So you may or may not know but my dog, Koby (yes, the one who started it all - the one for whom I changed careers - the one who inspired me to become a dog trainer) was diagnosed two months ago with hemangiosarcoma. One morning, I woke up and let all of my doggies outside to potty as I typically do. It was around 6am. Koby, our typically energetic pit bull strolled outside and laid down in the middle of the yard. This was completely out of character. I called him to me, but he didn't want to come. I offered a biscuit - he didn't want it. That's when I knew something was seriously wrong. I rushed him to the emergency vet where he was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma. He had a tumor on his spleen that was bleeding into his abdominal cavity. He needed emergency surgery to stop the bleeding and remove the spleen.
At this point, we didn't know if the tumor was cancerous or not. We opted for surgery to give him the best chance for survival. He came through the surgery like a champ but a few days later, we received the grim news. He had cancer. And this was no oridinary cancer. This was one that was going to take him quickly and was near impossible to beat. We were urged to treat with chemotherapy but we declined - we didn't want to cause him pain just for our own selfishness - especially when it would only prolong his life for an extra month or two. We opted instead for holistic treatment, putting him on an anti cancer diet prescribed by a holistic vet.
For two months, we cooked his nightly meals. If you know me, you know none of my dogs are allowed in my bedroom - but after learning of the news, Koby became my new snuggle buddy. He feels so special being the only dog allowed not only in the bedroom, but on the bed as well!
Anyhow, we knew the return of the cancer was inevitable so we were just enjoying the time we had. On the morning of June 27th, I woke up and proceeded to let the doggies out as usual. Koby was asleep with Rob in the bedroom. I opened the door and he slowly got out of bed, tail tucked and head hung low. I knew something wasn't right. The rest of the day, he seemed somewhat normal so I brushed off the odd behavior from earlier in the morning. Then, just as I was getting ready to head out to a private session, I let Koby out to potty and he laid down in the yard. His behavior was reminiscent of that first day, when we first discovered he had cancer. My stomach sank and I instantly burst into tears. We lured him inside where he collapsed on the bedroom floor. We laid with him, held him and both Rob and I cried. We thought for sure this was the end. We decided that if he showed signs of distress, we would take him to the vet and end his suffering but for the time being, we would keep him comfortable at home. About 4 hours of tears later, Koby abruptly sat up, climbed out of bed, drank some water and began eating his dinner. Rob and I were shocked. We decided to continue monitoring him.
In the interim, I did some research. I found that, with this disease, tumors would periodically rupture, bleeding internally and causing severe weakness and lethargy. At any point, one of the ruptures could take his life so we tried to prepare as best as we possibly could. The vet told us it wasn't painful so we decided to keep him at home and only intervene with euthanasia if his body went into obvious signs of distress.
Monday and Tuesday were great days. Koby played, ran around like a crazy man and acted like his normal self. We were grateful for the time we had and took advantage of every second. On Wednesday evening, another bleed. This one was more severe. We thought for sure he was on his way out. After about 6 hours, he bounced back again, devouring his entire dinner and becoming increasingly more chipper as the evening went on.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday were "episode free". Again, Koby returned to his normal self, running around and playing like a mad man, soaking up all the extra attention he has been getting.
Today, we have not been so fortunate. As I type, Koby is in the midst of yet another bleed. He is listless, laying on the floor, reluctant to even raise his head. It's so hard to watch him like this. I know his time is coming soon and while I like to convince myself that I am prepared, I know there is nothing I can do to prepare for what is to come. We hope to God he bounces back from this episode to give us a few more good days but we understand if he is tired and needs to go.
Its been a trying week on us emotionally. We will keep updating the Chronicles of Koby as I know several of you have been asking about him over the past few days.
Regardless of when he is taken from us, we are so grateful for the time he has spent and for the profound impact he has made on our lives.
control, something new would pop up forcing us to rethink our strategies. But if you know me, you know I don't quit until the job gets down and after his stay in doggy bootcamp, I can proudly say that Rufus went to the dog park yesterday and had a blast! After 6 weeks in kennel, Rufus made a full recovery. In addition to knowing all of his obedience, he is great with dogs on and off leash and can run and play with the best of them! It was an amazing moment to watch him spring into action, running and playing, chasing balls and having a great time at the dog park!
