. It doesn’t matter whether your rich or poor, fat or skinny. You will always have the memories and you will know that you gave him a hell of a life.

 

[ThePennsyOracle]

Very sorry to learn of this wbcincy. Thoughts & prayers are with you and your family (including your puppy).

 

[Obliviax]

Best of luck with that. Its corny but I always think of the chick sentiment "its always better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." You and Duke had some great years, be thankful and celebrate (as I know you are). I'd also go and get another pet ASAP (perhaps now). You'll never replace Duke, there will always be that void that Duke took up because only Duke is Duke.....but a new pet will fill you up in other ways.

In any case, cherish your time, minimize the sorry and move on.

 

[Googsdad]

If you've read my posts over the years, you probably recognize them from the avatar of my dog, Duke. I bought Duke the summer after law school, deciding I'd rather raise a puppy than study for the bar. Unemployed and waiting for bar results, I was able to spend every day of those 4 months training him and watching him grow. He was always so eager to please, listened without hesitation, and lived to "work."

7.5 years later, a routine vet appointment revealed he had rapidly gained 15 lbs and an xray of his abdomen showed a significant growth. We prepared ourselves for the worst, but the tumor appeared to only be attached to the spleen and hadn't spread. We had it removed last week and sent for a biopsy, with the vet feeling optimistic it wasn't cancer. I've been out of town all week at a convention, so my wife waited until I was done with that tonight to let me know she'd learned tuesday morning it was the worst case. Duke has hemangiosarcoma, and has been given 3-6 months to live. While I appreciate that we'll have time to say goodbye, every minute will be equally cherished and painful. So, I'm now sitting in some stupid hotel in St. Louis crying like a child and wondering if I'll sleep before my flight in 6 hours, typing this as some hopeful form of catharsis.

If anyone would like to see more of Duke and the life he's had, you can check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/duke.and.liberty.the.sheps/ . My wife loves our dogs, photography and the outdoors, so she created that account to combine those interests a couple years back. With almost 27,000 followers, Duke is a bit of an internet celeb as pets go. But mostly he was just my friend, and I'm heartbroken.

Wow, I had never heard of this condition until it happened to our dog Sophie and I didn't realize it was so prevalent. She was also given 3-6 months to live but ended up giving us another 2 great years after her surgery. I hope you enjoy whatever time you have left with Duke to the fullest. It's hard but it does get easier.

 

[demlion]

Wow, I had never heard of this condition until it happened to our dog Sophie and I didn't realize it was so prevalent. She was also given 3-6 months to live but ended up giving us another 2 great years after her surgery. I hope you enjoy whatever time you have left with Duke to the fullest. It's hard but it does get easier.

Is it a genetic predisposition?

 

[KnightSlayer]

Just went through the same thing a few weeks ago. Still hurts.

 

[Howie'81]

If you've read my posts over the years, you probably recognize them from the avatar of my dog, Duke. I bought Duke the summer after law school, deciding I'd rather raise a puppy than study for the bar. Unemployed and waiting for bar results, I was able to spend every day of those 4 months training him and watching him grow. He was always so eager to please, listened without hesitation, and lived to "work."

7.5 years later, a routine vet appointment revealed he had rapidly gained 15 lbs and an xray of his abdomen showed a significant growth. We prepared ourselves for the worst, but the tumor appeared to only be attached to the spleen and hadn't spread. We had it removed last week and sent for a biopsy, with the vet feeling optimistic it wasn't cancer. I've been out of town all week at a convention, so my wife waited until I was done with that tonight to let me know she'd learned tuesday morning it was the worst case. Duke has hemangiosarcoma, and has been given 3-6 months to live. While I appreciate that we'll have time to say goodbye, every minute will be equally cherished and painful. So, I'm now sitting in some stupid hotel in St. Louis crying like a child and wondering if I'll sleep before my flight in 6 hours, typing this as some hopeful form of catharsis.

If anyone would like to see more of Duke and the life he's had, you can check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/duke.and.liberty.the.sheps/ . My wife loves our dogs, photography and the outdoors, so she created that account to combine those interests a couple years back. With almost 27,000 followers, Duke is a bit of an internet celeb as pets go. But mostly he was just my friend, and I'm heartbroken.

Totally understand and you have my sympathies. Dogs are great and attachments to them are hard to break. Take consolation in the fact that you've given Duke a very good life with your family.

 

[OXLion]

So sorry to hear. Pets especially in this case dogs become as much of a family member as humans are. Sucks when this happens to our family members even the furry ones.

 

[loosey goosey]

Gut wrenching.My German Shorthair Poz had the eating disorder pika.I was having a bathroom remodeled and he ate/chewed a lead pipe.

 

[joeparules]

If you've read my posts over the years, you probably recognize them from the avatar of my dog, Duke. I bought Duke the summer after law school, deciding I'd rather raise a puppy than study for the bar. Unemployed and waiting for bar results, I was able to spend every day of those 4 months training him and watching him grow. He was always so eager to please, listened without hesitation, and lived to "work."

7.5 years later, a routine vet appointment revealed he had rapidly gained 15 lbs and an xray of his abdomen showed a significant growth. We prepared ourselves for the worst, but the tumor appeared to only be attached to the spleen and hadn't spread. We had it removed last week and sent for a biopsy, with the vet feeling optimistic it wasn't cancer. I've been out of town all week at a convention, so my wife waited until I was done with that tonight to let me know she'd learned tuesday morning it was the worst case. Duke has hemangiosarcoma, and has been given 3-6 months to live. While I appreciate that we'll have time to say goodbye, every minute will be equally cherished and painful. So, I'm now sitting in some stupid hotel in St. Louis crying like a child and wondering if I'll sleep before my flight in 6 hours, typing this as some hopeful form of catharsis.

If anyone would like to see more of Duke and the life he's had, you can check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/duke.and.liberty.the.sheps/ . My wife loves our dogs, photography and the outdoors, so she created that account to combine those interests a couple years back. With almost 27,000 followers, Duke is a bit of an internet celeb as pets go. But mostly he was just my friend, and I'm heartbroken.

This board can be very cathartic. I posted in the spring about crying like a baby over putting down our 13 year old miniature schnauzer (JoePa) and wondering if that was normal since this was my first dog (grew up with cats). This board showed me how many dog lovers are out there and why we feel so bad losing a true family member. Not looking forward to going through it again with his now 14 year old brother (Nittany) as he declines.

So sorry to hear the news. Just enjoy every minute you have with Duke and know that you've given him the best possible life a dog could ask for.

 

[Ranger Dan]

I'm very sorry to hear about your dogs health. I had a Duke as well... he was a German Shorthaired Pointer and my first dog that I had as an adult. I had to put him down in 2008 after 13 wonderful years. Friends who swore they would never own a dog have since had German Shortaired Pointers because of how great Duke was. He was and he was the love of my life. Yes, I say that out loud in front of and directly to my wife.

He turned out (I made him) gun-shy but we spent much time doing simple obedience training and fetching (morning newspaper, tennis ball, snow from shovel) anything that he could. I think all dog owners can feel the love of their dog, but it is when you train a dog that this bond is truly built. I may be biased, but I believe that this may be especially true when it's training a working (hunting, service, etc.) dog to do what they were literally born to do. The hours of training that you spent that summer and beyond did not just create a well mannered and obedient dog, but it created the tremendous connection that the two of you shared.

You won't ever forget Duke, but hopefully the sorrowful thoughts will vanish quickly.