Pet Lovers

[Gracies Mom]

I have had two dogs pass away from this insidious disease--Nikki was 13 years old and died in 2004 (she was a lab-mix) and I just lost my cherished and beloved Gracie five days ago of the same horrible disease at age 13 years 10 months (she was a Jack Russell mix). I am grieving, as is my husband---we cannot stop crying. Gracie acted fine on Monday morning--ate a good breakfast, had a long walk, did all of her usual daily routines--and by 6pm she was shaking in pain and refused her dinner--we rushed her to the vet--he took an x-ray and a sonogram--her spleen had ruptured from cancer and her belly was full of cancer and blood----we were stunned---in shock---and had no choice but to send her to the Rainbow Bridge.

I'm not only in deep grief, but I'm ANGRY!!!!! We take the best care of our dogs--they got the finest kibble, nothing extra, they had the best medical care their whole lives--they romped and played in a fenced in yard--we promptly treated any problems that came along. So---WHY????? Why should this horrible cancer take both of our beloved companions? The vet told us this is,unfortunately, a common fatal disease that usually shows no symptoms until it is too far gone.

Has anyone else in this forum had dogs that were touched by this horrendous disease? I'm just beside myself with sadness and anger!!!! Still stunned and numb---I feel as if Im missing a limb. Gracie was very close to me--I imagine I see her all over our house--and even in our bed---her spirit is still with us.

Is the problem environmental? Is it the topical tick/flea stuff we had to put on our dogs? Is it genetics?

Thanks for letting me vent---I feel like I want to explode when I think about what just happened to our lovely little Gracie!!! My feelings are overwhelming!!!!!!!

[on the bay]

I'm so sorry @Gracies Mom!

I do know what you mean-the shock, the anger, the utter sadness and then feeling them all over the house wherever you go!

My sweetest boy had cancer and I guess any form is just not fair.

I was furious at the specialist hospital and many others.

I know he had us all loving him when he got his angel wings and I know he is with me in spirit and totally healthy and happy now.

(He lets me know

I hope knowing his spirit is truly with you will surpass all the other feelings and Gracie lets you know she is as close to you as she always was, just in a different form.

And we will see them again. For now we can can love feeling their spirit with us 24/7!

[KitTkat]

 @Gracies Mom

Oh, I'm so, so sorry for your heartbreaking loss! 😢 all of your emotions are normal, the grief, the unending tears, the anger, it's all part of the horrific trauma that our hearts take when we lose a baby. I know your pain. I lost my dog to cancer 8 years ago. I will pray for you and your husband. The pain is strong, but prayer is stronger. May your love and memory of Gracie help get you through this.❤

PS. Vent all that you need to. We all understand. There are times I'd still like to scream, WHY?!

[Sweet Caroline 1]

I'm so sorry to hear about Gracie.  When you loose a beloved pet or human and they pass away unexpectedly, you go into shock, then grief and somtimes anger.  The pain is unbearable and indescribable.  What helps me when I loose a pet is praying to God to let me see her again in heaven, crying lets some pain out and talking about her.  Talk about sweet memories and fun times with her.  When I pass over, there will be a giant pack waiting for me on the other side.  May God soothe your broken hearts and ease your pain.........Blessings

[deery]

GraciesMommy first let me say how sorry I am for your loss. My standard poodle Griffey also had this disease.One day he was fine the next they pulled 2 quarts of fluid from his lungs. We were lucky enough to have him with us for 6 more months. When ever it was getting difficult for him to breath we took him to the vet to have the fluid drained from his lungs.We had 6 months to come to grips with what we will need to to, but it still wasn't easy, I can't even imagine not having time to process. They take a peice of your heart with them when they go.

[Carmie]

I am so sorry this happened to your dog.  I know you are hurting.

Dogs and people alike, get cancer and other illnesses.  Why?  Well, it just happens.  You can’t blame yourself by thinking that it is possible you missed something or did something wrong.

Sometimes  fate just deals a bad hand.  Thank goodness your dog didn’t suffer long.  You did her a kindness as soon as you noticed she was hurting.  Gracie knew you loved her.  It was just time for her to go.

I am so sorry for your loss.

[Drythe]

@Gracies Mom

I am so sorry you've lost loved ones to this disease.  Unfortunately, Hemangiosarcoma is one of the most common cancers in dogs.  

We have lost 2 Labs to it.  One at age 10, and one at age 8.  The 8 year old was playing with me one night, went to sleep on the bed beside me, I heard him get down in the middle of the night, when I got up at 6:30 AM the next morning he was gone.

The Morris Foundation(dot)org has a major long term study on cancer in dogs which has been going on for @ three years.  There are 3,000 Golden Retrievers in this study, because it is very commmon in Goldens and Labs. 

You might want to go there and read some.  

But, of course nothing will change the pain of your loss.

Blessings to you and your family.

[Miss Shelly]

I am so sorry for your loss.  Over the years we have had to euthanize a few pets due to medical problems.  Last year it was our cocker spaniel, Joe, who developed congestive heart failure that didn't respond to medication.  I am not one to prolong the inevitable with painful treatment so we chose to "put him to sleep" at the age of 12.  

When you think of it, Joe was 90 in people years and your Gracie was 91.  They were fortunate to have lived in loving homes and we were fortunate to have been loved by them.  

[Alleighssun]

I am so sorry for your loss. My beloved 12 year old Sheltie also had hemangiosarcoma and passed away in a similar manner to Gracie almost 6 years ago. She was the best dog I'd ever had in my life, and the shock and grief over the sudden loss is heart wrenching and overwhelming. Like you, her health was always a top priority for me, so I too was angry and questioned what went wrong. How was this not diagnosed when I had taken her to the vet a month prior? What could I have done differently? According to the vet, there wasn't anything I could do differently, but I struggled with grief, anger and guilt for a very long time after her death. 

Hemangiosarcoma is a horrific disease, and my heart breaks for anyone who has to experience this with their pets. I can't imagine having to go through this with two dogs.

[juanitalinda]

I am so sorry for your loss.  I have been in the same situation and I am still crying 9 months later.

I wish I knew what caused hemangiosarcoma.  We lost our 7 year-old Shiloh Shepherd to it last summer.  The frustrating part was we took him to the vet 5 times within a week because he appeared in pain and wasn't himself.  We were so insistent we even took him to the level 3 animal care hospital where they took a bunch of X-rays and MRIs and assured us he was fine, unless of course it was something that hadn't progressed far enough to show up on the MRI.  Which was the case with Kato.  It makes me think that this cancer must be extremely aggressive because his spleen ruptured 5 days later and we lost him. 

I had never heard of the disease, but it wasn't 6 weeks later that my mother's  8-year old Samoyed dog suffered the exact same fate.  

Like you, I have tried to figure out why it happened, and so angry that 4 vets couldn't figure out what was wrong so we could have removed the spleen before it ruptured and maybe had a few more weeks.

I don't think it is the topical flea/tick medication because Mom's Samoyed never had it.   I doubt it is breed-related genetics because I have heard of so many different breeds getting it.    Neither one of us even fertilize the yard much less use pesticides and we live in the country.  Our vet didn't have much insight either.  

Regardless, it is a heartbreaking cancer.