Canine Lymphoma | People-To-Pets.com Blog

In Memory of Hunter

We lost the third Amigo this morning April 1, 2011. What a cruel Aprils Fool’s joke.

Hunter was our ball playing dog. When the kids were playing ball in the back yard he always played shortstop and was good at it too. When he was in the house he would get his ball and lie at the top of the steps and roll it down to you so you could throw it back. We didn’t teach him that he just knew that if he nudged it with his nose it would roll.

He wasn’t a very good swimmer for being a Lab which use to makes us laugh when he got into the pool, he would sink face first even though his bottom was heavier. So most the time he preferred to lay on the deck or under the shade tree.

I always would wonder what he was thinking about. I would see him sitting in front of the chair and he would be just starring off into space in deep thought about something almost like he was in a trance.

I called him the last of the three amigos. I never thought we would have two dogs at one time let alone three at one time. We always rescued dogs from shelters because they deserved a second chance in life. We had Curley a black Lab mix, I thought it would be nice having a yellow Lab so I called my friend at the shelter to see if there were any and she said yes they had one…”short little legs but really cute”. So we got Moebert a yellow Lab/Basset Hound).

This is where Hunter came into the picture. My sons’ friend had this 7 mos. old yellow Lab and they couldn’t keep him so they were going to take him to the animal shelter. We couldn’t let that happen so we said bring him over and if he gets along with the other two we would keep him. They all got along great and since then it was a “three dog night”…every night.

Hunter had a lot of health problems and I honestly thought he was going to be the first of the three to die not the last. We lost Curley to canine lymphoma April 23, 2010 and we lost Moebert June 3, 2010 to Hemangiosarcoma. Hunter had thyroid problems which he was on medication for, he had so many fatty non-cancerous lumps you couldn’t count them, He did have a cancerous tumor on his toe which we had removed.

He sounded like Darth Vader and the Vet said that was because he has what is called Laryngeal Paralysis. This is caused by some condition affecting the recurrent laryngeal nerves leading to a loss of their function. When the Vet was putting the tube down his throat for him to breathe during the operation to remove the lump on his toe he discovered it. So from what I understand, Laryngeal Paralysis is caused when the nerves and muscles of the larynx do not function properly, one or both sides of the larynx do not open or close as they should, impairing breathing.

Which that probably happened because his previous owner kept him chained to a tree and dogs don’t deserve to be chained or tied to a tree.

With all his medical issues he was still a happy and loving dog. Even though he couldn’t run and play ball any longer he would want you to roll it to him whether he was inside or outside lying on the deck, he would catch it with his mouth or try to grab it with his paws. He loved lying in the sun and most of all he loved lying by my feet in front of the recliner which I could never put up and I use to complain about…I wish I still had that to do.

Hunter died this morning in his sleep most likely he went into cardiac arrest. He will forever be in our hearts. I like to think that he is with his buddies Curley and Moe now at Rainbow Bridge all running and playing like they use to.

The Three Amigos

Love you forever…

Rest In Peace Hunter now you will be able to run and play with your ball again.

Hunter 1999 – 2011

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”~ Will Rogers

and I agree ~ Love to Hunter Til We Meet Again, Alice

Really no matter how you lose your pet, whether to a horrible disease like cancer or some other kind of illness or an accident, it can be devastating. Our pets are a special part of our family and will always have a special place in our hearts.  They might be gone from our sight but never from our memories of them. They may be gone from our touch but their presence is still felt and the love that they gave us will never leave our hearts.

A Tribute to Curley

Curley passed away peacefully on April 23, 2010. In his own yard by the forsythia bush where he liked to lay and watch over his domain. He lost his battle with canine lymphoma. The hardest decision a pet owner has to make is when to let go.

We love our dogs as if they were our children. Curley was our friend, our buddy, our pal, no heart in the entire world was more grateful for kindness than the loving heart in him. We didn’t need the sun to shine to have a shadow because no matter how many times I went up and down the stairs or where we went he would always be there with us.

Whenever either of our two other dogs would bark he would run not knowing where he was going or who he was after but he would always have to be the first on the scene. The old saying, “Time heals all wounds,” has meaning for your other surviving dogs as well. Time is the great healer for grieving animals just as it is for grieving people.

I know he would not have wanted us to make heroic efforts to keep him going, especially when his quality of life was not what it used to be and he was suffering. That he trusted us with his last breath that his fate was always safe in our hands. There is no love greater than the unconditional love we received from him. So the only choice we had was to have our Vet come to the house and help Curley pass over to doggie heaven peacefully. A friend said to us “I think they go to heaven, some others don’t but I say spell DOG backwards and there is your answer.”

The story of Rainbow Bridge is that there is a meadow on this side of Heaven, where when a pet dies they go to this meadow and they are not in pain and have no injuries or illnesses. They are playing with other animals and waiting for their owners to come so they can cross over the bridge together.

The Rainbow Bridge poem has been comforting many pet parents that are grieving from the lost of their pet. Just having the thought that their best friend is at peace and in no more pain makes it easier to accept…at least it did for me.

In Loving Memory

Curley

1999 – 2010

The words of the Rainbow Bridge poem set to music is tastefully done. It is very comforting if you have lost your best friend.  ===> Rainbow Bridge set to music.

For those of you that have loss a pet, I am truly sorry and I know the pain that you are feeling or were feeling. Curley was not the first pet we ever lost to an illness and I know he won’t be the last. The pain one feels in their hearts is different as each pet is different the love and memories of them will always be embedded in your heart and someday you will meet again. That’s what I am hoping for, we love you Curley and miss you very much, and till we see you again have fun playing and being pain free.

To All Who Have Lost A Best Friend,

Alice

To Curley With Love

You Left A Rainbow In Our Hearts

Till We Meet Again

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FTC DISCLOSURE: I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are/or may mentioned herein.

So what is Lymphoma? My dog Curley was diagnosis with Canine Lymphoma, which is a cancer of the lymphatic system a blood disorder. The lymph system is an essential part of the body’s immune defense system.

Where your dogs’ lymph nodes are:

Lymphoma is an immune dysfunction disease. Which means it is a failure of the body to recognize the abnormal cancer cells as invaders. For a dog to overcome this disease his immune system has to recognize and respond to this invader in his body, to allow the dog’s own system to fight the cancer.

Some say that Chemotherapy and some other types of radiation therapy are very important components to an effective treatment for lymphoma. But in the end, the dogs own immune response is what will beat the disease. It is vital to address the dog’s immune system.

Diet is one of the key factors to your pets’ recovery. Your dog’s diet and can make the difference between a successful treatment and a failure. Feeding the proper diet means NOT just buying the cheapest dog food from the grocery store. Dogs with Lymphoma have strict dietary needs that will have to be met for the dog to overcome this disease. More advice on diet will follow later.

To You and Your Pets Health,

Alice