A couple of weeks ago I faced every pet owner’s worst dilemma. My old Peke/Chin mix Spike had been in failing health for about a year. He had many of old age’s common ailments, deafness, limited vision due to cataracts, bad teeth, incontinence, but he still found his way to the kitchen twice a day for breakfast and dinner. He was a beautiful dog, with long wavy hair, and crisp black and white coloring. He came from the local shelter and was the second dog I adopted from there.
Spike was not very smart. My husband often berated him for always being underfoot. He had a plodding gait, and even when he ran it was more of a lope than a run. When we first brought him home from the shelter he was constantly trying to get out of our fence. A gate could not be left open for a nanosecond or he was between your legs and across the yard. Even after he was neutered it took quite awhile for him to slow down. He would still get out, but forget why he wanted out and just hang around howling to get back in! Spike had a most endearing howl. He would put his head way back and “O Roy! O Roy! O Roy!”
Spike also had a difficult time with housetraining. He and my husband had a love/hate relationship. Bill was always complaining about Spike being a dumb dog, in the way, getting out etc. Spike got even with him by pooping under his chair in his office—-every day! Finally Bill came to like Spike for his gentleness, being a good traveler and companion, and started being nicer to him. Amazingly, Spike quit pooping in his office!
Since he was a shelter dog, we didn’t know exactly how old Spike was, but we got to love and be loved by him for 12 wonderful years. That last morning I knew we would be making our last trip to the vet’s office. He had developed an ulcer on his left eye that was very painful. It was possible the eye could be removed, but Dr. Sells was worried that he couldn’t handle the surgery due to a grade 3 or 4 heart murmur. It was time to say our goodbyes and free Spike from his pain. I held him and whispered my love into his ear as he slipped peacefully away. I brought him home, wrapped him in a pillowcase and buried him next to his sister Bridgette. Every now and then, in a moment of stillness I hear him announcing a new day “O Roy! O Roy! O Roy!”

Here is a heartwarming article that I read in the Washington Post and wanted to share with everyone. Have a tissue handy.

Something About Harry: Old Dogs are the Best Dogs

Sonny started out as a foster dog. He was in kennel 11 at the shelter,which is the only kennel that has a view of the door entering the holding area. The minute I walked through that door he locked eyes with me. He had me at “hello”. The pound attendant told me that he had been brought into the shelter by a Good Samaritan who had found him near 11th steet and the Railroad tracks. He was obviously injured and having trouble walking. I took him for xrays and Dr. Sells diagnosed a broken hip. He underwent a femoral head ostectomy where the ball is removed from the femur and scar tissue then replaces the “ball” and seats into the hip socket. On most small breed dogs recovery is quick and they usually don’t even have a limp. He wore the “Elizabethan collar” for several weeks during his recovery to keep him for chewing on his sutures. He acquired the monicker “lampshade” during my brother’s holiday visit. In January we were planning an extensive trip to Arizona for about 6 weeks. I attempted to get him to a rescue in Colorado before we left, but we just could not make the logistics work. So, he went to Arizona with us, and the rest, as they say, is history. After one has lived in a 40′ motor home for 6 weeks with 4 dogs, there is no letting them go. He recovered from his surgery quickly, and by the time we returned in mid March he was completely healed and running in circles at every opportunity. My husband nicknamed him “Dido” for the tight circles he cut when he was excited.

In September my husband noticed that he had two large lumps on both sides of his jaw. I had noticed them too, but it hadn’t registered with me that this could be something serious. I took him into see Dr. Eilene Minnix at Garden City Vet Clinic and she aspirated the lumps and said that the most likely cause was lymphoma, but that I would need to take him to Kansas State Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Manhattan to confirm the diagnosis. I had her make the appointment and I took him to Manhattan the next day. The oncologists at the hospital did a thorough examination which included aspiration of all his lymph nodes, blood work and other laboratory tests. Later that day when I met with the Doctors they confirmed that he did indeed have lymphoma and prescribed a series of chemotherapy treatments. Only one in four treatments would need to be done at KState; and the others have been administered by Garden City Vet Clinic. Sonny is a model patient and is a favorite at both the local clinic and at K State.

Many people are surprised to learn that cancer in dogs can be treated. The key word is “treated”. It will not be a cure, but it has prolonged the life of a sweet dog who is no more than three years old. He has suffered no ill effects from the chemotherapy other than a small amount of hair loss. He has maintained his appetite, his personality, his vigor, his joie de vivre and his love of his family. He plays hard daily with his doggie family, and sleeps next to his human mommy at night. The treatment isn’t cheap, but it isn’t outrageous either. It runs approximately $500 per month. About the cost of a country club membership and several rounds of golf a month, or the payment on a used car…. I can’t think of a better way to spend my money. We will continue it as long as it is effective and as long as he is not suffering from the effects of his disease. Sonny will tell me when that time has come and we will face the inevitable with bravery and grace, knowing that we have made the best of our short time together.